If you could live anywhere in the continental US, where would you live?

[WebScorpion]

I'm just wondering what great places there are to live and why they are great.

In my current job I travel quite a bit, but I have an opportunity to take a job in what seems like a nice city which requires very little travel. There are a billion other factors, but it made me curious as to what other people's opinion of a 'great place to live' was?

[improbus]

Anywhere South of Tennessee,
Anywhere in the Mountains
Anywhere on the West Coast (except LA)
Anywhere on the East Coast
Basically, NOT in the Midwest...

[MWM]

Minnesota in the summers. Michigan in the fall (Michigan has AWESOME falls). North Carolina the rest of the year.

[bucksfan2]

Evergreen, Colorado. It is in the foothill of the mountains. Its less than an hour from some resorts and about an hour and a half from Vail. It is also a short drive down into Denver.

[Spring~Fields]

Hilton Head Island.

http://www.hiltonheadisland.com/

[RollyInRaleigh]

I pretty much love it here in South Charlotte, NC.

[Grounds_Crew]

I have lived in Orlando and in Pittsburgh. I enjoyed both cities...a lot actually. Orlando was 14 hours away from home so it allowed for me to experience being away from nearly everything that I "know". Pittsburgh is so much like Cincy that most of the time I was there I didn't feel any different.

[redhawkfish]

Within an hour of Dale Hollow Lake!

[flyer85]

western NC ... somewhere in the hills near Asheville

[camisadelgolf]

western NC ... somewhere in the hills near Asheville

This is almost word-for-word what I was going to post. I lived there a while and loved it out there.

[westofyou]

Los Altos California would be my first choice.

I live in my second choice.

[Puffy]

New Orleans or Manhattan

[RichRed]

This is almost word-for-word what I was going to post. I lived there a while and loved it out there.

I lived in Asheville for 5 years. Great place.

[timmario66]

western NC ... somewhere in the hills near Asheville

Just vacationed at High Hampton Inn in Cashiers, NC. Absolutely beautiful area!!!

[RichRed]

This seems like as good a place as any to bring this up. The wife and I have toyed with the idea of making a big move to California (kind of have to find jobs first though). So far, we've only looked at the area just north of San Diego, possibly Carlsbad or Encinitas.

Anyone here ever lived in that area and have an opinion?

[westofyou]

This seems like as good a place as any to bring this up. The wife and I have toyed with the idea of making a big move to California (kind of have to find jobs first though). So far, we've only looked at the area just north of San Diego, possibly Carlsbad or Encinitas.

Anyone here ever lived in that area and have an opinion?

Bring money, lots of it and 2 cars.

[Roy Tucker]

Of the places I've been, the only one I'd realistically consider moving to is Colorado Springs, CO. That is, taking into consideration family, kids, parents, money, jobs, cost of living, etc.

But I've often said I'd like to have multiple lives to live so I could experiment with different places, domiciles, jobs, etc. etc. So I guess I'll just have to wait to see where I end up on the next turn of the karma wheel. Maybe I'll be a prairie dog in CO.

[camisadelgolf]

This seems like as good a place as any to bring this up. The wife and I have toyed with the idea of making a big move to California (kind of have to find jobs first though). So far, we've only looked at the area just north of San Diego, possibly Carlsbad or Encinitas.

Anyone here ever lived in that area and have an opinion?

I lived in L.A. It was very busy and stressful for me. I'd recommend it only if someone had plenty of money to spare.

[RichRed]

Bring money, lots of it and 2 cars.

Yeah, I'm definitely leery of the sticker-shock factor. I have a college buddy who lives in Carlsbad so between him and teh intarweb, I'm getting some good info.

[BRM]

Of the places I've been, the only one I'd realistically consider moving to is Colorado Springs, CO. That is, taking into consideration family, kids, parents, money, jobs, cost of living, etc.


I have lived in or near Colorado Springs for 15 years now. It's a nice place. The military brought me to this region originally and I've just never had a reason to leave.

[George Anderson]

Mayberry, North Carolina.

[Fon Duc Tow]

Strange all the people that said NC.

Curious as to the specifics of why...

(just got back from vacation and stayed a few days in Asheville. Loved it. Thats why I ask.)

[George Anderson]

Strange all the people that said NC.

Curious as to the specifics of why...

(just got back from vacation and stayed a few days in Asheville. Loved it. Thats why I ask.)

My friends Andy and Barney speak highly of it. ;)

[RollyInRaleigh]

Year round weather is good, although it is sweltering here in Charlotte, right now. Slower pace of life, to a degree. I have found it to be a very friendly place and a good place for kids. Great youth league baseball, year round. Lots of great golf within driving distance. Our public school system, here in Union Co. is really good. The housing market is still as strong, here, as anywhere in the country.

[OnBaseMachine]

Cincinnati for Reds baseball...

Los Angeles for the awesome weather and beautiful girls.:D

[reds1869]

I absolutely love San Diego. If it weren't so far from both of our families, I'd want to move there in a heart beat.

As it is, I think Cincinnati is wonderful and am perfectly happy living here. Life long residents seem to have an inferiority complex about the place and don't realize how unique and comfortable our city is.

[redsfaninbsg]

I was born in Mayberry (Mount Airy) NC. Great area and place, I currently live in SWVA and love it. Of the places I've visited it would have to be either where I live now or out in Oklahoma somewhere.

[cumberlandreds]

I was born in Mayberry (Mount Airy) NC. Great area and place, I currently live in SWVA and love it. Of the places I've visited it would have to be either where I live now or out in Oklahoma somewhere.

I really wouldn't mind living were you are. I assume you are in Big Stone Gap,VA. I grew up just across the mountain in Kentucky. It's a great place. Laid back and not far from good places to go to in Tennessee. Mayberry or Mt. Airy is a great place too. I visited one time and it was great.

