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City Recommendations & Tips

kasuncion6

Certified Ski Diva
Hi Everyone.

The topic of moving to a new city popped up in another thread. It's something that's always at the back of my mind. I'm sure many on this board have also considered moving to another region/city to be closer to the activities we like...

I'm starting this thread as a place to discuss the pluses and minuses of the cities/towns in which we live and have lived. Aside from being a place to glean practical info and a sense of day to day "reality" in a place, I am thinking this can also help people who are simply traveling somewhere in need of "local" tips and recommendations. Here are a few obvious starter questions, but feel free to elaborate!

• Where do you live? Where have you lived? Where are you originally from?
• Name a a few things that makes your city great.
•.....and not so great?
• Do you foresee a lot of change coming (economics/diversity/development, etc...) ?
• Name cities/regions you are interested in living.

Thank You,

Kara
 
Its funny I was thinking of this very topic the other day. Thinking it would be a fun way to learn more about everyone.

• Where do you live? Where have you lived? Where are you originally from? - Fairfield, CT. I grew up here and lived all over CT before I moved away. I lived in Plymouth, Minnesota for 2 years and then southern California for 15 years. I just moved back here 5 1/2 years ago.

• Name a a few things that makes your city great. - I love the proximity to NYC and its an option for work if I need it. Its green and pretty and we have farmers markets in the summer, the beach is close by and we have some amazing restaurants and breweries. Car registration is cheap and its only every 2 years.

•.....and not so great? - I don't really care for the people here. I don't have friends like I did in California. Its way more cliquey here and people particularly where I live are just more closed in and not as friendly. I get lonely sometimes and really miss my friends out west. The moment you leave my county and go farther upstate it gets better and people open up. Where we save in car registration fees we make up for in car taxes that are due twice a year.

• Do you foresee a lot of change coming (economics/diversity/development, etc...) ? Economy wise things aren't so spectacular for CT with Sikorsky being potentially sold by UTC and with GE threatening to leave.

• Name cities/regions you are interested in living. - I have fulfilled my dream of working in New York City and now I am nicely tucked away in the suburbs of Connecticut. I am just a train ride away from the city whenever I want to visit it but that's not even all that often. I love new england but really don't care for Fairfield County, CT where I live. I love Vermont, Colorado, Utah, California and although I've never been to Oregon or Washington I love it there too. I have been fascinated with Colorado for years and every time I've driven through it it is still the same. I'm a legal gal and can work anywhere and DH is in tech. He knows how much I love Colorado. His dichotomy is he's 10 years away from retirement and has crazy good benefits where he is now including lots of vacation time so he's scared to give that up and start somewhere else.

Don't get me wrong I like it here and am not miserable but if I were single I'd be out of here. Having said that its not so bad and I've made a life here, love my job, have relatively cheap rent and have a nice rhythm going but I think after almost 6 years I am ready to live somewhere else.
 

bounceswoosh

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
• Where do you live? Where have you lived? Where are you originally from?
I live in Longmont, Colorado (just north of Boulder - Boulder housing is super expensive). I am from Northern Virginia, and I also spent five years as a child living in Germany. (My mom is German; dad was civil service.)

• Name a a few things that makes your city great.
Mountains, active population, lack of humidity, SUNSHINE all year round, ostensibly liberal. Healthy food choices abound, so it's easy not just to get organic, farm to table, etc, but also gluten free. Even the menu at some of the breweries has gluten free labeling. Oh, did I mention all the local breweries? They're not such a draw for me, but I do like the culture that seems to come with it. Everybody's car has a rack or roofbox. When we travel to other states, DH likes to point out the rare rack we might actually see. Another cool thing around here - Colorado is the home of a lot of outdoor companies. Golite, Icelantic, Smartwool, a bunch I can't think of. And I'm always amazed at how often I see logo vehicles out here - IMBA trail crew, Mavic, all sorts of outdoor companies have a big presence here.

