Why I love it here in Edmonton. (pop. 750,000 roughly)
Clean Air.
Not too crowded, not too isolated.
Prairies to the East and mountains to the West.
Great Parks. Great sports teams.
Lots of wild critters roaming about.
Clean rivers and lakes.
Little crime.
Friendly people.
Weather is always changing.
Four definite seasons.
The northern lights.
Eighteen hours of daylight in the summer
What I hate…
It’s a bit chilly at -30C in January.
Eighteen hours of darkness in the winter.
Another Atlantan checking in. Mully got a lot of things right about it, but there are other points both good and bad. The weather is pretty good most of the year, though I wouldn’t necessarily mind a little more winter. Atlanta’s trees and shrubs (the sheer quantity of them, the gorgeous displays of spring and fall colors and the lush verdancy of summer) are one of my favorite things, but I do wish they’d keep their sex lives to themselves – the entire area is covered in a layer of yellowish-green pine pollen scum for most of March and part of April, and the less visible pollens play hell with the nasal passages of many of us. And all of those trees have a nasty habit of coming down on cars, houses, and particularly power lines in the frequent thunderstorms or on the rare occasions when there’s ice and snow. The mild winters also mean a lot of insects in the warmer months.
Atlanta’s location and the ease with which you can travel from here are definite points in its favor – you’re within a few hours driving time of much of the most scenic country in the eastern U.S.; Charleston, Savannah, Charlotte, Asheville, Knoxville, Chattanooga, Nashville, Birmingham, Montgomery are all within a half-day’s drive; anything east of Dallas, south of Chicago or Boston and north of Miami is only a couple of hours away by air, and you rarely have to change planes, except for smaller destinations outside the Southeast. The main complaint I hear from others about Atlanta’s location is that it’s too far to the nearest beach (at least 4-5 hours drive) – doesn’t bother me any, but I grew up in Arkansas and never saw an ocean until I was 21, unless you count a day on the Gulf of Mexico when I was 7.
As much as the baseball purist in me wants to dislike Turner Field (with its theme park atmosphere and the corporate season tickets that go unused so much of the time), the husband and dad in me likes that it’s easy to get around in (once you’re inside) and that there are lots of things to occupy the attention of wives and kids who can get their fill of the game itself pretty quickly. I also have to admit that there really doesn’t seem to be a bad seat in the park (admittedly, I haven’t actually been in the upper deck seats in the far reaches of the outfield, but I have been in the very last row of the upper deck just inside third base and found the view surprisingly good). And all of the things that I don’t like about it help put a quality team on the field year after year, so I can’t complain.
Since the demise of Oxford Books several years ago, Atlanta hasn’t had an independent bookstore of any real size and consequence (Tall Tales in Toco Hills tries gamely, but it’s tiny, and otherwise there’s only Borders and Barnes & Noble – though at least there are plenty of those). As convenient as it is to be able to buy nearly anything, new or used, online, I really love wanding the aisles of a good-sized bookstore with an idiosyncratic purchasing policy – I can tell you beforehand what I’m going to find on the shelves of my favorite sections of the chains, and I miss the serendipitous discoveries I used to make at Oxford.
On a strictly personal level, I like that Atlanta has enough Southerners left that I feel at home, though I don’t think I’d want them to make up a much larger percentage of the whole. I like that there’s a reasonably large and growing Jewish population to provide religious, educational, and cultural resources for my kids. I like that it’s been economically successful enough to provide good opportunities and interesting jobs for me for the last decade and more. I like that my wife’s parents are three hours away – close enough to visit or be visited without planning a major trip, but not so close that we just drop in on each other. I could wish that my family were closer, but I’m the one that moved to Atlanta while they all stayed in Arkansas.
And like Mully, I hate the traffic. I live (near the northern I-85/I-285 interchange – Spaghetti Junction)thirteen miles from the office (Piedmont Center in Buckhead) and many days it takes me 45 minutes or more to get to or from work. I avoided traffic for years by living in town (Virginia-Highland, Ponce de Leon) and working in the suburbs (going against the flow) or by living close to the office (three miles from my current home to my last job). The only good thing about my current commute is that I’ve listened to books on tape in the car that I’d never have gotten around to reading otherwise – like half (so far) of Patrick O’Brian’s Aubrey/Maturin novels.
