This is just a general topic: Which is the best place to live in america?

[Our Mao 0]

Seriously, generally speaking...being with my companion, where ever we are, i'm sure it will be great; and adaptation is the key!...every place has it's charm if one tries to see it...or create it...

i agree.. ADAPTATION is key.... .. in the perfect world.. we'd want to live in any state we want.. but realistically, e.g. you decide to live in city A, you live in this place but you're not able to find a job.. then what are you gonna do? u'd eventually have to move to an area where there is employement available for u.. dont u think? unless u're gonna switch careers or something... so to be more realistic.. it'd probably be a place that you're ok with where you can make a relatively decent living... that's just my opinion.

[Reba 2]

I come from the Prairies in Canada too and I'll be moving to Denver, Colorado.

Beautiful city, gorgeous scenery, snowboarding nearby. 4 distinct seasons, but a typically mild winter (I'm used to -40, 11 degrees F is teeshirt weather)

Summers are a bit hot, the area in itself can get quite dry, but living a stone's throw from the mountains is something I've never experienced before and I'm looking forward to it.

Housing prices are average... it depends where you want to live. The farther away from Denver Metro, the bigger the house you can get for less money. The closer you are, well... Let's just say I don't mind a bit of a commute

Big city, lots of nightlife and restaurants, plenty of attractions, and an International Airport that is a major worldwide hub. I'm set!

I used to work for a company with offices in Littleton (suburb of Denver, about 20 minutes from the crazy airport)...watch them all go completely insane when it snows! They probably get more snow in and around Denver than most places in Southern Canada, and yet they just can't figure out how to drive in it! Its incredibly funny, and very frustrating trying to get anywhere.

16th Street Mall is good for the touristy brew pubs and some decent food. Unless its changed a whole bunch since I was last there, but I doubt it.

My first trip to Denver I got altitude sickness. That's what happens when a flatlander from Toronto gets any higher than 2000 feet It didn't happen on subsequent visits, but that first trip was painful. Hangovers with altitude sickness really are no fun at all! But the pub crawl was fun! *snarf*

[k_hudda 0]

this thread became an intresting issue. I believe everyone enjoys it and hope newcomer from around the world will take a look in to it. Thanks VJ members. Like it

[samantha_lou 0]

We're currently living in Bellevue, WA - which is the Microsoft town just outside of Seattle. I absolutely love living here except for one thing, the cost of living is just ridiculous. (We came from Vancouver, WA.) I can remember our first trip to a grocery store here, and being completely disgusted at the $$$ of just bread and milk...forget the housing market, you can't even buy a garden shed in this area for less than half a million.

My one and only british friend and her US husband have just moved to Texas for the exact same reason, the cost of living here is just waaaaaay high! *wants to move to Texas*

[xjennyinstereox 0]

1. Atlanta, GA. 2. Dallas, TX.

I consider both to be simply uninhabitable.

IMHO, the solution is as follows:

1). Draw a line across the U.S. through Washington D.C. Exclude everywhere south of that line.

2). Now exclude California and Oregon just on general principle.

3). Now exclude New Jersey (smell), Deleware (too close to NJ), and most of the north east (say, New England except for Maine and upstate New York). The politics and taxes there are just insane.

4). Now exclude the fly-over states - that's everything between the Rocky Mountains and the East Coast, which does not border Canada. It's just too boring and too far away from anything interesting, or has other problems.

So what's left? Maine, New York, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Washington, and Alaska.

You can safely exclude North Dakota, Montana, and Idaho. if you want to have any kind of decent job with good pay. You eliminate for smell, that probably excludes Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Minnesota. That means the only places worth living in the U.S. are:

Maine, New York, Michigan, Washington, and Alaska.

Personally, I chose Alaska (moved here from Virginia, and after living in Texas). I don't recommend it for you though because we don't need any more people up here - so maybe try, um, Maine?

FWIW, I have seen a lot of the U.S. - and mostly by car or motorcycle. You'd be amazed at how much it smells. The only states I have NOT been to are Idaho, North Dakota, and Nebraska. I don't see any reason to go to any of those either - my guess is they are pretty stinky.

Good luck!

AKDiver

Sorry, but where's Maryland in all this?? Maryland is a beautiful state and I like living here and it doesn't smell. Oh and PA doesn't smell either. At least not the south of it. It's actually quite nice there.

