Differences Between Our States

[Deleted]

As a senior, I will throw it out there that the perspective can change as you age.  Houston has about as many entertainment venues, restaurants, whatever, that you could ever want.  BUT, as you age and cataracts develop, reaction times slow, and you become less comfortable driving on the freeways at 75-80 mph (yes, really), it doesn't matter because you may not be able to get there within your comfort zone.  I no longer do freeways, and DH shouldn't.  Yes, I can get many places on surface roads, but that's at least 30-40 minutes each way.  It's an hour round-trip to my author's house, even though he only lives 10 miles away.

[jerseygirl]

Apr 14, 2023 17:00:21 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

[quote author="chiver78" timestamp="1681494904" source=

If you ever find yourself in Newark, NJ, there is an area of the city called the Ironbound section. On the other side of the railroad bridge one drives under to get there, there is a very large Portuguese community. Plenty of very good Portuguese and Spanish restaurants. Good food.
[/quote]


Yes the Spanish and Portuguese restaurants in the ironbound are FABULOUS! If you have a long layover at Newark airport worth a short trip. Our town has 2 Spanish restaurants. When I was in graduate school, we would go to ironbound for lunch on Friday’s. Rarely made it back to the lab

[Pink Cashmere]

Apr 14, 2023 17:11:24 GMT -5 soupandstew said:

As a senior, I will throw it out there that the perspective can change as you age.  Houston has about as many entertainment venues, restaurants, whatever, that you could ever want.  BUT, as you age and cataracts develop, reaction times slow, and you become less comfortable driving on the freeways at 75-80 mph (yes, really), it doesn't matter because you may not be able to get there within your comfort zone.  I no longer do freeways, and DH shouldn't.  Yes, I can get many places on surface roads, but that's at least 30-40 minutes each way.  It's an hour round-trip to my author's house, even though he only lives 10 miles away.

I understand. But I would still like to live somewhere where those things are an option, even if there comes a time in my life where I can’t enjoy the options. 

Mister is several years younger than I am, and has always teased me about being “old”, and still does, even though his current age is older than I was when we first got together. So since he thinks he is so much younger than me, I expect him to be able to get me to wherever I want to go, if something happens where I have to stop driving.

I know that’s not always how things work in the real world, but that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

[Opti]

Apr 14, 2023 15:35:12 GMT -5 Bonny said:

Apr 14, 2023 13:58:16 GMT -5 Pink Cashmere said:

Big city means big enough to have a lot of options for shopping and a variety of things to do for fun.

I know racists are everywhere. I’ve always know we had more than our share in the area I live in. But, maybe I’m naive, because a lot of things that have been happening over the last several years, where people started showing their true colors and other people supporting them, I never saw any of that coming.

What's humbling is when one catches oneself being a little racist.   Just told my DH about an assumption I made about a woman in my yoga group. Thought she looked a little asian and assumed because she lived in the next town over which has a large Filipino population that she was Filipino. Nope, Mexican.  [img alt="" class="smile" src="//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/embarrassed.png"]  Glad I didn't say anything stupid!

I am super bad about picking out looks and linking them to countries and ethnicities. I usually just ask if I care. There are significant populations in my area of Filipinos, Mexicans, people from central America and all over really. My XBF is Filipino and was really good at blending in with certain groups. He was a big hit with some native Indians at a festival we went to and dressed up gave often gave me the impression of a Japanese man. There are so many variations among Filipinos I know, and I was surprised the one time some passerby called him Mexican, as I didn't see that at all, but maybe its that beautiful skin tone some folks pick up on?

[chiver78]

Apr 14, 2023 17:26:22 GMT -5 jerseygirl said:

Apr 14, 2023 17:00:21 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

If you ever find yourself in Newark, NJ, there is an area of the city called the Ironbound section. On the other side of the railroad bridge one drives under to get there, there is a very large Portuguese community. Plenty of very good Portuguese and Spanish restaurants. Good food.

