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Hey Pandas, What Are The Pros And Cons Of Living In Your Current Location?
What do you like or dislike about where you live?
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Finland.
Pros: Safe, clean, society functions well, fee healthcare & education, lots of personal space, nature is always near, freedom to roam (or whatever it is in English – you can walk the forests everywhere, without even knowing whose forest it is, as long as you can't be seen from houses or yards).
Cons: Darkness in the winters. I don't mind the cold, but the darkness gets me.
Final score:
23points
#2
Pros: I live in one of the most beautiful parts of Australia within walking distance of a beach. I have bush everywhere and I'm spoilt for choice on bushwalks I can go on, waterfalls, lagoons, creeks, rivers and ocean we have it all.
Cons: I live in Aboriginal Housing and they don't really maintain the property. I can't afford to move but my house is a nightmare. It is an old display home that never got fixed up for actual people to live in. We have no insulation so my house is freezing to the point of fog coming out of your mouth and boiling hot in summer. Mold is rampant. I can see sunlight through the roof and there's something wrong with the wiring. I have reported all this to the real estate but nothing ever gets done
Final score:
17points
#3
Pro : Tiny village life where everyone both keeps to themselves and yet looks after each other. I'm a quiet country boy at heart.
Con : One of the most famous places in England so in the summer the population triples with tourists who wonder why it hasn't got the amenities of London.
Final score:
17points
#4
Qualicum Beach, Vancouver Island, Canada
Pros - gorgeous forests, mountains, ocean, beaches, small town, farmland, wonderful neighbours, safe.
Cons - omg so expensive to live here!!! And when it rains, it pours ..
Final score:
15points
#5
Turkey: I am from Canada but currently living in Turkey for work reasons. Pros: Beautiful, cheap, perfect blend of modern and ancient cultures. Lots of amazing places to visit ranging from beautiful beaches to intriguing archaeological sites.
Cons: Being based at the epicentre of the devastating twin earthquakes of 6 February 2023 which caused over 50 000 deaths. I am lucky to have escaped with my life. We continue living in fear of aftershocks, not knowing how strong or damaged any building really is.
Final score:
14points
#6
Maryland, USA, right up against Washington D.C.
Pros - Diversity (every way you can think of), good stuff (schools, stores, etc.),
Cons -Hella traffic getting literally anywhere, cost of living.
If any other Pandas from MoCo, P.G., or Howard are here, chime in, compare and contrast! Something I missed? Something you wanna add?
Final score:
12points
#7
There are no pros to living in Delaware. Stop moving here.
Final score:
12points
#8
pros: lilikoi hi-chews. totally delicious. also, there's a water tank decorated like a pig when you drive in to waimea from kona.
cons: very hot, sometimes (in my case) geckos will crawl through your windows into your house and spark a paralyzing fear of them (geckos not windows,) if you want to walk your dog during the day it gets hot on the sidewalk so you have to get your dog boots, totally huge bugs that are either poisonous or fly
Final score:
11points
#9
Alabama.
Pro: The people are friendly and courteous, ready to help anytime. Things are pretty quiet and easy-going. Prices are low.
Cons: it's hot. Unless it's the dead of winter, it's hot.
I'm from CA, where there's something to do on every corner. Here there's something to do on every corner too... but it's church.
The veneer of civilization can be thin. Certain remarks can pop up in conversations and surprise you.
Final score:
11points
#10
I live in (Erie) Pennsylvania! PROS: MIGHTY FINE DOUGHNUTS!!!!!!!!!!!! Lake Erie, Waldameer. CONS: Everyone believes that no one has a dad/mom, but mostly dad, Everyone knows each other. I guess that's all.
Final score:
9points
#11
Tennessee, USA. I'll keep it simple:
Pro - absolutely beautiful moutains, lakes, etc.
Con - the state just outlawed drag shows. Because we focus on non-issues that feed paranoid, conservative agenda and annoy things like animal abuse, crime, opioid addiction/distribution.
Final score:
9points
#12
Southern part of Michigan.
Cons: plenty of cold weather, lack of sun in winter. Property taxes are insanely high. Low income people really struggle here.
Pros: lots of greenery and trees, the state has many lakes, forests and great parks. This area has a good bus system which I use often. Our neighbors are great and I can walk or bike to many places. And we got water - those Great Lakes!
Final score:
9points
#13
Kansas, US.
Pros:
1. ALL the sky. So much blue sky, and so many stars at night.
2. The thunderstorms are epic.
3. Small-town culture is strong. People are laid-back and friendly. They'll lend you a hand, pull you out of mud, or let you borrow a cup of sugar as often as you ask.
4. Tons of agriculture. We produce a lot of food and the culture revolves around it.
5. Family is important. Kids will come back home after college and raise their kids in the same town they were born. It's hard to keep track of how everyone is related.
6. The American roots are strong. People love their freedom, fireworks and old pick-up trucks. If you want to try shooting a gun, they'll teach you how and then offer to take you hunting. There is always plenty of corn, ice-cream and hamburgers.
Cons:
1. The weather. 110F all summer and then -15 wind-chill all winter. Plus tornados, dust storms, and ice storms. It's just harsh out here.
2. There are a lot of snakes, spiders and snapping turtles.
3. Chiggers.😱
4. People are honest, but can be pretty ignorant about what goes on in the rest of the world. Most of them haven't been outside the US.
5. Some of their old-school values are charming and I wished more people held to them, but the sexist and racist (mostly against Mexicans and Russians) stuff has to go. A lot of it comes from plain ignorance.
