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Where do you live -- and are you: Very Happy, Mostly Happy, Mostly Unhappy, Very Unhappy, or 'Half and Half'? If you want to offer any explanation for your answer, please do so -- but please remember that these are all nothing but opinions, and that what one person finds to be a definite plus, someone else might consider that to be a definite minus.
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Where to begin. NO!! Bakersfield is a hole.
Cons: About 75% of the city is very run down and ghetto looking though where we live is actually quite nice and upper middle class. Big time gang problems. Lots and lots and lots of homeless people everywhere, not just downtown or in the bad areas. Terrible air pollution, some of the worst in the entire country which doesn't do much for my daughters asthma. Massive PG&E utility bill. High fuel costs. Extremely high income tax and sales tax. Super hot summers. Terrible schools K-12. You basically get all the drawbacks of living in CA with none of the benefits. At least San Diego/Carlsbad/Escondido is beautiful and has great weather.
Pros: Mild winters. Only a couple of hours from some nice beaches and an hour from the Sequoias. Also, the Sierras really are beautiful and I plan on doing a Mt. Whitney (the highest mountain in the lower 48 states) hike before we leave.
We live in Ashland, Oregon and are mostly happy. It's a nice town with decent amenities and nearby Medford has very good medical facilities and doctors.
My wish is to be closer to the ocean. On a map, it looks like we are but the drive through the Siskiyou Mountains makes it an almost three-hour drive, so it's not really a day trip.
Other than my beach complaints, Ashland is very nice if you like small-town life (which we do) and has a lovely downtown area; here for the duration.
Ashland/Medford is a gem IMO. All the beauty of the northwest without all the rain that Eugene and Portland get. I challenge anyone to find a more beautiful spot on our country then the Rogue River Valley in the summer time.
I am very happy happy with living in the city! IMO, Philly is one of the few desirable cities the US has to offer, along with NYC, Boston, DC, Chicago, and San Francisco. With the notable exception of Chicago, unlike the other cities listed, I can (and did) actually afford to buy a nice house in a desirable neighborhood while enjoying all of the similar urban amenities the other cities have to offer.
Pros: The lush greenery of the Northwest (the section of the city I live in), the level of walkability throughout the city, the fact that I live here without needing to own a car, the passion of our sports fans and our teams, our food scene, the fact that the Jersey Shore and the Poconos aren't that far away, the historic architecture, our skyline, our accent, and the fact that we're a city of neighborhoods that each have their own unique identities, among many other things.
Cons: Contrary to what's typically expected, crime isn't my #1 con; rather, it's the level of complacency that we harbor as a region. There seems to be a dearth of bold, innovative projects and ideas that would change the city for the better. Look no further than the fact that we only have two subway lines in a city as dense as ours. After regional complacency, horrible drivers, NIMBYism, the prioritization of cars over people and urban spaces, poor international connectivity at PHL (relative to EWR/JFK and IAD), and crime are my other cons.
4 seasons but rarely any extreme weather.
Tourist town so tons of things to do: Busch Gardens, Water Country, Colonial Williamsburg. Plenty of local, State and National parks. Most people are much friendlier here than when we lived in Northern VA. Lower cost of living. Tons of free concerts in the summer. Multiple beaches within an 1 1/2 hours or less. Because of the tourists there are way more restaurants than you would expect of a small town.
The only real negative is also the tourists - on Fridays and weekends if you don't have reservations, there can be long waits at some the popular restaurants.
I am very, very happy here in NE Texas, in Smith County and Tyler, TX. It's too hot for too long, but it sure beats being too cold for too long in my opinion.
But I can be very happy just about anywhere so there's that. I've lived in this area though for half my life and I really like it.
Location: Huntersville/Charlotte, NC and Washington, DC
26,699 posts, read 41,742,544 times
Reputation: 41381
Quote:
Originally Posted by katharsis
I don't put much stock in "Best places to --" polls because different people have different ideas as far as what is a good place to live. So, this post is just to get an idea of how people who actually live in a place feel/think about that place.
So, for anyone who wants to chime in --
Where do you live -- and are you: Very Happy, Mostly Happy, Mostly Unhappy, Very Unhappy, or 'Half and Half'? If you want to offer any explanation for your answer, please do so -- but please remember that these are all nothing but opinions, and that what one person finds to be a definite plus, someone else might consider that to be a definite minus.
I will start:
Door County, Wisconsin -- Very Happy
Beautiful scenery, four seasons climate, many walking trails, mostly affluent rural community, and clean (virtually no trash or graffiti)
Next?
Charlotte, North Carolina
Overall happy here. Great make to make gig economy money. Charming neighborhoods. Decent amount of big city amenities but not much big-city hassle.
Negatives: airport is more expensive to fly out of than other regional options. Housing available has not kept up with demand.
I am very happy happy with living in the city! IMO, Philly is one of the few desirable cities the US has to offer, along with NYC, Boston, DC, Chicago, and San Francisco. With the notable exception of Chicago, unlike the other cities listed, I can (and did) actually afford to buy a nice house in a desirable neighborhood while enjoying all of the similar urban amenities the other cities have to offer.
Pros: The lush greenery of the Northwest (the section of the city I live in), the level of walkability throughout the city, the fact that I live here without needing to own a car, the passion of our sports fans and our teams, our food scene, the fact that the Jersey Shore and the Poconos aren't that far away, the historic architecture, our skyline, our accent, and the fact that we're a city of neighborhoods that each have their own unique identities, among many other things.
Cons: Contrary to what's typically expected, crime isn't my #1 con; rather, it's the level of complacency that we harbor as a region. There seems to be a dearth of bold, innovative projects and ideas that would change the city for the better. Look no further than the fact that we only have two subway lines in a city as dense as ours. After regional complacency, horrible drivers, NIMBYism, the prioritization of cars over people and urban spaces, poor international connectivity at PHL (relative to EWR/JFK and IAD), and crime are my other cons.
Thanks for the breakdown of Philadelphia. I love that city and it is on my short list.
I basically enjoy living here, because I view myself as a city person. I've never been tainted by living in the suburbs.
Chicago is one of a handful of US cities which afford its residents a true urban lifestyle. You can live, work, shop, dine, and take advantage of urban amenities and rarely have to leave the city limits.
Due to the transit system, you can function on a daily basis in Chicago and not need a car. This resonates with me, as I especially dislike to drive. It's a relief not to be tethered to a vehicle.
So, I'm willing to deal with the negatives of living in Chicago, because in my case, I find that the positives outweigh the negatives in choosing to live here.
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