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I usually interpret this as referring to big cities that have a lot of activities, but are undesirable for living because of e.g. COL, crime rates, noise, traffic, or bad schools.
But I need to live in a big city with a lot of activities, so I can tolerate those things. Suburbs and small towns are the places I might be interested in visiting but would never live in.
A physically and geographically beautiful state, surrounded by ocean, palm trees and sunny weather (except for summer where thunderstorms and long overcast days are common.) that attract many tourists and snowbirds. It’s easy to think, due to the state’s heavily marketing focus on tourism, that life is likely a paradis there since who doesn’t like sun, beach and hanging out in the tiki bars?!
I lived there one year, in a very nice area where it’s safe, with fresh air and spanking new subdivision. But the 1st day we moved in, we saw a huge Trump rally in downtown Sarasota; driving on 75 we saw a massive, massive Confederate Flag hanging up in the air for all to see near Tampa; you can’t go out much in the month of March because of the flocks of Springbreakers; you can’t really go to the beach on any given holiday because of the traffic as everyone and their grandma are also going to the beach; for a supposed to be very vacation-minded, “paradise”-selling, “relaxing” state some people walking around with a chip on their shoulder. The conversation subject often came up “are you from the North?” “People from the North” that felt very insular and almost hostile. For people often referred Fl as “purple”, (see above Trump rally & Confederate flag.) it’s bringing such a bad taste in my mouth when I popped in to the Fl subforum to see some long time posters smugly bragged they “owning the libs” like it’s a badge of honor.
I don’t look down on someone or dislike the person because he/she has a different political inclination from mine. There are plenty kind, decent honest Republicans but the DeSantis worshipping, MAGA-shouting, Trump-loving angry racist bunch I unfortunately saw with the one year I lived on the West Coast of Fl made me not to live there, despite how beautiful the state is.
Speaking of beaches, I don’t even think FL beaches are all that spectacular. (Sarasota beaches are very overrated in my opinion. Nokomis and Anna Maria Island are better.) However when you only have beaches and sunny weather to offer, it’s not somewhere I would ever want to live again. Vacation a few days in and out yes, since the state sells itself as a very hedonistic pleasure-seeking type, it’s not somewhere to take seriously with.
Last edited by achtung baby; 06-23-2022 at 10:36 AM..
I think this is spot on. Adding to it, high taxes, bad schools, limited shopping/dining, etc could be more reasons you wouldn’t want to live somewhere that’s otherwise good to visit.
For me, a few places that might be good to visit but not live at would include:
Key West, FL
Portsmouth, NH
Jackson, WY
New Orleans
Savannah, GA
St. Augustine, FL
Breckinridge, CO
Vail, CO
I've felt a certain amount of family pressure to move back to L.A. but we always respond 'visit yes, live there no'. Why? The natural environment is beautiful, the weather tough to beat and there's stuff to do and experience. But if you want to live anywhere there to actually take full advantage of those things, it's just way too expensive. All the folks I know who still are there have bought or are buying in Riverside county or somewhere like that. And these are well-paid professionals.
On top of that you got the crazy politics, the homeless crisis etc.
Breckenridge CO is the textbook example. There's moments when it's great and there's so much going on, but during these moments it's also expensive and crowded. Then there's the between season where the town really dies down - kind of a nice relief from the crowds but it suddenly shows that Breckenridge really is just only small town US without the influx.
There's people from all over to meet, but the people you meet rarely stick around to develop friendships instead of acquaintances. Food for the price is mediocre as none of the establishments depend on locals. The ski area terrain draws people, but otherwise the geography isn't exactly ideal, at 9500 feet the winters are pretty darn long, it's a pain to drive in and out of if there's weather, and there's a lot of mining tailings and crap that was never cleaned up.
Breckenridge pretends to be a town, but other resorts like Copper have a more streamlined focus where the resort is basically all there is, probably a more logical setup. The big money goes to better living geography, Steamboat, Vail / Beaver Creek, Aspen / Carbondale etc and these areas kind of become elite enclaves that price out most of us.
Lots of good answers already. For different places there are different reasons. And the general answer is just that there are different criteria for going somewhere for several days versus a place you need to make a living year round.
The economy is a huge one. To live you need good jobs in your field and lots of tourist places don't have that.
Crime is another huge one. I can deal with potential crime for a short visit where I remain vigilant, but don't want to live in that environment and especially don't want my family in it.
Other reasons may be bad schools. Not important for a trip, very important for living.
Weather may be perfect at times, but awful at others. I love Chicago in the summer, would not want to live there in the winter.
Breckenridge CO is the textbook example. There's moments when it's great and there's so much going on, but during these moments it's also expensive and crowded. Then there's the between season where the town really dies down - kind of a nice relief from the crowds but it suddenly shows that Breckenridge really is just only small town US without the influx.
There's people from all over to meet, but the people you meet rarely stick around to develop friendships instead of acquaintances. Food for the price is mediocre as none of the establishments depend on locals. The ski area terrain draws people, but otherwise the geography isn't exactly ideal, at 9500 feet the winters are pretty darn long, it's a pain to drive in and out of if there's weather, and there's a lot of mining tailings and crap that was never cleaned up.
Breckenridge pretends to be a town, but other resorts like Copper have a more streamlined focus where the resort is basically all there is, probably a more logical setup. The big money goes to better living geography, Steamboat, Vail / Beaver Creek, Aspen / Carbondale etc and these areas kind of become elite enclaves that price out most of us.
I think this goes for most Colorado mountain/ski towns. They weren't designed for locals but tourists.
Most of the housing is for BNB's or secondary/vacation homes. There is a serious issue with affordable housing for locals/workers.
I have sort of a hierarchy of things when I travel. They are all subjective and probably different for everyone. More or less ranked by importance...
Is it too crowded (-) or can you find some peace and quiet (+)?
Is it too congested with traffic gridlock (-) or can you get around easily (+)?
Is it too expensive (-) or is it reasonably priced for necessary expenses (+)?
Are the people/residents crabby and cold (-) or warm and friendly (+)?
Is there nothing to do that I like (-) or are there attractions or experiences I like (+)?
Is the culture bland and nondescript (-) or is there a vibrant and interesting culture (+)?
Is the city located in a boring or dumpy spot (-) or in a pleasant or interesting setting (+)?
Is the climate too extreme (-) or is it a pleasant four-season climate (+)?
I can tolerate 4 or 5 negatives on a short-term basis as a trip or vacation. I would need to have most of the positives checked if I was going to live somewhere.
I like to visit California, Florida, Chicago, Kansas City, OKC, and New Orleans but would not live there. I could probably live in coastal North Carolina, maybe western slope Colorado, maybe Pacific NW, maybe some mid-sized cities un the upper south and desert southwest. I chose to live in high desert New Mexico, a place that checks most of the positive boxes for me. It would not for someone else.
I grew up in Miami. This is how I feel about Miami... Fun city to vacation but didn't like living there.
The majority of the city is catered to either tourists or just relatively narrow interests. It caters to a flashy superficial lifestyle that I never cared for.
When you're visiting, soaking up the rays and beach it doesn't matter as much. After 18 years of that vibe... I had enough.
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