I live in northern Va and I think it mostly sucks. Its very expensive, very crowded, lots of traffic, very little open space, and only averagely good weather. I've only lived here 1.5 year and lived in MD before that. I'm curious what places people would vote as best place to live. Some of the things I can think of that should be considered are: weather, population, level of development, expense, demographic, relatively local entertainment, and whatever else you can think of. Just list your reason.


My vote is probably going to be for just about any major city in Florida.
No emissions
very cheap to live there
No winter
Close to ocean
Potentially close to many good places - Daytona, Orlando, Miami, keys
Don't have to go far to find open space

One word. hurricane :mdrmed:

Avoid Jacksonville, imo...traffic is miserable. Combine that with it being the largest (geographically) city in the US and driving becomes a chore. The bad neighborhoods seem to cover about half of the city. I just didn't like it at all.

Oh, and the best place to live would be the Playboy mansion of course.

I think of all the states that I lived in(and there have been many), Florida is by far the best for a number of reasons. My heart still belongs to Chicago but now it's usually business and family that keep me going back.

bryn mawr here in pa is pretty swell. But id move to san diego in a heartbeat if i could afford it.

Avoid Jacksonville, imo...traffic is miserable. Combine that with it being the largest (geographically) city in the US and driving becomes a chore. The bad neighborhoods seem to cover about half of the city. I just didn't like it at all.

Oh, and the best place to live would be the Playboy mansion of course.Agreed :D:

I love going to FL and I do at least once a year, lots of different places, Orlando (Tiggerlee territory), Fort Lauderdale / Miami, Destin & the rest of the panhandle....

But, ask RCI, the name in timeshare resorts, where in the US has the most value. Surprisingly, SC beaches. Charleston, Hilton Head, Myrlte Beach, Beaufort,,, :D:

Hands Down Winner is . . . San Diego

It's California
Average daytime temperature is 70 degrees
One of the cheaper large metropolitan areas in California
No winter
On the ocean
Close to many good places - Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Big Bear, Mammoth, Baja and more
Don't have to go far to find open space - Lot's of places to mountain bike (if you're into that)
And . . .

California Girls

Florida is getting pretty rough... Still good jobs and it's a growing area.. but housing is getting expensive, many apt complexes are going Condo, and because of the hurricanes there are only a few insurance companies who will write policies here..

Lake Mead. I would love to live there, with a nice, big balcony that overlooks Lake Mead.

The houses in 'Lakes of Las Vegas' start at about 1.2 million, and head towards the stratosphere pretty quickly.

Of course, there are some more affordable neighborhoods near Lake Mead, too.

It's far enough away from the bustle, traffic, pollution and excess of Las Vegas, and stunningly beautiful.

A little hot in the summer, though, and the infrastructure and quality of city services have strained under the exploding population growth.

Florida is too humid, and the whole hurricane season thing would get really depressing really fast (if one lived on either coast).

I don't mind the hurricanes so much.. I grew up in New Orleans and live on the west coast of florida now..

Patagonia

Cowboy Up.

Phoenix.

I've lived in the DC area for nearly 30 years and everything about it sucks.
It is an amazing place to visit.

Phoenix has many of the advantages of southern California, but without the intrusive government and high taxes.
If you can live with three months above the 100°F mark, then the other 9 months in the 70° and 80° degree range becomes pretty awesome.
Endless miles of amazing roads.
Traffic is considered "bad" by Arizona standards, but that is a joke. Phoenix doesn't have the multi-hour-long standstills in the middle of any give day that DC has. Where my house is, I can lay down out in the middle of Chandler Blvd. at rush hour without getting run over.

So CAL baby. beach, babes, earth quakes are like roller costers once u get used to them, and we got good college football team to cheer for. they didn't win rosebowl, but come on, 34 wins straight? that means something. come over here and i'll take u to all the dope night life spots and track events. what else can u ask for bro. :ylsuper:

Hands Down Winner is . . . San Diego

It's California
Average daytime temperature is 70 degrees
One of the cheaper large metropolitan areas in California
No winter
On the ocean
Close to many good places - Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Big Bear, Mammoth, Baja and more
Don't have to go far to find open space - Lot's of places to mountain bike (if you're into that)
And . . .

