Why You Live Where You Live

CatsbyAZ · Post by **CatsbyAZ** » Tue Mar 31, 2015 11:04 am

the Why You Live Where You Live thread

Because my specific field pays way more in DC than just about anywhere else.

azgreg · Post by **azgreg** » Tue Mar 31, 2015 11:07 am

Out of college my wife landed a job here in Phoenix and she's still with them.

BearDown89 · Post by **BearDown89** » Tue Mar 31, 2015 11:35 am

Went to law school in Salem, Oregon in '91. The objective was to get out of Tucson and see something new. Made friends with a guy from Boise and came over for a visit. Seemed like a cool place. Salem was really lame and we wanted out of there as soon as possible. Took the Idaho bar and that was that. Moved to Phoenix from late '98 to early '01. Hated it. Moved back to Boise. Could've easily ended up in Portland or Seattle after law school. Would like to relocate to Seattle now, but blended families, children in various stages of development and other extraneous factors render that challenging. May take another year or two based on kids in school and such, but I look forward to another adventure and place in my future . . .

At the time though it was all about outdoor stuff - fly fishing, camping, skiing/boarding, whitewater rafting, hunting, mountain biking, etc., etc. It's all easy access here.

scumdevils86 · Post by **scumdevils86** » Tue Mar 31, 2015 11:39 am

Dad moved to Mesa from Kansas in 1970. Mom moved to Az from California in 1981 to live with her mom after she had a hard time finding a job after graduating from UCLA in 79. Grew up in mesa, went to uofa, bought a house in Tucson. Still here and working at my same (awesome) employer since 2007.

Salty · Post by **Salty** » Tue Mar 31, 2015 11:41 am

Grew up in Tucson and wanted to try a new city out.

Moved to Austin last month.

Merkin · Post by **Merkin** » Tue Mar 31, 2015 11:58 am

Fantastic weather, and not very many people. You get the good of Cali, without a lot of the bad.

CalStateTempe · Post by **CalStateTempe** » Tue Mar 31, 2015 1:28 pm

Durham presented the best opportunity for career advancement at the time and far exceeded any expectations I held prior to moving. Wife and I have throughly enjoyed our time in the Research Triangle and NC and would recommend it to anyone, especially families. We are sad to be moving out of the area in June, but looking forward to what a return to Northern California will bring in regard to proximity to family and Western US outdoors.

Sacramento: Great salary and professional opportunity, lower cost of living for a young family compared to the Bay Area, easy drive to in-laws, and 75 minutes to SF in one direction and Tahoe in the other (60 minutes to Napa/Sonoma). I am looking forward to my 2015-16 Heavenly Ski Pass.

Salty · Post by **Salty** » Tue Mar 31, 2015 1:29 pm

CalStateTempe wrote:Durham presented the best opportunity for career advancement at the time and far exceeded any expectations I held prior to moving. Wife and I have throughly enjoyed our time in the Research Triangle and NC and would recommend it to anyone, especially families. We are sad to be moving out of the area in June, but looking forward to what a return to Northern California will bring in regard to proximity to family and Western US outdoors.

Sacramento: Great salary and professional opportunity, lower cost of living for a young family compared to the Bay Area, easy drive to in-laws, and 75 minutes to SF in one direction and Tahoe in the other (60 minutes to Napa/Sonoma). I am looking forward to my 2015-16 Heavenly Ski Pass.

I've heard great things about the Raleigh area.

CalStateTempe · Post by **CalStateTempe** » Tue Mar 31, 2015 1:36 pm

Salty wrote:
CalStateTempe wrote:Durham presented the best opportunity for career advancement at the time and far exceeded any expectations I held prior to moving. Wife and I have throughly enjoyed our time in the Research Triangle and NC and would recommend it to anyone, especially families. We are sad to be moving out of the area in June, but looking forward to what a return to Northern California will bring in regard to proximity to family and Western US outdoors.

Sacramento: Great salary and professional opportunity, lower cost of living for a young family compared to the Bay Area, easy drive to in-laws, and 75 minutes to SF in one direction and Tahoe in the other (60 minutes to Napa/Sonoma). I am looking forward to my 2015-16 Heavenly Ski Pass.
I've heard great things about the Raleigh area.

Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill Metropolitan region is fantastic area. It has all the things you'd want out of city living (good foodie, microbrew, wine, and music scene, shopping for anyones tastes, a wide range of jobs and industry; caveat being its clearly NOT LA, SF, NYC, Chicago, DC), but has developed in a way that has kept it with close proximity to the outdoors, fishing, lakes, hiking trails, and although there are 1.8 million people in the metro area, it doesn't FEEL like it. My neighborhood feels and looks like it could be in the country, even through its 5min to downtown and Duke. The urban planners have kept a good majority of the natural green space in all these developed areas.

Not to mention 3hours to Asheville/mountains for some of the best trout fishing and 3 hours to the outer banks which for me is sublime beach experience, way different than a Cali beach. Although rural and of lower SES, Eastern NC has a unique regional culture and some of the best pulled pork BBQ I have ever tasted.

We are going to miss NC, to say the least.

Chicat · Post by **Chicat** » Tue Mar 31, 2015 1:38 pm

After living in Wrigleyville for a decade the wife started popping out kids and we needed to live somewhere that a year of childcare wasn't the same price as a year of college. The wife is from Valpo originally, so we bit the bullet and moved to Indiana to be closer to her family.

Alieberman · Post by **Alieberman** » Tue Mar 31, 2015 2:03 pm

Born in Chicago, but moved to AZ when I was 10 for the politics and school systems.

scumdevils86 · Post by **scumdevils86** » Tue Mar 31, 2015 2:06 pm

smart move

Longhorned · Post by **Longhorned** » Tue Mar 31, 2015 3:03 pm

Nobody outside the state of Illinois will hire me. I'm a fifth generation Illinoisan, but I was born in Arizona, lived in California for 13 years, and never came to Illinois until my first job interview. I call it "Upper Louisiana". I love Chicago.

In my field, you compete with hundreds of people for a single job. The vast majority never get a real job and just try to piece together adjunct appointments. After I got tenure, the door closed even further, since most new positions are for untenured hopefuls.

My first job was at Northern Illinois University, where Roz used to coach.

I've been with the Fighting Illini since 2007.

Salty · Post by **Salty** » Tue Mar 31, 2015 3:50 pm

CalStateTempe wrote:
Salty wrote:
CalStateTempe wrote:Durham presented the best opportunity for career advancement at the time and far exceeded any expectations I held prior to moving. Wife and I have throughly enjoyed our time in the Research Triangle and NC and would recommend it to anyone, especially families. We are sad to be moving out of the area in June, but looking forward to what a return to Northern California will bring in regard to proximity to family and Western US outdoors.

Sacramento: Great salary and professional opportunity, lower cost of living for a young family compared to the Bay Area, easy drive to in-laws, and 75 minutes to SF in one direction and Tahoe in the other (60 minutes to Napa/Sonoma). I am looking forward to my 2015-16 Heavenly Ski Pass.
I've heard great things about the Raleigh area.
Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill Metropolitan region is fantastic area. It has all the things you'd want out of city living (good foodie, microbrew, wine, and music scene, shopping for anyones tastes, a wide range of jobs and industry; caveat being its clearly NOT LA, SF, NYC, Chicago, DC), but has developed in a way that has kept it with close proximity to the outdoors, fishing, lakes, hiking trails, and although there are 1.8 million people in the metro area, it doesn't FEEL like it. My neighborhood feels and looks like it could be in the country, even through its 5min to downtown and Duke. The urban planners have kept a good majority of the natural green space in all these developed areas.

Not to mention 3hours to Asheville/mountains for some of the best trout fishing and 3 hours to the outer banks which for me is sublime beach experience, way different than a Cali beach. Although rural and of lower SES, Eastern NC has a unique regional culture and some of the best pulled pork BBQ I have ever tasted.

We are going to miss NC, to say the least.

I love the beaches in North Carolina. It felt almost like taking a bath to me, the water was so warm! Contrast that to San Diego which is almost always cold.

Sounds like it's been well thought out.

Merkin · Post by **Merkin** » Tue Mar 31, 2015 3:56 pm

Salty wrote: I love the beaches in North Carolina. It felt almost like taking a bath with me, the water was so warm! Contrast that to San Diego which is almost always cold.

Sounds like it's been well thought out.

And exactly the reason why SD and the rest of Cali doesn't get any hurricanes. The cold water keeps the hurricanes south, so Cali has that going for it.

