posted on December 6, 2000 02:19:08 AM new
During a recent conversation somebody remarked that they would love to live in such and such a place.
It got me to thinking what is it that makes us live where we do.
Family ties?
Career?
Truly love the locality?
Schooling for the kids?
Climate?
Lifestyle?
Recreation?
Financially unable to fund a move?
Too lazy to get up and go somewhere else?
If you would like to live someplace other than where you are now, where would it be and what's really stopping you?
The world is a shrinking place these days. Nowhere is too far from anywhere any more!
posted on December 6, 2000 02:31:49 AM new
bitsandbobs -- Most of the above! I live in north Georgia, mostly because my family lives here and this is where I grew up. I really like it here. This is home.
There usually aren't extremes where the weather is concerned ... the summers are a bit hot and sticky, but there are rarely any major things such as tornados (I know of only ONE), earthquakes (none), snowstorms (one in 1993), etc. We have mountains nearby (Smokies and the North GA mountains), rivers and lakes to fish in, beaches a few hours away (both in Florida and Georgia) ... I like it. We have big cities (Atlanta and Chattanooga) within an easy drive, but can enjoy the quieter life living in between the two.
I wouldn't want to move, but if I *had* to choose another place, I'd probably go to Minneapolis/St. Paul. Hubby and I vacationed there a few summers ago, and liked it. The snow would be a challenge, though! he he
posted on December 6, 2000 04:06:30 AM new
I live in Central FL. We moved here 6 months ago from West Texas. This is where I always wanted to be, planned to retire here. About a year ago I asked my husband, why wait till we retire? He couldn't think of a good answer, so here we are. I would actually like to be right on the beach but hubby was worried about Hurricanes. We're only 30 min. away and a few blocks away from a really nice lake. I'm never going to grow up so being right near Disney World and Universal is a big plus for me.
posted on December 6, 2000 05:35:13 AM new
I moved to Alabama, a place I'd never been, because:
1) Alabama doesn't tax military pensions
2) After too many years stationed in the northeast, I swore to never drag my sorry self through a snow drift ever again, EVER.
3) Equidistant to families (6 hr, 6 hr, 9 1/2 hr).
I moved to a really small town because they had a great public school system and I could afford a much nicer place with a lot more property than I ever could in a larger community. But it's not so small that I have to go on a trek to purchase bread & milk.
posted on December 6, 2000 06:36:31 AM new
I get asked that question a lot because I live in Cleveland! LOL!
Actually, though I grew up in Cleveland, I am now in a suburb of Cleveland, but an inner ring one that is old and similar in many ways to the city.
Our weather is pretty bad right now and the worst of it is that we get a LOT of cloudy days with NO sun. That can be depressing, especially in the winter.
The GOOD things here are a great park system that runs around the metro area; called the Emerald Necklace. There are picnic areas, bike and horse trails, boating and fishing, and most of these areas are close to wherever you live. We have lots of recreational facilities like pools and ice rinks and they are free in the city. We happen to ice skate every day at a Cleveland rink and love it. Lake Erie has great fishing and boating.
Houses are reasonable here and there is a wide variety of styles. Libraries abound as do museums. Our art museum is fabulous and FREE! We have a newer Science center and, of course, the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame. Case Western Reserve is here and Oberlin is 45 minutes west. There are some wonderful restaurants, not the chains!
I suppose the main reason I stay is family, but when I really think about it, we have so much here!
posted on December 6, 2000 06:45:37 AM new
We live in Northern Ohio, about an hour south of Cleveland. I was born here, left for two years when first married, and we came back here when hubby got out of the Air Force. Those two years were spent in Denver, and Marquette Michigan.
We really like this area. Most of both of our families are in Ohio. We live in a medium sized city, with good hospitals and good schools. The cost of living here is one of the lowest in the country, sales tax is still under 6%.
Living near Cleveland is actually a great plus. Excellent world class medical care, national theater, shopping, museums, tons of outdoor areas with parks etc. within 1-2 hours drive any direction. Forgot to mention The Tribe and The Browns. (yes I know they are doing badly this year, but we got our team back)
It's home...
[ edited by Meya on Dec 6, 2000 06:46 AM ]
posted on December 6, 2000 07:20:38 AM new
SW Florida. Beach and Heat
But the schools are not too good here, so because of that, and my husband's job, we're moving to Philadelphia. I guess I'll need shoes, and a coat.
In a few years, I want to go back to the Caribbean. I have a lot of family there, and I miss it. (Except for hurricanes and dengue fever)
posted on December 6, 2000 07:26:54 AM new
I live in the Seattle area because I like:
1) The climate. It does rain quite a bit here and we have more than our share of overcast days, but it's rather mild and rarely snows or gets above 90 degrees.
2) The natural beauty. Because of the moisture it's very green here. There are mountains and water and everything in between.
3) The people. People here are generally friendly and polite, with the exception of the guy who cut me off on the freeway onramp this morning (grr!)
4) The "mood" -- generally casual and comfortable. This area also has a wide variety of ethnic and social groups, so you can find whatever kind of culture you want here.
I used to compain about the area's traffic, but my husband recently visited New York and Washington DC and returned with the news that Seattle's traffic is wonderful compared to those cities. I was also priced out of the real estate market near the city, but I'm very happy living 25 miles south.
posted on December 6, 2000 09:06:19 AM new
I've been living in north San Diego County for 13-1/2 years and would stay here forever if I could. The climate is superb (going to be 80 and breezy today) and our air quality conditions are very good (unlike LA and their brown skies.)