6. I don't know what they think Italian food is, but it is NOT what their restaurants are serving.🤣
Final score:
9points
#14
rural Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France, Europe
pros: gorgeous forests which make any jog, or outside walk a blast. reasonable renting prices. cheap wood (heating). relaxed mentality. you can say hello in the street to unknown people very easily. 99.9% of your encounter will be polite, not to say very polite. probably caused by the calm, and relaxing environment
cons: huge lacking of dentists. an appointment can take up to weeks
Final score:
9points
#15
Cape Town South Africa here
Pros- Best governed part of SA. I live near mountains and the beach, both are a 15 min walk from my home. The culture and the people are very nice and laid back. There are a lot of vineyards here, and as somebody who doesn't drink alcohol there are also non alcoholic wines and beers.
Cons- The political party in charge in the Cape isn't in charge in the rest of the country which leads to a lot of bad things like loadshedding(Basically they turn the power off a few times a day to save electricity). Also just personal but most of my family live in Johannesburg so I don't see them that much
Final score:
8points
#16
Montana USA.
It's beautiful out here buuut it's MAGA country.
Final score:
7points
#17
texas.
pros: pretty views, buc-ees, quite a bit to do since there's several big cities, amazing barbecue, cute small towns.
cons: c**p schooling, homophobia, weather is unpredictable and cold all of a sudden (by cold i mean like going from 80-90 degrees to under 40 in a day, all you northerners are probably laughing right now.), it takes forever to get out of the state, like you could drive starting from galveston and not make it out of the state driving all day.
i've lived here my whole life but i do travel a lot so i've been to 25 of the 50 states. it's not a bad place to live honestly, but it's not great either.
Final score:
7points
#18
Near Charlottesville, Virginia (near-ish)
Pros: Blue Ridge mountains, gorgeous weather half the year, wonderful hiking, outdoor stuff, and the University means we have a lot more diversity than even one county further away.
Cons: We have a real need for affordable housing and mass transit. Oh, and Trump has a vineyard near us. Massive con b/c of the lawsuits and unpaid bills.
Final score:
7points
#19
Adelaide, Australia
Pros: Good food, great wine, superb beaches, good bushwalks, plenty of parks to take the dogs to, good schools, OK (but could be better) healthcare, still affordable to live (but only just)
Cons: Lack of good job opportunities, conservative nut jobs trying to turn us into the U.S (as far as health and education goes at least), distance from the rest of the world makes travelling expensive
Final score:
7points
#20
As a Minnesotan I really like the variety of weather & the lakes & summer, but the shoveling fr
Final score:
6points
#21
I live in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, which is also the capital of Canada.
Pros;
1: I live in a hub area part of town, so I'm not too far off from work or major areas of town.
2: There are a lot of good hidden restaurants in Ottawa. Burrito Sensei, Sansotei Ramen, Centrale Bergham, and Gogiya Fried Chicken are some great places I discovered.
3: The city is pretty clean, especially with a bigger push for bike lanes, electric buses, E-Bikes, and E-Scooters.
4: Education is good here, and a good amount of the people here are bilingual (English and French), due to being close to Gatineau (a city part of Quebec).
5: There are good landmarks to see in the heart of downtown Ottawa. The Rideau Canal is fun to skate on in the winter, the grave of the Unknown Soldier, the Terry Fox statue, etc.
6: There is a lot of diversity here, with small cities like Chinatown and Little Italy, and a good chunk of the population is diverse with culture. The population here has a good mix of races and cultures here.
Cons;
1: Inconsistent weather. We are a week away from spring, and the snow is expected to last for a little while longer. We've have had it last until April/May in some years. There also some days in the summer that are ridiculously hot, like from the late 30's to 40's Celsius.
2: The drivers here suck. Be it our public transit, or random drivers.
3: The bus pass is one of the most expensive ones in all of Canada ($125 monthly), and the public transit is very unreliable. The train being good doesn't really help either, if you have to wait 30 minutes for your next bus.
4: The cost of living is pretty high, and it's only going up in price.
5: This is more of a personal con, but we don't tend to get too many outside events that happen here. I believe that is due to our population being much lower compared to Toronto or Montreal. On a more personal level, as a combat sports/anime fan, major UFC/MMA or Boxing events don't really come over here (even prior to COVID), and limited release anime films that I want to see don't usually come over here. Nearly missed a movie I really wanted to see recently as a result.
Final score:
6points
#22
I live somewhere in the woods in Quebec Canada..
Pros: small town, not a lot of people, I can go swimming, skiing, biking, etc.. without even leaving my village.
Cons: winter is too cold with too much snow, summer is too hot, I know almost everyone and everyone knows me
Final score:
6points
#23
PRO: I live near a lake and because of the way the lake cuts into the land most really bad weather misses us and blows out over the water.
CON: It's Ohio
Final score:
6points
Mr_Alfreado 1 year ago
Ohio is joked to be a void because there's like two cities and the rest is forest. Ohio doesn't exist
Load More Replies...
#24
Small market town in the border between Gloucestershire and Herefordshire, England. Pro, it's pretty, friendly, good walks, pub, shops, close to motorway but you'd never know it. Con, its lost its bank, greengrocer, butcher, restaurants, who knows what's going next
Final score:
6points
#25
I live on earth. The pros, animals and nature.
The cons, humans and all our $hit.
