Why do you live in the town you live in and what keeps you there?

I was born in California’s Bay Area, and with the exception of a five year stint in the Navy have lived here all my life. Years ago, after getting married, the wife and I moved to the North Bay, still an easy commute to San Francisco, affordable (at least back then) great weather, and where we are, crime free! Love it here.
 

When we retired, we wanted to move further south in the province and to a bigger city. The spring we retired and we started searching in earnest, the prices skyrocketed and everyone was trying to buy in this zone. Houses would come on the market and be sold before you could drive an hour to see it. This house was the first that was available and we were happy with the location. It’s been 18 years. Hindsight, if things weren’t so competitive, I might have chosen a different location. It’s easy to look backwards. Overall it’s been good.
 
StarSong said:

Why do you live in the town you live in and what keeps you there?​

...Even with this winter's surprisingly cold, stormy weather, LA has an overall pleasant climate. When I want the experience of snow a two hour drive to the local mountains gives me my fill.
Click to expand...
Starsong, your post made me LOL! When I first arrived in San Francisco, every winter I'd get asked, "Are you going up to Tahoe for vacation?"
I'd look at them like they were crazy and reply, "Are you kidding? I come from Chicago - I've seen all the snow I ever want to see!"

It was 8 years before I finally went up to Tahoe. My comment was, "Hey, look at that - the snow stays white!"

Speaking of snow - which we rarely see in the SFBA but have gotten several times this winter, in the hills all around the coast - we were up in Napa Valley for a couple of trips these past two weeks. Sunny but chilly, with the bright yellow flowers of wild mustard everywhere on green hillsides and in vineyards, but white snow coating the Napa mountains - one of those "once in 10 years" sights!

Gorgeous up at Lake Tahoe, but I'll always be a city rat at heart. Love the vitality and ever-changing urban scenes. The street art movement is very strong all over and especially in our city. We love the murals, especially the ones that pop up unexpectedly on side streets, where a resident will get inspired to decorate a wooden garage door or the blank side of a stucco commercial building.

A very incomplete photo record of Oakland murals is at: Instagram/Murals of Oakland

Another collection of images is from Google, focusing on the Chinatown murals, which are not well covered in the Instagram link. Oakland's Chinatown is often said to be smaller than SF's Chinatown, but that's because statistics ignore the fact that Oakland's Chinatown has vastly expanded by the SE Asians who moved into the Jingletown and westside International District neighborhoods, where there are now Asian restaurants and small food markets on almost every block. I think size-wise the two are a lot closer than tourist PR claims, these days.
Oakland CA Chinatown Murals-Google
 

Hubby and I lived in the City until 5yrs ago. We lived near our 2 grandsons and when they started living on Campus we moved to the Suburbs to be near my daughter and her family. I really haven't made friends with many of my neighbors. I learned a lot living in the City. I thought most of my neighbors were good people until they believed a lie one of them said about me. When I moved I didn't tell anyone. My cousin worked for a real estate and sold my house without advertising it. I don't miss any of my old neighbors.
 
My old neighborhood was really dusty and there were a lot of mice from the fields to the west and to the south. My new house doesn't have any of those problems. Both areas are fairly safe, though, which is one reason I'm still here. I don't feel the need to own a gun, and occasionally I forget to lock my back door. Never had any problems.
 
ElCastor said:
I was born in California’s Bay Area, and with the exception of a five year stint in the Navy have lived here all my life. Years ago, after getting married, the wife and I moved to the North Bay, still an easy commute to San Francisco, affordable (at least back then) great weather, and where we are, crime free! Love it here.
Click to expand...
ElCastor, you are that rarity, a born and raised local! I arrived in 1969 and was here 5 yrs in SF before I met any who had been born in the city, LOL.

The North Bay is sooooo gorgeous! Once we retired we started making weekday visits to all the places we used to have cram into weekends when working. Sonoma county is so large that we break it up into four separate areas to visit in order to keep our trips no more than 4-6 days long. We only hit Mendocino county once every couple of years, and I've always regretted we haven't spent more time in Marin county as well.

We hope to make at least one trip this year focusing just on Marin county. We'll see how it goes; I've been having some niggling health issues so it's slowed me down as walking more than a couple of blocks is painful right now.
 
Lethe200 said:
ElCastor, you are that rarity, a born and raised local! I arrived in 1969 and was here 5 yrs in SF before I met any who had been born in the city, LOL.

The North Bay is sooooo gorgeous! Once we retired we started making weekday visits to all the places we used to have cram into weekends when working. Sonoma county is so large that we break it up into four separate areas to visit in order to keep our trips no more than 4-6 days long. We only hit Mendocino county once every couple of years, and I've always regretted we haven't spent more time in Marin county as well.

