What is your favorite thing about your hometown? Whether it is where you live now or where you grew up, the place you consider home, what makes is special to you?

-- Anonymous, December 21, 2000

Answers

My Gramma's house, in San Diego. We moved around a lot when I was a kid, but Gram's house was the one stable thing. She's been there for almost 40 years, and I've lived there off and on all my life. Just the smell of the magnolia tree and jasmine in the front yard is "home" to me.

As far as actual San Diego stuff... um, prolly the Hotel Del Coronado and Silver Strand. That's been my favorite place to go play and hang out for many years.

-- Anonymous, December 21, 2000

Home is still Atlanta to me (home is where the Mommy is) and I said in another thread that I love the city's spirit, the way they will throw a parade for anything!

My home here in Central PA: The deer that graze in my front yard that don't even run when I pull my car up the drive-they saunter and look at me reproachfully for ruining their dinnertime, the black bears that make me scared and excited all at once, and even that rotten little possum that keeps stealing the food we put out in the woods for the deer. I love standing in front of our big picture window with my boyfriends arms around me from behind and watching the deer families graze so nearby that they lift their heads when we speak to one another. I never thought that I would have woodlands creatures as my closest neighbors.

And yes, I begged my SO to let me put food out for the bears so that they would come close by and become our friends. He explained to me why that was NOT a good idea, but I made him promise that if we find motherless babies (hunting accident or whatever) that we can take care of them and let them live with us and the babies can sleep on my side of the bed. Let me have my Disney fantasies!

-- Anonymous, December 21, 2000

I guess Atlanta'd be my hometown now. I've been here 19 years, and that is by far the longest I've ever lived anyplace.

I like the fact that it's easy as can be to find a job here. That you can form an instant bond with a total stranger just by bitching about traffic. It's not a place that takes itself too seriously.

I like the fact that the Atlanta Board of Education broadcasts its meetings on television. Best entertainment in the world, just to check out the latest fashions in hats.

Robyn's right, there's always a reason for a parade. The endless boosterism got somewhat tiresome during the Olympics, but at least they had the right spirit.

We won't be moving anytime soon. I've told my husband I won't go to Florida or California, and he won't go anywhere that gets colder than Georgia. I wish I could convince him to move to Asheville -- maybe I will on some hot, August day when thoughts of snow are far from his mind....

-- Anonymous, December 21, 2000

North San Diego County. I'm in OB right now but a small little town called Leucadia 25 miles north of here is where home is in my heart. I have always lived at the beach and I will always feel out of place very far from it. Temps are always balmy and the light is always good. I remember when I would see deer and coyotes on the beach licking salt or feeding on carrion. You can still be alone with only your thoughts walking in the morning and evening at the beach. And the people are so mellow for the most part. And the mix of life styles and intellect are really interesting. The beach is truly a melting pot. The rest of you are freezing your butts off but I'm in my shorts and T-shirt. At work no less. May my wife Merrill and I also take the time here to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays if you are alt. May this time of year bring you all the happiness you could hope for too. Especially you my Floosie. Gwen, thankyou for the great site. James

-- Anonymous, December 21, 2000

Hometown is Arlington, Texas...while I'm glad to be out of there (now that I'm out of junior high and too cool for Six Flags) even away from Arlington, I constantly run into people who I went to high school with, or who are a friend-of-a-friend...I don't know why that is, but I like it, it makes me feel more connected to my little world.

-- Anonymous, December 21, 2000

My home town is Fort Collins, Colorado . . . although I've lived in San Diego and loved it, I never felt like I belonged to it. Fort Collins is just close enough to Denver and Boulder, yet not so close that people are using it as a bedroom community YET. It is the right size, the right weather (because I do dream of a white Christmas), mostly friendly people. But it is too damn popular for its own good, is the only problem.

