Places to Live: Good, Bad, and Ugly

[Karin]

We are now actively scoping out a 3-year plan to hit the road.  I'd like to know what some of your experiences have been, living in various places.  What did you like best about a certain place, and least?  I'll start:

Ohio:  First 23 years of life.  Dull as dirt, and just as exciting to drive through.  Good solid place to raise a family, though. 

Maine:

The Good:  The sense of living in a place decidedly different from the midwest. 
The charming accents and its own sense of humor.  Places to take visiting relatives.  Old New England villages. 

The Bad:  If you weren't born there, you're forever "from away," especially if you have funny furn name.  The weather, the black flies.  The vicious union mill people.  People in love with govmint checks. 

Connecticut:

The Good:  Life is very good in CT if you have money.  Great restaurants, clubs, and loads of fun if you are able to buy lakefront property.  People have a certain polish, if you like that sort of thing.  Autumn is gorgeous, and weather is generally good.

The Bad:  The worst people in the world live in Greenwich, CT.  Insufferable snobs, I don't know how they stand themselves.  If you don't have money, CT is hell.  $2,000 monthly rent, cramming the illegals together 25 to an apt.  They think they're so "democratic," but the exclusivity is unbelievable.  "Stay out, you're not one of us, unless you're here to clean my house."  Traffic is a bitch, all the time. 

I'll do Northern New York in a bit. 

[Chris_]

North Carolina can either be pleasant or dreadfully dull.  I lived in Raleigh and for a "college town", it was uninteresting and a little small for my taste.  The beach is great but it's also expensive and crowded.  When it comes to taxes and regulations, it feels like a mini-Massachussetts.  Every time I turned around, there was a new tax or fee to be paid to get through the year (car inspections, state income taxes, state-run liquor stores).  Don't know much about Charlotte or Greensboro.  Maybe they're a little more interesting than the Triangle but I never found out.  Oh, and there's the pine and pollen.

I prefer Tennessee.  I'll probably stay here unless something happens and I have to leave.  It's affordable, the weather is great, and there's always something to do.

[MrsSmith]

I like Kansas and Nebraska...the smallest town possible, or out in the country.  But the place I want to get back to someday is Wyoming.  Great economy, no state income tax, beautiful hills full of pine trees...I swear, waking up in a tent in the midst of a bunch of Wyoming pine trees is about as close to Heaven as you can find on this earth.   

[longview]

I swear, waking up in a tent in the midst of a bunch of Wyoming pine trees is about as close to Heaven as you can find on this earth.   

Yep.  And for about two months out of every year the weather is pleasant enough, up high, for people to do that.   

I like upstate S. Carolina (nice people and weather).  S. Dakota, north central and western, is great (nice people, good grass, long, cold winters, short, hot summers). 

Wyoming is my favorite.  Lack of water = keeps the population down.  Good grazing without being lush = more open space.  Nice people who don't feel the need to butt in or be "mothered up" to you all the time.  I like the wind.  Makes me feel alive.  Extremes in temperatures, pretty much year round is good for us, I think.  I love it when it's below zero in the morning and in the 40s in the afternoon.  Like it less when it stays below zero for days and days.  In the summer it might get down into the 30s at night and over 100 during the day.  Anywhere in the state.  Makes you tough. 

[debk]

Northern part of Illinois: don't really want to go back. Would go to Chicago if I had unlimited funds. I love the different cultures and cultural stuff there. Shopping is great, all pro-sports are available. And with unlimited funds, I could leave in the winter, if I wanted to.

Charlottesville, VA: Would not go back. Too expensive and way toooo snooty.

Durham, NC: not bad. Close to beach. Very hot in the summer, winters are fairly mild, most of the time.

Omaha, NE: would go back in a heart beat. Nice people, affordable. Weather can be wicked.

Key West, FL: lots of fun, have to deal with tourists. If a hurricane is forecasted....there's only one road to safety, and everyone is on it.....or an incredibly expensive plane ticket. You don't get a good price on a ticket, even in the case of an evacuation.  (mine was $900)

Springfield, IL: 

Roanoke, VA: 

Outside Scottsdale, AZ: snakes, scorpions, endless amounts of sand.

Asheville, NC: pretty, small, lots of culteral events for such a small town, liberal, closer to the Carolina beaches.

Eastern TN: pretty, summer has apparently started since it's to be in the 70's for the next several days, fall doesn't start until mid-late October, winter is short, people are nice, not a lot of different cultural stuff, UT football is a way of life in the fall, UT basketball takes up the winter, 5-6 hours to Carolina beaches, 8-9 to northern FL beaches, no state income tax for individuals, housing is reasonable.
 

[DixieBelle]

I have lived in TN/MS/TX/VA. I'll be back to write more.