[WebScorpion]

I'm currently living in Northern Va and I think it's a horrible place to raise a family. Jobs are plentiful, but the general populace seems preoccupied, even obsessed with work, power, and the almighty dollar. Traffic is terrible, crime is rampant, and now property values are even taking a tumble. Although there are tons of people here, very few are even happy, much less friendly. I actually love my job...it's challenging, pays fairly well, the people are decent enough, and there's plenty of opportunity for growth. I work for a government contractor, and it has been on Fortune magazine's '100 Best Companies to Work For' list for the entire time I've been here, but I am on contract, so when the contract ends, it can be a little unnerving not knowing whether you'll have work in the near future.

The new job would be in Portland, OR as a Federal Government employee, so no more instability and no more travel. It seems to be a great place to raise a family but we'd be moving away from almost all of our extended family. I think the pace of life there is a little more to my liking and the nearby wilderness and mountains are a dream come true for me. Also, I'd be able to ride a bike into work, take public transit, get a motorcycle for commuting, or some combination of the three, all of which appeal to me. That piece would depend on what part of Portland we end up living in. I have a friend who lives in Sherwood who claims it's very nice, but I've only been in Portland for about 4 hours, 3 of them in an interview, so I have no firsthand knowledge. The pay is about the same as my current job, but the difference in cost of living might be like a raise. I have one more hurdle to cross (a certification test) before I think I'll get the written offer, but I'm not absolutely positively sold on the whole uprooting the family for a new job thing. http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/confused007.gif (http://www.freesmileys.org)

[Kingspoint]

The Rogue River Valley, or

San Diego

[RedRoser]

Georgetown, KY, which is where I hope to teach/coach after taking retirement in TN in a few years. Georgetown is a scenic place and would allow me to see many more UK basketball games and Reds baseball games.

[HeatherC1212]

Of the places I've been, the only one I'd realistically consider moving to is Colorado Springs, CO. That is, taking into consideration family, kids, parents, money, jobs, cost of living, etc.

This is one of the cities I was going to mention. I went there last year and it was gorgeous. I'd love to go back and I'd definitely consider living there. :)

I also enjoyed Portland, OR when I was there a couple of years ago. It's a wonderful city (the mass transit system is really good) and the people were all really great too. I didn't even mind their 'winter' weather which consisted of an ice storm that left maybe one inch of ice on the ground which is nothing when you grow up in Ohio where ice is a normal occurance in winter, LOL ;)

[MWM]

I'd reconsider my options depending on what stage of life I was in and the income level. If I were younger and single, with a good income, I'd move to Manhattan or Chicago in a heartbeat. As it stands I'm early-to-mid-30s with a wife and three kids. I would have chosen North Carolina, but the summers in Minnesota are just too fantastic to pass up. And falls in Michigan are pretty phenomenal as well. And I love those seasons, so I don't think I'd ever want to live without a good fall and a mild summer.

[improbus]

Why is no one mentioning Ohio?:rolleyes:

[RFS62]

In a van, down by the river.


http://www.t-nation.com/img/photos/06-180-diet/image001.jpg

[BUTLER REDSFAN]

I'd like to live in/around the Smoky Mountain area.

[cincinnati chili]

Somewhere within 75 miles of Denver, preferably near a lake, below 7000 feet in the winter, and with a good amount of shade in the summer. Metro Boulder probably. Colorado Springs is more affordable and doesn't have as many good restaurants, but it's still quite nice.

Denver isn't a bad compromise, as one can easily get to those great spots, and can be surrounded by great professional sports year round.

[gm]

I'm currently living in Northern Va and I think it's a horrible place to raise a family. Jobs are plentiful, but the general populace seems preoccupied, even obsessed with work, power, and the almighty dollar. Traffic is terrible, crime is rampant, and now property values are even taking a tumble. Although there are tons of people here, very few are even happy, much less friendly. I actually love my job...it's challenging, pays fairly well, the people are decent enough, and there's plenty of opportunity for growth. I work for a government contractor, and it has been on Fortune magazine's '100 Best Companies to Work For' list for the entire time I've been here, but I am on contract, so when the contract ends, it can be a little unnerving not knowing whether you'll have work in the near future.

The new job would be in Portland, OR as a Federal Government employee, so no more instability and no more travel. It seems to be a great place to raise a family but we'd be moving away from almost all of our extended family. I think the pace of life there is a little more to my liking and the nearby wilderness and mountains are a dream come true for me. Also, I'd be able to ride a bike into work, take public transit, get a motorcycle for commuting, or some combination of the three, all of which appeal to me. That piece would depend on what part of Portland we end up living in. I have a friend who lives in Sherwood who claims it's very nice, but I've only been in Portland for about 4 hours, 3 of them in an interview, so I have no firsthand knowledge. The pay is about the same as my current job, but the difference in cost of living might be like a raise. I have one more hurdle to cross (a certification test) before I think I'll get the written offer, but I'm not absolutely positively sold on the whole uprooting the family for a new job thing. http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/confused007.gif (http://www.freesmileys.org)

I was born and raised in Sherwood and now live 8 miles south in Newberg. Lots of changes around these parts in 40+ years, but I'm sure you'd find it very laid back when compared to the DC area (not that I've ever been that far east...)

I'm sure you've heard stories about the rain, but (while it's true we celeberate every sun break from December 'til April) the nice thing about the weather is that it's mild, with very few extremes in temperature and humidity is not an issue. If you want to play in the snow you can drive east for a few hours, and if you like the beach (cold water, wear a wet suit when body surfing) it's the same drive time in the other direction (unless you're trying to get there on a Friday afternoon...)

If it weren't for all the Californians (like westofyou) moving up here en masse and clogging up the outdated, too-narrow freeway system, the place would be perfect (I keed, I keed) There's still enough of us native Oregonians around to assure you'll get a friendly welcome.

