Who’s YOUR City? Blog

After living in Austin, Albuquerque, Virginia, Perth, & Houston, I’ve found Murrells Inlet, SC. A mix of my past locations. Between the entertainment, exceptional food, climate, clean beaches that can be enjoyed year round without layers of clothes and proximity to Charleston, SC, I believe that I’ve found MY CITY. It is about 25 miles south of Myrtle Beach. The population here combines people from the south with northerners who have had enough o f traffic and cold weather. It is interesting and obvious that the people from the northeast that move here make a real effort to gear down to a more relaxing lifestyle. It seems to take some time, but, once they’re here for a few months, they become a part of that relaxed, less stressed base of the community. In fact that characteristic exudes from them. Courteous drivers are the norm.Being near the coast, it is humid in July & August, but it isn’t quite as humid as Austin in the hill country, where we moved from after 12 years. Austin is one of the best places to live for most people. But, it has become a congested little Houston. A distinct contrast to where I live now. The Myrtle Beach area is also growing, especially on the north side. The new Market Commons, a self sustaining community, just opened on the south side. Murrells Inlet, south of Myrtle Beach is also developing, but, due to the geographic layout, will reach its limits without becoming over populated. We’re s ituated between the ocean and the Waccamaw River which is part of the inter coastal waterway. Just minutes away, Myrtle Beach provides unlimited family activities; the first Hard Rock Theme Park opened this year. There are theaters, factory outlet centers, entertainment venues such as The House of Blues, and water parks, but the main family activities are still the beaches and businesses close by. You can launch a huge boat in the inlet into the ocean,or go up small creeks off the Waccamaw into wildlife filled cypress marshes that haven’t changed in hundreds of years, in a small john boat. There are waterfront restaurants on the ocean and fresh water sides of the village. And, they are excellent. Murrells Inlet’s moniker is “The Seafood Capital of South Carolina”. Fresh seafood in brought in daily. Medical facilities are top notch and plentiful. I paid 00 a year for taxes on my 300k house in Austin but pay 00 here for my house of the same price. There is a state income tax, b ut it is negligible and doesn’t make a dent in the difference. Pawleys Island, seven miles to the south of Murrells Inlet is the oldest vacation resort on the east coast. Quaint boutiques and specialty shops abound. The original hammock shop still exists. Many people that live here began visiting during their vacation and decided to make their dreams into realities instead of just hoping to live here one day. After being here nearly two years I’m extremely glad that I decided to just “do it”! Come see for yourself. We’ll be glad to have you! Brick Graham

Sent by Brick from Murrells Inlet, SC

Coral Gables, The City Beautiful, stands out as a rare pearl in South Florida, a cohesive community built on a grand scale that blends color, detail, and the Mediterranean Revival architectural style to create a timeless grace and grandeur perfectly in harmony with the environment. Whether you are a first-time visitor or a long-time resident, Coral Gables is a great place to live, work, and expl ore. Discover Coral Gables, and the many amenities The City Beautiful has to offer.
Even as City Founder George Merrick was in the beginning stages of creating Coral Gables, he dreamed of it as an international city, inspired by the great Mediterranean cities and serving as a gateway to the Americas. Today, Merrick’s dream has come true. Not only is the City Beautiful a thriving, multi-cultural community, it also serves as a cultural and economic gateway to the Latin America region.
Aix-en-Provence, France
Cartagena, Colombia
Granada, Spain
La Antigua, Guatemala
Province of Pisa, Italy
Quito, Ecuador
sister citys to coral gables, fl

Sent by Nevada from Coral Gables , FL

… As a print journalist of 35+ yrs. in the mainstream-&-gay media on both coasts (17 with “Billboard Magazine” in L.A. Vegas & the Bflo./Rochester, NY markets, I lived-&-worked in many other city/regions. But NONE can compare with western New York, it’s people, the 4-seasons, low cost-of-living, vibrant arts/theatre scene/architecture (includes 5-Frank Lloyd Wright creations!), pro sports teams, etc. It really is America’s “Best Kept Secret” ’til now!?!- I know.

Let’s hear those familiar “snow/winter”-&-Bflo. Bills Super Bowl jokes. But REALLY people!?! Snow MELTS, it’s GOOD to have a cleaned-up Lake Erie (one of the largest fresh water venues in-the-world!) & such vibrant greenery.

