[T4Texas]

You may call this a biased opinion, but I promote all things Texan and Texas. Austin has a lot of attractive features. It's a college town, so you know theres always something going on. It has a fantastic night life (and not all country music either). The food is a great mix of everything from Tex-mex to gourmet. The hill country is in your backyard which is a great location for camping, hiking, tubing and other outdoor pursuits. Plus you get the added bonus of the rest of the state and all it encompasses.
I've never been to Boston, but I think the weather would be a negative. Portland is beautiful, has a lot going on and would also be a good choice. Fort Collins I don't know anything about so can't say on that one.
Austin's only downside is the weather. It's hot and humid a bit, but heck, that's what they make air conditioning for.
Texas is a state of mind. When I landed here, I was on my way back to Cali from Florida and only planned to stay here a couple of days visiting. That was 34 years ago. Oh, and did I mention, the girls in Texas are not like anyplace else...