[cincinnati chili]

If it weren't for all the Californians (like westofyou) moving up here en masse and clogging up the outdated, too-narrow freeway system

heh heh

If westofyou gets to be a Californian, does that mean I can be an Alaska native?

Damn, I coulda got into a better law school, had I known.

[cincyinco]

Not sure I'll ever move from Denver. Great city, almost never bored. Close to everything. Nightlife, good culinary, bar and club scene, outdoors, and 4 seasons. And of course, mountains! Good in both summer and winter. Close to Colorado springs! Whoever said evergreen was also right on. Great choice. Not sure I will ever leave this state, I'm a native.

[Fon Duc Tow]

Why is no one mentioning Ohio?:rolleyes:

"Friends don't let friends live in Ohio." :cool:

[OldRightHander]

I grew up in Ohio and still live there. I've also lived in Kentucky and Colorado. I've also seem this entire country over the last year, top to bottom and coast to coast. I've been in a lot of cities that have a lot to offer and a lot that I wouldn't care to ever go near again.

There are really only two things that would get me to move away from Cincinnati. Either a proximity to the ocean or mountains. There are parts of Texas I like, but with apologies to the Texans here, it's just too darn hot in the summer. I like parts of Wisconsin and Minnesota, but I don't think I'd take kindly to the winters. I lived in Colorado Springs for a few months in 2001, but I wasn't making that much money back then and we moved back to Cincinnati because of the cost of living.

With all that said, I guess I'm pretty happy where I am, when I get to see it. The only thing I want is a more rural setting with a few acres and a log home. Ohio suits me just fine as far as that goes. With my line of work, I get to see the mountains and the ocean quite a bit, and when I do west coast runs, sometimes both at the same time. As I expand my company, it would benefit me to be near the major freight lanes. The midwest is the place to be and Cincinnati is a prime location.

I don't know what the big beef is against Ohio except maybe that it's human nature to want what you don't have. When I see the scenery out west or see the ocean it's easy to say, "I wish we had this at home.", but after wandering through all those places, home is a darn good place to return to. When I was younger I longed to go somewhere "interesting" but now I take more comfort in what I know. If I can get about ten acres in the country about an hour or two from Cincinnati, that will suit me just fine. The mountains and the ocean aren't going anywhere, so I can always visit whenever I want.

[gm]

heh heh

If westofyou gets to be a Californian, does that mean I can be an Alaska native?

Most "Californians" don't have long ties to the state (for obvious reasons) and a good percentage move north and put down roots (while causing the native Oregonian's property taxes to go through the roof...)

You'll have to forgive me, I grew up during the Tom McCall era "come to Oregon for a visit, but don't stick around...we want to keep our state green and under-populated"

[LouisvilleCARDS]

Playboy Mansion is the correct answer. :D

[Kingspoint]

Playboy Mansion is the correct answer. :D

Been there done that.


Oh, I thought you said Poorboy Mansion.

[westofyou]

Most "Californians" don't have long ties to the state (for obvious reasons) and a good percentage move north and put down roots (while causing the native Oregonian's property taxes to go through the roof...)

You'll have to forgive me, I grew up during the Tom McCall era "come to Oregon for a visit, but don't stick around...we want to keep our state green and under-populated"

20 years is pretty long, longer than my stay in Ohio.

As for the old Oregon slogan... we know it worked for big business's, but not those pesky Californians.

[JaxRed]

I've lived in eastern NC , Ohio, Northern California, Kansas, Arkansas, Southern Virginia, and now Jacksonville). Being a warm weather guy, my two favorites have been NoCal and here.

But all things considered, Jax is a tremendous place to live. Big enough to have a lot of stuff, (NFL team, AA baseball) yet not some huge city with bad traffic. Right on the ocean with tons of attractions just hours away.

Right on 2 interstates going east/west and north/South. No state income tax, housing prices not too bad.

[*BaseClogger*]

Cincinnati :)

[SunDeck]

Pawleys Island, SC
Asheville, NC

I'd split my time between them.

[15fan]

Frequent snow, frequent earthquakes, and/or frequent torandos rule out any place for me.

Drop the "continental" from the question, and the answer is incredibly easy: Hawaii.

NC is nice in that it has mountains, beaches, and a couple of different metropolitan areas (Charlotte & Raleigh-Durham). Tobacco Road during basketball season is a ton of fun, too.

[macro]

I have always had a fascination with Los Angeles, and regret that I've never been able to live in Beverly Hills and/or Malibu for at least some amount of time. I'd probably get my feel of both in a couple of years or less, though.

I'd also like Savannah, Georgia and anywhere in the Carolinas.

[redsfan23]

i would love to be in NC..
LOL

[VR]

I've lived in the Bay Area, San Diego, Scottsdale.....gimme Portland over all of em. No contest.

[Jpup]

Rural KY is a great place to live. I have been to quite a few places and I am always glad to be home.

If I were going to move to a "city" it would be to Lexington/Georgetown, KY probably. I think that's the largest I could handle for an extended period. I love Nashville, but I'm not sure I would want to live there. I considered moving there after high school, but the traffic is horrible.

Also, when you live in this area for you entire life, the big cities seem very dirty. I just bought my house here in December and I plan to be here for a long time. Barren Co. was named one of the best counties to live in the US and I have to agree. I was raised about 40 miles from here, but this is now my home for, pretty much, the last 10 years.

[15fan]

I'd also like Savannah, Georgia and anywhere in the Carolinas.

I'll agree that there are a variety of nice places in NC. And my in-laws have been in Charleston SC for a decade now. That's another fantastic place...if you don't mind humidity and the occasional possibility of a hurricane.

(We're actually heading over to Charleston this weekend.)

