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- No super-bad neighborhoods, there are a few areas where I'd watch my back at night but nowhere I wouldn't go during the day
- Gorgeous natural scenery and lots of nature within reach. I thought I would care less about this the longer I lived here but I actually value it more now
- There's actually an effort to keep building housing to stem the rent increases, which is more than most trendy expensive cities can say
- Interesting people who I can have a real conversation with are abundant, I don't have to really seek them out like I have in other places
- Bus system is really good by American city standards, especially in the suburbs
Cons
- Homogeneous feel in the cityscape: not much variation in (white) ethnicities, architecture, age of housing stock, spacing of houses, street plan, etc. from one residential neighborhood to the next, the biggest difference is basically "sidewalks vs. no sidewalks". Although there are a few wealthy neighborhoods (Queen Anne, Denny-Blaine/Madrona) that do feel different from the rest of the city
- Not a strong local culture or identity due to being a more recently settled region with a lot of transplants
- Not super great access to other cities --- I know a lot of people on C-D think that's a dumb criterion, but I genuinely wish I had more major cities in a few hours' drive than Portland and Spokane
- No serious light rail system (yet), and Sounder is too anemic to be a viable option for people without cars to get to other parts of the metro
- No super-bad neighborhoods, there are a few areas where I'd watch my back at night but nowhere I wouldn't go during the day
- Gorgeous natural scenery and lots of nature within reach. I thought I would care less about this the longer I lived here but I actually value it more now
- There's actually an effort to keep building housing to stem the rent increases, which is more than most trendy expensive cities can say
- Interesting people who I can have a real conversation with are abundant, I don't have to really seek them out like I have in other places
- Bus system is really good by American city standards, especially in the suburbs
Cons
- Homogeneous feel in the cityscape: not much variation in (white) ethnicities, architecture, age of housing stock, spacing of houses, street plan, etc. from one residential neighborhood to the next, the biggest difference is basically "sidewalks vs. no sidewalks". Although there are a few wealthy neighborhoods (Queen Anne, Denny-Blaine/Madrona) that do feel different from the rest of the city
- Not a strong local culture or identity due to being a more recently settled region with a lot of transplants
- Not super great access to other cities --- I know a lot of people on C-D think that's a dumb criterion, but I genuinely wish I had more major cities in a few hours' drive than Portland and Spokane
- No serious light rail system (yet), and Sounder is too anemic to be a viable option for people without cars to get to other parts of the metro
Not at all dumb in my opinion. I think the same way. Places that are close to other places for travel and day trips is a big criteria for me.
Pros: Relatively affordable, 4 seasons, urban to rural/outdoor amenity options within minutes, landscape(Hills, valleys, Lakes, waterfalls, etc.), has legitimate black, white, Asian, Hispanic and Native American communities with diversity within each, sporting event options(D1 and high & lower level minor league), yearly festival options, underrated Arts community and good food options.
Cons: certain areas of the city need more investment and in turn the issues that come with that, winter can hang on a little bit too long, people can be a bit pessimistic and some tax rate issues.
Tyler’s coming up fast. The last decade has seen a pretty strong explosion of new restaurants, retail, and entertainment options. Having a UT campus here helps the city feel young even though Tyler has kind of a retirement Mecca reputation, the Cowan Center at UT Tyler attracts great acts too. Three hospitals in or around town. It’s a manageable size, so nothing is really ever that far away. There are some very pretty neighborhoods with price tags higher than you might think for a small-midsize city. Also located close enough to both Dallas and Shreveport for easy weekend getaways. Also a fairly decent park system.
PROS-mountains somewhat neaby
-national parks somewhat nearby
-short cummutes due to city layout
CONS-wind, like all day everyday
-decent homes are high for some reason, and they
sell fast.
-most jobs here are low skill and low pay
-theft and burglary are above average
-you will only fit in if you are extreme hard right
Huntsville, Alabama
Very high education levels of workers in the rocket, missile and armaments business.
Ultra low cost of living, including ridiculously cheap property taxes
Space Museum, great museums and gardens and new minor league baseball park/team. Close proximity to other large cities including Atlanta and Nashville--happening places.
Lack of rural road construction is all I don't like.
Investment in the infrastructure out in the county would be preferred.
