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What's the best place you have ever lived and why? I'm just interested to see everyone's opinions of what they liked about where they moved.
Possible things you can comment on:
food
traffic
rent/mortgage cost
taxes
roads/construction
businesses (local vs corporate)
attractions
weather
crime
nature
city-scene
Seattle. It was cool, cloudy winters, snow when it should, sunshine and nothing breaking low 90s temps. I loved the culture and the food scene is fantastic! There's ALWAYS something going on. I miss it.
You didn't specify it had to the be the US so here is my choice. Actually I have 2
Ireland. Because its my native country. The quaint towns and neighborhoods with so many friendly people. The lush green countryside. You know your neighbors for the most part anyway. If something happens and you need help, there is usually neighbors that will offer without being asked. Maybe not so much now in Dublin, which has become like any big city Rush Rush Rush. More so in the many towns and villages its quite common. Just about everything is more expensive than the USA. From housing to food to insurance to you name it. Now I believe Ireland is just about the most expensive country out there.
Germany. I love the countryside and the beautiful mountain views. I enjoyed skiing in the Alps. The beautiful villages and the little cafes and the gasthaus restaurants. I completely enjoyed all the transit options. I didn't have to drive at all if I didn't want to. I could bike, walk, take the trains, buses, subways. It was great. Even in the country there was some type of access to transit. I never had to hear people whining and whining about the cost of gas like in this country. I'm not sure why one doesn't hear complaints in Europe about the cost of gas, yet its all you hear here in the USA. Yet many Europeans drive miles each day as people do in the USA. Germany's central location made it easy for access to other Europeans countries. Again all that transit. Just hop on a train and your on your way. Again very expenisve to live and many share living expenses in Germany.
Actually I have 3. In this country it would be New England. Probably because it reminds me of Europe in many ways. After all the region is named after England. Definitely similarities between the two locations. Many people that emigrated from Europe. Boston has a European feel to it and there are many Irish people living there. All my transit options. The ocean, the hills and mountains. the small towns and villages. More of a hometown feel without all the sprawl and transient nature of much of the USA. Yes most defintely reminds me of Europe, and hence became my favorite part of the USA. Unfortuntaly it also is a very expensive area of America just like California.
I would have to say the best place I ever lived was Alabama. The weather was nice and warm, the people were kind. As far as crime nobody had locks on the door, nobody even locked their car door, they trusted that nobody was going to steal it. They made cornbread and okra taste good but I havent lived there since 1983, I dont remember taxes or the roads. But I wouldnt be against living in Alabama again someday in the future.
To answer your question, for me it's hands down St. Louis (I've also lived in Brisbane AUS, London and the back-of-nowhere North Carolina)
food Fantastic! Almost any cuisine you could think of has some representation in St. Louis. I'm a Vegetarian and I've never had any issues finding dining options to suit me. St. Louis has everything from Mom & Pop Greasy Spoons to Fine Dining to your run of the mill chain restaurants. There's definitely something for everyone.
traffic Compared with other places I've lived, traffic is a breeze. St. Louis has the second most miles of interstate per capita than anywhere else in the U.S. (Kansas City is in first place). The only 'bad' commutes I ever had were in severely inclement weather.
rent/mortgage cost Ridiculously cheap. My husband and I just bought a house for under $100k in the St. Louis suburbs (we paid cash) with 3 beds / 3 baths on half an acre in a nice neighborhood close to all amenities. Even when I lived there before as a single girl, rent was definitely affordable.
taxes This is probably the only thing that hurts- property taxes are rather high, but as the cost of living is so low, it's an easy pill to swallow.
roads/construction They just finished revamping I-64 (Highway 40) through St. Louis this past year. They started the project when I still lived there, but I honestly didn't feel much pain from I-64's closure. Extra lanes were added to I-44 to ease traffic congestion during I-64's closure if I remember correctly. The revamp was worth it though, the new interstate is quite spectacular and the overpasses have been done well with great, art deco looking signage.
businesses (local vs corporate) There are plenty of Fortune 500 companies with a presence in St. Louis, creating a vast array of employment opportunities for motivated, educated individuals. With that said though, there are still plenty of local businesses thriving in St. Louis.
attractions Plenty! St. Louis has more cultural amenities per capita than any other city in the U.S. according to a recent Kiplinger's list (which ranked St. Louis the #1 city for cheapskates, which is honestly a good thing). The Museums, Galleries and Theater options are all first rate. There's something for everyone.
weather I know it wouldn't be everyone's cup of tea but I love it. St. Louis has four distinct seasons- a reasonably short but Warm Summer, Vibrant Spring, Beautiful Autumn (with all of the colors) and nice cold Winters with a fair amount of snow. It's perfect for me.
crime St. Louis is frequently topping lists throughout the U.S. as the #1 or #2 city for Crime. However, as any true St. Louisan will tell you, the statistics are warped. St. Louis City separated from the County back in the 1800s. Therefore, when the statistics are figured, they only count St. Louis City and not the Greater Metro Area (from which St. Louis is considered separate). If you counted the entire MSA / Greater St. Louis region in the statistics, St. Louis wouldn't even rate in the top 10 cities for crime. I personally never had any huge issues with crime in St. Louis. Obviously there are good parts and bad parts- but that's any city in the world.
nature I'm not much of an outdoors girl / nature lover but St. Louis is situated at the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers and has an abundance of parks and trails throughout the region. Additionally, Forest Park, one of the largest urban parks in the country is absolutely stunning no matter what the time of year.
city-scene Great! St. Louis has two streets which received the distinction of being in the top ten streets in America- Delmar and Washington Ave. The Delmar Loop has a vibrant and eclectic scene with plenty of restaurants, shops, bars and entertainment venues (including Blueberry Hill where Chuck Berry still performs from time to time). Washington Ave has recently undergone a resurgence and is filled with bars, nightclubs, restaurants and epitomizes city night life.
Your post helps me look forward to my move to Missouri glamatomic, I wont be moving to St Louis, but I wont be far from it ether. St Louis and Kansas City are good cities.
Well I've only lived in two places and overall I loved living in San Diego the most primarly for the lifestyle. I lived by the beach most of my time there and always on the coast. I just miss living by the ocean, going swimming in the ocean during summer, riding my bike down the board walk, etc..
The climate is great; you get some cooler weather in winter mixed in with warm spells where it's in the 70's or even 80's in the middle of winter. It has the most pleasant and comfortable climate overall imo.
It's a good size city that has all the amenities I need, it's pretty safe overall, people are easy going for the most part, and it's close to LA and Vegas for weekend/day trips. I even liked the fact that you could go to Mexico for a few hours for a change of scenery. In addition to the beach there were mountains and deserts within a 45-60 minute drive. I love living around my family and childhood friends I grew up with here in the Bay Area and SF is a really cool city but I miss my lifestyle in SD A LOT. Also it's a decent amount cheaper than the Bay Area and a better value than either the Bay or LA.
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