Author Topic: Favorite place you've lived  (Read 15231 times)

Cwadda

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Favorite place you've lived
« on: June 22, 2015, 05:30:01 AM »
Hi Folks,

What's the best place you've lived in your life? What made you like it so much? I live in New England, specifically CT. New England has always given me kind of a "rat race" vibe. It seems like there's always such a rush to be somewhere, people driving dangerously, constant traffic, etc. I've been to other parts of the country and this doesn't seem to be the case for the southern and midwest areas.

I'm asking this because I'm heavily considering moving away while I have the ability and mobility to go to graduate school in another place. So please share if you can, much appreciated. Bonus points if you moved from NE to another part of the US.

Thank you all!

MsPeacock

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Re: Favorite place you've lived
« Reply #1 on: June 22, 2015, 05:57:48 AM »
My favorite is probably my hometown (Ann Arbor, MI) - but I moved away 25 years ago and I don't plan to move back for a variety of reasons (too cold and too long winter, for one; my children call MD home, etc). I do like where I live a lot - but would consider going some place warmer and cheaper when I retire - or move close to wherever my children settle.

neophyte

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Re: Favorite place you've lived
« Reply #2 on: June 22, 2015, 08:36:16 AM »
Seoul. Hands down.  It's a big, bustling city but public transit is fantastic and I could get anywhere I want to go in the entire country quite easily.  It was extremely easy to get out of the city and go somewhere quieter when I wanted a break.  Once I learned how and where to buy food and clothes other than the big chain stores, those things were pretty affordable.  I seldom ran into problems even speaking almost no Korean.  The weather was usually pretty decent, even if the summers got a little hotter and muggier than I would prefer.

Other places I've lived: rural towns, college towns, and big cities in the US and Santiago, Chile.
« Last Edit: June 22, 2015, 11:46:42 AM by neophyte »

cripzychiken

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Re: Favorite place you've lived
« Reply #3 on: June 22, 2015, 08:55:55 AM »
This depends a lot on where and when you lived somewhere.  Also what you want in an area.  some people want tons of museums and art galleries, others want tons of fresh air and hiking trails.

Places I've lived:

  • San Diego, CA - fun, relaxed, near the beach and mountains, but $$$$$
  • Greenville, SC - I enjoyed it, had an active lifestyle population with lots of outdoors stuff to do on the weekends.  Seemed like the best Place I've been to raise a family, plus you get all 4 seasons without any of them being that bad
  • Orlando, FL - Affordable housing, tons of stuff to do (inside and out), but very touristy.  Finally starting to get a growing art scene.  Plus the beach is only 60min away.  Did I mention the tourists though - stupid tourists.
  • Albany, GA - run away! there was nothing to do in that town.  Had a great job but had to leave every weekend to do something.
  • (3 different college towns) - it's a college town, and they are all the same.  There is some stuff to do on campus (shows, speakers, plays) usually free or very affordable.  But tons of young folks learning by making stupid choices; lots of crappy bars.  I probably won't move back to a college town, I think I out grew them.  More of a visit then leave sort of place.

I live in Orlando right now and if it wasn't for family all living nearby, I'd probably move to SC.

Exhale

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Re: Favorite place you've lived
« Reply #4 on: June 22, 2015, 09:02:01 AM »
OP, you nailed the CT vibe to a T! (I lived there for a year there and my brother moved there for work.) I grew up in the rural upper midwest, got my schooling on the rural and urban east coast and now very happily live in the urban Pacific NW (but plan to make it more rural when I FIRE). I encourage you to check out other places and see what is the best fit for you - big question is if you're more a city person or country person.

Here are my thoughts:
- East coast: that rushed vibe you mention is prevalent near Boston/NYC/DC, also it's a more dressed up in the work place
- Rural VT/ME/western MA have less of that rat race vibe and might be worth checking out, I enjoyed VT (but not the weather); check out the FrugalWoods blog (live in Boston and plan to FIRE to a rural NE area)
- Upper midwest (WI, MN, MI): the long winters & *humid* summers keep me away, if it weren't for the weather I say that Twin Cities = fantastic
- Pacific NW: mild weather, vibrant easy-to-access local culture (local culture is everywhere, but sometimes it takes longer to find for a newbie), not as dressy in the workplace, not dominated by a major city center (in the way NYC/DC dominate their surroundings), easy access to wilderness areas (beaches! mountains!)

