What do you like best about where you live.

[noonereal]

I was think about where I would move to when I am ready to semi retire and it dawned on me that the area would have to offer the amenities I have where I presently live.

So I was wondering, what is it you like best about where you are now?

For me it is the "local flavor".
Their are several wineries nearby (one little more than a walk away) that offers live music from local artists every weekend. We have a nationally know dairy when kids from all over intern. Great cheeses and breads.
Right at the end of my street is a nationally know sausage makers who only carries the best meats available and who makes all his own sandwich meats in addition to the sausages.
Add to that all the orchards and the fresh produce from what is said to be the richest soil in the US.
Lot's of bed and breakfast places in the area, some of whom have little specialty stores with things like home made chocolate. We have a great performing arts center up the road as well.
Most important I can keep an eye on mom whose back door opens onto my front lawn.

What I don't have, city convenience and all the great specialty foods most Northeast cities offer.

So what makes your little slice of heaven, heaven?

[merrylander]

The countryside here is much like the area of Quebec where I grew up. We are sitting on 4.5 acres so neighbours are distant enough that I don't hear them and they don't here me. Typical of a car oriented country the only place within walking distance is our mailbox.

Do I like it? Yes, after all the work we put into the place I really do not want to sell out and move to a less expensive area, but Congress could convince me otherwise.

[Boreas]

Noone, your post could almost have been mine.

I live in "wine country" too. The area is still pretty rural with a lot of open space and even some more or less wild lands still to enjoy. Like your area, we have a lot of the same gourmet foods produced locally and the wineries are great patrons of the arts.

The little town of Healdsburg has a world class (but not world reknowned) jazz festival every year that lasts a couple of weeks. The impetus behind it is several winery families in the area. Other wineries hold concerts throughout the year.

We have Marin County to act as a buffer between us and San Francisco. That protects us from urban sprawl but we're still close enough to get there for the symphony or museums, etc. Best of both worlds.

This is some of the prettiest country on the planet. There are hills and mountains, some bare save for a scattering of black or live oak, some cloaked in coastal redwoods. The ocean is never farther than an hour away.

The weather is pretty fantastic. Never gets really hot and never really cold. From April to October we get no rain at all, just six solid months of perfect days. For the second six months we get enough rain for things to grow.

John

[Fast_Eddie]

Believe it or not, the weather is a good point here. I live in Denver, CO- not the "weather destination" of your dreams. But the sun shines here all the time. Much better than the gray mid-west winters I grew up with.

Second, the cost of living. Again, not the lowest in the world, but that's because a lot of people want to live here. But I moved here from Northern California and after that it seems pretty good.

Lots of stuff to do here. The mountains are great.

Healthy lifestyle. I joke that if you don't record enough miles in your running log they kick you out of my neighborhood. Not the worst thing to have around. It motivates you to go do what you need to do when there's a non stop string of runners going by your front yard. Shoot, I have three miles to do today. We have decent food in the stores too. Whole Foods is everywhere, but some more affordable alternatives too. Even the Safeway has to carry decent stuff to be competitive. It's a bit of a health nut haven even more so than Nor-Cal.

Economy has held up very well through this last mess. Not that it got Gov. Ritter anywhere. Oh well.

And here in Denver, it's a pretty liberal place, but not over the top like Berkeley was. I understand Boulder is kind of like Berkeley and a nice place from what I hear, but I like Denver. Reasonable liberals who haven't lost touch with the blue collar roots our party once had. Ken Salazar is a great example of a real, smart, main stream Colorado Democrat.

Like the San Francisco area, you're constantly running into beauty. It's everywhere. You can't leave your house without seeing something amazing. Just the mountains are breathtaking. But there is so much more. The streams and rivers, meadows, parks in the city- they plant huge flower gardens every spring in the big parks. It's pretty amazing.

[BlueStreak]

This where my job is.

It's very close to the Atlantic Ocean.

I have a Sister who lives here, and I promised my parents, years ago, that I would stay here and "Keep an eye on her.". Seems kind of silly, but..............

As I've lived in the same house for twenty years, the payments are much lower than they would be if I moved and bought a new place.

I also actually like the diversity. I don't know why, really. But when I go to Ohio and visit relatives in Newton Falls, which is about as un-diverse as it gets, it just feels kind of creepy----everyone is the same. Boring as Hell.

There's LOTS to do here. Concerts, car shows, air shows, thrift stores and flea markets brimming with bin after bin of vinyl, festivals of all sorts and we still actually have some "Brick and Mortar" Audio shops believe it or not.

So, I thnk I'll stay.

Or, I could go back to Newton Falls, apply for foodstamps, rent a trailer, subsidize my welfare check by selling dope, and sit in the "Chit Chat Lounge" slowly drinking myself to death. At least it's 98.9% white and wouldn't have to look at a bunch of..................uh, naw think I'll stay here.

Dave

[Boreas]

Originally Posted by merrylander

The countryside here is much like the area of Quebec where I grew up. We are sitting on 4.5 acres so neighbours are distant enough that I don't hear them and they don't here me. Typical of a car oriented country the only place within walking distance is our mailbox.

Do I like it? Yes, after all the work we put into the place I really do not want to sell out and move to a less expensive area, but Congress could convince me otherwise.

Very nice, Rob! Howard County has some beautiful spots. My cousin Dave lives quite near to you I think.

John

[Grumpy]

I am very fortunate to be surround by some pretty good friends. Unfortunately were all in Michigan. Not much else "good" I can say about it.

[merrylander]

Originally Posted by Boreas

Very nice, Rob! Howard County has some beautiful spots. My cousin Dave lives quite near to you I think.

John

We are just off RR97 (Georgia Ave) three miles north of Sunshine.

Where I live the only thing protecting Democrats are the game laws, flaming hotbed of Republicans. Florence was a widow when we met, her late husband had convinced everyone he got her to switch parties and become a Republican (She has voted Democrat all her life and was registered as one, still is). Stupid RNC has her on their mailing list and three letters have not changed that, always knew Republicans can't read.

[Boreas]

Originally Posted by Grumpy

I am very fortunate to be surround by some pretty good friends. Unfortunately were all in Michigan. Not much else "good" I can say about it.

Yeah, Detroit is my birth city. I was born there at the height of its industrial and social power, right at the end of WWII. It makes me so sad to think of it now.

John

[Grumpy]

Sorry to say but now its one of the worse cesspools I have ever had the displeasure of being in.

I avoid it like the plague !