What do you like/love about where you live?

Likes:
Anywhere we go is under 15 minutes.
Our city is a regional medical hub, so we can always find good medical services.
Taxes and housing are inexpensive.
Our friends and family are nearby.
We enjoy our college sports very much.
All four seasons.
Super friendly people.

Dislikes:
Sandstorms in the spring.
Tornado threats occasionally.
No beautiful scenery in our city.
Major airports are at least 5 hours away.
Very conservative to a fault. Rarely hear other opinions.
 
Likes:
Our closet neighbor is about a mile away.
Beautiful scenery if you like agriculture and rolling hills.
Four seasons.
Great outdoor sports. (Fishing and Hunting)
Great Neighbors.
Quiet.
Did I mention great neighbors.
Great wildlife, all year around.

Dislikes:
Our closet neighbor is about a mile away.
Tornados occasionally.
Taxes are expensive.
Anywhere we go is at least 25 minutes.
Airports are 2-3 hours away.
Decent shopping is 100 miles away.
 
CaliKid said:
Curious why? Because it keeps prices down? Because you don't like people? Trying to understand the logic.
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I am guessing because anytime there are more people there is more traffic, more crime, the stores get busier, the trails get busier, the boat landings are packed, pretty soon the schools are to small, then more law enforcement is required then we need a jail. The list goes on and on. If you have never lived a small rural area it’s probably not something that you have experienced. I have never seen the benefits of growth.
 
427Vette said:
I am guessing because anytime there are more people there is more traffic, more crime, the stores get busier, the trails get busier, the boat landings are packed, pretty soon the schools are to small, then more law enforcement is required then we need a jail. The list goes on and on. If you have never lived a small rural area it’s probably not something that you have experienced. I have never seen the benefits of growth.
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That's why you want to move to an area that's been full for a long, long time. My town started in 1639. The newest house on my street was built in 1914, and there's really no room for more residential development anywhere in town, so our population has been steady for at least the 36 years we've lived here. If there is to be new commercial development in town, such as along the Post Road, our main commercial corridor, they need to tear down the existing structure and then build anew, which is what happens regularly.
 
Gumby but the risk you take is lower income people coming in and changing the dynamics of your area. Not talking about good hard working people but the other side of that. I've seen that happen and it's not pretty as it causes lots of the problems 427 spoke about.
Hope your area doesn't have that problem.
 
folivier said:
Gumby but the risk you take is lower income people coming in and changing the dynamics of your area. Not talking about good hard working people but the other side of that. I've seen that happen and it's not pretty as it causes lots of the problems 427 spoke about.
Hope your area doesn't have that problem.
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I understand that risk, but I think it unlikely in my town in my lifetime. https://www.ctinsider.com/living/article/milford-ct-best-upper-middle-class-retirement-21037555.php
 
Gumby said:
That's why you want to move to an area that's been full for a long, long time.
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The county I live in is slowly shrinking for many reasons. Population is down by about 17% since we bought our farm 25 years ago. The cost of land is sky high and it’s getting harder to find and afford farm ground or ranches to purchase. Most land has been in their family for decades. Farmers / ranchers are having to own more land, purchase larger equipment, less help to try and continue to make a living. Many of the kids are moving off the farm to the city for a variety of reasons. We both have similar outcomes but for very different reasons. The reason we stay here after retiring is the quality of life, and we have almost no crime. I don't think we could ever live in a city again.
 
West Virginia gets a lot of bad press but we like it here, at least the part we're living in. Granted there are parts we definitely would not want to live in, but that's true of almost every state in the country. The main reason we moved from the Washington, D.C. area was traffic, and it is so nice to not have to plan our daily lives around traffic. The other main issue was easy access to family and for some it was even easier than where we used to live even though they live in MD.

Other benefits are (relatively) affordable housing and COL. Other than housing things in general are a little bit cheaper than the D.C. area but not nearly enough to justify a move.
 
In Northern California, in particular the SF Bay area I believe the weather is the best in the world. The only thing close is Nice/Monaco Gold Coast Mediterranean climate. The climate here is absolutely stunning if you can deal with 1.5 seasons, that is 1/2 fall, 1/2 spring, 1/4 summer, 1/4 winter. The only downside is earthquakes and high California taxes.
 
