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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. Paris, France - (4 months) You can so quickly and easily fall in love with the Parisian lifestyle. The culture, food, mass size of the city and its amenities are overwhelming. Its urban perfection.
2. Vienna, Austria - (4 months) What an accessible, stunningly beautiful, and important city. Filled with gems, it was always big enough of a city, and small enough of a city, whenever you needed it to feel that way. Loved the beer culture.
3. Cleveland, Ohio - (6 years) The amount of spirit in the people who live there was inspiring, and I found the maligned factories and chic lofts oddly comforting and familiar. The vibe of the city is always there if you listen, and it has more character and determination than you can believe. There is an incredible amount of energy and momentum there right now, and I will make my life there some day.
4. San Francisco, CA - (4 months) Always an exciting place to visit, this city is very much in tune with itself. While I know I am being pretty picky, the fully grid streets and prevalence of painted moldings are not my favored aesthetic. The freedom and acceptance that the city preaches is quickly silenced by the rampant gentrification and cost of living.
5. Cincinnati, Ohio - (6 years) Hard to believe I have been here this long, the area is starting to wear me out. It has an interesting history, and some nice momentum right now. I am rooting for it, but the southern culture which has infiltrated the suburbs does the city great disservice. The least "cosmopolitan" feel, a little small and isolated, the city hasn't quite found its identity in the south or the midwest.
1) New York (six years): What can I say? Greatest city on earth, imo. Go back every year. Don't know if I'll ever live there again, but I'll always cherish the time I spent there.
2) Pacifica, CA (five years and counting): I really think it's the most beautiful suburb of SF, as far as the natural setting. The other coastal cities are flatter. Rolling hills, beautiful trails for dog walking, biking, etc. Ok, when it's foggy you can't see anything, lol. Anyway, love it.
3) San Francisco (four years): Amazing, unique, beautiful. An American icon. However, we could only afford a one bedroom apt. so we moved.
4) Grand Blanc, MI (14 years): Happy childhood/teen years. All American small town.
5) Flint, MI (6 years): OK, so has a horrible reputation. But happy, healthy early childhood years, so i didn't notice the bad stuff. We lived down the street from a great park and our whole extended family was nearby. What's not to love?
6) Wheaton, IL (5 years): College days. Great time, but only because Chicago was an awesome place to go dancing and party. Hated this conservative, boring suburb.
DFW (3 years): Don't remember living there, so can't rank it. But based on visiting every single year, I would put it somewhere in the middle. Obviously a huge area with lots to offer.
1. Paris, France - (4 months) You can so quickly and easily fall in love with the Parisian lifestyle. The culture, food, mass size of the city and its amenities are overwhelming. Its urban perfection.
2. Vienna, Austria - (4 months) What an accessible, stunningly beautiful, and important city. Filled with gems, it was always big enough of a city, and small enough of a city, whenever you needed it to feel that way. Loved the beer culture.
3. Cleveland, Ohio - (6 years) The amount of spirit in the people who live there was inspiring, and I found the maligned factories and chic lofts oddly comforting and familiar. The vibe of the city is always there if you listen, and it has more character and determination than you can believe. There is an incredible amount of energy and momentum there right now, and I will make my life there some day.
4. San Francisco, CA - (4 months) Always an exciting place to visit, this city is very much in tune with itself. While I know I am being pretty picky, the fully grid streets and prevalence of painted moldings are not my favored aesthetic. The freedom and acceptance that the city preaches is quickly silenced by the rampant gentrification and cost of living.
5. Cincinnati, Ohio - (6 years) Hard to believe I have been here this long, the area is starting to wear me out. It has an interesting history, and some nice momentum right now. I am rooting for it, but the southern culture which has infiltrated the suburbs does the city great disservice. The least "cosmopolitan" feel, a little small and isolated, the city hasn't quite found its identity in the south or the midwest.
Very very cool descriptions of all the cities you've live in. I find your observations of Cincinnati particularly interesting-never thought of it quite like that. But having been there several times, it makes sense.
1. NYC: Still my favorite city I have lived. Spent my Undergrad years there and it was a great experience. The ultimate urban experience and a place I believe everyone should spend at least a year in if possible.
2. Istanbul: Spent a year here for work and loved every moment of it. Beautiful, vibrant city with an incredible nightlife and culinary scene. Not sure if I could live there long term, but loved the Turkish people and culture.
3. Boston: Currently live in Cambridge, MA and view it as the perfect place to raise my family. Great secular and cultural opportunities. Also an incredible collection of architecture and interesting people.