My sister and her family live in Charlotte and really like it. Not as southern as many other southern cities. I suspect due to the banking industry there hiring a lot of northerners.

For the southern experience, they go to Charleston.

TucsonClip · Post by **TucsonClip** » Tue Mar 31, 2015 4:15 pm

San Diego because... well... Duh. Plus I can get up to LA anytime I need to.

Longhorned · Post by **Longhorned** » Tue Mar 31, 2015 4:21 pm

I can't fathom this idea about living wherever you want to just because of the place.

"Why don't you move back home to Santa Barbara?"

"And be what? A hobo?"

I have no applicable skills.

scumdevils86 · Post by **scumdevils86** » Tue Mar 31, 2015 4:30 pm

me either...but mostly because of my poor choices in real estate in 2005.

Salty · Post by **Salty** » Tue Mar 31, 2015 5:16 pm

scumdevils86 wrote:me either...but mostly because of my poor choices in real estate in 2005.

I have an extremely hard time believing that your home is what is holding you back

Sell it, rent it out, or find something else to do with it.

scumdevils86 · Post by **scumdevils86** » Tue Mar 31, 2015 5:26 pm

I've explained it to you several times already dumbass. Not doing it again.

ghostwhitehorse · Post by **ghostwhitehorse** » Tue Mar 31, 2015 5:34 pm

Inertia mostly.

Salty · Post by **Salty** » Tue Mar 31, 2015 6:17 pm

scumdevils86 wrote:I've explained it to you several times already dumbass. Not doing it again.

If you're as highly paid as you claim to be, you should be able to pay off that house.

ASUCatFan · Post by **ASUCatFan** » Tue Mar 31, 2015 6:54 pm

Born and raised here, went up North for college to get away from my family, missed it and moved back after college with my then-girlfriend in tow. Got married, got divorced and am about to start a new job that eventually might lead to a relocation to a different part of the country.

Chicat · Post by **Chicat** » Tue Mar 31, 2015 6:56 pm

Longhorned wrote:I can't fathom this idea about living wherever you want to just because of the place.

"Why don't you move back home to Santa Barbara?"

"And be what? A hobo?"

I have no applicable skills.

You'd actually be a terrible hobo.

Merkin · Post by **Merkin** » Tue Mar 31, 2015 7:23 pm

Chicat wrote:
Longhorned wrote:I can't fathom this idea about living wherever you want to just because of the place.

"Why don't you move back home to Santa Barbara?"

"And be what? A hobo?"

I have no applicable skills.
You'd actually be a terrible hobo.

He has the wrong accent.

Longhorned · Post by **Longhorned** » Tue Mar 31, 2015 7:36 pm

I think you're all a bunch of jerks.

FlagCat · Post by **FlagCat** » Tue Mar 31, 2015 7:41 pm

It's Flag, what can I say? Great employer, great place to raise the kids, and still close to family in AZ.

Olsondogg · Post by **Olsondogg** » Tue Mar 31, 2015 8:12 pm

Fell in love with my wife here. Moved in together...etc.

FreeSpiritCat · Post by **FreeSpiritCat** » Tue Mar 31, 2015 9:20 pm

I didn't come to Phoenix by choice. I would have preferred to live in Tucson. But my company relocated me here. I am very happy at my current residence and location, and that was by choice.

rgdeuce · Post by **rgdeuce** » Thu Apr 02, 2015 4:14 pm

Born and raised in Tucson. Left for the eastern part of the state and Utah to play baseball for three years. Missed my Tucson friends and my playing days came to an instant halt due to injury, so I finished school at the U. Finally appreciated Tucson for what it is and started my professional career here after the first and only place I applied for hired me. Then I got hired at my dream job and here I am with a soon-to-be family of four and a brand new home.

My job allows me to transfer anywhere in the country fairly easily (outside of a few cities, eg Denver and San Diego where everyone wants to go), but I think I am going to stay here, especially if my parents end up moving back. Charleston would be a place I would strongly consider moving to and MAYBE Charlotte (my mother is a southern woman and I love it in the south). Every other place I like is either too crowded, too cold or too expensive.

threenumberones · Post by **threenumberones** » Fri Apr 03, 2015 9:02 am

I've lived all over the goddamn place including two other continents. Not by design really, just happened that way. Austin, though, is my Graceland. It's a special place and the culture suits: from the food trailers to the live music to the entrepreneurship scene to the festivals to the girls to the green hilly landscape to the political diversity I could go on and on. The place has a certain energy and everyone is active. The keep Austin weird motto gets a little tiring, but it's accurate. I'm still discovering so much and I've been here off and on for over 10yrs. I tell people all the time that the only thing wrong with Austin is that it's in the middle of Texas. I do miss mountains though - so ok, two things.