This Summer-of-’08, it does look like the “Land of Oz!” with all-the-rain we’ve been having. & Fall!?! “Forget-about-it!” The riot of bright-colored leaves HURTS-thee-EYES!?! & we’re now planning a major, state of-the-art Weather Museum for the lakefront to celebrate our good fortune. Just re-opened the re-watered Erie Canal Slip, which is being developed into a major historical site destination downtown! … Like the arts? Try restored Shea’s Theatre for the Performing Arts (reviewed Prince’s 1st. EVER concert here!), where major 1st. run, Broadway shows now appear. The Bflo. Philharmonic Orchestra is housed at acoustically-famous Kleinhans Music Hall (Summer’s at nearby Artpark in Niagara Falls, NY) & the A lbright-Knox Art Gallery is known worldwide for its modern art collection! + there is the new Burchfield/Penney Gallery at Bflo. State Univ. across-from-the Knox! & many more, smaller galleries! America’s Fair, one of the nation’s largest celebrations, starts Aug. 6th & there’s numerous ethnic festivals as-well-as other smaller, county fairs. - & “Yes,” the Bills still play at the 80,000-seat Ralph Wilson (55,000 season tickets sold this yr. already & almost ALL home games sold-out!) Reviewed the Rolling Stones & Jackson Five there. Our Bflo. Sabres skate at the 18,000-capacity HSBC Arena downtown. (5,000 fans cheered outside during a recent playoff game!) & the Triple A Bflo. Bisons play at the nearby Dunn Tire Park, which seats 18,000! (not bad for outdoor concerts either!)…

Now the restaurants: WOW!?! Take-you-PICK!?! From the famous Anchor Bar - home of the ORIGINAL Bflo. Chicken Wing - to so many others with the great ethnic Italian, Polish, German, Lebanese, Hispani c , African-American foods!?! Sahlen hot dogs, LaNova Pizza (Hillary & Bill Clinton’s fav!), beef-on-weck (mmm!), our amazing food stores with LOW prices compared to other cities! You CAN’T-go-WRONG!!!- & the economic/job scene’s getting brighter, especially with the Medical Corridor downtown with Bflo. General Hospital, Roswell Park Cancer Research Center & related university/private sector spin-off businesses. Blue Cross/Blue Shield rennovated a new, impressive office building near WKBW TV-7’s studios. A new, federal court skycraper’s rising nearby. & the Seneca nation’s building their 0-million Bflo. Creek Casino/Hotel near the Erie Canal site in the Cobblestone District. 1,000 new jobs!…

A plug for my hometown of East Aurora, 18-miles southeast of Bflo. The arts-&-crafts Roycroft Inn-&-Campus is here as-well-as the headquarters for Fisher-Price Toys-&-Moog, Inc. (a major NASA contractor). Not forgetting Vidlers, an original 5-&-dime store on Main Street & numerous horse f arms around-the-area. We WERE the racing capital of-the-world in la late 1800’s!- & we do have an active, vibrant LGBT community in WNY with many groups, organizations. I sing in the Bflo. Gay Mens Chorus, which just attended their 2nd intl. Gay-&-Lesbian Choral Assoc. festival in Miami Beach, Fla. My late-mother helped start PFLAG here. I’ve also sung with la Westminster Presbyterian Church Choir (on-&-off for 21-yrs.!) + my 1st. book, about my career/life’s, in NYC about to-be-published. & I was listed in “Who’s Who in America - in the Media” the last, 2-yrs!… But, LAST-&-BEST is Niagara Falls, NY. If you’ve NEVER been or even if-you-have, it’s an UNFORGETABLE experience. Our side, which includes Goat Island & the Three Sisters Island (the U.S.’s 1st. ever Natl. Park!), is more natural-&-less commercial than our commercial Canadian neighbor’s. There’s SO much-to-see & do! Plan on at LEAST-a-week there!- So, YEAH: Reconsider & rethink WNY, Buffalo, the Niagara Frontier. Y o u’ll THANK-me-LATER!!! See you HERE!!!

Sent by Hanford Searl Jr. from Buffalo, NY

I grew up outside of Worcester, Massachusetts. While I’ve always loved Massachusetts, I felt the need to go away to school. After years of research, I narrowed my choice to Case Western in Cleveland and Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh. When I made my bus trip to the near-mid West, I found I hated Cleveland (except for the Art Museum) and loved Pittsburgh. My choice was easy.

I’ve actually moved to Pittsburgh twice by choice. I wound up marrying a Pittsburgh native. We were part of the great brain-drain of the late ’70s and early ’80s that Pittsburgh experienced - my husband couldn’t get a job in Pittsburgh after he graduated from college and we wound up moving to rural Ohio. After spending 11 years in Massachusetts, we returned to Pittsburgh in 1993.

