I have lived in 12 states, military wife. I have found something to love about everyone of them. I currently live in Tennessee and I can honestly say that I wouldn't want to live any place else, except Heaven. I think Tennessee is about as close to Heaven as you can get here on this earth.

I love where I live. St. Paul, Minnesota - capitol city of Minnesota. It is a relatively small city, 287,000 some people and we have our neighborhoods, which after living all but 10 years of my 72 years in the same neighborhood, I love this part of St. Paul the most. We are in the Macalester/Groveland area (I love names of neighborhoods) (Highland, Midway, St. Anthony Park, Frog Town, Summit/University, Como Park, Lowertown, West Seventh, etc. Each has their own little way of living. We help each other. We don't wait to be asked, we just offer or go ahead without asking. I love our neighbors. I am the second oldest - agewise - but we have lived in our home for 38 years now and before that it was owned by my aunt and uncle. I am asked about things, history, people of this neighborhood and generally know the answers (old people know everything, you know). The only thing that has changed is that Moms used to stay home, we used to have coffee parties once a week outside in the spring, summer and autumn, (usually on Monday) we used to holler over to neighbors when we were hanging out our laundry. And, if a family goes on vacation, we are outside to wave goodbye to them. I love my St. Paul. Edie

We've lived all over the country, (DH was in Navy for 20 years) California, Tennessee, New Jersey, Florida, Hawaii, but the great state of Texas is home and always will be. Both born here and will die here.

Massachusetts born and bred ------- but SouthWestern Pennsylvania has been my home for 68 of my 72 years and here I will die. We are fortunate in that we have always lived in the rural areas and don't have to fight traffic, smog and pollution BUT we have one neighbor (about 1/4 mile away) who is exactly the spittin' image of the psycho neighbors first quoted. Dipshits! Fortunately we can't see them but we sure can hear them when they go off on their tangents. My DH says that no matter where you live there is bound to be one idiot in the bunch to put the screws to otherwise peaceful living.

I love everything about my home - seasons, smells, wildlife and the slow pace of living.

DH was transferred frequently with his job (22 times in 6 years!) so we lived in a lot of places. Several locations in Oregon. Oregon is visually beautiful but we had very bad allergy problems there. And then there is the never ending gray drizzle of a winter that starts about the 1st of October and continues without sunlight until March sometime. 4 of us had bronchial pneumonia one winter and when they transferred him next he got his choice of 2 places in AZ. He chose Phoenix. The kids were old enough to go to school by the time the next transfer rolled around so he opted to change jobs and stay put for awhile. 22 years later he retired and we moved to the South. We knew after we had been there about 5 years that we hated it but he wanted to stay with his job until he could retire. What we didn't like was:
worst air quality in the US
crime rate and feeling of not being safe
traffic
brown dead appearance due to scorching dry heat
dust storms that come up in front of a rain storm and then having it rain through them so it rains mud
having the inside of the car be hot enough to cook a roast
being sandwiched into a neighborhood where every house looks the like yours and being able to see into the neighbors window sitting at the dinner table
having a 6 foot block wall around the back of your house
having scorpions inside of your house and your bed
cockroaches
high property taxes
long drive to work
What we liked about Phoenix
The Phoenix zoo, lots of shopping choices, relatively low cost of groceries
After retirement we moved to a small rural town in TN
What we like:
Visually beautiful!
It's green here!, able to have a nice garden,smell of honeysuckle in the spring and summer, clean air, very low crime rate - able to leave the windows open and leave the door unlocked, 4 seasons - all of them are beautiful, friendly people, great BBQ, don't have to use the air conditioning much (we are up in the mountains so our humidity is not too bad in the summer), wildlife, cardinals, goldfinch, blue jays, hawks, hummingbirds, titmouse, Carolina wren, deer, wild turkey, geese, very little traffic, slower pace of life, good Christian values, many barns with quilts painted on the side.
Don't like - not much choice in shopping - but we have the internet and UPS! We don't know many people and the children and grandchildren are still in Phoenix - but we won't move back.
Ann in TN

Have lived in Central Wisconsin all my life.

Loves -
The 4 seasons. (What is Christmas with no snow or cold weather)
Not hot and humid daily.
Friendly neighbors
Less traffic
4-H style fairs
deep fried cheese curds
Many many cheap family outing adventures
No hurricane's
No earthquake's
No valcano's
No horrible wild fires

Hates-
Summers are to short
Winters are to long
Tornado weather

I live in Maryland and can't imagine iiving anywhere else. I love the four seasons plus we have the mountains and the ocean. Crime, yes there's crime, but mainly in the city of Baltimore. You have to pick an area that you like. The winters are "usually" moderate. Summers can be humid but then you go to the beach. Tried going to Florida for the winter months but got tired of it. I love the freshness of the cold air and the snow. Of course we're retired so that's a plus. When it snows we can stay in and enjoy it.

