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Generally down to earth people, affordable, good park systems(city, town, county and state), a range of good educational options at different levels, can get just about anywhere within 20 minutes, diverse culture/events(has black, white, Hispanic, Asian and Native American communities each with diversity within them/sporting, the arts, festivals, etc.), that you can get very urban to very rural neighborhoods in a short period of time and its location in relation/proximity to other places(Adirondack Mountains, Finger Lakes, Lake Ontario, 1000 Islands, major Northeastern and eastern Canadian cities, etc.).
I like how it happened to be named in 1785, during an extremely narrow window of time (1783 to 1789) when US counties could potentially be named for the heir to the French throne as a suck-up move.
Harrisburg, the state capital and county seat, has a few dramatic urban vistas, and has managed to retain frequent train service to Phila/NYC.
It also contains the "Sweetest Place on Earth" (tm), still the world's largest chocolate factory, and venue of even the world's largest antique car show (and a few weeks prior, America's largest RV show, still wonder why they don't say world's largest on that, where else would compare?).
The Harrisburg/Lancaster area is one of my favorite areas to visit. I am a total history and theme park geek, lol. So I love visiting the Amish region, Gettysburg, the town of Hershey, the whole Hershey Park area, the Capital area, etc. Plus, I think it's a VERY underrated area to live. I rank metros and it not only has a lot to offer in and of itself, as you said, it's not far from Philly and NYC. I have a friend who lives there and loves it. When I have to drive from Charlotte to the Boston/Cape Cod area, I always take the I-77/I-81 route, because I love the beautiful scenery in VA and PA that it offers, and a lot less traffic and hassle that the I-95 route has.
Cobb County, Georgia is one of the more populous counties of metro Atlanta, on the northwest side. There is a lot to offer here within the 340 square miles:
* The population is about 760,000 and highly diverse - about 50% non Hispanic White, 30% Black, 13% Hispanic, 6% Asian. About 16% are foreign born with plenty of transplants from all across the US, and Georgia natives too.
* One of metro Atlanta's major edge cities is here, at the I-75/I-285 interchange. This includes an abundance of office and retail space plus SunTrust Park where the Braves play, and Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center.
* Cobb has several distinct cities with their own downtowns and cultural amenities, particularly Marietta and Smyrna.
* Kennesaw Mountain Park is an outstanding recreational asset for the county, with its historic landmarks and hiking trails. There is also a lot of green space along the Chattahoochee River and elsewhere. Both old and new neighborhoods tend to feature a dense tree canopy.
* There is a high quality school system and Kennesaw State University is a strong and expanding higher education presence.
* Property tax rates are lower than in the other large metro Atlanta counties, and roads and services are kept up well. Cobb is politically balanced as the popular vote in 2016 broke down almost identically to the nation's.
Also in Cobb county (NW ATL county for context). Not a whole lot to add to the above.
-highly diverse
-excellent schools, but still affordable housing
-Chattahoochee river, Lake Allatoona, & Kennesaw Mountain
-1 hour drive to blue ridge mountains
- Suntrust Park (braves stadium)
- easy commute into Atlanta via hwy 75
- Marietta Square
- Proximity to F500 job centers (Cumberland, Perimeter, Alpharetta, Midtown, Buckhead)
- lower property taxes
- relative affluence
Hennepin CO Minnesota. Great county. Minneapolis. Great suburbs. Has a lot of different places depending on what you like. Exurban/rural, open prairie areas, beautiful lake shore and river valleys.
You can live in urban walkable, suburban walkable, suburban car dependent or rural.
I feel the same way about living here in Allegheny County, PA.
It is anchored by Pittsburgh, which is almost the exact center of the county. Surrounding the city in all directions is the typical "tapering down" in density from inner/streetcar suburbs to newer construction suburbs to rolling rural hills and woodlands.
I live near Downtown Pittsburgh and can walk to work. I can also hop in my car and drive to big-box stores and chain restaurants within 20 minutes. The county has something for everyone!
