recent poll: 50% unhappy with where they live (Tampa, Orlando: real estate, apartments)

[tjax1000]

Pew: Almost half of Americans want to live somewhere else - USATODAY.com

I guess this is pretty telling as to why you always hear people complaining about and badmouthing the place they live no matter where you go.

Still, 50% is a surprising number.

What do YOU guys make of this? Just a "grass is always greener" type thing? Are people just generally unhappy and have some fantasy of a perfect, wonderful life elsewhere? Or are some places just that miserable? For example, Detroit leads the list of least desirable places. It probably isn't a stretch for most of us to understand why. Although one has to wonder if less Detroitians were complaining and instead were getting more involved, would Detroit still suck as badly?

FWIW, Tampa and Orlando are on the most popular list.

[si33]

tjax1000,..

While i can't speak for others' opinions,..my biggest reason for deciding on moving to the Tampa area has alot more to do with affordability and my career goals,..than just to escape..or seek the perfect lifestyle..which doesn't exist anywhere..

...I found it interesting that ( in the article )..it seemed that the older generations,,say 50-and above were more apt to be content with where they lived...And that the desire to move elsewhere seemed to be more desired within the 20-40 something age groups..

Back here,..id say that alot of the older residents remain here because they had the oppertunity to buy real estate at decent prices back in the 50's, 60's and early 70's..Those of us born in the late 70's and during the 80's watched home and land prices sky rocket upward at an unbelievable rate..and for many,..affording say a 1500sq ft home just out of college is next to impossible..most apartments also start out quite expensive...and for many,..other places offer better affordibility..or, you get alot more for what you are willing to spend...most people i knew in high school don't live here in the valley,..or have also relocated out of state..

My parents, and grand parents did not have this problem..and also lived here when the area still had alot of open space...and have watched the area grow through the years...i think id still live here if i were their age..Owning a home here is literally like sitting on a gold mine...

Beyond this,..for me at least,..i just enjoy the more laid back atmosphere and friendly demeanor of the Tampa area.. The fact that the Tampa area has nicer beaches ( and warmer water )..is just an added bonus..

That being said,..San Jose has alot of very nice areas..and nice scenery for anyone who likes mountains..if you can afford "living" here...I know there are things i'll miss..but overall,..im looking forward to moving on..
Besides,..i'll take a Hurricane over an Earthquake any day...

[tampaguy03]

IM the other 50%..I love where I live.

[tidyedsunriselz]

Being on the 50 % of not enjoying where I live, I understand that no where is going to be perfect. Everything has it's pros and cons. I am currently in Columbus, Ohio. I live in an area that if I'm going to live anywhere in Columbus, this is going to be the best, but it's not the right fit for my family and me.

We are moving to Tampa over the summer because, even though we will have to work just as hard as we do here, I feel like our hard work will have a better pay off. When we move. if we find that the attitudes of the people are the same (which in Ohio can be kind be rather undesirable.) And if the atmosphere of the towns are similiar, etc etc. Atleast we have a beach nearby and warmer climates and in our book, holds a lot of value to us.

However, through research we are finding things about the Tampa area beyond the beaches and the nice temp. that is more of a fit for our family. So I understand, every place has its good and bad, and as a family we will have our ups and downs anywhere, but every town has it's own energy and I think as a person you can just feel differently by living in another town. We are looking most at Dunedin and it really is calling to us.

My husband went to college in Hawaii and even though it was very difficult to make it day to day due to being more expensive he said it was worth every minute and all the effort, but living in Ohio...not so much. I completely agree with him.

[Mrs. P]

Originally Posted by tjax1000

Pew: Almost half of Americans want to live somewhere else - USATODAY.com

I guess this is pretty telling as to why you always hear people complaining about and badmouthing the place they live no matter where you go.

Still, 50% is a surprising number.

