Best Place to Live in USA

N/A ^ | March 21, 2002 | Me

[andrew]

If you could live and work from anywhere in the U.S, where would that be?

Take into consideration lifestyle, schools, recreation, weather, cost and quality of life, etc.

[BraveMan]

I'm kind of suprised nobody has mentioned the South Carolina coast. Beautiful area . . .

I got arrested in Tennesee once. They busted me for smuggling in books . . .

[riley1992]

What? You think I am being disingenuous? I'm crushed.

[BraveMan]

Can't go wrong in Colorado Springs.

That is a nice city. I thoroughly enjoyed the time I spent there. The beauty of the surrounding area is breathtaking . . .

[mamelukesabre]

This is new. Although I must say I don't entirely beleive you.

It may be true of the high tech segment, but then high tech jobs were never a priority for me....couldn't care less what happens with that segment. Construction is booming in colorado springs and that brings loads of jobs with it......architects, engineers, drafters, superintendents, bidders, estimators, all sorts of jobs, not to mention all the specialized fields of skilled labor. Roads, bridges, sewers, water mains, communications, etc.....all need to be expanded to keep up with the growing population. The housing markets will thrive and rental property will be lucrative. I really don't see how the economy could be hurting there as long as the population is still climbing like crazy.

[mamelukesabre]

The best place to live in the US is as near as possible to your family. Your parents, grandparents, uncles, cousins and family friends.

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I'll second that. Cousins and grandparents are very valuable for a kid growing up. If they aren't kooks, that is.

[mamelukesabre]

I just have to put in my 2 cents worth for middle Tennessee. We have no income tax

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Yes!
I posted the same thing, but I wasn't sure if I was remembering correctly. Thanks for confirming it for me.

[mamelukesabre]

Ocean City, New Jersey. I swear that place is caaught in a time warp from the 50's. People are polite

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I used to know some guys back in my college days that went to ocean city for spring break every year. I never did understand that since we were in a nebraska college at the time. Is ocean city a big spring break resort or something?

[MattinNJ]

They probably went to Ocean City, Maryland which is a big spring break hang out.

Ocean City, New Jersey is a clean, quiet, family oriented island 10 miles south of Atlantic City which is the exact opposite type of place. It has a nice boardwalk with fun amusement parks.

The best part is that it is a dry town (no liquor allowed) so it is a much different place than other Jersey shore attractions like Belmar and Seaside Heights.

The second best part is that it is so far south from NYC and Northern New Jersey that those people, who tend to be pushy, rude and arrogant don't make the long drive down. It tends to attract the upper middle class from Philedelphia who get there by the Atlantic City Expressway.

[crystalk]

You can get to NY City from almost anywhere in the East, quicker than from the Hamptons! Such a dead end, what if it had to be evacuated suddenly? And so c-c--c-cold!

Take a map of the Southeast. Chop off the part of Florida south of I-4. Draw a straight line from Charleston SC to BOONE NC (NW corner of state). Draw another straight line from Tallahassee to Nashville.

Pick your town in between those lines there, small or large, college if you like it, lake if you like it, beach if you like it.

This frames Georgia, where you probably will want to avoid inner/greater Atlanta. Come to think of it, just see how close to Georgia you can get, in any other state. Florida and Tennessee do not have income taxes.

Northeast Florida is really the best. Posters above recommending Virginia mountains, that is where I am from but the three worst things are January, February, March, and taxes.

[ventana]

Thanks Appy, went to the website. My son is applying for NROTC, actually. We'll see...very competitive. I am going to plan to visit the school with him. Also thinking of looking at Washington and Lee, a really fine school, as well. V's wife.

[AppyPappy]

The NROTC program is big at Tech. I know one of the advisors. They use one of the pools for Scuba training. I think AF is the biggest because we graduate so many pilots. The football games sometimes feature flyovers during the National Anthem by B1's and F15's with pilots who are VT alum.

[GeronL]

Maybe I am mistaken but I thought there was skiing in the Davis Mountains, maybe just seasonally??

[Hank Rearden]

They list Palo Alto, CA as "liberal unfriendly". That's a lie right there; PA is a nest of leftist Stanford vipers.

[JamesWilson]

In a van down by the river.

Classic!

[MARTIAL MONK]

Try Hot Rocks, Arizona. It don't get any gooder.

[NorCoGOP]

Not new....high tech jobs, just like everywhere else, have been drying up, and layoffs have been very common.

True the growth is still astronomical, so that means there are opportunities, but, my experience with the Springs is that the growth has brought more problems than it is worth - that's why I moved.

[Clara Lou]

Anchorage, Alaska, or thereabouts. It is heavenly beautiful winter, spring, summer and fall. The air is sweet.

[Clara Lou]

Barrow, Alaska
Ha ha ha ha!

[contessa machiaveli]

the hamptons aren't cheaper but there are lesser known areas towards the east end where you can get good value for fairly nice houses. you could try the north fork(mattituck, cutchogue, aquebogue, jamesport, etc.) it is beautiful without the obnoxious celebrities), everytime i take a drive out there i feel as if i'm in america as it once was. there are farms, vineyards and beautiful old victorians. it's quiet even in the summer. it isn't a "scene". long island has lots to offer culturally and it's proximity to NYC is comforting. there are a few delightful town on the south shore before you arrive in the hamptons. e. moriches, speonk, and remsenberg are lovely.

[Allegra]

Also keep in mind that this winter is one of the warmest we've had in NY in a long long time.

Yep; that's what people kept telling us as we shivered. I still love it there despite the cold (and the liberals). :)