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I just want people out there who share the same feelings I had to get the advice sooner rather than later like I did. After reading your posts and replies and many others, I had to sit back and realize that there are pros and cons to every city; whether if those cities get relentless national media hype or if they're constantly trashed by the national media. There's rich people, mid-class people and poor people in every city, and there are cool people and a-holes in every city. That lower COL can be a treasure for some people while it can be seen as a turnoff for some people. High COL may be paradise for some people while it may be Hell for others. I just learned that I have to balance about Cleveland, and realize that you can judge a city by movie/TV, social media, politics or the news; you have to find out for yourself.
Very true.
You know, I really like many Ohio cities, and in fact, I think Ohio is underrated and often unfairly stereotyped. I don't personally care for the winters, which I find generally long and wet and cold, but even negatives like the opioid issue often don't have a lot of impact on a person living their own life and working, playing, etc within a group of friends and coworkers.
It's that way everywhere - you can usually find your niche and enjoy life, even though it's natural to like some places better than others. I speak from experience, having moved about 38 times, and lived in at least 11 states and 3 countries (sort of lost count and too lazy to recount - LOL).
Some places are nicer than others. If you feel the town you live in does not measure up and it bothers you then your advice is worth following.....move.
Telling people to feel good aboutliving in delapadated cities like Detroit, Saint Louis, or Cleveland will not improve their lives or make the places look good to them. It is what it is, decades of history and economics have determined America’s winners and losers. If one does not wish to put up with living in a place like that then they do not have too.
Some places are nicer than others. If you feel the town you live in does not measure up and it bothers you then your advice is worth following.....move. Telling people to feel good aboutliving in delapadated cities like Detroit, Saint Louis, or Cleveland will not improve their lives or make the places look good to them. It is what it is, decades of history and economics have determined America’s winners and losers. If one does not wish to put up with living in a place like that then they do not have too.
No one defends the declined areas of their cities. Sunbelt cities have thief least desired ones that saw better days.
But these cities .... even Detroit tat fell the furthest in the future. Lots of potential to restore and many cities have well-built older housing stock to revive. Maybe some sunbelt cities just rip thru thief older poorly built earlier housing when anything went. But the North has much solid as when built.
There is a Northern cities gentrifying in their core outward and into the desired older housing neighborhoods that they desire. Many offer great looks in architecture and they update them to current standards in remodels that preserve exteriors. Well-built and more urban is their reasons too.
Sprawl will increasingly prove more costly. Doesn't mean not desirable. But they have their own set of growing pains and lack of planning to better transit options built sooner to contend with.
Its really stereotypical to boast the Southern cities look great vs the Northern ones just bad. Suburban Detroit looks great too. Downtown much improvement. There is a reason Chinese investors but properties by downtown seeing future profits from them.
Time will tell how well the North and Rust-belt .... recovers in its cities especially. But many still look great or at least plenty of areas that do and neighborhoods.
I'm always impressed in my visits to Chicago and how well its neighborhoods 100+ year old housing-stock .... looks great still. But yes hodos can have still great housing never built as poor areas. That hopefully survive till they too get revived.
One can see vast areas of inner-loop Houston. Where most of the older bungalows and ranch-homes. Are just seen as throwaway for new developments. Less so up North unless too far gone to save.
You clearly should know .... much of Michigan is very vibrant and beautiful and Appalachia clearly has much beauty too. But also its share lot of declined areas. Including by me in PA. Even Memphis had great declines. But it too will and is coming back.
I'd tell people to stop worrying so much about what other places are like or what people say on the internet. In addition, I'd strongly advise people not to buy the hype about trendy cities or areas. In reality, all places have their issues that might even be deal breakers for many people. There's no perfect place.
You know, I really like many Ohio cities, and in fact, I think Ohio is underrated and often unfairly stereotyped. I don't personally care for the winters, which I find generally long and wet and cold, but even negatives like the opioid issue often don't have a lot of impact on a person living their own life and working, playing, etc within a group of friends and coworkers.
It's that way everywhere - you can usually find your niche and enjoy life, even though it's natural to like some places better than others. I speak from experience, having moved about 38 times, and lived in at least 11 states and 3 countries (sort of lost count and too lazy to recount - LOL).
Yeah, it seems like Ohio is America's whipping boy and straight MAGA country which is far from the truth. Northern Ohio is Democrat while Southern Ohio is Republican. That's like me saying the Coasts is straight up Hillaryville or Liberaltown. As far as the winter thing, you're spoiled I get it lol.