But anywhere in the Carolinas? You ever been through, say, Fayetteville NC or Orangeburg SC?

[westofyou]

I'll agree that there are a variety of nice places in NC. And my in-laws have been in Charleston SC for a decade now. That's another fantastic place...if you don't mind humidity and the occasional possibility of a hurricane.

(We're actually heading over to Charleston this weekend.)

But anywhere in the Carolinas? You ever been through, say, Fayetteville NC or Orangeburg SC?

Clover, South Carolina?

Doubt it

[RedsFan75]

The wife and I were talking about this yesterday. We've lived all over the country. Texas, New Mexico, Iowa, and other parts for a while. Plus I spend a lot of time in PA for work so we've experienced a wide variety of places to live. I grew up in the mountains of eastern KY, she in the flats of Illinois.

We both agree that our time living in Cincinnati was probably the place we liked the most.

[SunDeck]

I'll agree that there are a variety of nice places in NC. And my in-laws have been in Charleston SC for a decade now. That's another fantastic place...if you don't mind humidity and the occasional possibility of a hurricane.

(We're actually heading over to Charleston this weekend.)

But anywhere in the Carolinas? You ever been through, say, Fayetteville NC or Orangeburg SC?

Fayetteville is great if you happen to be Airborne, sell guns or used cars or are a stripper. NC is just like any state- you have your great places and your awful ones. But by and large I think the options there are far better than, say, the state I currently inhabit.

[RichRed]

I've lived in the Bay Area, San Diego, Scottsdale.....gimme Portland over all of em. No contest.

As someone who's considered living in San Diego and Portland, could you expand on why you like Portland so much better? I'm always interested in why people like or dislike certain places.

[westofyou]

As someone who's considered living in San Diego and Portland, could you expand on why you like Portland so much better? I'm always interested in why people like or dislike certain places.

Portland is more of a small town, yet has a big town feel. The weather is varied as it mocks the Midwest more than most west coast cities. It's not as car centric as any town south of San Francisco, nor is it as expensive. Close to the ocean, close to mountains, a 3 hour drive to the high desert, makes the terrain a major factor, in short there is a lot to do if you lie the outdoors.

However its' not as awash in jobs as California, nor diverse cultures... sure it's changing but there is an old school vibe around here that screams lumber jack... not as much as there was 5 years ago.

[Chip R]

However its' not as awash in jobs as California, nor diverse cultures... sure it's changing but there is an old school vibe around here that screams lumber jack... not as much as there was 5 years ago.


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/1b/Lumberjack_Song.jpg

[AFalcon10]

western NC ... somewhere in the hills near Asheville


Asheville is beautiful and a great vacation spot but I could not imagine living out there for the rest of my life. This one comes down to three places to me : Cincinnati, NYC, or DC. Odd combination perhaps but I love those 3 cities.

[registerthis]

I'm living now where I've always wanted to live: in central Washington, DC. Right now, I can't imagine living anywhere else (although we have discussed Baltimore, but it's only about 30 miles north). Beautiful city, a culture that fits our tastes, great restaurants, plenty of outdoor activities, and sports teams so mind-numbingly awful that I can continue to root for the Ohio teams with a clear conscience. It also helps that I work in a field that, along with the federal government, makes up about 90% of the workforce here.

If we were forced to pack up and head somewhere besides the DC-Baltimore area, San Francisco would top my list, followed by Portland. Boston and Chicago would likely make the short list as well, but my wife despises cold weather and would never agree to it.

Beyond that, there just aren't that many places I am clamoring to live. I don't have a desire to return to Ohio, although I have a great many family members there. Outside of Chicago, the midwest bores me to tears. New York would drive me nuts, LA is too much of a concrete city for me, and just not that culturally interesting. The south is too hot and sticky, and a bit too "laid back" for my tastes. That said, I could probably make do in any of those areas. :)

[MWM]

As someone who's considered living in San Diego and Portland, could you expand on why you like Portland so much better? I'm always interested in why people like or dislike certain places.


I lived in San Diego for a year and hated it. The weather was phenomenal and can't possibly be exaggerated. But there was nothing else I liked about it. But had I been born and raised there, I probably would have never left (like most people I know from there who never left). So I don't think it's a bad place to live as much as you have to be tolerant, or enjoy, the southern california culture, which is a heck of a lot different than the midwest. I'd move to Portland in a heartbeat. You couldn't pay me enough to move to SoCal. But that's just me.

[Raisor]

I'd move back to the Pacific Northwest in a second if I could afford it.

[Kingspoint]

... sure it's changing but there is an old school vibe around here that screams lumber jack... not as much as there was 5 years ago.

Don't let him fool you. You can't move a muscle in Portland without bumping into a bicyclist, a pot-smoker, a musician, or a tree-hugger...and 90% of the outspoken ones are from out of state, or their parents are from out of state. The "new" Portlanders think they're the center of the universe and couldn't give a lick about anyone else from the rest of their state.

[westofyou]

Don't let him fool you. You can't move a muscle in Portland without bumping into a bicyclist, a pot-smoker, a musician, or a tree-hugger...

Yep it's dangerous out here, damn radicals and their bikes.

[SunDeck]

My wife's family is from the Pacific Northwest. She says it is kind of funny to her that places like Portland and Seattle give that part of the country a rep for being full of tofu eaters and tree huggers because her memories of Washington are of gun toting, right leaning survivalist types- builders of the dams, "Western Idahoans", as she calls them.

Speaking of Washington, I'd live in Ellensburg in a heartbeat.

[Raisor]

My wife's family is from the Pacific Northwest. She says it is kind of funny to her that places like Portland and Seattle give that part of the country a rep for being full of tofu eaters and tree huggers because her memories of Washington are of gun toting, right leaning survivalist types- builders of the dams, "Western Idahoans", as she calls them.

.