Final score:
6points
#26
California USA
pros: theres only snow up north yea i got nothing else, theres always something interesting happenening
cons: it only snows up north ,its only hot down south, we only have two seasons:hot and cold, traffic is horrible, it can be spring and be perfectly sunny one second with no warning and start raining, we got crazy drivers on highways , our mountain streets are probably designed to kill us because of how much they curve
Final score:
5points
#27
North Carolina (USA)
Pros - beautiful landscape, lots of universities, museums, nature trails (at least near where I live), diversity of the population (the #1 reason I haven't moved away as I became a parent)
Cons - too many bigots with guns & confederate flags, poor education system (primary through high school,) having to worry about gun violence, for-profit c**p healthcare system, & Trump supporters
Final score:
5points
#28
Vermont, USA
Pros: Absolutely gorgeous mountains and scenery. Small towns things like everybody knows everybody. Driver courtesy.
Cons: A lot of teenage mothers walking around in SpongeBob Square Pants pants and
Final score:
5points
#29
Pros: No risk of flood, low risk of bushfire, quiet neighbourhood, easy commute to the office, quick drive to the local shops
Cons: It's Canberra (as Bill Bryson said: "Why wait for death?")
Final score:
5points
#30
Alaska! The pros… absolutely breathtakingly beautiful. Northern lights, low population
Cons: Loooooong winters. They’re dark, cold, last forever, you have to be super tough to get through winters here I’ve about had enough lol. Also the summers are SUPER short, literally June and July, and then the leaves start changing in august
Final score:
5points
#31
ITS LIKE THIS WAS MADE FOR ME!
I live in the middle of Alaska
pros: the summer is awesome,
there are lots of lakes to swim in and the outdoors are beautiful.
berry picking is fun and we love hiking and camping.
in the winter i love to snowboard and ice skate.
Cons: fall only lasts two weeks,
there’s six months of winter,
and not very many popular business, for example, there’s not even a Target in my city.
Final score:
5points
#32
The Caribbean, Pros: great weather, always close to a beach, really chill vibe, great food, lovely people. Cons: Crime (not all), hurricanes, earthquakes and some islands have a lot of poverty.
Final score:
5points
#33
My current location is a really small town in north central Ohio.
The pros are that firstly it is small so it's walkable and I can do what I need to do without a car. It also has good schools that have small class size and good teachers. My neighbors are nice, and I have no problem with them.
The cons are that to get to big stores like Walmart and its competitors I have to drive about 30 miles. My doctor is about as far as the county seat to do business with the county offices.
However, I love this little town and have absolutely no desire to move!
Final score:
4points
#34
I live in a rural town in northeastern PA. There are not alot of resources, or much of anything. There's little to do. So that's a bummer. If my car breaks down I'm f**ked because there's no public transportation. There's one cab. Literally, one cab! Just one guy driving his 'cab'. It takes hours to arrive, if he can do it at all, and costs a fortune. Also, where I live it's surprisingly prejudice. I'm aware people are like that every where, but the magnitude of it was surprising.
However, there are some beautiful areas around here. The lake is beautiful, and there's some great trails. My favorite spot is by the lake. You walk past the trail a bit along the coast where there's this little 'lounge' area. Someone moved these boulders to create a circle, and a chair I call the throne facing west. It's gorgeous at sunset. I can spend hours there. I like to bring a book, notebook, and a joint and I'm happy for the next few hours 😁
Final score:
4points
#35
Johannesburg South Africa.
Pros: Massive city (bigger area than London), tons of stuff to do. Short list: apartheid museum. Origins (human origins) museum. Sterkfontein caves (cave men). Emmarentia park/dam. ORTambo park/waterfall. Mandela's house and freedom square. Military history museum. Zoo. Rock climbing, Ziplining, ballooning, etc. Clubs, casinos, live shows, theatre, movies and restaurants up the wazoo. Any cuisine you want, we got it. A mall and clinic in every suburb. Everyone is friendly and helpful and welcoming. Dozens of intersting languages and cultures, 100% diverse. Stunning rain storms. Lots of different bird species. Economic hub of africa, most expensive square mile: Sandton. Produces about 10% of continent's GDP and about 33% of South Africa's.
Cons: Insane traffic, terrible drivers. Tons of potholes. Apartheid still alive somewhat - most people in poor areas are black. High crime rate... keep away from dark, dingy places, do not park in isolated places. Women - do not leave a drink unattended at a pub. Crowded - about 13m people in the province of Gauteng which is mostly Joburg/Pretoria that takes up the land.
Final score:
4points
#36
I'm from Portugal ( Algarve in the south)
Cons: salaries, rent and house prices
Pros: everything else is very good is horrible for us that it's so good for digital nomads to live here 🤣 just kidding we love you! the prices of things are affordable, the winter is not cold and the summer is just as hot as it should be, the sun sets very late, you have incredible beaches and some mountains, lots of good food different in every town and city, monuments and culture, you have very affordable almost free healthcare and free school, university is very cheap any student can just pay it by having a part time no loans at all ( even foreign students). People are nice and almost everyone speaks English, we live of tourism a lot. I love my country but that just makes me mad 😡 almost all younger people have to work elsewhere at some point to be able to buy a house... Unless you're loaded but I guess that's our perspective, and depends where in the country you live, I think the government gives away old houses in the villages if you can farm the land ... So I believe we are better than most places if you don't go to the capital of course... That's a tourist trap.
Final score:
4points
#37
I live in Florida.