If I didn't live in the PNW, I'd check out places like Boise area, Colorado, NM, UT - for the active outdoors laid-back local-oriented way of life. If I had plenty of money I'd check out San Diego.

Have fun!
« Last Edit: June 22, 2015, 09:04:03 AM by Exhale »

Axecleaver

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Re: Favorite place you've lived
« Reply #5 on: June 22, 2015, 09:51:56 AM »
I lived in Honolulu for a year for work. Yes, it can be an expensive place to live, but once you know how to live reasonably there, it is worth the benefits. Aside from your basic needs, you do not need much else to be happy in paradise. We modified our lives to more local norms and were able to live pretty cheaply. We stopped drinking milk (it's all imported) and ate sushi-grade tuna every day (about $4 a pound at the grocery). No cars needed or you can rent one for $19 a day on the weekend. Very little entertainment expense (beaches are all public).

The friendliness and independence of the Hawaiian people are legendary and exceeded my high expectations. Society runs very smoothly there and there is little conflict in public. Things run on "island time." Outer islands are even more reasonable (Kauai was beautiful). Mrs Axe and I hope to return there someday in retirement.

Cwadda

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Re: Favorite place you've lived
« Reply #6 on: June 22, 2015, 10:22:53 AM »
OP, you nailed the CT vibe to a T! (I lived there for a year there and my brother moved there for work.) I grew up in the rural upper midwest, got my schooling on the rural and urban east coast and now very happily live in the urban Pacific NW (but plan to make it more rural when I FIRE). I encourage you to check out other places and see what is the best fit for you - big question is if you're more a city person or country person.

Here are my thoughts:
- East coast: that rushed vibe you mention is prevalent near Boston/NYC/DC, also it's a more dressed up in the work place
- Rural VT/ME/western MA have less of that rat race vibe and might be worth checking out, I enjoyed VT (but not the weather); check out the FrugalWoods blog (live in Boston and plan to FIRE to a rural NE area)
- Upper midwest (WI, MN, MI): the long winters & *humid* summers keep me away, if it weren't for the weather I say that Twin Cities = fantastic
- Pacific NW: mild weather, vibrant easy-to-access local culture (local culture is everywhere, but sometimes it takes longer to find for a newbie), not as dressy in the workplace, not dominated by a major city center (in the way NYC/DC dominate their surroundings), easy access to wilderness areas (beaches! mountains!)

If I didn't live in the PNW, I'd check out places like Boise area, Colorado, NM, UT - for the active outdoors laid-back local-oriented way of life. If I had plenty of money I'd check out San Diego.

Have fun!

I live in a pastoral area of CT and I still think it has a rat race feeling. My town gets a lot of people from NY. The types of people in town aren't consistent because of it. I'm definitely more of a country person.

StockBeard

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Re: Favorite place you've lived
« Reply #7 on: June 22, 2015, 10:42:02 AM »
Chiba, near Tokyo.

Public transportation in Tokyo is great, Chiba is close to Tokyo without being too close, so you get the convenience without the stress. Cost of housing is cheaper than in Tokyo, and the sea is nearby. Crime is low in Japan, so leaving close to Tokyo is like living in one of the biggest cities in the world, with all the fun that it implies, without the fear of getting robbed, mugged, or anything like that.

It is also the place where my wife and me lived when we just started living together, so it holds a special place in my heart.

(context: I've lived in about 5 other cities in Japan, 4 cities in France, and, more recently, in US NW)

Jesstache

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Re: Favorite place you've lived
« Reply #8 on: June 22, 2015, 11:28:00 AM »
I grew up in Upstate NY, went to college in Daytona Beach, FL, got my first job out of college in Fort Worth, TX, had a 1 year work assignment in Wichita, KS and then moved to Bend, OR where I currently reside. 

