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1 seattle,wa (13 years(growing up)) liked it as a kid nice people great food scenic and I always loved the puyallup fair(but then I wasnt downtown much)
2 philadelphia (3 years) quite possibly hell.cramped,old,smelly,cold,boring,and mean.i mean,theres just no hope here.and NOTHING TO DO
3 san francisco (2 years) liked it,but it was also a little too old skool for me,and I felt trapped,and the attractions are quite boring after a while
4 (seattle)3 years and counting. Yep I moved back because I love the best of everything.entertainment,awesome downtown,technology galore,nature,food,suburbs,and u feel truly free.and u kno wat I like havin actual SEASONS.so ya
Im also side living in la and I like it...cause im a rookie rapper and im trying to get really known..but
Seattle seems like it will always be my main home bcase sum day..i could raise a family there...because it is kid friendly and entertqining for kids
1. New York (23 Years) - This is definitely my favorite place I've lived. It's one of the world's greatest cities, it's ever-changing, it's never boring, and it's a place where everyone can find a place to fit in. But most importantly, it's home to me. This is where I'm happiest.
2. Buenos Aires (1 Year) - The lifestyle in BA is just incredible. It's purely South American with a little bit of Paris, New York, and Barcelona thrown in for good measure. There is a lot of crime and corruption here and it's far more noticeable there than any other place I've lived in, but this city has amazing potential. With continual economic and infrastructural development (and a HUGE clean up of all the dog poop EVERYWHERE) and policy changes by the Argentine government, I think Buenos Aires could someday be widely recognized as one of the world's greatest cities.
3. Chicago (2.5 Years) - There are places that I would consider to be better cities, but I found myself happier in Chicago than any place other than NY. It's Midwestern roots are often considered to be a bad thing by many, but I find it to be extremely appealing in that it's very easy to make close friendships and people are pretty genuine. The city is often known for its problems, but the good areas of Chicago are among the best neighborhoods this country has to offer. Despite popular belief, it's quite different from New York. Certainly different enough to make me feel like I'm in another large fantastic city when I'm there and not just a smaller version of New York.
4. San Francisco (2 years) - I think I'd perhaps consider SF to be a better city than Chicago, but I have to rank it below for me personally because I found life in Chicago to be less stressful and I found that the people I came in contact with were happier in Chicago. I think people forgot how stressful and fast paced SF can be despite it's casual reputation. That being said, it's probably my favorite place in the US to visit, as there is just so much to do in the region and it never gets old. I definitely miss the wine and all of the natural beauty. San Francisco is truly a city that anyone can fall in love with.
5. Los Angeles (3 Months) - LA is just awesome. It's hard to put in words why I like LA so much. I used to not be a fan, but after spending a couple months there, I found it to be a great city. There is just something about that city. I love LA, and anyone who says it's not a real city or that it isn't world class has no idea what they're talking about.
6. Paris (1 Year) - The world's best city. Paris IS what every city would kill to be. It is a very hard city to live in, however. I loved my time there, but Parisians in general seem to be less happy overall than people in all of the other places I've lived in. Parisians are wonderful though, and I don't find them to be rude and got to know some wonderful people. Paris is the definition of sophistication and for an Architect such as myself, Paris is the best architectural porn there is. The people are gorgeous, and no city in the world is as beautiful as Paris on a sunny day. I guess I ranked it so low because despite how magical it often seems, the quality of life isn't so amazing. As far as big European cities go, I would rather live in London, Barcelona, Madrid, Berlin, or Amsterdam.
7. Tunis, Tunisia (3 Months) - An extremely beautiful place with the most ridiculously nice and welcoming population I've ever encountered. I loved my summer internship there, but this country has a lot of problems and issues to overcome. It's a completely different place than the others, and it's kind of hard to compare. I would love to go back someday, though!
**Huntsville, Alabama (1 Year) - My dad's job brought our family here for a year, but I was very young (in pre-school at the time) and I don't remember much, so I can't rank it. My parents always had good things to say about it though, and I do remember crying on the plan on our way back to New York haha, so I'm pretty positive I enjoyed my time there haha.
