City-Data.com

[davismills]

I recently discovered City-Data.com Forum: Relocation, Moving, General and Local City Discussions and at first was very interested. Now, as I've delved deeper, I find some of the posts to be horribly depressing. Anybody else feel that way about this subject forum?

 

[REWahoo]

I've not spent much time there but I did note they have a "politics" forum with more than 8 million posts. Yep, "horribly depressing"...

 

[cbo111]

Aside from this remarkable forum, I have found most forums tend toward the negative. I think this is driven primarily by human nature. We don't tend to whine when things are ok, but love to tell the world when something is broke. This can really be seen in automotive forums.
Chuck

 

[haha]

I recently discovered City-Data.com Forum: Relocation, Moving, General and Local City Discussions and at first was very interested. Now, as I've delved deeper, I find some of the posts to be horribly depressing. Anybody else feel that way about this subject forum?

I would be interested to know what it is that you consider "horribly depressing"? Looking at Seattle posts on that forum I find it pretty accurate.

Of course if you wanted to find out that very nice close-in homes are $250k, it would likely be disappointing, though not really reason to get depressed.

This morning I came home about 6, well before dawn. Lots of joggers out, grocers stocking their shelves, people catching a bus, saying good morning, all kinds of nice uplifting action.

For more effective depression results read about Aleppo, where according to WSJ article, many are just hoping for death to release them from agony.

Ha

 

[FiveDriver]

The City-Data Universe is a good one -- but you have to have your BS Detector turned on when you visit that site. There are some wacky posters over there.

The recent Election in particular, seems to have put some of their citizens on the ledge. A thread was started the day after the Election, about how Trump was going to cut Social Security AND Medicare. The Thread quickly ballooned to 80 pages in no time flat.
Here, I'll summarize the last 79 pages........

"Yes, he will !!"
"No, he won't !!"

There are some good retirement related discussions over there. But you have to filter.

 

[easysurfer]

I did poke around a bit at other sites the other day. City-Data.com wasn't one of them. Looks interesting but may be a bit overwhelming.

I felt a bit like Godilocks. On one site, most of the posters there probably are only thinking about ER and not really ER'd. On another, seems like they were already well retired for a long time.

That said, I'll probably use this is my primary ER site and visit others now and then to see how the other world lives now and then .

 

[easysurfer]

I've not spent much time there but I did note they have a "politics" forum with more than 8 million posts. Yep, "horribly depressing"...

Recently, I've been avoiding (the most I can) any political coverage both online on on TV. You'd be amazed how much time that saves. The morning news that I DVR, skipping past political news, local news and commercials cuts down a two hour program to about 40 minutes total .

 

[travelover]

I'm planning a move from the Rust Belt to the PNW and I've found City Data to be invaluable. Like here, there are lots of people that freely give information and advice. I have not frequented the general forums, such as politics.

 

[RunningBum]

I'm planning a move from the Rust Belt to the PNW and I've found City Data to be invaluable. Like here, there are lots of people that freely give information and advice. I have not frequented the general forums, such as politics.

That's how I view it too. I'm not planning a move, but I do wonder what it'd be like to live in certain areas, and I like reading about them. I haven't wandered into any of the other areas either.

 

[travelover]

That's how I view it too. I'm not planning a move, but I do wonder what it'd be like to live in certain areas, and I like reading about them. I haven't wandered into any of the other areas either.

Some info is hard to find even on the internet and communicating with actual residents really helps.

 

[ABQ2015]

CD is representative of the entire population so it is going to be depressing at times. In the Retirement forum, there are a number of people who lost their jobs in the recession and were never able to recover, who are disabled and very low income retirees, etc. so there are some sad stories. Those who are knowledgeable and/or successful often provide advice or at least listen. I enjoy the discussions as I like to hear from a variety of socioeconomic levels and perspectives but agree that you have to filter. For those who are interested in more detailed financial retirement planning, they are often referred to this ER forum.

I enjoy the State/City forums and have learned a lot about the state where I plan to relocate after retirement. I stay away from Politics, Work and Employment, and Rental. The latter two are usually millennials who hate their jobs or who are close to being evicted. There are also forums where people who seem to have personality or mental problems (e.g., ASD), particularly young people, air their troubles and these can be disturbing. Some of the more mature adults try to offer constructive criticism and advice – you get the impression that their parents are fed up with them or just don't have the time to deal with them. Hopefully, CD makes them feel less isolated.

 

[Calico]

Recently, I've been avoiding [-](the most I can) any[/-] all political coverage both online on on TV. You'd be amazed how much time and sanity that saves. The morning news that I DVR, skipping past political news, local news and commercials cuts down a two hour program to about 40 minutes total .

FIFY

 

[bUU]

I would be interested to know what it is that you consider "horribly depressing"? Looking at Seattle posts on that forum I find it pretty accurate.

That's the issue, though isn't it? The more reflective of the broader reality something is, the more likely it will contain something that you don't like, as compared to a more moderated and controlled environment, consistent with your preferences and proclivities, where things outside certain boundaries are prohibited, despite their relative prevalence in reality.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

CD is much like Reddit. There *can* be some very useful information, but you have to wade though a bunch of BS and it can be difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff. I used to post on there quite a bit (city specific, not the "sub-forums") but it got to be too much. As others have mentioned, kind of like the "newz" of today. Mostly useless to me. My hours in the day are short, so I try and make them count.

 

[CDRE]

Great site! I have also used Best Places to Live | Compare cost of living, crime, cities, schools and more. Sperling's BestPlaces

 

[Amethyst]

I agree with others that city-data forum tends toward the negative. I think it is because people only tend to post when they have something to complain about; why bother posting when all's well?

