What makes your location the best/worst place to live?

You're right, g.olson, we don't quite see eye to eye on the perfect weather. Bring on the heat and sunshine!

DesignerTerp/Macroy/and other locals:
It's good hearing what others think of our area, especially since we seemingly agree on many points. How long have you guys been here? Plans of trying some place new?

The NYC crowd:
I love NYC, but only in 5-day chunks per year. It's just too overwhelming for my tastes, but a great city nontheless.

What about some input from those outside the US?!!??! Anyone?

Um, Canada and Australia aren't part of the US, regardless of what you've been taught in school.

Hah, very good point, smartass. There was supposed to be a more in there. How about some MORE input from those outside the US..

OK - here's some input from us "outsiders" (a good concept, anyway!)...

Personally, I live in a town south of Milan, in the region of Lombardy, in Italy, part of Europe; at the same time, I work in Milan, a "big" (but not too big, really) city, with many, many problems (and also with some good things, of course)...

Here's where I live (a photo of the "famous" bridge on the Ticino river, in Pavia, a historical medieval university town in Europe (one of the most ancient universities, together with Bologna, AFAIK) - which was indeed called Ticinum many, many years ago...):



And here's where I work (and also live, of course, being that working = living, to some extent, at least; formerly called Mediolanum...):



Pros:

- historic cities and towns, with good artistic value;

- acceptable public transportation (acceptable in the meaning of mediocre: not at all at the levels of Switzerland and Germany, for example - at least for the time being);

- interesting architecture (both "classic" and modern/postmodern);

- great potential for doing constructive things, in a good cultural environment (at least potentially);

- ...

Cons:

- traffic chaos galore (especially in Milan, of course - and because of wrong decisions in the past, favoring the car instead of an extensive public transportation system): really disgusting;

- "dirty" towns/cities (see above);

- local people don't seem to seriously care about their own environment;

- too much "work for the sake of work" (see also "business for the sake of business") ideology, in Milan, especially: of course, it's often work that's not really useful and constructive;

- ...

... And if someone is interested in living here, I'd only say: try and see - maybe you'd like it, maybe not...

NYC - Manhattan, my native home is heaven and hell.

Pro: Restaurants, museums, models/movie stars, anonymity, Central Park.

Con: No smoking of any kind anywhere, a homogenized Times Square, dirty/smelly, expensive, over taxed, no big super markets, Rich vs Poor attitude with politics/business, a dwindling middle class, and a 2nd rate transit system embraced in decay and political corruption.

but it's still a helluva town!

Springfield, Mass

Pros:

- Best paying job I've ever had.

- Boston only an hour away.

- Close to my parents, who live in Maine.

Cons:

- Crazy insane psycho nutball drivers. People around here are the WORST drivers. Anywhere. Car insurance is ABSURD. I moved here from Philly, where I paid $800 per year. Massachusetts insurance was $1400 for the same vehicle.

- Bad winters. I know we hit -40 degree (F) last winter.

- Possibly the worst accent on the planet. Oh, and liberally throw the word "wicked" into everyday conversation. It's wicked hot. It's wicked cold. That's wicked aaahsaam (awesome for you non-Mass people). Yeah.

- Red Sox fans. Poor, poor bastards.

- Taxes, taxes, taxes.

- Horrible gun laws. I don't even own a gun, but this state makes you jump through hoops, naked, covered in Crisco, only on Thursdays, to even possibly have a slim glimmer of hope to legally purchase a firearm. Meanwhile some crook can probably buy a gun in under 30 seconds down the block.

