I have folks over here in Portland that I visit, usually I'm in LA or SV sometimes. It's a dramatic shock the types of friends you make, even if you try.
For example, if you're in Portland and try coder or Linux groups, the forums are dead a lot, the Meetup groups are the same way. Ask around successful people about who they know. Your network will be limited.
It all adds up in differences.....
The advantage is that you can get the feel of people who aren't bent on startup -> domination, which is probably the majority of your customers.
Think of it like the art of personal maturing by living for a few years in a different country. Gives you major perspective and altitude.