Yes the Spanish and Portuguese restaurants in the ironbound are FABULOUS! If you have a long layover at Newark airport worth a short trip. Our town has 2 Spanish restaurants. When I was in graduate school, we would go to ironbound for lunch on Friday’s. Rarely made it back to the lab

duly noted, thank you both! I've driven through Newark (I think?) a couple times on long road trips, and have had layovers at that airport twice. not my preferred itinerary. 

[scgal]

I live in SC in a low to mid col area. Very Red state. Crime depends where you are in the state. My area not too bad but in my area firearms are encouraged. Going to rob a conveince store the robber probably wouldn't come out alive so it just doesn't happen. My neighborhood is mixed white, black, indian mostly retired people always walking their dogs. We can walk to a grocery store but that is about it then you need a car, well for me anyways I will not walk 2 miles to go to a store. Used to live in NY couldn't stand how blue the state and the town was. I just took an unexpected trip up there you can't walk outside after dark. All industry left the area it is . It used to be so cute a lil railroad town.  I'm anti abortion, pro gun so this state is fine for me. 

[resolution]

I live in central PA, just across the border from MD. I live in a small town so I can walk to the post office, several restaurants, micro brewery, and shops. I feel pretty safe here, but growing up in the city I am still not comfortable walking places alone at night. I don't hesitate to walk at night with my husband or friends, but if I am alone, I stick to the main street. The area pretty much closes down on Sundays, like even the grocery stores and pharmacy is closed. There is very little diversity in our town, and there are still fading tattered Trump banners on houses, which you can't even read the writing on them anymore, so I have no idea why people don't take them down.

To do any big shopping trips, I drive to one of three small cities that are about 20 minutes drive, but although they each have some entertainment options, there is no great nightlife or entertainment districts. We are about 2 hours out of Washington DC, which is where I take out of town guests to entertain them.

We are about 45 minutes from Frederick MD, which is a very nice city with a lot of diversity and a great nightlife. They have this awesome entertainment district full of interesting restaurants and music, and they are a much easier drive to Washington DC. I know you don't like the cold, but it just snows a few times a year, and it's generally just a couple of inches. If I were able to pick up my house and my husband's job, and move them somewhere, I would pick Frederick MD.

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

I spent my early childhood in San Jose, California. It was the 1980s, and the crime was so bad that my father decided to move us to Southern Oregon. I've only ever lived on the west coast. Southern Oregon is incredibly rural. The largest town has not yet crested 100,000 within its city limits. I perceive rural Oregon as being incredibly right wing. However, based on national definitions of conservative, right wing, left wing, democrat, rural Oregon is actually quite libertarian. 

For culture, we are way the heck pasty white. We have an increasing Mexican and South American immigrant population. The school at which I work has 65% Latino students. Thirty percent of them have not yet tested out of English Language Development class. That high of a ratio is unusual in my area. 


Where I live, there are so few people that it is impossible to not go somewhere and not see some you know.  

[lurkyloo]

Apr 14, 2023 9:39:09 GMT -5 finnime said:

I love this thread!

Until last year I lived in Maryland in the suburban D.C. area, in a profoundly liberal wealthy county. The town I lived in is one of the most diverse in the country. It also has a population of 500,000+, I believe. lurkyloo would know better. I never felt unsafe walking around where I lived. I always locked the car but rarely the front door. I was often out at night, NBD. I would have felt much less comfortable were I in the city, either D.C. or Baltimore. There is a big cultural difference there in that national politics are front and center of much of life. We lived close to one senator and very close to our congressional rep. The goings-on January 6 were local news. There are scary areas of D.C. like most larger cities, but a lot of it is tame, comfortable to walk around in. And guns are not tolerated among the population.

Now I live in bright blue Massachusetts where I grew up. The small town we chose to live in is well off with many town services and quite liberal even within a liberal state. And it's on the water, which I just love. I get such a feeling of well-being when I'm on the beach or at home. In this area of the state the COL is quite reasonable in my estimation. Taxes and housing costs were significantly higher where I lived in Maryland.

There is easy access from here to Providence, R.I., another blue blue state, and Boston is not an issue to get to, either. We went there for a hockey game the other night. Cape Cod is just down the road, too.