That's East of the Cascades. Where men are men, and cattle are nervous.

[westofyou]

My wife's family is from the Pacific Northwest. She says it is kind of funny to her that places like Portland and Seattle give that part of the country a rep for being full of tofu eaters and tree huggers because her memories of Washington are of gun toting, right leaning survivalist types- builders of the dams, "Western Idahoans", as she calls them.

Speaking of Washington, I'd live in Ellensburg in a heartbeat.

Portland is conservative in a lot of ways.. hey but don't ask me.. I lived in Berkeley in the 80's so I guess I'm one of those tree hugging, bike owning outspoken people who have an unwanted opinion about the city they live and work in.

Shame on me for that.

[Kingspoint]

Yep it's dangerous out here, damn radicals and their bikes.

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

[westofyou]

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Well if they don't have proper reflectors I get a bit peeved... but running them over makes me feel a tad better.

[15fan]

Fayetteville is great if you happen to be Airborne, sell guns or used cars or are a stripper. NC is just like any state- you have your great places and your awful ones. But by and large I think the options there are far better than, say, the state I currently inhabit.

My wife lived in Jacksonville from 5th grade through high school. Jacksonville, NC, that is. Camp Lejune and that's about it. It's Fayetteville with a beach.

Speaking of Fayetteville, my best friend's wife does some work with the Fayetteville PD. Her work stories pretty much trump any other work stories at a get together.

One of the latest head-scratchers is that Aiken, SC seems to be turning into a retirement mecca. I know a couple of different people from different parts of the country who have built / are building retirement homes in the area.

Aiken?

[NoCalRed]

I grew up in Cincinnati, have lived in several other places in the country and traveled through much more, but don't think I would ever move from where I am now. My wife and I have discussed moving before, but it really wasn't going to happen it's just too us here in Sonoma county, if that makes since. The weather is year round nice; One maybe two weeks of 90+ weather in the summer (dry heat of course), and mild rainy winters shoot sometimes I wear shorts and flip flops on my afternoon walks. I think I turned on my heater once or twice last winter and I haven't used my AC in years. Very laid back atmosphere, good food, good beer, and good wine. Speaking of food and location we could head to the city in the morning for a Dim Sum breakfast then back up to Bodega bay for a sea food dinner. Also for the kids and adults if you are thinking of going back to school SRJC is an outstanding junior college and then the CSU system has a nice school about 10 miles south. I could see us moving when it comes to retirement it is quite expensive here, but if I moved it would have to be somewhere in the west either Oregon or Arizona. Don't think I could handle anywhere else, except maybe New England I took a business trip to New Hampshire a couple of years back and I really liked it, except for the humidity.

I don't mind So Cal too much, it's not my cup of tea so to speak, but it's nice to vacation or visit. I do have a couple of questions about previous comments though.
LA is too much of a concrete city for me really? LA is a big city, but I don't think I would consider it a concrete city. I visited my brother in law a couple of years ago in West Covina, but with in a 20 minute drive we were riding our ATV's in the canyons. Next,
you have to be tolerant, or enjoy, the southern California culture parts of southern California can seem plastic or the "huh huh dude" kind of atmosphere, but is it really that difficult to deal with? Just curious.

[VR]

As someone who's considered living in San Diego and Portland, could you expand on why you like Portland so much better? I'm always interested in why people like or dislike certain places.

Distinct, yet moderate seasons. June-September has to be the best weather in the US....temp in the 80's...no humidity...green all through. Winters are rainy...but still have decent temperature to golf, bike, etc.

Cost of living is a HUGE plus.

Traffic....not so much.

Culture...fantastic. Arts, music scene, Zoo.

2009 World Champion Portland Trailblazers

Food....wow! Most James Beard award winning chefs in the US. Crazy cool food scene, and most very reasonably priced. (A shout out to LePigeon for those who haven't tried it!)

Neighborhoods. Portland is made up of dozens of 'community based' neighborhoods that bring a very small town feel to different pockets in the city.

Low crime rates.

Fantastic public transportation. Fantastic.

Best airport in the US.

Sustainable mindset. People get it...not so much in the tree hugging way, but in the responsible lifestyle way.

Clean air. Lots of it.

Good people. Yes, lots of freaks, but overall...people pretty genuine.

Urban coolness. Very hip downtown scene.....Pearl, Northwest, Waterfront, Lloyd.

and.....

did I mention...the most breweries per capita in the US!!!

[Blimpie]

Georgetown, KY, which is where I hope to teach/coach after taking retirement in TN in a few years. Georgetown is a scenic place and would allow me to see many more UK basketball games and Reds baseball games.Georgetown College is a fantastic school, as well.

[PedroBourbon]

Georgetown, KY, which is where I hope to teach/coach after taking retirement in TN in a few years. Georgetown is a scenic place and would allow me to see many more UK basketball games and Reds baseball games.

Look forward to having a fellow Reds fan here in Georgetown, KY. Look me up if you need anything for your move. Good Luck:thumbup:

[M2]

If I could live anywhere in the U.S., I'd have a few houses located around the country.

I actually live in the place I like best. Boston's a dynamite city. It's an expensive place for housing, but it's managed to keep me happy since the mid-1980s.

That said, I could easily live in Manhattan (possibly Brooklyn too) or Chicago. San Francisco, Portland and San Diego all strike me as places where I could live. I hear good things about Minneapolis.

I'm inclined toward city living so my criteria tend to be based on things like good urban residential neighborhoods, large stretches of the city you can walk through, public transportation, diverse culture.

I could live by the ocean (mid-Atlantic) from April-October, but I'd need to go somewhere else the other six months of the year.

[Ltlabner]

If given the option I'd likely move to the Gulf Coast of Mississippi as we have a large extended family there (the wifes) and I like the weather other than the hurricane problem, obviously.