Pros:
- Very strong local culture with high levels of education and a work-to-live attitude
- One of the nation's best music scenes, good nightlife in general
- Very mild winters, generally a lot of a beautiful days dispersed throughout the year
- Quite scenic with a nice combination of rolling hills, thick vegetation, and a very sleek, modern skyline
- Extremely progressive local population in a conservative-run state creates an interesting political balance. Combined with education levels I feel like there is less group-think and more free thought than in other places in the US
- Great water activities (Lake Travis, Lady Bird Lake, Barton Springs, Barton Creek Greenbelt, nearby San Marcos and Guadalupe Rivers).
- Continuous growth keeps things interesting
Cons:
- The centrally located neighborhoods are quite expensive, and the cheaper areas of the city would require that I subject myself to a car commute that I have zero interest in.
- Centrally located neighborhoods with good schools are even more expensive
- Between heat, bugs, and lack of public land in Texas, non-water outdoor activity options are middling.
- Summer is very long, and often annoyingly hot even in the morning and evenings.
- Limited cultural offerings outside of music
- Very few neighborhoods that I would consider walkable (bike-able is more common, though).
- Not much worth driving too, and the airport is average.
- While the economy is quite strong, I'd have more opportunity if I relocated to the Bay Area, CA.
- Continuous growth leads to a lot of nostalgia about the way things used to be
I live in Vermont, in Milton, within commuting distance of Burlington. My thoughts:
Pros:
-Gorgeous scenery; mountains meet lakes meet verdant green fields and forests
-Clean environment, with a local culture that supports keeping things that way
-City has extremely lax zoning and regulation
-Drug problems not bad for a rural area
-Access to decent paying jobs, albeit not a lot of choice for highly specialized people
-Very friendly and welcoming people
-30 minutes from anything I could want or need
-Local culture and regulatory environment that's favorable to small business
-Tons of hiking, hunting, fishing, swimming, sailing, skiing, basically any outdoor activity you could desire
-If you're into gardening, vegetables grow like weeds here
-People tend to be socially liberal, fiscally conservative, and mind their own business - a combination I like
-Beautiful mild summers
-Extremely low crime
-Decent schools
Cons:
-Middle of the road cost of living, high for a rural area
-Taxes are above average
-Little ethnic diversity outside of downtown Burlington, though it's a short drive from where I live to lots of good ethnic restaurants and groceries
-Housing shortage keeps choice low and prices high
-Winters can be very harsh for some, but good for people who like winter sports
-2-3 hours (Montreal or Boston) to an inexpensive international airport
Like and dislikes of the biggest city in America named Stillwater:
The city and university put a lot of emphasis on music, which I like a lot. Donors gave millions for Oklahoma State University to build the state of the art McKnight Center for the Performing Acts. It seats 1100. In October, for the black tie gala grand opening affair, it managed to attract the New York Symphony Orchestra. It performed Beethoven's 3rd. Later the New Orleans Preservation Hall Jazz Band saw fit to come play. To start the 2020-21 season opener, another member of the nation's top 5 will perform, the Philadelphia Orchestra. It will do Beethoven's 9th. Touring Broadway musicals, such as South Pacific, STOMP, and Chicago the Musical are scheduled.
For more to like, Stillwater music heritage includes where Garth Brooks got his start at Willies Saloon during the early 1980s. The bar is still open with not much changed. Around 2000, Stillwater High School students started the popular pop rock band, All American Rejects. Red Dirt Music largely originated in Stillwater. It's been described as country rock with attitude.
Stillwater has a great jazz band to like. Just before the virus shutdown, it gave a great performance with highly talented KFOR-TV meteorologist Emily Sutton as guest singer performing "Over the Rainbow" in video below.
There are things to do if one wants to keep up with what is going on, such as watching college sports and other events. There are several nice parks to like, such as Boomer Lake Park. It can be walked around on a 3.3 mile trail.
For dislikes, the city lacks good paying jobs. It needs to do a better job of attracting industry. At least the state has facility for new business ideas to get started. It also lacks good shopping and dining. The famous Eskimo Joe's doesn't quite cut it. Wal-Mart has been too successful here from having two super centers and a neighborhood market. But to get away from those problems, Oklahoma City and Tulsa are just an hour's drive away. Access to Dallas-Ft. Worth, via America Eagle jet from Stillwater Regional Airport is little more than an hour away.
The scenery and weather isn't much to like. However, visitors coming off I-35 on the way to the city have remarked how the scenery rather suddenly changed from being nearly treeless, ruler flat to trees carpeting scattered small ridges, the famous Cross Timbers of central Oklahoma. There can be tornadoes, but one hasn't rolled through town since 1990. Not too bad of a place to live in Oklahoma, if one can't do Oklahoma by living in the Oklahoma City or Tulsa metros.
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