Big city life doesn't appeal to lots of people though, so the COL isn't worth it to them.
For instance, I live an hour and a half from Dallas and three hours or so from Austin. Occasionally we go to these metro areas, but I am ALWAYS ALWAYS glad to get back home to a smaller metro area, and always, always grateful that I don't have to live in a big metro area.
My husband and I are world travelers and regularly visit London, Berlin, Vienna, Brussels, etc. We are very familiar with the whole "big city" thing - and frankly, we consider them interesting places to visit but we wouldn't want to live there.
A couple of years ago we went to Boston for the first (and last) time. We were there for several days, and enjoyed some of the ambiance, but we had a MUCH better time once we left that metro area and headed for the coastal villages of Maine, which we loved every minute we were there.
Both of us have traveled extensively for work and pleasure over our lifetimes. We know what we like and what we don't like. I hope you don't assume that people who choose to live outside of big metro, high COL areas just don't know what they're missing. Frankly, my husband's income would allow us to live anywhere - literally anywhere - in the world as long as we had easy access to an international airport. We've actually visited all sorts of areas with an open mind of "Should we live here?" and scoped out real estate, amenities, vibe, etc. and we just keep coming back to our smaller metro area in NE Texas. We just love it here.
The COL IS lower here than in some other areas, but that's not the deciding factor for us. Like I said, we could afford a lot of different situations and areas and even countries. But you know what - we can also afford a spacious, comfortable home in a beautiful neighborhood outside "the rat race" - with plenty of money to travel and visit anywhere we like. In fact, we're in the process of planning a vacation later this year to Berlin. But we LIKE working in our yard, being able to drive anywhere we like rather than relying on public transportation, having plenty of space, being able to just open the back door and let our two big dogs outside into the spacious back yard, maybe opening the back of the SUV for them to jump into, and taking a road trip somewhere, biking around the neighborhood and stopping to talk with neighbors as they work in their yards or just sit on their porches, or as they're walking or biking or skateboarding around the neighborhood themselves, etc. We enjoy eating out throughout the week, at great, locally owned restaurants with a "farm to table" mindset, we go to concerts regularly (both locally and in Dallas), and our two youngest sons live in Austin so we get a taste of that life whenever we want it. We could move there - but we don't want to. We don't want to deal with the traffic and the COL - in any big metro area. None of them is worth what we'd have to give up, frankly.
But I'm glad other people enjoy living in these metro areas. I really am. It's nice to have options, isn't it?
If you don't love where you live, change your life. But remember, you always take yourself with you no matter where you live. Happiness comes from inside, not outside, yourself. So does confidence. Live where you love to live and enjoy the life you choose, and you don't owe anyone else an explanation or excuse - that's my advice to the OP. If you find yourself perpetually unhappy no matter where you are, the problem lies inside your own psyche. Fix that.
Yes of course but lots of people don't care - the COL and the weather or whatever (fill in the blank) means they don't want to live there. So there's that.
Yes of course but lots of people don't care - the COL and the weather or whatever (fill in the blank) means they don't want to live there. So there's that.
Well places like NYC & LI are some of the most populated areas in the country ... cold isn’t for everyone & that’s fine but a ton of ppl live here still despite the high cost of living because of things like the schools (LI is among top in nation) & the NYC job market.
Well places like NYC & LI are some of the most populated areas in the country ... cold isn’t for everyone & that’s fine but a ton of ppl live here still despite the high cost of living because of things like the schools (LI is among top in nation) & the NYC job market.
Yes, so what?
I realize that there are lots of people who like it there. There are also lots of people who don't. Both are fine. It's not superior intellectually to like or dislike a big city like NYC - or it's suburbs.
My point was that lots of INFORMED people, people who can choose to live anywhere they like, choose not to live in big metro areas - not because they are uninformed peasants or whatever, but because they are not willing to pay a higher COL for elements that they don't care about anyway, or that they can incorporate into their lives without living in the midst of a very high COL metro area.
Milwaukee is awesome I have been told we are Chicago's little brother or sister but I tell you what...they can pound sand. Milwaukee is better.
So what's better having an inferior complex or my blank don't stink complex?
Of course it's that Milwaukee's blank don't stink...stuff it Chicago.
So you see, just choose to see it the other way. So have Gary Pride, have Cleveland Pride, have East St.Louis Pride have Camden Pride have Cairo, IL pride.
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