I live in the suburbs of Chicago right now, and I’ve lived in and around the city my whole life (other than the year I spent in Iowa in college, but there’s no need to discuss that). I agree with a lot of Missy’s reasons for liking Chicago except for the seasons. I’ve been hearing that crap forever, and I just don’t get it. Sure, it’s great in the Spring and Fall, and the parts of the summer when your eyeballs aren’t melting out of your skull, but the winters? No no no no. How can anyone like Chicago winters? They’re cold, they’re miserable, they’re windy, people drive like morons, and it snows like a bastard. How is this good?
I live in Tampa, Florida. It pretty much bites the big one. It is ugly, boring (unless you like to drink a lot), and I am beginning to despise the weather.
A friend and I have this fantasy of packing up and moving to Atlanta, but neither of us are in a financial position to make such a move right now.
I hate where I live. It used to be farm lands, now there’s a couple new houses or sub division on every farm field in the area. I live close to John Muir’s boyhood home, and he would hate it. New houses are going up all around his old haunts.
Why I dig Rochester, MN:
I prefer the city, to a point. Rochester is big enough where there are actually things to do, culturally and otherwise, and lots of people I don’t know and who don’t know me, but not so big that it’s easy to get lost. I came from a town with a population of 900 and there were 36 people in my graduating class. Rochester is a nice change of pace.
I have a 5 minute walk to work. Back when I lived in my hometown, I always had at least a half-hour commute. Sure, I pay quite a bit in rent, but I also save a lot on gas, especially since I don’t drive more than 3 times a week, and even then, it’s usually just to the store or the bar.
I live less than 2 hours away from the Twin Cities, which means it’s not such a big deal to go to a play or concert or whatever.
I live in a safe neightborhood. I have no qualms about going for a walk at night. Plus, I havn’t lost the hood ornament off my Caddy yet, so that’s a good sign.
What I don’t dig about Rochester, MN:
It’s waaaaay too conservative.
The acts we get at the Civic Center usually suck. (Bill Cosby? Bleargh.)
It’s waaaaaay too conservative.
There are no decent radio stations. KROC especially sucks. (for personal reasons, but I won’t get into that here. Heh.)
I need a place within convenient walking distance of my workplace to buy smokes, damn it. I mean, sure, I can go to the drug store and spend 4.50 a pack, but damn.
Living smack dab in between two hospitals makes for many, many ambulances flying by with sirens blaring at all times of the night. I’m used to it now, but at first…
My boss is a little Hitler, which really has nothing to do with Rochester. I just like to bitch.
It’s waaaaay too conservative. I need a little more excitement.
My answer is pretty much the same as Smug’s altho I really do hate the early morning traffic. I live in the north end and work in the south end so thats something I’m working on. Overall, Edmonton is a really great place to live.
We are known as festival city. From May to November, there are constant festivals going on, so there is always something to do or see. Anyone coming to visit should really do it in July and August. Those are the best times around here, and Smug has lots of room at his place 
I love living in Vancouver. It has managed to become fairly large while still maintaining lots of green space. It is clean and safe. For its size, the number of high quality restaurants is incredible. I love that I can find authentic Indian, Thai, Chinese, Japanese, Italian, English, French and Pacific cuisine without walking more than 5 minutes when I’m downtown. I can go mountain biking or hiking in the morning, and skiing in the afternoon. I love that I can live in Canada and never have to shovel my driveway! I love that the local hero is a pot-smoking snowboarder who nearly lost his Olympic gold medal (I don’t like pot, but it really captures the attitude of the city). I love that the University of BC has a nude beach.
What I don’t like: the BC government is being run by a batch of lying crooks. I hate high taxes, and rain in the summer. I hate the Grizzlies. The Canucks blow goats.
As an aside, I once saw an email list that gave the best reason to live in Vancouver as “When you get pulled over for speeding, you can just offer the cop some of your hash.”
I live in Huntsville Alabama.
Is large enough a city that there is always something to do.
Is smal enough that people are friendly and not running at break neck speeds everywhere.
The weather is warm and winters are not to cold.
The cost of living is reasonable.
With Boeing, McDonald Douglas,NASA, Redstone Arsenal, and related buisnesses. We have imported many Yankees and pushed the ignoreant and imbreed out beyond the city limits.
I would live no where else except Huntsville. Well, maybe Uglich Russia, but no where else!
Hmmmmm, to each their own.
I live in Colorado Springs, and I agree it’s not a mecca of culture. Part of the reason is the transient military population and the conservative nature of the city.
2 hours to a ski resort, if you know the way. Biking and hiking are all over the city. There are paths that run from Monument down through the Springs.
There’s Rampart Range Road, great outdoor getaways for a day. Cripple Creek offers limited stakes gambling among other things, only 45 minutes from downtown.
