If you had to move to one of these locations (poll)

[amandae]

Where would it be? Mr. amandae and I are thinking of moving next year (I'm applying to schools in these areas for next fall). There are reasons behind each location, none of them has been picked randomly. Where would you move? and why?


(P.S. - there is no "Other" because I couldn't find a school in that location)

[Placebo]

1. penis

vagina

[amandae]

3. *Scratching forehead*

I can't find that location on a map ... :shrug:

:P

[Placebo]

4. hehe

go to syracuse, it has a nice ring to it

[rkc3]

17. And it's got Dinosaur - one of the best bars you'll find anywhere.

[donheld]

14. Mouth

:evilgrin:

[kick-ass-bob]

2. Chapel Hill.

Because it is in NC. And is one of the most progressive places in NC.

Can't miss. Plus, the weather is great!

[amandae]

6. This one is definately towards the top of the pile

It's one Mr. amandae is pushing for.

:hi:

[Rowdyboy]

12. Everyone I've ever known from that part of NC has been great....

Educated, laid back, liberal, with a taste of the best of the south to boot. Its a major intellectual and cultural center, relatively close to mountains and the shore, urban and rural settings. You won't regret it (plus its growing into a battleground state).

[amandae]

40. Definately some more positives

about moving there! Thank you!!

:hi:

[commander bunnypants]

5. NC

nice place but Virginny is nice too. Lots of good schools

DDQM

[amandae]

9. I like Virginia, too

but these places were chosen for a pretty strong reason (support network). We don't know anyone in Virginia.

:hi:

[commander bunnypants]

16. there are a few duer's you would know.

in richmond

DDQM

[amandae]

20. Do you know if most DUers are on the East coast

or the West coast? Or are DUers pretty much spread out? I think I've only seen a DU bumper sticker once here in Kansas.

Just curious! :hi:

[commander bunnypants]

30. spread all over the world actually

DDQM

[amandae]

34. Whooops!

I didn't mean to leave out DUers in other countries!

I was just curious to know whether there were concentrations anywhere ... regionally. I guess it would be hard to tell though. I'm somewhat of a closet DUer. Although I don't hide my feelings politically, I don't have a DU bumper sticker on my car or anything. I live in a mini-freeperville and need my car too much to have it trashed. Could be lots more in this area like me.

:hi:

[bif]

7. Pittsburgh

Because it's the only city on your list I've been to. It's a very cool town.

[amandae]

10. LOL

Of the places on my list I've only been to Syracuse, the locations in Pennsylvania and just outside Lawrence, KS. I've never been to NC or WA :P

:hi:

[OKNancy]

8. I picked Chapel Hill as well

My daughter moved there from Tulsa and she loves it. However, Lawrence Kansas is really nice too. My sister taught there and the town is progressive, and very pretty. The people there are friendly and it has a slower pace of life and it's a lot cheaper to live there than Seattle.

[amandae]

13. Cost is definately a big factor

Seattle is pretty expensive. And as I said, I'm probably going to still be a student. It is beautiful there from what I've heard, but it would be a challenge to afford it (outside student family housing).

:hi:

[RaleighNCDUer]

38. But COLD in the winter! (eom)

[kick-ass-bob]

43. Not compared to the other places listed!

Except maybe Seattle.

[RaleighNCDUer]

57. Yeah, Syracuse can be cold. PA can be cold. But there's no cold quite

a winter wind cutting across the great plains, where there's nothing between you and arctic but a couple barb wire fences.

But I do love those wide open spaces. NC makes me feel claustrophobic.

[flamingyouth]

11. Come to Seattle

We'll take good care of you. :D

[amandae]

15. What a warm welcome!

I hear it's gorgeous up there, too! Especially on the few sunny days :P

:hi:

[qnr]

18. Seattle

• Great scenery
  
• Cultural thingiemabobbies
  
• Easy access to Microsoft-bashing activities
  
• Close to the ocean
  
• I can make my "Seattle streets look like some giant dropped a handful of pickup sticks" comments.
  
• I can wear my "People in Washington don't tan, they rust" & "Seattle City Ordinance CB 289765 - Joggers must wear Personal Floatation Devices" tee-shirts again.
  