We immigrated to the US 35 years ago, and when choosing where to settle, we focused on three basic factors:
  • Good weather
  • Affordability
  • A major city with IT job opportunities
That left us with three options: Los Angeles, Dallas, and Atlanta.
LA was too expensive, and Atlanta had better weather, so that’s where we chose to live.
And if you ask me now, 35 years later, Atlanta still wins.

We don’t spend much time in the city itself; we actually haven’t been downtown in over 20 years. Everything we do is in the northern suburbs. Over time, we discovered even more advantages:
  • Strong healthcare system with a good doctor-to-patient ratio
  • Minimal natural disasters, and if you want to live on the coast, Georgia’s is rarely hit compared to Florida, South Carolina, or North Carolina
  • Relatively manageable trafficfor a major metro area (certainly better than LA, Chicago, DC, New York, Houston, and even many parts of Florida now)
    • We revisited Florida a couple of years ago after 20 years before: Tampa and Sarasota traffic was worse than ATL; Miami is another level entirely. The heat is brutal, and there are plenty of natural disasters.
  • Access to nature, great mountains, the Chattahoochee River, hiking, and lots of outdoor sports
    • People ride bikes, and play tennis, golf, and even football almost year-round
While downtown Atlanta doesn’t appeal to us, the northern suburbs do: low crime, good schools, and a very livable environment.
Atlanta’s airport is one of the best and easiest major hubs in the country, with global flight access.
And if you’re into college sports, it's a cult. I personally prefer watching the best in the world in the NBA and NFL.
If you like shopping, it's amazing. Do you want competition? You got plenty. There are 3 Toyota dealerships within 20 minutes. Of course there are many Walmarts, Home Depots, and many restaurants. The population is diverse too. The northern suburbs are the "Silicon Valley" of GA.
The one thing that bothers me is this: why do people who moved here from New York or California want to change our city into something that feels just like the places they left? There was a reason they came here in the first place.
 
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FD1000 said:
We immigrated to the US 35 years ago, and when choosing where to settle, we focused on three basic factors:
  • Good weather
  • Affordability
  • A major city with IT job opportunities
That left us with three options: Los Angeles, Dallas, and Atlanta.
LA was too expensive, and Atlanta had better weather, so that’s where we chose to live.
And if you ask me now, 35 years later, Atlanta still wins.

We don’t spend much time in the city itself; we actually haven’t been downtown in over 20 years. Everything we do is in the northern suburbs. Over time, we discovered even more advantages:
  • Strong healthcare system with a good doctor-to-patient ratio
  • Minimal natural disasters, and if you want to live on the coast, Georgia’s is rarely hit compared to Florida, South Carolina, or North Carolina
  • Relatively manageable trafficfor a major metro area (certainly better than LA, Chicago, DC, New York, Houston, and even many parts of Florida now)
    • We revisited Florida a couple of years ago after 20 years before: Tampa and Sarasota traffic was worse than ATL; Miami is another level entirely. The heat is brutal, and there are plenty of natural disasters.
  • Access to nature, great mountains, the Chattahoochee River, hiking, and lots of outdoor sports
    • People ride bikes, and play tennis, golf, and even football almost year-round
While downtown Atlanta doesn’t appeal to us, the northern suburbs do: low crime, good schools, and a very livable environment.
Atlanta’s airport is one of the best and easiest major hubs in the country, with global flight access.
And if you’re into college sports, it's a cult. I personally prefer watching the best in the world in the NBA and NFL.
If you like shopping, it's amazing. Do you want competition? You got plenty. There are 3 Toyota dealerships within 20 minutes. Of course there are many Walmarts, Home Depots, and many restaurants. The population is diverse too. The northern suburbs are the "Silicon Valley" of GA.
The one thing that bothers me is this: why do people who moved here from New York or California want to change our city into something that feels just like the places they left? There was a reason they came here in the first place.
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The only thing that bothers me about Atlanta is the humidity in the summer. Otherwise is is quite a friendly place in my experience.
 