Here are my feelings on each place:

Upstate, NY: Taxes are crazy, summers are muggy, winters are harsh/long and VERY SNOWY.  Everything seems like it's getting run down, not improving.  Maybe that's just because I grew up there though, people tend to see more of the flaws of where they're from than other places, I think. 

Daytona Beach, FL: Very touristy, hot and HUMID.  I got the feeling that a lot of people with not a lot of great things going on in their lives move to FL because "My life sucks anyways, might as well live some place awesome, like FL, and be a beach bum!"  Then they continue doing nothing with their lives, but at least the weather's good (in their opinion).  That and the stereotypical older retirees and all they bring to the table.

Fort Worth, TX:  I thoroughly enjoyed living in TX and miss my friends all the time.  It was a great place to make a lot of $ and have low expenses.  The weather is VERY HOT in north central TX but not as humid as FL so I was not so bothered by that much as I was working like crazy.  Outdoor activities are very limited much of the year though.  If you like being out in nature, it is not for you.  I really liked being in a large metroplex area and all of the things there are to do there.  I still wouldn't move back though because...

I love Bend, OR:  The weather is the best of any place I've ever lived.  We are on the east side of the Cascade mountain range, which is high desert climate, over 300 days of sunshine a year and nice and dry.  Summer temps are mid eighties to nineties with lows in the 40's - 50's.  So every day starts off nice and cool and gets nice and warm.  We have a/c but I never turn it on because we have our windows open all the time except the rare 95 degree plus day.  Winters are typically highs around 30-40 with many 50 degree days mixed in.  Nights are cooler as well, but you know, you're sleeping.  When it snows, it sticks around for a few days in town and then generally melts.  If you want snow though, you can drive 20  minutes up the road to the mountains and ski, showshoe, etc to your heart's content any time from about November to May (sometimes more).  Spring and Fall seem to go on forever (which I love).  Hiking and biking are also huge here as well as family friendly, festivals, outdoor concerts (free) an rivers and lakes for kayaking, SUP, fishing, camping, etc.  It's super family friendly and about 80,000 residents so a small city that feels more like a small town a lot of the time.  It's the only city for the region so there's good medical care and seriously, everyone loves living here.  Housing is the only downside that gets regularly complained about because it is in a serious boom right now as the local (tourism based) economy crashed super hard in 2008 and has roared back with a vengeance.  We were lucky enough to buy right before the upturn in 2012 so this hasn't been a huge factor for us. 

I realize I didn't give Wichita, KS much attention as my time there was short  but I'd say it's a smaller version of  Fort Worth with more humidity in the summer (and WIND) and awful winters (again, THE WIND).  No best of any worlds, really.  It's pretty small and kind of an up and coming city and I enjoyed living there in the Old Town area where we could walk to restaurants, movie theater (The Warren!) and bars.  I could live there for a while and be pretty happy but it's not my first (or second) choice.  Cheap place to live and pile up the stache  :).

Good luck! 

MLKnits

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Re: Favorite place you've lived
« Reply #9 on: June 22, 2015, 12:00:12 PM »
Toronto, for sure. It's going through a, uh, difficult patch lately (particularly for cyclists and lovers of public transportation--the recent city governments have been promoting cars above all else), but it's a tremendous city, full of arts and culture, with a very large immigrant population (a huge plus in my book), lots of families, lots of young professionals, lots of dog owners. I'd like to move back in retirement, though I'm considering other options.

Rome was also wonderful when I lived there; it's expensive in some ways but you can eat very affordably and buy most things you need (even bras, which blew my mind) at outdoor markets, which is both enjoyable and often pretty cheap. It's hot as all get-out in the summer, but it's got a lovely mild winter compared to what I'm used to, it's very walkable, and the transportation options are pretty good and very affordable. It's a cheap train day-trip to a million wonderful, beautiful destinations, too--Nettuno and Tivoli were particular favourites of mine.

Jeremy E.

