# What things do you envy in places other than where you live? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 17, 2009, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-things-do-you-envy-in-places-other-than-where-you-live/500060 "2009-06-17T13:15:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-things-do-you-envy-in-places-other-than-where-you-live/500060/21 "2009-06-17T18:17:17Z")
Snow. We get a dusting on our mountains, but I would kill for this “Lake Effect” snow I hear so much about. Active volcanoes. Bluebell woods. ---
**Author:** ![shiftless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9c0ed/32.png) [@shiftless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shiftless)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-things-do-you-envy-in-places-other-than-where-you-live/500060/22 "2009-06-17T19:18:46Z")
> [@Gordon\_Urquhart](#): > > Humidity. > > In the wintertime, particularly, the dryness of the air in Colorado can get really annoying. Beyond the extremely dry skin , there’s static electricity to deal with everytime you touch something. > > I’ve lived almost my entire 40 years in Colorado, but having lived in Houston for a year and a half, I know I don’t want too much humidity – just something barely into the double digits would be nice. There’s also the smell of moist air that I really enjoy when visiting places with humidity (although the thin air of Colorado does have its plusses, as mentioned upthread). > > Other than that, I’m pleased to live in Colorado. Mountains are cool. Be careful what you wish for. My son just moved to Colorado and has gushed more than once about how nice the lack of mugginess is. I am jealous. I envy places that have low humidity and no mosquitos. ---
**Author:** ![Gordon\_Urquhart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/db5fbb/32.png) [@Gordon\_Urquhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gordon_Urquhart)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-things-do-you-envy-in-places-other-than-where-you-live/500060/23 "2009-06-17T20:21:36Z")
> [@shiftless](#): > > Be careful what you wish for. My son just moved to Colorado and has gushed more than once about how nice the lack of mugginess is. I am jealous. > > I envy places that have low humidity and no mosquitos. Oh, it’s great in the spring, summer, and fall. It really is a dry heat (and one summer in Houston made me appreciate Colorado’s climate all the more). But that dry heat converts to a dry cold in the wintertime, when the days’ highest humidity levels can honestly be in the mid-teens. There’s no place (at least that I’ve been) that I’d rather live, but one gets used to slathering on lotion and continously filling up humidifiers. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-things-do-you-envy-in-places-other-than-where-you-live/500060/24 "2009-06-17T20:56:18Z")
The only things I miss about California are mountains and good Mexican food. And my mom and dad, of course. ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-things-do-you-envy-in-places-other-than-where-you-live/500060/25 "2009-06-17T21:15:08Z")
I wish we had more running water in Colorado. Right now, due to snowmelt and 10 consecutive days with rain, the rivers and creeks are full and running strong, and everything is lush and green. Later this month they will begin to lower and slow down and by September they’ll be a trickle. I like it the way it is now. My niece lives in Virginia and is a rower (All-Met) in High School. She asked me who the good crew teams were in Colorado and I had to explain that there weren’t any. The big, wide, deep rivers that you see in other parts of the country just don’t exist here. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-things-do-you-envy-in-places-other-than-where-you-live/500060/26 "2009-06-17T21:54:38Z")
I live in Southern New Jersey (USA) and was born and raised in Philadelphia, PA (USA). Wherever I travel, I envy all the hospitality and all the nice people. ---
**Author:** ![Proudest\_Monkey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/proudest_monkey/32/13257_2.png) [@Proudest\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Proudest_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-things-do-you-envy-in-places-other-than-where-you-live/500060/27 "2009-06-17T22:37:07Z")
I miss the sheer number and variety of restaurants larger cities offer. There are some gems here in my small burg, but not enough to keep dining-out boredom at bay. I’d kill for a quality deli in town. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-things-do-you-envy-in-places-other-than-where-you-live/500060/28 "2009-06-17T23:10:27Z")
I’d like to live someplace where I could eat fish that was swimming a few hours ago. I don’t mean sushi. I just mean, when they say fresh fish, they mean fresh. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-things-do-you-envy-in-places-other-than-where-you-live/500060/29 "2009-06-17T23:26:19Z")
I live an hour away from the Adirondacks, the deep, dark piney woods and ‘mountains’ you can climb without much effort, and they’re great. But I would LOVE to live near the ocean. Florida, Myrtle Beach, Venice Beach in California, CAPE COD. I would love to walk on hot white sand and see big green crashing waves, picking up shells, smelling the salt air. I would live in a one-room efficiency and work as a cleaning lady if I could live near the ocean. I’ll trade humidity and lake effect snow for that dry Colorado air, please! ---
**Author:** ![Snnipe\_70E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@Snnipe\_70E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snnipe_70E)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-things-do-you-envy-in-places-other-than-where-you-live/500060/30 "2009-06-18T00:03:26Z")
I wish we had white Christmases ---
