Why do you live where you do?

I've lived in all the Gulf States. My dad is a pure Cajun (coonass) and my mom from northern Mississippi just south of Memphis. I love the south. No snow! Good hunting and camping. And of course... Prettier women!!!!!!!!
 
Around here it is either too hot, too cold, too wet or too dry, but my neighbors and I leave our garage doors open all night and nobody ever swipes anything.
 
I came to SC in 1986 for work. I had finished a degree at Chapel Hill and was living at home in NC at the time. I met the woman who became my wife on the day I interviewed for my first job here. She is a transplanted Indiana Hoosier. After we got married, I went back to school and changed professions. Neither one of us had any long term plan to stay here, but 20 years and four boys later, here we are. My wife's mom and siblings are still in Indiana (well, one sister is in Chicago), so she gets homesick. My mom and one brother are in NC (the other brother is in Colorado). I don't do the heat of SC summers so well any more, but I am not sure if I would trade it for Indiana winters. I would like to see a little more snow (we did not see one flake here last winter), but I don't want to deal with it for months. There's always a tradeoff.

Eric
 
Hmmm...Why do I live here in Indynoplace, when I always said I would sell out and return to W.Va. when I retired from DEA? (Hell, that was eleven years ago....can it really be that long?) (1) Indiana was my last post of duty, SAC of the 12th largest city in the U.S. and the rest of the state too.
(2) The current house literally overhangs a 3 acre pond, with deer, turkeys, herons, geese and sundry other friends surrounding us. (3) 7 of 11 grandkids within 15 minutes drive....that's probably the big one since I couldn't budge my wife with dynamite. Is that enough? Probably. I really miss having a 200 yard rifle range conveniently available...this is a shotgun state....Oh Well
 
I'm a whore...they pay me to be here.

There are *many* other places that I would rather live.
 
Steely_Gunz said:
Simple. I was born here. My whole life revolved around this God-awful muggy dip in the country. With IL within hollering distance to my left and KY a stone's throw to the south, I grew up in the area. For 4 years I lived in KY getting edumacated. Beautiful country, that Kentucky. However, it wasn't home. Moved home to take my place in the family business as the silver-tongued in-store sales person. Summers that are so hot and muggy it makes relocated "suthun" boys squirm. Just the way I like it. I work in the swimming pool business. Oppressive heat is good for business;) However, we get just enough cool to make the falls beautiful. Reds and golds and browns. When I take the scoot the long way to work I can weave in and out around the long country roads and take in all of God's work. I get to the office kissed by Mother Nature herself, and I am at peace. Winters are great. Not a lot of snow or ice or really bad weather, but I can only remember 2 or 3 Christmas' where it wasn't "white". Just enough days that are bad enough where I say, "To hell with it. I'm not opening the store up today;)" and the wife (who works for the school system and gets a snow day or two) and I get to spend the day curled up with the animals just enjoying a little vacation day. Springs are great. My God how I love dogwoods in the spring. My part of the state is just painted with white and pink in March and April.

In short, I live where I do because I love it. All of my family is here as is my work. I could see myself in Louisville one day. My wife's folks live there, and I could be just as happy there. However, I can honestly say that I really couldn't ever see myself taking my last draw of breath more than 150 miles from where I took my first.


Jake
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My Dad was also born and raised in Evansville, Indiana. I have a whole slew of stories about him hunting in the area, swimming in the Ohio, and trampling around northern KY on hunting and fishing trips. He and his family moved out to the CA Bay Area (San Leandro) in the 50's. I was born and lived in San Jose until I was 15, then the next 20 years in Burbanks' "Garden spot" of the Redwood Empire, Santa Rosa in Sonoma County. I didn't know any better and thought it was all the hype, and the wine country was nice but it was way too crowded. The traffic and urban planning was just horribly done. It was tolerable in the mid 70's and early 80's, but now it is a nightmare, and in the last 15 years the gang scum has taken over.

Then spent 4 years in west Santa Cruz and the last 10 in Salinas. Salinas has the best, mildest weather of any place I have lived in CA, the Central Coast and Monterey Bay is just beautiful, and it is far less crowded and far nicer than Sonoma County.

The only problem is it is in the ultra braindead liberal PRK, where everything is banned and everything is illegal and I can't even add the exhaust system I want to my car.

We have put everything into this house though and it is our retreat now, the place we have made. In a few years we plan on finding a final place to retire to but haven't decided where.

Criteria: not Arizona hot, not winter for 6 months out of the year, mild summers, low crime, no major metropolitan areas, no traffic jams within 100 miles, sensible gun laws, "shall-issue" right to carry state, able to find work. (I know, I know, and unicorn steaks for lunch every day. :D)

Norm
 
Artfully Martial said:
I moved to Fort Worth (after living in a couple other places in Texas, one after the other) to get my second degree at TCU. But having lived there a year, I could definitely see myself living here with or without the university (although to most have us, TCU and FW share the same soul).