We hope to make at least one trip this year focusing just on Marin county. We'll see how it goes; I've been having some niggling health issues so it's slowed me down as walking more than a couple of blocks is painful right now.
Click to expand...
I was born in Oakland, not SF. As a very young kid we lived on a newly constructed cul-de-sac in downtown Oakland. Later my parents moved to Montclair in the Oakland hills. Graduated from college and joined the Navy. Graduated from the Navy and returned to Berkeley. Lived there for awhile, but got a job in SF and moved there. Married and we moved to San Rafael. From there to southern Marin and are still there. I love it here. Marin is a great place, but the real estate has gotten very pricey. If you are planning on visiting Marin, Muir Woods is always worth a visit, but if you'd like to save a few bucks and the reservation thing, the Emporio Rulli in Larkspur is probably the best coffee shop in the county and down the road you will find the entrance to Madrone Canyon, residential but with redwoods that almost rival Muir Woods. Nice place to go for a walk, no admission fee, and the parking is free. (-8
 
Disgustedman said:
I can't move, because I'm..... I'm......poor.... I'd love to move to Washington, IA. 9K residents. I was there in 1996, so know the town.

Houston, MO. Birthplace of Emmet Kelly. I worked there, not a big rip roaring place either. But small.

Woodland, WA They need subsidized housing for seniors. Not a huge population there. I could go up to Kalama, WA (5 miles?) And get a nice cheeseburger fries and shake from little burger shop.
Click to expand...
LOL. When we retired, we moved to Washington, Ia. We lived about 40 miles away before, and sons' families live in the area. Spend couple of months in winter on the Gulf Coast and summers in Door County Wisconsin. That way miss most of the cold and hot of Iowa.
 
This seems like as good a thread as any to say hello. We were fortunate to relocate to Sun Valley, Idaho from NYC area in 2019 so we could enjoy the outdoors on a daily basis, summer, fall, and winter. Spring or "mud time" isn't so great, but we go camping south of here or do our indoor fitness activities until the snow melts. We've been here for 4 years and are enjoying ourselves immensely. Our daughter followed us out and lives in Boise now so that is going to keep us here for a while.
 
againstthegrain said:
This seems like as good a thread as any to say hello. We were fortunate to relocate to Sun Valley, Idaho from NYC area in 2019 so we could enjoy the outdoors on a daily basis, summer, fall, and winter. Spring or "mud time" isn't so great, but we go camping south of here or do our indoor fitness activities until the snow melts. We've been here for 4 years and are enjoying ourselves immensely. Our daughter followed us out and lives in Boise now so that is going to keep us here for a while.
Click to expand...
Welcome, @againstthegrain ! I never had much use for "mud season" either. Now I live in northern Canada, where the snow slowly evaporates, instead of making a slushy mess. Snow everywhere, then suddenly it's summer. Works for me.

I'm glad you're enjoying your location.
 
Lethe200 said:
Starsong, your post made me LOL! When I first arrived in San Francisco, every winter I'd get asked, "Are you going up to Tahoe for vacation?"
I'd look at them like they were crazy and reply, "Are you kidding? I come from Chicago - I've seen all the snow I ever want to see!"

It was 8 years before I finally went up to Tahoe. My comment was, "Hey, look at that - the snow stays white!"
Click to expand...
I grew up in a suburb of Chicago, Villa Park. The snow stayed white where I lived, but one time when my parents and I went to Elk Grove Village the first thing I said was "wow, black snow!" It wasn't quite black, more of a charcoal gray, but it wasn't anything you'd want your kid going out and playing in. O'Hare Airport really does a number on snow in that area.
 
NorthernLight said:
Welcome, @againstthegrain ! I never had much use for "mud season" either. Now I live in northern Canada, where the snow slowly evaporates, instead of making a slushy mess. Snow everywhere, then suddenly it's summer. Works for me.

I'm glad you're enjoying your location.
Click to expand...
Thank you. Interior BC snowpack is a bit shaky this year.


Dustbunny said:
Welcome @againstthegrain . You should start a thread in "Introductions" to introduce yourself :). You will get lots of welcomes. Like your name.
Click to expand...
Thank you, I probably should. Maybe I'll work up the nerve soon.
 
I live in the Western suburbs of Sydney. It has become so overcrowded; houses are being pulled down and multi-storied buildings are being built along the railway lines. I wouldn't call my suburb safe as there is always shootings and stabbings happening. I never go out in the evenings. My sons want me to sell up and move to a nicer suburb but then again, I would miss my friends and I need to be close to my regular Doctor, and local Hospital. I've lived here, in the area for 30 years and all the old neighbours have either passed on or in nursing homes. I visit a dear friend I've known for 66 years, in the nursing home, she said she is in "God's Waiting Room".
 
We have lived about 10 miles from a small Missouri town. It is in the county. Living in the county has different laws than the town or "big" city 20 miles away. There are very few police in our county. We happen to live on 18 acres of Missouri forest. We cleared enough to farm/garden, raise hogs, chickens, and goats. So no town, but an oasis. :)
 

Back
Top