1. New York (23 Years) - This is definitely my favorite place I've lived. It's one of the world's greatest cities, it's ever-changing, it's never boring, and it's a place where everyone can find a place to fit in. But most importantly, it's home to me. This is where I'm happiest.
2. Buenos Aires (1 Year) - The lifestyle in BA is just incredible. It's purely South American with a little bit of Paris, New York, and Barcelona thrown in for good measure. There is a lot of crime and corruption here and it's far more noticeable there than any other place I've lived in, but this city has amazing potential. With continual economic and infrastructural development (and a HUGE clean up of all the dog poop EVERYWHERE) and policy changes by the Argentine government, I think Buenos Aires could someday be widely recognized as one of the world's greatest cities.
3. Chicago (2.5 Years) - If I had to settle down for the rest of my life anywhere else but NY, I think it would be Chicago. There are places that I would consider to be better cities, but I found myself happier in Chicago than any place other than NY. It's Midwestern roots are often considered to be a bad thing by many, but I find it to be extremely appealing in that it's very easy to make close friendships and people are pretty genuine. The city is often known for its problems, but the good areas of Chicago are among the best neighborhoods this country has to offer. Also, despite popular belief, it's quite different from New York. Certainly different enough to make me feel like I'm in another large fantastic city when I'm there and not just a smaller version of New York.
4. San Francisco (2 years) - I think I'd perhaps consider SF to be a better city than Chicago, but I have to rank it below for me personally because I found life in Chicago to be less stressful and I found that the people I came in contact with were happier in Chicago. I think people forgot how stressful and fast paced SF can be despite it's casual reputation. That being said, it's probably my favorite place in the US to visit, as there is just so much to do in the region and it never gets old. I definitely miss the wine and all of the natural beauty. San Francisco is truly a city that anyone can fall in love with.
5. Los Angeles (3 Months) - LA is just awesome. It's hard to say why I like LA so much. There is just something about that city that makes you feel happy. I love LA, and anyone who says it's not a real city or it isn't world class has no idea what they are talking about.
6. Paris (1 Year) - The worlds best city. Paris IS what every city would kill to be. It is a very hard city to live in, however. I loved my time there, but Parisians in general seem to be less happy overall than people in all of the other places I've lived in. Parisians are wonderful though, and I don't find them to be rude and got to know some wonderful people. Paris is the definition of sophistication and for an Architect such as myself, Paris is the best architectural porn there is. The people are gorgeous, and no city in the world is as beautiful as Paris on a sunny day. I guess I ranked it so low because despite how magical it often seems, the quality of life isn't so amazing. As far as big European cities go, I would rather live in London, Barcelona, Madrid, Berlin, or Amsterdam.
7. Tunis, Tunisia (3 Months) - An extremely beautiful place with the most ridiculously nice and welcoming population I've ever encountered. I loved my summer internship there, but this country has a lot of problems and issues to overcome. It's a completely different place than the others, and it's kind of hard to compare. I would love to go back someday, though!
**Huntsville, Alabama (1 Year) - My dad's job brought our family here for a year, but I was very young (in pre-school at the time) and I don't remember much, so I can't rank it. My parents always had good things to say about it though, and I do remember crying on the plan on our way back to New York haha, so I'm pretty positive I enjoyed my time there haha. I haven't been there since, but from what I know, it seems like a nice town. I wish I could have gone back there for Space Camp!
The places I've liked the most are not necessarily the places where I've been happiest. So, here are the places I like the most (people, amenities, weather, etc.); my ranking of the places based on my personal happiness at the time would be a bit different:
1. Berkeley, CA (4 years)-- The SF Bay Area in general has great culture, nature, and other amenities, but Berkeley stands out for its dynamic, academic environment. Excellent bookstores, restaurants, etc. Close to SF.
2. Madrid, Spain (1 year)-- A great city; tons to do. Access to green space is there, but a bit limited. Great food and wine scene, excellent art and music, interesting neighborhoods, etc.