California Girls
Hmm, I'm in San Diego and it feels a lot colder than 70 degrees lately. But compared to most places, yeah, no winter. The rest I'd have to agree with.

I like Austin.

Not state income tax
Winters are pretty tolerable
Lots of open space close by
Live Music
Texas girls

I grew up in Atlanta. Don't bother with going there.

Austin is like the one liberal town in all of Texas; I wouldn't live there.

The hurricane thing is overrated. I grew up in Louisiana, Ponchatoula for Guy3231, and the hurricane problem is not a big deal. About every forty years New Orleans gets popped and gets a lot of water, but in any city that is more than 5 feet above sea level all you worry about is losing power, unless you're on the water.

I love Destin, but the housing prices were getting outrageous. Prices have started to come back to a more balanced point now and we are starting to get more buyers, but the price is still high for families with an average income. Orlando isn't bad either. I wouldn't move to Daytona, beaches aren't that good and the area has been a little run down. They have taken steps to renew the city, but that always takes a while. Haven't been to South Fla. yet but I will be going to Ft. Lauderdale in about a week and can report what I think.

If you need any help finding a place in the state of Florida P/m me.

Colorado is nice if you like the outdoors. It does get cold, and has 4 distinct seasons, but snow is just as fun as summer fun. Housing is not too outrageous yet and the jobs pay decent as well.

Hands Down Winner is . . . San Diego

It's California
Average daytime temperature is 70 degrees
One of the cheaper large metropolitan areas in California
No winter
On the ocean
Close to many good places - Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Big Bear, Mammoth, Baja and more
Don't have to go far to find open space - Lot's of places to mountain bike (if you're into that)
And . . .

California Girls

You cannot be serious, it is so damn expensive to live there.

I have lived allot of places...
Sedona,Az : Very nice place if your into the outdoors, 40min from the slopes and 1 hour from Phoenix. Night life is not existant but You can drive to Phoenix or Flagstaff.

Oceanside, CA : Very nice active place, But wayyyy to expensive to live there.

Redmond, WA : beautiful for about 3 months out of the year, the rest of the time it rains.

Kansas City, MO: Don't even think about going here, unless you have family or work there it is the lowest on the list.

Boston, MA : Damn good night life, but $$$$ and very congested.

Clearwater, FL : I would have to say about the best of all worlds, Great weather, lots to-do, cheap to live, and ybor is in the top 10 for night life. I will never leave here

So... I would rate these the following

1: Clearwater, FL
2: Sedona, Az
3: Oceanside, CA
4: Redmond, WA
5: Boston, MA
6: Kansas City, MO

I remember when Ponchatoula consisted of a port-o-let sized sherrif station and 1 main road :)


Housing prices in FL are still going up because the majority of the people moving here come from up north where thier $400k house can be bought for $275k down here (in some parts). I'm buying a rediculously small 1200sqft house for $200k.. Back home in Louisiana it wouldn't even break $100k...

Property taxes and Ins are expensive too though.

However, it isn't so bad if you already own a home elsewhere and are thinking of movig down here. Especially if you're moving from an area with high property values like Boston, NY or LA.. etc

Hey MPT, we should have a crawfish boil.. I'm DYING for crawfish!


The hurricane thing is overrated. I grew up in Louisiana, Ponchatoula for Guy3231, and the hurricane problem is not a big deal. About every forty years New Orleans gets popped and gets a lot of water, but in any city that is more than 5 feet above sea level all you worry about is losing power, unless you're on the water.

I love Destin, but the housing prices were getting outrageous. Prices have started to come back to a more balanced point now and we are starting to get more buyers, but the price is still high for families with an average income. Orlando isn't bad either. I wouldn't move to Daytona, beaches aren't that good and the area has been a little run down. They have taken steps to renew the city, but that always takes a while. Haven't been to South Fla. yet but I will be going to Ft. Lauderdale in about a week and can report what I think.

If you need any help finding a place in the state of Florida P/m me.

You forgot to mention there's like 6000000000 golf courses within 10 miles of here if they like to golf :) Of course the sumertime thunderstorms can be a b1tch.

You cannot be serious, it is so damn expensive to live there.

