I'm outside of Chicago. My area is mostly working class families, lots of stores, etc. But area where I am is noisy. I am close to Ohare airport and I-294 is right on top of me. No kidding..I can see it from back door. Not the best place my area but it's affordable

I live in a huge city - population over 4 million, metro area over 13 million, but I do live in the central city, close to the beach. We have countless stores, including small ethnic markets with everything from Japanese, Ethiopian, Korean, Indian, Middle Eastern, Armenian, Brazilian, etc. There is a zoo, but I've only driven by it and have not visited the inside. I live close to the beach, which is good for surfing and also has bike trails. The central park in the city has an observatory on top of its hill. We also have lots of museums and theaters with live performances.

Our second home is in the desert, two hours away, and we have our own pool there (which is where I am now). Shopping is not as good here, and so I bring a lot of things with me, but it is a resort and has lots of tourists, like the main city where I live.

I am in a City of about 65,000 (last year) before the Virus counts anyway. I

am a very easy drive to 3 College Campuses, and live in a suburb just North

of the City. The suburb school system is a smaller system than the City. Nice, place

to raise a family...if that is such a thing anymore.

We have several groceries, a Menards, A Home Depot, variety stores, several

pharmacies, Wal-Mart and

gift shops, restaurants, etc., around me, so don't need to go into

the City itself if we don't want. We have a beautiful big greenhouse, Modern

big hospital and new office buildings. I live in an area of fairly new homes,

and have enough room for lots of flower beds if I choose. Close to the

schools and mixed families...some retired, some with young children, some

with children almost grown, etc. Friendly and kind neighbors around me.

Very few people around me were born here, but came with a job.

And, if I choose...only a little over a 2-hour drive back home if I need to go.

I live in a city that is on the Missouri/Kansas border. Like many larger cities it is more like a cluster of small towns even those parts that were in the original city. If you do not like or outgrow the area you live in it is easy to find another unless you are poor. I have lived in several areas from an upscale older area to a working class ethnic area to the area I now live in. I live on the edge of a small cluster of houses that were built for returning GIs in the 40s and early 50s but separated by a road that used to have the interurban railroad that serviced much of northern Missouri. I live across from a wooded area that was willed to a seminary with the proviso that the portion be kept as a wooded park. When Chuck did his search for the state record trees he found 20+ trees that were growing when this country was founded within that woodland including the one across from my driveway. This area except for a couple of white flight townlets that ethnic groups expanded into. When we moved here they were the old Italian/Sicilian family members from our old neighborhood. A few Hispanic families moved in but they are now moving to more upscale areas. The grandchildren of the Vietnamese boat people are now moving into the area establishing businesses.

It is still a city that you need a car to go anywhere. The bus service was improving until recently when there have been cuts in service because of the virus. In normal times there are lots of things to do and places to go. Even when I lived south of the river there were wildlife of various types including the cougar who wandered up to the doors of where I worked.

My town has 800 residents, no stores or retail businesses. Nearest grocery store is 5 miles away. I can only see my neighbors' homes when the leaves are off the trees and only then from my front yard. There are 79 children in the school and that is K thru 8. The school is the heart of the community.

Our town is middle class and upper middle class. We have a few elderly that are struggling but the town folks try to help them by doing chores, running errands and gifting food items and clothes. More than half of the population are second or third generation residents. We take care of our own.

There are no sidewalks or street lights in town. The police patrols end at from 11 PM and start again at 6 AM though there is are officers on call if needed. The sheriff's department and state police cover the overnight shift. The fire department and EMS are all volunteer.

Our new-to-us condo is in a small town of about 18,000 people, an exurb of a metropolitan area of about 2.5 million. It's a planned community around a developer-created recreation destination.

Our home in London is a small (and I mean tiny) studio apartment. I love it there, and it's definitely my happy place.

Our home in Germany is located in a small village in Bavaria. We will be putting it on the market in January or February.

My town has wonderful people, who care about each other, their community, and the communities beyond.

Big city, next to big lake, with too much gun violence, in state that has sent Governors to prison, with summers that are too short. Plenty of activities, cultural opportunities, educational institutions, medical centers/ universities, shopping, and great restaurants nearby.