I've not felt targeted except at work, as a woman. 

You rang?  

County has about 1M people.  I really like it here.  It was comforting especially during the pandemic to walk around and see so many yards with the signs out front “we believe: science is real/love is love/black lives matter...”. 

That said, we will try to move out of state when we retire.  MD is not retirement friendly and their inheritance tax is appalling-basically 10% on anyone not a sibling or in your direct lineage.  Even niblings and cousins get taxed.  And, COL is high.  But I really like being able to drive ten miles one way and hop on the subway into dc, or ten miles the other way to go visit the u pick farms.

I agree with the Frederick recommendations.  It’s a nice area, although edging into purple rather than deep blue politically, and less expensive.  Although, having looked at the Bay area and run away screaming at the house prices (10 years ago!!), I’d still call my own area just HCOL not VHCOL.

[lurkyloo]

ETA:  I walk PP at night starting around 9:30 for up to two hours, and have never felt unsafe...except with the @sshole drivers who don’t think traffic laws about stop signs and crosswalks apply to them 

[plugginaway22]

I must live near Resolution! Ha-ha... we like the proximity to DC, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and the beaches! We are in a pretty medium to low COL area. I have never been afraid to walk our neighborhood at night. We do keep our doors/cars locked up since there are the occasional episodes I read about on Nextdoor, someone looking for cash in unlocked cars. I can drive 30 minutes to a train and be in NYC in a few hours. What I do not like is that we are in a very Red county and yes, there are still tattered Trump flags out on the rural properties. But thankfully our state seems to be leaning Blue for now.

[Tiny]

Apr 14, 2023 16:43:39 GMT -5 Pink Cashmere said:

So yes, diversity is also on my wishlist. I would love to get to meet neighbors from other countries and cultures. I kind of envy you when you talk about those things.

Diversity is also nice when it's a community of the 2nd or 3rd or "been here forever" generation of people of varying skin tones getting through everyday life together in a relatively co-operative way. (the latest "school battle" is about uniforms for the grade schools. There's a push to change from khaki pants to navy blue or black pants. It's a hot button topic. No fuss no muss about books in the library, LGBTQ kids, or bathrooms. Books are good. kids gender/sexuality no big deal. the new schools have better bathroom options, the older schools (from the 50's and 60's) got updated and are accommodating. Everyone benefits. 

That's the secret sauce of diversity - no one loses/gives up anything.  everyone benefits.   

[swamp]

It’s so hard to describe where I live, upstate NY. 

I love the human rights afforded by NYS.  I’ve got plenty of racist rednecks, but then I’ve also got college professors. It’s super safe, super cheap, and beautiful. I’ve got culture available in Ottawa and Montreal. 

[Opti]

Apr 15, 2023 6:50:06 GMT -5 chiver78 said:

Apr 14, 2023 17:26:22 GMT -5 jerseygirl said:

Yes the Spanish and Portuguese restaurants in the ironbound are FABULOUS! If you have a long layover at Newark airport worth a short trip. Our town has 2 Spanish restaurants. When I was in graduate school, we would go to ironbound for lunch on Friday’s. Rarely made it back to the lab

duly noted, thank you both! I've driven through Newark (I think?) a couple times on long road trips, and have had layovers at that airport twice. not my preferred itinerary. 

I do not like Newark or Elizabeth so have not frequented the Iron Bound section ever. I'd recommend other foodie destinations like Cape May, Princeton, Somerville, Lambertville area just to name a few. If you drive through again, let me know as I have suggestions including things I haven't tried yet. Three local area restaurants were recently featured on Guy Fieri's show FWIW.

[Opti]

Apr 15, 2023 15:59:12 GMT -5 Tiny said:

Apr 14, 2023 16:43:39 GMT -5 Pink Cashmere said:

So yes, diversity is also on my wishlist. I would love to get to meet neighbors from other countries and cultures. I kind of envy you when you talk about those things.

