Where do you live? What do you like & dislike about it?

[KT27]

What state (or country, in case you aren't from the US) do you live in? We are curently living in Baumholder, Germany. My husband is from TX and I am from NY. We are on military orders till 2011.

What do you like about it?
Green & Gorgeous!
4 Hrs from DLP
Great wine & food!
People are not attched to their cell phones. I hardly use mine anymore.
Slower pace of living.


Dislike?
Far way from Home
We live on base in a 900 sq ft 2 bedroom apartment in a stairwell with 7 other apartments. Too close!
I feel we would have a better expericence of "living abroad" if we lived out on the economy but unfortunately are not allowed to.
We miss the ease of things in the States....(walmart is open 24 hrs!) things here close pretty early.

 

[JanaNs]

I live in Nova Scotia on the east coast of Canada.

Likes:

-20 minutes from the beach
-delicious seafood
-quiet layed back way of life...you can hear the crickets and frogs at night!
-great place to raise children

Dislikes:

-the shopping! If I want to drive and hour and a half to Halifax the shopping is great but with teens, do you know how many online orders I place to Hollister and Abercrombie per year????
-the winters

 

[Patricia]

Central NJ here.

I love:
Being so close to the beaches- 25 minutes to great beaches.
Being so close to NYC -40 minutes and I can be parked in Midtown.
Being so close to great other places such as Philly and DC.
The diversity of the state's geography and areas is amazing. I love the mountains and rural areas of the north, the farms and flat land of the southern part of the state, the shore area that spans from Union Beach where I can look at NYC across the bay, to Cape May where there is nothing but white sand and beautiful water to see. I also love the diversity of the people and towns. It is like living in many different places at once.
I love the restaurants too.
I love being so close to so many outstanding colleges. Kept my girls close to home when the choice was theirs.
No worry about major natural disasters for the most part.




I do not love:
The people who have immigrated to NJ from other states and then do nothing but complain about how it's not their home state and that nothing is as good as in their home state. We like it this way.

Ahhhh, that felt so good....

Oh, I also am not a fan of winter.. at all, in any way, shape or form. Although on the whole, ours are pretty mild. I still complain.

 

[bluespringsmom]

I'm from Blue Springs, Missouri (sub of Kansas City)

Pros-love the four seasons
live by several lakes
cost of living is low
great schools
Home of season seven winner David Cook of American Idol. We are finally on the map.

Cons-no beach, no mountains

 

[jmskinner]

We moved to this area almost a year ago.

Things I like:
1. An hour away from WDW.
2. So much to do.

Things I don't like:
1. I've lived in TX, AL, DC area, and SC and the drivers here are the rudest and most inconsiderate (making left turns from the wrong lane just so they don't have to sit in the long line to turn leftand other things).
2. Being an hour away from WDW, I want to be closer.

 

[Sorsha]

I live in Northwest Montana, about a half an hour away from Glacier National Park.

LIKES:
1. Beautiful. The mountains, the lakes, the rivers, the big blue skies.
2. Privacy. We do not have many people, so you never really feel crowded. Its also usually very quiet. No background highway or city noises.
3. So many outdoor recreational opportunities. Lakes for swimming and boating. Wonderful fishing and hunting, if that's what you enjoy. Several ski resorts. National parks, etc.
4. Really good schools. No matter where you live, you rarely have to worry about your children's education.
5. Really low crime rates. We don't even usually lock our doors.

DISLIKES:
1. The economy. I know, this is a complaint everywhere, but even when things were good everywhere else, it was nearly impossible to make a decent living here. Extremely low wages, extremely high cost of living.
2. Horrifyingly conservative. A very very Red State, and extremely religious. MT seems to be about 50 years behind everyone else when it comes to how most Montanans view things like racial equality, gender equality, abortion rights, homosexual rights, etc. I am a feminist, liberal, environmentalist, agnostic with socialist leanings. Guess how alone I feel sometimes?!!?
3. This dislike is sort of a consequence of #2 "good things" above. We have very little in the form of shopping/dining/entertainment. We have to drive 2-4 hours for decent shopping, our restaurant choices are very limited (my closest Red Lobster or Olive Garden dinner would be out of state), and our cultural entertainment consists of the local "playhouse" or going to the movies, or open mic night at the bar and grill.
4. WINTER. GOSH but I hate winter. We have cold and snow from October to April most years. Snow, ice, blizzards, bad roads, etc. I would make a wonderful "snowbird" - I would be here from May till September then take off for greener pastures the rest of the year. We have a saying, "Montana has 4 seasons: Almost Winter, Winter, Still Winter and Road Construction season" SO true.