3. Providence, RI (2 months)-- Not sure if this counts: I lived here for a fellowship, but my primary residence was in Milwaukee. In any case, it's a marvellous city--love the East Side around Brown and RISD, the Italian neighborhood, etc. The East Side is very walkable and has a very good academic vibe. Close to Boston.
4. Palo Alto, CA (18 years)-- A very academic place with lots of amenities. Not as dynamic as the above cities: decidedly suburban and yuppie. Still, a good place to grow up, and not far from SF and other key spots.
5a. Columbus, OH (2 years)-- Has very vibrant, eclectic neighborhoods with a really good culture/arts scene. In spite of the presence of OSU, the academic culture is kind of weak. Very good place to be gay. Pretty good and growing culinary scene. Rough winters. Low cost of living.
5b. Milwaukee, WI (10 years)-- Kind of a tie with Columbus. Vibrant culture/arts scene, but I wish the academic culture were stronger. Very good and diverse food/restaurant scene, and interesting ethnic neighborhoods. Not far from Chicago. Rough winters, but good place for birding. Should have a more developed gay scene than what it has. Moderate cost of living.
6. Buffalo, NY (3 years)-- Very vibrant arts, theater, music, etc. (better than 5a and 5b). Academic scene is limited, but has some things that 5a and 5b don't have. Interesting ethnic legacy shows up in good food/restaurant scene, but some cuisines I like are missing or lacking. Decent amenities. Rough winters. Not too far from Toronto. Low cost of living.
7. Princeton, NJ (5 years)-- Cute and historic place that has changed a bit since I lived there. Used to be very WASPy w/ stodgy and boring stores and restaurants on the main avenues; now there's more diversity, including cafes, ethnic restaurants, etc. Still, a little too small and yuppie and suburban for my tastes. Great university, but the academic life on campus doesn't spill out so much into the town. Not far from NYC.
8. Birmingham, AL (2 years)-- Actually, I lived in a small college town (Montevallo) 45 minutes away; if I had actually lived in the city of Birmingham I might have a better appreciation for the area. Montevallo had little to do, almost no academic culture, no cuisine or arts that stand out. Birmingham and the southside burbs were not too far away, but the cultural offerings and other amenities were little more than adequate. Lots of nice green space and natural areas to explore, but the human culture was mostly either boring/downscale or corporate, mid/upscale. Too far from Atlanta. Good place for birding, though.
1. New York (23 Years) - This is definitely my favorite place I've lived. It's one of the world's greatest cities, it's ever-changing, it's never boring, and it's a place where everyone can find a place to fit in. But most importantly, it's home to me. This is where I'm happiest.
2. Buenos Aires (1 Year) - The lifestyle in BA is just incredible. It's purely South American with a little bit of Paris, New York, and Barcelona thrown in for good measure. There is a lot of crime and corruption here and it's far more noticeable there than any other place I've lived in, but this city has amazing potential. With continual economic and infrastructural development (and a HUGE clean up of all the dog poop EVERYWHERE) and policy changes by the Argentine government, I think Buenos Aires could someday be widely recognized as one of the world's greatest cities.
3. Chicago (2.5 Years) - There are places that I would consider to be better cities, but I found myself happier in Chicago than any place other than NY. It's Midwestern roots are often considered to be a bad thing by many, but I find it to be extremely appealing in that it's very easy to make close friendships and people are pretty genuine. The city is often known for its problems, but the good areas of Chicago are among the best neighborhoods this country has to offer. Despite popular belief, it's quite different from New York. Certainly different enough to make me feel like I'm in another large fantastic city when I'm there and not just a smaller version of New York.
4. San Francisco (2 years) - I think I'd perhaps consider SF to be a better city than Chicago, but I have to rank it below for me personally because I found life in Chicago to be less stressful and I found that the people I came in contact with were happier in Chicago. I think people forgot how stressful and fast paced SF can be despite it's casual reputation. That being said, it's probably my favorite place in the US to visit, as there is just so much to do in the region and it never gets old. I definitely miss the wine and all of the natural beauty. San Francisco is truly a city that anyone can fall in love with.