I live in a small town in SE Michigan about an hour north of Detroit. We moved here in 2005 so we could be closer to my daughter & SIL. We came cold turkey without knowing the area at all and trusted blindly that it would all work out. The house we’re in is part of an older subdivision. No HOA or the fees that go with that. The lots are a comfortable size and wooded so we’re not on top of each other either. We have lots of wooded trails, a huge dog park with its own lake, walking paths and beautiful state/county parks. Lakes are everywhere, I’ve got three surrounding me as well as some wet lands. No matter where you drive, you’ll pass at least a couple on your way. Crime is low, our schools are highly rated and housing is still relatively affordable. The fwys, the largest outlet center in the state and all of the popular stores are located within a couple of miles. We have lots of farmer markets and apple cider mills, but only a couple of grocery chains. It’s a pretty area that is unfortunately growing in popularity. I hate that several subdivisions are going in, but I can’t blame others for wanting to live here too.

I live in a rural county in southeast VA with a population just over 2000. We have one grocery store and a couple restaurants and that is about it. We are probably 45 minutes to Richmond, very rarely do we go up that way. 25 minutes from the next town where we do most of our shopping. Our county is slowly growing but I prefer it to stay small. I don't need fast food, banks or anything else on every corner. There are a few small subdivisions but most people have at least 5 acres. I love where I live, it is peaceful.

Small town of 11,479, in central KY. Lexington is 25 miles away, Louisville 1 hour. We have a cute downtown area that, before the pandemic was trying to bring in tourist dollars. They spent millions on a new parking lot behind main street businesses and then this past summer spent more redoing the street itself, putting in flower gardens all along Main street. Now there are lighted Christmas decorations there. Bad thing is they took out all the pretty trees to do that.

Most people commute to work, I think, to surrounding communities like Frankfort, the state capital which is just 15 minutes away. Wild Turkey distillery is just outside the city. We are surrounded by hilly farmland so there are several farm/garden/hardware stores here. We have two McDonalds, a Wendys, a Taco Bell, two (used to be three until someone drove thru the third one's front window) Subways, three Mexican restaurants, 3 Chinese places, one Dairy Queen, multiple mom & pop fast food places, three pizza places. The non-fast food restaurants normally don't last long here but they seemed to be doing better right before the pandemic. Not sure they are going to last through it.

The annoying thing is that when you want something on the weekend (prepandemic) and try to go to one of these small restaurants or even some of the shops, they are closed. Especially on the weekend or like 3 pm on a weekday and then they wonder why they don't survive.

People here, over half from what I can see don't wear masks or wear them around their neck.

There are many churches here also for such a small town. A lot of them are out in the countryside. We have a Christian school, one high school, one middle school and 3 elementary schools. We have three grocery stores, Kroger, Super Wal-Mart and Save-A-Lot. 4 Dollar store type stores. A Goodwill. Not a big fan of our massive Wal-Mart but am glad they're here now because I get grocery deliveries from them and today they sent me a gift bag with many samples in it, including mini bottle of Lubriderm lotion, vitamins, cookies, candy, and energy bars. They are also the cleanest Wal-Mart in Central KY. I can't stand going to Lexington or Frankfort, like night and day in cleanliness.

I'm a lifelong denizen of California urban/suburban sprawl, but for several years spent living in a Western European capital city. I would never consider living in a small town, a rural area, out in the boondocks - simply too little stimulation, too little to do, and too many inconveniences for the lack of goods, services, and distractions that are available in more populated areas.

I was born and raised in SoCal, moved in my mid-20s to NorCal. Both in near-coastal areas (not inland) with the beach 30 minutes away. We have a second house in a coastal location in SoCal. Both regions have diverse populations, access to any possible kind of activity cultural and recreational, great restaurants of all types, excellent mild weather but for a few days a year, and wide open spaces of all kinds within easy reach for an afternoon getaway or longer visits. Just as an example, lars describes driving 2 hours from his home in an urban residential area to go to a desert and mountain locale that's very pretty.

From coast to coast, border to border, there are places I like, places I don't like, a few places I'd live, places I don't even like having to visit, but they all have something in common - everywhere you go is a place that at least some people call Home (and often it's where many people call Home). For many, it's the place they prefer and have chosen to be.

Sal, love reading these stories. Great thread. Hubs and I live on the ocean . Population about 8400 here. Our daughter and family live two blocks from us. We have a wonderful life here, ocean views from every room in the house. It’s a vacation every day of the year. We have an in ground pool, but we leave during the heat and go to our mountain home. I grew up on a farm and worked very hard on the land for years. Farm life was very hard, but we were very happy. Have been happy every place we have ever lived. The most exciting for us to live was Seattle ,Wa in 1963. Hubs was a soldier boy then and we had never left our tiny town. It was year after Worlds Fair . It opened up a whole new exciting world to us. When I opened the kitchen curtains each morning, first thing I saw was Mount Rainier. Loved the Pacific Northwest. Now we are back in the south living the small town life. Perfect for us being in our eighties. Hubs and I have loved every area we have lived. .His 13 months in Korea, was our only time ever being apart.