 

[luvsJack]

I live in south Mississippi.

What I love:
1. Living in the country but close enough to town to have some of the benefits of city living too.
2. Slower pace than a lot of places
3. Close proximity to New Orleans (one of my favorite places), beaches in Alabama and Florida and Mississippi coast with great beaches and great casinos.
4. small public schools
5. lots of community and city sporting leagues, children's activities going on
6. small church so that everyone knows pretty much everyone and always there to help when needed and cheer on when needed.
7. low cost of living
8. that famous southern hospitality

What I hate:
the rep our state has.

 

[GeorgeG]

I live in The Villages, Sumter County, Florida (moved here from New York in 2005).

I like just about everything. This area of Florida is different from most coastal and tourist areas. We don't get the tourist traffic, the hurricane risk is lower, and homeowner insurance is much lower than in the counties closer to the coast.

We have lots of good friends and neighbors.

We are an hour from WDW and the other Orlando attractions and can day trip to either coast. The weather is cooler than you might expect (rarely hits 100 and can get downright cold sometimes in Winter). The weather is usually very nice.

One thing I don't like (specific to The Villages) is the traffic rotaries. Everyone has their own interpretation of the rules. They seem to have a radius too small for them to make sense.

There is also a lack of good delis and bakeries like we were used to in New York. They often claim to be "New York style," but not on their best day. They do have pictures of New York hanging on the walls, though.

I'm retired from my regular job so I don't have to deal with many of the issues younger folks would and I got to choose this place to live. For my situation, I can't think of a better place to live.

 

[Ms Marigny]

New Orleans, LA

Likes:
The food!
This is a true melting pot- very culturally diverse with lots of interesting people.
This is an old city- very rich history and architecture.
There is always something to do, something going on, and lots of places to see! Any excuse for a party, event, festival, etc...
Very laid back atmosphere.

Dislikes:
Crime
Schools- the public schools are terrible, and private/parochial schools are expensive.
Political corruption so bad that it is humorous.
Hurricanes...and I'll leave it at that.
Dirtiness of the city.
Rising cost of living (homeowners on 1600 sq ft house: $3300, flood ins: $900)

It is hard to describe, but this place has a unique feeling that just can't be replicated anywhere else. That is why so many people move away and come back years later. Even though it has many faults, it is much loved too!

 

[NCRedding]

I live in the center of NC, in a smallish town (around 20,000).

Likes: I like having 4 distinct seasons, although our winter is usually very mild (which is another thing I love). Love the scenery. Love being 3 hours or less to the mountains, and to the beach. Love being 1.5 hours from Raleigh, and from Charlotte. We have 3 airports within 2 or less hours, so we can shop for decent airfare. Like the small school system. Lower cost of living--our housing cost in particular are very reasonable. Fairly low tax rate.

DH and I are both from this area (and our families have lived here since at least the mid 1800s), so it is nice know alot of the other people in town. It's nice to go to ballgames, plays, etc and see so many familiar faces. I like that my DD will graduate from the same high school that DH and I did, that all her grandparents did, and 2 of her great-grandfathers did. It seems permanent. It is home.

Dislikes: opportunities are limited for employment. we were formerly all manufacturing, which is slowly disappearing. The demographics are changing--we lose a good number of people to better opportunities elsewhere. We have NO nice grocery stores. Really good restaurants are rare.

In general, though, the likes far outweigh the dislikes: I can't imagine living anywhere else.

