I live in the mountain between Santa Fe & Albuquerque. I was born and raised in Michigan (Mt.Clemens, which is kind of close to Royal Oak) but moved out here so that DH could practice here. I miss Michigan's beautiful Great Lakes, but love New Mexico's mountains, culture and people. We have no family out here, but have made close friends over the years that are now like family.
Negatives about this area?
~ no lakes like Michigan's; the ones out here are small and don't have real beaches.
~ road rage and aggressive, rude drivers ( abundant out here)
~ Casinos . . . tons of them out here! Much of New Mexico's land is owned by various Indian tribes/pueblos and they can build whatever they like there, since they're a sovereign nation. It's sad to hear the pitiful stories of all the people who've become addicted to gambling and what they've lost: families, life savings, homes, businesses. You drive past one on Easter or Christmas morning and their parking lots are full. How incredibly sad!
Lynn

We're in mid-Tennessee, out in the boonies, south of Nashville. We moved here from Northern Indiana 18 months ago.

It's my favorite place right now, because we're FINALLY settled (mostly) in our new house. We were drawn by DD#2 and her family, including two grandkids. Our DD#1 moved here, too,which puts 3 of our 6 grandkids nearby. Ultimately we should all be next door to one another, on a 45 acre "family compound." Our house is the only one built so far.

Positives: We were really tired of battling snowy winters, so the milder winters are a plus - although we've had way more snow this year than we should have!! I love being near a large metro area with all the amenities. The BEST thing, of course, is seeing our kids and grandkids several times a week.

Negatives: Our DS, DDIL, and other 3 grandkids are 7 hours away. July and August. We left friends and our church of 32 years behind when we moved. That's really hard.

We are in northern Virginia. What's great? 1. DC is right here with all the FREE museums-good for us and even better when we have guests, 2. We can get to wonderful, wild places in no time (C&O canal surrounded by woods, Great Falls Park, Shenandoah National Park, Chesapeake Bay, Rock Creek Park, etc.), but still have lots of cultural venues, shopping, and restaurants when we are in the mood, and 3. history is everywhere. What do we hate? 1. traffic, 2. traffic, 3. traffic.

Having also lived in N.C. and PA., I could see retiring either place, although N.C. is a little warmer. I would go for someplace like Winston-Salem or go up to the mountains. Chances are, we will stay here. It is a terrific, albeit sometimes irritating, place to live.

So if you don't mind sharing, what state or area are you in?

Just outside Boston, Ma.
Is it your forever place and why?

Probably. Mostly because I have a lot of family here. I like being close to a big city and the theaters and museums and libraries. The weather is pretty good most of the time.

What is it exactly that draws you to it?

I was an Army brat, so I grew up living in small towns and big cities and on Army bases. I've come to realize, after living in the country for 15 years, that I really like the big city. Living just outside Boston is a bit less expensive and a bit less crowded, but I still have easy access on public transportation to everything I want. Where I live, I can walk to stores and public transport, it's a quiet, safe neighborhood and I have a house I like.

What's the 3 biggest positives and the 3 biggest negatives to you about where you live?

Positives:

Close to stores and theaters and museums and family.

Negatives:

Traffic and crowds and high cost of living.

I live in Oklahoma.

It's my forever place, no reason to move anywhere else!

Not sure about it being my favorite place, all of my family except for my brother and myself are from Virginia, so I kind of wish my parents had stayed put after they married! lol.

3 Positives - I have the best of both worlds. 25 minutes from the nice part of OKC where all the great shopping, movies and restaurants are. Our town only has about 1100 people so it's a nice "community." There are no "poor" sections of town either. I'm not trying to sound snotty, but it's a wealthy farming/oil town, except for us. lol.

3 negatives - Ditto to what was said above. Everyone is related to one another, except us. Everyone does know your business but they are compassionate. Going to the grocery store is a real chore because I have to drive at least 15 minutes. That's a long way to pick up a few grocery items, so I make one long list and go once a week.