Alrighty then ... here's for my former hometown and favorite place to live in - if you're tired of city life and/or the suburban hellhole that is DC/MD/VA here's an alternative for you: Heidelberg, Germany



Pros:

• Beautiful scenery - Heidelberg is located at the foot of large wooded area with lots of rolling hills, overlooking the 30 mile wide Rhein valley
• Compared to the overall world economy, the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg (which Heidelberg is a part of) is doing very well, unemployment below average, lots of high-tech jobs in the bio-tech area
• Even though Heidelberg is a small town (approx. 200000 people) it is an extremely open-minded and cosmopolitan place due to the huge college, lots of tourists and the large US army bases located in the area
• Great schools - Heidelberg is home to oldest college in Europe (founded in thirteenhundred-ho-hum)
• There's actually 4 seasons in Heidelberg, cold winters with a bit of snow and nice warm summers
• Located in the heart of Germany, 40 mins. from Frankfurt (jobs, economy, airport, finance) and about an hour from Stuttgart (quite a bit of high-tech industry, Daimler-Chrysler, Porsche )
• No crime worth mentioning
• No areas that you wouldn't dare walk around in at night time
• Germany - unlike the US - is not a country of extremes, much more balanced and mellow
• The goddam' Autobahn - screw 55mph !

Cons:

• For German standards and taking into consideration the rather small size of the city, the cost of living is relatively high. Compared to DC, though, it's a steal
• Gas is too fsck'ing expensive
• Germany - unlike the US - is not a country of extremes, much more balanced and mellow

P.S. Of course this is a matter of personal preference/opinion - but I have lived/worked in a few places in the US (DC, NYC, Philadelphia, Boston plus a few others) but the DC area (the area surrounding DC, that is) was by far the worst - pure "suburban-soccer-mom-monster-suv-yuppie-hell" ... ewwwww!

edited because I still can't type worth a doo-doo

I've been here since 02 October 1992 and have lived in Arlington and Falls Church Virginia. In DC I have lived in Mt. Pleasant, Capitol Hill, Dupont Circle, and Southwest--both in a sailboat on the waterfront and in a condo where I currently reside.

I hope to be out of DC by 2005. I want to leave my high-paying govt. IT job to return to graduate school and get a Masters degree. Then I am off to the world of secondary education and a 30-50% pay cut from what I make now.

As to where I will go, it depends whether or not I am involved with someone at the time and wan't to be with her or go my own way. Otherwise, my two top choices are Columbus, OH or Halifax, Nova Scotia Canada.

after growing up, and having lived there for almost my entire life (i just moved 2 years ago) i can only second what effgee wrote!

in addition:

� great bar "scene" and some really neat clubs as well

� very pittoresque and laid back downtown, with many bistros/caf�s, where you can sit outside during summer and make fun of all the tourists *g*

� a real good selection of restaurants as well, covering all sorts of different types of "ethnic" and local food

Yeah, tourists - especially in "forced" groups, and in particular the Japanese - really look a little stupid, sometimes!

Anyway, the practice of looking at tourists is, of course, doable in any place...

I agree with your list of Pros and Cons except you left out one:

On a day to day basis, our air quality is now among the poorest in North America.

I love where I live. I'm a one hour train ride from NYC and a 40 min drive from Philly. It takes 10 min to get my kayak to the delaware and a 50 min drive to the jersey shore. I can be on the appalachian trail in an hour. I'm surrounded by major universities, good for going to school and hanging out.

NJ is not all refineries and turnpikes!!

.

Germany is my favorite location outside of the US. I love spending my springs/falls/summers there, but those occasional rough winters I definitely like to avoid.

I've been all over Europe, but Germany is definitely more of my home. It probably helps having lived there (Wiesbaden and Aschaffenburg) and being able to speak the language. Kind of makes it easier to get around and meet people.

[rant]
Ahem! Excuse me, smartass, but my mother just happens to be Japanese, and I myself have been a "Japanese tourist" on occasion.

Just what is it exactly that makes "in particular the Japanese - really look a little stupid?"

How about this, since you started this kind of discussion: "Yeah, tourists - especially in 'wandering' groups, and in particular the Milanese in New York - really look a little stupid, sometimes!"