I have lived allot of places...
Sedona,Az : Very nice place if your into the outdoors, 40min from the slopes and 1 hour from Phoenix. Night life is not existant but You can drive to Phoenix or Flagstaff.

Oceanside, CA : Very nice active place, But wayyyy to expensive to live there.

Redmond, WA : beautiful for about 3 months out of the year, the rest of the time it rains.

Kansas City, MO: Don't even think about going here, unless you have family or work there it is the lowest on the list.

Boston, MA : Damn good night life, but $$$$ and very congested.

Clearwater, FL : I would have to say about the best of all worlds, Great weather, lots to-do, cheap to live, and ybor is in the top 10 for night life. I will never leave here

So... I would rate these the following

1: Clearwater, FL
2: Sedona, Az
3: Oceanside, CA
4: Redmond, WA
5: Boston, MA
6: Kansas City, MO

BTW, I think N/S carolina would be a cool place to live.

Geez, I haven't had a good crawfish boil since 2004. I have seen them at a few eateries around here but they aren't the same. I have to have them so hot that it burns your lips after the third or forth tail. And you throw in the garlic and sausage and mushrooms...... And when they are cooked just right and you can just squeeze the back of the tail and the meat falls out, but isn't soggy and falling apart............
I've got to make sure I get a boiling pot.

I've tried living other places. It just made me appreciate San Diego more.
Yeah it's expensive, but not unfeasible. I just happen to have been put in a good setup so it's affordable to me.

It was pretty chilly this morning, 40f.

You forgot to mention there's like 6000000000 golf courses within 10 miles of here if they like to golf :) Of course the sumertime thunderstorms can be a b1tch.That is Phoenix, too, but without the possibility of rain.

Yeah it's expensive, but not unfeasible. I just happen to have been put in a good setup so it's affordable to me. For what I bought an 1800 sq/ft house with a pool on the side of a mountain in a quiet cul-de-sac, I couldn't have even gotten a mobile home in El Cajon.
My annual taxes on that same home are 1/5 those in Cali.

San Diego is beautiful, but it is the ACCRA places it as the 5th most expensive place to live in the US.

The hurricane thing is overrated. I grew up in Louisiana, Ponchatoula for Guy3231, and the hurricane problem is not a big deal. About every forty years New Orleans gets popped and gets a lot of water, but in any city that is more than 5 feet above sea level all you worry about is losing power, unless you're on the water.

Tell that to the folks here on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Katrina brought in a storm surge over 20 feet, 30 in places. Homes on the back bays were flooded 6-8 feet, and the beachfront is scrubbed bare for a third of a mile. Tens of thousands are homeless now 4 months later.

OVER-RATED INDEED!!!

BTW, I think N/S carolina would be a cool place to live.
well i live in jacksonville n.c .their is little night light for single people .we have great weather mild winter /hot summers but not as himid as fla.the best thing is i'm 5min from the ocean and a 3hour drive to snow ski.housing is cheap , but no large industries in the area .the biggest employer is the military base.i bulit a 2300 sq ft home 10 years ago for $88k .i would hate to have to buy that house in fla,la,or new york.

http://www.citymayors.com/features/quality_survey.html

I'd pick 5 canadian cities over any US city ;)

Austin is like the one liberal town in all of Texas; I wouldn't live there.

Well, living in "Austin" is going to be expensive anyway. When I say Austin, I mean the general area. Drive 10 miles outside "Austin" proper, and you are not in LiberalLand anymore.

http://www.citymayors.com/features/quality_survey.html

I'd pick 5 canadian cities over any US city ;)I didn't think we were including international cities in this.
If we are, of course my native Copenhagen trumps all, even with the rain.
Amsterdam is nice, too.
However, most Americans are not in a position to just leave the country altogether - even if it is Canada.
Besides, I was railing against taxes just a few posts back and even the worst Cali taxes can't touch Canada and Europe. (and don't bother to wave health care in my face - its a myth).

Well, I think Portland is nice, but that is because I live here. In those annual surveys they do of most livable cities and whatever else, Portland usually ranks right up there in the top 10 the last several years. There was a story recently about it being one of the best places for 20-something post college adults to live and is best at attracting them. One of the top 10 for bike-friendly cities. Cost of living is going up, though. It's still cheaper than a lot of other cities, though. Has a lot of things to do, cultural and otherwise.