I live in Southern Oregon, and the weather and scenery are probably the best things about this area. We have a lot more sun than most of the PNW. The area is surrounded by mountains, but we don't get much snow in the valley. Just enough to have fun in for a few days before it melts away. Summers can be hot, but it's not humid and there are lots of lakes and rivers to cool off in. And we have a remarkable lack of bugs!

The negatives for me are the distance to a big city. We are about 4.5 hours from Portland to the north or Sacramento to the south. In the winter the mountain passes are sometimes closed, so travel can be difficult, and morning fog makes flying out of our small airport difficult sometimes. We have a pretty high unemployment rate and the cost of housing is pretty high in comparison with wages. The fact that none of my 3 kids (age 21, 23 & 30) have any desire to move back here is another big negative for me.

I live in Northwest Oregon and I have to agree, the scenery is incredible. Within an hour or so drive we can be at the coast, the mountains or a big city like Portland or Eugene.

My town is small, but it's the state capital, so it's a good hubub, but retains it's small townish feel. Some stores are still closed on Sundays. But we've got 2 malls, and every kind of store you can imagine.

I don't like the weather..it's not sunny enough and sometimes not warm enough. Contrary to popular belief, it doesn't rain too much, but is not always sunny.

I like that we don't have sales tax, but our income tax is high. We have HORRIBLE urban planning, but Oregon is a pioneer in environmental planning, so it's a great place to live if you like green, animals and friendly people.

DH and I want to move to Arizona when we retire, so it's not our forever home, but it's gonna be the place we stay till I retire.

I think my kids will always live in Oregon, they love Portland and Corvallis, so they'll probably stay in the area.

I'm in the foothills of upstate SC.

Is it your forever place and why?
I think so because of family and it's my home. The thought of even moving 25 miles away to either Georgia or North Carolina is a little unsettling! I've been in SC for almost 40 years.

What is it exactly that draws you to it?
It's so beautiful and peaceful here. The whole Blue Ridge mountain area. There are many specific places I could like that are similar to where I live (Waynesville, NC comes to mind as a place I would like to move to) and may like better but this is where family is.

What's the 3 biggest positives and the 3 biggest negatives to you about where you live?
It's Beautiful, country, slow paced, little traffic

It's hot, humid and has mosquitoes and fire ants in abundance. I have also turned into a hick.
We have a big lake here and the area has a retirement community along with those who enjoy lake living. So the dress code almost everywhere in my town is very causal. Whenever I go to a big(ish) city, I feel like a rube and that I also should have dressed up more.

Oh gosh, how could I have left out THE biggest negatives about Oklahoma?

Tornados and Ice storms. We've had several towns and cities wiped out the past ten years! We get more ice and sleet than snow and everyone loses power, sometimes for weeks.

We do have a storm cellar though off the patio with a cover, but if that hail is blowing sideways, we need football helmets! lol

We're in Colorado, living in a little mountain town, population 5K. Big cities are close by.

Dh is a native of Colo. Springs, so he won't leave. It's forever.

Positives: We have seasons. Not too humid. Not too many bugs. Great scenery! Lots of outdoor activities, festivals, artists. No hurricanes, mud slides,floods or rolling black outs. Tornados & fires are rare. Low property taxes. Lots of great colleges, high per capita of college graduates.

Negatives: Almost no high tech jobs. The recession has put a halt to construction, but housing prices only dropped about 20%. Lots of military bases, lots of people moving. Winter lasts too long! No southern politeness or hospitality.

PA

+
1. I love being in the country
2. Things are pretty cheap here (where I live anyhow)
3. All four seasons. Hot in summer, cold in winter etc. but they're never to the extreme.
4. Township rules and regulations aren't extreme. I really am not a fan of being told what I can and can't do with my property.
5. No traffic and red lights!!!

-
1. Everything is far away. There's a small Mom and Pop store within walking distance from my house and that comes in handy but that's about it. Takes 25 min. to get to the nearest mall, Lowes, Wal Mart, chain restaurants etc. Again, I like living out where I do so the drive doesn't bother me. Someone that's used to being close would hate it. Jobs range from 25 min. away to 45 + min. away. Haha, I think I remember a fw. email that says "you know you're from PA when you give distance in min." 45 min. = about 35 miles to my work.
2. Lots of people have the born and raised here attitude. My parents moved here when I was four. We were 'outsiders'. Mom and Dad will always be 'outsiders' but not my sister and I since we grew up here. lol How silly. For the most part we're friendly but keep to ourselves.
3. I honestly can't think of another negative right now.