Please THINK before making remarks that target specific ethnic groups! I'm not a big fan of political correctness, but in your case, I think that you need to read the book on it!
[/rant]

--DekuDekuplex

whoa, calm down there. i, too, am japanese. and agree that japanese tourist groups have a particular, funny look about them. why? the ubiquitous slr around every neck. the funny flag and/or folded umbrella held up by the jacketed and hat-clad tour guide. er, can't think of any others now.

I live in Melbourne, Australia. I love the culture, the funky laneways of restaurants and cafes. I love the alive and friendly atmosphere at night time. I enjoy just chilling out in the many parks surrounding the city, and in the CBD itself.

The surrounding suburbs all have their own 'feel' to them, each adding a different element to the city. The palm trees and long esplanade of St Kilda, the shops in Richmond, the array of restaurants in Carlton, etc. Public transport is easy and accessible, with a single ticket providing all the public transport services you need - Trams for shorter trips, busses for slightly longer distances and trains to travel between suburbs and the country. All with a single Metlink ticket. (there is also a free 'city circle' tram)

I think Sydney is great too, the harbour is great - while our harbour area 'Docklands' is about 8 more years from being completely finished. I find Sydney a little too 'uptight' sometimes, especially the drivers there. I love driving in Melbourne.

Well that's the good things, the bad would have to be the weather. Great all year, but winter is so drab.

Photos:

The Yarra, and Crown Casino (uh, "Crown Entertainment Complex" sorry)


St Kilda - 5 minute tram ride from the city. Nice beach, Luna Park (theme park) is right next to the beach.


Docklands (with the Telstra Dome in the background)


Southbank - the 'other' side of the city, over the Yarra River.


Botanic Gardens

IMHO, none of that warrants a "funny look." I think that the look is quite trendy, actually. It's quite fashionable.

IMHO, it's really the Milanese tourist groups here in New York that have a particular, funny look about them.

Why?

FYI, I don't usually go about commenting on tourists. Unless, of course, somebody starts commenting on Japanese tourists.

Okay, since you started getting into specifics about Japanese tourists, here is a specific story that I think clearly illustrates the reason that Milanese tourists have their own "particular, funny" way of doing things:



I don't know about Milanese tourists, but Japanese tourists certainly don't speak like that!

--DekuDekuplex

Okay okay, all tourists have their idiosyncrasies. A lot of tourists are funny to others in their own way. We get it. Japanese tourists are funny to some people, Millanese tourists are funny to others. No need to become so defensive.


As for my location, I live in Sydney. I used to live in Melbourne, but had to move for business reasons at the start of this year. I really enjoy Sydney, but I must say I did prefer Melbourne. I often find Sydneysiders a bit too 'try-hard', in that they all try to wear the "in" fashion, do the "right things" to be doing - whereas Melbournians seem to have some kind of genuine fashion sense of their own, and have their own style. Sydney drivers are the angriest drivers I have come across in Australia also - a big change from the generally friendly nature of Melbourne drivers.

The Depths of Hell

Pro:

• No cold weather

Cons:

• People here suck
• IT'S HOT!
• No one wants to be here
• No worthwhile public transportation
• No nightlife

I plan on moving to either Chicago, upstate New York, somewhere within about 20 mins of DC, somewhere in CT, Boston, or some other nice place. My sentence here should be over in August (I hope).

New London, NH, United States.

Pros:
- No sales tax
- Beautiful surroundings
- Clean
- Peaceful
- Modern Services (Broadband both Cable and DSL)
- Safe
- College (Colby Sawyer, which shares its rescources with the public)
- Easy Highway Access (Insterstate 89: exits 12A, 12, and 11)
- Plenty of Golf, Skiing, hiking, sailing, ect oppurtunities
- 20 mins from Lebanon (Dartmouth); 30 mins from Concord (Capital); 55 mins from Manchester (Largest State City), 90 mins from Boston (Largest Regional City); and 2 hrs to Canada.

Cons

- Mesquitos in summer, ice in winter.
- Tourist