[eclowjpd 0]

If you go by real estate prices it would probably be the San Fransisco and San Diego areas. But if you're looking for a lower cost of living, the south part of the country. I've lived in the midwest all my life, which some may find boring but no floods, hurricanes, forest fires, earth quakes (so far). Some tornados. Most midwest states mark very high in education and moderate cost of living. Naperville Illinois a suburb of Chicago is number 2 on the Money Magazine list of top cities. I live near Chicago which is a great city. But some of the Chicago suburbs are pricey for real estate, and if you don't like cold, winter is a problem.

http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bp...p100/index.html

[TenderCat 0]

Anywhere must be better than Ohio. Finding good employment here is virtually impossible!

[dalegg 143]

I have two option 1. Atlanta, GA. 2. Dallas, TX.

Thanks,

K

Well I don't think it's one of these two! But if I had to choose I think it would be Atlanta.

[Donna A 4]

if we dont stop outsoursing jobs there will be no place good to live in ameica.

[mark_ira 0]

If I had my druthers I would live in Portland, OR.

For all the reasons mentioned above - surrounded by natural beauty, relatively cheap cost of living, temperate weather, decent public transport, reasonable amount of nightlife and shopping and an hour from the ocean.

Though it rains a lot -- it's not perfect.

Unforunately, my job as it is at the moment limits me to LA and maybe NYC.

I live near Portland, OR in Vancouver, WA. Yes beautiful nature, mild winters, and perfect summers. So now the reality check:

Due to the nature quality of the city and state many fruits and nuts move here from LA, SF and other areas.

The Willamette River is the sewer of the city of Portland. The city dumps millions upon millions of gallons of raw sewage into the river every year. The fact of this environmental autrocity is actually very much under reported by the liberal Oregonain newspaper. Areas of the city stinks terribly on the many days/weeks/months of the sewage overflow.

The liberal population in the most liberal city in the country perfers to protest well planned (no impact to water life or surrounding environments) tree cutting than pay to clean up its own affluent. Their affluent kills millions of fish on the protected species list.

A general attitude of entitlement and expecting the federal government to remedy the problems rather than local expenditure.

The city spends money on fountains and beautification rather than sewage treatment.

The city schools are vastly underfunded due to the politics of the large numbers of childless couples living in Portland.

If the water doesnt stink the corrupt liberal politics prove intensely odorous.

I live in Vancouver, not as pretty but practical attitudes and responsiblity here.

Edited November 5, 2006 by mark_ira

[sakurasama 0]

K Hudda,

I live in Atlanta. The perks are a good art museum, ballet, opera company, national forests. A great symphony and aquarium and a very convenient airport (Delta and Airtran hub- so you always can get cheaps flights). Professional baseball, football, basketball and hockey teams. Okay zoo and botantical gardens. Excellent job market. Large and diverse immigrant community. Lots of educational institutions. The second highest homosexual population per capita in the U.S. (if you were gay and living in Alabama where would you go?) Atlanta has the most forest cover of any urban area in the U.S. and people always comment on how "green" it is. Vibrant intown living- both in condos and in real houses with lawns. Tons of festivals in the summer including the Montreaux Jazz Festival. The biggest downside, and this is only my personal opinion, is Atlanta is very bright and shiny- people LOVE money. Business is hoppin', everyone has beautiful cars, it is a very style over substance city. There are hippie enclaves but it is not a definitive part of the city. Atlanta is also gentrifying rapidly making it harder for poor people to live intown. Oh, traffic is bad but it is only a problem if you livein the suburbs and commute. Intown traffic is fine.

Any specific questions?

[scotty 0]

Fowlerville, Michigan

[Joel Halfwassen 0]

I REALLY like Phoenix. I have been wanting to move here for as long as I can remember. I also like Madison, WI as long as it is in the summer. I can no longer handle those winters!

[sercontigo 1]

My is in Atlanta! I am the happiest I have been in my life and its partly due to my environment.

FYI I have lived in Cleveland,OH and Orlando,FL in the past.

[Roger and Angela 0]

I would definatly say Oregon...cause I am from there....but theres little crime, not too expensive...pretty, no natural disaster hazards, no sales tax, and you dont pump your own gas....only down falls are lots of rain.