Illinois

++ 45 min. drive to O'Hare and 35 min. to Midway (so I can get out of Illinois).

++ close to Michigan (which I love).

-- terrible roads, crooked politicians, long winters

Born and raised in IL. Re-lolcated to CA when I was still married, and lived there almost 25 years, until DD #3 and DH took a job in Austin,TX. I love TX and I love Austin!

Positives:
NO traffic!
No rude or shallow people~at least I haven't met any.
See countryside every time I go out in the car.

Negatives:
3 of my children are not here. ;o(

Wow, I have loved reading this thread. In a lot of ways it seems many of us are looking for the same things. I don't feel so bad now.

Jane & Lynn, I do a lot of driving for my work and am in Royal Oak & Mt. Clemens often. Both of those areas have a lot of charm and character. We're in Orion Township, which I do enjoy as well. I love all the wooded areas and trees it feels country but is close to larger shops & the freeways. So many people have moved from here, we never have traffic and I never tire of the lakes, views or seasons. I sure wish the economy wasn't so scary! I've driven through New Mexico several times and the thing that has always struck me was the sunrises there. I've never seen such beautiful mornings! Jane, Is Alabama humid? I've heard it's very pretty. My daughter's grandmother lived in Mobile during Katrina and is now in Northern Alabama, she loves it as well.

Natal - I love Louisiana. We lived on the Calcasieu river just north of Lake Charles and experienced hurricane floods back in the early 80's. If my DH could handle the humidity, I'd call it home in a heartbeat!

Hostagrams, I hope the builds go well and quick and that maybe DS & DDIL will join the party one day. After being away from my DD for many years, I can only imagine how excited you must be at the prospect of having everyone so close. Even 7 hours is just a day away by car and not so bad. Congrats!

Cyn427 - Thanks for sharing, but after dealing with Los Angeles traffic for years on end, that's not an option for us! Ha! I envy those with the patience for it and I've heard Virginia is a beautiful state!

Camlan, thanks for sharing, Boston has a lot going for it! If I were to ever live in a larger city again, it would definitely be on my list!

Terriks & Pesky, my sister lived in Oregon (Beaverton) and loved it so much! She says every inch is beautiful and plans on returning there one day. It's her forever place. Wish the rest of the country would follow Oregon's lead on environmental issues. (but that's another thread isn't it! LOL)

Bumblebeez - there is nothing wrong with being a hick! Not in my book anyways. Sounds lovely even with all the mosquitos!

Oakleyok - I was wondering about those tornadoes! Never heard about the ice storms though. I would love to see an area with no poor sections. Michigan is so depressed right now, in many areas it's more the norm than the exception. So sad.

Nicole - Funny you should mention the southern hospitality. That's something I honestly miss from when we lived in the south and can really relate to what you're saying. Jobs and friendly people are important!

Shee - I didn't know you were in PA, I thought you were in the midwest for some reason. People here keep to themselves too...hmmm, maybe a little too much. We've been in our house now for almost 3.5 years and I can count on one hand how many times we've talked to any of our neighbors.

Thank you everyone for sharing. I can't wait to share this thread with my DH tonight!

lukkirish!! I know exactly where you're talking about in La.--b/c we live in the same parish you once did. Too funny :-) Yeah, if your husband doesn't like humidity then that'd be a deal breaker for y'all. LOL Along w/ the humidity, hurricanes are another toughie--Hurricane Rita (in 2005)in particular was a life-changing event for all of us near the Gulf Coast.

Louisiana definitely has its negatives, but I do take pride in my Cajun heritage/culture here in the southern part of the state (contrary to popular belief, the "Cajun" part of La. is located in the southern part of the state. The northern part of the state is quite different culturally.) Our food is pretty darn good, too!