[compaqxp]

Maine:

The Good:  The sense of living in a place decidedly different from the midwest. 
The charming accents and its own sense of humor.  Places to take visiting relatives.  Old New England villages. 

The Bad:  If you weren't born there, you're forever "from away," especially if you have funny furn name.  The weather, the black flies.  The vicious union mill people.  People in love with govmint checks. 

Sounds exactly like Atlantic Canada.

[Ballygrl]

Brooklyn NY-born there and lived there til I was 10, the good? in our old neighborhood? nothing, crime ridden infestation, love visiting Bay Ridge and Bensonhurst when we go to see family, always bring home Italian food from the numerous deli's, also go to the bakeries and load up on bread and every other dessert you can think of, the best food in the world, but I can't wait to get home, too many people and too much traffic, always have a headache for like a week after visiting because of the stress of it.

NJ-absolutely love it, we live in the NW part of the state, we have mountains and lakes, you can live in an area that's semi-secluded and drive 5 minutes and have every shopping place you can think of, then you can drive less than an hour East and be in NYC, less than an hour West and be in the Poconos, less than an hour South and be at the beginning of the Jersey Shore. Pretty decent food, the really good places are run by ex-NY'ers.

[Ballygrl]

Sounds exactly like Atlantic Canada.

LOL, I've heard service workers complain about the Canadians who come to visit Maine because they're bad tippers.

[FreeBorn]

LOL, I've heard service workers complain about the Canadians who come to visit Maine because they're bad tippers.

I've seen the same for years, right here in Western New York just across the Niagara river from Ontario. Canadians are infamously legendary in Florida for being overly demanding guests and skinflint tippers.
Seems they have some taxes to pay for clothing over there that we don't have here so especially when the Canadian dollar is strong they come across to the malls around Buffalo to buy clothes and leave heaps of theirs all over the parking lots (if they're wearing it at the border on the way back they don't have to declare it and pay tax). So you see them here in traffic headed back to the Peace Bridge wearing five shirts at once! 
I commend them for having such a litter free country but WTF, apparently they think nothing of trashing ours. 

[Ballygrl]

I've seen the same for years, right here in Western New York just across the Niagara river from Ontario. Canadians are infamously legendary in Florida for being overly demanding guests and skinflint tippers.
Seems they have some taxes to pay for clothing over there that we don't have here so especially when the Canadian dollar is strong they come across to the malls around Buffalo to buy clothes and leave heaps of theirs all over the parking lots (if they're wearing it at the border on the way back they don't have to declare it and pay tax). So you see them here in traffic headed back to the Peace Bridge wearing five shirts at once! 
I commend them for having such a litter free country but WTF, apparently they think nothing of trashing ours. 

OMG! they actually do that? and I got so sick in Canada from the beef, I lost weight while on vacation, the meat is horrible there.

[Scoobie]

OMG! they actually do that? and I got so sick in Canada from the beef, I lost weight while on vacation, the meat is horrible there.

Yes, definitely stick with American meat. Waaaay more protein. 

[compaqxp]

I've seen the same for years, right here in Western New York just across the Niagara river from Ontario. Canadians are infamously legendary in Florida for being overly demanding guests and skinflint tippers.
Seems they have some taxes to pay for clothing over there that we don't have here so especially when the Canadian dollar is strong they come across to the malls around Buffalo to buy clothes and leave heaps of theirs all over the parking lots (if they're wearing it at the border on the way back they don't have to declare it and pay tax). So you see them here in traffic headed back to the Peace Bridge wearing five shirts at once! 
I commend them for having such a litter free country but WTF, apparently they think nothing of trashing ours. 

[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEy_22hG2j4&feature=related[/youtube]

[Wayne]

  Good : Missouri

  Bad    :San Diego

  Ugly  : Los Angeles

[NHSparky]

I've been to 45 states.  Lived in 15.

Would take WAYYYYYYYY too long.  So I'll just stick with where I'm at now:

Good: Quiet, small town, people mind their own business.
Bad: 8+ ******* feet of snow every winter, ice storms, mosquitoes that need landing lights in the summer.
Ugly: Dipshits robbing pharmacies every other week.

[debk]

I've been to 45 states.  Lived in 15.

Would take WAYYYYYYYY too long.  So I'll just stick with where I'm at now:

Good: Quiet, small town, people mind their own business.
Bad: 8+ ******* feet of snow every winter, ice storms, mosquitoes that need landing lights in the summer.
Ugly: Dipshits robbing pharmacies every other week.

Mosquito comment made me 

Dipshits robbing pharmacies must be a common problem. We have a lot of that going on here. The CVS we use, just got hit again a week or so ago. 

