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With so many people on the move, a lot of us are now living in "other" places. My hometown in Southern California was bucolic while growing like a weed. I remember when a new area opened up in 1968 and the gorgeous new homes near the new golf course were $50,000 - the horror! None of us could believe it. My parent bought a house in 1963 for $22K. It's now assessed at $800K (yeah, everywhere's overinflated but anyway).
If money were not an issue, would you ever move back? There are lots of variables, of course. I recently spent time in my hometown. It went through a slump in the 90's and early 2000's but it's come back up in the world and is really nice again - even better than before (except my high school now looks like crap since they took out all the beautiful trees). I might move back if the opportunity arose but I wouldn't want to go back to the traffic. I do miss the mountains, deserts and beaches and that would be a major draw.
What would be a major draw for YOU?
Did you grow up in Orange County? This just sounds like it. My parents house did the same appreciation acrobatics $47,000 to $1.2 M, but I would not move back to that particular town in North Orange County. I do like S. Orange County or N. San Diego County to have a second home ( a condo ) when I eventually retire. I have a strong friend network in CA, and there are certain things that I miss. But things have also changed as well. I love the part of Chicago I live in now, and will stay.
My home town is Coeur d' Alene ID. I'd move back. People there are a little crazy far right conspiracy theory types (mostly transplants, not locals) but I think the more of us that could go back and swing the balance back to even would be good. It's a beautiful area. Spokane and Coeur d' Alene are fun places to live. Huge alpine lakes and ski resorts abound. Most of the amenities I need on a daily basis are there. Cost of living has skyrocketed though - rent for apartments in CDA are almost as expensive as the Seattle area now but without the high wages.
I'd live there for the absolutely gorgeous beauty, but unfortunately the 45th parallel would get to me. Too many cloudy days.
I'm surprised at the number of people who wouldn't move back. When I was younger, I would never have considered leaving the big city (L.A., S.F.). As I've gotten older, of course I prefer semi rural and small cities. I think that happens to a lot of people.
When I relocated after retirement I had plans A, B, and C. Plan C was to return to my hometown but plan A is working out fine. I go back for visits every few years.
I didn't move directly back to my hometown but did move back to my home state and am now an hour and 15 minutes from where I grew up. I was born in Metairie, Louisiana and now live in Livingston Parish closer to Baton Rouge.
I do visit the New Orleans area regularly but prefer living where I do now. The entire New Orleans area is overpriced and overcrowded now with traffic issues and more crime. Also the threat from hurricanes and flooding is significantly greater since where I now live is more inland and on higher ground. Most of Metairie is below sea level and the house I grew up in was flooded during Katrina. Most of the friends I knew growing up in Metairie now live in the Baton Rouge area (mostly Denham, Central or Prairieville) or on the Northshore. Many left after Katrina and to escape the growing crime spreading out from the city. I do like a lot about New Orleans especially the food and culture and offerings like the Aquarium and City Park and museums, but its an easy day trip for me now. Having live music and alcohol at all times of the day and night is good for a tourist but not if you're a resident.
In between I've lived in Maryland and West Virginia. I have no desire to live in Maryland again. West Virginia is a nice state but the economy is poor due to the War on Coal by the EPA and the federal government. There are trickle down effects on the economy even if you don't directly work in coal mining. So work is what brought me back to Louisiana. I miss the mountains of West Virginia and its more laid back there (yes Louisiana has the Southern hospitality reputation but I lived in a much more rural areas in WV vs a suburban/exurban area here and there is less ghettoness in WV) but I like Louisiana's stronger economy and aside from hurricanes we have much nicer weather. Even in November there are days when you can wear shorts and short sleeves and we never get down to he single digits or low teens like it does in WV.
There's absolutely nothing I miss about Maryland.
Last edited by Tom Lennox 70; 11-11-2021 at 03:17 PM..
I am from the Kansas suburbs of Kansas City. The exurb I am from I would never move to in a million years. It is awful. I would, however, consider moving to an inner suburb like Mission, KS or one of the nice neighborhoods in the city like Waldo or a college town like Lawrence. Most of the metro, however, is very unappealing to me.
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