I think Riverrat lives on the Calcasieu too. Don't know if she visits the Conversation side of this forum though.

jbrig! You live in Calcasieu Parish? Where about? We lived in Moss Bluff when it was 1 grocery store and light. I loved it there, the people were amazing and still our friends today. I also loved to take the drive north to Lafayette and stop in Ranier to look at all the frog pictures on buildings. Have you seen that place? It's so sweet. Yes, the food is good, I agree, my daughters all time favorite was boudin sausage.

Didn't you mean Rayne. ;)

Is it your forever place and why?

I think it is my forever place. The area is beautiful. We have four seasons and only two traffic lights. I do not own keys to my house and don't feel the need. My keys are left in my car (at home). We enjoy #2 school system in the state. We are wealthy in good food and the arts. While we are too snobby for most chain stores, there is major shopping about 40 minutes away. While the roads are narrow and windy, the traffic is not an issue.

I grew up swimming in the Yuba River. The river runs slowly in summer. There are plenty of deep holes with shallow parts for the young toddlers. The best thing about our river is it is so clear you can see the bottom, even if the water is 30 feet deep.

We have the big parades and farmer's markets. Music in the Mountains holds lots of concerts. Everything from jazz to blue grass and everything in between. We are well known within our state as a great place to live. It seems everyone wants to move here.

What is it exactly that draws you to it?

I may have answered this question already.

What's the 3 biggest positives and the 3 biggest negatives to you about where you live?

Negatives include the lack of career opportunities and high real estate values. Windy, narrow roads created for horses make it dangerous to turn young drivers out on the roads in a junk car. I turned mine out in newer Volvos and Subaru Foresters. We seem to lose more than our share of teenagers in car accidents around here.

We are a 'new age' community so we tend to have our share of communes. One of our communes brought national news attention when the leader used his position with God to have his way sexually with many of the members.

Lot's of people left San Francisco and Berkeley for our area in the early 70s. We were well known as a hippie community back in the day. Today, every other car is a Prius. LOL! We have lots of organic farms and pot growers here. I wish there were more opportunities for our children to stay.

Natal, now that you mention it, YOUR RIGHT! It is Rayne! Have you been there? It's the cutest town. The last time we were there was in 2001. My DH and I were driving across country from California to the Keys for my daughter's wedding. I just had to show him how wonderful it was.

I didn't know that about RiverRat, I'll have to ask her the next time I see her in the forums. We lived there in the 80's and it's changed so much now. The road we lived on isn't even recognizable anymore.

Patty Cakes, First, Thanks for sharing about Austin, I've always heard it's got the best of many worlds, small town feel, lots to do and as you said nice people. No wonder you're loving it so far!

I live south of Boston towards the Cape.
Positives
the beauty of the town and harbor
close to museums and many cities
the beauty of the seasons

Negatives
ice in the winter
high cost of living
darkness in winter

Uffda!

Fargo....hmmmm....God help me...I LOVE this place!

It's obviously FLAT...like living on a cookie-sheet!
* HUGE open skies. You can see big thunder-heads 100 miles away.
* Not much "light polution" at night. Get on the edge of town, & you can see every little twinkling star, especially in the winter air.
* We've been largely insulated from the big economic swings.
* Not much crime here. We've stayed on top of small gang & drug inroads. Some police units have been busy with small isolated meth-labs in the increasingly rural areas the last few years.
* Weather: WOW...we may be one of the few states where we can say the same town (Fargo!) had a 106deg summer day...AND a -35deg. day in the SAME YEAR. Not many places can say that...a 140deg. swing in one year. Uffda!
* I DO love the 4 distinct seasons!

As Led-Zepplin says...
"I'm from the land of the Ice & snow..."

The Iceman,
Faron

So if you don't mind sharing, what state or area are you in?

Southern New Hampshire, near the Maine border.

Is it your forever place and why?

Not this particular town, no way. Love the general area and would be content never to leave again but I. Hate. This. Town. (The only reason we live here is because this is what we could afford.) In a perfect world, we'd live down in Portsmouth, which is a great little city, but whooo-weee real estate is pricey there.

What is it exactly that draws you to it?

The common attitude of "you stay out of my business and I'll keep out of yours". More respect for privacy and personal space than other places I've lived.

