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Already did my current home of Nevada, so I'll take a stab at my home state of Illinois:
Cons:
- Incompetent, incredibly corrupt government, both at Chicago level and statewide
- Mediocre nature and scenery, even that which isn't covered by farmland or settlements
- Minimal Native American presence, no reservations that I know of (not that those are "good" exactly, but they signify that an area's original cultures haven't been totally wiped out)
- Really not any major cities besides Chicago (and the eastern St. Louis area), which makes us seem more "incomplete" as a state and adds to the feeling among downstaters that the government doesn't represent them (compare with, say, Ohio, which has several big cities each with distinct cultures and atmospheres)
- Population decline spawning a feeling of helplessness and pessimism
Pros:
- Generally progressive laws by American standards (decriminalized pot, higher minimum wage, no death penalty, strong anti-discrimination laws)
- Decent historical significance (Lincoln, the Haymarket Riots, Pullman, Al Capone, Cahokia, The Jungle)
- Large and influential black community in Chicago, with many politicians, activists, and musicians of national fame coming from there
- Four seasons (I think it's a pro, at least)
- Large raw population, so people know we exist
- Reasonably affordable to live in
- Appears more urbanized, progressive, diverse, and creative than it really is because it's surrounded by other Midwestern states and far from the coasts (though not to the level of Austin, Asheville, or Atlanta)
As a native of another growing, Southern metro (Charlotte), I respectfully disagree with your "social and political power struggle" assessment. Going into the depths of each issue you might be thinking about is a bit time consuming. But generally speaking, we natives have no problem with any newcomes who want to move to our areas. it's a bit pretentious to refer to our "ways" (whatever those "ways" are) as wanting to stay the same as 50 years ago. Why would you willingly move to an area you see as being so "backwards"? What would be the reaction of natives if I moved to NY, IL, CA, etc. and proclaimed how uncouth they were and arrogantly lectured "this is how we did it in NC"? What makes your political beliefs any more or less relevant than the natives? Is there even a hint of a consideration that you could be wrong? many would argue that "progressive" ideas and beliefs are far from the Webster's definition of "progress". In many ways, it's a very overused and misused word. I know many non-believers of Christianity claim they don't want those beliefs to be forced upon them (which I totally agree). It's the same with natives of an area who resist "Progressives" and their willingness to prothesize their beliefs on the new area to which they've moved. I understand voting your conscience privately and holding to your core beliefs. But many people moved from CA to Portland, Seattle, and Denver fleeing the overwhelming cost of living in CA. These 3 cities were affordable 10-20 years ago. Now they're 3 of the most expensive major metros in the nation. The newbies brought many of the same "progressive" voting habits that made areas like San Francisco and Los Angeles unbearably expensive,. Now they have created the same COL mess they fled. Now natives have to pay the price. I'm not trying to be a jerk or anything. No political ideology is perfect. It's just totally unfair to characterize natives the way you did. The characterization wasn't tolerant at all and rather insulting. Any native from any region would react the same way under the same circumstances. This isn't about the minute specifics you might be referring to in GA. It's just a general philosophical standpoint of putting yourself in others shoes. So, in closing, we navies by all means welcome anyone to our areas. As long as you respect us and agree to disagree on some issues, we will get along fine. But please don't flee problems you left and bring them here for us to have to deal with and insult us in the process. Sorry for rampling, lol and thanks for being patient with my post.
Thanks for your thoughts.
My comment wasn't meant to be seen as insulting or intolerant. Maybe I should have phrased it better.
To me, it's just the resistance to change that's exhausting. I live in a outer part of Metro Atlanta that was once a rural small town and has since transitioned to a suburb. I constantly hear long-time natives complaining about it turning into "Atlanta" or wanting the small town they grew up in 20-30 years ago back. These individual frequently overcrowd city council and county commissioner meetings advocating against positive investment and growth under the guise of "maintaining the character of their community."
Yet, the tone deafness in their pleas doesn't account for the fact that they'd have access to far fewer amenities, there was a lot more casual racism/segregation hostile to a sizeable number of people (including someone who fits my profile) in this rose-colored past they yearn for and that change is an inevitable part of life.
To be clear, there obviously are positive aspects about these places if a bunch of transplants like myself are attracted to them. But there are also imperfect things we see that can be improved upon that natives may not necessarily take notice of, and it would be less frustrating if these improvements were embraced instead of stonewalled.
I live in PA; specifically, I live in Philly. Here's what I love about PA:
-Unparalleled natural beauty (Wissahickon Valley Park, Delaware Water Gap, most of the mountainous regions, etc.).
-Two of the best cities in the nation: Philly and Pittsburgh. Philly, specifically, is my favorite city.
-An abundance of history and historical sites
-Proximity to other major metro areas (NYC, Baltimore, DC, etc.) and the Jersey Shore
-Residents of Southeast PA enjoy a top-tier quality of life
I'm 23, but I can honestly see myself living in PA for the rest of my life. I love Philly, and I would love to eventually start a family here.
FL:
family
wildlife and beaches.
the mix of palm trees with oaks or maple
hills in middle of state
no state income taxes
weather can be decent in winter
theme parks
interesting history
friendly people
I live in Portland, Oregon. It is becoming absurdly expensive, but the quality of life is incredible. Cool, moist falls, winters, and springs. An occasional snow event, very rare windstorms. Glorious dry summers with mostly mild temperatures and cool nights. It rarely rains hard, almost never has thunder and lightning (which I miss) and is one of the best places to grow sub-tropical and temperate climate plants. The food is amazing.
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