[Karin]

Freeborn, your comment made a lightbulb go off.  At our mall in Watertown, we gets scads of Canadians.  (They clog up the Cracker Barrel, too).  Across the street is the biggest Salvation Army store you've ever seen.  They had to build that new facility just for the volume.  Now I know why!   

[IassaFTots]

Aside from a 6 month stint in KCMO, I have lived in the same metropolitan area for the last 30 years. 

Dallas/Fort Worth

Good:  Pretty cheap to live, comparatively speaking.  No state income tax.  For the most part moderate weather conditions, especially if you love temperatures over 90 for about 7 months or so.     We get 4 seasons here, but fall and spring last about a week to a month.  There is always something to do if you want. 

Bad:  I hear from many people that come down here from the NE that they loathe the flatness and the brownness of the area.  (personally, I like flat roads that I can see everything up in front of me.) 

Ugly.  The continuing and rapid influx of our illegal neighbors to the south.  One of the reasons I drive toll roads when I can is to avoid them on the highway.  They aren't as prevalent on roads they have to pay for. 

Best:  It's the Great State of Texas by God!

[Karin]

Northern New York:

Lived here for 5 years, then escaped the rubes to go to more upscale CT, then after 10 years escaped snooty rules-ridden CT back to the haven of the country life.  Even though it's NY, there is more of a sense of freedom and rugged individuality.  Thousand Islands and the St. Larry are gorgeous and I've had many great fun times there during the first five years.

Taxes are a bitch and make all the general cost of living high.  Real good-paying jobs are very rare.  Weather is a bitch.  I do not care at all for the local accent, which sounds dumb, and guys that say "whatnot."  There is a collection here of the biggest asses you've ever seen.  Eye candy few and far between, same with teeth sometimes.  I cannot escape being represented by Schumer and other democrats.  High school plays are about as much culture as you're going to get.  It's boring here, and so the favorite regional sport is drinking.  Can't blame em.  

[NHSparky]

Mosquito comment made me 

Dipshits robbing pharmacies must be a common problem. We have a lot of that going on here. The CVS we use, just got hit again a week or so ago. 

Yeah, they're usually Oxy/Xanax addicts who'll hit about 5-6 places until the local Keystone Cops put two and two together on the surveillance tapes and figure out who it is.

And this town rolls up and turns out the lights by 9 PM.  On weekends.

[whiffleball]

KY:  Lexington is very pretty in spring and fall.  Still very small town although it's grown a lot.  Really not a lot to do.  Louisville is a bit better.  Eastern part is gorgeous in spots, but other spots are not so great.  Not a place to live.

PA:  Lewisburg/Selinsgrove - I've never been so cold in my entire life! Or so bored stiff.  It's a great area if you're a hunter, though.

VA:  Charlottesville - feel the same as debk.

TN:  Nashville - loved it!  Lots of stuff to do and the weather isn't too bad.  No income tax.  Still on the affordable side.  Eastern part of the state is breathtakingly beautiful, but lots of poverty and all that goes with it.

NC:  Boone/Blowing Rock is where I would be if I had my druthers.  Mountains, mountains, mountains!  Some very good restaurants.  Differing cultural activities.  Lots to do.   Durham sucked; I hated it.  We lived in a nice development as developments go, but within a couple of miles you were in the hood and the hood went calling too often.  I liked Raleigh better, but housing is getting out of sight.  NC symphony is very good.  And of course there is tons of college sports.  NC has a lot of drawbacks, the governor being a biggie but she won't always be around, and with them all I'd rather be in NC than any other state.

SC:  Columbia was a place I didn't care for, but my husband loved it.  It's hotter than hell, humid and I always felt like I had to watch my back there.  Their symphony wasn't bad.

WV:  Beautiful in so many ways, but like east TN and KY I'd never go back.

GA:  Here in the GA mountains it's peaceful, quiet and lots of outdoor activities.  If you like to do anything at night after 8 or 9 forget it; there's nothing.  About 1 1/2 hours to Atlanta if one feels the urge to go there.  Housing is reasonable even with a couple of acres.  Good restaurants are very scarce.

[debk]

KY:  Lexington is very pretty in spring and fall.  Still very small town although it's grown a lot.  Really not a lot to do.  Louisville is a bit better.  Eastern part is gorgeous in spots, but other spots are not so great.  Not a place to live.

PA:  Lewisburg/Selinsgrove - I've never been so cold in my entire life! Or so bored stiff.  It's a great area if you're a hunter, though.

VA:  Charlottesville - feel the same as debk.

TN:  Nashville - loved it!  Lots of stuff to do and the weather isn't too bad.  No income tax.  Still on the affordable side.  Eastern part of the state is breathtakingly beautiful, but lots of poverty and all that goes with it.