The Pets forum is fun, though. I like to read the cat threads.

Amethyst

I recently discovered City-Data.com Forum: Relocation, Moving, General and Local City Discussions and at first was very interested. Now, as I've delved deeper, I find some of the posts to be horribly depressing. Anybody else feel that way about this subject forum?

 

[imoldernu]

I agree with others that city-data forum tends toward the negative. I think it is because people only tend to post when they have something to complain about; why bother posting when all's well?

The Pets forum is fun, though. I like to read the cat threads.

Amethyst

I think we've gotten off on the wrong track here. The OP directs to the "FORUM" ... totally different from the value to be taken from the City Data that is the basis for the website. Yeah.. I agree that the forum can lead to other more controversial subjects, but a trip to the basic CITY SEARCH will be rewarding.
Here's the link to the main page... not to the forum.

City-Data.com - Stats about all US cities - real estate, relocation info, crime, house prices, cost of living, races, home value estimator, recent sales, income, photos, schools, maps, weather, neighborhoods, and more

You can put in your zip code to find info on your own town. As far as I can see, nothing political or off-putting in the statistics. Be prepared to find out stuff you didn't know.

 

[Amethyst]

I've thoroughly read the threads pertaining to where I have lived for a long time, and places I've visited extensively. I repeat my observation that city-data posts tend overwhelmingly to be negative. Except yours, imoldernu

I think we've gotten off on the wrong track here. The OP directs to the "FORUM" ... totally different from the value to be taken from the City Data that is the basis for the website. Yeah.. I agree that the forum can lead to other more controversial subjects, but a trip to the basic CITY SEARCH will be rewarding.
Here's the link to the main page... not to the forum.

City-Data.com - Stats about all US cities - real estate, relocation info, crime, house prices, cost of living, races, home value estimator, recent sales, income, photos, schools, maps, weather, neighborhoods, and more

You can put in your zip code to find info on your own town. As far as I can see, nothing political or off-putting in the statistics. Be prepared to find out stuff you didn't know.

 

[Midpack]

City-Data is a useful source of information, among several others like Sperlings, WalkScores, AreaVibes, Neighborhood Scout, Find Your Spot, etc. And I have gotten a lot of good info on the CD forums too except the Politics forum, that's the 12th circle of hell that Dante didn't know about - 95% divisive willfully ignorant partisan bickering. I wish I could find a civilized political forum since it's understandably not allowed here. I think it could be civilized here, but I well understand why the Mods don't want to open that can or worms.

 

[W2R]

One thing I love about City-Data, is that it is so huge. There are forums on every possible topic. It seems like each forum has its own culture and atmosphere. Some of the forums I wouldn't touch with a 10 foot pole. Midpack, that includes the Politics forum for me, as well - - it is pretty contentious. I don't know of a Politics forum to recommend to you, although there are many. Maybe someone else could PM a link to you if they know of an especially good one. The exercise forum can become surprisingly argumentative as well so I avoid it too. Various other City-Data forums are fun and have "regulars" that one gets to know after a while.

As for the info on my zip code, well I guess it is more or less correct. Most of the info is on things I don't really care about very much. But it is there. I am interested in things like median income, median age, and median home price, and IIRC they have that sort of info too.

When we drive around here in my suburb, mostly we see gray heads, canes, and walkers. That's fine with me, because I am almost 69 years old and not a kid either. But according to City-Data the median age is just 41.6 in my suburb, so information like that helps me to perceive my town in ways I wouldn't, otherwise. Probably the younger folks are at work so I just don't see them.

 

[Midpack]

When we drive around here in my suburb, mostly we see gray heads, canes, and walkers. That's fine with me, because I am almost 69 years old and not a kid either. But according to City-Data the median age is just 41.6 in my suburb, so information like that helps me to perceive my town in ways I wouldn't, otherwise. Probably the younger folks are at work so I just don't see them.

When we lived in central FL, we were introduced to the term "the blue hairs" to describe the oversized elderly segment of the population. Been using it ever since, except when I look in the mirror.

 

[bUU]

One thing I love about City-Data, is that it is so huge. There are forums on every possible topic. It seems like each forum has its own culture and atmosphere.

What I find even more remarkable is that there are forums like Cruise Critic which are both seemingly and in reality quite a bit more limited in scope than City-Data, yet the different forums each have their own culture and atmosphere. Even between the Carnival forum and the Holland America forum - forums about two brands of the same cruise line corporation - are markedly different one from the other in terms of culture and atmosphere. The "science" of forum culture and atmosphere must boast an abundance of PhD theses, there is so much there to work with!!

 

[imoldernu]

I've thoroughly read the threads pertaining to where I have lived for a long time, and places I've visited extensively. I repeat my observation that city-data posts tend overwhelmingly to be negative. Except yours, imoldernu

Ya meant here on ER, or there? Did you find me out? Just checked a "hit count" on one of my blogs in city data, and the total is more than 28K. (not political or negative).
(sigh) even anonymous usernames don't work any more.

 

[Amethyst]

On city-data. Your writing style is inimitable, and you always post highly positive things about life in retirement communities, and about the old days.

It's funny because to me, you are not that old at barely 80.

Amethyst

Ya meant here on ER, or there? Did you find me out? Just checked a "hit count" on one of my blogs in city data, and the total is more than 28K. (not political or negative).
(sigh) even anonymous usernames don't work any more.

 

[mh]

When we lived in central FL, we were introduced to the term "the blue hairs" to describe the oversized elderly segment of the population. Been using it ever since, except when I look in the mirror.

On a similar note , I just heard the term "Bingo Wings" the other day.