If you had to leave the state where you currently live and live in just one other city in all the world, from which you could never leave, which would you choose and why? What if you had to pick a city in the USA, where would you live and why?

-- Anonymous, June 15, 2000

Answers

In the world? That includes America. Hmmm..If I was forced to leave the US, I'd pick Sydney, Australia. I've been there and it rocks. If I had to pick someplace in America, but not in Colorado, I'd pick....Seattle or Portland, Maine.

-- Anonymous, June 15, 2000

DOH! I forgot to say why. Well, let's see.... Sydney is one of the most beautiful places I've ever been and it's loaded with beautiful people. And there's lots of interesting things to see and do there. And Seattle or Portland because there's stuff to do (at least in Seatlle), it ain't flat, it ain't overcrowded, it ain't hot all year long.... and at least there's water nearby for variety.

-- Anonymous, June 15, 2000

I'm in San Francisco right now, which is pretty rock!, but if I had to go somewhere. . .

In the USA: I'd choose New York City because well, it's New York City. I need public transportation and lots of people and stuff to explore, and I figure the cost of living couldn't be that much more tortuous than SF.

Internationally: I've never been abroad (hope to remedy that soon) so it's kind of hard to narrow down the choices. But, I'll say London, because it's also a big city with all the fixings. Or maybe Crete, cause it looks so pretty in pictures.

-- Anonymous, June 15, 2000

Kingston, Jamaica

- don't live in the states but if I did I'd probably pick Seatlle.

-- Anonymous, June 16, 2000

Internationally, I would live in Marigot, St.Martin. Absolutely beautiful, great resturants, fun shopping, great beaches. In the U.S. I'm not sure, since I haven't really spent a lot of time away from the East Coast and haven't visited too many cities.

-- Anonymous, June 16, 2000

Well, I don't live in a state, Paul -- can I still play?

If I could live anywhere else, it would have to be some gorgeous, white sand island with clear, blue water at every turn, no insects, no tropical diseases and all mod cons.

Does a place like that exist?

-- Anonymous, June 16, 2000

I also don't live in a State but I too want to play - okay?

If I could live anywhere (and take all the people I love with me) I would move to Bermuda. Ahhh just that word soothes me.

If I had to chose a place in the states it would have to be somewhere in New England - I don't know why but I love the East Coast.

-- Anonymous, June 16, 2000

In America, it would be Northampton, Mass. It is the picture perfect small New England town while also being one of the most liberal towns in America. Perfect combo for me.

International: St. Andrews, Scotland. Same reasons only it's not quite as liberal, but it's even more beautiful than Northampton.

-- Anonymous, June 16, 2000

Yes, yes yes... I'm not really so America-centric in ALL my Internet posts. :P So let me rephrase:

If you were forced to move from where you live now and had to pick a new place, either outside your state or province or country (you choose), with the stipulation that you had to live in that new place forever and could never leave it, where would you live?

Sorry for any confusion.

-- Anonymous, June 16, 2000

So my question to you all who hate where you currently live, is, why don't you move?

I don't hate where I live, but it's not ideal. But I stay because of family, mainly. My ideal place to live I think does not exist, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to search for it. If anyone knows a place like this, tell me, cause I'm moving there when I get old. I'm thinking small, funky non-commercial artist colony, warm (not hot), mostly sunny, rains only at night, breezy, on the water with wide open beaches (I guess this could be either river or ocean), not too far from a materialistic and cultured city.

-- Anonymous, June 16, 2000

Pearl, I believe you are looking for Sugarloaf, NY. The sandy beaches are around lakes, but it is an artist's town about an hour from NYC. I can't promise you rain only at night, though.

-- Anonymous, June 16, 2000

And other than the wide open beachs, you're almost describing Boulder, Colorado.

-- Anonymous, June 16, 2000

Could I just move from my apartment in Long Beach, CA, to a little bungalow in Belmont Shores? (Literally walking distance from me.) I kinda like it here...

Okay, San Diego if I still have to work, and maybe even Elgin, Oklahoma, if I won the lottery---that's so I could TRAVEL when I started getting too claustrophobic. Only 925 people there...and I lived there for awhile...

-- Anonymous, June 16, 2000

I want to go back home to Chicago, because I love Chicago and I swear I'm going to live there again some day. If you forced me out of the USA, I'd have to go to Austrailia-somewhere near the ocean.

-- Anonymous, June 16, 2000

This is a hard question for me coz I don't travel a lot, and because I've always imagined that if I got rich, I'd get a ranch a little further east of us. What can I say? I like living in Texas.

Another state -- HAWAII! Ha, y'all are sad that you didn't remember Hawaii! I don't know enough about its cities to pick one, though.

Outside the US... I have no idea, so I'll just say Tokyo.

-- Anonymous, June 16, 2000

I'd have to say the Central coastal areas of California would be my ideal. Close enough to my family but far away enough from the congestion. Outside of the US, I'd probably pick Switzerland or Austria because it's so beautiful there.

Gwen, you know you want to go to Tokyo just so you can say certain Japanese sayings...