DH and I were both born and raised in NYC. Lived 58 years of our lives there. Decided to relocate due to retirement. It was delightful to leave the nasty, dirty city with foul-mouthed people pushing their way through. Who needs humidity and snow? I hated shoveling, having to wear winter coats and never feeling warm.

We lived on Staten Island (one of the five boroughs) that was 9 miles wide and 17 miles long with 500,000 people. Driving anywhere off Staten Island meant paying a toll. The bridge is now $13.00. We moved to Arizona and live in a town approximately the same square mileage with only 45,000 people. Open spaces and breathing room!

Four years in Arizona and we're in heaven. Sun over 300 days a year. And, not hearing every word our neighbors say. Can't beat that!

Just miss the great food choices from New York.

I was born and raised in Indiana and loved it except for all the snow. Hated winter. I now live in Middle Tennessee. Love the seasons here. The only thing I hate is all the Pollen. When we first moved here my eyes swelled shut from all the allergies, was on meds for about 2 years until I got use to living here. Now I love it.

Verna2197

Why don't you buy an RV (a used one, not new) and live in each of the areas for 6 months or a year....then you'll know which place is for YOU!

I live in Bend Oregon. There are two things I hate about Central Oregon. No Spring and the town is growing way too fast. Other than that this place is heaven. Summers are spectacular here. There is so much to do. There is something going on every weekend. Then there is the mountains for hiking, camping and fishing. Also all the lakes for boating. Portland is just over the hill, close but not too close. The Oregon coast is just 3 hours away.

Fall may be my favorite time of year. Cold crisp mornings and beautiful warm days. The fall colors are spectacular. Winter is fun here too. If you like Winter sports this is your place. We are only 20 minutes from Mt. Bachelor.

We also have the Sisters Quilt Festival. If you have never gone you are really missing something. Thousands of quilts hanging from all the buildings in Sisters. It is quilting overload. We also have many lovely quilt stores in Central Oregon.

I have only lived in Wis. I love the quiet, peacefulness (I am in the country). Its a beautiful area, with lots of farms, and wildlife...woods and lakes.
Plus, all my family is here!

Born in England, lived in Washington DC, Florida, SC, Upstate NY and back to SC...But, SC will always be my home..Live near the coast and while it gets hot and muggy here quick, I love it.. ..Upstate NY was BEAUTIFUL !!! But the taxes are unbelievable so we moved back here

Grew up in Georgia, went to college in North Carolina,
and ended up in TX for graduate school. I have lived in
TX longer than any other place, but I do NOT like it at all.
The people are great, but the heat is overwhelming. No
change of season, no pretty trees, 100+ temps for 3 - 4
months straight. I am yearning for the day that we can
move back south. My husband still has a few more years
to work, and then we're gone!! Georgia is the place to
be - great people, 4 distinct seasons, not too many extremes
weather wise, beautiful flowers and trees, and the list
goes on. I will always be a Georgia Peach. However, I
would move to Tennessee or North Carolina in a heartbeat
for the same reasons.
Have a Great Day!

Well from everything I have read it sounds like I would love Tenn.
I was born in AZ,moved to NJ then back to AZ then back to NJ all before 11 years old. Married moved to NY state in the 70's I liked it there except for the snow. Back to NJ then GA then FL then GA again and now VA.
AZ was too hot. I did like that we lived way out in the country mostly. NJ I lived in a small town at the shore. Not too many good memories so I will skip that. NY country again I loved everything except the snow.Although I was in my early twenties didn't bother me as much as it does now.
I like FL for that time in my life. I had friends and good schools for the kids. I hated to leave.
Hated moving to GA again the first time all kinds of bad things happened. Same this time except for the last few years. Moved to a small town south of the Airport made friends,knew my neighbors,and most of the people who worked in the business in town. Loved the weather except the last few years the summers have been getting really hot. Loved the small town.
VA well I have only been here a few months. I guess its ok. I didn't want to move,most of the people I have met are my brothers friends just are not my kind of people.They're nice but my friends were way different. The weather isn't all that much different. Just more snow. I really hate how all the houses are the same and everyone is on top of each other. Its like I can feel them.gives me the heebie jeebies. lol I have flashbacks to my Stepford wife days. Much more traffic.
I am just waiting to win the lottery so I can move back to GA out in the country and have my own place.

Marie!!! Dang it - we're not supposed to tell people how great Oregon is!!! They just come and make us more crowded!!!!!!! BTW, OP, I agree with her on every aspect!!! :) We live 30 minutes south of Bend and are 20 minutes from 3 lakes -- 45 minutes from -- what, about 6 more lakes!!!

I live just north of Portland, Oregon in Vancouver, Washington.

