How happy are you with where you live...
 

On a scale of 1-10 I think that I would give Edm. 7 out of 10 for how happy I am here. Of course you take your personal baggage with you wherever you go. When I go to Arizona or California I feel happier there - I feel 9 out of 10 there. What is not to like - wine is 2/3 the price of here, service in stores and restaurants comes with a smile, restaurant food is cheaper, more of it and good quality. So how happy are you with where you live? Is there somewhere else you would rather live once you are done with work?:):)

I like a lot of aspects of my area but the older I get the more things here bother me. I would love to live in Az, specifically the Tuscon area. My wife wants to go back to Hawaii.

Western Washington is pretty good. I would give it a solid 8 of 10. Once you wrap your head around the weather and outfit with a wardrobe made entirely of gore-tex this place is great. When I retire in another 30 or 35 years I would like a second home in Montana where I grew up. Nice place and friendly folks. The winters are bitter and economic opportunity can be pretty scarce, but I love the wide open country and the pace of life there.

Can't stand it. Unfortunately work keeps me where I'm at. I'm also a live music junkie and live very close to many different venues that offer exceeptional talent.

If I had to pick today...Traverse City area. I like it out west, but havn't spent much time there.

We moved from Atlanta to Phoenix in 1999. In general, I'd say I'm at a 7 to 8 on the happiness scale with that choice.

Being able to walk out my front door and get to a wonderful trail system to run/bike/hike in the desert without having to touch a car is a big plus. After being here for 12+ years I've seen virtually all of Phoenix. Some how with a couple of days of house shopping we managed to land in the part of town that was just right for us.

Why not a 9 or 10? We had 1/2 an acre in suburban Atlanta. The lots here are microscopic by comparison. If you took out every other house on our street it would be a lot more tolerable, but still tight for my tastes. It's very hard for me to wrap my head around the idea that $300-$400K homes are 10 feet apart (those are REAL numbers folks)!

In my mind, Phoenix loses points for concerns about future water availability, crime, and traffic.

SoCal, it's the weather, no bugs, leave your windows open with no screens all summer, on the coast no need for air condition and the heat bill isn't bad in the winter, this winter we have been in the 30s a few times, waaayyyy too cold.
and then you have the people that run the state,,,,into bankruptcy

I can't wait to get out of the socialist paradise that is Illinois.

I was born and rasied in the city of Chicago. Suceeded profesionally and moved to an upper income burb on the North Shore. Got divorced, empty nester and moved back into the heart of the city to be near my sons. I really like where I live. I don't drive on weekends because everything is either walking distance and/or train or cab ride away. People friendlier too. The downside, not a place I can retire, city is expensive. I'm looking either in NC or VA.

NC is much more down to earth and old school. Va has too many connections to DC.

I love it here. Laid back and inexpensive. I lived in a lot of places. I chose to come here.

Give me a 9.5.
We may move when we retire but I doubt it.
Jim

8-9 .

The rain can be a biit much at times.

Every time I travel, I'm glad to be back home, so I guess I like it here :)

5 years ago is say miserable....so a 2......northeast Ohio weather sucks the life out of you....
Now id say a 9, only because it takes 45 minutes to get to the beach.......central Florida y'all.....

I'd give White Rock a solid 8.

-Weather compares favorably to other areas in the region (but still pretty rainy by most people's standards)
-it's only a half hour or so from Vancouver... Another great city
-close to all sorts of mountain recreation.
-very safe community with good schools
-Lots of beaches and trails

Though I live in the middle of what was my boy scout camp when I was a youngin', and it's urbanized in the past 20 years...I'm where I'm at for a reason (I like it). NC (much like the US) is varied as can be...urban/rural, mountains/beaches, rich/poor and all points in between. I like being somewhat urban with rural being less than 30 min. away, but may do the opposite some day. I don't like people :D (I keed). I'd give it an 8/10...

I guess everybody has to be somewhere. At least it's not "weird" Portland. Hate the rain, despise the political powers. Too lazy to move. Oregon has been Californicated these days. I give it a 4 and only because I live in a quiet semi rural area.

(Edit) It was a great area during the '50's through early 70's. But like many good things, got ruined by it's popularity. Like I said, Californicated with too many people and left wing politics.

I grew up in Mi,, lived for 20+ years in NH, a few years ago moved to Reno.. It's got everything, mountains (can be on a chair lift in 25 minutes) , sunshine, no income tax, can own as many guns as I want.. just a few hours from the ocean if I feel the need.. airport 10 minutes away.. Can't think of anywhere else I'd rather live.

In the heart of Chicago. Couldn't be more perfect for my lifestyle at age 24 (25 in a month, sorta feel a quarter life crisis coming on).

Definitely a 10

8

I like my neighborhood and city, but its a little expensive to retire here.

Maybe a 5 out of 10

Northwest Ohio is an industrial zone. I am an hour away from the closest water to boat in other than resevoirs, there are no state or national parks close by, the land is flat farm ground and every single acre is owned and used by farmers. The weather is 90-100F in the Summer and currently 17F for a high today (3 months of this bitter cold weather and then 2 months of rain to make everything muddy.

We have horses and my wife mentioned the other day, that there is really only about 2 months in the Spring, and 2 months in the Fall to ride comfortably while a friend of hers is in AZ, and rides year round and that maybe would should move there.

I am grabbing this opportunity and steering her in that direction gently, so that 15 years from now after the kids are out, the house paid off, and we've retired, we can find a place that doesn't freeze our bones, bore us to death, and allows us more outside time,

That's what i'm saying Northwest Ohio weather sucks the life out of you as well.

