What would your parents have said about the place you were raised?
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Both of my parents are born and raised Phoenicians. My dad’s family were some of the first residents of Sunnyslope/Dreamy Draw area of Phoenix (16th street and Northern next to SR 51 freeway is now) and when my dad was a teen moved to the Scottsdale Ranch neighborhood of… Scottsdale, before the 101 was built. My mom grew up in Mesa pretty close to DT Mesa.
When I was very young not long after I was born (around Y2K) my parents were considering a long distance move for my dad’s career. They looked at Portland, OR; San Diego, CA; and Atlanta, GA. Atlanta I know was popping in the 90s, and they heavily considered moving to Gwinnett County and my dad’s office would’ve been near Sandy Springs. Portland must’ve been extremely different for it to even run across my parents’ minds, my mom hates the cold and doesn’t like the rain too much and my dad hates liberals so I think they would’ve regretted that move. My parents love San Diego, but I think the job paid too little given that California is well, California. They ultimately chose none of the cities because they wanted to raise my brother and I close to the rest of our family.
My dad has said and still says that Arizona was perfect, it just needed a beach. He says that one of the US’ biggest mistakes was letting Mexico keep Baja California after the war and that Arizona shouldve gotten access to the Gulf of California. I have no doubt that if history turned out that way, I would’ve grown up in Puerto Penasco (Rocky Point). Especially since because of my great-grandma’s health needing warm weather and Miami didn’t work out for them in the 40s since the humidity made it worse.
My dad regrets not taking that job opportunity in San Diego, and I think my parents regret not moving somewhere coastal sooner in life. They waited until I graduated college to move and then my dad not too long after got a chronic illness which makes it difficult for him to go to the beach now.
If you asked them if they regret raising me and my brother in Phoenix they’d say no because we were building a relationship with our extended family. However if you asked them if they regret staying there as long as they did I think the answer would be yes. I think my parents would’ve been happier if they moved my brother and I just after the Great Recession when we were older and then could travel back to Arizona to see the extended family on the holidays.
Location: Miami (prev. NY, Atlanta, SF, OC and San Diego)
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My parents grew up in Brooklyn and The Bronx and moved to Long Island after they got married.
They were very happy with their decision—bought a house with big yard in a safe, suburban middle/upper middle class neighborhood with a great school system, nice town park with community pool along with other multiple county run parks, choice of in town summer day camps, in town country club, in town hospital, 15 minutes from the beach, within 20 minutes of 2 shopping malls, 20 minutes from the Nassau Coliseum (NHL Islander dynasty years, ABA basketball, concerts), 40 minute commute by train to Manhattan (where my dad worked). Mom’s brother ended up one town over, her dad 2 towns away.
Last edited by elchevere; 03-12-2023 at 06:11 PM..
My parents grew up in Brooklyn and The Bronx and moved to Long Island after they got married.
They were very happy with their decision—bought a house with big yard in a safe, suburban middle/upper middle class neighborhood with a great school system, nice town park with community pool along with other multiple county run parks, choice of in town summer day camps, in town country club, in town hospital, 15 minutes from the beach, within 20 minutes of 2 shopping malls, 20 minutes from the Nassau Coliseum (NHL Islander dynasty years, ABA basketball, concerts), 40 minute commute by train to Manhattan (where my dad worked). Mom’s brother ended up one town over, her dad 2 towns away.
I live on Long Island as well. Great place to raise a family.
My parents are both from the Chicago area, but moved to Central Florida and that's where they raised me and my siblings.
They moved for the weather and the beach. They both hate cold weather and snow. My mom loves being able to walk on the beach early in the morning while watching the sunrise. My Dad left a very good and stable job in Chicago and came to Florida with only one (very loose) business connection.
My parents have only ever had good things to say about living in Florida. They did have some financial difficulties at times and would talk about moving back to Illinois, but that would have always been out of financial necessity and not by choice.
I inherited their taste in climate and am very glad that they raised me in Florida. Back then, our little beach town (Ormond Beach) was pretty small and was a good place to be a kid. It's grown a lot since then, and all of my siblings have moved away - though none too terribly far.
It’s interesting how many are from the Chicago area. I grew up in Wisconsin a hour from Chicago. It was a town of 70k and my dad loved it and it’s where they both were born. My mom was more adventurous and would have moved across the country. Being born in 1920 both are gone.
My parents immigrated to the US in 1969 and 1970---they settled in the Bay Area and worked their fingers to the bone to make a great life for their kids, now decades later even their grandchildren and greatgrandchildren are beneficiaries of their work---story of America.
It’s interesting how many are from the Chicago area. I grew up in Wisconsin a hour from Chicago. It was a town of 70k and my dad loved it and it’s where they both were born. My mom was more adventurous and would have moved across the country. Being born in 1920 both are gone.
I found that interesting too -- so many responses mentioning the Chicago area. I'm enjoying seeing some love for that area of the country. On these forums in general I see the coast mentioned way more often.
My brother and I were raised in the UP of Michigan back in the 40's-50's. A small town around 1800 residents, 4 churches, 5 bars, 3 grocery stores, 3 gas stations. Plenty of jobs either in the mining or forestry industries. Nice school. Never liked it and told my parents that I was leaving after high school to find a better place to get a job other than the options available there. My Dad encouraged us to do what we wanted. My Mother said "you'll be back, there's no place better than this town." Well, both my brother and I left and although he went back when he retired I never did. Today the town is down to about 200 people, 1 church, 1 bar, no stores 1 gas station and no jobs. The school has been torn down and kids are bused to another town 12 miles away. There are abandoned houses throughout the town. So I guess I'll say my Dad was right and my Mother wrong. I've never missed it.
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On these forums in general I see the coast mentioned way more often.
