If you could live anywhere in the US, where would you choose?

[Condessa]

Meyers Creek

Or maybe up pistol river, which is right next to it but with a sunnier microclimate if you go just a mile upriver.

And I would go stay with family in San Diego from mid-January to mid-March each year.

[whitestavern]

If I had no family and unlimited funds, Switzerland. 
 

And while I’d like to live somewhere where’s it’s 70s and sunny year round (southern CA maybe?) there’s no way in heck I’d actually live anywhere with that climate.

Final answer: southeastern or southwestern New Hampshire. We are actually going up tomorrow to look at towns for retirement. Four seasons, proximity to ocean, mountains, beautiful natural spaces, Boston.  And it’s motto is live free or die!
 

 

Edited January 22, 2022 by whitestavern

[frogger]

I'd love Minnesota or Wisconsin but they are flat.

I love Alaska but global warming is kinda ruining it.

So right now, I'd say, if jobs weren't an issue I'd move to Glacier View. Which is only an hours drive north of here (Anchorage, Alaska) but in the mountains and elevation helps make up for the warning temperatures. 

Edited January 22, 2022 by frogger

[ScoutTN]

Very happy right here in middle TN! Zero desire to move anywhere.

It’s pretty, with a four season climate and short winters. Loads of farms, history, and music. A decent airport, several universities, excellent hospitals, libraries, parks, symphony, etc. Great resources for homeschooling. No state income tax.

I would love to escape to a warm beach for a couple weeks in late January or early February, though.

Edited January 22, 2022 by ScoutTN

[theelfqueen]

I'm thinking the North Shore of Oahu looks pretty good right now. 

I love Colorado but I'd be happy to go kore rural - maybe Montana. 

Edited January 22, 2022 by theelfqueen

[chiguirre]

I'd stay in Houston, although I might move closer to the water. I'd love Miami, but Houston has many of the things that I like about Miami at a much lower price point. Sailing here is a bargain compared to just about any other city and there are many good deals on sports and entertainment tickets. We have a vibrant performing arts scene, every major sport except hockey, every imaginable type of food and we're close to an okay beach. I don't like winter and I don't like mountains, so Houston suits me just fine. It's not as cool as Miami, but it checks all my boxes.

[Corbster98]

20 minutes ago, frogger said:

I'd love Minnesota or Wisconsin but they are flat.

I love Alaska but global warming is kinda ruining it.

So right now, I'd say, if jobs weren't an issue I'd move to Glacier View. Which is only an hours drive north of here (Anchorage, Alaska) but in the mountains and elevation helps make up for the warning temperatures. 

We love Alaska too!! You could move up here to the 'interior' if you prefer colder weather. I can assure you we have plenty 🤣

[frogger]

9 minutes ago, corbster98 said:

We love Alaska too!! You could move up here to the 'interior' if you prefer colder weather. I can assure you we have plenty 🤣

I went to school in Fairbanks back in the day and lived in the bush near Chicken part of my childhood. Chicken is colder than Fairbanks! 

But honestly, the mountains just aren't the same. We currently have property south of Denali (off Petersville road) and there too, doesn't feel like mountains but we get way more snow than Fairbanks. You are on the wrong side of the Mountain and I remember the snow being like sand. Glacier View or McCarthy is more my style.

I'm spoiled. I want my mountains and I want my snow and I want it to stay all winter! Lol 😜I'll be visiting Fairbanks a couple times in February for ski races though. 

Edited January 22, 2022 by frogger

[Roadrunner]

Middle of NYC or most large European cities. I love the energy, hustle and bustle, people… I don’t care about nature. I will have enough of it when I am 6 feet under. I want action. 

[Melissa in Australia]

I like exactly where I live

 I have no desire to even visit USA let alone live there.

[ikslo]

10 hours ago, Amethyst said:

Lancaster, PA. 
 

 

Been there, done that. It’s all yours.

[whitestavern]

10 hours ago, Amethyst said:

Lancaster, PA. 
 

 

My D applied to Franklin & Marshall college. Wasn’t her top choice but I thought the area was nice. 