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Re: Favorite place you've lived
« Reply #10 on: June 22, 2015, 01:38:16 PM »
Lewiston, ID. 2 rivers within biking distance of anywhere in the city, including some nice river beaches. Entrance to Hells Canyon, the deepest gorge in the United States with some of the most beautiful nature I've ever seen. Low cost of living. Easily bikeable city. Population of around 32,000, perfect for me. One of the reddest states in the country, perfect for me. Some of the best and cheapest hunting in the country. There is a restaurant here that gives a 15% discount for open carrying, which is awesome. Great softball community, you can even drink while you're playing. Great dirtbiking community. Getting more and more awesome bands come to our little city, we just had a rock festival with Quiet Riot, Great White and LA Guns, tickets were only $30 for an entire day of rocking with some of my favorite bands. I'm guessing a lot of you won't like these things I consider positives, but for a low class redneck like me they're awesome.

vhalros

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Re: Favorite place you've lived
« Reply #11 on: June 22, 2015, 01:51:23 PM »
I actually really like the Greater Boston area . I don't get too much of a "rat race" vibe from it. Maybe it is because I come from an academic background, but it has so many schools in the area that has more of a slightly-crazy-intellectual vibe to me. It's also really become bicycle and pedestrian friendly recently, which is something I appreciate. It has the energy that comes with density, with out the style-obsessed stuffyness of NYC. Though the cost of living is so high that it doesn't really make sense unless you can a job there that is much higher paying than elsewhere.


I've even come to enjoy the weather as a sort of free form of entertainment. Who knows what crazy thing it will do next?
« Last Edit: June 22, 2015, 01:56:21 PM by vhalros »

mlejw6

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Re: Favorite place you've lived
« Reply #12 on: June 22, 2015, 02:20:46 PM »
I went to school in Pittsburgh and I loved it. It's a university town with a lot of big city amenities, without the big city price or pressure. The only thing I didn't like was the weather, but if you're coming from CT, you might not mind it. It's cold in the winter and a bit snowy, but summers are good.

I also loved Albuquerque, NM. Very laid back, nice people (also crazy people, but that makes it interesting!). Weather is perfect, and you get four seasons: summer, fall, winter, and windy.

In the mean time, I'm in the DC area and I hate it. I feel like I'm gonna have a heart attack with all the pressure here. Not to mention the humidity. Ugh.

Dee18

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Re: Favorite place you've lived
« Reply #13 on: June 22, 2015, 03:24:51 PM »
D.C.  I still miss it. Mind you, I lived right in town on Connecticut Avenue near the zoo.  I only drove my car on the weekend.  Metro, bicycling, and walking were all great for regular transportation.  There was no end to free entertainment including the museums, daily shows at the Kennedy Center and great cycling.  I could take a train on the weekend to Philly or New York to meet friends or drive out into Maryland to cross country ski in the winter, or ice skate on the mall. Beautiful camping was available in Shenandoah.  I would have hated living in the DC suburbs, but the city was fun.  My apartment was a huge 1940's one bedroom.

klystomane

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Re: Favorite place you've lived
« Reply #14 on: June 22, 2015, 04:02:58 PM »
Seoul. Hands down.  It's a big, bustling city but public transit is fantastic and I could get anywhere I want to go in the entire country quite easily.  It was extremely easy to get out of the city and go somewhere quieter when I wanted a break.  Once I learned how and where to buy food and clothes other than the big chain stores, those things were pretty affordable.  I seldom ran into problems even speaking almost no Korean.  The weather was usually pretty decent, even if the summers got a little hotter and muggier than I would prefer.

Other places I've lived: rural towns, college towns, and big cities in the US and Santiago, Chile.

+1

Cwadda

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Re: Favorite place you've lived
« Reply #15 on: June 23, 2015, 05:50:27 AM »
Keep 'em coming. I love the variety.

Nannooskeeska

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Re: Favorite place you've lived
« Reply #16 on: June 23, 2015, 08:31:02 AM »
Definitely a toss-up between where I live now and my hometown.