**Author:** ![Linty\_Fresh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Linty\_Fresh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Linty_Fresh)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-things-do-you-envy-in-places-other-than-where-you-live/500060/31 "2009-06-18T02:07:37Z")
> [@Furious\_Marmot](#): > > Forests > Mountains > Humidity > The ocean > Scenery > Beer and wine at the grocery store > Big music acts on Friday and Saturday nights > Museums > Pork barbeque > Seafood > Long history, like 1000’s of years worth, hundreds would be OK too Dude, \*where \*do you live? Flatland? For me, it’s the Pacific Ocean, hands down. When I lived in California, I loved watching the dolphins and the otters. I’d hit the beach every chance I got with a book, but I don’t think I ever read more than a few pages in any three hour interval. I don’t mind living by the Atlantic, but give me the Pacific Ocean any day. ---
**Author:** ![Pyper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Pyper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pyper)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-things-do-you-envy-in-places-other-than-where-you-live/500060/32 "2009-06-18T05:00:33Z")
I miss siesta. ☹ When I lived in Spain, it was pretty darn frustrating not to be able to buy a gallon of milk or a bottle of aspirin every day between 2 and 5 because all the stores were closed, but boy did I enjoy those daily naps. Even if I wasn’t tired enough for a nap, laying down with the cat and a book for an hour was a nice time to recharge. I don’t think my body has ever adjusted to lack of siesta. I get sleepy every day after lunch, and I take a mini-nap in my car. On weekends, I take a real siesta. ---
**Author:** ![Novalyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/22d042/32.png) [@Novalyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novalyne)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-things-do-you-envy-in-places-other-than-where-you-live/500060/33 "2009-06-18T05:18:43Z")
High-speed mass transit. I would give ANYTHING to not have to drive because I could just jump on the train. Here in D/FW everything is so spread out you have to have a car unless you live in Dallas or Fort Worth proper where there is bus service. I don’t even have a grocery store within walking distance. :mad: Oceans. I have always loved the water and the sun. I scuba dive and it’s just not as much fun to dive in the murky green Texas lakes, although they’ll do in a pinch. ---
**Author:** ![A\_Spoonful\_of\_Awesome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@A\_Spoonful\_of\_Awesome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A_Spoonful_of_Awesome)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-things-do-you-envy-in-places-other-than-where-you-live/500060/34 "2009-06-18T06:00:36Z")
The ocean. I don’t really live anywhere at the moment (I’m sort of a perma-traveller right now) but I grew up in CO and am back in Denver for a month. I adore the mountains, but a nice ocean right over… meah… would be fantasmical. I remember sitting on the beach late at night completely hypnotized by the waves. Any fellow Coloradans wanna help make an island out of everything west of the Utah border? I’ll get the shovels. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-things-do-you-envy-in-places-other-than-where-you-live/500060/35 "2009-06-18T06:43:06Z")
I wish Australia had the same social and political climate, and standard of living, but had New Zealand’s landscape. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 9:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-things-do-you-envy-in-places-other-than-where-you-live/500060/36 "2009-06-18T09:42:32Z")
Mountains, maybe. I’m happy with the rest. ---
**Author:** ![Teacake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Teacake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teacake)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-things-do-you-envy-in-places-other-than-where-you-live/500060/37 "2009-06-18T10:20:53Z")
London clearly has a lot going for it; we have all the history and crap, and fantastic religious and ethnic diversity, restaurants, theatres, museums, art galleries, you can buy just about anything here… but I do miss some things. Sea warm enough to swim in. Mountains. Neighbours you can really get to know and talk to. Lower cost of living. Being able to get to where you’re going at weekends (the centre of London is often taken up (read closed off) by events like the marathon, the Lord Mayor’s fuckshow, parades, protests, slow bike rides… people come up to London for events and think it’s great that the city shuts down for them, but just for a few weekends a year I’d love it if they shut the place down to anyone from outside London and just let the people who pay a fortune to live here enjoy it for a change). Big skies. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-things-do-you-envy-in-places-other-than-where-you-live/500060/38 "2009-06-18T11:15:22Z")
clean air. Mountains. Sheesh, I have to drive three hours to reach foothills and there are no really big mountains until you hit tibet. Now there are some big ass mountains worthy of the name. ---
**Author:** ![Furious\_Marmot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dfb087/32.png) [@Furious\_Marmot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Furious_Marmot)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-things-do-you-envy-in-places-other-than-where-you-live/500060/39 "2009-06-18T12:10:18Z")
> [@Linty\_Fresh](#): > > Dude, \*where \*do you live? Flatland? Yes. There are great swathes of land in the middle of the continent without a whole lot of topographical relief. ---
**Author:** ![Kingspades](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecae2f/32.png) [@Kingspades](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kingspades)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-things-do-you-envy-in-places-other-than-where-you-live/500060/40 "2009-06-18T15:04:36Z")
I live in the northern suburbs of Atlanta and have recently started riding my bicycle to work. I’ve heard time and again that Portland, Oregon is a cyclist’s paradise, with practically the entire city connected by dedicated trails and lanes. Here I’m either dodging traffic or riding on the sidewalk. And seriously, few other cities need alternative transportation infrastructure as badly as Atlanta. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-things-do-you-envy-in-places-other-than-where-you-live/500060.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-things-do-you-envy-in-places-other-than-where-you-live/500060.md?page=3)