As for night life, it is more happening than it was a few years ago. Depending on your likes there are a ton of bars, live music, Broadway plays, hockey (semi-pro and college) concerts, a great zoo, etc.
Also, I have lived in Denver, you probably were on the interstate during rush hours. From one that lived there, I also new the right routes to take to get from A to B without pulling my hair out.
Denver offers it all, and only 60 minutes from C Springs. Professional sports, high profile concerts in indoor and outdoor venues, excellent night life, again Broadway plays and other diverse arts, the museums, Six Flags Elitches…I could go on.
Oh even though I am not a big fan of C Springs, I have lived here 27 of my almost 32 years gets tiring, only living here for 6 months is hardly a gauge for what our area offers.
So how’s that for reasons why I love living on the Front Range of Colorado.
I wondered if I would take a hit on this.
I know all about those bikepaths. I lived in Colorado Springs the first part of last year and all the bikepaths around the river all got washed away after a torrential rain. I biked them before the rain, but there wasn’t much left of them after the rain with 600 yard washouts the length of the creek. The ones that go north to Monument get really lousy after Goose Gossage park and vibrate the living daylights out of you so I only did them once.
I live in the San Francisco Bay Area. I’ve lived here for 20 of my 21 years, so I feel like I kinda know the place.
Why it’s good (IMO):
Why it’s bad (also IMO):
I plan on moving in about a year (to wherever I end up going to grad school). I do like it here, but I want to be able to afford living costs, and I’d like to experience another place.
Another reason to hate Tampa: It seems like every criminal on America’s Most Wanted turns up here.
I live in Central Pennsylvania.
I like it because:
It’s very pretty.
The people are friendly.
It’s cheaper to live here.
No traffic.
My kids get to see their dad.
Why I hate it:
There’s not much to do. State College can be fun, it’s a college town, but not a major city by any means.
None of my family is here, besides my kids.
No beach, a pretty lake about 40 miles away, but it’s not the same.
I grew up and lived in Central New Jersey all my life, that will always be home, I like it alot, but can do without the traffic.
You’ll live forever! Serously. No earthquakes, tornadoes are rare, no blizzards, no volcanos, and no hurricans. If you can avoid the drunk drivers you’ll live forever
Another Atlantan, see Mully’s, spoke and rackensack’s posts for a comprehensive of Atlanta tourism.
** However, ** they didn’t tell you about Stone Mountain, which is the THIRD largest stone carving in the United States, cool, huh? I live about two miles from it, and on my * back deck * I can listen to the music and watch the fireworks that start in May on the weekend evenings, and then every night once school is out. It is a * beautiful park * with lots of climbing, and sight seeing to do. I have a free parking sticker on my car, ya’ll come on down, hear??
I live in Saskatoon Saskatchewan and love it.
I can’t really think of anything I don’t like about it other than there aren’t enough cool animals in the zoo.
But all the same, this is my home, and apparently that’s where my heart is.
California here I am.
I was born and raised in the SF Bay Area, relocated to northern California. I hated the city, nothing but concrete whereever you look. And the traffic and constant noise, cars, and car stereos…blecch!!! Here the rents are affordable for a single Mom, its quiet and I can see both Mount Shasta and Mount Lassen from my yard. I find it restfull and healing. Wouldn’t go back to the city fo anything.
Kansas City
Good things: Relatively clean city, Low cost of living.
Bad things: Lttle town feel with a big city crime rate. Seriously bad murder rate here. Much too conservative. Nothing of a night life. No modern rock stations at all. No bodies of water except a horrible river which no one goes near. Muggy as all hell (and no water, go figure). Essentially no scenery to speak of. Some of the country’s worst drivers.
But I got a good job. At least for now…
Out of many hometowns…
I love Columbia and Albert Lea best.
Columbia, MO: I live on one of the most beautiful college campuses (campii?) I have ever seen. The Columns were recently vandalized 
but are now back in fine shape, just in time for Sunday’s graduation ceremonies. I can walk anywhere I need to go except WalMart, and that’s only because I usually buy lotsa stuff that is somewhat hefty. It’s a nice small town, and it’s very relaxing. Plus, lotsa nifty little coffee shops and bookstores 
Albert Lea, MN: I almost wish I lived and attended school in this place. (The snow, wind, and mosquitoes make me appreciate Columbia, though.) We have beautiful lakes, a quaint downtown, and we live 15 minutes from the Spam factory. (Long story.) My family has a pond at their house, and I love to go out paddleboating on it. And dammit, I love the Minnesota accent. I’m proud to say I love hotdish and hate lutefisk. Downsides: too much corn and too many soybeans.