It's a fun metropolitan area with essentially no crime downtown or the suburb I live in.
It's got virtually no traffic, even at 5:00, downtown.
I love the unique architecture. The city has a central theme which is followed from the skyscrapers downtown all the way to the edges of the suburbs.
It bleeds culture.
Fun and not dangerous clubs (ala Billybob's, anyone?)
The cops ride horses or drive Z28s. Come on, that's pretty l33t.
It's super friendly.

Ultimately, virtually all the advantages of a large city with none of the disadvantages.

I mean, I could go on and on. I've had very little travelling experience in my life but I really live and breathe fort worth. I've never really connected to a city before moving here.

Fort%20Worth%20Skyline.jpg
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I've been to Austin (Dell) and Houston (Compaq) but never Ft. Worth / Dallas, and assumed it was a metropolitan traffic nightmare ala Phoenix. (?) Good to know...

How's the weather? I know the muggiest / hottest I ever was in my life was in Austin.


Norm
 
Norm?

When I was down there, Dallas viewed the rest of Texas the way New York City views the rest of the U.S. Pretentious as hell.

Fort Worth was kinda of a cow-town: good folks, generally. Traffic was getting worse as I left and people were moving in who 1, either wanted to be the "last one in" and keep others out, or 2, change the city so it more closely resembled the cities they had just left.

But Texas knows how to do humidity...big time.
 
I've not thought about exactly why I live in Toronto, Canada. If I'd like to stay Canadian, there are few alternatives as this is the most cosmopolitan city in the nation. They're calling Toronto "Amsterdam North" now, so it's at least a fun town ; )
 
Traffic in Dallas is a nightmare, but there's no traffic in Fort Worth (minus festivals, holidays, etc), with the exception of the highways at peak hours. but the suburbs and downtown (basically, where people that live IN fort worth will be driving day to day) there is essentially no traffic at all.

I lived in down town arlington a year before moving to FW, a fairly small town by the metroplex standards (350,000 people) and the traffic was horrible. Not as bad as Dallas, but enough to create a huge delay getting anywhere "downtown" (not really a well defined downtown to arlington). I was so shocked that the much larger FW city had no traffic that I've intentionally gone downtown at 5:00 on Fridays to see, and even inbetween the skyscrapers, traffic is very sparse. I dare say the traffic is significantly lower than downtown Waco where I went to school the first time.

I always get the impression from talking to non Texans or from people that don't often go to DFW that people perceive Dallas/Fort Worth as one area. This is definitely not the case. They're at least 45 minutes on the high way apart (with no traffic) and both have impressive skylines. They feel like completely different countries, in my opinion.

And I must concur on the pretentious attitude. Dallas is quick to point out the things it's supposedly the "best in the world at," but in my mind, I see poverty, crime, traffic, pollution....

Beautiful skyline though, noticeably cooler than FW's, as much as I hate to admit it.

As per the temperature...I really like it during the school year, but in the summer, it's killer. Right now, I sleep all day and am only active at night, but most people's careers won't allow them that freedom. Hence, buy a summer home in Boston and live in FW for the normal year.

Alright, I'll shut up about FW. Be careful not to prompt me, as I'll ramble volumes.
 
Toronto is a nice city. I would not mind living there, but it is too cold for me. As for Canadian cities - I like Montreal, even more than Vancouver. The cold would be a problem for me.

I live in Central Illinois - I followed a job here. It paid better than the job I had in NC.
I'd rather live in NC. The people are friendlier, the climate is better, and it became home for me.
I started off in NYC. IF I could afford to live in NYC, and had a good job there...I would do it.

But, it is too expensive - far too expensive for me.
 
I grew up on a farm south of Atlanta. My father gave me a foundation in having my own business, a good education and a strong faith in God. The rest of his personality was a nightmare. Abusive but functional (he worked) alcoholic. A water glass of bourbon every night. Terrible mood swings.

A coal stove in the kitchen and an outhouse. Dad had wealthy parents that lost everything in the Depression so he avoided all forms of credit.

If you could not buy it with cash in your pocket, do without.

I was never so cold. No heat in my bedroom. A sickly child with breathing problems that I finally outgrew. I could not wait to leave the farm.

I moved 20 miles away to Atlanta. I liked the City. The people. The Hippies, though I never really was one. I liked to work and have nice things. There were some foxy lady hippies!

Never had a job. Always my own business. From selling eggs to a small printing business, a commercial photographer ---

Then at the age of 22 bought a house $11,000. Payments of $115/month. Cheaper than rent. Then a year later, a guy offered me $25,000. I was happy where I was, but it surprised me how the value had increased.