Pros- Beautiful springs and beaches* Very multicultural* Great govener,*Has a scholarship for school aged children to attend private schools, also you do not have to have your kid go to a zoned school if that school doesn't fit your child's needs*Great colleges* Muli opportunities* Can live in big cities or BFE* So many Beautiful wild life,*We opened up during the pandemic so people so our economy wouldn't fall* great weather* Great housing prices,*No food or medicine taxes, no state taxes or ssi tax or inheritance taxes* my property tax isn't bad,*great amusement parks that are not only in Orlando* Kennedy space center, the keys* St. Augustine* Ocala national forest* Have Spanish style buildings* Family friendly state* Retirement state friendly * We get snow birds and people who retired to spend their money and leave the jobs open, also retired people have great stories to tell* Can be raining on one side of the road and across the street it is sunny * Wonderful outdoor activities *Always keeping up with roads, I especially love the turnpike * You never have to shovel snow* Cruise ships * Encourages recycling
Cons- "Florida Man" Aso Florida can get some nut jobs here * Bugs* Leaves don't change in the fall. ( bright side to that winter doesn't look like death. You know how in some places when it is winter but doesn't snow it looks like death.) * The month of July * Hurricanes * Some bad areas * Bull sharks * No unions, pay can be bad even in some areas that you need it to be higher * Home insurance is really high in many areas * No fault state, car insurance is expensive also * Even thought there are some wonderful people here there are also some of the rudest people I have even met. South Florida needs an attitude adjustment. Especially Broward County! * Fines can be way over the top * Crazy drivers * No off grid living * Can fee you to death. Sometimes when you have old rich people running things they forget that people don't have money like that. Yes, somebody needs to call this one out * Not the best public transportation, some areas don't even have them that should
Final score:
3points
#38
Singapore-
Pros- the entire island is one huge city, you can get from one end of the country to the other in like 30 minutes if there’s no traffic (but there’s always traffic lmao.)
the snacks and food here are SO GOOD- like i’m considering making a whole post of each of my favorite singaporean snacks and why they’re so good (bubble tea here is great)
I love the symphony orchestra here
Final score:
3points
#40
GUAM:
PRO: Spectacular beaches. It takes 1.5 to 2 hours to drive around the island going 35 mph without stopping. Locals are friendly.
CONS: It takes 1.5 to 2 hours to drive around the island going 35 mph without stopping. Expensive as heck. Hot...so so hot. If you have medical issues, do research before moving here. They may not have the medical expertise to take care of you. Stray dogs (local and abandoned by some military that cannot afford to get them off the island) every where, its horrible to see.
Final score:
3points
#41
Switzerland, Zurich
Pros: most reliable train schedule, very high living & medical standard, best chocolate, everything in close distances reachable, Central Europe, 4 languages, Swiss Neutrality Federal Constitution, beautiful balanced mixture of different ethnicities, high income, good universities and offer for education
Cons: the weather is awful, everything very expensive, stressed people, high suicidal quote, lack of skilled workers (especially health), affluent neglect, isolation
Final score:
3points
#42
Hawkes Bay, New Zealand.
Cons: Expensive. Power, rates, insurance, tradies, and food! more expensive than our big cities. And HB is a food producing area.
Not much to do, few events, also compared with biggest city which also has various beaches, bush as well. Hard to find second hand stuff. Cut off recently due to cyclone flooding, and all sorts of things not available for the last month, gardening seedlings, seeds, among them.
Pros: Less traffic
Final score:
3points
#43
I live in Windsor On Canada. We have so many cultures here that are celebrated and accepted. The food is great. We have our own style of pizza.We can scoot over to the states for some quick shopping if we want. And we have some great parks and outdoor recreation all around us. Plus free Canadian Healthcare.
Cons: Not many jobs and the rent has gone through the roof. We're in the middle of an opioid crisis with our homeless and it's taking a toll.
Final score:
3points
#44
Just moved to Southern CA. The weather was nice in the winter for the most part. It was 86 on Christmas, so I was sweating. But there's a really big homeless/crime problem, and everyone drives like they've got nowhere to be. Just extremely slow and inconsiderate (I'm from NYC, where we don't have time to waste).
Final score:
3points
#45
Utah
Con: %60.68 of Utah is Mormon, not the best for a non-binary queer folk *_*
half of the %39.32 non-mormons are still a**holes though
Pros: my grandparents church is probably the only one of many that are supportive about everything, not just being queer and enby.
Final score:
2points
#46
Pro: I can take full advantage of my white privilege here.
Con: About as diverse as a Cracker Barrel.
Final score:
2points
#47
New Jersey
Pros: We know how to do our pizza and bagels
Cons: Living in New Jersey.
Final score:
2points
#48
Vermont, USA (borders Quebec, Canada
Pro: You do you. Vermont does Vermont. Live and let live. We have 1 area code, lots of space and a couple fun "cities". Our signs are in english and french but we don't allow billboards. Outlawed slavery in 1777. Legal recreational pot.
Con: Some of the farmland now has solar panels since dairy farming is not profitable.
If you want to move to Vermont there is a program that will pay $10,000 if you can work remotely. Yes, its real. https://thinkvermont.com/relocation-incentives/
Final score:
2points
#49
Hampton Roads, Virginia
Pros: lots of history, fun beaches, mountains are close by, Busch Gardens, great for water lovers.
Cons: HRBT - lots of tourists in summer cause horrific congestion.
Final score:
2points
#50
Living in a small town in central Illinois.
