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Rank in order of quality of life, cultural life and access to outdoor activities:
1. Portland OR
2. Olympia WA
3. Boston MA
4. Seattle WA
5. Washington DC
6. San Francisco CA
7. Atlanta GA
8. Bismarck ND
9. Casper WY
What did you like about Olympia other than the outdoor activities? We're thinking of moving to Vancouver, WA but Olympia is also an option.
1. Park City, UT - best skiing in the U.S., wonderful old downtown/main street, Sundance Film Festival, great art scene, more affordable than Colorado
2. Ogden, UT - loved the downtown area, nice affordable old homes, close to mountains/skiing
3. Pearl Harbor/Hickam, HI - it was Hawaii! - favorite thing was kayaking with the sea turtles, we missed having four seasons though
4. Aiea, HI - same as above
5. Kaysville, UT - 30 minutes to Salt Lake City, close to mountains, best thing was the cherry orchards
6. Storrs, CT (4 months) - loved the scenery/trees, lived at a house with rows and rows of fresh berries in the yard
7. San Antonio, TX - really a great city with lots to do, but too hot to go outside for 5 months
8. Redlands, CA - 30 minutes to the mountains, an hour to the beach, lived next to orange orchards - to this day my favorite smell is orange blossoms, didn't like the smog and traffic
9. Oklahoma City, OK - cheap city to live in, more to do than you'd think, never saw a tornado the 8 years I was there even though I tried to see one
10. Biloxi, MS (4 months) - loved living on the gulf and close to New Orleans, seafood was great
11. Lakeside, TX - outside of Fort Worth, but I don't really like Texas even though I was born and raised
12. Del City, OK - close to Oklahoma City, kind of a run down area
13. Abilene, TX - nice place to raise a family, quiet, no traffic
14. Moore, OK - in between Oklahoma City and Norman, very blah town, bedroom community
15. Wichita Falls, TX (4 months) - hot, not much to do
16. Azle, TX - see Lakeside
Also lived in Russelsheim, Germany.
Army/Navy "brat"? I use the term "brat" because one of my buddies called himself an "Army Brat" who moved from fort to fort.
I feel like we already had a thread like this a few months ago.......Oh well, here's mine (again):
1. Minneapolis (born and raised, has the combination of big city amenities and smaller town values. Is beautiful no matter the season and has LOTS of water! People are more reserved and sometimes "fake nice", but now that I've traveled some and lived in enough places, I know that for me a false bravado is so much better than wearing your nasty emotions on your sleeves at all times! People here care about.....life, and I like that in a city!) 2. Chicago (home away from home and where half of my family still lives. Food and city are great and fun, but crime/rudeness/attitude are still a problem for me. Not as scenic as Minneapolis, except for downtown. I'll never see the city as most non-locals do -- as a bright shiny metropolis with lots of money and buildings -- but rather, as my blue-collar family does and the amazing neighborhoods and people with down-to-Earth values that make making friends/acquaintences so easy) 3. Tie: Cleveland/St. Louis (I LOVED St. Louis as a child but it's been too long since I've last been there and I've heard from people who lived there and moved to Minneapolis that St. Louis isn't as fun when you are an adult. Cleveland has the same negative attributes as Chicago, but on a more extensive scale -- I simply cannot stand SOME of the negative attitudes people throw around on a daily basis! But Cleveland is a fun place with amenities galore and for a fraction of the cost you'd pay almost anywhere else. Climate is milder, but also cloudier and wetter -- both aren't my faves) 4. Columbus (Lived there for college and 1 extra year. Met my wife there and met at least 2 best friends that will always be a part of my life. The city is doing very well in a struggling region and reminded me more of Minneapolis than Cleveland, but the Southern vibe I got while being there really made me feel out of place most of the time and I never felt like it was a place that I could honestly call my home. I didn't love the weather either, as summers were muggy and a bit too warm and winters were damp and snowless 95% of the time, which really defeats the purpose of winter -- outdoor activities)
1. Charlotte, NC (2009-2012) Awesome city with awesome people and tons to do; Yes it really does live up to its hype - just NEVER move there without a secured job
2. Oklahoma City (2012-Present) Just moved here
3. Warrensburg, MO (1992-1998) The town itself is very blah, but the friends I had when I lived there were awesome and had some of the most fun of my life
4. Little Rock, AR (2008-2009) Was livable but not much to do other than outdoor recreation and it was difficult to make friends there; VERY pretty city though and I do miss that about it
5. Fort Smith, AR (2002-2008) Small, backwards community with nothing to do and declining economy; Not near as green and pretty as Little Rock and its full of warehouses and factories - basically my hometown since my dad settled there when he retired
6. Moore, OK (1998-2002) Nice suburb of OKC but my personal life sucked during that time so I don't have very fond memories of it
Unable to rank: Los Angeles, CA (1988-1992) I have a very high esteem for LA and idealistically I perceive it as one of the greatest places on the planet, but was too young at that time to have a realistic perspective and haven't been back since. The only things I remember is the beach, Disneyland, and the freeways. I would love to go back as an adult and really experience it.
Philly - It is and always will be home for me even if not living there
NYC - What else is there to say, it is the mecca of urbanity in the US
SF - Great city in a fabulous location
State College, PA - What a great college town, some of my fondest memories
DC - Fun place and great city
Enjoyed my time in all and would really have no issue in living in any again save State College as its a little too isolated for me long term.
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