I live South of Detroit, Michigan in the southern most city in Canada. Population 336,000. We are known as the Automotive Capital of Canada. The area where I live was a town annexed by the city in 1964. We have a beautiful 5 km waterfront with lovely garden parks and trails. Canada Club whiskey is distilled here at Hiram Walkers which is now owned by Wisers. Whenever they are distilling the air smells like baking bread from the sour mash. We have a rum running history, Al Capone was here often. Actually one of the large homes on my street was owned by a member of the Purple Gang. Booze was transported to the USA by car across the iced over river. The county I live in is rich farmland so access to local fruits and vegetables, eggs are just a few minutes drive away. We have the Winery trail with many wonderful wineries. We have the waterfront trail that runs along Lake Erie. Point Pelee is a National Park where the southern most tip of Canada is located. Visitors come from across the world for bird watching and it is a stop for monarch butterflies on their migration. The area is surrounded by water - the river, Lake St. Clair and Lake Erie, We produced many NHL hockey players and a childhood friend is an NHL coach with 3 Stanley Cup wins. The area is rich in history, Fort Malden, the War of 1812, Battle of Detroit, stop on the Underground Railroad, Rum Running. We have a salt mine. We have a Caesars Casino, a University, a Community college, 2 hospitals, International Airport. We are a fairly safe city considering how close we are to Detroit. Many people cross border shop, visit for sports and entertainment and to dine. I love where I live and wouldn't live elsewhere

I live in a town of about 2000, We do have a grocery store, dollar store and a few gas stations and eating places. Right across the river is the state capital with about 13,000 people. Not that many places to shop but seems like some event is always going on. Right now they are working on a large water treatment plant, new outdoor waterpark and a new bridge across the river. Most people don't wear masks and our rates of Covid are high. Out my front window I can see farmland past the houses in town.

We moved from a small congested mountain town, bordering a big city.... to a wooded gated community, 10 minutes away from a small town. It has two stocked trout ponds. An equestrian area, where houses can have horses. No lot is under 2.51 acres. There's a dirt hiking trail that goes around the entire area of 220 homes. If I go out for an early walk, say 6am.....chances are.....I'll see no one at all. ♥

I live on a island in the middle of Puget Sound, a 30 minute ferry ride from downtown Seattle. It is an upscale, semi-rural bedroom community for the big city and many residents do commute into town for work or other activities. It has all the necessary amenities, most centered in mid-island close to the ferry terminal but there are also a couple of other small commercial groupings. Lots of restaurants, boutique shops, an excellent art museum and 2 cinemas. Two dog parks and multiple wineries, breweries and distilleries.

There are a few typical residential neighborhoods, most close to downtown, but the rest of the island is comprised of larger, usually wooded, more rural properties. Lots of small farms and horse properties. Because of the shape of the island, there are many waterfront properties but also lots of parks that allow free access as well.

It is incredibly scenic with sea, mountain and forest views at every turn. I moved here from Seattle after I retired and still wonder why I didn't do it years earlier! It feels like being on vacation every day. It is not nearly as isolated as it sounds as there is a bridge that links the island with the mainland at one end (but in the opposite direction from Seattle) and there is easy access to other ferries if one wants to trek into the more heavily populated areas that line I5.....I seldom do :-) I don't miss the terrible traffic and other than visiting friends and family that live on that side, I see no reason to head into town.

We live in a rural community of around 8,000 people, which is really spread out in area. We are just 10 miles from a mid-sized and growing city with plenty of amenities for us. It is the best of all worlds really as our kids and grandkids live close enough to see often. We are situated along a major river with many lakes, plus the foothills of the Appalachian mountains for hiking and camping, and many other recreation activities. We have a lake condo 35 minutes drive from us. I love the quiet on our 9 acres.

Is our state government perfect? No, far from it, but the local government in the city where we do most of our business is doing pretty good.

The city is a diverse, highly educated and technical community with a lot to do (at least pre-Covid), and within a 2 or 4 hour drive of larger cities and other recreation. There are universities and major research centers, in addition to large government employers. We have plenty of good restaurants. People must like it here as the inventory of houses for sale is low and building is going crazy in anticipation of an influx of jobs coming in within the next 1-2 years.

My town was hardly a town when I was born. In the early 1900's some families moved here to be near the new railroad. They were mostly farmers, especially cotton. In the 30's oil was discovered. Many landowners became rich almost over night. My father lived here, my mother's family came with the boomers seeking work in the oilfields. Some of the new rich had insight enough to plan ahead and helped to develop it into a desirable place to live The oil industry has played out. We are holding our own with a few industries. We are between Longview and Tyler TX, two much bigger towns that have anything that we may need. I live on 18 acres that my grandfather and great grandfather owned. I bought it from another family member.