What's the 3 biggest positives and the 3 biggest negatives to you about where you live?

Pro:
1) See previous question.
2) Mountains and ocean just a couple of hours' drive apart, and a great deal of the state remains undeveloped deep forest (and I hope it stays that way!)
3) gobs of history :-)

Con:
1) Serious lack of ethnic and religious diversity - for example, NH's population (all 1.3 million of it) is something like 95% Caucasian and 80%+ Christian
2) Cost of living can be steep
3) Winter is admittedly a drag, since we don't ski or skate or do any of those masochistic things ;-)

Lukkirrish, yes, Alabama is humid. Gawd is it humid, but like everything else you get use to it. The mountains here are just gorgeous. Being use to the flat land of Michigan I still am in awe of them.

But, we don't have the beautiful lakes as Michigan has, right Lynn?

I have been to Orion Township and it is lovely.

....Jane

Jane I hope you make it to some real mountains someday. Clayton or Hiawassee GA is not far from you and so much prettier than your area. I'm originally from Anniston, such a funny city, it has one tiny mountain then everything else is flat. My grandparents lived up on the mountain but I never liked the Anniston topography.

BB, was that a dig?

Natal sweetie, BB was not making light of where I live. How sweet of you to stick up for me.

BB I am going to try and make it up to the north Georgia mountains. I hear they're gorgeous.

Although, I had dinner at Lake Guntersville last night at the lodge on top of the mountain, on the Tennessee river. It started snowing and it was awfully purdy.

My favorite restaurant is in Anniston "The Classic on Noble", ever hear of it? I'm with you when it comes to Anniston, BORING.

....Jane

Hiawassee is pretty! Jane, my hubby loves to fish at Lake Guntersville. I need to visit more of Alabama.

tina

Hiawassee is gorgeous but the mountains around Asheville (and up to Boone) are the best to me. I would live up on the parkway if I could.
Not a dig, Natal. I just want Jane to see some real mountains (and I don't know if she has being from Michigan)and she is right about Anniston, very boring. I haven't been to that restaurant as I usually eat with family when I'm in town.
I have not been to her area either but it is not that far from Anniston so I am guessing terrain wise, about the same.

I have traveled a little out west though not much, but did have a vacation that included Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons. The grandeur is way beyond our Eastern mountains but I still love the Blue Ridge mountains best.

Oh, ok. Didn't see a wink and wasn't sure. Where I live is flat as a pancake. Mountains are nice, but even rolling hills impress me. ;)

* What state or area are you in?
I live in California, in a small town about 10 minutes from San Francisco.

*Is it your forever place and why?
I'm not sure. It's better than anywhere else I've lived as an adult. I moved out here from Boston about 20 years ago. I lived in California as a child and always wanted to return, but it's true; you can't go back! The California I loved - the land of sunshine and orchards, poppies fields and unlimited space - that's gone. But the weather is still great. I have moved many times and I would rather not move again. I have great neighbors - they have become my best friends.
*What is it exactly that draws you to it?
It's a very neighborly town. I like being able to walk to the shops, libraries, pool, etc. The town borders on a large park/wildlife refuge so I can walk out my front door and be on a hiking trail in five minutes. There is little traffic in the town; no stop lights or anything. It feels very safe.

*What's the 3 biggest positives
1) The climate. I love to garden and you can grow almost anything here (with enough water.) I dislike extreme temperatures and that doesn't leave a whole lot of places to choose from.
2) Natural beauty. Despite the increased population and encroaching development, I think California is one of the most beautiful places on Earth. I can walk to the bay; it's a short drive to the real ocean beaches; redwood forests are a nearby.
3) It has been easy for both me and DH to find work we love here.

*The 3 biggest negatives to you about where you live?
1) Congestion! There are so many people here and on week-ends it feels like everyone gets in their cars and drives around. I'm lucky to have an odd work schedule so I generally stick around home on week-ends, gardening, hiking, etc.
2) Cost of living. Real estate prices are crazy, even in this economy. We could live in a palace in most parts of the country for what we pay for a cottage here.
3) My town is kid-friendly, but the San Francisco area is not a great place to bring up kids. The city is really geared toward adults only. I think it is too adult for ME! The schools are terrible (I homeschool.) There are lots of drugs, gangs, bad attitudes and just not a lot of support for families.