Pros: lots of green during spring and summer. Nearby forested park with a creek running through it. Slightly farther park with forest and creek. Half an hour to a bigger city, accessible thanks to a nearby interstate. Access to passenger trains several times a day. Fantastic governor who got the state out of debt, improved credit rating for the state. Many great colleges and universities. Fairly consistent weather appropriate to the season. Little tourism.
Cons: everyone thinks we all live in Chicago. Not enough well-paying jobs makes out-of-town travel a necessity. Utilities can be high. Not enough support services. Big drug problem. Tornadoes. A town that's slowly dying.
Final score:
2points
#51
Utah
Pros: Good people here(Not all Mormons are bad. Some are just nice), strong economy(Utah has the number one GDP growth), it’s beautiful(Arches, Moab, Bryce Canyon, all the mountains), there’s a lot to do, seasons are beautiful.
Cons: DRY as f***k, our drivers suck(they don’t use the lanes correctly), weather is unpredictable(it can be 28°F in the morning and then like 52°F in the afternoon), our name spellings are weird, our air quality can be terrible.
Final score:
2points
#52
Penetanguishene Ontario.
I live 200 meters from Georgian Bay.
Shopping right in town.
85 km to our cottage.
50 km to the kids.
Just perfect !!
Final score:
2points
#53
Midwest....USA
Pros: Less expensive living compared to the West coast (California, etc). All four seasons experienced throughout the year, instead of one type of weather.
Cons: People from the West coast moving to the Midwest, driving up the cost of housing so that those living in the Midwest for years can't afford decent housing.
Final score:
2points
#54
I live in a ritzy retirement community where everything is done for the residents. However, my two-bedroom third-floor condo doesn't let me have the garden I'd like or the number of cats I want. Every time I leave the campus, I see big old houses where I could have animals and gardens. But then I think of the constant parade of repairmen always fixing something or other. And then I think about having to do grocery shopping and cooking and cleaning. And then there are taxes. That's enough to keep me returning home to my place. It's like living in a resort or being on a cruise. That I live in a coastal town near the beach where the temps vary from 55⁰ to 75⁰ year around really clinches my decision. I like everything about where I live--except the increased traffic and the lack of water. People keep moving here, hoping to be as happy as I am, I guess.
Final score:
2points
#55
Pros: no snow, lots of beaches
Cons: everything else
I live in Florida.
Final score:
2points
#56
I live on a wooded lot in western New York State. Pros would be the 200 acres behind me that belong to my parents. No nearby neighbors means I don't have to make friendly with weirdos. I see deer in my back yard constantly, and I know there are owls, hawks, opossum, raccoon, and coyote in the big woods. I have no lawn to cut because it's all trees. A big city is thirty minutes away, and I can get to a Lake Erie beach in about fifteen minutes. Canada is right there and easy to visit. We have four seasons, and the town plows the roads very frequently in the winter.
Cons: lousy internet service, well water, small town politics. I have to drive to go anywhere, but I enjoy driving so it's no big deal. Leaves, leaves, and more leaves on the driveway in the fall.
I can't imagine living anywhere else.
Final score:
2points
#57
United States of America.
Where I live in the states, it's a lot quiet and rural, in which I like. The neighborhood is very tight knit, so everyone basically watches out for each other.
Something I dislike is the random changes in the winter season before spring. It's first warm and most of the snow is melted. Then it snows again. The snow then turns to ice. And then it melts until the season decides it's time for spring.
Otherwise the US is fine depending on where you live.
Final score:
2points
#58
Anchorage, Alaska, USA, between Russia and Canada and yet, actually part of the United States (seems most Americans don't know that)
Pros: Mountains: nearly year round back country skiing, mountain biking, hiking, camping and gorgeous-ness. So freaking beautiful. Cool outdoorsy folks. Giant rock climbing gym where you can practice for rock climbing outside. Small city with big city amenities like good restaurants, convenience stores, Costco, pretty happening theater/local music scene. The city frequently sponsors cool events to get people out, like Fur Rondy and first Friday. In the city, I can bike or cross country ski pretty much anywhere and often on paved/groomed pedestrian trails that meander through parks/woods. Seems like a pretty good job market. Unbeatable summers. No creepy crawlies or scary bugs, just mosquitoes. Moose and whales are pretty cool to see.
Cons: Don't live here if you're not into winter. It's cold, frequently. It's dark half the year. It's hella expensive: housing, food, gas, cars, travel in or out of state. Anchorage has a massive homeless population that are just piled all along the sides of streets. There might be a few neighborhoods to the far south that don't have homeless, but they're pretty much everywhere. Anchorage also has a massive housing shortage. Anchorage is fairly dumpy, a lot of crappy looking strip malls and the houses are generally hideous and not kept up. Roads can be pretty bad due to people having studs on their tires so we can drive on the ice. Bands from other states/countries rarely come up.
Final score:
2points
#59
I'm a Canadian, currently living in Yucatan Mexico.
Pros: never snows, very laid back, love the locals, they are all friendly, summer year round, ruins and cenotes everywhere, Canadian dollar goes quite far....
Cons: all the garbage, all the stray dogs, doesn't rain enough lol
Final score:
2points
#60
Seattle!!
Pros
Very aesthetic! So aesthetic. The most aesthetic
Nobody ever approaches you and starts talking to you except for creepy people from out of the city or people on drugs
Nice and cool most of the year
Gorgeous, always (I love the grey)
Did I mention how aesthetic it is?
Super accepting and great, there's pride flags everywhere and I attended a smaller police brutality protest last year a few blocks away from my house.
