Posted on 08/22/2005 9:54:18 PM PDT by txrangerette
"Here are today's Best Places to Live, as presented in the book, "Cities Ranked and Rated", by Bert Sperling and Peter Sander, published by John Wiley.
Here are Sperling and Sander's top picks for livability:
Charlottesville, Virginia ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... Corvalis, Oregon"
(Excerpt) Read more at houseandhome.msn.com ...
This is the point I've been trying to get across for this entire thread. Crime rates are not uniform within a huge metropolitan area. I love to visit South Beach and I've never had a problem.
Yes, yes, I know it now. It's that village built around O'Hare, right?
Good point. Signing off to bed now. It's been fun.
Hey, Jeff, I didn't say I believed that crime rate of a huge metropolitan area is uniform. Nothing in this world really is "uniform". For every city, I'm sure there is what we could call a "safe zone". It's only when you go outside of the "zone" that you are back in the thick of things. And like I've said, I am truly happy for city dwellers who are happy living there.
I'm just different than some. We had a tourist come through one year and they asked me if we had a "McDonalds". I said, "no, we don't". They asked if we had a "Subway", I replied, "no, we don't". They were now exasperated and said, "well tell us, where is the nearest fast food restaurant". I said, "we don't have one". They replied, "how can you live here???!!" I replied, "if we had one of those fast food places, I WOULDN'T live here". LOL You wouldn't believe the people who just can't get beyond their daily life without something being real easy. They want automated car washes, malls, Walmarts, taxi cabs, a choice of movie theatres. We've heard it all, and we just tell them, "hey, have you read a good book lately?". Usually they stomp away in disgust. Materialism. It's all about materialism and "needful things".
I don;t have a chip Jeff.
You made a comment about whites that you would never ever say about a minority on this forum.
And then you go on about how ethnic diversity appreciative you are like it's a pavlovian crusade for you.
As I recall, didn't you start the thread bitching at JR about still running the old GA flag....the thread that got yanked....maybe 6 months back?
I am solidly very un-PC on this forum about the very things you are stumbling over to be so PC about.
That's fine.
Do you suffer from white guilt son? Can I suggest some help?
I know someone in Alpharetta out off New Providence.
Another thing Jeff.
Believe it or not but one day you will not jusge a city by how good it's clubs are.
How pretty it's women are...yes ...that never changes regardless of age.
...which btw, would be another mark in the plus column for Atlanta.
Personally, I think the nadir for Atlanta was around 1982 at around 2M folks and still Southern.
That is beautiful.
No I didn't and I have no idea what you are talking about. Maybe this explains your irrational behavior towards me.
How do you defend kudzu?
Actually, we could afford Miami if we wanted to live in a place like that. The reason we could afford a place like Miami is that we haven't squandered our money on material things. I agree with you about the humidity. It's not bad enough that Miami is brimming full of people, the humidity would kill me too. :)
Chicago is Manhattan for Americans that cannot stand the filth and mobs of Manhattan. A little smaller than Manhattan, but with most of the upsides.
As far as 'real cities' go, very few cities in the world can hold a candle to NYC.
Opa Locka is bad too.
West Coconut Grove as well.
Even Cutler Ridge and Redlands have seedy areas.
I saw a lot of really bad black on white racist crime in Miami...worst I've seen in the US....and riots too.
Three times in 8 years.
I don't think Atlanta is that bad but it's worse than it used to be.
In reality, and as Clem knows, I get a kick out of most American cities. One of the best times I ever had was in a Chicago bar with a horde of screaming Bears fans drinking beer and eating heart attack food.
Best places to live...
IMHO, you find a town, not a city...with less than 40,000 population and 9 times out of ten, you will be a lot happier there than in a "big city."
I recently moved from Olympia, Washington (large population) to Aberdeen, Washington (25,000 pop)...
Interesting observation...not a Starbucks in site for miles but there are churches on just about every corner.
One never defends kudzu. One just moves.
Some of the food scenes in Chicago are also superior to NYC, and I say that as someone who truly appreciates the Manhattan restaurant scene. San Francisco is a much smaller city, but like Seattle, the indigenous food scene is excellent if different from either a Manhattan or Chicago.
Anchorage is a beautiful city, no doubt about it. The mountains loom above the city and the ocean front...well, it's just a different world. I don't like cities at all, but I don't mind Anchorage as much as I used to. Of course, I may not feel that way if our son and his wife hadn't moved down there. LOL But seriously, there are many things to see and do in Anchorage. I enjoy walking along the downtown area...very quaint, in an Alaskan sort of way and then some. Nicest thing about Anchorage is that it is close to Alaska. (I didn't make that up, it's an Alaskan "saying". LOL)
LOL...I blame the damned Chinese. Some foolio imported it from them.
It's even up here now....even into Appalachia.
It owns the Loess Bluffs of Mississippi.
But...it dies in winter.
God I love my houses.
3. San Luis Obispo-Atascadero-Paso Robles, CA
This quiet group of towns on the central California coast could easily qualify as paradise. The climate is among the country's most pleasant, with 285 mostly sunny days per year and temperatures rarely above 90 degrees or below freezing. The presence of academic heavyweight Cal Poly helps anchor the local economy—the unemployment rate is well below the national average. It's fortunate that local jobs are plentiful, since it's too far to commute to Los Angeles or the Bay Area.
Considering further its low crime and unemployment rates, the San Luis Obispo area seems to have it all. But home prices here have risen steadily in the last few years, so that the median is now $536,300. While this isn't unreasonable by California standards, it can be out of reach for many of us thinking of moving from other parts of the country.
4. Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-Lompoc, CA
A few miles north of Los Angeles, Santa Barbara has long been a #1 relocation choice for those who can afford it. This area is famous for lavish estates that carry a price tag in the millions of dollars. Indeed, the median home price for the county is $590,000, while the median in the city itself is over $1.2 million.
No matter how appealing, the Santa Barbara area's cost of living and home prices will prove prohibitive for many Americans. In addition, recent job growth has dipped lately, so it might not be the best place to look for a new job. Nevertheless, for those that are retired or financially secure, the Santa Barbara area remains one of unmatched beauty and comfort.
Good for him.
How much more clear can I be? I have clarified several times that many people don't enjoy only being around people that are just like them.
And to your other observation, I wasn't even for the Georgia flag being changed away from the Stars and Bars.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.