The definite change of all 4 seasons
Being less than 2 hours from either the beach or the mountains
Hearing the cows and ducks from the farm field across the street, yet also 20 minutes away from stores like Nordstrom and Bloomingdales.

Choices of so many places to go and things to do.

I guess I would have to say the traffic. We live in a area that has two towns about 20 miles apart that are around 100,000 people each. Then the smaller towns each way make up the whole area about 250,000 people. A major interstate goes right through the two larger towns. Our traffic is nothing like bigger cities with interstates going through them. No stop and go an definately no traffic jams. If you stop on the interstate here, you will get your butt run over. We complain about traffic in town but it is nothing to complain about compared to big cities. We have tolerable temps, but the high winds and blowing dirt I could live without.

I moved to Florida 2 years ago - here are just a few of the reasons I love living in NW Florida:

Because itÂs sunny and warm - sunshine 320 or more days a year

Perfect blue sky 97% of the year

Cool, breezy days when the temperature is a perfect 75

Our sunsets amaze thousands of tourists each year with their spectacular colors of bright orange and deep blues

Because we DO have beautiful seasons

We have flowers blooming and critter activity all year round - the Dolfins and Sting rays are amazing - the diversity of wildlife here is beyond belief!

Our plant-growing season is 10 months long and it amazes me what can be grown here.

Beautiful botanical gardens and nurseries can be found everywhere

Citrus is on the tree or on the ground year round

No snow or ice - coldest it ever gets is 25 degrees during a cold front in winter, which only lasts 2 months

Beautiful state parks

The best-kept highways anywhere

Perfectly snow-white sands on all of our endless beaches

Beautiful aqua green water in the Gulf of Mexico

The resident people are layed back and very friendly

The food is very good

I am certain I could think of other reasons, but you can see, I'm where I was meant to be!

I enjoy the seasons in Ohio the most. We have snow & cold temps in the winter, but we're not the coldest or snowy-ist. Our summers are mild in comparison to the southern states. Spring & Autumn are visibly beautiful because of the trees and flowers.

I feel like Goldilocks, it's never too hot or too cold. It's just right.

We are also within a day drive of Chicago, New York or Canada. Road trips are easy.

Here's an interesting fact: Columbus was ranked as the No. 2 most sexually satisfied city in the country in 2008, according to Men's Health Magazine, behind Indianapolis.

And in 2008, Columbus was the 16th largest city in the United States.

Even though I'm originally from Phoenix AZ, I've grown to love it here in Ohio.

I moved here in July 2008. I don't like missing my friends I had great access to while living in Tulsa. Granted, it is only 90 minutes away... but I do miss them, and don't get to see them multiple times a week, not even multiple times a month.

Yes, I have friends here too, but I truly miss the Tulsa ones.

On the other hand, my husband has a job.

Go figure, you can't have it all.

Moni

I've lived here all my life, in Southern Ontario Canada. I like that our city is not huge. I like that we're close enough to the big city (Toronto) if we want to spend a day or two there. I like that we can get up North in just 4 hours. I like that we're only a 15 minute drive over the river to the USA. I love the farms and fruit trees and the wineries. I love Niagara Falls just 10 minutes away.
I don't like the unemployment rate and I don't like to see plants closing. I don't like seeing farmland sold and "developed"
I like that it feels like home!

I live in New York. I love the fact we have all four season. Spring is here! And I love my town. I can walk to just about anything-grocery store, dry cleaner, drug store, post office, laundrymat. For food there's a deli, a diner, a pizza place, even two Chinese restaurants. a

We live in a small rural area about 50 miles northeast of Indianapolis. We have lived here 40 years. It is a quiet neighborhood with great neighbors. we are retired and really enjoy life. We also have a hWme in the southern part of our state but I would never move there. Different world down there. Love to go visit but I want to come home after a few days.

Susie

I live in Colorado, on top of a hill, view of the city out front, endless mountains out back. We have 2 seasons, winter and summer. This is my backyard(a picture is worth a thousand words). There's a beautiful park down the street with BIG red rocks, see pic. It's very easy just to hang out...no stress....

I love where I live. I live 4 blocks from the shores of the Detroit River which is very scenic and within walking distance of the shores of Lake St. Clair. I love watching the ships and love when I hear them in the night. I live in the old Riverside area which of Windsor and at one time was a town before being amalgamated.

We are within driving distance of farmland which offers us the bounty of the county - fresh fruit, veggies, meat, etc. Many of the farms still use the honour system. You leave your money in the jar on the stand.

We are close to the most Southern point of Canada which is the National Park of Point Pelee. Jack Miner Bird Sanctuary is also located in Essex County as us Lake Erie.

Like Mush I live a stone's throw away from the US and can be in the big city of Toronto in less than 4 hours.

Windsor has experienced many plant closings because we are closely tied to the automotive industry. Our unemployment rate is way above the National average but things are starting to look up. We have the only Chrysler plant that still has 3 shifts running.

The neighbourhood I live in is the one I grew up in and everything I need is close at hand. I can walk to most of the stores I need to shop at or take a bus. I don't drive so it is very handy living where I do. I live on a street with lots of old trees and park nearby.