But these days, I'm more and more interested in a compound somewhere like Montana and Idaho. If it weren't for the snow/cold I could dig on rural living and the smaller cities. Central Kentucky is beautiful also. Somewhere were I could afford 50 or 100 acres and a moderate sized home. "Compound" might be a tad overboard, but something were I can't actually see my neighbors would be good.

Then again, I'd love to check out Memphis, Nashville or Savanah so I don't want total isolation.

I don't dislike Cincinnati, I'm just not particularly in love with it either. It's a very nice town IMO and offers a lot for being a smaller big city. But nothings really holding me here.

[Kingspoint]

Distinct, yet moderate seasons. June-September has to be the best weather in the US....temp in the 80's...no humidity...green all through. Winters are rainy...but still have decent temperature to golf, bike, etc.

Cost of living is a HUGE plus.

Traffic....not so much.

Culture...fantastic. Arts, music scene, Zoo.

2009 World Champion Portland Trailblazers

Food....wow! Most James Beard award winning chefs in the US. Crazy cool food scene, and most very reasonably priced. (A shout out to LePigeon for those who haven't tried it!)

Neighborhoods. Portland is made up of dozens of 'community based' neighborhoods that bring a very small town feel to different pockets in the city.

Low crime rates.

Fantastic public transportation. Fantastic.

Best airport in the US.

Sustainable mindset. People get it...not so much in the tree hugging way, but in the responsible lifestyle way.

Clean air. Lots of it.

Good people. Yes, lots of freaks, but overall...people pretty genuine.

Urban coolness. Very hip downtown scene.....Pearl, Northwest, Waterfront, Lloyd.

and.....

did I mention...the most breweries per capita in the US!!!

....and Portland's "Rain" stopped about 25 years ago. The amount of rain now is minimal compared to what it used to get. Along with the rain, it used to be foggy in the morning about 90 days a year, mostly in the Winter, but it's not foggy for more than maybe 5 days a year now, at the most.

It rarely, if ever snows, and if it does, it's only 1/2 an inch or so. 40 years ago and beyond it used to snow a couple of feet every year.

All of this weather change comes from the amount of heat that is pushed up into the air from Portland's automobiles, industries, and people. There are 1 Million people in the Portland Metropolitan Community, which Vancouver is a part of.

The best comparison I've seen of the "current" Portland is one written by a famous New York author who lived in Greenwich Village in the 40's, and he saw it as very similar to that place and that time, full of artists, and dozens upon dozens of little pockets of diversity. For those who like that, that's the attraction that Portland is today.

[westofyou]

...and Portland's "Rain" stopped about 25 years ago. The amount of rain now is minimal compared to what it used to get. Yet there is still stuff stuff around my house that is covered with moss 365 days a year. Sure it's not Astoria when it comes to rain, but it's still damp around here 9 months of the year.

But all this knowledge begs the question?

Have you ever lived in PDX?

[nate]

I grew up in Ohio and still live there. I've also lived in Kentucky and Colorado. I've also seem this entire country over the last year, top to bottom and coast to coast. I've been in a lot of cities that have a lot to offer and a lot that I wouldn't care to ever go near again.

There are really only two things that would get me to move away from Cincinnati. Either a proximity to the ocean or mountains. There are parts of Texas I like, but with apologies to the Texans here, it's just too darn hot in the summer. I like parts of Wisconsin and Minnesota, but I don't think I'd take kindly to the winters. I lived in Colorado Springs for a few months in 2001, but I wasn't making that much money back then and we moved back to Cincinnati because of the cost of living.

With all that said, I guess I'm pretty happy where I am, when I get to see it. The only thing I want is a more rural setting with a few acres and a log home. Ohio suits me just fine as far as that goes. With my line of work, I get to see the mountains and the ocean quite a bit, and when I do west coast runs, sometimes both at the same time. As I expand my company, it would benefit me to be near the major freight lanes. The midwest is the place to be and Cincinnati is a prime location.

I don't know what the big beef is against Ohio except maybe that it's human nature to want what you don't have. When I see the scenery out west or see the ocean it's easy to say, "I wish we had this at home.", but after wandering through all those places, home is a darn good place to return to. When I was younger I longed to go somewhere "interesting" but now I take more comfort in what I know. If I can get about ten acres in the country about an hour or two from Cincinnati, that will suit me just fine. The mountains and the ocean aren't going anywhere, so I can always visit whenever I want.

Except for the ocean part, that screams "Nashville," ORH!

[Kingspoint]

Yet there is still stuff stuff around my house that is covered with moss 365 days a year. Sure it's not Astoria when it comes to rain, but it's still damp around here 9 months of the year.

But all this knowledge begs the question?

Have you ever lived in PDX?

So, with that knowledge, triple the amount of rain that you've seen over the last 20 years and you'll understand what it used to be like for centuries and why Portland it's reputation for rain. It would literally rain every day for over a month, and not that disgusting drizzle that you would get in Seattle, but rain, as the sun never shown during the month. It kept people from living there. It's been very mild for the last 30 years, as far as rain is concerned.

I'd rather live in the Rogue River Valley, though as it's hot in the Summer and cold in the Winter, and the air is much fresher. About 35 years ago, the smog in Portland reached a point to where it wasn't real pleasant. Before that, every day, if you drove South from Portland to Salem, you could see the Coast Range crystal clear. Now you struggle to see the Cascade Range at times. I remember flying from San Francisco to Portland in a Cessna in 1979 and the sky was clear as could be until you started approaching Medford as there was an orange cloud that hovered over it. Then you went past that and it was crystal clear again until you were at about Eugene. From there what you saw was a giant orange cloud that stretched from the tip of Mt. Hood to the coast range and from Salem to North of Vancouver. This giant orange cloud of 70 miles by 70 miles has sat there every day for the last 35 years, though now it's a cleaner cloud as automobile emissions are 100 times better than what they were and factory emissions are 1000 times better than what they were. Go on the other side of Mt. Hood to Hood River, and you have air that's clean as can be. That is a great place to live, but you need a way to employ yourself unless you want to drive to Portland back and forth every day (many do), but you better own a Subaru. Here's one for you WestofYou. The name of the rapids in front of, "The Dalles", was called, "The Dalles of the Dead" after 1838. The first Jesuit priests to go to Oregon named it that after losing 12 people from ther party of 26 while traversing the rapids on barges (large canoes) bound for Fort Vancouver.