•.....and not so great?
It's very white, plus a fair number of hispanic people, but it feels segregated. In my life I don't encounter anything but white people. Whenever I see a black person, I have to consciously refrain from running up to them and thanking them for actually being here.
• Do you foresee a lot of change coming (economics/diversity/development, etc...) ?
With Google building a huge megaplex for 1500 employees in Boulder, and a number of bay area companies establishing offices here, I think there will be more high paying software jobs, but I'm concerned about what it will do to housing prices etc.
• Name cities/regions you are interested in living.
If I were to move anywhere, it would be to Breckenridge, or to Frisco just twenty minutes away from Breck. This is where I have found my people (although I note that "my people" all seem to be east coast transplants who moved here to enjoy a more active lifestyle. I lucked into it - I moved here to be with my then-boyfriend).
 

altagirl

Moderator
Staff member
• Where do you live? Sandy, UT Where have you lived? PA, MI, VA, AL, NC, TX, Germany. Where are you originally from? PA
• Name a a few things that makes your city great. Scenery, great mountain biking and skiing, proximity to the mountains. Lots of fun people who moved here for the sports related stuff. We actually have a fabulous yoga community too, which you wouldn't really expect. And there are some surprisingly good restaurants with a variety of ethnic foods. The weather is generally good - sunny and not humid, so even when it's hot, at least it's not muggy. Job market is apparently great - I think we have one of the best unemployment rates in the country.
•.....and not so great? Air pollution can be terrible when we have inversions. I mean, really terrible. Politics/government is frustrating to see being dominated by the local church. There is definitely a lack of diversity and I'm right there with bounceswoosh. The last few days I've seen a handful of minorities at Whole Foods and I start feeling like a crazy person wondering/wishing if I can/should do or say something to make them feel more welcome.
• Do you foresee a lot of change coming (economics/diversity/development, etc...) ? Probably more and more development as the job market is so strong.
• Name cities/regions you are interested in living. Um... not sure. We've talked about moving to Denver - it would actually be easier for me to work there, BUT I don't think we could deal with the long commute to the mountains. I've worked in Portland (just traveling frequently), which is nice. And we could see living in Bellingham (man, would that save on drives to the Whistler Bike Park!), but work would be tough. There are all sorts of places that would be fun to live if I didn't have to work, but we definitely need some proximity to a city for work.
 

ski diva

Administrator
Staff member
• Where do you live? Where have you lived? Where are you originally from?
I was born and raised on the Jersey shore, left when I was 17 for college in Syracuse,New York, then lived in the Philly suburbs for a really long time, and finally moved to south-central Vermont about 8 years ago.

• Name a a few things that makes your city great.
I can't address the term "city," since I really live out in the sticks. The nearest town (6 miles away) has about 2,000 people, and the nearest large town (Rutland, about half an hour away), about 16,500. That said, I absolutely love Vermont. Let me count the reasons why:
1) It's gorgeous. The landscape is beautiful. There's the (aptly-named) Green Mountains, there are tiny villages with homes clustered around a village green, lots of covered bridges, and Lake Champlain -- you've all seen the images. Truly, it's like living in a postcard.
2) I love how unpopulated it is. That was one of the things I hated about suburban Philly -- tons of traffic, strip malls, fast food joints, housing developments, one town bleeding into the next. Just ugly, ugly, ugly. You don't have that here. The only big box stores are up in Burlington, 2 hours away (and by the way, Burlington is a really cool town. It's right on Lake Champlain and has a terrific downtown pedestrian mall, lots of good restaurants, the University of Vermont, and lots of stuff going on).
3) There are loads of ski areas; I live about five minutes away from Okemo, within an hour of Stratton, Bromley, Killington, and Pico, and within two hours of Sugarbush, Stowe, Burke, and Mount Snow.
4) There are tons of things to do in the off season: bike, hike, kayak, etc. For someone who loves the outdoors, I can't think of a better place to be.
5) I feel politically at home here, which is important to me. Vermont is small enough (the state's population is around 650,000) that we can try things that could be difficult in larger states. Sometimes they work and sometimes they don't, but it makes life interesting.
6) And fifth, there's a huge locavore movement here. Even the smallest villages have a weekly farmer's market, so you can find all sorts of terrific things fresh from the farm.

•.....and not so great?

While I love that it's very rural and there aren't a lot of stores, it does make buying things difficult. Anything I want is a long drive away. Take food: even though there's a small grocery store in the closest town, it's pretty limited and somewhat expensive. For more selection and better prices, I have to drive to Rutland, about 35 minutes away, which can be a bit of a pain. Flying out is pretty difficult, too; I'm two hours from any airport, and these are pretty much second tier: Burlington (VT), Hartford (CT), Manchester (NH), and Albany (NY). Boston is 3 hours away. So flying anywhere isn't easy or economical. And don't get me started on cell phone service. We have a LOT of dead zones, which can be pretty frustrating. Also, this is pretty much a cultural backwater. Burlington has a lot of neat stuff, but as I said, that's 2 hours away. So if you like museums, concerts, etc., you have to be prepared to travel. And I have to agree with bounceswoosh and altagirl: Vermont is very, very white. So diversity-wise, it sucks.