Route246 said:
The only thing that bothers me about Atlanta is the humidity in the summer. Otherwise is is quite a friendly place in my experience.
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When I drive through Atlanta on the way to NC, I dread I-85 North...really a punishing highway. And don't tell me about the big loop around the city that is totally under construction all the time. :facepalm:
 
Route246 said:
The only thing that bothers me about Atlanta is the humidity in the summer. Otherwise is is quite a friendly place in my experience.
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Well, I’ll take heat over cold any day. Snow is never welcome, unless I’m skiing.
And plenty of times in the summer, we get a quick rain that cools everything down.

aja8888: When I drive through Atlanta on the way to NC, I dread I-85 North...really a punishing highway. And don't tell me about the big loop around the city that is totally under construction all the time
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Big cities all have their problems. Try driving on any major highway that cuts through a downtown area in a metro of 6–7 million people and see how long it takes. I’ve driven through downtown many times on my way to and from the airport, starting from my home outside the perimeter. That 40-mile stretch can take anywhere from 40 to 75 minutes during rush hour. I don’t know ANY cities that come close to that consistency.
For comparison, when we were on vacation in Florida, we stayed in Sarasota—population around 800K—for a couple of nights near I-75. It took me 45 minutes at 10 AM, 1 PM, and 3 PM to drive just 10 miles from I-75 to Longboat Shopping Center.
Everything is relative.
While Atlanta is a large metro area, many subdivions, including ours are very quiet and green. Within a 10-minute drive we have all the major stores, tons of restaurants, supermarkets, and more than 10 car dealerships. Within 10–20 minutes, there are three hospitals.
The Chattahoochee River, with plenty of hikes and water sports, is just 1-2 miles from my house.
And unless we’re going on vacation, we almost never use I-75 or I-85. We pretty much stick to 400 for everything.
We also have 13 tennis courts, 4 pickleball courts, 3 pools, a bike lane, and an amazing man-made lake. It's about a 2.5-mile walk/hike paved/natural. All that for just $870 per year for HOA.
See the lake below. The big trees are typical of GA.

1764825041666.png
 
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FD1000 said:
While downtown Atlanta doesn’t appeal to us, the northern suburbs do: low crime, good schools, and a very livable environment.
Atlanta’s airport is one of the best and easiest major hubs in the country, with global flight access.
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That's because the northern suburbs are not Atlanta. The northern suburbs are a great place to raise kids, but that's about it, in my opinion. The Atlanta Braves' stadium is outside of what should geographically be Atlanta. I can't say what it was like 35 years ago because I lived in California then, but Atlanta freeway traffic today is often worse than Los Angeles. I can see not liking Los Angeles, but did you not check out San Diego for tech opportunities? Best weather in the US. Atlanta gets very hot and humid in the summer (and thunderstorms ruin most evening opportunities outdoors) yet it is not near a waterway or the ocean that could provide recreation, and gets cold in the winter yet does not receive snow that could make for fun winter sports. The airport is Atlanta's best amenity. But if you live north of the perimeter (that's our ring road, people), it could take you an hour or more to get to the airport. That's too far for me. You say the mountains and the river are nearby, but Atlanta really isn't near anything--it's the middle of what was once nowhere. The river is shallow, not navigable, and while scenic and nice for a walk in the spots that have been made into parks, is not central to the city's identity or turned into extensive bike paths and riverside promenades like in other major cities with rivers. Atlanta is 5 hours from the coast, and 2-3 hours from the Appalachians. It's where it is not due to a major waterway or port or geographical feature like other cities, but due to the fluke of a 19th century railroad placing a dot on a map where they needed a junction in the middle of forest. I know you know this--I'm just venting. I plan to move on to someplace more fun as soon as DW joins me in retirement.
 
street said:
Low population and the outdoors. Low crime if any, people help people, people here are all family. The weather has four season and love each and every one. We don't have all the disasters like the south, west and east US have.
I couldn't imagine living any place else.
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A few days ago I went to the ranch for the day. In a round trip of 40 combined miles seen one pickup. The drive is beautiful and good county road and the scenery is beautiful. I drive about 35 to 40 MPH with no stress or traffic. I could not live where you have traffic congestion and traffic lights.
 