[amandae]

22. LMAO at those T-Shirts

I've never heard those :P

Good reasons ... I would love to be around how liberal Seattle is. And the loved ones I have up there :)

:hi:

[donheld]

19. I need to visit each first except for Kansas <forget it>

Then go to Maui

[amandae]

21. That would be an awesome place to go to school ...

but I'd never get any work done! I'd be on the beach too much :P

:hi:

[liontamer]

23. seattle

interesting experience, liberal, and sort of mellow.

unless you're a city person, then philly because it's close to NY!

[amandae]

25. Hubby is a city person, hands down

I'm definately more into what I know of the climate (cultural) of Seattle. The only MAJOR hang-up (especially for hubby) is how far it is from hubby's family who is on the East coast.

:hi:

[kick-ass-bob]

24. Pics of Chapel Hill at this site

http://www.consultwebs.com/ncphotos/chapel_hill.htm

[amandae]

27. Thanks for the pics!

I'm really into the small town type of community ... and buildings that look historic (and are historic!). It's been a while since I've been back East, but it's one thing that I do miss :)

Chapel Hill looks really nice ... the campus pics look great too!

:hi:

[Mizmoon]

26. Kansas, man

Buy a Kansas mansion for the price of a coastal city hovel.

Heck, if I sold my coastal city house now, I could buy a Kansas house outright, not work, drink beer all day, and die.

Maybe I should stay here.

[amandae]

28. I hear that!

Hubby wants to live in Southern California to settle down in a few years (we used to live there years ago). I can't justify the price of everything there. Even if I had the money, I just couldn't spend 300,000+ for a house that would go for 70,000+ in KS or other parts of the country. I know you're getting the weather, beaches, location, etc. But I just couldn't do it.

:hi:

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

49. KU grad here, wish I was still in Lawrence

nice town, great school, only 1/2 hour from whatever you want in KC

[hobbit709]

29. the Problem with Seattle

Not only is it expensive and has high unemployment, I don't want to live in places where the ground moves or the mountains smoke. Outside of that, it's a great place to visit.

[amandae]

32. Good points

I wasn't aware of the high unemployment, but I guess it makes sense due to Seattle's high computer industry and the numbers of unemployment nationwide in that sector.

:hi:

[qwlauren35]

31. I'm in Greensboro, NC.

Chapel Hill is INCREDIBLY progressive. Probably the most progressive area in the state. The Hare Krishnas have a commune nearby. There are SEVEN active UU church groups in the area (Chapel Hill-Raleigh-Durham). The University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill is an EXCELLENT liberal arts college, and Duke University is down the street along with NC State, also a good school.

PLUS! Nice SOUTHERN weather. A 4-1/2 hr drive to DC. A few hours from the coast and beaches. About 3-4 hours from the mountains... and just enough inland not to be clobbered by the hurricanes!

My sister has lived in Durham and considers moving back. My aunt and uncle also lived there and belonged to the Ethics Society. My cousin lived on the commune. I have sci-fi friends in Durham & Cary.

Needless to say, Chapel Hill has my vote.

[amandae]

36. Thank you for all of that information!

One thing that I do miss about the East coast is how close of a drive you are to other major cities. In the West it can take all day to go visit someone in the next major state or city. It's nice that it's only 4 1/2 hours to D.C.

Living there we would probably get to show our children a lot of the East coast before moving on again.

It's also nice to know that the area is very progressive. Being NC, that was a concern of mine. UNC is the school that I'm applying to (for law). We'll see how that goes though, since they only accept 25% of their class from out of state; the rest have to be from NC!

:hi:

[On the Road]

33. I Would Choose Philly

because I like the northeast. But you could make a nice life in any of those places.

[amandae]

37. Thank you!

I like the northeast too ... I grew up in NY. Haven't been back there for too many years!

:hi:

[Phillycat]

35. I love Philadelphia.

By the way, nobody from Philadelphia actually calls it "Philly". Just so you can blend in with the natives. :)

I love the change of seasons here (although the winters do get cold, so if you hate that, that's a consideration), the city is absolutely gorgeous.

The cost of living is almost insanely cheap for living in a city. 2 bedroom apartments are $800 a month or so, and you can rent a 3-bedroom house in the Art Museum area for about $900.

The culture scene is great. There are a plethora of museums and fun things to do (there was a thread about 2 weeks ago where someone--Chexovani?--was visiting Philadelphia and she was given a lot of good suggestions for things to do and see. You might want to check that out.) Great music scene.