Diversity is also nice when it's a community of the 2nd or 3rd or "been here forever" generation of people of varying skin tones getting through everyday life together in a relatively co-operative way. (the latest "school battle" is about uniforms for the grade schools. There's a push to change from khaki pants to navy blue or black pants. It's a hot button topic. No fuss no muss about books in the library, LGBTQ kids, or bathrooms. Books are good. kids gender/sexuality no big deal. the new schools have better bathroom options, the older schools (from the 50's and 60's) got updated and are accommodating. Everyone benefits. 

That's the secret sauce of diversity - no one loses/gives up anything.  everyone benefits.   

I don't think I have ever lived in a place like that. One thing I like about the areas I have lived in NJ as people are always coming in and out from various countries, states, etc. My XBF is second generation Filipino, but of those I have asked, most are first generation whether from Europe, central america, south america etc.

I learn so much because its ever changing although probably I'd feel happier if I could be grounded in a house again so more rooted even though I have lived in my present location more than a decade. An apartment does not feel like a true home to me and I think your neighbors turn over more often too. Montclair used to be the gold standard for diversity in NJ, not sure if it still is.

[moon/Laura]

Apr 13, 2023 18:25:11 GMT -5 thyme4change said:

Arizona is almost 50/50 - however, because of gerrymandering, the R’s are still in charge - by ONE seat. That could change in the next election- the last election was the bluest this state has ever been - it might swing back fairly easily.

Headed to AZ next Saturday for 10 days on a photography adventure. Never been, though CO is relatively close.



I agree with raeoflyte's assessment of Colorado. Even though we have that dumbass Boebert, I love it here and couldn't easily decide on where else I'd go. Legal pot has really brought the people in though, and that has driven up housing costs. And the traffic sucks almost all the time. My suburb (north of Denver) feels pretty safe, and it's pretty diverse. I remember when we first moved here, it was the ass-edge of nowhere. No longer. That I don't like.

It's not as cold and snowy as people seem to think it is. Or, it's not as snowy as I remember it being as a child, anyway. Lots of outdoor activities and there are so many beautiful places to visit.

[tallguy]

Apr 15, 2023 20:23:43 GMT -5 moon/Laura said:

Apr 13, 2023 18:25:11 GMT -5 thyme4change said:

Arizona is almost 50/50 - however, because of gerrymandering, the R’s are still in charge - by ONE seat. That could change in the next election- the last election was the bluest this state has ever been - it might swing back fairly easily.

Headed to AZ next Saturday for 10 days on a photography adventure. Never been, though CO is relatively close.



I agree with raeoflyte 's assessment of Colorado. Even though we have that dumbass Boebert, I love it here and couldn't easily decide on where else I'd go. Legal pot has really brought the people in though, and that has driven up housing costs. And the traffic sucks almost all the time. My suburb (north of Denver) feels pretty safe, and it's pretty diverse. I remember when we first moved here, it was the ass-edge of nowhere. No longer. That I don't like.

It's not as cold and snowy as people seem to think it is. Or, it's not as snowy as I remember it being as a child, anyway. Lots of outdoor activities and there are so many beautiful places to visit.

That is true pretty much all over the West.  The western states are far more geographically spectacular than the rest of the country.  Just about every state has places that are not-to-be-missed.  Any list of the most amazing or beautiful national parks will be dominated by parks in the western part of the country, and we just have to laugh at what are referred to as "mountains" anywhere east.

GF and I did a six-week trip a few years ago, visiting eleven national parks and two national monuments along the way.  We didn't get as far as Colorado, but had planned a trip there for last year.  She wanted me to go to a family wedding last summer, and I agreed as long as we could turn it into a road trip.  Turned out that she had to cancel attending, but there were at least six sites in Colorado that we were going to try and hit.  Would have been spectacular, but maybe we can get back to it in the next couple years.

[TheOtherMe]

Apr 15, 2023 20:23:43 GMT -5 moon/Laura said:

Apr 13, 2023 18:25:11 GMT -5 thyme4change said:

Arizona is almost 50/50 - however, because of gerrymandering, the R’s are still in charge - by ONE seat. That could change in the next election- the last election was the bluest this state has ever been - it might swing back fairly easily.