In light of Glenda's thread, I'll mention that access to health care was an important consideration when we retired and moved away from rural life. From my house, to the fire dept & rescue squad: go to end of our block, turn left, take the next right, cross the rr track and there it is. The hospital: same as rescue squad except go another three miles and the hospital campus is on the left. Although we are still healthy, as the years go by, it's a comfort knowing care is close by.

We're a college town, total population about 50,000 but about half are students. We have a large immigrant population, many find their first job in the poultry industry. Lots of languages spoken in our public school system. Those "No matter where you are from, we're glad you're our neighbor" signs are extremely popular here. Good variety of ethnic groceries and restaurants. And four breweries. Most of the houses are small and old by today's standard, but when you can walk to so many fun places, who cares? As a plus, we can see the mountains all around.

I live in a rural area and I am in a small woods with a creek running by my home on the east. I have hay fields behind and to one side of my property. Across the road is a very large field with corn and beans every other year. Not far are also a field of black Angus and in the other direction a small herd of goats. In the area are other crops in the summer. A few miles away are the headquarters for Red Gold tomatoes. There are tomato fields here and there too. I would never want to live anywhere else. I enjoy the peace and quiet. I am never bored and always have a lot of things to do.

Sue

I live in a city of about 1.4 million people. Small compared to those in the US but I believe the 4th largest in Canada. We are avid hockey fans even when our team never makes it to the playoffs. Our football team wins the grey cup often but then Canada really doesn't have a lot of professional football teams, so odds are good we will get that cup. lol We are less than an hour away from the mountains to the west. I would never live further away from them and love that I can see them from a distance if I walk just a few blocks away. (too many houses between me and the ridge...). We do have a strong sense of community and when disaster happens as it did with the city flooding in 2013, we pull together to help each other out. Unless there is a pandemic going on and it's everyone for themselves.... Calgarians are actually very generous when it comes to charity work and donations. As a matter of fact, our Teddy Bear hockey game had to be cancelled this year, and the hockey team (The Calgary Hitmen) still are taking donations by decorating the area where the Saddledome is and we can do a drive through Teddy Bear Toss. We are going to do that today. The kids still need their stuffies. :) We have a cute little neighbourhood a hop skip and a jump from my house where Hollywood often comes to film movies and tv series. Season 1 of Fargo was filmed there. Looks like a small town, but it's Calgary. :) We aren't a very cultural city because we're known mainly for the Stampede so everyone thinks we all walk around in cowboy gear. We don't. But we do have theaters where you can see plays. Our museum and a nice place to see artifacts (you may even see a lot of my husbands family in there as they're a big part of the city's history), and we have a new beautiful PUBLIC LIBRARY that alone is a terrific piece of artwork alone. I could go on and on but you really do have to come here to see for yourself all that this city has to offer. Even if I would rather live in BC....

Beautiful Library.

Whereas I used to live in the woods (thence my moniker), now I live in the downtown of an historic southern city. I'm about a 20 minute drive from beaches and a ten minute walk from a liberal arts college. The city is blessed with 2 excellent teaching hospitals right in downtown. I am a five minute walk from gourmet restaurants, an art museum, and wonderful shopping. (All the above has been severely impacted by Covid). I can walk down a few blocks and be in an historic district with amazing gardens. Drawback: bad traffic and too many tourists. However, many get around on bicycles (including myself). I am several blocks from 2 rivers that converge and bring nice breezes in humid summers. What do I miss most? Large swaths of woodlands, of course!

I live on two acres on the edge of a small city located in Alabama on the banks of the Tennessee River. I am 5 minutes away from almost anything I need. It is a safe place with a wonderful natural science museum, community theater, arts center, several great parks and a national wildlife refuge. There is a community college and three other universities 20 miles away. This became our home when we married and moved here for work opportunities and hope to stay here always since nearly all of our family members are in the area.

I live in a small town of 1500 about five miles from a city. My town has no shops or businesses but within five minutes from my house, there are six major mega grocery stores, many restaurants, my doctor, dentist, eye doctor, and four hospitals. If I want cultural events, I can head to the city.

We are 'small potatoes' among the residents of an affluent small city, northernmost along the North Shore of Chicago. The city is 17 square miles bordering Lake MIchigan. The population of 19K is 75% family households, largely White. We built our home here nearly 20 years ago after living in various closer-in Chicago suburbs all of our lives. We wanted more peace and quiet and found it on an acre on a quiet lane five minutes from the center of town.