If I did move it would probably be to Golddust's area - Grass Valley or thereabouts. We often go there on vacation and it is a lot more like the old-fashioned California I remember.

I wish there was a place that combined my weather, the cultural climate of Boston, and had the lakes of Minnesota thrown in (I lived there for a few years too.) And was a whole lot cheaper than where I live! Every month I look at the "real estate sampler" section of Country Living and think wow, we could buy that AND that AND that - but then we'd have humidity and bugs and snow and ice....~sigh~

Postum,

I would love it if you moved up here! You are right, it *is* more like the old fashion California. LOL! Can't get much more old fashioned than the gold country (unless you talk Missions). We have lakes around here and don't forget the Yuba River!

Our schools are rated #2 in the state, just below wealthy Marin County... (Hey, is that where you are from? If so, forget what I said about schools.)

I look at CL's real estate listings too! This month's houses are amazing! Oh! Speaking of bugs, don't forget chiggers... Also, many older homes smell musty in humid climates. :+)

Real estate here is more reasonable than in your area. Sure, it is still California but we're not the Bay Area.

But, we don't have the beautiful lakes as Michigan has, right Lynn?

Alabama is full of lakes of all sizes. Just as beautiful as Michigan lakes, but in a different way.

Jane, I didn't realize you lived so close to me - I am south/southeast of B'ham. My HS boyfriend I dated for three years had grandparents in Springville. We visited them often. Gorgeous area, always had a wonderful visit with them on their farm.

Yes, Alabama is our forever home but DH has been looking at RE in CA near DD1 (she lives in Marin Co, Postum and Golddust, after living in/attending AAU, then FIDM in SF). Until recently, we've always had a second home somewhere - over the years Destin, FL, near Gatlinburg, TN and near Vail, CO. Alabama mountains are not as majestic as CO's but still pretty. The valley we live in now is in the Appalachian Mountains. We're on a small lake and enjoy being on "vacation" every day. And yes, it is very humid, but nothing like New Orleans. I will never return to NOLA in the summertime!

What is it exactly that draws you to it? Family, friends and it's fairly inexpensive. Even the town/best school system in the state (where we raised our children) is inexpensive compared to the top rated in other states. The beauty of the area and being able to live out, but still close to town. Major airport is 40 minutes away. Great local shopping.

What's the 3 biggest positives:
Family, friends and beauty of the area (#4 would be Alabama football!)

and the 3 biggest negatives
1) Humidity, 2) having to listen to people who stereotype those who live in/are from Alabama (we all wear shoes, we're not all Bible thumpers, have indoor plumbing, stadium seating movie theaters, I don't know anyone who has ever kissed much less married their cousin... and there are a 100 more) and 3)we'll probably never have a lottery. ;D

Allison,

Is your DD a photographer? Have your DH check out RE in Nevada County. It is 2 1/2 hours away from Marin County but lots cheaper. Plus, we *are* a well known getaway for Bay Area folk. Course, if you are thinking about a place for your DD to live, well, it would be a very long commute. LOL!

I think Alabama sounds beautiful! That said, I have never met a state I didn't like. I think I could live anywhere and be happy.

I live in the Willamette Valley of Oregon.

The three things I like the most is: no humidity, no sales tax, and the sheer beauty of the state.

The three things I like least is: long plane ride to anywhere, income tax is high, food costs seem high compared with other eastern states.

Hi there fellow Oregonian upa. When we first moved to Oregon from California we lived in Eugene for 5 years (1988 - 1992). I remember being in awe of the clean air and tall trees. Right across the street from our house was forest - which was eventually developed, but they kept as many trees as possible. My oldest son moved back to Eugene as soon as he was old enough and financially able to, and my youngest is a student at U of O, but spending this school year in Spain.