NC:  Boone/Blowing Rock is where I would be if I had my druthers.  Mountains, mountains, mountains!  Some very good restaurants.  Differing cultural activities.  Lots to do.   Durham sucked; I hated it.  We lived in a nice development as developments go, but within a couple of miles you were in the hood and the hood went calling too often.  I liked Raleigh better, but housing is getting out of sight.  NC symphony is very good.  And of course there is tons of college sports.  NC has a lot of drawbacks, the governor being a biggie but she won't always be around, and with them all I'd rather be in NC than any other state.

SC:  Columbia was a place I didn't care for, but my husband loved it.  It's hotter than hell, humid and I always felt like I had to watch my back there.  Their symphony wasn't bad.

WV:  Beautiful in so many ways, but like east TN and KY I'd never go back.

GA:  Here in the GA mountains it's peaceful, quiet and lots of outdoor activities.  If you like to do anything at night after 8 or 9 forget it; there's nothing.  About 1 1/2 hours to Atlanta if one feels the urge to go there.  Housing is reasonable even with a couple of acres.  Good restaurants are very scarce.

When were you in Charlottesville? I was there from mid '77 to early '79. A pit stop at the Roanoke VA, then to Durham for 4 years with a couple of pit stops at the VA in Asheville. Know what you mean about the hood in Durham. We lived in the county but only 7 minutes from the hospital.

Blowing Rock is really pretty. I like Nashville too.

I didn't realize you were in GA.

[chitownchica]

I was born in Arkansas - many parts are very pretty, but I never want to live there full time.
Lived in Memphis for when I was in elementary school back in the mid 70s. The area I lived in was decent middle class back then, but now it's the worst hood in town (or so I hear).  I haven't been back, so I really have no idea what it is like to live there.
Lived in Texas from late 70s - 2006. The landscape in Texas varies so much by region. I grew up in East TX, among pine trees and rolling hills. Pretty area, but too small for my tastes. It was 120 miles from Dallas, so it wasn't too far away from a big city.  I went to college in Waco, which is like the armpit of TX. I wouldn't recommend it, but there are worse options .  I lived in the D/FW area from 1991 - 2006, and then moved to Chicago.  Dallas, as Tots mentioned, is quite flat in most parts. I hate heat and love snow, so Chicago suits me. Texas springs, however, are beautiful.
I really enjoy Chicago. It's expensive, but I've just adjusted my spending to allow me to rent a place in the city.  I would like to buy a place, but prices are incredible. I don't want to be house poor.  At some point I'll move back to Dallas and buy there I suppose.

[whiffleball]

When were you in Charlottesville? I was there from mid '77 to early '79. A pit stop at the Roanoke VA, then to Durham for 4 years with a couple of pit stops at the VA in Asheville. Know what you mean about the hood in Durham. We lived in the county but only 7 minutes from the hospital.

Blowing Rock is really pretty. I like Nashville too.

I didn't realize you were in GA.

We were in Charlottesville from '94-96.  Just long enough for the DH to go to grad school again.  Going up to the Skyline was one of my favorite things to do while there.  Driving around the outlying areas and coveting the awesome farms were another.  And there was the history aspect.  The damn US29 debacle was an unfavorite.  

It really is a lovely place, but UVA has some of the snottiest people on earth.  I got corrected if I didn't refer to it as "The University"; special emphasis on The.

Forgot to mention that we lived about a mile from Southpoint Mall off Fayetteville Road in Durham.  So, you know what I'm talking about.

[IassaFTots]

I was born in Arkansas - many parts are very pretty, but I never want to live there full time.
Lived in Memphis for when I was in elementary school back in the mid 70s. The area I lived in was decent middle class back then, but now it's the worst hood in town (or so I hear).  I haven't been back, so I really have no idea what it is like to live there.
Lived in Texas from late 70s - 2006. The landscape in Texas varies so much by region. I grew up in East TX, among pine trees and rolling hills. Pretty area, but too small for my tastes. It was 120 miles from Dallas, so it wasn't too far away from a big city.  I went to college in Waco, which is like the armpit of TX. I wouldn't recommend it, but there are worse options .  I lived in the D/FW area from 1991 - 2006, and then moved to Chicago.  Dallas, as Tots mentioned, is quite flat in most parts. I hate heat and love snow, so Chicago suits me. Texas springs, however, are beautiful.
I really enjoy Chicago. It's expensive, but I've just adjusted my spending to allow me to rent a place in the city.  I would like to buy a place, but prices are incredible. I don't want to be house poor.  At some point I'll move back to Dallas and buy there I suppose.

"Springs are beautiful?"    Shoot, it isn't even the first friggin day of spring and it was 87 friggin degrees in my car when I left work.  My plants are all shriveled up.  I am not amused.  No rain in sight, but I wouldn't be surprised to see rain and 40's in a week or so.  Oh yeah!  Dallas is cool!