[ikslo]

Just now, whitestavern said:

My D applied to Franklin & Marshall college. Wasn’t her top choice but I thought the area was nice. 

Beautiful area, true. Lots of dogwoods.  Was actually nice are for gardening. 

[gardenmom5]

dh and I have had this conversation many times.   We're fine here.  (Puget Sound area)

[Frances]

Nm 

Edited January 22, 2022 by Frances

[BakersDozen]

10 hours ago, JFSinIL said:

Daughter lives there now....very different from nw Chicagoland suburbs!  For one thing...bears!

Oh my goodness, really??? Is she on one of the mesas or closer to town? I grew up right across the street from Urban Park - absolutely idyllic and now it's even more so with the amenities (the shuttle/bus system - wow!!), etc.

[gardenmom5]

15 hours ago, Spryte said:

Which beach? 

West Coast has beaches with no Hurricanes.  (but, Tsunamis . . . .)

14 hours ago, mellifera33 said:

I love where I live most of the time--Pacific Northwest between Puget Sound and the Cascades. I would like to have a free month somewhere sunny and warm when we're in the midst of endless gloom though.

Sequim is great for quick mid-winter get aways, rain shadow.   Sunny, pleasant temperatures. dry . . . . 

Several years ago we went to San Juan in March? - it had snowed that morning on our way to the Anacortes Ferry.  When we got to Friday Harbor - shirt sleeves and sunshine.  South end of the Island is desert.  (north end rained the entire time we were there.)  draw back is, most of the restaurants on San Juan are closed midweek that time of year.

[madteaparty]

Do we have to pick? I want an apartment in NYC and a small place in Vermont. As it is, I split the difference and have to commute to both 😉 thank goodness for friends whom I can do sleepovers with 🤣I’m a bit with @Roadrunner :‘I live in a beautiful area now (nature and such) but there’s only so much time one can spend looking at trees.  I am obsessed with roses so I do need a tiny patch of land for them. 

add in a Paris pied-a-terre (see what I did there) and I will be fine, thank you. 🤣

Edited January 22, 2022 by madteaparty

[Guest]

If I truly could live literally *anywhere*, and all logistical issues would magically disappear, I would live for maybe three years in the south of France. Reasons: the Mediterranean, the castles and churches, the boulangeries, the way French men dress, the language; and when I need a different vibe, I could hop on the TGV and speed off to Paris or another city. When I need mountains and snow, I can go to the Alps. 
 

If I could live literally *anywhere* in the US and all logistical issues would magically disappear, it would probably be Colorado or the PNW. Reasons: mountains, seasons, quaking aspens, incredible natural beauty, a culture of fitness/hiking/appreciating nature. 
 

Realistic logistical goal: live on the water in MD or VA. 

[fairfarmhand]

11 hours ago, ScoutTN said:

Very happy right here in middle TN! Zero desire to move anywhere.

It’s pretty, with a four season climate and short winters. Loads of farms, history, and music. A decent airport, several universities, excellent hospitals, libraries, parks, symphony, etc. Great resources for homeschooling. No state income tax.

I would love to escape to a warm beach for a couple weeks in late January or early February, though.

You said it.

 

this is me too.

I live a bit rural but still within an hour of a big city where there’s excellent healthcare and interesting things to do. And the countryside looks like the places on All Creatures Great and Small. 
 

and I would love to escape in January/February. Middle tn is gray gray gray in those months. 

[Guest]

17 hours ago, Catwoman said:

We have the same question, and it seems like there are so many amazing choices, but when you start to narrow things down based on things like needing excellent health care nearby, those choices start to dwindle pretty rapidly. 

This is a huge factor to me, spoiled as I am living less than an hour’s drive to several world-class medical institutions and the NIH. When people talk about being, say, five hours from *a* hospital, much less a teaching and research hospital, that is unimaginable to me. 

[fairfarmhand]

Just now, Quill said:

This is a huge factor to me, spoiled as I am living less than an hour’s drive to several world-class medical institutions and the NIH. When people talk about being, say, five hours from *a* hospital, much less a teaching and research hospital, that is unimaginable to me. 

