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The Coasts Are Tops as California and NYC Are Most Popular Places People Would Choose to Live
Businesswire ^ | 9/10/07 | Harris

Posted on 09/10/2007 9:30:04 AM PDT by qam1

Easy access to the beach seems to be a key factor in deciding which state people would choose to live. According to a new Harris Poll, California remains number 1 this year, followed by Florida, which moved up from number three and Hawaii, which has dropped from number two. Florida has been in the top three ever since this question was first asked in 1997. When it comes to which city people would live in, New York City comes in as number one for the ninth time (out of the last 10 opportunities), San Diego, CA moves up one spot to second and Seattle, WA also moves up one place to be the third most popular city.

These are some of the results of The Harris Poll®, a nationwide survey of 2,694 adults conducted online between August 7 and 13, 2007 by Harris Interactive®.

The next most popular states in which people would like to live are: North Carolina (#4, remaining the same as last year); Colorado (#5, moving up from #7); Texas (#6, dropping from #5); New York (#7, moving up from #8); Arizona (#8, moving up from #9); and Oregon (#9, moving up from #10). Three states are tied for the tenth spot on this list: Washington (was #6 last year); Tennessee (was #11 last year) and Virginia (was #12 last year).

Age plays a small role in the state people would choose to live in. The top choice for Baby Boomers (those aged 43-61) would be Hawaii, while California is tops for the other generations. For Echo Boomers (those aged 18-30), Texas moves up and is their number 2 choice. Generation Xers (those aged 31-42) and Matures (those 62 and older) break ranks with their 5th spot; for Gen Xers it is Pennsylvania and for Matures, the number 5 position goes to Oregon.

Favorite U.S. Cities to Live In

After NYC, San Diego and Seattle, the trend is to go West with one exception: San Francisco, CA (which dropped from #2 to #4). Las Vegas, NV remained the same as last year (#5); while Orlando, FL (#6, jumping up from #14), Honolulu, HI (#7, dropping from #6), Phoenix, AZ (#8, moving up from tied for #12), Denver, CO (tied for #9, dropping from tied for #7) and Los Angeles, CA (tied for #9, up from #11) all changed positions. Returning to the list of the 15 top cities this year are Charlotte, NC at #13 and Miami, FL at #15. Dropping out of the top 15 are Atlanta, GA (tied for #7) and Nashville, TN (#15).


TOPICS: Society
KEYWORDS: cities; genx; topten
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To: Grampa Dave
Your QOL in New York City is often better than that in many nearby suburbs (see Long Island and North Jersey), which have higher property taxes and political corruption to boot.

In most of the major cities (NY, Chicago, San Diego) you can live quite comfortably and safely if you have the money.

41 posted on 09/10/2007 11:04:58 AM PDT by Clemenza (Rudy Giuliani, like Pesto and Seattle, belongs in the scrap heap of '90s Culture)
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To: Clemenza

“In most of the major cities (NY, Chicago, San Diego) you can live quite comfortably and safely if you have the money.”

I’m afraid that comment receives the “DUH” award for the morning and maybe the day. How about the non rich and middle class people in those cities.


42 posted on 09/10/2007 11:45:28 AM PDT by Grampa Dave (Donate to Vets For Freedom: http://www.vetsforfreedom.org/)
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To: qam1

Whew! Safe for another year, far from the madding mob.


43 posted on 09/10/2007 11:51:51 AM PDT by Smokin' Joe (How often God must weep at humans' folly.)
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To: Grampa Dave
The poor and, to a lesser extent, the lower middle classes don't have much of an option in terms of where to live, which is why many of the latter wind up moving to the smoggy deserts, or do the wise thing and leave CA entirely.

In NYC, the teachers either live in Mitchell-Lama housing or, like everyone else, live in tiny apartments in the outer boroughs. The cops commute from exurbia, but since they do four days a week, they can get away with driving 50+ miles to work.

I can honestly tell you that the worst place to be poor east of the Mississippi and north of DC is NYC. Even if you want to live in the ghetto, you'll be paying $1400 for a pre-war one bedroom.

44 posted on 09/10/2007 11:57:18 AM PDT by Clemenza (Rudy Giuliani, like Pesto and Seattle, belongs in the scrap heap of '90s Culture)
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To: Grampa Dave

” surveys were geared to make liberal cities look like great edens to live in...crime, property taxes and cost of living not addressed ... illegals...high tax rates ...”

What is not to love ?

/s


45 posted on 09/10/2007 12:36:41 PM PDT by george76 (Ward Churchill : Fake Indian, Fake Scholarship, and Fake Art)
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To: Clemenza; SierraWasp; tubebender; NormsRevenge

In the two wine counties north of San Francisco. A home in a locked gate community in a high cost community often brings $300,000 to about $1 million more than similiar homes in the same area without the locked gates.

Why? Because of the higher levels of security that a locked gate community promises.

Areas closer to the crime ridden eden of San Francisco will bring even more for a home in a locked gate community.

Even that may not bring security and peace of mind. I recently traded some fly fishing gear with a fellow living in a 24/7/365 manned locked gate community east of San Jose. The community had its own private security guards on motor patrol 24/7. Apparently, someone turned us into the real police while we were on the curb trading the gear. The local cops came by and knew the guy and one was a fly fisher. This was a little after noon time on a Saturday with people around their homes and driving to and from them.