Gato Salvaje · Post by **Gato Salvaje** » Fri Apr 03, 2015 9:29 am

Merkin wrote:
Chicat wrote:
Longhorned wrote:I can't fathom this idea about living wherever you want to just because of the place.

"Why don't you move back home to Santa Barbara?"

"And be what? A hobo?"

I have no applicable skills.
You'd actually be a terrible hobo.
He has the wrong accent.

Man I think LH would make an awesome hobo.
A Dandy Kind of hobo that you cant tell is a hobo until the wind shifts directions.
1. straw flat brimmed hat
2. Dirty seersucker suit that's seen a little wear and tear from hoping rail cars. Bow tie.
3. Dirty gloves with the fingers cut off
4. All worldly possessions held in a bundle on the end of a stick
5. Can always pull a flower out of nowhere for a pretty girl.

A real asset to the hobo community.

gumby · Post by **gumby** » Fri Apr 03, 2015 10:19 am

Check the Dinner thread. He'd die without appliances.

Gato Salvaje · Post by **Gato Salvaje** » Fri Apr 03, 2015 10:35 am

gumby wrote:Check the Dinner thread. He'd die without appliances.

Appliances are for bourgeois longhorned.

Santa Barbra Longhorned lives off the "fat o' the lan".
A can of pork and beans, one of those pocket knives with a spoon on it, and a can of sterno he won from a lesser hobo in game of 3 card monty.

Merkin · Post by **Merkin** » Fri Apr 03, 2015 10:39 am

Gato Salvaje wrote:
gumby wrote:Check the Dinner thread. He'd die without appliances.

Appliances are for bourgeois longhorned.

Santa Barbra Longhorned lives off the "fat o' the lan".
A can of pork and beans, one of those pocket knives with a spoon on it, and a can of sterno he won from a lesser hobo in game of 3 card monty.

Plus all the avocados you can eat since they apparently grow wild in SB.

Longhorned · Post by **Longhorned** » Fri Apr 03, 2015 12:05 pm

I don't suppose anybody here was in Phoenix in the 60s and/or 70s. There was a local restaurant chain called "Hobo Joe's". Hobo Joe dressed and equipped himself exactly like gato describes. He was described as a "world traveler, philosopher, and connoisseur of good food".

http://www.weirdus.com/states/arizona/r ... /hobo_joe/

azgreg · Post by **azgreg** » Fri Apr 03, 2015 12:27 pm

I remember Hobo Joe's.

Longhorned · Post by **Longhorned** » Fri Apr 03, 2015 12:36 pm

azgreg wrote:I remember Hobo Joe's.

I remember what I think was the original location, which was on a parked train at the tracks over near Grand Ave. It was a train restaurant with a hobo theme. Beat that.

UAEebs86 · Post by **UAEebs86** » Fri Apr 03, 2015 12:41 pm

Longhorned wrote:
azgreg wrote:I remember Hobo Joe's.
I remember what I think was the original location, which was on a parked train at the tracks over near Grand Ave. It was a train restaurant with a hobo theme. Beat that.

Went to the one on 43rd and Glendale many times as a kid. No train though, just a statue of Joe.

gumby · Post by **gumby** » Fri Apr 03, 2015 1:34 pm

Gato Salvaje wrote:
gumby wrote:Check the Dinner thread. He'd die without appliances.

Appliances are for bourgeois longhorned.

Santa Barbra Longhorned lives off the "fat o' the lan".
A can of pork and beans, one of those pocket knives with a spoon on it, and a can of sterno he won from a lesser hobo in game of 3 card monty.

Gato Salvaje · Post by **Gato Salvaje** » Fri Apr 03, 2015 6:52 pm

Longhorned wrote:I don't suppose anybody here was in Phoenix in the 60s and/or 70s. There was a local restaurant chain called "Hobo Joe's". Hobo Joe dressed and equipped himself exactly like gato describes. He was described as a "world traveler, philosopher, and connoisseur of good food".

http://www.weirdus.com/states/arizona/r ... /hobo_joe/

Love the piñata rope belt.