Same. My dh and I live 40 minutes from Vanderbilt University Hospital. Which is just one of many excellent healthcare facilities. 
 

he keeps talking about moving to the boonies when he retires. 
 

I remember that his dad lived an hour from any decent medical facility and to treat his cancer involved so much driving. Rehab, surgeries, random appointments etc. were rough because of this.

nope. I’m not moving anyplace like that when he retires. 

[Guest]

17 minutes ago, fairfarmhand said:

You said it.

 

this is me too.

I live a bit rural but still within an hour of a big city where there’s excellent healthcare and interesting things to do. And the countryside looks like the places on All Creatures Great and Small. 
 

and I would love to escape in January/February. Middle tn is gray gray gray in those months. 

Sold! 
I’ll be down next week! 😄

[fairfarmhand]

1 minute ago, Quill said:

Sold! 
I’ll be down next week! 😄

The only thing we lack are the stone bridges and walls in the fields. Otherwise, I understand why the scotch Irish and British often stayed in Appalachia and the surrounding areas. Because it looks like home to them.

[historically accurate]

20 hours ago, Mrs Tiggywinkle said:

Anna Maria Island, Florida. It is my favorite place on earth.  I’m trying to convince my investor dad to buy some condos on the island as a real estate investment and hire me as the property manager, but DH won’t move and Dad doesn’t want to invest in travel related industries until it’s clearer what long term impacts Covid will have.

So here I am where it’s -22 degrees tonight.

My mom lived there for a few years in Bradenton Beach. Now she's moved up the coast toward Spring Hill, but the Island is awesome.

 

20 hours ago, rebcoola said:

If it was just based on my favorite place it would be Newport Oregon area.

Based on people and still nice place to live it would Lafayette Indiana

My aunt and uncle lived in Lafayette for years. She owned the Chiffon bridal shop there. They've now retired to FL with my mom - they live within 1 mile of each other.

 

20 hours ago, Annie G said:

We retired from the IL/WI border to the Athens, Georgia area. It’s perfect for us.  In an hour we can be in the mountains, by the river, at Lake Lanier or Hartwell. An easy drive to Florida beaches.  Asheville is an easy weekend trip, as is Charleston. We have the university nearby, which offers affordable entertainment, tons of live music, lectures and performances that a town this size normally wouldn’t have. The weather is excellent- no more shoveling snow, but we do have four seasons even though winter is short (which I am grateful for). 
I’d love the perfect temps in Santa Barbara, but could never convince dh to live in California. 

We're coming from IL/WI as well. Putting Athens on the list for research.

We're choosing somewhere in the Southeast - Alabama/Mississippi/Georgia/Carolinas area - for our retirement years. I currently live in my hometown and we're here til my MIL passes/kids graduate. 

[Guest]

8 minutes ago, fairfarmhand said:

The only thing we lack are the stone bridges and walls in the fields. Otherwise, I understand why the scotch Irish and British often stayed in Appalachia and the surrounding areas. Because it looks like home to them.

Thank you for painting that visual for me. I haven’t spent any time in TN except for one overnight ages ago when traveling with a choral group. It has been on my list as a place to consider retiring to, but unfortunately, the handling of the pandemic has given me impressions of some states that moved it down the list for me. But maybe there is yet hope. 
 

As an aside, a idea I had for a novel would be set in TN, at least partially, but I would have to spend some time there before using it as a setting. Otherwise I will come across as someone who has never spent time in the state. (I always hate it when stories are set in my state and the author clearly has no idea what Maryland is like. Or they think everyone is like “Baltimore Hons”.)

Edited January 22, 2022 by Quill
Typo changes meaning

[fairfarmhand]

4 minutes ago, Quill said:

Thank you for painting that visual for me. I haven’t spent any time in TN except for one overnight ages ago when traveling with a choral group. It has been on my list as a place to consider retiring to, but unfortunately, the handling of the pandemic has given me impressions of some states that moved it down the list for me. But maybe there is yet hope. 
 