• Do you foresee a lot of change coming (economics/diversity/development, etc...) ?

No. Vermont is not a very rich state, mostly because it's so rural. That said, the trend toward smaller businesses, like micro-breweries (Magic Hat! Long Trail! Harpoon!) and artisan foods has really helped the economy. Cheese is big, as is maple syrup and dairy (Ben & Jerry's!). Tourism is important, too. But as for change? I don't see anything in the offing.

• Name cities/regions you are interested in living.
As I said before, I love Vermont and consider myself very, very lucky to be here. And even though the skiing is bigger out west, I'm an east coast sort of girl. Plus my daughter and her family live in the northeast, too. So I'm not going anywhere.
 
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Christy

Angel Diva
Where do you live? Where have you lived? Where are you originally from?
Seattle, Wa. I grew up across Lake Washington from Seattle in the suburb of Kirkland, with childhood stints in MI and MD, a year at college in AZ, and a summer in Point Reyes, CA, too.
• Name a a few things that makes your city great.
The proximity of both saltwater and mountains. There are fantastic alpine hikes within 45 minutes of downtown Seattle, but you might see whales right off Seattle too. I think it's the prettiest city in the lower 48. Cultural institutions are top notch as is the arts/music scene. Everything but avocados and citrus grow here, so the local produce is amazing, as is the fish/shellfish. Very environmentally conscious;no plastic bags, no styrofoam, teeny garbage cans and giant food waste cans; Prius central; it's one of 5 cities were the majority of people don't commute alone in their cars. The support for independent business--there is no Walmart here, and very few fast food chains. It's a very activist group of folks with a strong neighborhood culture; protesting is a big thing here. We don't have a liberal-conservative dynamic here; we have liberals, progressives and socialists, all represented in local government (this, of course, would be a negative if you were conservative). It probably goes without saying its a very tolerant place. I love the weather--it never gets too hot or very cold. Summers are glorious, winters can be gloomy, but I'll take that over cold any day.
•.....and not so great?
Cost of housing and competition for housing is absolutely ridiculous. We are bursting at the seams and transit has not even begun to keep up. What is happening is widely called the "San Francisco-ization of Seattle" and no one likes it. We are rapidly becoming a city of rich and poor. There is no rent control because the state legislature won't allow it so people are being displaced like crazy as their rents soar. The homeless population is now 4th worst in the country (worse, even, than SF). We have long had the highest percentage of independent businesses/least number of chains in the US, but with all the new development we're losing that rapidly as historic buildings and funky little businesses give way to huge new condo complexes or office towers for Amazon. And the crowds have spread to the mountains...everything (hiking trails) feels so crowded on weekends now. I can still find solitude, but not easily like I used to.
• Do you foresee a lot of change coming (economics/diversity/development, etc...) ?
The economy here is on overdrive and there is no slowing down. Silicon Valley companies keep moving here because the cost of living is lower; Amazon (which needs to die) is expanding like crazy, people keep pouring in. Someone did a study and found that in the Bay Area, real estate in Seattle was searched more by Bay Area residents than any other place. They are all sick of the cost of living there and they are coming here. At least we just fell from fastest growing city to third fastest growing...I guess that's something. But we are all afraid of losing the qualities that make Seattle special--how in the world do we keep our artists, actors, musicians, thriving small businesses, young people, etc with what is going on?
• Name cities/regions you are interested in living.
It would be cool to split my time between Seattle, Orcas Island, WA, Mazama, WA, and Ketchum, ID, but that requires a lot more wealth and time than I have. Maybe we'll settle on one other place someday for a second home.
 
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pinto

Ski Diva Extraordinaire

• Where do you live? Where have you lived? Where are you originally from?

1-Littleton, which is a suburb south of Denver. It's not as far south as it used to be, lol. (And it didn't used to be a suburb, either.) I can get into downtown Denver in 15 min without traffic.
2/3-I was an Air Force brat for the first 10 years of my life, hence NJ, AK, CO, AL, TX. Then it was CO mostly, a little TX, after college DC, VA, CA, and finally back to CO (I've lived in CO about 2/3 of my life; I've moved away three times, and back every single time).