Headed to AZ next Saturday for 10 days on a photography adventure. Never been, though CO is relatively close.



I agree with raeoflyte 's assessment of Colorado. Even though we have that dumbass Boebert, I love it here and couldn't easily decide on where else I'd go. Legal pot has really brought the people in though, and that has driven up housing costs. And the traffic sucks almost all the time. My suburb (north of Denver) feels pretty safe, and it's pretty diverse. I remember when we first moved here, it was the ass-edge of nowhere. No longer. That I don't like.

It's not as cold and snowy as people seem to think it is. Or, it's not as snowy as I remember it being as a child, anyway. Lots of outdoor activities and there are so many beautiful places to visit.

One of the major things I loved about Colorado was that winters were a piece of cake compared to Iowa winters.  

I can't afford to return to Boulder, or a decent place in the Denver area.  If I have to live on the Eastern Plains, I'd rather be here.  

I remember when Thornton/Northglenn were the northern end of metro Denver and there was a divide before you hit Longmont.  Broomfield still had farms.  Loveland and Fort Collins were two distinct cities.  Not now.  

Every time I go there, there is less open space.  I'm not sure I could live there again because of too many people and too much traffic.

[tractor]

I live in rural Michigan. We have all the blue-state freedoms, with an abundance of gun ownership and wanna be rednecks. I do not fear for my safety at any time, I have almost 40 acres of woods and open fields to roam, and I almost never see my neighbors. I hunt here, and could fish in my stream, if that was my thing.

Sure we have snow and cold at times, but I don't really care to live anywhere else. I actually like our Governor and think she's doing a great job. It's the cities that scare me. I'm glad people like to live in them, they create more room for me to roam...

[Opti]

Apr 16, 2023 11:36:33 GMT -5 tractor said:

I live in rural Michigan. We have all the blue-state freedoms, with an abundance of gun ownership and wanna be rednecks. I do not fear for my safety at any time, I have almost 40 acres of woods and open fields to roam, and I almost never see my neighbors. I hunt here, and could fish in my stream, if that was my thing.

Sure we have snow and cold at times, but I don't really care to live anywhere else. I actually like our Governor and think she's doing a great job. It's the cities that scare me. I'm glad people like to live in them, they create more room for me to roam...

Interesting. Are you northern or ?  If I lived in Michigan I'd live near one of the college towns or the shore by the "dunes". Define cities, i.e. size.

I would not like a big city as my primary residence unless it was one of the nice residential neighborhood areas. I could live with smaller cities like Seattle or Milwaukee but have no interest in the biggest cities here in NJ - Newark, Camden or Elizabeth. If I had to, I'd pick Elizabeth over the other two but its not close and I like space.

[Tennesseer]

Apr 16, 2023 12:16:24 GMT -5 Opti said:

Apr 16, 2023 11:36:33 GMT -5 tractor said:

I live in rural Michigan. We have all the blue-state freedoms, with an abundance of gun ownership and wanna be rednecks. I do not fear for my safety at any time, I have almost 40 acres of woods and open fields to roam, and I almost never see my neighbors. I hunt here, and could fish in my stream, if that was my thing.

Sure we have snow and cold at times, but I don't really care to live anywhere else. I actually like our Governor and think she's doing a great job. It's the cities that scare me. I'm glad people like to live in them, they create more room for me to roam...

Interesting. Are you northern or ?  If I lived in Michigan I'd live near one of the college towns or the shore by the "dunes". Define cities, i.e. size.

I would not like a big city as my primary residence unless it was one of the nice residential neighborhood areas. I could live with smaller cities like Seattle or Milwaukee but have no interest in the biggest cities here in NJ - Newark, Camden or Elizabeth. If I had to, I'd pick Elizabeth over the other two but its not close and I like space.

I lived on Mt. Prospect Ave in Newark in '91 and '92. I live in an apartment high rise on may the 14th floor? My apartment faced east so I had an unobstructed view from the Verrazano bridge to midtown Manhattan. With binoculars I could see from my apartment the Statue of Liberty.