As an aside, a idea I had for a novel would be set in TN, at least partially, but I would have to spend some time there before using it as a setting. Otherwise I will come across as someone who has never spent time in the state. (I always hate it when stories are set in my state and the author clearly has no idea what Maryland is like. Or they think everyone is like “Baltimore Hons”. 

If you come for a visit, try our state parks system. They’re lovely.

also, the pandemic stuff largely depends on your area. The cities handled it differently than the more rural areas. So many different pockets of behavior. 
 

also, the people here are kind and generous and compassionate. Often opinionated.

the flip side is that it can take a long time to feel included and welcomed. Not because anyone is intentionally being Mean or exclusive. Just oblivious that they could open their circle a bit from time to time. 

Edited January 22, 2022 by fairfarmhand

[ScoutTN]

1 hour ago, Quill said:

This is a huge factor to me, spoiled as I am living less than an hour’s drive to several world-class medical institutions and the NIH. When people talk about being, say, five hours from *a* hospital, much less a teaching and research hospital, that is unimaginable to me. 

Me too. Dh has a neurovascular condition - brain surgeries, seizures etc. - we will never live more than 20 minutes from a real hospital. 

[Corbster98]

13 hours ago, frogger said:

I went to school in Fairbanks back in the day and lived in the bush near Chicken part of my childhood. Chicken is colder than Fairbanks! 

But honestly, the mountains just aren't the same. We currently have property south of Denali (off Petersville road) and there too, doesn't feel like mountains but we get way more snow than Fairbanks. You are on the wrong side of the Mountain and I remember the snow being like sand. Glacier View or McCarthy is more my style.

I'm spoiled. I want my mountains and I want my snow and I want it to stay all winter! Lol 😜I'll be visiting Fairbanks a couple times in February for ski races though. 

I agree...the mountains are different up here. We do have view of the AK Range though and it is spectacular, esp on clear days. What I love about our area is the hills, lakes, rivers, beautiful warm summers and lots of sun with endless daylight. Perfect for our love of hiking, 4 wheeling, hunting, fishing, boating, kayaking and swimming with our Newfie. 

Our winters are dark and frigid but I love going out on clear nights when it's painful cold to find the northern lights. It never gets old. And we have had unusually warmer weather this winter resulting in a large amount of snowfall.

Enjoy the races in February!

Edited January 22, 2022 by allySW

[frogger]

1 hour ago, corbster98 said:

I agree...the mountains are different up here. We do have view of the AK Range though and it is spectacular, esp on clear days. What I love about our area is the hills, lakes, rivers, beautiful warm summers and lots of sun with endless daylight. Perfect for our love of hiking, 4 wheeling, hunting, fishing, boating, kayaking and swimming with our Newfie. 

Our winters are dark and frigid but I love going out on clear nights when it's painful cold to find the northern lights. It never gets old. And we have had unusually warmer weather this winter resulting in a large amount of snowfall.

Enjoy the races in February!

Not to hijack the thread but man it is 58 and raining here. Ski races cancelled and there wasn't much snow pack for a base to begin with. 

The weather in Glacier View is 27 and snowing. I can see my husband loving tinkering and grooming trails and cooking breakfast for our B&B guests. I could manage the business and clean. It would be lovely. How many years until we leave the rat race? 😊

[Ting Tang]

On 1/21/2022 at 10:35 AM, MrsMommy said:

I grew up in the suburbs, but family isn't the motivator...I just really, really love the city.

I grew up in Naperville, and I miss it. Now I live in a rural part of the state, and it has never felt like home, despite this being where I got married, created my family, etc.     But if I moved, I would choose to go to a different state.  Despite always having lived in northern Illinois, I've moved 6 times in my life.  Maybe that isn't a lot, but I think I get bored being in the same place.  I just have no idea where I would go!