What I love is it seldom gets very cold here...our winters are wet and cool and snow is unusual. I love not shoveling snow. I love not being in a hurricane or tornado zone. I love the trees and the fact that my daily commute affords me views of Mt. St Helens and Mt Hood, and on a clear day I can see the tip of Mt. Adams. I love our average 80 degrees/low humidity summers. I love that I live closer to downtown Portland than some people whose address is in Portland, yet I don't have to cross the Columbia and deal with the traffic unless I wan to (because I live and work on the north side of the river). I love all the concerts and plays that come to Portland and all the fun and funky shops available to me anytime I want them, and the amazing restaurants in Portland and Vancouver...we almost never eat at a chain restaurant. I love that WA has no state income tax. I love that the beach and the mountains are less than two hours away. I love that there's an agility and obedience trial available almost any weekend I want to go within 2 hrs drive.

I don't love the wet weather at times. Most years I don;t mind but we have had a cold, rainy spring and I am ready to get past the rainy season. I wish I could grow tomatoes here better than I can (it takes forever to get hot enough for them). And I wish my relatives lived closer. Its always an expensive ordeal to see our parents or DHs son. They are all spread out though...so no matter where I lived, I'd still be far away from some of them.

We live in what used to rural CT from mid-spring to after Thanksgiving. Then we head to Tucson for the winter. I love both places, and I feel so lucky to be able to spend time in both.

We have a big old farmhouse in CT, and I expanded from a tiny sewing room into my DD's room when she moved out. Heaven! My embroidery machine lives in CT, so this is where I do my embroidery and quilting to finish my tops into quilts.

I have a good sized sewing room in Tucson, too. That's where I take a bunch of classes. Tucson, not my sewing room. Cathey's in Tucson brings in great teachers 2 or 3 times each winter (and the rest of the year, which I sadly miss). I make a lot of my quilt tops here.

I live in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire and Shipshewana Indiana in the heart of Amish country. I feel very blessed to live in two very different yet very beautiful areas in our country. In NH we live overlooking the largest lake, Lake Winnipesaukee, in the Northeast and enjoy beautiful views of mountains and sunsets over the water. In Indiana we live in a town of 500 residents, 50% of which are Amish. I love the breathtaking views of horse and buggies across the immaculate farming landscape and the warmth and love of the people. In Shipshewana we also have the largest flee market in the mid-west from May 1st to November 1st of every year. We also enjoy twice weekly auctions year round; antiques and collectables on Wednesdays and horse and farm animals every Friday.

hey Barbare live in San Antonio want to meet in New Braunfels sometime next month???
Love to meet other quilters on the board :thumbup:

Lived most of my 56 years in Minnesota. The winters are ok and I don't like when it's really hot but I love the season changes and don't think I would be happy with out them. If we ever moved it would be somewhere with the same climate.

Hi, I am new here. Reading through I see you are just over the mountain from me. You have one of the best quilt shops in Oregon. This is my daughters account, still trying to think of a name, so I can sign up.

Ok Dee...let me see if I can scare some of them off for you!! :lol:

I too, live in Central Oregon.
Likes: Most of the people are friendly. The camping is good. The quilt shops are cool. No sales tax, but we make up for it in other ways!
I do love that we're not far from the coast...I LOVE my ocean visits!!

Dislikes: It's expensive to live here. The same jar of spaghetti sauce that costs 3.95 here costs 1.98 just across the border in Idaho. Property taxes are outrageous, as are the costs of homes/property. (Not so much the homes/property right now that many have lost theirs to the banks, but the taxes are still outrageous)
Junipers suck! I fight allergies every year. I'm not impressed with mountains, have lived the majority of my life around mountains and pine trees. Seen one mountain, they're pretty much all the same...

Life is pretty much what you make it no matter where you live...I guess I just don't WANT to like it here. :lol: I loved it when we were trucking...got to see a lot of country, and if I had my druthers, I'd be in the south somewhere!

I didn't quote you before. Just over the mountain from you.

I live in Oakridge. It's perfect.

Born and raised in Arkansas and can't imagine living anywhere else (unless the air conditioning breaks), but I do like to visit other places!

There is not much to dislike about Montana. I live outside Bozeman. We get snow, but never snowed in. Beautiful summers just long and hot enough to miss winter. The most beautiful mountains I have ever seen are visable from everywhere. The people are great (must have all been quilters in a past life). And don't even get me started on the sky. Only problem I can think of is that my dear sister still lives in California.

born and raised in Jersey..(I cant count the 6 months I lived in ND.I was only 6 months old)(mom is from ND, dad was in the air force)
I guess I am just use to it here.
I couldn't imagine living someplace that I couldn't get to the beach within 45 min.(or even at all) (or the montains, but I would rather the beach)
insurance is high (that sucks)
house are expensive
Kinda hate the winters, snow, but I am sure if I didn't have it I would miss it.
I guess I live having the four seasons.
It can get very humid here.
about a 20 min train ride to NYC, not that I ever go)
But there could be some more fabric store around!