5. Los Angeles (3 Months) - LA is just awesome. It's hard to put in words why I like LA so much. I used to not be a fan, but after spending a couple months there, I found it to be a great city. There is just something about that city. I love LA, and anyone who says it's not a real city or that it isn't world class has no idea what they're talking about.
6. Paris (1 Year) - The world's best city. Paris IS what every city would kill to be. It is a very hard city to live in, however. I loved my time there, but Parisians in general seem to be less happy overall than people in all of the other places I've lived in. Parisians are wonderful though, and I don't find them to be rude and got to know some wonderful people. Paris is the definition of sophistication and for an Architect such as myself, Paris is the best architectural porn there is. The people are gorgeous, and no city in the world is as beautiful as Paris on a sunny day. I guess I ranked it so low because despite how magical it often seems, the quality of life isn't so amazing. As far as big European cities go, I would rather live in London, Barcelona, Madrid, Berlin, or Amsterdam.
7. Tunis, Tunisia (3 Months) - An extremely beautiful place with the most ridiculously nice and welcoming population I've ever encountered. I loved my summer internship there, but this country has a lot of problems and issues to overcome. It's a completely different place than the others, and it's kind of hard to compare. I would love to go back someday, though!
**Huntsville, Alabama (1 Year) - My dad's job brought our family here for a year, but I was very young (in pre-school at the time) and I don't remember much, so I can't rank it. My parents always had good things to say about it though, and I do remember crying on the plan on our way back to New York haha, so I'm pretty positive I enjoyed my time there haha.
Wow... Heck of a resume, pal. All you need is London and Tokyo and it will be virtually complete.
I found your observations mostly spot on. Regarding Buenos Aires: I went there again a few weeks ago and I firmly believe that, in terms of the urban experience it offers, it already should be recognized as one of the world's greatest cities. Tons of culture, amazing nightlife and restaurants, and great architecture and urban variety (Puerto Madero, Recoleta and Palermo Viejo are as different as 3 neighborhoods can be). It pretty much has everything that a great city should have. You are right it's not without problems. It is a little run down and there is indeed dog sh*t everywhere. But it has amazing bones and with just a little bit of effort could be even better. Personally, I would easily put it in my top 5 greatest cities right along (or just a small notch below) NY, London and Paris. I love Spanish cities as well, but even Madrid and Barcelona - as great as they are -- are much smaller and feel more limited.
1. Cape Town, South Africa. Has everything a city/suburbs should and then some!
2. Providence, RI. Where I grew up. Probably one of the best cities for it's size.
3. Atlanta, GA. Great city. Lots to do. Beautiful suburbs.
4. Charlotte, NC. Clean and Great for families. Friendliest people anywhere, IMO.
5. Johannesburg, South Africa. Did not care for the city itself, but suburbs and surrounding were outstanding!
5. Phoenix, AZ. Beautiful place. Best winter I ever spent in a place. But summer......well.
6. DFW. Just Ok. People not as freindly as reported (at least not in Mckinney)
7. Orlando. Was Ok, but pretty boring to me.
1.NYC - best city in da world. i'll be moving back
2.Philly - cool, edgy city. more than people think
3.Ottowa - cap city of Canada. i was a kid, but it was fun
4.Yonkers - close to NYC
1. San Diego, CA- Beach, mountains, and desert + the weather. Best Mexican food is here also.
2. Boise, Idaho- Great town with easy access to outdoors and 4 seasons.
3. Kalispell, MT- Very scenic area especially out of town. Cold winters.
4. San Jose, CA- South Bay Area with a lot to do in town and the surrounding areas + Tahoe's near.
5. Chicago, IL- Have not lived there, however one of the best cities I have ever been too.
1) Newport, RI
2) Storrs, CT
3) Wilmington, DE
4) Kennebunk, ME
5) Brunswick, ME
6) Fairfax, VA
7) O'Fallon, IL
8) Leonardtown, MD
9) San Marcos, TX
10) Austin, TX
5,456,123,567) Chandler, AZ (AKA, living hell, planet earth)
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