[AngelaGT]

I live in Western North Carolina in a small town in a small county.  It has been perfect to raise a family and for dh and I to excel in our careers.  It has 4 seasons, wonderful hiking, biking, kayaking/canoeing, outdoor activities of all kinds.  Asheville is a 45 minute drive which offers me (pre covid) all the wonderful yoga community that I could enjoy and tons of cultural opportunity.  Quality health care is available and so is alternative health care (more my style).  It is a major retirement area and as dh and I are contemplating that next step, we have decided that our 1200 sq ft 1 level home that raised 2 children is perfect to retire in in our town of Saluda, NC that looks like Maybury from Andy Griffith is perfect. Love to visit Charlotte, Charleston, Atlanta, Greenville, and Chicago (my home town) but, this is home.

If my life takes a major change in 10-20 years, I plan to move to India where I have family.  I plan to immerse myself into the culture and live out the rest of my days traveling back and forth to be with children.

 

[Condessa]

17 hours ago, chiguirre said:

I'd stay in Houston, although I might move closer to the water. I'd love Miami, but Houston has many of the things that I like about Miami at a much lower price point. Sailing here is a bargain compared to just about any other city and there are many good deals on sports and entertainment tickets. We have a vibrant performing arts scene, every major sport except hockey, every imaginable type of food and we're close to an okay beach. I don't like winter and I don't like mountains, so Houston suits me just fine. It's not as cool as Miami, but it checks all my boxes.

Is there somewhere in the vicinity of Houston that you might recommend to a person who is really a rural, outdoorsy, small town kind of girl at heart?

With my son's diagnosis, we are never going to be able to go back to my #1 pick (6+ hours from a children's hospital).  My #2 pick is financially and occupationally out of reach for us.  I really don't know where else I would want to go besides those places, but I hate it here.  Just looking down a list of top-ranked hospitals in the specialties needed for my son, I am noticing that Houston comes up very high on both, plus has warm weather and a lower cost of living.  The humidity would take some getting used to. The major sports, entertainment, and foods sound like someplace my dh would like.  I don't suppose Houston has a small-town-feeling suburb with an excellent classical charter school, does it?

[Selkie]

18 hours ago, frogger said:

I'd love Minnesota or Wisconsin but they are flat.

I love Alaska but global warming is kinda ruining it.

So right now, I'd say, if jobs weren't an issue I'd move to Glacier View. Which is only an hours drive north of here (Anchorage, Alaska) but in the mountains and elevation helps make up for the warning temperatures. 

Southwest Wisconsin is very hilly - not mountains, but gorgeous rolling hills and valleys. It's called the Driftless Region because it was untouched by the glaciers. It's pretty darn cold in the winter, too, if that's what you're looking for!

[chiguirre]

37 minutes ago, Condessa said:

I don't suppose Houston has a small-town-feeling suburb with an excellent classical charter school, does it?

We don't have many charter schools outside of urban areas. Off the top of my head, you might like Huffman. It's still small towny but it's not a terrible commute. I'd also look around Sheldon ISD. That's sort of rural but on Beltway 8. Both Huffman and the Sheldon ISD area are close to Holy Trinity Episcopal school. They're pretty classical.

I'd also look on 59 north around the Grand Parkway. Both Porter and New Caney are still pretty rural with acreage available. Another alternative is Splendora although the commute to Houston is longer. It would be feasible to commute to Covenant Preparatory School in Kingwood from there.

I'm mentioning places that are in the NE suburbs of Houston. There are other areas to the West and North that might work depending on where your dh works, but both of those areas have worse traffic problems which complicate a commute. South of Houston is more built up all the way to Galveston.

Anywhere you look, you need to assess flooding potential. The construction of the Grand Parkway has resulted in areas flooding that never did before.

[Mom_to3]

I have loved reading all the varied responses. It's wonderful to see how people love different aspects of life and have thrived in areas I would hate moving to based on *what little* I know from *afar*. I've also looked up a few places like Manhattan, Kansas. Thanks again.

I would want an area with no real natural disasters (earthquakes, hurricanes, wildfires, tornadoes etc.), a mild climate (not too cold in the winters, not too humid in the summers), city-life, access to a major international airport within a 1-2 hr drive, top-notch health care, beautiful outdoors...is that too much to ask for (yes, yes it is!)? Is there such a place in the US?