4. Kingston, JA: Where I am from originally and will always view as home. Plan on returning one day in the future full time if the opportunity to help my country presents itself. Many social and economic issues, but as I said it is home and I will always love it.
5. Miami: South Florida was the first place my family emigrated to in the US (spent time in Canada first) and I was extremely happy to land in a place that reminded me of Jamaica more than anywhere else in N. America. Great beaches, nightlife and cuisine. Very vibrant and interesting city.
6. Toronto: As mentioned above the first place we emigrated to from Jamaica. My first experience as a child was not favorable as I found it devoid of opportunities for my parents and it forced us to take a step back in our lives. I eventually returned later in life to attend UofT for my MBA and enjoyed my experience alot more at that time. Overall though, it is a diverse and somewhat interesting city, but more view it as a decent place to visit rather than live.
7. Orlando: My least favorite city I have lived. Not much of an identity and still trying to "find itself" as a city. I do see progress recently, but would never live here again. Do enjoy it for a visit though.
TBD: Beirut: Currently starting a project in Beirut for work and will be spending a significant amount of time over the next couple years. So far, it would make it to the top of my list, based on beauty and vibrancy alone. Still much to explore though, so it is impossible to rank.
1. Greenville, SC - A gem of a town that is finally starting to get some props in the national media. Just the right size, not too big and not too small. Beautiful scenery with the mountains nearby. Happening downtown area. A near-perfect blend of all 4 seasons weather-wise.
2. Columbia, SC - Underrated college/capital town. Nice laid-back, unpretentious attitude and atmosphere, close to the mountains and some of the best beaches in America. Slightly warmer than Greenville in the summer, but still overall good climate.
3. Houston, TX - Underrated large city. I like the "can-do" spirit that permeates here, you can actually afford to live well here and enjoy all the sophistication of a world-class city at the same time (fine dining, museums, world's largest medical center is here, etc.).
4. Austin, TX - Cool town, which everybody knows, but it's starting to feel overcrowded (Austin's roads were not designed to handle 1.3 million people) and, to me anyway, the "cool, hip" feel is starting to feel just a bit fake and pretentious.
5. Minneapolis, MN - Lived here as a young kid, I remember the people being very friendly and the weather being absolutely horrible.
6. Atlanta, GA - Overgrown, worse traffic than Houston even, the city's leaders and its populace seem preoccupied with self-promotion.
1. Greenville, SC - A gem of a town that is finally starting to get some props in the national media. Just the right size, not too big and not too small. Beautiful scenery with the mountains nearby. Happening downtown area. A near-perfect blend of all 4 seasons weather-wise.
2. Columbia, SC - Underrated college/capital town. Nice laid-back, unpretentious attitude and atmosphere, close to the mountains and some of the best beaches in America. Slightly warmer than Greenville in the summer, but still overall good climate.
3. Houston, TX - Underrated large city. I like the "can-do" spirit that permeates here, you can actually afford to live well here and enjoy all the sophistication of a world-class city at the same time (fine dining, museums, world's largest medical center is here, etc.).
4. Austin, TX - Cool town, which everybody knows, but it's starting to feel overcrowded (Austin's roads were not designed to handle 1.3 million people) and, to me anyway, the "cool, hip" feel is starting to feel just a bit fake and pretentious.
5. Minneapolis, MN - Lived here as a young kid, I remember the people being very friendly and the weather being absolutely horrible.
6. Atlanta, GA - Overgrown, worse traffic than Houston even, the city's leaders and its populace seem preoccupied with self-promotion.
I am in agreement in the cities on your list where I've also lived. Especially the TX cities.... true on Houston and also what Ginghis said in it getting an undeserved bad rap. I'm from Austin, still like it but am annoyed with the Austintude which ironically seems to come more from non-natives, it's getting crowded and paved over, and I think it gets way more credit than it deserves by the media and others.
Never been to Greenville SC, but your description of it sounds very appealing. What are the industries there, where did most people work (kinds of jobs) in your experience?
I am in agreement in the cities on your list where I've also lived. Especially the TX cities.... true on Houston and also what Ginghis said in it getting an undeserved bad rap. I'm from Austin, still like it but am annoyed with the Austintude which ironically seems to come more from non-natives, it's getting crowded and paved over, and I think it gets way more credit than it deserves by the media and others.
Never been to Greenville SC, but your description of it sounds very appealing. What are the industries there, where did most people work (kinds of jobs) in your experience?
Greenville still has a pretty big manufacturing base, BMW has a large facility there along with the requisite suppliers. It's also becoming more of a financial hub, as TD Bank just established their Southeastern headquarters there.
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