• Name a a few things that makes your city great.
Adding on to what bounceswoosh said: weather, proximity to mountains, level of education, culture (which no isn't NY but it's better than it used to be), weather, beer and food, sports both pro and rec, weather, beer, active population, mountains, uh ... economy! actually it's killing it right now. And beer. and weather. And, just the general laid-back-ness of the population. I mean, it's not a very political place. North of us is more liberal (Boulder etc), south is more conservative (Co Spgs), but honestly mostly it's live and let live. Legal weed (someone has to say it) -- I don't care all that much, but so far it appears to be a net positive. And you can ski lift-served from Oct-June. Plus the weather and the beer.

(As for Littleton itself: excellent public school system, public transit, historic downtown, not too far from Denver, somewhat varied housing, my family lives here... )

•.....and not so great?
Traffic isn't so great, but I think it's not worse than a lot of places. Housing prices are going nuts at the moment, so if you already own, that's a good thing, but not so great if you're looking. Not terribly diverse, no -- but it is better than it was 25 years ago, and again, people don't really care one way or the other. Rapid population growth, which is a double-edged sword.

• Do you foresee a lot of change coming (economics/diversity/development, etc...) ?
Right now, things are hopping. Economy is diversified, as opposed to what it was in, say, the 80s, when oil and gas was king, thus when it busted, so did Denver. Now it's tech, and telecom, and energy, among other things-- add quality of life to that, things are booming. Construction is up, buildings are going up everywhere.

• Name cities/regions you are interested in living.
I've lived in a lot of places already, and I always come back. I occasionally look at real estate in Crested Butte and Aspen. :smile:
 
If I were to move anywhere, it would be to Breckenridge, or to Frisco just twenty minutes away from Breck. This is where I have found my people (although I note that "my people" all seem to be east coast transplants who moved here to enjoy a more active lifestyle. I lucked into it - I moved here to be with my then-boyfriend).

When I was driving across country to move back here I stayed in Frisco at this little bed and breakfast. I was dead tired and just randomly pulled off and found this B & B. I think it was called the Frisco Inn. Its quite possible I was just very, very tired but I remember it being nice and charming and affordable to me. It was so awesome but they had a no pet policy and I had my maine coone with me. She's a good girl and had been a great traveler thus far so I smuggled her in. She used the portable kitty box I brought in and noone knew she was there. I kept the TV on all night in case she meowed. I still remember the delicious breakfast in the morning. It had started to snow over night and I thought ok now's my chance to see how my Sebring convertible does in the snow. It was so beautiful and I snapped so many pictures as I was driving away that morning. I've always wanted to go back to Frisco.....................
 
@pinto Beer mmmmmmm that alone is reason enough for me to live in Colorado lol. I LOVE beer. I have a Piny the Elder IPA that my friend sent me from California chilling in the fridge right now to be cracked open tomorrow night.
 

pinto

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
@pinto Beer mmmmmmm that alone is reason enough for me to live in Colorado lol. I LOVE beer. I have a Piny the Elder IPA that my friend sent me from California chilling in the fridge right now to be cracked open tomorrow night.

I had one of those when I was in CA last month! Mmmmm
 

Christy

Angel Diva
If you really love beer Vermont might be where you want to be. California has the most breweries, then WA, then CO, but if you go by per capita, Vermont wins.
https://www.brewersassociation.org/statistics/by-state/

I don't really like beer so I didn't think to list that, but our niece and her husband visited last week and all they did was visit these beer geek places. Lol I was telling them about museums and parks and such and they were just like, how to we get to Toronado and the Beer Junction and Chucks?
 

geargrrl

Angel Diva
• Where do you live? Where have you lived? Where are you originally from?
I live in Spokane, WA and have been here since 1991. I was born in Chicago. I've lived there, Denver area (Golden and Evergreen), Bay Area, Wyoming

• Name a a few things that makes your city great.

It's not on the radar so it's not terribly big or growing terribly fast. Housing is affordable and we have great schools. Access to outdoors is amazing: 5 ski areas within 1.5 hours, closest being 30 mile; Powder Highway skiing of British Columbia starts 100 miles away. There is lots of national forest and mountain access very close. Mountain biking both in town and regionally is excellent. There is also lots of whitewater, DH's sport, with many world class rivers within reach. We have a beautiful downtown full of locally business, arts, and restaurants, with an Olmstead designed park that has the Spokane River with it's falls, right in the middle of downtown.