A year later I was offered $40,000. Suddenly it hit me --- real estate was pretty good! Then in 1972, a small recession put many of the architects I was photographing bulldings for, out of business.

I went full time in real estate. Buy, renovate, refinance my money and more out -- get tenants to pay the mortages while the houses increased in value. Buy more houses.

Being a landlord is hard, but simple work. Hauling water heaters on top of my car. Having to evict otherwise good people who fell on hard times. But without rent, I faced foreclosure. I had no choice. Almost no cashflow I was so highly leveraged.

I always loved Monopoly (game).

Trade three houses for a small shopping center, repeat. Yee Gods I own Boardwalk and Park Place!

Tried to develop a realtionship with Dad. He was still drinking. Would only talk about himself. For a while I thought that he was jealous of my success that went far beyond anything he had ever done. Then one day, with a sinking feeling I realized that he was not jealous because he never knew what I had accomplished. He never stopped talking about himself.

Married a few of the wrong people. Lost some real estate when they went, but it was worth it! Got the right one now!

Also always wanted to live in a warehouse. Found one. Two foot thick walls 20 feet high! Solid steel doors! At the end of a short street. Bad area. Cop killed a prostitute in the road outside my gate, a month after we bought it. She maced him in the eyes and stabbed him. He pulled his piece and emptied it in her direction.

Joined crime watch and local neighborhood action groups. Installed heavy security. Neighborhood is much better. Still careful.

I do have a problem with Atlanta. The government is corrupt and stupid. Corrupt and smart I can deal with. Stupid I can deal with, but stupid and corrupt is too much. Doesn't work.

I see too many young men with their shorts down to their ankles, three colors of underwear, holding their crotch. "Gangsta" Ugly, stupid expressions. Young women who are nothing but trash and solid attitude. All looking for a "check from the 'thority" and feeling they deserve because their ancestors were slaves.

Give me a break!

And the Atlanta government supports this attitude! No one seems to understand that nobody can ever GIVE you enough! It just creates angry dependency and frustration. Get a JOB!

So I am thinking about leaving where I have lived for 60 of my 62 years. Sell the real estate and go somewhere else.

Maybe a Carribean island?

I don't know where, but I am tired of Atlanta. I want to be warm and near a big city. No hurricanes.
 
I wanted to be able to walk from my house to a place in the woods where I was not judged by men. But now my wife misses shopping.
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OUTSTANDING:D :thumbup:
 
I like it where I live because of the wilderness and privacy. From my home I have 160 acres, and most lots for other homes have large acreage. I cannot see another house or roof from here, nice and quiet. Good hunting and fishing only moments from home, and a climate that is comfortable except for the long cold bug infested springs we have here. While this is not the United States, (and I dearly love the USA) Canada is still one of the better places to live despite its heavy taxes, and beaurocratic liberal bull.
 
I'm here in Middletown, Pennsylvania because Pennsylvania is my 2nd favorite state. Alaska is my #1 favorite, but my wife won't go for that so Pennsylvania it is.
Good hunting, friendly people, easy to get stuff, but not a far drive to get into the hills, and I can earn a good living here. Suits me fine.
 
I like Austin. Neat-o city. I have family in Ft. Worth, Dallas, and Houston. I like Texas.
 
I grew up just a stones throw from NY actually for ya Jersey folk it was exit 11 on the Turnpike, having grown up,(till I was 24) all over Jersey, from the Shore to the City with grid like structured streets with 90 degree turns at the intersections, it was the lure of the twisting, turning, winding, Country Roads that landed me in PA that and the fact that I can still hit The City(NY) or the Shore in under two hours, or walk to the Delaware, or hike the AT(Appalachian Trail) all from my back yard pretty much, that's why I live here.

Oh yea and my daughters school and friends are there.
 
Born and raised in downstate Illinois, and would never think of going back. I'm on my third tour of the DFW area, after having been in a few other states. Why am I here? My kids are in the area.

Above comments about Fort Worth vs. Dallas are spot on... It's a great place.
 
Like many people here, I live in Illinois- and wish I didn't. I don't see many singing the praises of this god-awful sauna state with its busload of political corruption and overbuilt, sprawling suburbs. I don't like to make blanket statements but the Chicagoland area, while pretty much fun to visit, stinks to live in. Too many people, too much regulation...and you can forget having a good time here unless you got lots of money and can afford $400k houses in polluted suburbia. Living downtown might be halfway okay but owning a car would be hard and nature (minus Lake Michigan) is a far car-drive away.

Oh and by the way I don"t like living here :) if you didn't get that. But that's me.

Still, they pay me to stay, so I'll stay...but not too much longer...
 
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