Best City to Live

dbdynsty25 · Post by **dbdynsty25** » Fri Oct 07, 2005 1:26 pm

Carlsbad...like 20 miles north of SD. You're an SD snob.

bkrich83 · Post by **bkrich83** » Fri Oct 07, 2005 1:28 pm

dbdynsty25 wrote:Carlsbad...like 20 miles north of SD. You're an SD snob.

LOL. Unfortunately the median house price in Carlsbad is about $800k right now. So I don't think I have a choice but to be a snob.

Spooky · Post by **Spooky** » Fri Oct 07, 2005 2:41 pm

San Diego is one place that I am dying to go and think I would love. I am not a typical So.Cal guy at all but think I would really dig Diego. All of my friends tell me that too.

I have to get down there soon!

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Fri Oct 07, 2005 2:58 pm

Of the places I've been in California, I enjoyed San Diego and San Francisco the most. Both very different, but both very nice places. But both are expensive, and both lack my favorite season -- a true winter.

I can tell you one city in Cali to avoid like genital warts -- Fresno. I spent some time there on business, and it was one of the most depressing cities I've ever been in. What a down-in-the-dumps sh*thole.

Take care,
PK

TheMightyPuck · Post by **TheMightyPuck** » Fri Oct 07, 2005 3:11 pm

I loved SF. Lived there for 10 years. Why I moved? Idiot. Vancouver is awesome though. I could totally live there. One great thing about Vancouver that is very different from Southern California is that smoking hot chicks are there for the taking regardless of what kind of car you drive. Pasadena doesn't completely suck if yer old like me

Brando70 · Post by **Brando70** » Fri Oct 07, 2005 3:12 pm

pk500 wrote:Of the places I've been in California, I enjoyed San Diego and San Francisco the most. Both very different, but both very nice places. But both are expensive, and both lack my favorite season -- a true winter.

I can tell you one city in Cali to avoid like genital warts -- Fresno. I spent some time there on business, and it was one of the most depressing cities I've ever been in. What a down-in-the-dumps sh*thole.

Take care,
PK

I saw a comedian once talking about Fresno. He described at as the only city that would make you long to go to Bakersfield.

LAking · Post by **LAking** » Fri Oct 07, 2005 3:37 pm

Maybe i'm the only one here but I like living in L.A. It's such a huge city that you have all different types of areas to chose to live in. And being a major city you really don't have to worry about not being able to find something to do, see, buy, whatever.

Of course I have a bias. I've lived here all my life. I've had brief stints in Santa Cruz and Santa Barbara and I got to travel a lot growing up so i've had at least a little experience living in other parts of the country. I used to think i could never live anywhere else but now i'm much more open to the idea of moving away someday. Canada, especially Vancouver appeals to me. Politically Canada is much more up my alley and the thought of living in a ciy and country that is as hockey mad as I am sounds great. Too bad the Canucks aren't in the Pacific division so I could see the Kings play a few times a year.

It's kind of pathetic, one of the biggest reasons why I don't want to leave L.A. is because i would miss the Kings so much, and to a lesser extent the Dodgers. Sports really do dictate my life at times

dbdynsty25 · Post by **dbdynsty25** » Fri Oct 07, 2005 3:43 pm

The thing about LA is that everyone here is from somewhere else. Everyone you meet is from the East Coast or the Midwest. It's kinda funny actually. It's rare that you find anyone over 30 that's been here all their life.

And you're right...there is always something to do or see in LA and if you long for a true winter...it's a smooth two hour drive. And you don't have to shovel!

My dad has a cabin up in Big Bear and I go up there about 10 times a year...it's freakin' awesome. But by the end of the week or weekend, I'm ready to get back to civilization. I just don't see how people can live like that. I guess I'm just a snob like BK. Hell, I live in a 1,200 sq. ft. house and it lists for $890,000. Good times. My parents and my girls parents have houses that they bought in the mid 90's for approximately 350 grand...now they are both well over a million. Ridiculous.

tsunami · Post by **tsunami** » Fri Oct 07, 2005 4:04 pm

pk500 wrote:The Island, as in Long Island? It's a sh*thole, the appendix of New York state. If the state chopped off Long Island like a bursting appendix, we'd never miss it.

Long Island has lousy traffic (L.I.E., anyone?), overrated beaches, housing developments as far as the eye can see, strip-mall hell, etc., etc. About the only redeeming factors about Long Island are the Hamptons and the fact you can get the hell out of Long Island.

Long Island is the Inland Empire area of Southern California without the nearby mountains, nearby good beaches, good weather and hot chicks. I'll pass!

Seriously, if given the choice between living in New York City or Long Island, it would take about three seconds to make that choice -- the City.

Take care,
PK

So, how do you really feel about Long Island? Hey, I grew up in Long Island...spent 18 glorious years there! And I'll be damned if you're going to bad mouth it like that...ehh, who am I kidding. You're pretty much spot on, although a tad harsh. I dislike Long Island as much as the next guy, having spent so much time there, but apparently not as much as you do.

The funny thing about people on Long Island is that they have this desire to stay there and never venture out. The city is like some foreign land to visit on occasion, but never stay too long. It's quite comical.

Thankfully I moved to Manhattan and didn't regret it for a minute. But, hanging in the Hamptons for a few summers doing nothing but surfing and relaxing was pretty cool!

JackB1 · Post by **JackB1** » Fri Oct 07, 2005 4:06 pm

dbdynsty25 wrote:The thing about LA is that everyone here is from somewhere else. Everyone you meet is from the East Coast or the Midwest. It's kinda funny actually. It's rare that you find anyone over 30 that's been here all their life.

thats exactly what it's like here in South Florida and that's what I don't like about it. There is no "stability".......no loyalty for hometown sports teams.....people dont stick around long, so it's hard to make many long term "true friends". People don't seem to care about their town or community because they aren't committed for the long haul.

b_assassin · Post by **b_assassin** » Fri Oct 07, 2005 4:13 pm

dbdynsty25 wrote:
pk500 wrote:In some regards, the traffic in Seattle is worse than L.A. At least in L.A., you've got a vast network of east-west and north-south freeways.
Yeah I've heard...plus it rains all the damn time.

Actually it doesn't rain all the time. Certainly rains more than SoCal, but it is not an endless deluge as people have been lead to believe.

Infrastructure issues aside, I've found Seattle to be a great place to live. Fortunately, my commute keeps me off of the I-5/I-90/405 cluster f***. I think I've pretty much figured out how to get around now without getting caught in too much traffic, but in some cases it is unavoidable.

I've always enjoyed my visits to Vancouver, seems like a very nice place to live. I've got a handful of friends that have gone up to work at EA Canada, maybe someday I'll head up there and join the enemy

I'm not a big fan of Cali, although I have enjoyed my trips to SF. It seems whenever I step off the plane in LA, I can't wait to get back on a plane and go home.

Leebo33 · Post by **Leebo33** » Fri Oct 07, 2005 4:14 pm

I'm not going to pretend that Harrisburg, PA is anywhere close to a top place to live, but I like it. The people are nice, the crime rate is reasonable, the weather is OK if you like all the seasons, and there are plenty of good paying jobs in my field. It's also really close to a lot of cities and things to do (Pittsburgh, Philly, NYC, Wash, Baltimore, Poconos, Amish country, the beaches, etc. are all within a reasonable drive).

Sure, it's not an "experience that is fundamentally unavailable in most of the rest of the country", but I'm not willing to pay that price at this stage in my life. From my "identical housing community", I will still be able to do the things that are important to me...I can play catch in the backyard with my boys, go for family bike rides, go to professional sporting events, go fishing, vacations, etc. I can do everything that is important to me and my family *and* earn enough to enable my wife stay at home with our kids, pay cash for those identical SUVs, keep a substantial rainy day fund ensuring I could lose my job for years and still keep my house, go on vacation to all these great places, pay for my kids college, and retire at 55. I'm sure that is much too boring and safe for a lot of people, but I have no trouble sleeping at night. It would just kill me to pay all that money on a mortgage. Sure, people get paid more money in those cities, but not nearly enough to make up for the huge differences in housing costs.

wco81 · Post by **wco81** » Fri Oct 07, 2005 4:25 pm

Coldest winter Mark Twain experienced was summer in SF.

TheMightyPuck · Post by **TheMightyPuck** » Fri Oct 07, 2005 4:54 pm

wco81 wrote:Coldest winter Mark Twain experienced was summer in SF.

No lie. When the marine layer moves in forget about it. That's why SF is more popular among the pale artiste types: by the time anyone see's your pasty ass flab they are drunk and it is dark.

One great thing about SF. Windsurfing. You can work in SF bail early and be slicing through shipping channels at 30mph until sunset (or fog

)

dbdynsty25 · Post by **dbdynsty25** » Fri Oct 07, 2005 5:08 pm

TheMightyPuck wrote:No lie. When the marine layer moves in forget about it. That's why SF is more popular among the pale artiste types: by the time anyone see's your pasty ass flab they are drunk and it is dark.

That is hilarious.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Fri Oct 07, 2005 5:13 pm

wco81 wrote:Coldest winter Mark Twain experienced was summer in SF.

I take it he never lived in Minnesota, Chicago or upstate N.Y.

Take care,
PK

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Fri Oct 07, 2005 6:24 pm

One thing about Vancouver which a lot of people envy is also how mixed the crowd is and gets along with each other. You got a vast asian population which includes Chinese, Japanese (hey, best sushi in town), Koreans, then you have a lot British influence too, Americans, the Dutch, east Indians and the color people. Lot of mixed couples, beautiful kids, and Stanley Park. Aaahhh.....

sfz_T-car · Post by **sfz_T-car** » Fri Oct 07, 2005 6:47 pm

10spro wrote:One thing about Vancouver which a lot of people envy is also how mixed the crowd is and gets along with each other. You got a vast asian population which includes Chinese, Japanese (hey, best sushi in town), Koreans, then you have a lot British influence too, Americans, the Dutch, east Indians and the color people. Lot of mixed couples, beautiful kids, and Stanley Park. Aaahhh.....

Yeah, but entirely too many Canadians

dbdynsty25 · Post by **dbdynsty25** » Fri Oct 07, 2005 7:06 pm

sfz_T-car wrote:
10spro wrote:One thing about Vancouver which a lot of people envy is also how mixed the crowd is and gets along with each other. You got a vast asian population which includes Chinese, Japanese (hey, best sushi in town), Koreans, then you have a lot British influence too, Americans, the Dutch, east Indians and the color people. Lot of mixed couples, beautiful kids, and Stanley Park. Aaahhh.....
Yeah, but entirely too many Canadians

A-f'n-men.

Fleury14 · Post by **Fleury14** » Sat Oct 08, 2005 7:23 am

Brando70 wrote: I saw a comedian once talking about Fresno. He described at as the only city that would make you long to go to Bakersfield.

Which is funny, because we talk about Bakersfield being so bad it makes you wanna go to Fresno. But there is that whole Top 5 worst air-quality for several years running going for us!

I loved Calgary when I went up there for a while, and I always enjoyed going to upstate NY (Latham) to visit family. Nice area.

bkrich83 · Post by **bkrich83** » Sat Oct 08, 2005 12:31 pm

Fleury14 wrote:
Brando70 wrote: I saw a comedian once talking about Fresno. He described at as the only city that would make you long to go to Bakersfield.
Which is funny, because we talk about Bakersfield being so bad it makes you wanna go to Fresno. But there is that whole Top 5 worst air-quality for several years running going for us!

I loved Calgary when I went up there for a while, and I always enjoyed going to upstate NY (Latham) to visit family. Nice area.

Fresno and Bakersfield are definitely the armpits of California.

mobiggins · Post by **mobiggins** » Sat Oct 08, 2005 12:55 pm

Top places in the world I've been to:
1. Paris, Fr.
2. Tokyo, Jp.
3. NYC
4. Madrid, Sp.
5. Barcelona
6. Vancouver
7. Chicago
8. Seattle

Top places I'd like to live.
1. Vancouver
2. Chicago
3. NYC
4. Seattle
5. Paris
6. Madrid
7. Tokyo

Leebo33 · Post by **Leebo33** » Sat Oct 08, 2005 12:58 pm

mobiggins wrote:Top places I'd like to live.
1. Vancouver
2. Chicago

I would definitely consider moving to Chicago if the opportunity was right.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Sat Oct 08, 2005 1:24 pm

bkrich83 wrote:Fresno and Bakersfield are definitely the armpits of California.

Spent time on business in both, and I agree. Choosing between Fresno and Bakersfield is like choosing between diarrhea and constipation. Both involve a lot of sh*t!

Take care,
PK