From: choi@wk59.nas.nasa.gov (Diana Choi)
Subject: Re: what's a nice place? Places in the US
Organization: NAS Program, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA
Date: Thu, 8 Oct 92 17:03:29 GMT
Distribution: na

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

(Don Stadler) writes:
>There are a *lot* of nice places to live in this country. I've been
>around a bit, both visiting and to work. Here is my list of desireable
>places:
>
>1) Research Triangle, NC - My current permanent base is in Durham,
>home of Duke University and the *greatest* college basketball team 
>*ever*. I can't say enough good things about this town! <...>

I know four people who got jobs there and moved there.  ALL four of them
said they hated it ...BUT they had all previously lived in the SF bay area...
so maybe that makes a difference?  They have all since moved away from NC.

>2) Austin, Texas - Just a visit, but it seemed like a nice place. Near San
>Antonio and the Pedernales mountains. Cosmopolitan city of about 500,000
>people. State Capital and flagship campus of the University of Texas system.
>Som traffic problems.  

I had one friend who went there to work for IBM and whereas she said the
college did improve the area, the older people were a problem for her.
She said, they were kind of racist and she got tired of the men calling
her "Girl".  She moved.

>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.

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.  

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.

Yesterday, a couple made a wrong turn in SF driving a bigrig full of frozen
fish (near Army Street).  They ended up beaten up and robbed by an angry gang.

Not to mention that California is suffering from a budget deficit and 10%
unemployment and is cutting back on school funding, welfare payments, social 
programs, ....etc.  These are sure to aggravate the crime situation and 
general unrest.

>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).
The crime there is supposed to be even worse than SF...my friend said he
went to visit his parents in their home of over 30 years. He was awakened
in the night by gunfire, followed by a police helicopter vibrating the
house.  He told his dad, "You guys gotta get out of here!".  His dad said,
"What for, we don't have to pay for the entertainment".

> Excighting. There IS a reason why so many people moved there, after all!

The newspeople were saying that so many people are moving out that you can
rent a uhaul from Seattle to SF for under $100 but it costs you $1500 to
go the other direction.

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

	Alberquerque, New Mexico
	Phoenix, Arizona
	Denver, Colorado
	Stamford, Connecticut
	Portland, Oregon,

and me?  I wanna move to Hawaii.


diana



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