I currently go to school in Eau Claire, WI and I grew up an hour south in Arcadia, WI. Eau Claire has a larger population, about 60,000, and is full of awesome people. But Arcadia is much more rural, with about 3,000 people living there. I love the fact that everyone knows everyone else there, and the landscape is absolutely beautiful. It's full of huge hills and farms and I absolutely love it. I just don't know if I could live there right now... I'm only 21 years old and I have a lot of life left to live! If anything, I would retire there or in a comparatively small town, but I just don't know yet.

worms

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Re: Favorite place you've lived
« Reply #17 on: June 23, 2015, 01:56:30 PM »
Port Stanley, FI.

Lanthiriel

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Re: Favorite place you've lived
« Reply #18 on: June 23, 2015, 02:05:57 PM »
I haven't lived a lot of places, but I'm in Anchorage, Alaska now and I love it. There is an incredible sense of community here, a booming economy, and amazing nature everywhere you look. If COL weren't so high, I would stay in Alaska forever, probably moving to Palmer once we FIREd.

nottoolatetostart

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Re: Favorite place you've lived
« Reply #19 on: June 24, 2015, 04:00:27 AM »
Austin!

DH and I both lived there at grad school. Car not necessary, great bus system, easy walking, Town Lake, grocery stores, the music, the University, always something going on, nice people, awesome food, coffee shops, love the architecture of the homes there (small and quirky). Mind you, we never dealt with traffic so we would not even consider that. Considering moving back there when we FIRE. Trying to make it with our budget. It just feels like home.

mc6

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Re: Favorite place you've lived
« Reply #20 on: June 24, 2015, 05:31:21 AM »
I'm digging this thread!  I've kinda hated all the places I've ever lived, gotta shoot off my optimism gun some more.

lizzzi

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Re: Favorite place you've lived
« Reply #21 on: June 24, 2015, 05:38:03 AM »
Posting to follow. Will come back and write more after rushing out to sit with a sick kid. My favorite place is the Mid-Hudson Valley in NY.

ShoulderThingThatGoesUp

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Re: Favorite place you've lived
« Reply #22 on: June 24, 2015, 05:55:06 AM »
I live in a fantastic place now if you can get a job. Affordable, safe, walkable, charming, and good schools. There's little boroughs a lot like this scattered all over Pennsylvania, it seems.

lizzzi

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Re: Favorite place you've lived
« Reply #23 on: June 24, 2015, 07:02:41 AM »
 The Mid-Hudson Valley in NY. The only down side is property taxes in NY, but there are lots of people on low incomes as service workers, students, retirees, etc. who live there and do just fine. As someone in Beacon said, "It's just the price you pay for living near civilization." I  especially like Duchess, Ulster, or Columbia county, where you get beautiful scenery, a sense of history, interesting natural history,  easy access to Manhattan and all it offers without actually having to live there and pay the high prices…access to the Adirondacks if you like the woods…access to the Lake George and Lake Champlain areas for recreation... proximity to the NYC and Newark airports if you want to fly anywhere in the world…reasonable proximity to Montreal and the city of Quebec for a continental-type vacation without having to get on a plane. I could go on and on. Funky, artsy river towns…the beauty of the Hudson River itself, with the sloop Clearwater sailing up and down…the Catskill mountains…lots to do and lots of places to get world-class food…day to day excellent quality of life in a four-season climate with autumn beauty, winter snowscapes, fresh, wildflowery springs, warm/hot sunny summers...and some of the nicest people in the world….and I've lived all over the American midwest and west, and overseas in Europe (Sweden),  and also in the Pacific (Guam.) My Manhattan-born,  Kingston, NY husband used to ask me out of all the places I had lived, where did I like it the best? And I always said, "Right here. The Mid-Hudson Valley." I live in the Heartland right now for family reasons, but it's not permanent…I'm going back.

Cwadda

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Re: Favorite place you've lived
« Reply #24 on: June 24, 2015, 08:21:40 AM »
Quote
Mind you, we never dealt with traffic so we would not even consider that.

Traffic is one of the top reasons contributing to a rat race atmosphere.