-- Anonymous, June 16, 2000

I'm going to give another answer, because I'm selfish.

I would love to live in Amsterdam. I just feel so at ease when I'm there, and it seems like everywhere you walk, everything is just beautiful, and everyone seems so content. And I wasn't even on drugs.

The only thing I don't like about Amsterdam is the fact that so many British people are there, and a fair amount of them are drunk guys. My only negative experience in Amsterdam was being followed to the door of my hotel room at 4am, but luckily my boyfriend heard the commotion and saved me from having to perform oral castrations on two very unpleasant Scots. That, and my boyfriend having his wallet stolen within five minutes of us arriving from Rotterdam.

Seriously, though, Amsterdam is where it's at; I'd love to take all of my friends there for a weekend, but it would be even better if I lived there full-time.

-- Anonymous, June 16, 2000

Hey Jackie -- the idyllic world you were talking about in your last post, the white sand beaches, etc.? Bermuda, baby. Except they have insects there that could, like, drive cars.

Funny -- my husband lived in Bermuda when I first met him, and we had a long-distance Bermuda/Toronto relationship for about a year and a half before he moved away from there. But living in paradise can drive you crazy -- there are only 65,000 people on the island, and after being there one week, I felt like I knew all of them. Same faces in the same (few) bars and restaurants. Talk about claustrophobia. I could never live on an island.

I've moved around a lot, and Toronto is still my favourite livable place. BUT...if I were loaded rich, I'd probably live in London because it's a fabulous city and the rest of the world is so accessible from there.

-- Anonymous, June 17, 2000

Wisconsin Dells! Man, I would love to live in a town with go-cart tracks on every corner and "Tommy Bartlett's Robot World". I love Boston so any area of New England. I've always wanted to go to Austin but have heard that this popular interest has led to lots o' urban sprawl and a staggering population growth. Is this true, Austinites? I dunno, College towns have always seemed very attractive, they just need more go-cart tr

-- Anonymous, June 17, 2000

Barb, my brother's wife got together with three of her friends after they graduated from college and moved to St Thomas (Virgin Islands) just because they wanted to live there. They said it was beautiful and wonderful to be able to just walk out your back door and into the water, but there were a LOT of difficulties with living there...Especially after the hurricane, after which people would shoot out your car windows if they thought you had a bag of ice (a rare commodity as there was no electricity) and they, as white women, found it almost impossible to find a shop that would sell them food after the hurricane. I think it was something like three years after the hurricane before electricity had been restored to the entire town.

Um, anyway...*babble*

-- Anonymous, June 17, 2000

I have lived in Texas all my life, currently in Dallas. I spent four months working in Danbury, CT this year and loved it. The town itself was okay and it was a short train ride to the city. I think I just liked the fact that everyone noticed my accent. :)

-- Anonymous, June 18, 2000

I live in London and I'm desperate to move to California, Santa Barbara to be specific. That's where I was born and raised, so is it kinda cheating to say that's where I'd like to be? I travel a lot so it's not like I'm basing my decision on the city because that's all I've ever known. Santa Barbara has hills, beaches, good food, good people, a fab farmer's market, and Trader Joe's. Ok, there's zero nightlife, there's maybe one building that functions as a club. It's name changes every couple months because they keep going out of busines. Not that I'm concerned. Bah, I'm a housebitch and I love staying at home!

-- Anonymous, June 18, 2000

Well, I would have said Wellington or Auckland in NZ, but having just visited I now don't think I could live there (despite having lived in Wellington for five years, three years back), so I don't know where I'd like to be. Maybe Sydney or Melbourne? Close enough to NZ to visit for the weekend, but with the big city advantages.

I have to say I'm very happy in London, though, and when I'm sick of living here I won't just speculate on where I could be - I'll pack up and move.

-- Anonymous, June 20, 2000

Outside of the states: London. I'm happy there. It's expensive, though. Damn.

Inside the states: Have no clue. Atlanta has its flaws, but on the whole I'm satisfied with it. I'd say "up North" except I can't stand being cold or wet. OK, being heat sick is no picnic either, and I can sleep at night when it is cold, under lots of blankets (and can't when it's 400 degrees inside my house weven with A/C), but I just get depressed and whiny when I'm constantly cold. I'm known to wear sweaters when it's 80 degrees outside. I'm a biological freak. My hands and feet are cold RIGHT NOW. *sigh*

-- Anonymous, June 20, 2000

Yes! Totally London. Totally!

In the US, I'd love to stay in NYC but have decent-sized apartment (like, say, an entire bulding floor or something!). I'd also love to live in San Francisco, but I don't think I could stay there forever and ever.

Actually, I don't think I could stay ANYWHERE forever and ever!

-- Anonymous, June 20, 2000

Yeah, the "you can never leave" rule is a sticky one. I love living in Chicago, but I'd love New York even more--if I could ever win my battle to convince the husband we need to move there. Overseas: Rome, Rome, Rome. Never a dull moment in Rome, even if you had to stay there forever.

-- Anonymous, June 21, 2000