https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sat, 11 Apr 2026 13:55:31 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-ideal-place-to-live/page/2#post-2898959 Tue, 08 Oct 2019 16:33:43 +0000 DesertDreams88 2898959@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I love Phoenix. I love living in a sprawled out city that doesn't feel congested or have a high COL. I love being warm and wearing tanks/shorts/dresses 75% of the time. I love not having to dress in layers or bring umbrellas. I love having sunshine 90% of my days. I love swimming in my pool daily may- sept. I love being close to SO many beautiful state and national parks. I love not having to deal with dirty, slushy snow 6 months a year.</p> <p>I do not like our abysmal funding of education, the lack of greenery, and the GOP controlling our politics. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-ideal-place-to-live#post-2898938 Tue, 08 Oct 2019 13:39:04 +0000 Ajsmommy 2898938@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@hitchhiker: yay for Baltimore!</p> <p>I live about 25 miles west of Baltimore and I love where we live. We are far enough away that we still see farms and traffic isn't crazy yet we are close enough to DC, Baltimore, Gettysburg that we get to enjoy all that the big cities offer. The cost of living is ridiculous but we love it here!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-ideal-place-to-live#post-2898891 Tue, 08 Oct 2019 09:23:10 +0000 Anagram 2898891@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@LCTBQE: haha, that's funny. I'm also a Texan living in the NJ/NYC area, and I prefer the weather here. I grew up in a literal desert in West Texas, and then spent my 20s in Dallas. Dallas is better than west Texas, in terms of weather, but I still like the 4 real seasons here. I hate super hot weather though, so I'll gladly trade the 90s + weather in Texas from March-November for the nice weather here for 7 months of the year. My ideal temps are 50-79, so we have a lot more days in this area that fall in that range. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-ideal-place-to-live#post-2898888 Tue, 08 Oct 2019 08:49:50 +0000 karenbme 2898888@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@JJ2626: Feel free to pm me if you have questions. Burlington in particular is super community focused/friendly. Some of the burbs are a little less so, but still definitely more connected than our neighborhood in Chicago. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-ideal-place-to-live#post-2898771 Mon, 07 Oct 2019 13:11:32 +0000 JJ2626 2898771@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@karenbme: I may have to ask you more questions if we ever get serious about moving! We love VT but don’t actually know many people who live there. Do you find people to be friendly/welcoming? We do ski so I’m hoping that would make winter more palatable but coming from CA I think it would be tough. But I just crave a simpler life! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-ideal-place-to-live#post-2898571 Sat, 05 Oct 2019 14:20:02 +0000 Grace 2898571@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@kayla0416: This made me laugh. I’m in Winnipeg, and I heard a couple years ago that in 20 years we were going to have weather like Nebraska, so now I always check out the Omaha forecast and think “that would be so nice”. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-ideal-place-to-live#post-2898565 Sat, 05 Oct 2019 11:51:00 +0000 MoonMoon 2898565@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@LCTBQE: I remember one year we had an unusually warm and sunny day in December and I was driving to work with a smile on my face. I remember thinking to myself, imagine living somewhere where just driving to work doesn't have to be a crazy unpredictable white-knuckle ordeal half the year... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-ideal-place-to-live#post-2898562 Sat, 05 Oct 2019 10:51:17 +0000 bhbee 2898562@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@LCTBQE: yes I agree. I grew up in a place that is cold and cloudy and dark and it is in my bones! I find the Texas sun very oppressive. I do see the practical advantages here though of no snow removal or huge coats to deal with and such. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-ideal-place-to-live#post-2898560 Sat, 05 Oct 2019 10:30:40 +0000 LCTBQE 2898560@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MoonMoon: This. I'm a Texan living in the NJ suburbs outside of NYC, we're pretty tied to the city because of our professions, and I have no desire at all to live in this part of the country, I cringe when my neighbors call my infant daughter a Jersey Girl, haha. Every time southerners complain about the heat I'm like, winter here is SIX MONTHS LONG and it is fucking miserable, we literally spend half our lives in down puffy coats. I'd take 100 degree weather any day over this, but we can't leave. I wish I could move back home to Austin or back to my favorite city, Atlanta, even with the traffic problems. </p> <p>@bhbee: I wish I could trade with you ;) !! I think so much of this is just how your personal biology handles heat and cold. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-ideal-place-to-live#post-2898547 Fri, 04 Oct 2019 20:11:56 +0000 crazydoglady 2898547@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It's so hard to say! Does Stars Hollow count? :wink: There are many regions of the U.S. I haven't been to, so I can't answer accurately but I feel like it's limited because my SAD is already bad enough in California winters. Basically, we are near family and get LOTS of help, we live in an area that pays teachers really really well, and COL is low. We are an hour and a half from everything: SF, beach. mountains, lakes... However, it's not a very desirable place to live. We have lots of diversity, but we have few amenities, high culture, etc. We don't have "real" museums, galleries, etc. I think the other saving grace is that I grew up in a town about 20 minutes here that is even WORSE. Like meth lab capital. At least the town I live in now has a university and a cute downtown area with lots of shops, cafes and coffee shops.<br /> I used to live in the SF north bay and loved it, but it's so far out of our price range. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-ideal-place-to-live#post-2898537 Fri, 04 Oct 2019 15:27:44 +0000 Jess1483 2898537@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We currently live in Montana and I love it. I’m not sure I’d choose to leave, though winters can be really tough, and with fires getting worse... DH would definitely leave, though. He would love to move further west, probably back to Oregon. I wouldn’t mind Oregon. </p> <p>We both LOVE Vermont (I went to school there), but it’s just so far from our families I can’t imagine actually doing it. But it has the same winter problem, so...</p> <p>Realistically, unless DH’s job relocates (he works remotely and would have to have a number of promotions before he’d have to go to a location), we won’t leave Montana until kids are away to school. Then I’ll probably just follow them ;) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-ideal-place-to-live#post-2898536 Fri, 04 Oct 2019 15:17:12 +0000 Chuckles 2898536@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We live just north of Chicago (like a 20 minute drive if traffic is good). Same as many people have said, realistically we will never leave because my family is here and all our friends are here. We also love that it's a moderate COL for being a metro area. Plus it's easy for us to get into the city with so much great stuff to do and restaurants to eat at. If money was no object, we would move from the suburbs back to our old Chicago neighborhood, but it was way too expensive to buy a house there, and I was sick of condo living. BUT.... we hate the winters. Every winter we talk about moving, but we have no idea where that would be. Weather-wise and culture-wise, the two places I would consider would be southern CA or New Orleans (where I lived for a few years many years ago). But I love that we don't deal with natural disasters in our area of the midwest, and we don't know anyone in CA or New Orleans. So horrible polar vortexes and -50 weather is in our future for now. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-ideal-place-to-live#post-2898534 Fri, 04 Oct 2019 15:03:13 +0000 hitchhiker 2898534@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I love where we live - Baltimore. It has a bad reputation, but we are very happy here. We live within walking distance of the science museum, aquarium, children's museum, and several art museums. COL is lower than DC, where we lived previously, but it's easy for my husband to get to DC via public transportation. One downside is that we have no family support, but we've developed a lot of close relationships with other families in our neighborhood and we try to help each other out. </p> <p>I'm from MN and would love to live in St Paul or Minneapolis, but my husband is afraid of the cold and at this point we would be giving up a lot to move. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-ideal-place-to-live#post-2898530 Fri, 04 Oct 2019 14:24:06 +0000 JennyLayneAZ 2898530@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I've never actually been there, but I've always wanted to live in Montana on a ranch. (I've never ranched either lol) I also wouldn't mind living in Hawaii (also never been there)</p> <p>I haven't travelled much! I've lived in CA as a kid and lived in AZ for 30 years now. I wouldn't mind northern CA if $ wasn't an issue. I'll probably live in AZ for the rest of my life though. :meh: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-ideal-place-to-live#post-2898524 Fri, 04 Oct 2019 13:42:37 +0000 bhbee 2898524@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@hellobeeboston: New England is our happy place for sure! I want to move to your house from your description :silly: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-ideal-place-to-live#post-2898522 Fri, 04 Oct 2019 13:39:52 +0000 bhbee 2898522@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@krispi: we’ve talked some about Charlotte and Nashville also. </p> <p>Our parents are already far away and we’re each down to one living parent as of recently so we’re feeling that but there’s no clear answer on living closer to both. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-ideal-place-to-live#post-2898521 Fri, 04 Oct 2019 13:35:34 +0000 bhbee 2898521@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@justjules: I’m pretty sure I would lose my mind in Houston. Dallas has seemed more humid than usual this year and I know Houston is even worse! But yes to rage :silly: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-ideal-place-to-live#post-2898511 Fri, 04 Oct 2019 13:03:35 +0000 krispi 2898511@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@foodiebee: I'm not a fan of the heat we've had lately at all. It's 96 degrees today! But I also can't handle snow being a southerner. And my husband grew up in AZ as a kid, so we're destined for somewhere warmer. </p> <p>The housing cost is just so high in SD! We looked up real estate prices last time we were there, and it just wasn't a possibility. The salaries that I saw weren't that much more than we make here either. I don't know how people do it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-ideal-place-to-live#post-2898510 Fri, 04 Oct 2019 12:57:38 +0000 foodiebee 2898510@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@krispi: I'm a SD native and miss it so much! That's where I'd probably move back if I had a choice. But I also can picture us moving north. The heat really messes with my health every year here in the south, and I'm so tired of it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-ideal-place-to-live#post-2898509 Fri, 04 Oct 2019 12:51:05 +0000 krispi 2898509@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We're currently in Atlanta (me born and raised and him since middle school). We have 3 of our 4 parents here and probably won't leave anytime soon because of family and job opportunities.</p> <p>But the traffic and congestion here is getting so bad!! Every time we turn around, they're building a new apartment, condo, or townhouse without the infrastructure to support it. My husband's commute takes him to the opposite side of the city every day, and there's no way for him around the gridlock. There's no public transportation option for his commute either. We talk a lot about moving to a smaller city that is a little easier to navigate, like Nashville or Charlotte sized. But I don't think we'll do that as long as our parents are here; they're not getting any younger...</p> <p>If money and travel were no object, I'd love to live in San Diego. The weather there is fantastic. No snow but not too hot either. And the beach is close by too! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-ideal-place-to-live#post-2898496 Fri, 04 Oct 2019 10:49:57 +0000 KT326 2898496@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@JJ2626: @JCCovi: I'm in the Bay Area too (south bay) and while I love it here, the COL is just crazy. We feel like we can never get ahead. Both of us have decent jobs but we still don't make enough to even consider buying a house. But I love that there is so much to do within just an hour of us. It's hard to think about moving!</p> <p>My SIL moved to Colorado last year and she loves it there. Not sure I could deal with the snow though. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-ideal-place-to-live#post-2898493 Fri, 04 Oct 2019 10:40:30 +0000 paigeface 2898493@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsADS: We are in Southwest Florida and agree with you on many of your points! </p> <p>We are in a smaller area (it's a vacation destination spot with a lot of snowbirds) but not thrilled on raising my kids here even though it's "paradise" and all of our family is here. </p> <p>I always wish that if cost wasn't an issue to move out of Florida not sure where though! I love seasons and wish we had them and wish we had better job opportunities that other states offer. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-ideal-place-to-live#post-2898492 Fri, 04 Oct 2019 09:53:20 +0000 justjules 2898492@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We were in Houston for several years and the “Fall” pushed me into A RAGE every year :silly:<br /> Fine- have 100+ degree weather in the summer.... but in OCTOBER when I should be wearing cute cardigans and boots with a warm coffee?!? nope. Couldn’t do it. We moved back to the north east (NYC). COL is ridiculous. We could have a small mansion outside of Houston for what we pay for 800sq ft. But I love everything else about living here. We walk everywhere, have all four seasons, diversity, great food, and family close by. I do wish we had a backyard because I have a dream of owning chickens.... </p> <p>I think I would also like the Pacific North West (I could do cloudy 60 degrees every day) but it’s far from family. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-ideal-place-to-live#post-2898491 Fri, 04 Oct 2019 09:13:41 +0000 hellobeeboston 2898491@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We talk about this often... We currently live north of Boston and we love the area. We're 10 minutes away from the beach, an hour or a bit more to the mountains, we all ski,.... the city is close and we both work there, and there are lots of conveniences within 15 minutes or less of our home. Family is close-ish, 1 hour and 3 hours.</p> <p>We almost moved to San Francisco before we had kids, which I LOVE, but as mentioned, COL is crazy. And now that we have kids in the school system we'll likely stay put. But we even talk about staying in the area when the kids are out of school/when we retire. </p> <p>We're just New Englanders at heart I think! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-ideal-place-to-live#post-2898490 Fri, 04 Oct 2019 08:57:14 +0000 karenbme 2898490@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@bhbee: Yes, come to VT :grin: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-ideal-place-to-live#post-2898489 Fri, 04 Oct 2019 08:53:40 +0000 kayla0416 2898489@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Like someone else said, realistically we're never going to leave because both of our extended families are here, and it's very important to us to be close by them. We're in ND, and I love a lot of things about it - 95% of people are SO genuinely nice, they'd give you the shirt off their back if you needed it. It's low-crime, and I live in a bigger city (for ND) so there's plenty of opportunity for jobs, social life, kids activities, etc. </p> <p>I'm just SO sick of the COLD. Last year we had storm after storm, it snowed into May. Then June was kind of like our spring - 50s-60s and raining constantly. It didn't really get to shorts weather til the week before 4th of July. And now it's cold again already, 40s all this week and most of the state got snow a couple days ago. </p> <p>If I could just pick up both of our extended families and move all of us somewhere, I think I would stay midwest but a little further south. I have some friends from college that moved to Omaha after graduation and we've visited them there many times. It seems nice, still very midwest, but they have more of an actual summer. I'm sure some people think it's hilarious that Omaha is my "dream location", haha. But I love the midwest! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-ideal-place-to-live#post-2898488 Fri, 04 Oct 2019 08:52:43 +0000 karenbme 2898488@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@JJ2626: I live just outside Burlington and can say that summers are amazing, but winters can be a beast, especially if you're not looking forward to winter sports. That said, COL and quality of life are both high, though COL is nowhere near SF. If you're in tech, a relatively lucrative job is pretty easy to come by, but it's more work to move up here just because there are so many fewer next level jobs than there are in a city, and as a result a lot of people end up leaving the area. But, like I said in my post, I'm guessing that DH and I are here long term because of proximity to family, outdoor rec, local culture and proximity to Montreal. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-ideal-place-to-live#post-2898482 Fri, 04 Oct 2019 07:25:52 +0000 Foodnerd81 2898482@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I love a lot about where we live, in a far suburb of Boston. It’s a great community feel, just totally gorgeous, not much traffic, but the trade off is we are far from many major conveniences- target is 20 min away, there are a couple good restaurants within 10-20 minutes but most are 30 min. We have long cold winters, but our fall is so amazing, and summers are fairly mild. </p> <p>The thing I hate the most is how early it gets dark for so long in the winter. I had driving home from after school activities and it’s already totally dark. I can deal with the cold and the snow, but the darkness gets to me. But I love it here so wouldn’t move. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-ideal-place-to-live#post-2898480 Fri, 04 Oct 2019 06:40:39 +0000 cyoung 2898480@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Man this is hard. I’d love to like in Tennessee near Nashville. It’s cooler and the mountains are close by. But I love the beach but it’s so hot 🥵 </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-ideal-place-to-live#post-2898478 Fri, 04 Oct 2019 06:16:38 +0000 bhbee 2898478@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@JJ2626: I told DH yesterday we should move to Vermont! Don’t think it would ever happen but nice idea. </p> <p>@skinnycow: yes I think I wrote this post because I had to run all over getting the kids in and out like 5x and then go to an outdoor event with them! Fall better come on Monday like they are predicting! </p> <p>@MrsADS: I should put Canada on my list! I couldn’t do way north but I grew up in Michigan and love the cold. </p>