But, if you don't like lots of rain, this probably isn't the place for you!!!

What's kind of funny, I have two different friends from the Phoenix area (don't know each other) and they both say they love the rain and that is one of the reasons they moved to the Portland area. One of them moved to San Diego before Portland and just hated it there, but loves it up here.

My mom is partial to Wisconsin, though, because that is where she is from and my whole family is there.

Want to take a trip to clearwater? :) I'm closing on my house next week and am thinking of doing a boil in march or april.. but I've never done it before...

Geez, I haven't had a good crawfish boil since 2004. I have seen them at a few eateries around here but they aren't the same. I have to have them so hot that it burns your lips after the third or forth tail. And you throw in the garlic and sausage and mushrooms...... And when they are cooked just right and you can just squeeze the back of the tail and the meat falls out, but isn't soggy and falling apart............
I've got to make sure I get a boiling pot.

I didn't think we were including international cities in this.
If we are, of course my native Copenhagen trumps all, even with the rain.
Amsterdam is nice, too.
However, most Americans are not in a position to just leave the country altogether - even if it is Canada.
Besides, I was railing against taxes just a few posts back and even the worst Cali taxes can't touch Canada and Europe. (and don't bother to wave health care in my face - its a myth).
Sorry, this was posted in the Lounge...didn't see anywhere that it said "US only"...

Anyways, Vancouver is still ranked higher than Copenhagen...even in all the UN rankings I've seen in the last 5 years. I lived there for a while...not a huge fan of all the rain, but I guess everyone else seems to think it's pretty awesome.

Yeah, I heard phoeix golf is great. It's not so much the rain here, but the lightning :( Not sure i'd like to be golfing in 110F heat either tho..

That is Phoenix, too, but without the possibility of rain.

http://www.citymayors.com/features/quality_survey.html

I'd pick 5 canadian cities over any US city ;)

Maybe because you're Canadian? ;)

I've lived in San Diego since I was three, and it is a great place when you consider you can hit the desert, mountains, and beaches all in a matter of a few hours. It's beautiful, and the weather is outstanding. And I love the proximity to LA for concerts and shows. BUT it's very expensive here, now, and getting more and more crowded all the time. People that have moved here don't see it as much as those that have lived here our whole lives.

Jeff, Phoenix is certainly affordable and you get a lot more house for your money. It's that heat that just slays me. My best friend lives there and I can remember landing at the airport at 10pm and reading the temperature - 97 degrees at 10pm! And there are some crazy-ass drivers in AZ. However, we're looking at building a home in the White Mountains or Flagstaff in the next ten years. A bit of snow in the winter, but it doesn't get much past 90 in the summer - and that's during the DAY :)

Most of my family still lives in N.O. as im sure MPT has relatives in that region of La as well.. Not to mention MPT and I both live on the gulf still.. THe dangers do not escape us. However, whens the last time this level of damaged was caused by a hurricane in that region before? Betsey? Camille? Shit happens, doesn't mean it's the end of the world.

Tell that to the folks here on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Katrina brought in a storm surge over 20 feet, 30 in places. Homes on the back bays were flooded 6-8 feet, and the beachfront is scrubbed bare for a third of a mile. Tens of thousands are homeless now 4 months later.

OVER-RATED INDEED!!!

Hmmm that ain't so bad then. DO you need to check your guns when you get into town tho?

Well, living in "Austin" is going to be expensive anyway. When I say Austin, I mean the general area. Drive 10 miles outside "Austin" proper, and you are not in LiberalLand anymore.

Orange County, California. Not a bad county. There is always something to do in southern California. But I can do without the traffic and high housing expenses.

I hear Arizona is the state where the real estate hot spot is. The previous hot spot was Colorado.

RotrDoc, like guy said, the damage and devastation is horrible but is an accepted part of living on the gulf coast. I have had trees fall across my home in LA and been without power for over two weeks, but it comes with the territory. I have family that lost everything in New Orleans, Slidell, and Mobile but what are you gonna do. If a cat 4 hurricane were to hit within a 40 mile radius of my house it would be destroyed just like those in Gulfport. I only live 1 mile off the gulf and only about 500 yards from the Choctahatchee Bay, but I'm not worried about a hurricane. The hype over the storms now is way overrated, that's why when a really dangerous hurricane approached nobody took it seriously.