Walt34 said:
West Virginia gets a lot of bad press but we like it here, at least the part we're living in. Granted there are parts we definitely would not want to live in, but that's true of almost every state in the country. The main reason we moved from the Washington, D.C. area was traffic, and it is so nice to not have to plan our daily lives around traffic. The other main issue was easy access to family and for some it was even easier than where we used to live even though they live in MD.

Other benefits are (relatively) affordable housing and COL. Other than housing things in general are a little bit cheaper than the D.C. area but not nearly enough to justify a move.
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Probably the parts where you don't want to live are also the spectacular ones. We really enjoyed WV on our cross country drive.
 
Lorenzo said:
That's because the northern suburbs are not Atlanta. The northern suburbs are a great place to raise kids, but that's about it, in my opinion. The Atlanta Braves' stadium is outside of what should geographically be Atlanta. I can't say what it was like 35 years ago because I lived in California then, but Atlanta freeway traffic today is often worse than Los Angeles. I can see not liking Los Angeles, but did you not check out San Diego for tech opportunities? Best weather in the US. Atlanta gets very hot and humid in the summer (and thunderstorms ruin most evening opportunities outdoors) yet it is not near a waterway or the ocean that could provide recreation, and gets cold in the winter yet does not receive snow that could make for fun winter sports. The airport is Atlanta's best amenity. But if you live north of the perimeter (that's our ring road, people), it could take you an hour or more to get to the airport. That's too far for me. You say the mountains and the river are nearby, but Atlanta really isn't near anything--it's the middle of what was once nowhere. The river is shallow, not navigable, and while scenic and nice for a walk in the spots that have been made into parks, is not central to the city's identity or turned into extensive bike paths and riverside promenades like in other major cities with rivers. Atlanta is 5 hours from the coast, and 2-3 hours from the Appalachians. It's where it is not due to a major waterway or port or geographical feature like other cities, but due to the fluke of a 19th century railroad placing a dot on a map where they needed a junction in the middle of forest. I know you know this--I'm just venting. I plan to move on to someplace more fun as soon as DW joins me in retirement.
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It’s funny how people create their own narratives.
Living in Metro ATL means you use whatever parts of Metro ATL fit your lifestyle. Some people love going to Down-Midtown, others are into sports, concerts, restaurants, museums, there’s something for everyone, both inside and outside the perimeter.
LA, on the other hand, has by far the worst traffic I’ve ever experienced, easily 2–3 times worse than other major cities in North America and Europe.
I’ve visited about ten times. On average, it took me 1–2 hours to drive 20 miles, at all hours of the day, even at 2 AM. Twice we stayed about 100 miles south of LAX, and both times it took us around 4 hours to get there. Once I left at 4 AM and the other time at 5 AM.
So if you live 40–50 miles from the airport in ATL and get there in about an hour, that’s honestly impressive based on what I’ve seen. My SIL grew up south of LA, studied in LA, and worked both there and in Silicon Valley. He moved here with my daughter about 6–7 years ago. At first he complained for about six months, but eventually he realized the benefits. He bought a new, larger house, works remotely for Silicon Valley, and his overall cost of living is much lower. Plus, the weather here is better too.
San Diego has the best weather in the U.S., and ATL isn’t far behind in my opinion. But looking back 35 years and even today, Atlanta is still the capital of the Southeast, with far more job options and major companies. I won’t get into California politics, taxes, prices, or the situation with immigration.
To me, your post reads more like venting than reality. Maybe you lived here and want to leave.
Ultimately, living here or not is anyone’s choice.
Sure, I love to visit many beautiful and great places but still come back home.

IMO, the best states to live in are in NC within the Research Triangle. Nashville, TN, has the best downtown and reminds me of what ATL used to be 30 years ago. Both have more cold weather and snow than we like.
 