It was centrally located for me as I had an office at my employer's regional office in Parsippany (drove there) and an office at my employer'# Manhattan district office on Penn Plaza. Some days I drove into Manhattan and other days I took a city bus to Newark's Penn station and then PATH to the WTC and then a subway ride uptown.

It was easy for me to get around and I enjoyed it. But it's not for everyone.

[moon/Laura]

Apr 15, 2023 22:07:56 GMT -5 tallguy said:

Apr 15, 2023 20:23:43 GMT -5 moon/Laura said:

Headed to AZ next Saturday for 10 days on a photography adventure. Never been, though CO is relatively close.



I agree with raeoflyte 's assessment of Colorado. Even though we have that dumbass Boebert, I love it here and couldn't easily decide on where else I'd go. Legal pot has really brought the people in though, and that has driven up housing costs. And the traffic sucks almost all the time. My suburb (north of Denver) feels pretty safe, and it's pretty diverse. I remember when we first moved here, it was the ass-edge of nowhere. No longer. That I don't like.

It's not as cold and snowy as people seem to think it is. Or, it's not as snowy as I remember it being as a child, anyway. Lots of outdoor activities and there are so many beautiful places to visit.

That is true pretty much all over the West.  The western states are far more geographically spectacular than the rest of the country.  Just about every state has places that are not-to-be-missed.  Any list of the most amazing or beautiful national parks will be dominated by parks in the western part of the country, and we just have to laugh at what are referred to as "mountains" anywhere east.

GF and I did a six-week trip a few years ago, visiting eleven national parks and two national monuments along the way.  We didn't get as far as Colorado, but had planned a trip there for last year.  She wanted me to go to a family wedding last summer, and I agreed as long as we could turn it into a road trip.  Turned out that she had to cancel attending, but there were at least six sites in Colorado that we were going to try and hit.  Would have been spectacular, but maybe we can get back to it in the next couple years.

That's a heck of a trip! I can't be gone that long - it wouldn't be fair to my other day shift coworker. We only have 1 person per shift and work 12 hr days, so she ends up working 11 days straight or something. Granted, I do the same for her, but it's a lot.

I hope you're able to get out here someday. Some of my "must visits" are Rocky Mountain National Park (of course), Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Colorado National Monument, Mesa Verde and probably the Great Sand Dunes. You could easily spend a couple of days each at most of those places.

[tallguy]

Apr 16, 2023 17:43:01 GMT -5 moon/Laura said:

Apr 15, 2023 22:07:56 GMT -5 tallguy said:

That is true pretty much all over the West.  The western states are far more geographically spectacular than the rest of the country.  Just about every state has places that are not-to-be-missed.  Any list of the most amazing or beautiful national parks will be dominated by parks in the western part of the country, and we just have to laugh at what are referred to as "mountains" anywhere east.

GF and I did a six-week trip a few years ago, visiting eleven national parks and two national monuments along the way.  We didn't get as far as Colorado, but had planned a trip there for last year.  She wanted me to go to a family wedding last summer, and I agreed as long as we could turn it into a road trip.  Turned out that she had to cancel attending, but there were at least six sites in Colorado that we were going to try and hit.  Would have been spectacular, but maybe we can get back to it in the next couple years.

That's a heck of a trip! I can't be gone that long - it wouldn't be fair to my other day shift coworker. We only have 1 person per shift and work 12 hr days, so she ends up working 11 days straight or something. Granted, I do the same for her, but it's a lot.

I hope you're able to get out here someday. Some of my "must visits" are Rocky Mountain National Park (of course), Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Colorado National Monument, Mesa Verde and probably the Great Sand Dunes. You could easily spend a couple of days each at most of those places.

Rocky Mountain NP, Great Sand Dunes NP, Mesa Verde NP, Canyons of the Ancients NM, Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP, and Dinosaur NM were the six I had planned, sandwiched around the wedding venue.  I don't think Colorado National Monument was on my radar at the time.  I have every intention of getting out there at some point.  My GF had purchased a luxury SUV for us to travel in, but she thinks it is too large as a regular vehicle and would prefer to sell.  It is almost likely at this point that I will buy it from her so we can still travel in it.    