I've always dreamt of Munich, which would check all the boxes - but moving there would be difficult (jobs for both of us?! school transition for the older kids?! They sort students into different tracks at the end of 4th grade, and homeschooling doesn't exist) ...I also love the thought of New Zealand, especially after how they've handled covid, but the earthquake potential worries me.

[Bambam]

We don't know yet. We've talked about where to live after retirement.

Things we want - low cost of living, close to major metro area for excellent health care + other cultural things, preferably someplace with hills and trees and lots of greenery, where there is a good congregation for worship, some seasonal change but not extremely cold nor heat - be great if that also helped with DH's allergies. 

To us it doesn't make sense to move to where our children will be because I think they will move around, and I don't want to follow them around.  If we get old and frail and need to move close to them, we will examine that at that time. 

[goldberry]

When I was 8 we came to Colorado on vacation. My dad remembers me saying, "Dad, I wasn't supposed to live in Texas, I was supposed to live in Colorado!"  Been here 15+ years now.  We live rural/small town but fairly close to Colorado Springs, up in the mountains. Being on the east side means winter weather but not "socked in" like some other places.  We usually have a few days of snow, then the sun melts it off, then snow again.

Get a little worried these days because it's getting so expensive here, but I honestly can't think of a scenario where I would leave.  It's my home-place.  My favorite smell in the whole world is when summer first comes and the sun hits the pine needles.  🥰

[Farrar]

I love/hate it here in DC. But all my friends are here, so I don't want to leave. I'm learning to love city life again in the post-pandemic world. Maybe.

But sometimes I think I'd be happier in a smaller city that's cheaper to live in and more relaxed. Like Pittsburgh or Durham or Burlington or somewhere. But then I'd need to think about weather and a bunch of specific things like financials and so forth. I don't even know.

[popmom]

On 1/21/2022 at 10:25 AM, Mrs Tiggywinkle said:

Anna Maria Island, Florida. It is my favorite place on earth.  I’m trying to convince my investor dad to buy some condos on the island as a real estate investment and hire me as the property manager, but DH won’t move and Dad doesn’t want to invest in travel related industries until it’s clearer what long term impacts Covid will have.

So here I am where it’s -22 degrees tonight.

Shhhhhh! You aren’t supposed to advertise AMI. 😂😂😭

[footballmom]

We live in the suburbs of a major metro area with great healthcare, great job opportunities (yes, we are becoming more virtual in the US but nice to have options), and the schools are well regarded (mixed feelings for me).  The cost of housing has become bananas but we’ve lived here long enough to have quite a bit of equity so this is our ideal for right now.  
 

I dream of DH and I having some years to float around - either multiple homes or extended vacations once kids are launched - before I will feel like we need to settle into the right place to age in place / be near the right medical resources we may need.

[crazyforlatin]

I don’t like the city anymore. Crime is rampant, or so it seems. We’ve had several stores permanently shut down due to thefts. As long as the items don’t add up to a certain amount, the thieves will continue this way without consequences. We’ve had elderly folks get robbed, beaten, and pushed from behind. 
 

I would like to live in a small town where I can walk everywhere without needing to drive or carry a pepper spray.

[Sneezyone]

Oahu. Our dream is to retire there. I love everything about it but the cost and traffic. Views, people, hikes, weather, distance from the mainland…everything.

Edited January 23, 2022 by Sneezyone

[Bootsie]

6 hours ago, Condessa said:

Is there somewhere in the vicinity of Houston that you might recommend to a person who is really a rural, outdoorsy, small town kind of girl at heart?

With my son's diagnosis, we are never going to be able to go back to my #1 pick (6+ hours from a children's hospital).  My #2 pick is financially and occupationally out of reach for us.  I really don't know where else I would want to go besides those places, but I hate it here.  Just looking down a list of top-ranked hospitals in the specialties needed for my son, I am noticing that Houston comes up very high on both, plus has warm weather and a lower cost of living.  The humidity would take some getting used to. The major sports, entertainment, and foods sound like someplace my dh would like.  I don't suppose Houston has a small-town-feeling suburb with an excellent classical charter school, does it?