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FD1000 said:
It’s funny how people create their own narratives.
Living in Metro ATL means you use whatever parts of Metro ATL fit your lifestyle. Some people love going to Down-Midtown, others are into sports, concerts, restaurants, museums, there’s something for everyone, both inside and outside the perimeter.
LA, on the other hand, has by far the worst traffic I’ve ever experienced, easily 2–3 times worse than other major cities in North America and Europe.
I’ve visited about ten times. On average, it took me 1–2 hours to drive 20 miles, at all hours of the day, even at 2 AM. Twice we stayed about 100 miles south of LAX, and both times it took us around 4 hours to get there. Once I left at 4 AM and the other time at 5 AM.
So if you live 40–50 miles from the airport in ATL and get there in about an hour, that’s honestly impressive based on what I’ve seen. My SIL grew up south of LA, studied in LA, and worked both there and in Silicon Valley. He moved here with my daughter about 6–7 years ago. At first he complained for about six months, but eventually he realized the benefits. He bought a new, larger house, works remotely for Silicon Valley, and his overall cost of living is much lower. Plus, the weather here is better too.
San Diego has the best weather in the U.S., and ATL isn’t far behind in my opinion. But looking back 35 years and even today, Atlanta is still the capital of the Southeast, with far more job options and major companies. I won’t get into California politics, taxes, prices, or the situation with immigration.
To me, your post reads more like venting than reality. Maybe you lived here and want to leave.
Ultimately, living here or not is anyone’s choice.
Sure, I love to visit many beautiful and great places but still come back home.

IMO, the best states to live in are in NC within the Research Triangle. Nashville, TN, has the best downtown and reminds me of what ATL used to be 30 years ago. Both have more cold weather and snow than we like.
Click to expand...
We visited Nashville and truly loved it, but it was on vacation mode.
 
FD1000 said:
We immigrated to the US 35 years ago, and when choosing where to settle, we focused on three basic factors:
  • Good weather
  • Affordability
  • A major city with IT job opportunities
That left us with three options: Los Angeles, Dallas, and Atlanta.
LA was too expensive, and Atlanta had better weather, so that’s where we chose to live.
And if you ask me now, 35 years later, Atlanta still wins.

We don’t spend much time in the city itself; we actually haven’t been downtown in over 20 years. Everything we do is in the northern suburbs. Over time, we discovered even more advantages:
  • Strong healthcare system with a good doctor-to-patient ratio
  • Minimal natural disasters, and if you want to live on the coast, Georgia’s is rarely hit compared to Florida, South Carolina, or North Carolina
  • Relatively manageable trafficfor a major metro area (certainly better than LA, Chicago, DC, New York, Houston, and even many parts of Florida now)
    • We revisited Florida a couple of years ago after 20 years before: Tampa and Sarasota traffic was worse than ATL; Miami is another level entirely. The heat is brutal, and there are plenty of natural disasters.
  • Access to nature, great mountains, the Chattahoochee River, hiking, and lots of outdoor sports
    • People ride bikes, and play tennis, golf, and even football almost year-round
While downtown Atlanta doesn’t appeal to us, the northern suburbs do: low crime, good schools, and a very livable environment.
Atlanta’s airport is one of the best and easiest major hubs in the country, with global flight access.
And if you’re into college sports, it's a cult. I personally prefer watching the best in the world in the NBA and NFL.
If you like shopping, it's amazing. Do you want competition? You got plenty. There are 3 Toyota dealerships within 20 minutes. Of course there are many Walmarts, Home Depots, and many restaurants. The population is diverse too. The northern suburbs are the "Silicon Valley" of GA.
The one thing that bothers me is this: why do people who moved here from New York or California want to change our city into something that feels just like the places they left? There was a reason they came here in the first place.
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You have to be with the Chamber of Commence? I've done Gainesville, Windner, Braselton and Blue Ridge. Must say Blue Ridge was my favorite.
"The one thing that bothers me is this: why do people who moved here from New York or California want to change our city into something that feels just like the places they left? There was a reason they came here in the first place." That really resonates with me. In Central FL, tens of thousands people from Puerto Rico have made this their home. Amazing how many are creating a third-world atmosphere in some areas . I won't go there but Hollywood and Sanford and Son depicts the vibe of quite a few homes.
 
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