Spokane has slowly but steadily been moving forward. We are behind Seattle by a few years, constantly. Infrastructure for biking and public transport has been improving. I see more people of color all the time. Locally owned businesses are strongly supported. People of my age and younger who moved away are coming back, bring great restaurants and other contemporary things to our culture here. Things are slowly shifting more to the center from the right, as in bringing more progressive thinking to City Councel and County board of commissioners.


•.....and not so great?
We have a horrible white trash/meth property crime problem here, and the police have publicly acknowledges they have better things to do than deal with it. It is the highest or one of the highest, in the state. Developers are still very old school - pocketed with the powers that be; building developments and expecting taxpayers to pay for infrastructure, not connecting neighborhoods. Our roads are in terrible shape.

• Do you foresee a lot of change coming (economics/diversity/development, etc...) ?
Yes. Slowly but surely we move towards a more progressive attitude. Neighborhood councils are forcing commercial developer to make things pedestrian friendly and not be ugly boxes. We finally got a Trader Joes. (lol)


• Name cities/regions you are interested in living.


N/A
 

mustski

Angel Diva
Great idea for a fun summer thread!
Where do you live? Oceanside CA which is the farthest northern coastal town in San Diego County
Where have you lived? Ottawa, Canada; Kawaii, Hawaii; and a variety of small coastal towns in San Diego and Orange Counties, CA
Where are you originally from? Montreal, Canada
Name a a few things that makes your city great.
Fantastic year round climate where the lows rarely get below 55F and the highs rarely go above 75F. Beautiful breezes and lots and lots of gorgeous coastline. It is the greatest advantage of living at beach. There rarely is the need for heating or air conditioning. Let's address the common denominator in this thread: beer! Oceanside, small as it is, does have a few craft beer breweries including one in my residential neighborhood. I'm not a beer fan but it must be good because DH seems to visit it fairly often to have his bottle refilled! The biggest advantage to living in Oceanside is it's proximity to other great things, but you have to be willing to drive. We are 45 minutes from downtown San Diego, about 1 hr from the Mexican border, 1 1/2 hr from Los Angeles, 2 1/2 hours from Palm Springs, 2 1/2 hrs from our local mountains and skiing. The closest big resort is Mammoth which is about a 6 1/2 hr drive. There are plenty of theaters, museums, restaurants, camping, hiking, biking boating, surfing, sailing, fishing ... just name your flavor. Thanks to the ocean breezes, the air is clean and the water USUALLY is. After a big storm, stay out of the ocean! The run off brings lots of pollutants with it.

A few others have addressed diversity and California is a VERY diverse state. Oceanside was a late bloomer as far as coastal cities go so housing costs stayed reasonable long after everything else went crazy. Pick your demographic and you will find it on my street and even in my cul de sac.

.....and not so great?
California has always had the same problem: too many people and not enough infrastructure. Oceanside itself isn't too bad traffic wise, but once you hit the freeway - any freeway - give yourself some time. For anything other than beach activities, you will have to drive. I commute 35-45 minutes each way to work and mine is a relatively easy commute - no traffic and only 37 miles door to door. I have a love affair with my car though so I don't mind it. The biggest issue is the cost of living. Southern California has a crazy expensive housing market, really high gasoline prices and electrical prices and water is a precious commodity with prices rising all the time. Since we use a special blend of gasoline and gas taxes of .70 a gallon, the cost of all goods and services is very high. Although property taxes are quite reasonable at 1%, state income tax is one of the highest in the nation.


Do you foresee a lot of change coming (economics/diversity/development, etc...)
?
In California, something is going to have to give, but I don't see it happening any time soon. We are pretty resistant to change. A ton of businesses have left the state and that is causing higher unemployment. Couple that with our high cost of living and it's just not a good situation. There's a lot of talk but not much action. I can't say much more without getting political.

Name cities/regions you are interested in living.
We are looking towards retirement. Oceanside isn't off the table but it's not an automatic either. We like Big Bear, CA very much. We have a cabin there, it's paid for, the community is small and friendly and quite affordable. It has a great 4 season climate - a decent ski resort, a beautiful lake, tons of hiking and biking ... but no cultural opportunities unless you count car shows and Octoberfest. We want to explore Bend, OR this summer and check it out next winter also. We haven't been there in years, but it seems to have a lot of the qualities we look for in a town so it's on the list. Eden, UT is also on the list and we need to check that area out in summer also.
 