Very progressive! Not that much like the rest of the US
Everyone's really sweet, I once slipped on ice and a random guy walking his dog came up to ask if I was alright
There's a ton of cats just wandering around being friendly (they have owners and collars, they're just outdoor cats) and they'll try to invade your house for snacks
Amazing wilderness, really breathtaking in the spring and summer.
Again, super aesthetic. Looks very pretty at all times
Probably more but I'm tired rn so I can't get my brain to brain very well
Cons
There are none? Why do you ask? I mean yeah you need to watch out for needles but if you step on one it's your own damn fault you should be wearing shoes. Ig it rains a bit but the rain is very nice and cozy. It gets super hot during the summer but we're right next to the sound so that's not a problem. Honestly idk what problems one could ever have with this place it's perfect
Final score:
2points
#61
Sudan, Africa
Pros: Nice community, we take all the c**p we get together and make them our own inside jokes.
Cons: Alot of internal conflicts, economys a bust, very stressful living cicumstances, basic needs are a privledge not a given
Either way you come to embrace how little good things can make you extremely grateful
A very sad conclusion
Final score:
2points
#62
As a Minnesotan I really like the variety of weather & the lakes & summer, but the shoveling fr
Final score:
1point
#63
I live in Southern California. I’ve lived with my incredibly abusive, toxic, narcissistic mother and sister for the first 40 years of my life. (My dad had an accident when I was 18, and sustained a massive brain injury. We took care of him at home, so I felt obligated to stay living at home to help care for him. He died almost three years ago.)
This last year, I adopted a puppy who ended up being very sick. My mother was absolutely more horrific than usual and told me to “just kill him” and “get a new one”. So I moved out.
Pros? I have privacy. I am allowed to close the bathroom door when I am in there, something I couldn’t do even as an adult at home. I don’t have to live in fear of my mother’s physical or verbal abuse. I don’t have to fear that my sister will “accidentally” let my indoor cats out of the house.
Cons? I live with my ex. I do not love him any more. I met someone last year who I actually felt love and passion for, but he moved across the country with his family. My ex wanted to work things out, so I tried. I really did. But I do not feel anything for him any more.
I’m trapped here now. I don’t know what to do. I can’t go home, and I don’t have the money to live on my own.
P.S. - my puppy survived, fück you, Mom.
Final score:
1point
#64
Salt Lake City, Utah, US
Pros: Great place with lots of malls, shops, good restaurants, (skiing places are big here too).
Cons: >60% of the people here are Mormon and slightly anti-LGBTQ2+ here, there's a big spider problem (although most of the spiders here aren't as big as huntsman cane spiders (0ˍo)).
Final score:
1point
#65
Pros: free healthcare, accessible higher education, cheap electricity (renewable), huge open spaces with great protected national parks (for now). In my hometown, easy to get around without a car (good public transports) and tons of great restaurants when you know where to look (5 minutes subway rides outside the touristic areas). Affordable rent... for now (see Cons). Gun control (it works by the way), low crimerate for a big city (not afraid to walk home at 2AM after a night out), great solidarity vibe in my neighborhood (people helping each other against evictions and greedy landlords).
Cons: out of control rent increases, home prices and tenants evictions. People are getting kicked out of their apartments (some living in them for more than 30 years) to be rented as Airbnb or rerented at twice or triple the price. Our roads are a mess too. Political system sucks, our current PM controls 75% of the Assembly with less than 40% of the popular vote, not really democratic imo.
Final score:
1point
#66
Near D.C. in southern Maryland.
Pros: Lots of kids my age in the neighborhood, lots of friends, people are normally pretty nice
Cons: HELL OF A LOT OF TRAFFIC
Final score:
1point
#67
Pros - 5mins walk to both of my jobs
- Great staff, clean and plenty of washers/dryers
- Great views of the mountains
- In house mail room for outgoing mail and secured locker system for larger packages.
Cons - $1300+ for a studio apartment due to living in the middle of downtown
- No cash payments or CC payments in house. Must pay rent online or at select stores using a QR code linking your account.
Final score:
1point
#68
Pros: Northwest Arkansas is a great area to live in, lots of outdoor activities, including awesome mountain bike trails, beautiful state parks, hiking, rafting, canoeing the Buffalo river, Crystal Bridges, world class museum, a festival every weekend somewhere in the Ozarks, concerts, great local bands, etc.
Cons: Sarah Huckabee Sanders and her band of marauding republicans are doing their best to drag Arkansas ratings even lower with each horrid law they pass. Look them up, or tune in to Stephen Colbert or other late night show.
Final score:
1point
#69
I live in a small country town. Pros. Everyone knows me and my business.
Cons. Everyone knows me and knows my business!
Final score:
1point
#70
I absolutely love reading Bored Panda and learning about different cultures .. thank you ..
Final score:
1point
#71
Auckland, New Zealand.
Pros: Awesome beaches, beautiful harbours. Cafes restaurants and shopping. City, but not crowded. Close to nature. High standard of living. Not too hot, not too cold - never snows.
Cons: C**p public transport. Cost of living.
But - the more I travel, the more I love New Zealand.
Final score:
1point
#72
South of france
Pro: beautiful, with mountain, forests and the beach, very nice weather, French health care, cheap public transport...
