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Old 05-29-2010, 11:38 AM
 
Location: Surprise, AZ
8,514 posts, read 10,029,424 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by OmShahi View Post
I did as well, except for the humidity. It's on a level of it's own.

I truly hope they can fix the pollution problem, but over crowding is always going to be a problem for them, unfortunately.
Not nearly as bad as Singapore...
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Old 05-30-2010, 02:24 AM
 
Location: Northridge/Porter Ranch, Calif.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sbarn View Post
True story. Atlantis perhaps?
Atlantis? Too wet.
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Old 05-30-2010, 02:42 AM
 
1,263 posts, read 3,993,970 times
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As you didn't mention density or public transporation, etc, I don't know why LA can't be your perfect city if the natural disaster criteria has to go anyways.

Quote:
Originally Posted by whynot1986 View Post
Of course, it doesn't exist. But I really mean perfect as in closest to perfect, one which most people would agree is the best city in objective terms. This means one shouldn't count things like "I have my family here" or "I found my dream job here" and the like. The list may vary a little but in general there are things the human looks for, a combination of needs and wants.

Here is my list, in no particular order. Note that I do not have a city to recommend that matches this list. Yet. And of course, USA only as I posting in the US Forums.

- Livable weather (range of 30-90 degrees, not too high humidity)
- Low-ish risk of natural disaster. (I don't know if any city qualifies on this measure, actually, so it may need to go)
- Reasonable or moderate cost of living (note I didn't say "low" COL)
- Good availability of decent jobs (uhhh...ok, in normal times)
- Availability of recreation, both of the natural and man-made kind
- Halfway decent government, in other words not absolutely corrupt or inept (GOOD government is too much to ask for, right?).
- Quality educational institutions, both secondary and advanced
- Reasonable level of race relations. Humans being humans, perfect relations is too much to ask for.

One could add central location, etc but with air travel so prevalent now this is not critical, I think.

Fantasy? I don't know.
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Old 05-30-2010, 02:43 AM
 
1,263 posts, read 3,993,970 times
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I don't think this is a normal day in HK. I've lived there for half a year and most of the time you have a clear view of the skyline.

Quote:
Originally Posted by waronxmas View Post
Not to mention pollution and overcrowding.



I did enjoy HK though.
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Old 05-30-2010, 10:45 PM
 
4,803 posts, read 10,129,160 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by grapico View Post
natural disasters?
rain=mudslides and floods

snow=flooding, avalanches, and mudslides.

really? is nitpicking the smallest little mistake really necessary?
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Old 05-30-2010, 11:44 PM
 
Location: St Paul, MN - NJ's Gold Coast
5,251 posts, read 13,750,102 times
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Going by your criteria I came up with Colorado Springs. Only problem is it drops way below 30 degrees during its winter months, but that's mainly during the night/early morning hours, A typical January day in CS is about 38-40 degrees (on average).
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Old 05-30-2010, 11:57 PM
 
Location: Jersey Boy living in Florida
3,717 posts, read 8,146,662 times
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The perfect city = urbanity like New York, beaches like Miami, weather like LA.

Lol what a dream.
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Old 05-31-2010, 12:29 AM
 
5,816 posts, read 15,842,871 times
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Based on Whynot1986's posted criteria, it seems that Portland might come pretty close. I'm not sure about natural disasters, though. I don't know what Portland's earthquake risk is. That would seem to be the natural disaster that could be a risk, given that much of the West Coast is prone to earthquakes. Otherwise, Portland probably has a low risk of natural disasters.

The weather criteria are the requirement that really narrows the possibilities here. There are few American cities with average temperatures falling within that range on both the upper and lower ends. Most that do are on the West Coast, where earthquakes, and other natural disasters in some locales, are a threat, and where many of the major cities have high costs of living. If there could be more flexibility on weather, that would allow for quite a few more possibilities.
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Old 05-31-2010, 03:25 AM
 
2,563 posts, read 6,027,640 times
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Congratulations the city you've chosen is: Tampa Bay.

Average High during hottest month (August): 90
Average Low during coldest month (January): 52
Lowish chance of Natural Disaster: Tampa rarely gets hit by hurricanes (less than 1% chance)
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Old 05-31-2010, 08:04 AM
 
238 posts, read 553,158 times
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Most fascinating replies and interesting info. I suppose maybe my original criteria were too stringent, but in a way that was on purpose... to start with the bar really high and make this a truly elite club. But it's so elite it seems no one belongs!

So, if you could eliminate any ONE (but only one) criteria from the original list, your choice, which would it be? Many of the replies have already stated this. I dunno about LA... it's got both the earthquake risk AND a notoriously high COL, no? And then there's the issue of California government, which many seem to have a problem with although of course every state has its issues in this regard, politicians being politicians.

Hope this thread is useful, not in a practical way necessarily (everyone rushing to the perfect city) but in generating ideas and conversation. For example, I would not really have put Tampa Bay on that list, as we have spent time near there and my memory of the summers is that it gets pretty darn hot and muggy.

So, how about your thoughts, cut the list by any one item (oh, ok, two if you must ) and let's see what happens. And since the thread went worldwide anyway, let's try that too.
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