Boy this thread has sure taken off and been a joy to read. I love it. All your towns sound amazing. Yes, Michigan has it's positives too, seeing lakes every you go (literally) is great. I love how so many areas are still wooded and untouched and there is always some wild life in our back yard to watch. My biggest problem with Michigan is the economy and the people. Every region has it's tendencies, and here people just aren't that friendly or easy to get to know. Even when you smile at someone in the store, often, the response is a jeer instead of a smile back. After 5 years, it's starting to get to me, I miss that true southern hospitality I found in the south. Sure wish my DH could handle the humidity, but he was raised in places with severe cold and the humidity is hard for him to handle. :c(

Lukk, are you in the UP, by any chance? My cousin tells me life is a bit different up there.

One of the first things I noticed after moving south was the open friendliness among strangers. In those early years I constantly compared the north to the south, but at some point on a visit home to Indiana I started to see some of the same friendliness. Maybe not quite as open, but it was there. Maybe you just need to lower you expectations a bit. ;)

Natal - No, we're in a little township close to where the Palace is in Auburn Hills, about 40 miles north of Detroit.

I can appreciate what you're saying but I don't believe it's unrealistic to expect more than a jeer from people in the store or even a hello from a cashier. People in California typically don't have that southern hospitality either, but are still for the most part, friendly and upbeat. It's hard to explain, but people here just don't seem to be very happy and come across as very negative. :c(

Golddust, no DD1 is not a photographer. She has majors in Merchandising and Marketing. Yes, she would love for us to have a place with a guest house for her. She currently rents a 1BR cottage. The Landlord lives next door and bought this house/lot for the large/vacant front yard - now their pool. She has plenty of privacy though with trees, shrubs and decks in the front and back of house.

Lukkiirish, DH says I can talk to anyone anywhere about anything. Most of the time I don't, but it's always an option. lol There is a community next door to ours that has a man who works on their landscape maintenance crew. He drives this big, open blue tractor and cuts the grass along the county road. I always look forward to passing him, as he waves and smiles to everyone!. I always toot my horn and wave as I'm approaching him. He makes my day. Even though we've lived here over 4 years, and owned the property for several years before that, I've never met him. But today, I decided I'm going to get him a gift certificate to our favorite BBQ joint, stop to introduce myself and tell him how he much his waving means to me... and I'm sure to many others he sees each day. That's what's great about where I live.

Another Alabaman, here (waves to allison, newdawn, et al.) I grew up an Air Force brat, so have lived all over (Ohio, Colorado, New Mexico, DC area, Florida panhandle) and went to college in Missouri. I got a job in Birmingham, Alabama after college and have stayed in the general area since then.

I describe it as a baby-bear sort of place. Not too hot or too cold, too soft or too hard, etc. I've lived suburban apartments, city historic neighborhoods, and now semi-rurally, just outside a small university town/bedroom community for Birmingham. I have to agree with what has been posted by the other Alabamans. The summers are hit and humid, but the winters (the last 60 days notwithstanding) are fairly mild. The scenery is lovely -- green trees, rolling hills, lakes within an hour's drive of most anywhere, and beaches or mountains within 3-5 hours' drive. And Atlanta is a few hours away if a big-city fix is needed.

I do miss having a "community" in our current area. In the historic neihborhoods there were always like-minded folks (preservation!) who liked to gather and have fun. Out here, folks sort of keep to themselves. But we came out here for the privacy (and the great house) so I really shouldn't complain.

Pros: cost of living (extremely low property taxes), scenery, community music (playing music is important to us, and the community music scene here is thriving - we play in three different community bands, a dance/swing band, and I'm in a brass quintet)

Cons: unending strife between urban/suburban power structures that will keep the Birmingham area from progressing as it should and could; lack of professional job opportunities (consolidations and closures over the last decade have taken a toll); focus on the church as the center of most social ineraction.

We talk of moving to the eastern mountains, or to a lakefront property somewhere. We will consider AL, NC, SC, GA, TN . . . but if we never leave Alabama (which we probably won't) that will be fine with me. I can't really picture us getting the same house on the same wooded three acres with the same cost of living anywhere else.