What do YOU guys make of this? Just a "grass is always greener" type thing? Are people just generally unhappy and have some fantasy of a perfect, wonderful life elsewhere? Or are some places just that miserable? For example, Detroit leads the list of least desirable places. It probably isn't a stretch for most of us to understand why. Although one has to wonder if less Detroitians were complaining and instead were getting more involved, would Detroit still suck as badly?

FWIW, Tampa and Orlando are on the most popular list.

Have you been to Detroit in oh the last 10 years or so? Ever seen that city and enjoyed the horrible weather? I can see why anyone from Detroit would want to run screaming out of that city.

Now on the other point about people not liking where they live, I think part of that stems from what has happened in our country in the last 20 or so years.
One used to grow up in a neighborhood, know all their neighbors, go to work and live basically one place all their life. But things changed and now you know your neighbors less, and even at that, no one sticks around much like people did years ago. When I was young people lived in the neighborhood 30 years. That just doesn't happen much anymore...mainly because as people became more educated job openings opened for them across the whole country, or they were fed up in their climate, or with their schools and on and on it goes....however along with the moving for jobs/families/etc etc, people are missing home. I think that figure is high because more and more people are not living where they grew up and want to go back.

[tjax1000]

Good replies so far. It is interesting to here everyone's thoughts and theories.

I think that our society is so diverse... factors like age, education, career, family, etc. define us each as a unique entity. And all these things contribute to what a person wants out of the place they live.

I think perhaps it boils down to this. I'll use myself as an example. My "Eutopia" or "Eden" would look like this:

Climate like Hawaii
Excellent IT job market, top pay in the country
No Ghettos- lower income areas just means smaller homes
No traffic
Walk to almost any store imaginable
Walk to beach
No crime
A+ schools
Ample parks
Inexpensive homes
No snakes or alligators or nasty bugs
Nice people
Low taxes
Local & State Govenment that leans toward staying out of my business

I know that sounds funny. But if someone were to ask me what my perfect place to live would be, this is it. If the genie in the bottle came out, what kind of moron would ask for crime and high taxes?

A lot of people have similar lists. And you know, almost all those things can be fufilled! Here's the catch- they're all in different parts of America. The place with no crime may have no other matches on the list. Same goes for schools, taxes... everything else.

Reasonable people will probably pick their "top 5" needs and move to a place where at least those most important needs are fulfilled. I suppose a person's overall happiness ultimately relies on their ability to overlook everything else to some degree.

[Future Trooper]

I am content with where I live

[Keeper]

I think many ppl just don't know what really makes them happy.

I lived in Central America once upon a time and I saw ppl get off the plane 'hating' the place. They did nothing but complain for the whole 2 years they had to be there. They hated living there and couldn't wait to leave. Once their TOD was up, they went back to the states, some to the same city where they lived previously. Within a year, you would hear 'Joe' wanted to move back.

There are plenty of good things in Tampa, but if all you do is focus on the bad then you will never be happy.

I love the beach, the art/music festivals, flea markets, TPAC, great restaurants and cuban food! You can sail, fish, kayak, boat or just walk along the beach, enjoy the sunset or watch a thunderstorm come rolling in. Just look around you there are lots of fun things to do.

[matt_sfl]

I'm trying to do the responsible thing and stay put here for a while. I just paid cash for a car and believe me, I'd love to pack it up, drive up to I-10 and just start heading west. The family is all here and they're really helping me get on my feet again. It's good to here that there are others that live here but aren't thrilled about the place either. I'm not one of those types that come to work Monday morning sunburned, raving about all the wonderful activities I did, and don't consider it blasphemy if somebody disses the place. One thing I've come to realize too is that family values and single-person values mix like oil and water.

[lavender]

I don't want to go there with my soapbox and say what I think about why people are not happy with where they live. Home is where the heart is, that's about it IMO
not where the money is.

I moved her from a long way - overseas. I like it here very much, I still miss my home country, but I'm happy, as I have my family, modest lifestyle and I'm not frantically chasing a dream I might never achieve. Just trying to support our kids to maybe do a little better than us and be happy.