Hope I didn't tick you off, I do understand what you mean, but it could have been much much worse. Think about the tsunami's and the damage that they caused with no warning. Homes and possessions are secondary.

A buddy of mine moved to Pheonix about two years ago and he likes it, except for the hot-hot days and cold-cold nights. He said his house has gained double the equity since he moved there. I just can't imagine living with the daily temperature swings. My head would be stuffy all year long.

Hmmm that ain't so bad then. DO you need to check your guns when you get into town tho?

Nope. Funny thing is most of the recent gun incidents we see on the news is the cops shooting civilians.

Nope. Funny thing is most of the recent gun incidents we see on the news is the cops shooting civilians.

Same with Portland. I think we would have very few shootings if it weren't for the police.

Want to take a trip to clearwater? :) I'm closing on my house next week and am thinking of doing a boil in march or april.. but I've never done it before...

What about Bunny??? :tear:

A buddy of mine moved to Pheonix about two years ago and he likes it, except for the hot-hot days and cold-cold nights. He said his house has gained double the equity since he moved there. I just can't imagine living with the daily temperature swings. My head would be stuffy all year long.It doesn't swing that far. It is usually hot all the time. Even now, the daytime temps are near 70°F, but the night time temps are still in the 40°F range.

Try DC where the daytime temp today will be almost 70°F and tonight it will be 28°F. Throw in 60% or higher humidity (in the winter!) and you have a breeding ground for the flu.

He said the summertime temps ranged from about 110 to about 40. I've never been to confirm it so I'll take your word on it.

He said the summertime temps ranged from about 110 to about 40. I've never been to confirm it so I'll take your word on it.Oh, no no no. It goes up to 110°F during the day (even 120°F), but at night it stays around 100°!
Unless you run out into the high desert, you won't see temps below 80° or so in the middle of hot season.

Just so you know where I coming from -

I found myself in a situation recently where I could, basically, live just about anywhere in the world I wanted to.
So I set up a critera list (beautiful weather, good roads, low taxes, friendly people, excellent housing choices, lots of convenience but no crowding, etc.) and I set out on a two year journey to try various places out.
I test fit a whole slew of areas for several days at a time and Phoenix came out the clear winner.
There are nicer places, but they would be entirely too inconvenient (Sandorini, the Canary Islands, the Gold Coast etc.). Try finding an all-night AutoZone on a Greek island.

What is perfect depends on what is important to you and what makes you feel warm and fuzzy all the time.
People say home is where you make it. I don't agree. Some places will tell you that "this is home" when you visit.

Yeah, my wife and I plan on moving to a few places just to say that we did it. We don't know of that one place yet, although we do really like it here and will probably keep this home for vacationing.

So I set up a critera list (beautiful weather, good roads, low taxes, friendly people, excellent housing choices, lots of convenience but no crowding, etc.)

Good plan! That's the thing that knocks Florida entirely out of the running - by all accounts, there isn't a good sports car twisty road in the entire state! The other attributes might be nice, but what sports car enthusiast deliberately moves to a place with nothing but straight, flat roads? Calgary isn't great in that respect - you have to drive an hour or two to get to the mountain roads, and even then they're nothing like many of the back roads I've seen in California etc.

Are there great twisty, windy roads in AZ? Near-Deals Gap-types of roads? If I'm picking an ideal place to move to (which personally won't happen until retirement time), sports car roads are critical.

Regards,
Gordon

Are there great twisty, windy roads in AZ? Near-Deals Gap-types of roads? If I'm picking an ideal place to move to (which personally won't happen until retirement time), sports car roads are critical.

Regards,
GordonOne word: Canyon.

Arizona has some of the most diverse terrain in the country. You can go from desert floor flat to deep, pine-laden mountain roads in about an hour.
Don't forget the Grand Canyon.
There is the Coronado road on the east side of the state.
Don't foget the remnants of old route 66.
The list goes on. I'm going to take a big chunk of November just to explore some of these roads.