I grew up in the northern Indiana, southern Michigan area. Lived in Redondo Beach, CA for 4 years; also lived in Thomson, Ga for 3 years; have been in Tennessee for 2/3rd of my life. Love it here--just enough snow--marvelous springs--humidity is not too bad--fall is beautiful--I am so blessed. My only regret--most of my family lives away from here.

I like the area of the country where I live. I am a little over an hour from Washington D C where I grew up, married lived in subrub in MD now live in the mountains near Gettysburg PA. Love the change of seasons, no matter how cold the winter is or hot/humid the summer is, I know the season will change. Am always thankful when I hear of bad weather things happening in other parts of the country or world, that I can put up with whatever yucky weather I am having at the time.
Would like to be closer to major shopping but save money by not being closer LOL.

Another vote for Tennessee! I'm a Georgia girl by birth, but married a navy man. We lived all over from Seattle to south Texas to TN to FL. PLus Japan and England. I love TN. We started out in Memphis, but moved to east TN when DH retired. We have a home on top of a ridge with a gorgeous view from our screened porch. We are also fortunate to have a Motorhome amd can spend winters in FL and summers in VT. But the weather in TN is not that bad, so we could be happy staying here year round. The taxes are low and cost of living is low. The people are great, and I have 5 quilt shops within 30 miles. Life is good!
The only thing I can think of that I don't like is the pollen in the spring. But I just blow my nose more often and enjoy the dogwoods and azaleas and daffaodils and tulips! Nothing is free!

I grew up in Iowa and it is pretty humid in summer there by the Mississippi river. Huntsville,Alabama is also really humid but nice clean town. Arizona is very dry and humidity is approx. 8 percent, drying your skin, so you will have to use lotion to keep your skin from drawing up like a prune. They have a really long growing season if you want a garden and you have to always watch where you put your feet because of snakes, especially rattlesnakes. I lived in Medford, Oregon which I loved because the ocean was only 2 hours away but the prices of food, taxes and gasoline are high. I now live in Idaho where it is really cold for approx. 6 months of the year with lots of snowy gray days. Frost here as late as June 10th. If I had to choose between any of these states it would be Oregon to live. There will always be things you don't like about every place you move to, so just pick the least problems.
IdahoSandy

This sounds like the perfect life! The beauty of TN in spring and summer, the beauty of VT in summer and fall, and dogwood trees, azaleas...ahhh, yes. :thumbup:

And low taxes and low cost of living??! Dang. We're going to have to sell the farm and move :mrgreen:
Melody

I lived in Sacramento CA for most of my life. The longer I lived there, the more I hated it. Too much traffic, crime and noise and neighbors right in your face. After retired, moved to the desert town of Stagecoach, NV and it is wonderful. Very, very small, no noise or traffic, and it is not that far from grocery store, then 30- minutes to get to Carson City NV where we do most of our shopping at least once a week. Love it here, although if something should happen to my spouse, would move closer to my family in CA. although it would be to a smaller community. Love the peace and quiet the desert gives us.

I lived in Sacramento CA for most of my life. The longer I lived there, the more I hated it. Too much traffic, crime and noise and neighbors right in your face. After retired, moved to the desert town of Stagecoach, NV and it is wonderful. Very, very small, no noise or traffic, and it is not that far from grocery store, then 30- minutes to get to Carson City NV where we do most of our shopping at least once a week. Love it here, although if something should happen to my spouse, would move closer to my family in CA. although it would be to a smaller community. Love the peace and quiet the desert gives us.

Oops - sorry for the double post.

Rural Pennsylvanian here I like that we have four seasonsas I can't imagine Christmas w/o snow. The thing I dislike the most is the lack of activities. As a SAHM it is difficult to network my pre-baby friends work full time and the groups that I have tried don't appreciate the kids no matter how well behaved.

Born in North CArolina,lived in fla,ohio, tenn.calif,az,washington state.I love az,I miss tennessee terrible(except ex lives there).And if it wasnt for the earthquakes and santa ana winds california would be alright.
SO Arizona is where I'll stay

Born and raised in Sioux Lookout, ON Canada. Love that it is a small community where my door is never locked, neighbours are great friends and get to see my neice and nephews daily. Mom lives here too and she was a god send when my babies were little!!! I love my health care here too!!!! We live on the lake so summer is the best!! Lots of swimming, boating, fishing, bon fires ect!!

Dislike the long, cold winters!!! Dislike the price of gas $1.42 per litre!! Dislike the 15% tax on everything!! Land taxes are out of this world!! Last but not least MOSQUITOS in the summer!!!!!

Everything but the rain.