Just 2 blocks away from where I live and where my old grade school stood the new David Suzuki school is being built and it will be the greenest school and most environment friendly school in Canada. I can't believe how big it is compared to my old school which was tiny and how fast it is being built in the most environment friendly way.

Right now I am enjoying all the spring flowers and flowering trees and magnolias that are all in blossom in my neighbourhood.

Anne

We have been in Southern Oregon for 6 years now, having left the warmer and drier climate of California. I miss being warm. We have four seasons, as did Ca., and snow capped mountains all around us. The coast is 4+hours away, but mountains, dessert and places to see are abundant. I do wish we had moved here before it grew so much, but with growing comes more cultural events and medical care (very important) so we are very happy here. Nanny

I love our beautiful weather, our proximity to the beach, the great soil so I can garden all year long.
Our county is extremely scenic with lots of things to do.
We love showing our area to visitors.....wineries, the beaches, great food, Hearst Castle, the butterfly preserve, the elephant seal preserve, the agricultural areas, but mostly our weather. And some perfect strawberries!
I don't like being so far from the Sierras or getting to a major airport or the increasing problem with gangs.

I live in a country town of about 5500. 30 minutes from a much larger town with plenty of shopping opportunities, historical districts and casinos... an hour from St. Louis's famous zoo, museums and what-not. We can take a day trip to Lake of the Ozarks or a 4 hour drive to Branson.

We have all 4 seasons, the winter is usually fairly mild although we do get snow. Summer can be pretty steamy/humid for a month or so... but the lovely fall season makes up for it.

Not too hot, not too cold. Don't need AC.

Beautiful countryside, fresh air, mountains and ocean not far away for day trips.

I'm in MN. I love the four seasons including winter especially snow. I also love the lakes and water activities and all the great trails for walking, biking, etc. I live in a beautiful wooded rural-ish area but close to Minneapolis-St. Paul. Though I prefer the woods and nature around home it's nice to have all the options of the city nearby including a major airport. What I don't particularly care for are the high taxes and overwhelmingly liberal politics in this state.

Southern California. What's not to like about sky high cost of living and earthquakes? LOL

We live an easy drive to so many great places. Los Angeles, San Diego, beaches, mountains, the desert.

I hike nearly every weekend places where I can stand on top of a mountain and see the sea.

I've explored ocean caves in a kayak while a dozen small sharks investigate me from below and a school of dolphin play a short distance away. Very cool.

Jodi-

I grew up and live in southeastern Minnesota. I enjoy the 4 seasons, although Winter gets a bit long and harsh at times. I like living in the country (5 acres) with a woods and small lake right across the gravel road. If we want to do something in the big city, Minneapolis/St. Paul is only an hour away.
I did live in southwestern New Mexico for 16 years andstill miss that area. I was up in the mountains at 6,000 feet elevation. Far enough South to have mild Winters but, high enough to avoid the extreme heat of places like Tucson or El Paso. It was remote and isolated: 2 hours to anywhere. The Gila National Forest literally started at the edge of town. 1.5 million acres of mountains laced with roads and trails to explore. A fantastic place for an outdoors kinda guy.

Ron

I would move if I could but I'm getting close to retirement. I'm within the Philadelphia city limits, in 'the great Northeast'. It is among the safer areas of the city, not a lot of violent crime - folks just embezzle the heck out of each other here LOL. Other parts of the city are like Dodge city, and although Mayor Mike Nutter may be an honest man, he is no Matt Dillon! The city is close to broke; we pay an 8% sales tax, two full points higher than the surrounding communities. They are trying to ram through a 2 cents per ounce soda tax, meaning a $1 two liter would cost $2.28!!! They also want to charge extra for trash pickup per bag - I can see people sneaking around in the dark with their trashbags distributing them around so they don't get charged! I could go on about our city council's lack of integrity but it would be too lengthy.

Sorry, I should have written more about the good things but I ran out. Oh yeah, Go Phillies!!!

I love where I live. The people are very friendly and the crime is very low. We have a plethora of ethnic restaurants and Des Moines is 30 minutes away. I do miss the mountains of California but I don't miss the hurried lifestyle, traffic or gangs. I live in a city of 50+ thousand but 27 thousand are students. That leaves 25,000 residents and gives it a smaller feel. I love women's basketball at ISU which gets us through the winters. I don't much like snow anymore but when I first moved here 4 years ago, I loved snow.

I love my little town. I was born here and have always lived her except for 9 months.

We are 2 hours from the beach and 1 hour from the hill country.
We have beautiful wildflowers, expecially right now.
The people are really caring. Especially when you get sick or need help for some reason.
I have the small town life, but in one hour I can be in San Antonio, which is an awesome city.
Love the warm temps.

We've always lived in the suburbs of Chicago. Traffic and congestion had built up so much around our 'starter' home that we sought out a quieter location after DH retired and we didn't need to be 60 minutes, door to door, from his Chicago office.

