From: john@sequent.com (John Vander Borght)
Newsgroups: misc.jobs.misc
Subject: Re: what's a nice place? Places in the US
Date: 8 Oct 92 18:16:20 GMT
Article-I.D.: sequent.1992Oct8.181620.6617
Distribution: na
Organization: Sequent Computer Systems, Inc.

choi@wk59.nas.nasa.gov (Diana Choi) writes:

>Sorry, I just couldn't let this one rest.

Me either.

>>1) San Francisco - Money no object, I'd live here. Wonderful! Yes, bad traffic and
>>all that. Hard to park. But cable cars, BART, great views, lovely city, good weather,
>>Fisherman's Wharf, Haight-Ashbury, great Museums, Berkeley, etc.

I grew up in Santa Clara but I moved up here to Portland 14 years ago.  My
parents have lived in the San Jose area until 3 years ago, moved up to
Fairfield (north east Bay Area) and have just bought a house on the Oregon
Coast and will be moving soon.

San Francisco is a great city, if you can afford it.  I love to visit it
and wouldn't mind living in the city as long as I didn't need a car to get
to work.  As for the Silicon Valley area, it is like a minature LA, except
that the freeways are worse in my opinion.  I hate to go to San Jose on
business or for any other reason.  I have a friend who moved there 4 years
ago from Portland (she grew up in LA so she understands CA) and is now
moving back.  If it wasn't for a great career reason to move down there I
don't think she would have considered it.

>Your appraisal seems so cheery, I can't refrain from mentioning the negatives.
>There is a fair amount of crime - car-jacking is on the rise.  

Crime is everywhere now.  Even small cities like Portland have their share
of crime.  If you are fairly smart about where you go and when, you can
avoid a lot of it. Unfortunately, a lot also comes looking of you these
days.

>Museums are nice ...but me and my child don't visit my favorite photo gallery 
>anymore, because a few months ago, across the street, a man was beaten to 
>death by a gang(Mission Street, SF in broad daylight).  He was a perfect
>stranger - they said they were just fooling around and having a good time.

If I stopped going everywhere there was a crime, I'd have to stay in my
house.  I don't think anyone can let fear stop them from living.  If you
do, you've surrendered to the bad guys.  Places go bad, when good people
stop going to them.

>>2) Los Angeles - Painted worse than it is. You don't want to be a commuter here! But
>>it is one LOVELY city in the winter and spring.  <stuff deleted>

>Don't forget the air pollution in Los Angeles, though it can be found all over
>California lately. (its been pretty hot with not much air movement).

Lately?  San Jose has had it for at least 20 years.  I can remember being
there in the early sixties and you could always see across the valley.
Since about 1970, you have to get a real nice day after a storm to see the
hills on both sides of the valley at one time.

>Nice places that my California friends have moved to and say they love :

>	Alberquerque, New Mexico

I've never been there, but I've also heard it is nice.

>	Phoenix, Arizona

If you like a flat, dusty, ugly city where the temps are 100+ from early
spring to late fall.  The mountains to the north are very beautiful.

>	Denver, Colorado

The also have lots of air pollution.  I do know a number of people who live
there and love it.

>	Stamford, Connecticut

I don't know.

>	Portland, Oregon,

I love Portland.  At one time I thought I might move to Seattle if the
opportunity presented itself, but now I don't think I would leave here for
anywhere else in the U.S.  Sure we have crime, gangs, budget crises
etc, but it has a great mix between city living and country.  I live in the
middle of the highest density area of the city and in 5 minutes I can walk
to the largest park inside of any city in the US and lose myself in the
woods for hours.  I can be skiing or at the coast in just over an hour, there
are any number of activities, plays, concerts etc going on all the time.
There are a number of great golf courses (my main hobby/vice :-).

>and me?  I wanna move to Hawaii.

I'll take almost anywhere in Europe just for the experience, even though we
had our car broken into 3 times in 6 months the last time I was there.

>diana

-----
John Vander Borght
john@sequent.com

The preceding comments are all my own opinions and I wouldn't expect anyone
else to share them.

-- 
"Practice random kindness and senseless acts of beauty!"
John Vander Borght
john@sequent.com