[westofyou]

So, with that knowledge, triple the amount of rain that you've seen over the last 20 years and you'll understand what it used to be like for centuries and why Portland it's reputation for rain. It would literally rain every day for over a month, and not that disgusting drizzle that you would get in Seattle, but rain, as the sun never shown during the month. It kept people from living there. It's been very mild for the last 30 years, as far as rain is concerned.

Now you're just telling tall tales, this doesn't have the last ten years in it but it was not 3 time wetter here 30 years ago, now go towards the coast and that's a different story.

http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/pqr/pdxclimate/PG65.html

I can tell you that since 1900 the temperature in the PNW has increased 15%, and 2004 was an El Nino winter and the 5th driest in 60 years.

I'll take that any day.

BTW I believe a lot of that air pollution comes from China too, their crap is affecting the weather something awful too.

Speaking of 1979... I remember the air in the East Bay being ten times better back then and being able to see Mount Diabalo from the City. Now you're lucky if you can see Memorial Stadium.

[SunDeck]

.

Aiken?

I don't get it either- my parents know a bunch of retirees down at Pawleys who came from Aiken.

[Kingspoint]

Now you're just telling tall tales, this doesn't have the last ten years in it but it was not 3 time wetter here 30 years ago, now go towards the coast and that's a different story.

http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/pqr/pdxclimate/PG65.html

I can tell you that since 1900 the temperature in the PNW has increased 15%, and 2004 was an El Nino winter and the 5th driest in 60 years.

I'll take that any day.

BTW I believe a lot of that air pollution comes from China too, their crap is affecting the weather something awful too.

Speaking of 1979... I remember the air in the East Bay being ten times better back then and being able to see Mount Diabalo from the City. Now you're lucky if you can see Memorial Stadium.

There was this spot I lived at in Walnut Creek which was really cool. I'm sure you know the place. It was right south to what is currently the Walnut Creek Bart station, just off Ygnacio Valley Drive.

This spot was the vector in the V-shaped hills that surround Walnut Creek. There would only be rain for 2 weeks out of the year, where Concord, just a few miles to the North and East would get quite a bit more rain. As the clouds hit the hills they would get pushed to both sides of where I lived. It was awesome. You could play softball 12 months out of the year.

[westofyou]

There was this spot I lived at in Walnut Creek which was really cool. I'm sure you know the place. It was right south to what is currently the Walnut Creek Bart station, just off Ygnacio Valley Drive.

This spot was the vector in the V-shaped hills that surround Walnut Creek. There would only be rain for 2 weeks out of the year, where Concord, just a few miles to the North and East would get quite a bit more rain. As the clouds hit the hills they would get pushed to both sides of where I lived. It was awesome. You could play softball 12 months out of the year.

I delivered auto parts for a company in WC in 1982, made $4.00 and hour and could still rent an apartment and go to JC which cost exactly $50 a semester.

Can't do that anymore.

[Kingspoint]

Now you're just telling tall tales, this doesn't have the last ten years in it but it was not 3 time wetter here 30 years ago, now go towards the coast and that's a different story.

http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/pqr/pdxclimate/PG65.html




Nice chart...nice find. It does support what I said, though, to a degree. It's not 3 times though as you say I said, but 40 inches a year instead of 32 inches a year makes a huge difference, especially when the 8 extra inches are spead out over the 3 rainy months of November through January. Three extra inches of rain for 3 straight months is an awful lot of rain. It fills in the gaps of the days when it wasn't raining. Those Nov-Jan months produced from 1/2 to 3/4ths of the Annual Rainfall, so during those three months, when it used to rain nearly every day, then it seemed like it was raining 3 times as often as it does now when it's only raining 10 days out of the month instead of 30. I had mentioned that it started about 30 years ago before you gave me the chart to look it up. It was 1976 when it began to get really mild as far as precipitation is concerned.

If you look at the 3 months of Nov-Jan of the Winter of '73-'74, it rained 30 inches over those three months. Exactly 20 years later in the Winter of '93-'94 during Nov-Dec, it rained only 10 inches over those three months. So, the 3 times as much wasn't really a tall tale. That's actually what happened. It hits really hard when the days are short to begin with in the Winter and you combine that with never seeing the Sun for three months, and everything's wet every day, wherever you go, then the Winters of the last 30 years with the exception of the "El Nino" you spoke of over the Winters of '95-'96 to '98-'99 are gloomy to go through. You certainly felt four of them. Imagine feeling 24 of them.

For 10-year rolling periods starting in 1875, here's the avg rainfall for Portland:

'76-'85......52.9"
'86-'95......39.4"
'96-'05......40.9"
'06-'15......39.4"
'16-'25......38.2"
'26-'35......38.6"
'36-'45......37.6"
'46-'55......40.3"
'56-'65......35.6"
'66-'75......39.4"
'76-'85......33.7"
'86-'94......32.0"

The El Nino:
'95-'98......49.1"

There's no more data available after that, but it's the same as it was from '76-'94. There's definitely been a Major change to the climate. Not only is there less rain, but it's less Cold, too. This year, they certainly had their share of rain as the snowpacks were back to the 200"+ levels that they usually were back before 1975.

