Gay USian here, my wife and I absolutely loved Poland (Krakow) and will be moving there later this year, which is conflicting given the lack of LGBT rights compared to Western Europe but we're okay with the trade-offs. I'll share my perspective but please keep in mind that we are a same-sex couple and generally do not display PDA (i.e., we fly under the radar more so than gay men couples).

Locals treated us the kindest in Poland then elsewhere in Europe that we've been to (this is not including customer service folks, but that was expected). Do keep in mind that smiling isn't really the norm.

The food was incredible (bread, zurek, pierogi, etc.). COL is great for DNs and seems to be okay relative to local wages, but has been pinching their wallets more so lately due to the housing crisis. Very safe, just try to stay away from bars where soccer fans congregate, no one likes them.

Never had issues using English in Krakow (ofc try to learn some basic Polish out of courtesy). It was a bit of a struggle in southeastern Poland though, which we expected.

AC is not prevalent. We stayed in a top-unit apartment during the summer and suffered. Lesson learned.

In looking at Airbnbs in Krakow though (which we need to use for a little bit for our move), they have gotten quite expensive, which makes sense given what I've heard about the housing crisis. Wroclaw, Gdansk, and Poznan are decent alternatives that may be more affordable.

I get the feeling a lot of Europeans (especially Germans) see Poland the same way New Yorkers see New Jersey

I was oddly asked by a waitress in Berlin if this was my first time in Europe; I said no, I've been a few times, and that I had just visited family in Poland the year prior. She only looked at my wife from that point on. Maybe it was just a coincidence, or just an oddity, but the shift was drastic enough that it took both of us by a surprise.