Perfect.

"Loveable burger-wielding cherubim."

Mr.Zebra · Post by **Mr.Zebra** » Thu Apr 16, 2015 3:19 pm

I live in Arizona because I have no options for moving out of this state. It really is that simple, and I suspect it is this simple for a lot of people, especially those who are in lower income brackets. I've lived here for most of my life, but quite honestly if I had the chance to do so, then I'd move my family away and never look back.

ASUHATER! · Post by **ASUHATER!** » Thu Apr 16, 2015 3:40 pm

Mr.Zebra wrote:I live in Arizona because I have no options for moving out of this state. It really is that simple, and I suspect it is this simple for a lot of people, especially those who are in lower income brackets. I've lived here for most of my life, but quite honestly if I had the chance to do so, then I'd move my family away and never look back.

Outside of the government messing everything up from jobs to education to the environment I love Arizona. I love the scenery and everything it offers. But if I was able to sell my house and find a job elsewhere I'd definitely move anywhere more progressive.

rgdeuce · Post by **rgdeuce** » Thu Apr 16, 2015 4:07 pm

Arizona is great. 3/4 of the year great weather, pretty low cost of living, great food. I love living like a baller while my sister and brother-in-law have amazing jobs and don't even have cable.

scumdevils86 · Post by **scumdevils86** » Thu Apr 16, 2015 4:12 pm

I love the state for the weather 8 months out of the year and the food and the low cost of living for sure.

Mr.Zebra · Post by **Mr.Zebra** » Thu Apr 16, 2015 5:06 pm

How do you quote multiple people on this forum?

ASUHATER! wrote:
Mr.Zebra wrote:I live in Arizona because I have no options for moving out of this state. It really is that simple, and I suspect it is this simple for a lot of people, especially those who are in lower income brackets. I've lived here for most of my life, but quite honestly if I had the chance to do so, then I'd move my family away and never look back.
Outside of the government messing everything up from jobs to education to the environment I love Arizona. I love the scenery and everything it offers. But if I was able to sell my house and find a job elsewhere I'd definitely move anywhere more progressive.

Oh, just outside of those teeny little things, it's fantastic!

Yes, I love the natural beauty of the state, but I can't afford to really enjoy it, so what's the point when those little things you mention are so damned awful?

Mr.Zebra · Post by **Mr.Zebra** » Thu Apr 16, 2015 5:09 pm

scumdevils86 wrote:I love the state for the weather 8 months out of the year and the food and the low cost of living for sure.

The low cost of living, combined with the housing crash, are probably the only reasons I'm able to live in a house and not rent--finally, after years and years of renting.

But really, the low cost of living doesn't do much when everyone makes so little. I'd love to live here if I could get a job making 75K or something, even with the backwards politicians.

ASUHATER! · Post by **ASUHATER!** » Thu Apr 16, 2015 5:19 pm

Mr.Zebra wrote:
scumdevils86 wrote:I love the state for the weather 8 months out of the year and the food and the low cost of living for sure.
The low cost of living, combined with the housing crash, are probably the only reasons I'm able to live in a house and not rent--finally, after years and years of renting.

But really, the low cost of living doesn't do much when everyone makes so little. I'd love to live here if I could get a job making 75K or something, even with the backwards politicians.

Exactly. Very poor wages and wage earning potential in the state. If you're a single guy making $75k in Tucson you'll be living like a king.

Mr.Zebra · Post by **Mr.Zebra** » Thu Apr 16, 2015 5:45 pm

ASUHATER! wrote:
Mr.Zebra wrote:
scumdevils86 wrote:I love the state for the weather 8 months out of the year and the food and the low cost of living for sure.
The low cost of living, combined with the housing crash, are probably the only reasons I'm able to live in a house and not rent--finally, after years and years of renting.

But really, the low cost of living doesn't do much when everyone makes so little. I'd love to live here if I could get a job making 75K or something, even with the backwards politicians.
Exactly. Very poor wages and wage earning potential in the state. If you're a single guy making $75k in Tucson you'll be living like a king.

I'd be happy making 75K as a family man, but as a single guy you're right, it would be king-like.

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