[teen persuasion]

Apr 15, 2023 19:03:19 GMT -5 swamp said:

It’s so hard to describe where I live, upstate NY. 

I love the human rights afforded by NYS.  I’ve got plenty of racist rednecks, but then I’ve also got college professors. It’s super safe, super cheap, and beautiful. I’ve got culture available in Ottawa and Montreal. 

Well, upstate is pretty big and covers a lot of ground!

I'm at the other end of the state, in WNY, in a rural area but not that far from culture in Toronto, Buffalo, Rochester.  Also lots of natural wonders like Niagara Falls and the Finger Lakes, the Letchworth Gorge (Grand Canyon of the east).

I grew up in the 'burbs, then lived in the city in college and after, before we bought our house out here in farmland.  I loved being able to walk everywhere in the city, hated the 'burbs.  I love that everyone knows everyone here, and we watch out for each other (especially for the kids) - it was a bit of culture shock after the anonymity of more populated areas.  But the need for a car to get ANYWHERE gets draining, I miss the walking we did in the city just to see all the architecture.  Buffalo's Parkside neighborhood ran around Delaware Park (an Olmsted designed park like NYC's central park), plus the Zoo, and had multiple Frank Lloyd Wright houses - all within a block or two of our apartment - plus lots of other gorgeous Victorian homes. Quite a few of the professors from our college lived there, too.

Now we go hiking at wildlife preserves around the area, or walk along the towpath on the Erie canal.  But it takes a drive first to get there.

[tractor]

Apr 16, 2023 12:16:24 GMT -5 Opti said:

Apr 16, 2023 11:36:33 GMT -5 tractor said:

I live in rural Michigan. We have all the blue-state freedoms, with an abundance of gun ownership and wanna be rednecks. I do not fear for my safety at any time, I have almost 40 acres of woods and open fields to roam, and I almost never see my neighbors. I hunt here, and could fish in my stream, if that was my thing.

Sure we have snow and cold at times, but I don't really care to live anywhere else. I actually like our Governor and think she's doing a great job. It's the cities that scare me. I'm glad people like to live in them, they create more room for me to roam...

Interesting. Are you northern or ?  If I lived in Michigan I'd live near one of the college towns or the shore by the "dunes". Define cities, i.e. size.

I would not like a big city as my primary residence unless it was one of the nice residential neighborhood areas. I could live with smaller cities like Seattle or Milwaukee but have no interest in the biggest cities here in NJ - Newark, Camden or Elizabeth. If I had to, I'd pick Elizabeth over the other two but its not close and I like space.

I'm in north-central lower peninsula. About an hour from a larger city along the west side of the state. The beach/dunes are less than an hour away, but I never go...spent plenty of time there when I was growing up, now I prefer to hang out at home when I have free time.

[Pink Cashmere]

I’ve never met anyone that I knew was from Montana, Vermont or Wyoming. Do people even really live in those states?

[pulmonarymd]

Having spent a fair amount of time in VT, and having a child go to college there, and despite there being more cows than people, that people do actually live there. Can't comment on the other 2.

[moon/Laura]

Apr 17, 2023 12:47:13 GMT -5 Pink Cashmere said:

I’ve never met anyone that I knew was from Montana, Vermont or Wyoming. Do people even really live in those states?

Yes, one of my coworkers moved to WY a while back to take care of his aging parents.

[Tennesseer]

Apr 17, 2023 12:47:13 GMT -5 Pink Cashmere said:

I’ve never met anyone that I knew was from Montana, Vermont or Wyoming. Do people even really live in those states?

Been to Woodstock, Vermont several times. Probably the prettiest small town in New England. They even have a covered bridge.



I have been to Wyoming several times to visit family, Grand Teton and Yellowstone national parks. Montana too. People actually live in these states because someone local has to work in these national parks.

[TheOtherMe]

I have spent some time in Wyoming for my job.  Yes, people live there despite horrible weather and wind.  

I spent a few days in Montana.  There were houses so I assume people live there.