While the schools themselves are challenging, the district we are in is very responsive. And my husband and I are both about 4 miles away from work, so our commute is non-existent. We are 20 minutes from the beach, 1 hour from the mountains and about 45 minutes from downtown San Diego and all the attractions. Our city is a nice mix of suburban developments and agricultural zones.
The only thing I truly miss is being with my family. While we try and meet up as often as possible, I have not been a daily part of my nephews' and nieces' lives and that has been tough. But as soon as the weather back east gets cold in the winter or muggy in the summer, I remember why I'm here.
**********************
That's Flunky Gerbiltush to you!
posted on December 6, 2000 09:44:14 AM new
Good morning bitsnbobs! Nice to see you!
I'd have to go with C, D, E, F, and G:
Truly love the locality
Schooling for the kids
Climate
Lifestyle
Recreation
I live on Maui, and I truly do love this place as I have never loved anywhere I've lived. I remember the first time I set foot on this island's soil and breathed the air. It was an instant relaxation and comfort like I was finally home after a lifetime of years. And it was during my first visit that my younger son, then 5 now 8 said "Why can't we just live here?"
The school my kids are in is also bar none the BEST they have ever attended... not only surpassing the others in academia but in warmth and aloha, with a principal that knows each of her 900 students by name, who their siblings are, who their parents are, what their interests are, and greets them with a beautiful warm smile each day. She also produces a morning announcement television show from the school that is broadcast into each classroom in lieu of the old PA system announcements. The soaring of my boys' grades, placing them consistently on the honor roll I have to at least partially attribute to the positive learning environment.
The climate? Well, while the mainlanders are up to their kneecaps in snow, we went to the beach yesterday after school. It's in the high 70's now at 7:30 in the morning and I can smell the tropical flowers through my window as I type.
Lifestyle: Very laid-back and a true community feeling. Billboards are illegal here and it is considered bad form to honk your horn. It is also not uncommon to pull up to a 4-way stop and see all of the drivers waving for the other to go instead of the MY TURN attitude that I had my fill of in L.A. It is customary to be courteous to your fellow drivers, allowing people to make lefthand turns in front of you if it looks like they've been waiting a while and rude to pass another driver (unless it's an emergency) even though the lanes allow it at times.
Recreaction: from the beach to the mountains to the rainforest, we have it all... luaus, parasailing, world class restaurants and resorts, some of the best snorkeling in the world, free concerts in the park,(last weekend it was Willie Nelson...he lives here too) and it is all 365 days a year, except for the whale watching...the humpback whale comes every year to give birth at Maalaea Bay, just up the road a couple of miles from me, but they're only here 6 months out of the year.
Sorry for the rambling...can you tell I'm on my first cup of coffee?
posted on December 6, 2000 11:45:58 AM new
I live in Philadelphia, PA. My job requires that I reside within the city limits. I often think that I'd prefer to live elsewhere.
Snowyegret: If you'd like information on neighborhoods, schools, safety issues, etc., feel free to e-mail me.
posted on December 6, 2000 12:14:39 PM new
This is where Uncle Sam sent us. We, however, opted to live away from the Little America and reside in a small town about a half hour away.
I love it in Europe and would stay here forever(as long as we moved somewhere a tad warmer) but the tom is starting to feel the call of the US...
posted on December 6, 2000 12:21:05 PM new
I moved to Colorado because it had the closest roller coaster to where I was at the time.
I drove here, rode it and then moved.
posted on December 6, 2000 12:21:15 PM new
I live right outside Houston Texas.
I moved here with my husband because at the time all his family lived here.
We met in the Army in Oklahoma.
Of course since then his whole family has moved back to New England where my family (or at least bits of it) live also.
We will be going back just as we are financially able.
There are things I like about Texas but they can't make up for what the air has done to my health.
I can't wait to get back to the cool blue north.
posted on December 6, 2000 07:08:13 PM new
I live in a seaside town west of the city of Los Angeles.
This is a small, safe, well-to-do suburban community. I grew up here and when I was young I found it boring. I moved out as soon as I turned 18 and lived all over Los Angeles, from Westwood (when I was going to UCLA) to a loft in Downtown Los Angeles to West Hollywood to Echo Park. Then I explored other parts of the country spending time in Louisville, Kentucky (loved it) New Orleans, Lousiana (mixed feelings) Seattle, Washington (loved the weather and the nearness of the great outdoors, disliked the attitude towards Californians) Dublin, Ireland and other Irish towns (would still be living there if I could afford it, best place on earth to be alive). I came back here to the place I grew up when some family members moved and a family rental house became available to me. The slow pace of life here (which I never liked when I was young) has now become sweet and dear to me. Nevertheless I may be moving before long---my sweetie lives in San Francisco, and I'm beginning to feel a desire for new places and people. And San Francisco has always been one of my favorite towns. Just as soon as I save up $5000 for my first month's rent.....hahahahha. Sigh. SF has something like a .001% vacancy rate, and the average *room* in an apartment there would cost us something like $800-$900 a month......
I think Los Angeles, the city, gets confused a lot with Los Angeles, the county. In my area of LA County, we don't have much to do with "the city"---some people work or go to school there but it seems a long way away geographically and ideologically although it's only about 30 miles to downtown LA. I have never heard of any drive by shooting where I live, the beach air here is clean and beautiful, the people (generally) have good hearts and good brains (If I screamed---I have no doubt my neighbors would come running to help) the schools are better than decent and in 33 years of living here I have gone through at least 20 earthquakes without even a dish breaking. Only thing I really have to complain about is the rents and the traffic---and even those are OK if you stay out of the city.
I live in north Georgia, mostly because my family lives here and this is where I grew up. I really like it here. This is home.
