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I grew up on a farm/ranch and have lived in the country most of my 60+ years. However after I graduated from High School I attended college in a city and then worked at various business ventures that allowed me to travel all over the USA and Canada. I traveled extensively and I have probably spent a day or two in every North American city with a population of 100,000 or more. I am a country boy to the core but I do like some of the attractions that big cities have to offer. The variety of cuisine, entertainment, sports and art displays that you find in metropolitan areas are truly magnificent. Plus just watching people in the city is a very entertaining activity.
However much I enjoy spending time doing various activities in cities I have never had any desire to live in a city. I treasure the simple pleasures of country living too much to ever make a move to the city.
I understand that MOST people base their decision on where they live on the availability of a job that matches their skills. My "WHAT IF" question is: What if you had the finances to live anywhere you wanted in either the USA or Canada, where would it be? If it is a city what is it about that city that makes you want to live there?
I understand the attraction to life in a rural environment but feel free to explain that also.
I am not asking this as a put down to the ones who like life in a city but it is pure curiosity on my part. I am just thankful that there are many millions of our citizens that like city living. It would get pretty crowded in my part of the world if everyone left the city.
I grew up in a city with over 1 million population. I moved to a lot smaller place (not by choice), i don't think i would want to go back to a big city. However, i love cold weather and i would love to live somewhere in the mountains, preferably PNW, but i'm stuck here in FL, so i make best out of it.
For now I live in what I call the country, although the city is 60,000 population.
While NY is too extreme, I need culture, and nightlife, and museums, and to learn new things each day. When I lived in Boston, I would walk through the city, meet people, visit new shoppes, a huge university library, etc....
While the country is beautiful, its just not for me. I don't criticize either, different strokes...
Gaviota Coast...west of Santa Barbara. My parents moved to America's fastest growing city in 1989. There were orange groves everwhere. Hell, the east side of town is still rural with vineyards, orange groves, cow pastures, corn, chicken coops. We live near the hillside down the street from an orange grove and horse ranches. But it's a subdivision now in the middle of town. Sunnymead Ranch is no longer a ranch. The Gaviota Coast is stunning with ranches and farms and still 90-110 miles from the heart of LA. I went to school in Santa Barbara and fell in love with SB. Gaviota is awesome.
I would choose to live right on the coast anywhere north of Bodega Bay, CA. There are just small villages, no cities or every very large towns. It is incredibly beautiful, to my way of thinking.
If I decided to live in the city, it would be DC! I love DC! It has so much to offer and is just beautiful. If I decided to live on a beach, it would be somewhere in the Carolinas. Either Hilton Head or maybe in the Outer Banks. These beaches are more secluded and don't have the party nightlife that other beaches like Daytona and Panama City give off.
I'm much liike you. I've lived in several mega-metroplitan areas, traveled through most of the US, and also Canada and Mexico. There is no place like home and there is no place like solitude when you get there. If I had all the money in the world I would like to go to NYC long enough to see 5th AVe, the great white way, ride in a handsom cab in Central Park and visit the diamond district becauee I am curious and I like beautiful gems. I also like parks. My most favorite city is Peoria, Il because it has an awesome park district with as much activity as it does open space. I once lived in a small town that had a city park the size of a square block. They were proud but I thought it was a disgrace. Tnere was no seats or swings but there was a walking track. I also like water. I live in a small town in central Illinois near the area wheee the next Everglades is under reclamaition as I write this. Todate 7000 acres is open for finshing, hunting and boating and another 7000 are being readied for reclaimation. The eagles are returning and we're in the Canadian flyway. It's almost perfect. I'm not that far from Peoria and we have a hospital that's pretty good too.
My "WHAT IF" question is: What if you had the finances to live anywhere you wanted in either the USA or Canada, where would it be? If it is a city what is it about that city that makes you want to live there?GL2
But of course 'the house' would be a tad more streamlined. Live any where and every where..
Last edited by ArkansasTraveler; 11-17-2008 at 01:24 AM..
I understand that MOST people base their decision on where they live on the availability of a job that matches their skills. My "WHAT IF" question is: What if you had the finances to live anywhere you wanted in either the USA or Canada, where would it be? If it is a city what is it about that city that makes you want to live there?
Having grown up in a city it wasn't until I left that I realized the conveniences. It is nice to be able to wake up and walk to grab a cup of coffee, or breakfast, before walking to work or transportation that brings you to work. When I get out of work I can go home and walk to restaurants or supermarkets to get dinner.
I do enjoy the open sky that the country offers. Being used to a bit of noise it is hard to adjust, even now when I find myself in a "large" city I still feel it is a bit to quiet.
I would choose a small community (5K-10K max). The hustle and bustle of large and or mega cities just makes me jittery and gives me a headache.
That being said, I would like to know that one of these are within an hour or two of me just in case I feel the need for major shopping!
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