How far outside of Houston would you be willing to go?  Bryan/College Station is about 90 miles away and gives you the benefits of a college town but within an hour and half of Houston (and Austin).  Or Brenham or Huntsville would give you even a smaller town.  

[Frances]

6 hours ago, crazyforlatin said:

I don’t like the city anymore. Crime is rampant, or so it seems. We’ve had several stores permanently shut down due to thefts. As long as the items don’t add up to a certain amount, the thieves will continue this way without consequences. We’ve had elderly folks get robbed, beaten, and pushed from behind. 
 

I would like to live in a small town where I can walk everywhere without needing to drive or carry a pepper spray.

I live in a city of over 150,000 and can walk everywhere and have never even thought of carrying pepper spray. I rarely drive our one car and am surrounded by parks and greenery.

[crazyforlatin]

1 hour ago, Frances said:

I live in a city of over 150,000 and can walk everywhere and have never even thought of carrying pepper spray. I rarely drive our one car and am surrounded by parks and greenery.

I haven’t carried one until recently because everyone says I need to if I’m walking out at 10 pm with the dog. I would probably spray myself first due to being a clutz.

We couldn’t even go to downtown (and apparently a lot of people thought the same thing) during the holidays to browse the high end shops and look at decorations. We didn’t know whether another group would charge into the stores and clear them out. 
 

Actually I don’t even like shopping so I wouldn’t have gone, but that option of going was not really a safe option.

 

Edited January 23, 2022 by crazyforlatin

[Clarita]

I really like Orange County in southern California, but I do like the area I live in now SF Bay Area in northern CA. I have realized living in California makes me too spoiled in terms of weather. I am a warm weather girl so I wouldn't mind Maui in Hawaii either, but I don't think my husband could do it year round (he thinks it's too hot and humid there).  

[HomeAgain]

Anywhere in the U.S. - Burlington, VT.  It has a large body of water, a walkable town, focus on sustainable practices, great vegan food, and observed bike lanes.  Also a well-rated college for ds.

Anywhere outside the U.S. - Sacile, IT or Pordenone, IT. There's a train/public transportation, small town with markets, and it's close enough to Venice to make international travel easy and doable.  There are mountains and lakes nearby and the beach is a train ride away. It's walkable and bikeable, which are high on my list of priorities, and plenty of great food, which is my other priority.

[Faith-manor]

On 1/22/2022 at 8:07 AM, Quill said:

This is a huge factor to me, spoiled as I am living less than an hour’s drive to several world-class medical institutions and the NIH. When people talk about being, say, five hours from *a* hospital, much less a teaching and research hospital, that is unimaginable to me. 

Oh, yes, we have wide swaths of folks here that are bizarre distances from really good hospitals. That was one reason we picked the greater Huntsville area. Our house is rural, but less than an hour from good hospitals there, and then there is Vanderbilt in Nashville if needed.

Here we are an hour from a mediocre hospital or shall we say, a set of mediocre hospitals, and two hours from the very, very good, preferred hospitals.

[Faith-manor]

16 hours ago, crazyforlatin said:

I don’t like the city anymore. Crime is rampant, or so it seems. We’ve had several stores permanently shut down due to thefts. As long as the items don’t add up to a certain amount, the thieves will continue this way without consequences. We’ve had elderly folks get robbed, beaten, and pushed from behind. 
 

I would like to live in a small town where I can walk everywhere without needing to drive or carry a pepper spray.

Choose your small town judiciously. Ours has no sidewalks, and the township is too poor to afford them. The streets are narrow, and the main road has semis and beet trucks whizzing past all.the.time. The speed limit is 35, but the trucks do 55-65 because law enforcement is not interested in policing this little hamlet, and that is quote common in villages of 1000 people or less because they often do not have enough tax base to have their own police officers.