I asked my host what the increased level of security was all about. He said the homes were like banks with Willy Sutton. So every neighborhood had a block watch group.

Then, I asked him what the extra cost was per month, and he said “Don’t Ask!”.

As we left the area, my wife commented, “Must be tough to be middle or lower upper class and live North East of San Jose and SE of Oakland/Berkley.”


46 posted on 09/10/2007 1:10:53 PM PDT by Grampa Dave (Donate to Vets For Freedom: http://www.vetsforfreedom.org/)
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To: george76

I discussed this list with a friend, who is a very successful realtor in this area.

She has realtor friends in these so called high desireable west coast cities. She said that the enviros own the cities and have severe restrictions on new homes and often on major retros on existing homes.

So the market is limited re number of liveable units with these restrictions. That drives up the cost of homes. Then when these left wing surveys come out spreading the gospel of Edens in these cities, that increases the demand even more. Which increases the cost of the existing homes.


47 posted on 09/10/2007 1:17:52 PM PDT by Grampa Dave (Donate to Vets For Freedom: http://www.vetsforfreedom.org/)
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To: Grampa Dave

One good thing about this is that the liberals often live together in the cities. They can raise their own taxes, promote diversity...

The problem is when they leave and bring their stupid ideas that did not work in their cities into our communities. We then get out voted for their programs spending our money.


48 posted on 09/10/2007 1:33:11 PM PDT by george76 (Ward Churchill : Fake Indian, Fake Scholarship, and Fake Art)
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To: george76

“The problem is when they leave and bring their stupid ideas that did not work in their cities into our communities. We then get out voted for their programs spending our money.”

Just about every nice community/town, city in the US has been invaded by left wingers bringing the same destructive socialist programs in the past two decades.


49 posted on 09/10/2007 3:42:04 PM PDT by Grampa Dave (Donate to Vets For Freedom: http://www.vetsforfreedom.org/)
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Comment #50 Removed by Moderator

To: qam1
As a Pennsylvanian, I can tell you there are few good reasons to live here. Heck, the only reason we're here is because of family.

If I had my choice of locations, I think I'd pick the Triangle in NC.

51 posted on 09/10/2007 5:54:48 PM PDT by NittanyLion
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To: Clemenza
Even if you want to live in the ghetto, you'll be paying $1400 for a pre-war one bedroom.
Now, now. You have some choice. You can go to a Barrio.
52 posted on 09/10/2007 5:55:50 PM PDT by rmlew (Build a wall, attrit the illegals, end the anchor babies, Americanize Immigrants)
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To: Grampa Dave
"His reply was that these so called surveys were geared to make liberal cities look like great edens to live in. Seldom was crime, property taxes and cost of living addressed in the surveys. Artsy fartsy stuff was rated high on the scales versus reality of living. The illegal alien issue was ignore or praised as some of those cities 10 years ago became sanctuaries for illegal aliens."


That explains Portland and Oregon's high profile on the list. ;o)

53 posted on 09/10/2007 9:35:53 PM PDT by dixiechick2000 (There ought to be one day-- just one-- when there is open season on senators. ~~ Will Rogers)
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To: qam1
People either like the coasts or the mountains. They avoid the plains because its unnerving to live in a place where there seems to be no apparent limit to the reach of the horizon.
54 posted on 09/10/2007 10:39:47 PM PDT by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives In My Heart Forever)
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To: Libertarianize the GOP
One word: mountains. I live in the heart of the Rockies. The view is breathtaking.

55 posted on 09/10/2007 10:40:41 PM PDT by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives In My Heart Forever)
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To: JSDude1
I'm an ex-Californian who moved to Colorado. Rest assured, not all of us are liberals.
56 posted on 09/10/2007 10:42:11 PM PDT by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives In My Heart Forever)
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To: rmlew; Cacique
Barrio/ghetto es lo mismo (the same). East Harlem aint cheap if you live in the projects.

I keep telling Cacique that he can make a fortune if he ever decided to become a landlord with his current house in SP.

57 posted on 09/11/2007 7:17:39 AM PDT by Clemenza (Rudy Giuliani, like Pesto and Seattle, belongs in the scrap heap of '90s Culture)
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To: rmlew; Cacique
Barrio/ghetto es lo mismo (the same). East Harlem aint cheap unless you live in the projects.

I keep telling Cacique that he can make a fortune if he ever decided to become a landlord with his current house in SP.

58 posted on 09/11/2007 7:17:55 AM PDT by Clemenza (Rudy Giuliani, like Pesto and Seattle, belongs in the scrap heap of '90s Culture)
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To: goldstategop

I wish there were more like you out there; and less yuppie liberal types. I remeber the mountains from when I was a kid during the 80’s then I went back in 2006 and man the mountains (at least near Denver/Evergreen) are different-they’re almost like a metropolis..


59 posted on 09/11/2007 7:58:38 AM PDT by JSDude1 (When a liberal represents the Presidential Nominee for the Republicans; THEY'RE TOAST)
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To: qam1
According to a new Harris Poll, California remains number 1 this year, followed by Florida, which moved up from number three

A contradiction of the title. New Yawk is 7th on the list, so why does the title say otherwise?

60 posted on 09/11/2007 8:00:50 AM PDT by subterfuge (It's GREAT, to be, a Florida Gator!)
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