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Does anyone find this and similar sites to have too much information, causing chronic indecision about where to live? Mapping sites with street level imagery are also culprits. Lots of places look decent in photos but you know they'll seem different in person.
The Internet makes it easy to get mired in data that educates yet confuses. Years ago, choices seemed simpler and it was easier to take a chance without considering opinions from strangers of unknown demeanor. With Realtor pitches and travel books it was much harder to learn about the negatives of a place which personal experiences concentrate online.
This post is directed at people who sought a major change of scenery, hundreds of miles from where they lived (for many years) and have always found moving to be a hassle. Ignore the money aspect for this context. People who move constantly and aren't fazed by it will say "just do it!" but that's a different breed. Being a long haul trucker or a hippie selling stuff from a motorhome is not an option, though I share some traits with that "Easy Rider" character who said "all cities are alike."
If you've got minimal baggage & obligations, but hate moving long distance and had to do it anyhow, how did you cut through the pros & cons of different cities? One of my bigger criteria is a place with relatively clean air (trying to escape Sacramento CA) but I'm not looking for any specific city, just a psychological angle on choosing one.
We a in the middle of the information age, we have so much info, yet will scour the we looking for someone with the same exact situation and see what their results are/were. I have fallen victim to this when recently looking for tires/wheel for my truck But I digress.
I hate to redirect to another site, but i found Moderator cut: link removed, competitor site
back in grad school. The questions take a little bit of time to answer but it provide you with options to help narrow a search.
Lucky I have always kinda known what I was looking for when I changed locations. The Moderator cut: link removed, competitor site
site just helps you narrow down based on what is important to you.
Does anyone find this and similar sites to have too much information, causing chronic indecision about where to live? Mapping sites with street level imagery are also culprits. Lots of places look decent in photos but you know they'll seem different in person.
The Internet makes it easy to get mired in data that educates yet confuses. Years ago, choices seemed simpler and it was easier to take a chance without considering opinions from strangers of unknown demeanor. With Realtor pitches and travel books it was much harder to learn about the negatives of a place which personal experiences concentrate online.
This post is directed at people who sought a major change of scenery, hundreds of miles from where they lived (for many years) and have always found moving to be a hassle. Ignore the money aspect for this context. People who move constantly and aren't fazed by it will say "just do it!" but that's a different breed. Being a long haul trucker or a hippie selling stuff from a motorhome is not an option, though I share some traits with that "Easy Rider" character who said "all cities are alike."
If you've got minimal baggage & obligations, but hate moving long distance and had to do it anyhow, how did you cut through the pros & cons of different cities? One of my bigger criteria is a place with relatively clean air (trying to escape Sacramento CA) but I'm not looking for any specific city, just a psychological angle on choosing one.
Once I threw a dart at the map hanging on the wall and moved to Wilmington, North Carolina because that is where the dart landed. Other times I just picked a couple spots and whoever rented me the house or apartment first is where I went.
Location: northern Vermont - previously NM, WA, & MA
10,749 posts, read 23,822,981 times
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Traveling often and recognizing my own personal chemistry with certain places have pretty much determined where I've ended up. My intuition has always been on the mark and I trust it more than bloggers and marketing fluff.
Even with tons of left-brain research, you can mess up. I've heard of people saying they had the same results if they researched a lot versus not a lot. Is visiting and researching the same as living there? I've moved to 2 places I did not end up liking at all and 1 that I loved.
I already knew where I wanted to live long before I came to C-D. Nothing I've seen or read has changed my mind about that. But rather, it has only confirmed.
However, I like to travel a lot and it's interesting and informative to read many of the posts about different places on here.
I pity people who move based off of advice from the city data forum.
Why not make decisions based on your own personal experiences and desires rather than browsing an online forum for data and/or the opinions of strangers? I wouldn't even consider doing such a thing! I mean it's fun to waste time on these sites, but there are better options for making life-altering decisions.
Why not make decisions based on your own personal experiences and desires rather than browsing an online forum for data and/or the opinions of strangers? I wouldn't even consider doing such a thing! I mean it's fun to waste time on these sites, but there are better options for making life-altering decisions.
I think what makes it tough is that people may not be able to separate between the real and fake in terms of people offering information, an opinion or a post based on emotion, either way. At least give people something to "run with", if they are going to ask questions.
Once I threw a dart at the map hanging on the wall and moved to Wilmington, North Carolina because that is where the dart landed. Other times I just picked a couple spots and whoever rented me the house or apartment first is where I went.
What's funny is I actually believe you did the dart thing.
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I have fallen victim to this when recently looking for tires/wheel for my truck 
Why not make decisions based on your own personal experiences and desires rather than browsing an online forum for data and/or the opinions of strangers? I wouldn't even consider doing such a thing! I mean it's fun to waste time on these sites, but there are better options for making life-altering decisions.