Pittsburgh had changed quite a lot between 1979 and 1993. Yeah, parts of downtown deteriorated rapidly in the late ’90s and early ’00s, but it is generally coming back now. People are actually moving into condos in downtown. There are an amazing number of small galleries, little theater troupes and small start-up companies.

As part of its brain drain 30 years ago, Pittsburgh experienced a major housing bust. However, it didn’t have the housing boom many other cities had in the ’90s and ’00s. Right now, the cost of housing is declining a little, but not nearly as much as it is in other areas. Affordable housing also makes Pittsburgh an extremely attractive city to settle in.

Pittsburgh seems amazingly underrated by many people. When I ran a conference in Pittsburgh in 1999 that attracted about 250 people from all over the country, almost everyone liked the city. I like to call Pittsburgh “the nicest city you’ve never been to.”

Sent by Laurie Mann from Pittsburgh, PA

If you are interested in (1) affordable cost of living, (2) short commute times, (3) outdoor and cultural amenities, (4) close proximitiy to higher education institutions and larger metro areas, and (5) quality health care, then Roanoke, Virginia is for you. To receive info about job opportunities, go to www.roanokeva.gov/connect.

sent by Stuart Mease from Roanoke, Virginia

Chicago is a FANTASTIC place to live, been here all my life. The Lake Michigan, shopping, museums, bike paths, lush green forests, good transportation options, restaurants and bars! The suburbs are fantastic in their own rights, always something to do. The weather is hot, humid, sticky in the summer usually late June - early Sept. Fall is comfortable with a crisp wind. Winters are mild from Nov-Dec with little/ no snow fall. Extremley cold from Jan-March. The weather is always unpredictable.

Sent by s. from Chicago

I live in Wilson, NC– a very small town that’s trying to act like a big city with a small town attitude. Even though we have a growing and thriving international population, the powers that be are dominated by the ‘ole boys club’: white males over the age of 40. Museums for adults do not exist in this town, the library is wonderful (in part due to folks who don’t live in Wilson), and a few international restaurants are starting to open. Wilson’s claim to fame is tobacco and its location: about 50 miles east of Raleigh and 40 miles west of Greenville.

I did not go through the local school system as a child. I went to a Math/Science High school in a large city, attended a Liberal Arts college, then grad school in Lexington, KY. I had to come back to help with an ailing mother, who is still alive. She wants to remain in Wilson–this is her hometown and her family is here. I’m also a math teacher.

I find a lot of native Wilsonian petty, unthinking, ultra conservative, racist (both the blacks and whites) and so religious (i.e. they can justify their racism, homophobia and hatred of strong women from the Bible). My tolerance level is hitting an all time low with such thinking. My small band of friends are not from Wilson (but live here, even though most are talking about leaving themselves), and when I want to go and see art, plays, clubs etc., I have to travel 50 miles to Raleigh.

So what city do you suggest?

Sent by Paully from Wilson, NC

I grew up in Chattanooga, TN. It has a lot good going for it these days, but it’s still too conservative for my tastes. I’m sociable by nature but a minority in being a non-church-goer. My husband and I have been living the expat life for 8 solid years now (the Balkans, Africa, the Middle East and Asia). We work in international aid and development and are used to and enjoy diversity.

Eventually we will have to come back home for family reasons. Family is very important to me. I can’t stomach the idea of living in the suburbs of Atlanta, but where can we go? Is DC our only option? It’s not exactly close. If not either of these, we are likely going to have to make some career change since the work we’ve been doing seems to need an international city hub.

Sent by Kate from Amman, Jordan

Hi there, I thought it was coincidental that I heard a review of this book on NPR just hours before I interviewed for a position in Auckland. Louisville, KY is my hometown, but I’ve lived in Nantucket, Taos, and Hawaii. I’m considering a move to New Zealand and would love to hear about the experiences of other Americans or Canadians that have relocated there.

Sent by Ginny from Louisville, KY

My wife met in Cincinnati, OH and have lived here for too long. We have some family here and a lot of friends but we are still very unhappy in this city. The climate is bad and I have horrible allergies to almost every tree in the Mid-West.

I am a social worker and my wife is finishing up graduate school soon. We are hoping to move somewhere in Colorado in the next year or two, but we are not quite sure where. We have been there three times and enjoy the open space, green technology, historic downtowns, and clean/dry air.

My wife will soon have her Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy and I would like to open my own vintage shop at some point. Are there any suggestions (especially from those of you in Colorado) where we should look further into? Even if it is not Colorado, we just need some advice… and we NEED to leave the Mid-West!

Sent by Jim from Cincinnati