Con: expensive housing, not so nice people
Final score:
1point
#73
United States of America
PROS:
Freedom of speech
good jobs
food security
acceptance of LGBTQ+ community
CONS:
Firearms
Racism
Homophobia
Unhealthy food
Bad healthcare
Taxes
Expensive Insurance
Homelessness
Criminal activity
Texas exists
Final score:
1point
#74
England
Pros: Free healthcare, lots of history, not too hot, nice accents
Cons: Politicians
Final score:
1point
#75
Saudi Arabia
Pros: Healthy environment, good education, no stereotypes, dirt cheap healthcare, cheap schooling systems, safe and secure, good landscapes, not too expensive housing system.
cons: too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter, too dry, everything else is expensive.
Final score:
1point
#76
Fredericksburg, Va.
Pros: Nice area, a lot of history (4 Civil War battlegrounds in a 20 mile radius), locals tend to be friendly. Close to the Allegheney Mountains and the Atlantic Ocean, good food. Close to DC and Richmond.
Cons: Traffic hell and getting worse. Yankees moving down here. A fast-growing area. Don't Fairfax Fredericksburg.
Final score:
1point
#78
Pros: ….
Cons: there are 12-14 anti-LGBTQ+ bills that have just advanced in my state and in a few months me and a bunch of other people are going to lose almost all of our rights
Final score:
0points
#79
Pros: It's nice and sunny and calm
Cons: S****y household
Final score:
0points
#80
After my breakup, I moved a half mile from work. I’ve gained more than an hour of free, non-driving time every work day. And I’m saving a heck of a lot on fuel and wear & tear on my car.
Final score:
0points
#81
Pros- Since it's a metropolitan city everything is available. Home delivery, services, restaurants, pubs etc
Cons- It's a concrete jungle. Too many people. No greenery. Sometimes I really want to enjoy peaceful nature. No where to go near by.
Final score:
0points
#82
where i live there is army of cats living in my small neighborhood. most of them are my neighbors. there was this small play ground that was right next to church that i always played at. now that it's old and broken there's really nothing to do. so i stay inside and play video games
Final score:
0points
#83
Con: I live by a shooting range. You can bring any gun and fire at targets any time day or night no one police’s it. Pro: we get to play fireworks or gunshots on the 4th of July and if I ever shoot someone the sound won’t be troublesome. 🤣
Final score:
0points
#84
I only moved to my small(er) town in Gippsland, Victoria, Australia, a year and a half ago from the outer suburbs of Melbourne so it is easy to compare the two areas.
Pros: Less traffic, beautiful scenery, rainforests, rivers etc close by. It's a bit more laid back and community focussed than where I grew up, though there we still pockets of strong communities back there.
Cons: It's not as far from town as I would like, but my mum is 15mins away from me in 13 acres so it's not too bad. Healthcare (although not great anywhere in Aus at the moment) is even more difficult in regional areas. I still travel 1.5hrs back to Melbourne for some GP appointments because although I have found one that is okay 15 mins from me, you can't get an appointment less than 6 days ahead. Also unlikely to get specialists as easily here and I found I can get radiology done, but there is usually at least a two week wait, with at least two weeks to wait for the results. I ended up working out which was the furthest out radiology place that was still considered part of Melbourne and ran to their times, but that was an hour drive still.
Also, smaller towns don't mean less crime. In fact the area I'm in doesn't have a great reputation, though I've not been a victim of crime yet. One of my neighbours did stab another neighbour about 6 months ago though! It's even worse in the smaller town between my place and my mum's, with kids running around vandalizing cars, throwing screws onto roads, stealing etc.
Final score:
0points
#85
Manitoba.
Pros:
- Relatively low cost compared to some other provinces.
- "Cottage country". We got so many lakes, rivers and quarries. Pretty much everywhere has a swimming hole or fresh water beach. If it's not a city, town, farming community, reserve, it's a park camp ground.
- Crime is a reality and increasing, but it's still relatively safe for the most part.
- We got public transit. Not nearly perfect but it's there.
- Honey Dill sauce!
- Home of OMGs chocolate / peanut butter clusters.
- We get the northern lights in the winter. Sometimes you can see them in the suburban park fields.
Cons:
- Many jobs available are minimum wage and certified jobs are lower paid than the national average. Manitoba is having a hard time keeping skilled workers from leaving for greener pastures.
- Even though it's relatively safe we're having a major opioid and meth addiction problem, and violence has been increasing rapidly.
- High risk sex offenders are always getting released and the police just put out a public warning on the news.
- It's always really windy. A gal just can't wear a flowy skirt or dress without flashing the neighbours and drivers.
- Winters can be brutal. We have a temp and then a "feels like" temp. Many Manitobans focus on the "feel like" temp. because it's the most accurate of what you're going to experience out there with that brutal windchill.
- It's too car-centric.
- The government doesn't know their brain from their arsehole. They got rid of most of our ERs and turned them into Urgent Care (not the same) clinics. This was claimed to reduce wait times and mortality rates. It's done the opposite. Our healthcare is a shell of what it used to be.
- Family doctors are hard to find, and when you find one it may be a looooong wait for the first appointment. I have to wait 10 months for mine. Walk-in clinics just want to give you a prescription and you can only make an appt. for one issue, even if the other issue is related.
- Some say Manitoba, particularly Winnipeg, is very racist. I'm not going to get into that. I will just say, no one of either side is 100% innocent. Doesn't matter who you are, where you come from, if you live here or not, you're going to experience racism at some point. For the most part, people are friendly.
- Mosquitoes, may flies, June bugs, horse flies, black flies, canker worms, tent tree caterpillars, Asian beetles, yellow jackets, wasps are a summer nightmare to contend with. We have screens on our storm doors and windows, as well as double door entries of restaurants, malls and fast food places for a reason. Doesn't always help keep these pests out but anything is better than nothing.