The fun of Deals Gap isn't the turns - it is the immanent possibility of death at any one of those turns by either unintentional rapid vertical acceleration or blunt-force trauma. There are plenty of roads that are just as twisty, but less critical of your experience or that of your potential "opponents".

There are plenty of curves here, and some parts of the state has hills :p

I actually live up in Oceanside so it's a little more affordable than San Diego proper.

I did get into the housing market several years ago just before this latest run up in prices.

But, there are not too many really nice places to live anywhere in the US where the home prices have not been bid up.

But any place can be a good home as long as you have good friends and beer.

Maastricht, NL

The absolute best place....if you consider international as well.

Oh, no no no. It goes up to 110°F during the day (even 120°F), but at night it stays around 100°!
Unless you run out into the high desert, you won't see temps below 80° or so in the middle of hot season.

Just so you know where I coming from -

I found myself in a situation recently where I could, basically, live just about anywhere in the world I wanted to.
So I set up a critera list (beautiful weather, good roads, low taxes, friendly people, excellent housing choices, lots of convenience but no crowding, etc.) and I set out on a two year journey to try various places out.
I test fit a whole slew of areas for several days at a time and Phoenix came out the clear winner.
There are nicer places, but they would be entirely too inconvenient (Sandorini, the Canary Islands, the Gold Coast etc.). Try finding an all-night AutoZone on a Greek island.

What is perfect depends on what is important to you and what makes you feel warm and fuzzy all the time.
People say home is where you make it. I don't agree. Some places will tell you that "this is home" when you visit.
I went to Santorini in August and it was nice. But I here it gets really cold and windy there in the winter and the population decreases by about 90%.

Not my idea of a great place to live on a year round basis.

But any place can be a good home as long as you have good friends and beer.

Is the beer what makes it good???? LOL

What if the beer sucks? Or you're in a dry county?

Does hard liquor count?

Makes for fun moonshine runs!

It has to be Sand Diego. Weather, girls, weather, girls. The beach--u can drink on the beach, have bondfires, play horseshoes. La Jolla is pretty sick. Did I mention the girls in San diego?? Need a quick BJ??-Tijuana is only a few minutes away. I dont care how much it costs to live there. The only problem is that you have to be making serious cash in order to buy a house there. But rents aren't that bad. Any place in florida is gay compared to SD, except for maybe Key West.

Well I'm going out west where I belong
Where the days are short and the nights are long

Where they walk and I'll walk They fish and I'll fish
They sin and I'll sin They fly and I'll fly
Where they're out there having fun in the warm California sun

Well, I'm going out west out on the coast
Where the California girls are really the most

Where they walk and I'll walk They fish and I'll fish
They sin and I'll sin They fly and I'll fly
Where they're out there having fun in the warm California sun

Well, the girls are frisky in old 'Frisco
A pretty little chick wherever you go

And they walk and I'll walk They fish and I'll fish
They sin and I'll sin They fly and I'll fly
Where they're out there having fun in the warm California sun

Where they're out there having fun in the warm California sun

...Any place in florida is gay compared to SD, except for maybe Key West.Well, don't take my word for it, but, I've heard quite the opposite about Key West, literally. Last time I was there, I saw much evidence to support that. To those who would like to defend the gay lib movement, yeah yeah, but some ppl would rather not live in an area that has a lot of 'em. Just trying to inform...

Oh, sorry, i forgot about the "gays" that live in Key West. Oh well, they dont bother me too much. As long as they are not flaming all over the place and acting real flagrant around me, I dont care. Key West is beautiful.

The trick in San Diego is rent cheap, buy houses out of state. Sell them, then buy more houses with the profit until it's paying your expenses and then once you have enough, then buy a house in San Diego for yourself. Took my dad years to figure that one out.

The problem is that in a marlet like this one, it is hard to stay ahead of the curve. You just end up breaking even by the time your profit matches where property values were.

The real trick is add value before you flip and that takes skill and work.

Or, become a plastic surgeon or a lawyer and sleaze your way on in there

Must not be too hard, my dad is a dullard :mdrmed:

A pillard? :hahano: A pudden-head? You shouldn't refer to your father in such a way. :nono: Then again, I suppose you could have used a harsher term for it.

But he did get you in, and now, there you are. Not too shabby for a dolt. :cwm27: