Do You like Where You Live?

I've lived many places. Some I loved, some I hated. Places are so different, it takes a certain type of person to "not care where they live and be happy anywhere". Like I hate driving and hot weather, so I thought Los Angeles was the very definition of hell on earth and was extremely depressed there. I love diverse crowds mixing together and a fast pace and drastic weather, so to me NYC was EXCELLENT and I was almost always happy even with tough things going on. I liked Colorado, I LOVED Germany. Everyone's tastes are different. Right now we live in a small town, which has it's charms while the kids are young...empty safe foresty parks...parking spaces at the big grocery stores...slow paced people...no crowds... but I really want to move to Paris or Berlin for a while. Some people live where they were born because they feel fine there and never need to seek contentment elsewhere. Or they lucked out and got born somewhere AWESOME. I think I got the travel bug having an Air Force dad. Once you've seen a few places, it's hard to accept "just one place" as the best.

I LOVE where I live & I was born & raised here. The weather is mild, the ocean & mountains are both close, we have so many parks... The roads are good, its not overpopulated, its amazing. I live in BC, Canada... and I would never, ever leave.

We live in Phoenix and I really, really want to move. It is way to crowded and so hot. I am so sick of the only months where my kids are not in school it is too hot to go outside and enjoy 'summer'. And I cannot believe I am raising my children where they cannot experience the fun of snow, unless we take a 3 hr trip up north. I really cannot wait to move, although I would truly miss the friendships I have here and a great school.

Unfortunately we are here because of my husbands job and that will probably never change, sigh....

I am the wife of a retired military man...we have moved too many times to count in the past 42 years...we have lived everywhere from California to Oklahoma to Thailand. I can say that some of the places we have lived have been BETTER than others but I have never actively DISLIKED anyplace that I have lived.
I have a magnet on my refrigerator which pretty well says what my attitude is ...."Bloom where you are planted"....and ...."Home is whereever the Army sends us". I had no choice in where we lived or when we moved...so I needed to make the absolutel best of whatever position I found myself in.
I think a lot of people do make a decision about where they want to live based on weather, job opportunities, family etc...but sometimes life jumps up and changes your plans completely!!!
I think the secret is in your attitude...when we lived in Thailand, so many of the wives there were MISERABLE...because "things are just so different here'...well...duh!!!! You are in a foreign country you aren't in America!!! I embraced the differences...I learned to enjoy walking or taking a bus from place to place instead of driving because I had no car...I learned to enjoy shopping in the local markets and made friends with the vendors, instead of whining that I didn't have a grocery store to go to. I LOVED my 3 years in Thailand...and would go back again in a heartbeat...while most of the wives were counting the days until they could get out of there. What a waste of precious time!!!

I love were I live. There are other places that I would love to live too. I like Michigan because of the lakes and forests. We don't have earthquakes or hurricanes and only rarely have tornados. There are no poisonouse snakes etc in our woods or waters, no sharks, no jelly fish. Our winters are pretty mild (usually) for a Northern State. There is lots of "country" but large cities are close by too. I expecially like Kalamazoo MI because my kids will get free college because of the Kalamazoo promise!
My husband is in sales and we could live almost anywhere, but stay in MI because we like it and we have some family here. I'm from Aransass Pass TX. I have traveled thru most of the US except for the Northern East coast and the West coast - only made it as far west as Yellowstone.

We LOVE where we live. We are in the Far Northwest Plano/West Allen area.

We are downtown Dallas within 30 minutes (unless high traffice time), we are at either DFW or Love Field within 45 minutes. SO easy to hop on a plane and be at either coast within a reasonable time. We love the options of so much to do, sporting events, concerts, shopping, etc.

We are away from everything just enough to have our own little clean, safe , classic, shopping areas, good restaurants. The schools are excellent.

We love the weather because we HATE cold weather. We don't have to deal with much of that here and what we do get is not that bad and does not last that long.

All of our family is a plane ticket away and we like being out here on our own. I grew up in a rural town where everyody knows everybody and family is everywhere. I felt claustrophobic (sp). I hated living where I grew up and lived for the day to get out.

When I got out, I moved to NC and loved NC. If we ever moved again, we'd probably go to NC or a FL beach. Our daughter is pursuing college at Duke to follow in her dad's footsteps so we do see that area as a possibility.

However, TX is home to me and I would have a very tough time leaving.

When I move here (US) was because my then fiancée was american. You know, I never thought about this until right now; that we actually never talk about where we would live (Mexico or US), most likely would have agree US for many reasons but I just realize we actually never talk about the other option.
I am happy though, before moving here I hear many things some good some bad about here but you really don't get to know a place until you actually live there for long enough and you actually try to become part of it. I love this country, I love your constitution, I love your rights, I love your freedom, your care for animals and women, etc, etc
Not that Mexico doesn't have the rules, and I need to point our that we are not all wild, rabitts with 20 kids and machos with hats. We have it all like any other country and we have great things and great people too.
But I am not stupid and I see the difference and I have grow respect and love for this country.
HOWEVER, founding love for NJ is a lot more complicated, lol.
We move here for my husband's job but I keep county the days (6 more moths, yay!!!!) that we can move back to Florida.
For us, where in Florida has to do with, safety, good schools, a good airport close, bonus close to Disney-Universal because we love to go there.

Overall, yes.

Traffic is a nightmare sometimes during rush hour (I think our metro area is 4th worst in the country) and the electric company isn't always reliable, but I like the mix of suburban, urban and rural. There are lots of parks, lots of things to do, public transit, open spaces. I first visited with a friend who grew up here and was just enchanted with all the trees and flowers. It is really beautiful here in the spring.

I went to school about 2 hours north here and grew up about 2 hours east from here. Where I lived as a kid was kind of by default (jobs or family nearby) and I knew I wanted to get out of that area as an adult. We are still close enough to visit, though. I used to live in the midwest as a kid and that was nice but too far from family. I don't necessarily like the heat here the summer, but the rest fits me pretty well. I felt like a "wandering soul" as a teen and young adult and when I got to this area I felt like I'd "landed" somewhere I could be for a while.

We chose our home because of the schools. That was most important to us. We are new to TX and have moved a lot. Schools and safety were number 1 priority.

I think about this kind of stuff a lot too. I inherited a sense of wanderlust from my dad, who could never be happy living in one place for too long. I moved to Portland wanting to break that cycle and put down roots. But we left Alabama and the South in general where we have family to escape a lot of the cultural bigotry and ignorance we found there, just to find a lot of the same thing here. What I've learned from my job analyzing markets, which makes me research all kinds of places, is that there's no perfect place for me and my husband, with our divergent wants. For now, Portland is the place for us, and I don't see a reason we'd ever leave. It's got a lot of great things going for it, but the negative things grate on my nerves almost as much as anything I hated in Alabama did. So I don't know what to say. You make a place what it is, in a way.

I have my moments of liking and hating where I lived.
I was born and raised in a suburb of Chicago. My family moved to Los Angeles when I was 15.
I LOVED living in chicago. i HATED los angeles.
Once I was old enough to leave I did. I moved back to Chicago.
After a few years, when my hubby & I got together we moved to Akron, OH.
Now I didn't really want to leave Chicago. I spent so many years in LA wanting to get back to Chicago. I had family there and I just love the town.

My hubby wanted to get out of Chicago and go some place with a slower pace. He lived in Akron for a lil bit and wanted to move back.
So, for his sanity, I agreed to move here.
I think it can be a beautiful place, the trees, trails etc.
But I miss Chicago sooo much. I miss my sister & her family. Most of the time I'm bored out of my mind and so very lonely. I have no friends here. All I have is my 2 kids & my hubby. Granted I love my family very much. Most of the time I hate living in Akron.
I miss all the wonderful things Chicago has to offer. All the things I did as a child, I wish I could do with my kids. THings that are NOT here in Akron.

All and all I'm bored, sad & lonely living here.

I'm not found of where we live, but it is close to family. If I had my choice I would like to live closer to Kansas City or to St. Louis. I like the bigger cities because there is sooo much more to do with your kids. We both have decent jobs, but I feel we stayed where we are due to family. We want our kids to know their grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.

No, not really. Pittsburgh is always at the top of the best places to live lists but I am not feeling it. Way too hilly if you ask me-although most who live and visit here love the hills. I want to live in someplace flat. My first relocation choice would be Boston-but only if I could keep up my lifestyle that I am accustomed to. It is ridiculously expensive there. I love the architecture, history, and the proximity to all that New England has to offer. I also imagine living in the south would be cool. I have never been to Charleston but am fascinated by it.

Sometimes I wish that my husband would be transferred just to get a change of pace.

I grew up in Nothern California, and now live in Southern California. I love living in California (both Nor and So have their advantages), and while I like visiting other places (states), I haven't found a place I think I would truely love to live.

Okay it sounds like you can't move do to his job so could you at least move 30 mins away to give you some space from his family?
30 mins is still close enough to family.
Or how about 45 mins .
Is he willing to commute a little bit for his job?
Do you own your home? If so, could you rent it out and rent a house in the town 45 mins away? Just some food for thought w/o having to move states as it sounds like he is pretty rooted there.

I love where I live, both the area and the condo that we're in. I grew up on a farm in MN and knew at a young age that I wanted to move to "the cities". After college I lived in several apts around Mpls/St. Paul. Then I ended up in Eagan for 20 years. A great suburb and we had a wonderful location on a wooded park. But I just feel like I fit in better closer to the city. After the divorce I found this great condo on an urban lake. It is small, but for now it works for my daughter and I. Who knows what will come next, but I like the Minneapolis area and intend to stay!

It sounds like you both would rather live in a different place. Changing jobs would be a difficult one, but you could always try to see if he could find a different job in an area where you'd be happier. I understand the issue with being close to family...but it sounds like the pressure is coming from HIS family wanting you guys to stay close, not necessarily because you guys want to be there. Ultimately, where you choose to live is a decision for you and your husband to make, regardless of what they think. You and your husband are adults with your own family, and if you'd be happier somewhere else, then you should make that decision for yourselves.

We lived in northern Washington for a while, but moved to southern California to live with my parents so I can go to nursing school. Financially it was the best decision for us, but I really miss Washington (it was so beautiful up there!). So once I'm done with nursing school, we're planning to move to a place that we both love (maybe travel a little bit to see where that ideal place is) and settle down because we're both tired of moving (we've moved 5 times in the past 8 years). Maybe you guys could travel for a little bit to see where you'd want to go? Anyway, good luck, and who knows? Maybe you'll get used to being in Texas! :-) I grew up in Oklahoma and went to college in Dallas...and personally, I still like Washington state the best.

I like where I grew up, a small town not far from where I live now. Would love to be able to move back there with my own family someday. I prefer small towns.

I like where we live now, but it is really busy & crowded. I grew up in a house with a good bit of land and forest around us. 10 minute walk to neighbors houses haha I don't like houses right next to each other.

We did recently move from a town that I hope I never have to live in again. Too big & busy & too many bad/unsafe areas. It's just the next town over, but I hated it! We also moved in order to get our daughter into a better school district. That is a big thing for us.

We've managed to stick around this area. A big part of it is probably because my family is here. My husband is in the National Guard & is gone a lot for different things, including deployments. We've never had a reason to move away...yet.

If he gets a good job somewhere else, then we would have to move. But, we would consider the schools & neighborhoods when picking an actual house/apartment to live in.

to be honest with you it depends on the day- mostly I like it I am not really fond of snow or cold but I love the seasons and my kids are happy here.

I absolutely love where we live. We have lived in several other places, but this is by far the best.

Like you we live outside of San Antonio. My husband was born and raised here, and I grew up in a town about 15 miles away. We both have family here. The main reason we came back is because the land we live on has been in his family for several generations and my husband always wanted to live here. I love the simple country life and am happy here.

My in-laws moved a few hours away when they retired, but visit often. My sister-in-law lives a few miles away. My parents are also a few miles away, and my sister is about an hour away. It's nice to have family nearby, but for us it is more about the simple country life.

We have the opposite problem that jobs are hard to find around here, so moving away is a possibility when my husband finishes his bachelor degree later this year. Moving for work would be the only reason we'd leave, but always with the intention of coming back. Even when we lived elsewhere, we knew we'd always come back here because this is home.

Oh, no. Not even close. We feel stuck here.

I like where I live. I don't know if I would be here if my parents weren't here however. They are both in their 70's and I couldn't dream of moving away right now. I grew up here and I like coming across someone I knew in 3rd grade at the grocery store, or coming across older people asking how my parents are, or crossing paths with my childhood best friends mom or dad. I like the history. I briefly lived elsewhere and missed that.

I would love to live someplace like CA near the ocean. Love the energy out there, but at this time it just isn't feasible with the cost of living and being away from my parents. I worry about the day they start acting and feeling old. They will need my help. They are the best parents in the world and I want to be there with them when/if they need assistance. They love having their grandkids in-state. My nephew was 1500 miles away and never got to see them. I never grew up around extended family. So it's nice for my kids.

I grew up and have lived within the same 15 miles or so my whole life. I lived in the same sad little house growing up (the house itself was sad looking, until after I moved out and my last brother and Mom fixed it all up...but we were happy people =)....I moved out and lived in a few apartments with my now husband..all the apartments were within a mile of each other..LOL. Then we bought our house and have lived here 17 years. I never moved far.

My siblings....well one sister is out of state now (just in the last few years), and all 3 of my brothers...well 1 lives 5 blocks from where we grew up...one lives across the street from where we grew up and the last one...he bought the house from Mom and is raising his own family there now and his kids go to the small catholic school we did as kids..pretty cool! NONE of us went far! Until my sister moved out east about 5 years ago...I was the "renegade" who moved 15 miles away!!! LOL

I love the change of seasons, but hate mosquitos! I can't imagine living someplace that didn't get green, have leaves of gold and red, then have snow fall for a while! Hubby and I have talked about moving to the mountains but our daughter will go off to college soon so our current future is all about her!

Just a side thing and curious......Why does Janelles say she is responding from Beverly Hills..but her answer says she has always lives in BC, Cananda and loves it and will never leave, or whatever???

Hmmm, well you and Hubby seem conflicted about it- you like the 4 seasons and complain about where you live, but yet, it is important for you both to live near family... but yet, feel 'stuck' per his job and his family being pressuring about them saying it is important to live close by.

So you either leave and live where you want, or stay there.
But if you move, you will not be near family, but may be somewhere where there are 4 seasons.
Or, where is your family located?
Is there 4 seasons there? And also be near family?

Ultimately, you live where you/Hubby/kids feel good.
But it may not include, being near family.

I like where I live.
Grew up here too.
My Husband likes it too, he being from elsewhere.
I have lived elsewhere. But like it here.

I love my city (Mission Viejo, very safe and family-oriented) and I absolutely love the weather of So Cal. But I'm sick of the crowds, pollution, traffic. We lived in Morro Bay (central coast of Cal) for a few years and that was so wonderful. Such a slower pace of life, beauty everywhere, nice people -- but no jobs. We stay here in So Cal mainly due to our family being here; we grew up here. But we dream of escaping the rat race -- although the climate would have to be warm. We're beach people.

I grew-up in South Florida, went to college and grad school in the Richmond, VA area and moved (foolishly) to NY for a long-term boyfriend 7 years ago. I love the life that we (the hubs & I not the ex) live and the home we have built, but would move back to FL in a second to be near family.

Upstate NY is beautiful, but I would trade it for a sunny day on the beach with my parents, sisters, brothers-in-law and nieces in a heartbeat!