Embok

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Re: Favorite place you've lived
« Reply #25 on: June 24, 2015, 09:06:11 AM »
I loved living in Minneapolis:  nice sized city, great food & biking, lakes & parks, accessible culture (theatre, museums,  art shows, decent music), ok COL (housing still pretty reasonable),  but hated the winters.  It's a bit hard to break in socially if you didn't grow up there.

I also love SoCal, where I live, though it is expensive.  The weather is great, the ocean, mountains & parks are always available, the people and food are diverse & stimulating, the LA public library is amazing, and did I mention the weather?  Culturally, it's very open & tolerant -- even the business community.  No one cares who your daddy was.  The downsides are the high COL, lack of transit and bike infrastructure relative to the size of the metro area, and the traffic, which is appalling.

clarkfan1979

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Re: Favorite place you've lived
« Reply #26 on: June 24, 2015, 09:48:48 AM »
#1 Encinitas, CA (north county san diego)
#2 Breckenridge, CO (cold but beautiful)
#3 Fort Collins, CO (typical winter day is 45 and sunny but feels like 60).
#4 Erie, CO (central location that can't be beat). 25 minutes to boulder & denver & 40 minutes to Fort Collins.


spokey doke

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Re: Favorite place you've lived
« Reply #27 on: June 24, 2015, 10:02:07 AM »
Just a few to mention:

+1 to I love Bend, OR - fantastic weather - gets pretty warm in the summer, but it cools off at night and its very low humidity; best smelling air in the world. Great biking. Good skiing. Tons of great beer brewed locally (a crazy number of breweries). Awesome farmer's market and downtown.  But it is spendy.

Portland, OR - (I've lived in Tacoma, WA; Salem, OR and other cities west of the Cascades, but this is the most notable).  If you like progressive small cities, this is it.  Biking, beer, food, art, and the largest urban forest reserve in the country (I believe).  It is now too thick with young hipsters for my tastes, but if you want a livable liberal city, this could be it.

Missoula, MT - Doesn't have the best downhill skiing, and the temperature inversions create some really bad air quality in the winter, and real estate is expensive...but it is a very cool town with tons of easy access to pretty amazing mountains and rivers (and the culture to go along with it).  Right between the two largest tracks of roadless areas in the lower 48 (so a number of towns in western MT are pretty great, like Bozeman (but that is more expensive yet)).

Ann Arbor, MI - a cool town, sure.  Lots of great academic and athletic resources with the UM...but I'm not a fan of the midwest, because there is so little wild land (the exception being the great lakes) and the humidity.  Give me the big outside.

I'd consider some towns in New England (like Portland, ME or Burlington, VT or some smaller towns) but even where the rat race vibe is not dominant in a community, you are regularly exposed to people on vacation from the rat race...so the vibe is still there.

In general, I really like the intermountain west for warm dry summers and winters that get cold enough to have real snow (and good skiing) - low humidity, few bugs, and tons of public lands with great mountains and rivers.  That said, I often miss the ocean..., but we have a great one out here, so...GO WEST!

« Last Edit: June 24, 2015, 10:04:53 AM by spokey doke »

celticmyst08

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Re: Favorite place you've lived
« Reply #28 on: June 24, 2015, 01:51:42 PM »
#1 - Anacortes, WA. I didn't technically live here, but spent extended time here as a kid and in college. Beautiful weather, laid back atmosphere, lots of festivals, art, culture, etc. Close to the ocean and mountains, close to Canada if you want to go that way, close to Seattle if you'd rather go the other direction, etc. Cheaper than Seattle.
#2 - Seattle, WA. I live here currently. I love that I could pretty much throw a stone from my apartment and hit a park. I actually like the rain, and the summers are gorgeous. Love the casual vibe and all the outdoor enthusiasts. The only downside is the traffic and the high COL, which is why we plan to FIRE somewhere close (<2 hours) but not in King County itself.

Cwadda

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Re: Favorite place you've lived
« Reply #29 on: June 25, 2015, 09:03:07 PM »
Quote
I'd consider some towns in New England (like Portland, ME or Burlington, VT or some smaller towns) but even where the rat race vibe is not dominant in a community, you are regularly exposed to people on vacation from the rat race...so the vibe is still there.

