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I live in Little Rock, Arkansas, and while its not the worst place in the world, and there are things to like about it such as the natural beauty and the low cost of living, the city itself doesn't offer much especially for somebody my age with my interests. Its very conservative, extremely suburban-oriented, and overall doesn't offer enough "things to do" to keep things fresh for a long period of time. I am stuck here however for a few more years at least until the economy recovers.
I see countless threads on here with people talking about how great their cities are, but I was wondering how many people here live somewhere they don't really like but are stuck due to life circumstances. I see all these threads about young college grads moving to their dream city, but not everybody has the ability to pack up and move across the country even if they want to.
I live in Little Rock, Arkansas, and while its not the worst place in the world, and there are things to like about it such as the natural beauty and the low cost of living, the city itself doesn't offer much especially for somebody my age with my interests. Its very conservative, extremely suburban-oriented, and overall doesn't offer enough "things to do" to keep things fresh for a long period of time. I am stuck here however for a few more years at least until the economy recovers.
I see countless threads on here with people talking about how great their cities are, but I was wondering how many people here live somewhere they don't really like but are stuck due to life circumstances. I see all these threads about young college grads moving to their dream city, but not everybody has the ability to pack up and move across the country even if they want to.
I think I'm disillusioned with the urban/suburban U.S. in general, but I haven't yet found an easy to come by alternative. So, I'm sort of stuck.
I miss the rural or small-town lifestyle(especially rural). That's just who I am at heart. Most people in the U.S. don't seem capable, anymore, of grasping the concept of wanting to live somewhere that's not a metropolitan area.
I live in Little Rock, Arkansas, and while its not the worst place in the world, and there are things to like about it such as the natural beauty and the low cost of living, the city itself doesn't offer much especially for somebody my age with my interests. Its very conservative, extremely suburban-oriented, and overall doesn't offer enough "things to do" to keep things fresh for a long period of time. I am stuck here however for a few more years at least until the economy recovers.
I see countless threads on here with people talking about how great their cities are, but I was wondering how many people here live somewhere they don't really like but are stuck due to life circumstances. I see all these threads about young college grads moving to their dream city, but not everybody has the ability to pack up and move across the country even if they want to.
I think we're in the same boat.
I feel the same way about Portland, Maine. While it's a beautiful little city and there are plenty of positive features of this town, it's just not for me. It's a sleepy place, the nightlife is nearly non-existent, I've found the dining to be a bit over-hyped, and it's not very urban (super auto-centric). It's not the type of place for an active (by active I mean more than outdoor activities) person in their early 20s. It's just too small of a town for my liking.
While I know there are plenty of worse places to be, I can't wait to leave. Until I tie up a few loose ends, I'm stuck.
So, long story short and without trashing a city (as I'm sure some of the next few posts will do), I can say I'm on the same page. Best of luck to you.
Location: Concrete jungle where dreams are made of.
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^^I agree about Portland. I went to USM for 2 years. It's a different culture in Maine compared to where I'm from in NY. I felt pretty out of place since it was so different there. I wanted to get out of there real bad, so I transferred to another college after 2 years.
I really love visiting Portland, but it's just not a place I would want to live. It's a nice city to visit every few years in the summer.
I am stuck in Naples, Florida because of life circumstances. "Aren't crazy about" is putting it mildly. I hate it and don't want to be anywhere in this entire state.
I am stuck in Naples, Florida because of life circumstances. "Aren't crazy about" is putting it mildly. I hate it and don't want to be anywhere in this entire state.
Most people in the U.S. don't seem capable, anymore, of grasping the concept of wanting to live somewhere that's not a metropolitan area.
I don't think it's so much a matter of want...I know a lot of people who would be interested in trying country life. I think the bigger issue is job availability. Metropolitans are where the jobs are.
I live in a suburb of Toledo, OH. I have lived here all of my life, and I am way beyond wanting to move somewhere where there aren't six months of gloomy, overcast skies, gray snow, and a horrible job market. The local politicians are clueless, but no fresh blood allowed. You must be a Democrat, born locally, and it helps if you have a Polish name. Toledo has one real mall, and a couple of those outdoor lifestyle centers. People are leaving in droves along with the jobs. The streets are in terrible condition, and the downtown is a ghost town. The suburbs are nice, but Toledo's problems have become their problems to a large degree. I would LOVE to move somewhere with a much shorter and warmer winter. I don't think I would like Florida or Arizona because of the year-round heat, but somewhere like North or South Carolina, Tennessee, or Georgia sounds just about perfect. We are stuck here for now because of my husband's job. If he quits now, he won't get his pension until he's 65. If he waits five years until he's 55 and retires, he will get his pension right away. We also have aging parents here and feel a sense of obligation to them.
BTW, what's not to like about San Diego? I have only been there once, almost a year ago, and it was incredible. However, living there is different than visiting there, and I realized that if I ever lived there, the cost of living and the traffic would probably drive me nuts.
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