-- Anonymous, December 22, 2000

My home town is Austin,Tx..been in the news lately what with W being Gov and living here. Austin is still a good town although IMHO used to be better when it was smaller(still is by some standards) and had that small town feel to it. Being the state capital(with its numerous state offices) and the University of Texas Longhorns the population fluculates or used to be more noticeable. Austin has experienced (and still is)a rapid influx of high tech businesses and people which seems to make the city appear to be faster than when I was younger. I'm looking forward to retiring in a few years and moving to an area smaller town like Wimberly or Bastrop..

-- Anonymous, December 22, 2000

I'm from a very small town in Central Florida, population of about 7,000, one red light, that sort of thing. Growing up there, I loved the fact that I knew everyone I went to school with. I can't imagine going to school with 1,000 people in your class! I graduated with 62 other people. I enjoyed the small town atmosphere, for the most part, besides the fact that I had to drive 30 miles to get to a mall. I've since moved to the city with the mall--Lakeland, FL..Population 100,000. Big transition for me. I'm enjoying and adjusting to city life pretty well, I think. Happy Holidays to everyone..and like James said...thank you, Gwen for having this wonderful site.

-- Anonymous, December 22, 2000

I was born in New Orleans and grew up 30 minutes away in Slidell, LA. I have lived in the Denver area for 13 years now. My hometown in Louisiana always seemed so beautiful to me, and so accessible by bicycle. It was a unique location, 30 minutes across Lake Ponchartrain from New Orleans, 45 minutes from the French Quarter, 30 minutes to Pass Christian on the Mississippi Gulf Coast (a beach I love), the state capitol of Baton Rouge is 90 minutes north and the college town of Hammond and it's sister the strawberry capital of the South, Ponchatoula, are half that distance. Close to everything, but while I lived there it was physically separate enough to not be a suburb to anyplace. I was last there in 1995 and it is now much bigger and busier and not at all the place I left in the '80s.

-- Anonymous, December 22, 2000

My hometown is Springfield, Missouri. There were things I didn't like about it like in any town, but I loved the forests, lakes and rivers. I spent most of my time hiking in the woods. Chancing upon a deer was always a treat. I also spent a lot of time floating down lazy rivers with beautiful lush green cliffs or skiing on mirror-flat lakes. The Ozark mountains in the fall were always a day trip to see the flaming orange, yellow and red trees. I'm in inland San Diego now and while it is beautiful, I do miss the seasons and the high cost of living tempers a lot of the positive here for me.

-- Anonymous, December 23, 2000

I miss the smell of Oregon rain and pine trees, how CLEAN everything seemed there, and my friends -- HOWEVER -- I love San Francisco (but can do without the grossly obscene rents!), the smell of eucalyptus, lying in my bed at night and listening to the fog horns, hiking along Land's End and seeing the GGBridge, waiting for a cable car to pass so I can cross the street, the mild weather, rolling blankets of fog ... ...

-- Anonymous, December 23, 2000

MaryEllen, I'm in Atlanta right now and I'll bet you could move your husband up a few states and he wouldn't notice the temperature dropping significantly. When did it start getting so fucking cold here? And, my SO and I are moving to Asheville (fingers crossed) in a couple of years, so if it's the paradise I expect it to be, I'll help you with any persuasive information I can to help convince your husband!

I'm happy to say that the friendliness factor is definitely alive and strong here in Atlanta. I wonder sometimes if I don't saint everyone below the mason-dixon line because I've been away for so long, but I've been flirted with by every waiter I've had, treated sweetly by every salesperson in every store, and been smiled at and waved to by every stranger that I've smiled at and/or waved to. I forgot how nice it is to be flirted with even when you know someone is just gunning for a better tip-works on me

-- Anonymous, December 30, 2000

My hometown is Flora, IL, population 5,000. It's in the middle of nowhere...St. Louis is 2 hours west and Indianapolis is 3 hours east. I now live in Manhattan!! Anyway, my favorite thing about Flora is how I feel when I go there. My mom is still there and going home is the best feeling in the world. It's so wonderfully comfortable and QUIET. It's a great getaway.

-- Anonymous, February 05, 2001