Yes, I agree!

fartface

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Re: Favorite place you've lived
« Reply #30 on: June 26, 2015, 05:16:35 PM »
Love Fort Collins, CO. It's a cyclists dream. I've never lived there, but my mom does and we visit for 2+ weeks each summer.

I've lived in a suburbs of Minneapolis (Eden Prairie, MN) and it had a lot to offer.

Currently in a suburb of Milwaukee. I'm exactly 90 minutes from Chicago and Green Bay with lots to do in-between. Lots of great culture, arts, camping, hiking, and biking in WI...

MMMaybe

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Re: Favorite place you've lived
« Reply #31 on: June 26, 2015, 09:09:52 PM »
Hong Kong :)

Loved that place from the minute I set foot in it. We stopped there en-route to somewhere else when I was 15 and I swore I'd live there one day. Took me 20 years to execute on that but I was there for 4 years. Only real downsides were cost of housing/small living spaces and the increasing pollution.

Now I am in Manila, which is my least favourite place. Chaotic, crime ridden and corrupt, with a "healthy" dose of air pollution weighing heavily on my lungs.

patrickza

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Re: Favorite place you've lived
« Reply #32 on: June 27, 2015, 07:31:41 AM »
Cape Town. Beautiful women, beautiful weather, beautiful mountains. And for you outsiders, a very favourable exchange rate.

Cwadda

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Re: Favorite place you've lived
« Reply #33 on: June 27, 2015, 05:31:50 PM »
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MrsCoolCat

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Re: Favorite place you've lived
« Reply #34 on: June 28, 2015, 01:33:43 AM »
Seoul. Hands down.  It's a big, bustling city but public transit is fantastic and I could get anywhere I want to go in the entire country quite easily.  It was extremely easy to get out of the city and go somewhere quieter when I wanted a break.  Once I learned how and where to buy food and clothes other than the big chain stores, those things were pretty affordable.  I seldom ran into problems even speaking almost no Korean.  The weather was usually pretty decent, even if the summers got a little hotter and muggier than I would prefer.

Other places I've lived: rural towns, college towns, and big cities in the US and Santiago, Chile.

+1

I liked Seoul, too, but can't imagine raising and dragging a kid around the subways and public transport even tho driving is so expensive it's the most convenient (debatable).

MacGyverIt

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Re: Favorite place you've lived
« Reply #35 on: June 28, 2015, 02:27:36 AM »
There are some great second world places to live that are incredibly affordable.

I loved Sarajevo. Bosnia and Herzegovina is a messed up country on many levels but the exchange rate was fantastic, the people are very warm hearted and in Sarajevo (not BiH writ large) are socially middle of the road conservative (by Balkans standards, that's pretty liberal). All the fruit and veg are locally grown and seasonal. Most people under 40 speak some English. The country side is amazing- people love the rafting, skiing, camping. No idea why people spend so much money to ski in the Alps when they could go to Bosnia and ski for a 1/3 of the cost. There are bus services that'll drive you to Croatia to enjoy the gorgeous Adriatic.

That said, there is a 50% unemployment rate - people in the country side are truly living in poverty and living off of the land. The government is filled with corruption, some hold over of the Communist mind set (I don't need to work, the govt will pay for it) and a lot of red tape.

I've heard great things about Bulgaria but haven't made it there (yet).
« Last Edit: June 28, 2015, 05:08:27 AM by MacGyverIt »

pbkmaine

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Re: Favorite place you've lived
« Reply #36 on: June 28, 2015, 06:47:34 AM »
Where I am now: The Villages, FL. Friendly people, clean and well kept, lots of activities, you can bike or golf cart anywhere, easy living.

PawPrint3520

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Re: Favorite place you've lived
« Reply #37 on: June 28, 2015, 08:03:40 PM »
I loved living in Fort Collins, CO, because of the proximity to the park and lots of hiking. I also loved Corvallis, OR, because it's a great size, easy access to the ocean, great Greenbelt, fun activities because of the university.

Cwadda

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Re: Favorite place you've lived
« Reply #38 on: June 29, 2015, 10:49:17 AM »
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