Christy

Angel Diva
•.....and not so great? - I don't really care for the people here. I don't have friends like I did in California. Its way more cliquey here and people particularly where I live are just more closed in and not as friendly.

The question of whether some places are friendlier than others or if it's easier to meet people or date in certain places is really interesting to me for some reason. On one hand, it seems like we have such a mobile society that big differences in regional friendliess seem unlikely. I think a lot of people think a certain place they lived when they were younger is really friendly, and a place that they moved to when they are in their 30s or 40s is not as friendly, but I think it's just a lot easier to meet people when you are young and not so easy when people are married and have kids and their established friend groups. On the other hand, I've had people make some convincing arguments about certain places having a culture of friendliness and welcoming, and others not so much. And then there are microcosms of place--I think my neighborhood is super friendly; we're all so close together you can't help but know the people around you. My sister in the suburbs thinks her area is not friendly, but everyone has big spaces between houses and pulls right into their garages without ever interacting with people around them. This is a tangent, sorry, but I just think the question is interesting.
 

VickiK

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
• Where do you live? Where have you lived? Where are you originally from?
Glendale, CA, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. Am from the area originally. Lived in south Orange County for about 13 years.
• Name a a few things that makes your city great.
I'll speak to Los Angeles overall. The beach. Summer concerts. Lots of cultural happenings, movies, restaurants, etc. Lots of options for activities, sports, entertainment. Besides the beach, the proximity of the mountains and the desert. Generally open mindset in town.
•.....and not so great?
Kind of tough to live in. Stressful. Crowded. Crazy traffic. Drivers & truckers cannot seem to stay in their lanes these days yet always driving to/from somewhere is just part of the lifestyle here, unavoidable. Crime and the usual big city problems. Expensive housing. Less than clean but it depends on the area. Roads are getting bad. Weather is fabled, of course, but with the heat, A/C is a must unless you're by the beach. "La-La Land" epitaph is earned, at times.
• Do you foresee a lot of change coming (economics/diversity/development, etc...) ?
Yes, always. Major influx of all kinds of people from all over. Transplants, immigrants, legal, illegal, all colors and creeds. I think water resources and gridlock will become huge issues in this area.
• Name cities/regions you are interested in living in.
Mammoth Lakes, CA. Reno, NV. SLC/Ogden, UT. Boise, ID. Portland, OR. Basically somewhere smaller, greener, cooler, and less hectic. Heard good things about Bellingham, WA.
 
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No worries at all and I know its subjective too. I agree that when you have folks in your 20s its easier and maybe harder later on because everyone's married and stuff. Maybe if I was here in my 20s I'd have had an easier time but I was in my 20s in California. Was also in Cali for all of my 30s and still had the same awesome experience. My friend and neighbor has no issue with the people in our general area but hasn't really lived in other places so we have different perspectives. I feel like when we've gone upstate or to the beach in Newport, Rhode Island people seem more chatty. One time we were at the beach and this couple had some beers, I asked them where there was a liquor store and they told us but also offered us to share with them. Particularly for me in California is where I find an easier time in talking to people and vice versa. I am very fond of my friends there; one of whom just sent me a beer that's a bit rare on the east coast. My neighbor thinks Californian's are flaky and flighty. I know this is a gross generalization but I tell her I disagree. My crew in Cali are a bunch of wonderful people whom I consider family and really have my back.

I guess it is interesting and its different for everyone I guess. :smile:

We would also be asking where those breweries are lol. I would be fine with Vermont, Washington or Colorado. We actually went down to wine country in Temecula, California and went on a brew hop; 5 breweries over the course of the day. We had such a blast.
 
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Kimmyt

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Here's another Boulderite. Well, technically I live in a suburb outside of Boulder called Louisville but they're pretty similar with the exception that Lville is comprised mostly of middle- to- upper-class white families with a zillion kids. Seriously. Louisville is where Boulderites come to breed. And I say that lovingly, as a Boulderite who has bred.

• Where do you live? Louisville, CO- suburb about 10 mi east of Boulder

Where have you lived? Collegeville, PA- suburb 30ish mi west of Philly

Where are you originally from? Grew up in a suburb right outside of NE Philly.