I was born and graduated high school in Iowa. Since meeting my husband, we have lived in Minnesota, Georgia, Wisconsin and Ohio. I really like GA because of the weather. I thought I would miss snow......nope. Not even a little. The older I get, the less I can tolerate the midwest winters. BUT, I'm not sure I could live in Southern Florida, where I don't get a fall - my favorite season of all. So, I accept that I will be here in Ohio for quite awhile. I guess the midwest suits our family. We were pretty sure we were going to end up in Montana - for hubby's job. It seemed like a good move as far as getting out of the "rat race". But, it never happened. I see, now, that I think it was for a reason. I'm not sure I could take a Montana winter, esp. if I can't handle Ohio's!! I think it's possible to find the good anywhere you are. Nowhere I've lived, have I hated it. It all had it's good and bad. I will say, though, being so far away from our families has been difficult. With that being said, maybe we are far away from family, also, for a reason ;) LOL!
*We moved a lot when our older kids were young/toddlers and babies. It wasn't a huge transition for them, being so young. Our last move was when my oldest was in kindergarten -he's now in 6th grade. If we had to move, now, it would be a huge transition for them. If you don't have kids, or have young kids- now is the time. Of course, if we couldn't help it, the kids would adjust and life would be ok. It's just hard thinking of them leaving their friends, etc.

What an interesting topic! I grew up in Massachusetts, not far from Boston and I liked it. Moved to NH for college, it was ok. After graduating, I moved out west to a CITY!! Loved it for what it was and after 3 years needed a change. I was getting older and wanted a slower life. I contemplated a lot when I decided to leave the west coast. I didn't have ANYTHING holding me back (kid, relationship, job that mattered) and I ultimately decided to move back to NH. I hate winter. Hate it...so NH didn't seem like a good choice but I felt pulled there. So, here I am 10 years later. The town I live in is ok, I'll probably move to a better school district before my daughter starts kinder, but the people? They are awesome! I am surrounded by wonderful friends, co-workers, associates. The relationships that I have forged here are long lasting and cancel out the misery of the winter! I love spring, summer and fall and figure trudging through the snow is just the small price that I have to pay for all of the other wonderful things that I do have. I'm only 3 hours to Boston (my sister is still there) and go there often...especially when I have a need to get out of the sticks! LOL

love living in southern CA. Would love to also live close to family (oregon and inland CA) , but can't seem to tear ourselves away from the weather, beach, attractions, business opportunities etc. ...

I was born and raised in Iowa and still live here today. I haven't lived outside the state. I live about 3 hours from where I grew up...my parents still live there. I love living here! I feel very safe! It's a tiny town about 45 minutes from a big city. One reason I love living here...yesterday was garbage day and I forgot to take it out(hubby is out of town). Well, I came back from being out for awhile and someone had taken my garbage to the curb for me. How sweet!
I love the outdoors and we have very pretty parks around this area. If we didn't have those, I might not love it so much!

I grew up here, moved to So. California for 10 years and moved back here because my family needed me here. I love my family and friends here and a lot of the advantages of a lower cost of living. But I miss the warm weather and the beaches in California.

LOVE where I live!! Richmond, VA baby!! We're 2 hours from everything: D.C., the mountains, the beach... there's so much history here, and there's so much new artsy stuff. Very diverse, like a melting pot of everything awesome. Museums, tons of state parks, historic cemeteries, camping, hiking, sightseeing, tourism, lots of play groups, nightlife, great food places that are actually on the map... A lot of the shows you see on TLC and the Discovery channel show a ton of Richmond. I wouldn't change it for the world. We live 2 blocks from the James River... nothing beats walking down Riverside Drive on a gorgeous day and passing people who greet you with a smile. Get the family loaded up in a canoe with a picnic lunch... perfection! My fiance's family has been here forEVER, they've never moved outside of a 2 mile area. My family, we're from New Jersey, but the place I grew up was very, very similar except we had a lake instead of the river. Gotta be near water! The only thing I hate are the winters here.. VA has very bipolar weather, and I love the HEAT!!

As for my HOUSE... hate the house. Love the neighborhood though ;)

I have moved around a bit and we have settled in Granby, CT. Which is a supper small town compared to where I have lived before. I love it. I love that the only traffic I deal with is at our 1 stop light. I love that I can send my son to the next aisle at the grocery store and not have to worry about it. When ever I drive in the city I remember how fond I am of the town I live in. It does take at least 40 minutes to get anywhere but I prefer it. I don't love the winter but enjoy the spring and fall so much.