I love the people here. I find them real, down-to-earth, and kind. But I am an East Coast person and so I'm biased. Lots of people find us rude. I don't understand that, but I've never been to the Midwest, where apparently people are polite. :shrug:

Very, very, very liberal.

[amandae]

39. Thank you for all of that info!

Especially about the cost of rentals! We're a family moving so it's definately a serious consideration. It's nice to know that the cultural scene is a good one too.

About East coast people being rude ... as I said in another post, I was born and raised in NY and I always thought the people were friendly to eachother (I grew up in a city in upstate NY). I don't agree that East coast people are rude, but live in the Midwest right now and, at least in our area, I meet incredibly rude people everyday. A LOT of snobby people in the area. I can't stand it!! But our area has a reputation for this behavior within the KC area also, so at least I know that it's not just my imagination.

:hi:

[Phillycat]

41. Try this.

Here's a link to the City Paper's rentals:

http://citypaper.net/articles/current/index.shtml

Although I find better rental listings in the paper form of the City Paper for some reason.

You might be able to get some more info there. Plus, there's all the nightlife listings and stuff, so you can see the sort of things that are generally going on. :)

Good luck choosing. If you choose Philadelphia, PM me with any questions and I'll try to answer.

[amandae]

47. Thank you for the link!

It definately helps the decision making process to have that type of info, as well as advice from an insider :hi:

[Phillycat]

48. Here's some great photos, just to sway you a little more. :)

Shots of my lovely state and city from johnkerry.com:


This is Edwards at a rally in Erie, PA.


John Kerry at a rally in West Philadelphia, with th skyline in the background. Beautiful, ain't it?


On the steps of the Art Museum with a huge crowd and the city in the background. If you look in the direction that Kerry's left shoulder is pointing, you get a straight shot down Ben Franklin Boulevard to City Hall, with the William Penn statue on top. Gorgeous!

[dr.strangelove]

42. PACIFIC NORTHWEST BABY

The best place in the world. Great wine and beer, good looking young people to oogle and great music. Plus the property is still cheap enough to afford outside the northern suburbs and did I mention the BEER.

[amandae]

46. LOL ... so, what do you think about the beer?

:hi:

[dr.strangelove]

51. Oh, did I forget to mention the beer

ITS GREAT!!
Really, seattle is a great town. Lived there for 2 years and would go back if my wife would let me.

[kick-ass-bob]

44. More on Chapel Hill:

Plus you get this guy!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=105x1822901

:eyes:

[amandae]

45. OK, well that one I could live without!

How creepy!

:hi:

[dancing kali]

50. None of the above...

well maybe Seattle - but it has serious negative emotional connections for me - it is a nice city and I love the Pacific Northwest. I can definitely say NOT Pittsburgh - born and raised there and I left as soon as I could... that being said, the universities are good depending on your area of interest.

[LDS Jock]

52. Chapel Hill.. perfect college town

and the University of North Carolina is a wonderful school. Liberal oasis in a state turning more and more into a battleground. Part of the Raleigh Durham area which is its own plus. Relatively mild weather while having all four seasons. If given the choice, I'd go there in a heartbeat.

[Tangledog]

53. Philadelphia is fascinating

I used to go there a lot. It's fairly unique in not having much of a skyline; a few skyscrapers went up a little too close to Independence Hall, but they put a stop to that quickly enough. You can go from "grimy crapped-out industrial city" to "America's largest small town" to "national historic preservation site with Philadelphians walking around" in 10 minutes, so I can all but guarantee you can walk around and never run out of things to look at.

I haven't been to Syracuse in years, but it seemed OK. If it matters to you, their symphony orchestra is considered one of the better regional orchestras in the country. I don't know what it would be like to live there. Cold as all get-out (more so than Philadelphia), but I'll take "cold" over "same weather every damn day", no contest!

Don't know the other places. I was in Pittsburgh, but so long ago it doesn't even count.

[amazona]

54. well I'd pick chapel hill, since you asked

None of the other locations are even remotely convenient for me.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

55. Pittsburgh

They have great museums, and a community that's highly supportive of the arts. You don't have to drive far to be in the middle of some of the most beautiful countryside on the planet. You'll find four seasons, complete with snow. It's an ethnically diverse city. And you can find good beer there. :D

[DS1]

56. WA is the only state on that list I'd want to live in

MA is where I'm at, I see the MAWA connection, and I ain't talkin bout Jersey *groan*