My present 'city' feels more like a small town. Population is 21,000 on 17 primarily wooded acres -- 6% is open land. We're north of Chicago, bordered by Lake Michigan, served by two rail lines and a tollway (western edge). The place is historic and architecturally significant, settled by wealthy Chicagoans who wanted to raise their families outside of the city. (There are often fascinating obits in the local paper.)

The small college established about 1835 has grown; it and the public and private schools are well regarded. It's been an American 'Tree City' for over 25 years.

We live on a 'country road' with arching trees overhead, yet are three minutes from the center of town and the RR station. There's little traffic; the city's early residents limited access roads. However, we are only 45 minutes from Chicago or O'Hare. There's one hospital in town and another ten minutes away.

In 2000 we built our small house, on an acre bordered by a creek and a conservancy. It is blessedly *quiet*. (Deer have their own 'highway' along the creek and their own 'clubhouse' just outside the golf course to our north.) Along our road are both recent homes and large, originally 'summer' homes on five or more acres. Our house replaced a small 1950's ranch. Other teardowns on one-acre lots have been replaced by 5-6000 sq ft homes.

We're having an early spring after what seemed like an endless winter. (We often get away for 4-6 weeks but were home all winter this year.) Winters are tiresome, but we have excellent city services -- our street is cleared immediately. Spring, summer and fall here are SO worth enduring the winter! After time on tropical Maui, I am very grateful for our hard freezes that kill off nasty bugs.

There's another major attraction to living here. Our DGS, age five, is 20 minutes away, in northwest Chicago.

I am near both Monica_PA and Softball_80...southeastern PA.
I love the rural area I live in...adjacent to several hundred acres of preserved reservoir land. The surrounding county is lush with many, many farms. All with alternating crops (for erosion reasons) makes for beautiful landscaped fields.
I love that it takes me 10 minutes to get to work, grocery store, hardware store, vet, church, and 4 out of 6 family members.
I love the availability of affordable fresh food, gardening supplies, reputable tradesmen (everybody knows your Mom and Dad, so don't even think about it!), faith-based businesses (no deposit required...pay for your oil change next time your by here...etc.)
I love that I can go to the beach, the mountains, fishing, hiking, Philly, New York, Baltimore or DC for a day trip.
Most of all, I love my house. I hope I never have to leave it.

TAX FREE....but we do pay in other ways.

The seasons...survived record snow falls this winter which makes spring very welcome.

The northern part of Delware is congested...homes on top of each other...heavy traffic... we are a tiny state with a major north south highway running the length, so during "rush" hours it seems like a parking lot.

I was born in Philadelphia grew up just outside the city...have never really wanted to leave this area.

Grandson (1 year old) is about 20 mins. away and my summer home is 2 hrs away...love the shore but not the beach..my little house is on the water and faces out on 600 acres of marshland with wonderful sunsets. My daughter lives 20 mins. from there.

Sue

I'm in the Twin Cities of Minnesota and just love it. The two cities, together, provide all the ammenities of large cities, including fabulous theatre and music venues, but still have a "small town" feel. People are (mostly) friendly and life slower paced than the coasts. I live in a very historically rich area of St. Paul with wonderful old houses, the Summit/Cathedral Hill neighborhood. Just walking through the area is continual eye candy. I also love the fact that the Cities are very bike oriented with interconnected off street trails following the Mississippi River and dozens of parks and other rivers. I agree with Gibby about the high taxes, but we also have a lot of city services other places ignore. It is a (generally) very clean and healthy place to live.

I live in central Texas on the banks of the Brazos river! It is a beautiful area, with lots of seasonal change. If we travel 100 to 150 miles in any direction we have a complete change of scenery. Big cities to the north, state capital to the south, deep piney woods in the east, with the Gulf of Mexico in the south east, and the beginnings of the great plains to the west. I was young in the northeast, went to college in Florida and have lived in various places all over the world, but I got to Texas as fast as I could :^)

we moved from san diego to detroit 22 years ago...i'm still in awe of the changing seasons, and don't miss the smog..but! for a day at coronado beach, or a quick trip to the mountain community of julian...i miss that dearly...

I like where I live because I have nice neighbor's and I live in the country in a woods. I like the four season's we have and I like that all four of my children live near too. I have lived here for 33 years and I hope to never have to move.

Sue in central Indiana

Snow!!! Peonies and Lilacs! Apple orchards
Open windows most of the summer.
Lots of lakes & rivers, beautiful scenery.

Wisconsin (where unfortunately there are not enough cows anymore)

Lived in south central PA my whole life. Close to DC, NYC, Phila., three hours to my beloved OC,NJ. I have at least 7 mega grocery stores with in a few minutes of my house. Kids live nearby. I never lived one day out of PA (even went to college 20 minutes from where I was born)so cannot compare it to anything.

What's not to love? I'm about three blocks from the base of the hill.

Like Jaybird, I live in Central Texas, near the Brazos but not on its banks!
I love our little farm and the wildlife we see; I love the people on our road who are unfailingly kind, good, and friendly; I love going into town once a week (a metropolis of about 6,000) to get the groceries we don't grow and stop by the feed store or hardware store; I love sitting on the patio and listening to the birds wake up in the morning, and then in the evening watching the light change over the pasture. My only regret is that we didn't get here sooner!