 

[Pin Wizard]

LOVE the beach!

Hate the humidity we get! It was MUCH less humid in FL.

 

[DznyLvr2005]

Staten Island, NY

Likes:
The Conference House Park near my house

Dislikes:
How expensive everything is
How most houses are connected
How no one around here likes to have back yards apparently
HOW EXPENSIVE EVERYTHING IS, did I mention that?!

 

[Alyssa88]

Philadelphia, Pa

Love: the diversity of the people, tons of things to do, the univiersities (research)

Like: the nightlife

Dislike: The crime and the corrupt cops

I hate the fact that people in poorer areas of the city do not recieve the same treatment (We are supposed to get 1 trash day a week, sometimes they dont feel like coming, recycling comes maybe once a month- the area gets filthy because people don't feel like bringing their trash back inside (we don't either, it would get smelly)

Even though there is so much I dislike, I really do LOVE living here.

 

[DawnM]

I live in the Charlotte, NC area.

Pros:

Low cost of living
Green most of the time
Somewhat mild weather
Very nice people overall
Low crowds compared to most big cities
Family friendly

Cons:

It isn't California!
The "mountains" are pretty small
Humidity
BUGS! Yuck!
Did I mention it isn't West Coast?
People are a little more uptight here
Pay is low (and don't say, "but the cost of living is lower" I know housing is, but not much else has been.)

 

[DawnM]

All your neighbors have already moved to North Carolina!
Come on down!

Dawn

Staten Island, NY

Likes:
The Conference House Park near my house

Dislikes:
How expensive everything is
How most houses are connected
How no one around here likes to have back yards apparently
HOW EXPENSIVE EVERYTHING IS, did I mention that?!

 

[Curious Yellow]

well i think im the first non american to post, so here goes

I live in Liverpool North West England and although i love the place i cant wait to leave and live somewhere else for a while once my masters degree is finished

Pros
- the Liverpudlians have great sense of humour
- town centre is great atmosphere with loads to see and do


Cons
- many people here are very rude
- the kids are starting to become obnoxious tweenagers (even more so)
- when its hot its still cold
- it rains - all the time

thinking of moving to New England soon or Canada

 

[Teresa Pitman]

I live in Guelph, Ontario, Canada.

Things I like:
-it's beautiful here in the summer
-lots of great but not too expensive restaurants
-great Farmer's Market (and there's an even bigger and better one 20 minutes away)
-lots of family-type activities (Hillside Festival, Donkey Days, etc.) and lots of creative artistic events as well
-relatively inexpensive to live here, but close enough to Toronto that we can go in for shows, etc. (and also close enough to Stratford, Niagara Falls, London, etc., that we can go there for outings too)
-the leash-free dog parks! My dogs are so happy to have safe places to run free.

And not specifically Guelph but Canada in general - I really like our universal health care system (although it isn't perfect) and educational system, especially at the post-secondary level, and that homeschooling is also a viable option for parents.

Things I don't like:
-winter. Too long and too cold.
-the annoying bus route schedule here - like no Sunday evening buses. Some people do have to work Sunday evenings, you know.
-Stephen Harper (our Prime Minister)

Hmm. I had a hard time thinking of things I don't like. Probably a good sign!

Teresa

 

[luvsmickeymouse]

We live in New Hampshire. I love spring, summer, and fall. Our winters are too long and cold, and our summers aren't long enough.

 

[sPaRkLeSpAz]

I live in a tiny country town in south Georgia.

Likes
~I live next door to my grandparents and across the street from my cousins.
~It's a tiny town, everybody knows everyone else.
~I've grown up here, and I'd love to raise a family here one day.

Dislikes
~The gossip! Everyone knows everyone's business!
~When I want to go to the mall I have to drive 30 minutes to get there!

The likes win for me though, I can't imagine ever wanting to leave this place.

 

[Disney Doll]

CT
I like the 4 seasons, although I could do with a little less winter.

I like that we are pretty close to both NYC and Boston and all they offer.

I like that it is a pretty state.

I dislilke that it is exepnsive.