TEN all the way.

I live on the barrier island (seen below) between the Intercoastal Waterway and the Atlantic Ocean....just a 15 minute walk from one of the best surf breaks in Florida.

I'm on the road that curves at the top right hand side of the photo below the condos - just below the first curve.

http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphoto...98973559_n.jpg

It just doesn't get any better than this! :)

the area? 7...it would go up if i could move closer to SF. (work and fun)

my home? 5. i like the neighborhood and most of my neighbors..but my house could use some major renovation.

Eight out of ten 9 months out of the year. I enjoy the change of seasons, even winter, which here in Zone 7/8 isn't to harsh for to long. I love the water, DC is great and my neighbors are cool.

Six out of ten in June/July/August.

I hate humidity.

8 out 10. Close to city, country, mountains, and the beach. I've always been a Virginian. Iv been all directions but, never really liked it. The weather is all but predictable here and it's really close to DC which I dont like. I'd like to go west but, ill never get the hubs to agree with that. He wants us to retire in the mountains.

An 8 or 9 today for So Cal. Mostly due to friends, family and the weather. Hard to see how we could handle thenstate's inevitable collapse and then be able to retire here.

3
invaded by third world nazi rightwing cubans
and way too many others
way over built and over crowded

weather is nice
and I have sand in my shoes

I would give it a 9

Only downside to OK is lack of real mountains. I want to be able to backpack, rock climb, mountain bike, and snowboard... I'll be moving as soon as I get out of school...

So right now? 5ish... the food generally sucks here too...

the weather is a 10 in San Diego. :cool:
The weekend crowds can make it closer to 6...
Being retired, weekdays are more like an 8 with everyone else confined to their cubicals. ;)

9.5 Out of 10

Montana is My Heaven
Pros
Few People
Friendly People (Most of my friends are from California, Hawaii and the Midwest??)
Few weird people
Hunting and fishing is top in the lower 48
Camping & exploring
Mountains great scenery.
Wildlife
Skiing / Winter Sports
Summers are worth the winters
Emerging economic opportunities
Great place to raise balanced children


Cons
Expensive for the economics offered
Weather can be tough on the unprepared (Keeps the riffraff out)
More challenging to make a living here
Not for every one

I would like to retire and spend the winters by the sea and the summers here.

Out my kitchen window
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I'd rate Los Angeles as a 10 considering that, A) there is no one perfect place for everything, and, B) there is simply no other place on earth that comes close to what it offers.

We have the most perfect climate on earth, (very important to human moods and happiness), mountains, ocean, desert, best driving or motorcycling state whether for road tripping or driving to the store, plus it's a world class city filled with interesting people and a LOT of economic activity.

The downside is that it seems like half the people on earth want to come and live here, but what can you expect. In some of the places listed, I would not need food/shelter/clothing. Just one bullet and an instrument for firing it.

Fort Collins gets a 9 out of 10 in my book. We have the mountains, great hunting and camping close by and if I want to go to a big city I can drive an hour to Denver. I enjoy being in a college town, and everything that goes with it. We have a great Old Town and there are plenty of things to do.

I grew up a Navy Brat so I have lived in a lot of places and the only reason why FC doesn't get a 10 is that there is no ocean near by.

Bill

I like NC...but the wife doesn't want to go back there...so we probably will retire in Las Vegas. I already have a nice home just outside the city. I can be anywhere in less than 30 min. Great dining and entertainment. Short drive to CA for vacation. No state taxes, mild winter (hot, dry summer, but I will likely have a summer place elsewhere in retirement (probably NC mountains).

I like Albuquerque as well...the high desert make the summers very nice. It has grown so that it has just about everything I need now.

Too much traffic in VA unless you are so far out in the country that it is real commute to do anything. Seems to rain all the time. Guess I lived out west too long.

an 8 or a 9 out of 10.

I can do whatever I want sport or interest wise. A city just 10 minutes down the road, a surf beach 50 yards away, gun club 8 minutes away, a naked girls beach 5 minutes away, food is good, wine is good. Reasonably safe in the part of town I live in. Cars are cheap, housing expensive, but that's good because I work as a landlord. Downside :( it's often windy and I see on TV what a great day everyone else in the country is having.

I find the question interesting. Where you live doesn't always have a direct correlation to your level of happiness.

I suspect many here would be upset if they had to live in rural Nova Scotia, with a few months of winter, but little descent skiing and darned cold water in the summer (where I live). Me though? Happy as a clam at high tide. Uncrowded, the pace of life is to my liking and I know my neighbors.

Life is what you make it, my friends.

Best
Les

I'm ready to leave the grey, dreary skies of the Northwest.
Nothing can touch it when the Sun comes out, but that's only about three times a year.
I have to kill the moss growing on my roof on a regular basis.

I love the southwest. Northern Arizona, perhaps Colorado, who knows where I'll end up?
I won't consider California. Great weather and scenery, but too many people, and weird political and economic systems. I will stay West of the Rockys to stay away from the East's high humidity.

I just enjoy hiking and mountain biking too much to put up with the slop in the woods much longer. Framed too many houses while out in the rain day after day to have any enjoyment of rain any longer.

Very happy with where I'm at. We're in the harbor in Oxnard, it's in the 60s, clear and sunny, and I'm watching the pelicans and sea lions enjoying their lunch.
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Yeah Ron...I dug Oxnard when I was there as well.....very cool little surf town.

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