Erie County, NY, home to Buffalo. I have never in my life thought to award any love at the level of the county--even though I live in a[n inner-ring] suburb of Buffalo, I have always, throughout my life, identified as a Buffalonian, and as such, any existing love/hate/indifference tends to be directed at 'Buffalo'. Now given this thread, though, I'm taxing myself trying to think of how I could answer this question, and I really don't know. The southern and eastern parts of Erie Cty have some nice rural scenery that probably fall more into the 'like' as opposed to 'love' category for me--my favorite rural areas tend to include quaint, inviting villages that are generally lacking in Erie Cty. Buffalo itself is rather difficult to love, and the suburbs which exist in Erie Cty (a couple 'burbs are located in Niagara, which borders Erie to the north) are typically rather nondescript/unlovable.
I think the answer I'm left with here is...nothing? Buffalo itself has its pros and cons but the resulting totality is not something I love or even necessarily like. If anything, I guess I 'love' all the new microbreweries that have opened over the past ten years--close to 20 exist in Erie County at this point, as far as I know. And I love my family and relatively few remaining friends who haven't [yet] migrated out of this particular nook of the Rust Belt. I also borderline-love my local outpost of the most prominent remaining chain bookstore in the country, which is where I'll be headed soon once the weather clears up. (I do not love snow)
Generally down to earth people, affordable, good park systems(city, town, county and state), a range of good educational options at different levels, can get just about anywhere within 20 minutes, diverse culture/events(has black, white, Hispanic, Asian and Native American communities each with diversity within them/sporting, the arts, festivals, etc.), that you can get very urban to very rural neighborhoods in a short period of time and its location in relation/proximity to other places(Adirondack Mountains, Finger Lakes, Lake Ontario, 1000 Islands, major Northeastern and eastern Canadian cities, etc.).
Sandoval County, NM, northwest and north of Albuquerque, is a beautiful place sandwiched in between Santa Fe and ABQ. You could comprise a checklist of everything you imagine you would want in a high desert southwestern location and you would probably find it here. There's the Rio Grande valley, ancient volcanoes, several pueblos, artist colonies, Jemez Mountains, hot springs, canyons, the 3rd largest city in the state, and a near perfect four season climate -- but don't tell anybody. OK?
Natural beauty-wise, I loved that area when I was there ten years ago. Stayed in ABQ and made it to Santa Fe a couple times; downtown Santa Fe was phenomenal. You can include casinos on your list--they might not appeal to you (I don't know), but as a poker player, I noted all the Indian casinos in the area--wasn't there for the purposes of going to any, but there seemed to be...numerous options on that front.
The Harrisburg/Lancaster area is one of my favorite areas to visit. I am a total history and theme park geek, lol. So I love visiting the Amish region, Gettysburg, the town of Hershey, the whole Hershey Park area, the Capital area, etc. Plus, I think it's a VERY underrated area to live. I rank metros and it not only has a lot to offer in and of itself, as you said, it's not far from Philly and NYC. I have a friend who lives there and loves it. When I have to drive from Charlotte to the Boston/Cape Cod area, I always take the I-77/I-81 route, because I love the beautiful scenery in VA and PA that it offers, and a lot less traffic and hassle that the I-95 route has.
I lived in Victoria County, Texas, before emigrating two years ago.
Population 70,000. Distance to a bigger city, 120 miles. That's the sweet spot -- big enough and remote enough to have everything locallly, but small enough you can get around easily and know everybody. And not on an interstate highway, so nothing to distract from the "center". Two hours from big league sports, major international airport, but very rural rancher lifestyle..
Clearly overlooked in your post is the fact that one of city-data's most prolific former posters was from Victoria, TX--jtur88, I believe? Probably disturbing that I know this (assuming I'm remembering correctly), but I've been on this site a good amount over the years. That guy used to post all the time; post count was probably in the 40-50k range.
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