[Kingspoint]

I delivered auto parts for a company in WC in 1982, made $4.00 and hour and could still rent an apartment and go to JC which cost exactly $50 a semester.

Can't do that anymore.

In '83 I was working as a Computer Operater for a company, A. Cesana & Assoc. on Ygnacio Valley Road in WC. I printed payroll checks for companies like Motorola and stuff. My girlfriend was going to DVC, and then I went to work for B of A and Marie Callendar's (at the same time), then went dancing at night.....to have that kind of energy again. I loved it there. I managed a softball team (instead of playing), and never touched an American Beer once in the years I was in California....only imports. Didn't have the microbrews, yet. My favorite thing to do was to skip work and go to an afternoon ballgame of the A's or the Giants. Saw opening day for both the A's (Canseco) and Giants (Will Clark) in '83. Clark homered off of Nolan Ryan. They were called businessman's specials for a reason.

[Redhook]

Portland. Definitely. I've been to 42 of the 50 states and Portland is easily my favorite place. I love it there.

[WebScorpion]

Speaking of 1979... I remember the air in the East Bay being ten times better back then and being able to see Mount Diabalo from the City. Now you're lucky if you can see Memorial Stadium.

I was there for one day and I could see Mt Hood quite clearly for pretty much the entire time I was there, and that's like, 30-40 miles East of downtown isn't it?

As opposed to Seattle where I was before and after Portland, (that's where I drove from,) where Mt. Rainier was only visible on the clearest days. The top was in the clouds when I returned from Portland. I think Rainier may be 5 or 10 miles more distant, but the air is definitely clearer in Portland.

[VR]

I was there for one day and I could see Mt Hood quite clearly for pretty much the entire time I was there, and that's like, 30-40 miles East of downtown isn't it?

As opposed to Seattle where I was before and after Portland, (that's where I drove from,) where Mt. Rainier was only visible on the clearest days. The top was in the clouds when I returned from Portland. I think Rainier may be 5 or 10 miles more distant, but the air is definitely clearer in Portland.

You can clearly see Mt. Hood (50 miles), Mt. St. Helen's (53) and Mt. Adams (75) on any day thats not rainy or cloudy. Mid June-Late September that's 90% of the days.

Did we mention no sales tax?

[Kingspoint]

You can clearly see Mt. Hood (50 miles), Mt. St. Helen's (53) and Mt. Adams (75) on any day thats not rainy or cloudy. Mid June-Late September that's 90% of the days.

Did we mention no sales tax?


I would hope you could see Mt. Hood as it's 10,000 feet up in the air.

If there's ever a day in Portland or Vancouver where the smog is so bad that you can't see Mt. Hood, then Nuke the entire planet because by then everyone will be walking around with oxygen masks on their heads.

[VR]

I would hope you could see Mt. Hood as it's 10,000 feet up in the air.

If there's ever a day in Portland or Vancouver where the smog is so bad that you can't see Mt. Hood, then Nuke the entire planet because by then everyone will be walking around with oxygen masks on their heads.

The only smog-type phenomenon threatening P-town is ash from Mt. St. Helen's

[klw]

In no particular order:
Princeton NJ
Hanover NH
Woodstock VT
Freeport Maine
Wellfleet Mass

[RFS62]

Monterey Peninsula

[gonelong]

Family will always keep us in Ohio, but I'd be willing to try (in no particular order) Portland, a few spots in NC, a few spots in Colorado, and a few spots in Georgia.

I'd give Chicago, NY, and Boston about 6 months apiece.


GL

[RawOwl UK]

Can anyone please explain what the continental US is please ?

[ochre]

Can anyone please explain what the continental US is please ?All the states other than Hawaii and sometimes Alaska depending on context.

[KronoRed]

All the states other than Hawaii and sometimes Alaska depending on context.

Lets take care of that....

Invade Canada and build a bridge to Hawaii.

[cincinnati chili]

All the states other than Hawaii and sometimes Alaska depending on context.

I've never heard the term continental U.S. include Alaska. If you're a merchant, for example, and you guarantee delivery to the continental U.S., I'm pretty sure you're talking about the "lower 48" states.

I realize Alaska is attached to the continent. It's a bit of a misnomer.

[gonelong]

I've never heard the term continental U.S. include Alaska. If you're a merchant, for example, and you guarantee delivery to the continental U.S., I'm pretty sure you're talking about the "lower 48" states.

I realize Alaska is attached to the continent. It's a bit of a misnomer.

Overseas (and in war movies) they often refer to this as "the mainland".

GL

[Brisco]

Since finishing high school I have lived in:

Davenport, Iowa
Columbia, South Carolina
Monterey, California
San Angelo, Texas
Normal, Illinois
Lawton, Oklahoma
DeKalb, Illinois
Sierra Vista, Arizona
Uijongbu, Korea
Wurzburg, Germany
Skopje, Macedonia
Charlottesville, Virginia
Annandale, Virginia
Anchorage, Alaska
Manhattan, NYC, NY
West Point, NY

In the military you move a lot. I loved living in most of the places, but the one thing they all had in common is that in every one of them I still dreamed of returning to the place I was born and moved away from at age four:

Cincinnati, Ohio

[ochre]

I've never heard the term continental U.S. include Alaska. If you're a merchant, for example, and you guarantee delivery to the continental U.S., I'm pretty sure you're talking about the "lower 48" states.

I realize Alaska is attached to the continent. It's a bit of a misnomer.
So I should have said "most of the time". I also get continental and contiguous mixed up. I was thinking Alaska was continental, but not contiguous, et cetera.

[cincrazy]

Minnesota in the summers. Michigan in the fall (Michigan has AWESOME falls). North Carolina the rest of the year.

Michigan is beautiful in the fall... I was there in November for the big game, and while it was towards the end of fall, it was still stunning.