Hey NYC, Phili, Chicago, Atlanta, and Detriot...does it suck to be stressed?

[Garson]

I do not understand when people complain about the climate or whatever here and continue to live here. I love the climate here and some of the other major cities in the US - NYC, Chicago, LA, San Fran, Boston - are great places to VISIT. For me I will take the low stress valley of the sun for my everyday life ANYDAY!! (and I have never been bored in 12 years here!)
Life is too short to not live somewhere on purpose....not just because you ended up there. If you do not like where you live...find out where you will like it and GO!

[Climacus]

The summer exhausts me and leaves me sapped of any desire or energy or passion for life, but I can see how it also prevents me from getting stressed. Stress just generates more body heat and makes you sweat more, you can't afford it!

Subjectively speaking, Phoenix feels more laid back to me than all of the places I've been in the East, it lacks the culture of formality, following the right procedure, going by the book, stressing over appearances or details. People here are more into making up the rules as they go along and adjusting them to new situations, being free to make mistakes on the way if you get to the same destination in the end. (Though the same culture is what makes us terrible drivers).

[MrGerardo]

What people have been saying about the east being more stressful and the west being more laid back is the main reason I want to leave Chicago. I'm only being held back because my parents need me to take care of them. I'm sick of grumpy, bitter, ugly people in the midwest who look at you weird if you bend one rule about practically anything. They take everything way too seriously. The only problem I would have in making this decision to leave is whether I should go to Phoenix, Las Vegas, or somewhere in southern California. What does a typical one-bedroom condo cost in a decent area of Phoenix?

[leo442]

hello, all:

I've lived in New York for most of my life (I'm 33) and I hate it. Mayor Bloomturd wants to turn downtown NYC into onr big gated community with his "congestion pricing plan". You can only make it here if you are wealthy, or extremely poor, in which case you qualify for all kinds of worderful social programs. Then you have to live in the ghetto (been there, done that, no thanks). Many 1 bedroom apts can go for a million or more. Forget about owning a car! $300, or more per month to keep it garaged. Park in the street, and you will surely get a $115 tag from a friendly cop or "brownie" (traffic agents). A cup of Starbuck's coffee, around $7. A slice of "New York pizza", $3 or $4. If you are middle class, you will be lucky enough to live an hour and a half outside NYC, in the suburbs or in New Jersey, and property taxes are prohibitive anyway. Your commute to work can be 90 minutes or more. Traffic is insane, and so are the subways, if you are considering mass transit. New Yorkers can be savages, especially when packed in tin cars for an hour or more (or when stuck in traffic). I pay $8 per day to cross the George Washington Bridge (it adds up), and soon will be paying another $8 to go downtown past 60th St. Not worth it. My fiance and I can barely survive out here, and are seriously considering a move to AZ. I've seen 3, 4, even 5 bedroom homes in AZ for $200,000. That amount wont even get you a studio apt in the "Big Apple". I'm sorry, do I sound bitter?