• Name a a few things that makes your city great. Boulder is close to the mountains, has a great outdoor culture, has some pretty decent dining options (particularly if you like healthy dining options!) and entertainment options. YOu can get to an airport within 45 minutes, it feels like a large 'town' with a pretty strong community. Also (this could be considered good or bad depending on your view) we have CU Boulder. There is also a pretty vibrant festival scene in town and the surrounding areas. Lots of multiuse paths and tons of cyclists on the road so people are very cycling friendly- sometimes the cars are so cyclist aware that they get annoyingly kind, like stopping twenty feet from a crosswalk to let you pass and then you have to sprint so they don't wait too long. I know, thats like the biggest first world problem.

•.....and not so great? As others mentioned, not diverse. The dining scene, while passable, is kind of boring (lots of farm to table, nouveau american type food but not nearly as fun and culturally diverse as Philly's scene was). Oh, here's another great-but-not-so-great thing about here: the athletes. Everyone is an athlete. Most are pretty good athletes, which is awesome except when you're a not so great athlete and it can be easy to get down on yourself because it seems like everyone and their grandma is more hardcore than you. YOu know, if you let that type of thing get to your head.

• Do you foresee a lot of change coming (economics/diversity/development, etc...) ? Yes, as @bounceswoosh mentioned with the addition of more tech growth, but I don't see much diversification coming with that. Also, this area has grown hugely in the past 50 years, whole towns sprouting up, a lot less open space, although still a lot. Traffic issues, etc.


• Name cities/regions you are interested in living. I would consider living in the PNW, it seems pretty similar to here but with better food. I really like food. :smile: Also the backcountry skiing is generally a bit more safe, but our snow is nicer so.... also I'd really love to move to a smaller mountain town, but the hubs likes being in a suburban area near a bigger metro with airport access and such so we're kind of at odds on this. I'm winning him over to my idea of retiring somewhere like CB or Jackson though... :smile:
 

VickiK

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I have close family friends who live in Louisville, it's a really nice town.
 

altagirl

Moderator
Staff member
The question of whether some places are friendlier than others or if it's easier to meet people or date in certain places is really interesting to me for some reason. On one hand, it seems like we have such a mobile society that big differences in regional friendliess seem unlikely. I think a lot of people think a certain place they lived when they were younger is really friendly, and a place that they moved to when they are in their 30s or 40s is not as friendly, but I think it's just a lot easier to meet people when you are young and not so easy when people are married and have kids and their established friend groups. On the other hand, I've had people make some convincing arguments about certain places having a culture of friendliness and welcoming, and others not so much. And then there are microcosms of place--I think my neighborhood is super friendly; we're all so close together you can't help but know the people around you. My sister in the suburbs thinks her area is not friendly, but everyone has big spaces between houses and pulls right into their garages without ever interacting with people around them. This is a tangent, sorry, but I just think the question is interesting.

My take would be that is at least somewhat related to lifestyle? And personality, probably. My sister complains of this too (having a hard time meeting people, finding friends after moving in her early 30's, wishes her neighbors were "friendlier" etc.), whereas the last thing DH and I want is a bunch of overly friendly neighbors who want to stop and talk when's you are outside. (Can you tell we are introverts? ) I have had no problem meeting people here from the start. But in comparison to my sister, I go to all kinds of classes and meet people doing sports and find new like minded people regularly. My sister has a child and tends to meet other parents who she doesn't have much in common with (or actively dislikes) and that's about it - she works and takes care of her daughter and goes to work related dinners for her husband's job. I know I've recommended to her on numerous occasions that she should find activities that SHE wants to do and she'd have a better chance of meeting like minded people, but she doesn't have time.

That said, you'r not likely to find a ton of die-hard skiers a long way from the mountains, so you certainly have better odds when the things you like are popular where you live. I know when I have extra opera tickets, it's not very easy to find people to go with me around here. But biking or skiing? Not an issue. It's probably the reverse if I lived somewhere else. BUT - I don't really see that as a friendliness issue, it's a finding shared interests issue.

And I guess my other point is that lots of people don't want close relationships with their neighbors. I understand how it's convenient if you have kids the same age, or you're just a lot more extroverted than I am. ;) I have to talk to people all day and like my home to be my escape where I can not have to speak if I don't feel like it. So I'm very thankful that I have the types of neighbors who smile and wave and that's about the extent of our relationship. ;)
 
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