Allison, I'm the same way and you completely got the spirit of what I was trying to say, thank you. When we moved to Louisiana those many years ago, all we had was what was in the car and 300.00 to our name. We knew not a soul in the state and the first road we drove down, a river road, was drop dead gorgeous and ended up being home. Not so much because of the beautiful scenery, but because EVERYONE kept waving to us as we drove by! We'd never seen that before. By the time we got flooded a few months later, all of the neighbors took care of each other and we've been family ever since and I miss that! I'm sure waving to folks is just second nature and that sweet guy will not even know what you're talkin about when you give him that gift cert! LOL!!!

I can't believe I'm just now answering! LOL

What state or area are you in? I'm in East Tennessee

Is it your forever place and why? Probably. We have deep roots here - family and friends

What is it exactly that draws you to it? The beautiful outdoors - and the hospitality of the people.

What's the 3 biggest positives:

-4 seasons and although summers can be hot and humid, they are bearable and the winters are normally mild.

-Beautiful scenery/outdoor activities. We have mountains very near (in fact we have a gorgeous mountain view), several lakes, national park, state parks (we are boaters, campers, etc. we love being outdoors). We also love gardening (flowers and veggies) and have a good climate here for that.

-Low taxes and overall cost of living. No state income tax.

I'd have to add a fourth - people are friendly and hospitable in the south. Around here, people seem to have a real care and concern for others. That means alot.

3 biggest negatives to you about where you live?

- It's not the best area for people with allergy problems.

- Heat and humidity at times, although you do get somewhat used to it. LOL

-It's not an especially diverse area although the big city near us is a college town, so it's moreso than other areas.

tina

What state or area are you in?
We live in Larchmont, NY (about 40 minutes outside NYC).
I have moved quite a bit in the last 25 years, but we have been here for 15 years (the longest time anywhere!)

Is it your forever place and why?
No, we plan on retiring and moving in the next 2-3 years.

What is it exactly that draws you to it?
I grew up in the next town over (New Rochelle) and my family is still in the area.
We live only a few minutes from the water, and we both love the convenience of that.
The town itself is small, so all the locals know each other, and that can be good or bad!

What's the 3 biggest positives:
Being close to family.
Being close to so many museums, restaurants and theatres.
Being close to the water.

3 biggest negatives to you about where you live?
Very expensive (tax-wise).
Very crowded.
LOTS of traffic.

So declansmom, where do you plan on moving in 2-3 years?

Hi lukkiirish.....You'll be sorry you asked !!
We have been vacationing in Cape Cod, MA for the last 30 years, and so we always thought that we would retire there. It is still a possibility, however, we are looking at other areas along the coast, just to make sure that we can afford to live and have enough money to travel.
Neither my DH or I like the south because of the heat, so our searching runs along the coast from Delaware to Maine!!!!!
As a side point....we did live in Plymouth, MA for a year, and it was the best place we have ever lived. This time we would actually like to live ON the Cape.

I live about 15 miles north of San Francisco- same county as "postum" and I agree and disagree with her posting. Marin county is beautiful and the climate is good (with extremes of hot and cold and season changes within driving distances.) Real estate is crazy expensive here and I agree; when I watch HGTV or other shows, I can't believe what I "could have" for the same price. But, I feel as though my children had a small town environment to grow up in with very good schools (private, I'll admit), good sports and arts programs, and an all around "kid-oriented" lifestyle! I love that Marin is close to San Francisco (and just 5 hours away from New York!) A major negative for us is that it is not very diverse and it is why we sent our children to high school in San Francisco. Otherwise, I would say we are very happy that we have chosen to live here and, for now, our 3 kids all want to come back and live here some day.

Allison, yes I know we don't live too far from one another. And I remember the HS boyfriend story as well.

It makes me laugh too the way people make fun of Alabama. And most of them have never set foot in Al. As my southern cousins say, don't tell them about us or they will all be down here to stay. (lol) And we will be another Atlanta, nothing against Atlanta, nice place to visit.

So, Tina your husband loves to fish at Lake Gunterville, huh? I have only been there a couple of times, but enjoyed it so. The deers came right up to the car, and if I would of had food in my hand they would of eaten right out of it.

BB, I have been to the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Smokey's, and they are breathtaking.

.....Jane

Declansmom - Not sorry at all (a little jealous though maybe :c)

It sounds beautiful!