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Big Bear Lake California.
7,000 feet elevation
Great fishing lake and ski resorts and lots of trails to hike and ride. lots to explore throughout the year.
I raised my family there and loved it growing up as well.
It is changing all the time with new people moving up there and visitors from all over the world enjoying the ambiance.
Lot of different places to eat and stay and there is good infrastructure even during serious events.
They have community events as well for the family and do their best to keep things safe as possible.
If someone is interested in moving somewhere I recommend that they rent a place that is just temporary and scout around throughout the year and learn what the people are like and how things operate.
Weather in Big Bear has all the seasons and the community is well prepared for it.
Jobs are available but one must be flexible, it's a resort. Most have more than one job and some are obviously seasonal.
It' been several years since I was there so I can't speak for much more, But I might move back now that I'm retired.
Kansas City: the food, the amenities, the arts, the sports, easy enough to drive around in, it's more my style.
As I get older, I find myself appreciating larger yards and elbow room and the little extra privacy that goes with it.
Milwaukee: I've since moved back to the general area, but not in the actual metro. When we were away, I missed the cooler weather and the lake and to some extent the style of neighborhoods.
We now have all that again and go to Milwaukee once in a while. I wish the city well and promote it to people who might be interested, but I don't really miss much about the city itself anymore.
I always like seeing the architecture but that's not something I miss, at least not in the sense that I need to be around it everyday.
I'm surprised how fast I've found myself missing the Seattle area/the PNW. A big reason I wanted to leave --- at least temporarily --- was just being tired of the same scenery, the same skyline, the same dozen or so cafes I went to, the same few social groups I hung out in. But after less than 2 months in the Bay Area, I'm already getting nostalgic. I miss the omnipresent green, the mist, the gentle day-long rains.
I'm sure I'd quickly get tired of that stuff again if I actually moved back. And this move was also for a job, which will greatly benefit my resume, skillset, and bank account.
But while I'm not sure when, if ever, I'll want to "settle down" anywhere... I never missed any of my previous homes like I miss the PNW.
I like where I live now but St. Louis is my hometown and I miss it more than other places. The food is what I miss most and the Cardinal baseball games (I live in a baseball desert). I like the feel of the place and the neighborhoods. I'd like to see their new MLS team play. I have friends and family there, so I go back fairly often.
Montclair NJ, where I briefly lived. It’s a leafy, diverse, progressive, upscale suburb, with a “downtown” area that’s walkable to many shops and restaurants, and a strong creative and artistic vibe. So much so that it’s jokingly called “ the Upper West Side with lawns.” Still return on occasion to visit friends there. As the ‘burbs go it’s one of the better ones. But I still like the city more.
Location: Miami (prev. NY, Atlanta, SF, OC and San Diego)
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Mill Valley (Marin County), CA…..favorite area of the state. Best commute in the country (ferry from Tiburon to downtown SF), great nature (trees, mountains, bay, great jogging paths—deer would come up to me), lots of celebrities (especially musicians when I lived there), clean and beautiful. Like living in the country yet only 15-20 minutes outside a major US downtown but with better microclimate than SF. 45 minutes from Sonoma/Napa wine country. World class skiing less than 4 hours away.
Last edited by elchevere; 09-08-2022 at 11:03 AM..
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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I don't miss any of the cities that I lived in previously, I just miss one thing about them.
I miss the long growing season of all the Bay Area cities where I lived, including San Francisco, Lafayette, Oakland, and Castro Valley. I could start my vegetable garden in March and pick through October, and here it's just May-September in a good year.
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