Final score:
0points
#86
Utah. Pro's- Fry sauce and the greatest snow on earth. Cons- a bunch of the greatest snow on earth and weird liquor laws.
Final score:
0points
#87
Tennessee
Pros:
Absolutely beautiful
Right next to national parks
Interesting history and heritage (Appalachia)
Good mountain food
Friendly locals
Cons:
Horrible legislative figures passing stupid bills
Final score:
0points
#88
Minnesota, USA
Con: It's practically a tundra from November until April.
Pro: People are really friendly and will help you during a storm. Also the State Fair Food.
Final score:
0points
#89
Wyoming, USA.
Pros: more pronghorn antelope than people per square mile, mountains, beautiful scenery, seems like lots more freedom than other parts of US, Yellowstone, Devil's Tower, wild West towns still around, lots of outdoorsy things to do
Cons: cold, it's a drive to get anywhere, health issues? You'll probably have to drive out of state for specialists. Far from the beach, winter lasts forever... Snow can still arrive in May or June (though it thankfully doesn't last) and start anytime from September/October on .. roads close often in the winter
Final score:
0points
#90
Wyoming, USA.
Pros: more pronghorn antelope than people per square mile, mountains, beautiful scenery, seems like lots more freedom than other parts of US, Yellowstone, Devil's Tower, wild West towns still around, lots of outdoorsy things to do
Cons: cold, it's a drive to get anywhere, health issues? You'll probably have to drive out of state for specialists. Far from the beach, winter lasts forever... Snow can still arrive in May or June (though it thankfully doesn't last) and start anytime from September/October on .. roads close often in the winter
Final score:
0points
#91
East Valley in Arizona
Cons:
Really hot during the summer
It isn't always a dry heat especially during monsoon season
Pros:
Winter is very mild, rarely drops below 40F.
Plenty of air conditioned indoor sports and other activities during the summer
Weird Things:
At Will employment, literally no consequences for you to terminate your employment. Your employer can't even mark you as non re-hireable. Flip side is as long as it doesn't break federal or state law your employer can terminate your employment as well.
Final score:
0points
#92
Phoenix Arizona
Pros: is not California with over crowding, wacko laws, fast buck artists, natural disasters, etc. SUNSHINE, Mild winters, hot summers tempered by low humidity and a hot season still less than most winters. Large city with good growth leading to good jobs. Traditional values, for example no daylight saving time. Lots of unpopulated land for recreation. Probably the safest place in the USA with respect to damage form natural disasters (NO hurricanes, tornados, earthquakes, mud slides, large forest fires, snow). Average living costs.
Cons: Summer is HOT much like midwest winters are cold - stay inside if you can. Seems to be a target for Housing Speculators and hoarders. Mountains and big trees are 1-2 hours away. All the undesirable things common to big cities, traffic, crime (tends to be geographically isolated though) cheesy politicians with their own agendas, high taxes.
Final score:
0points
#93
Charlotte, NC, USA. We'll call the area I'm in "L", and other districts by other
+ Husband and I rent a lovely 3 bed, 2.5 bath townhome that's bigger than where we were previously. The rent is actually quite reasonable for the area and what we get.
+ Neighborhood is pretty quite
+ Greenway near property
+ Near some stores we enjoy
+ Not too far from some family friends
+ We're finally getting a Micro Center in the fall :')
- People smoke weed here like it's out of style despite it being illegal. Police don't seem to care. I'm EXTREMELY sensitive to the scent, and I can get violently sick from it if it's too close/bad or I'm already feeling bad.
- Not far from us (couple of miles) is "L" Mall. The mall has had multiple shootings recently (at least 3 in as many months), and around there has had some too. One of the BIG stores there left because of it, which will undoubtedly make the mall worse.
- People turn off their brains when they drive. Never seen so many red lights run and turn signals not "work" in my life. They're aggressive and I hate it.
- Charlotte public schools are awful. We already decided when we have kids that if we're still here, it's either private or homeschooling, but likely we're not staying here that long.
- A lot of mental health places here SUCK. I know because my husband is a therapist and he has to put up with a lot of a******s.
- My family lives in Alabama, my friends are in Georgia. His folks are in Florida and Michigan. Only a few family friends here :( it's hard making friends here.
- Police don't enforce stuff enough. See above for the driving c**p. Stuff just seems to be getting worse.
- Charlotte is taking longer to recover from the recession, but they're still trying to raise rents and build too many apartments and not enough homes in decent areas.
I don't hate it here, but I still want to move when we can. Hoping back where I used to live in Georgia will come back on the market and we can buy it and move there. Failing that, maybe we'll go to somewhere nice in South Carolina.
Final score:
0points
#94
Northern California coast. Surrounded by huge redwood trees, great hikes, and the Smith river. The beaches are less packed than southern Cali. Cost of living is lower as well.
It rains a lot and it's rural.
Final score:
0points
#96
Greensboro, North Carolina (USA)
Pros:
- All four seasons, and winter is mild.
- Quite a diverse population
- solid school district and great colleges/universities to choose from
- progressive police force that utilizes a behavioral health team to deal with psych issues
- cost of living not out of control
Cons:
- East and southern part of area is a food desert lacking adequate sources for groceries and goods
- transit system is c**p
- Crime among youths is rising and responses have been reactive instead of proactive.
Final score:
0points
#97
Pros: I live in the middle of nowhere, (that's what I tell everyone) surrounded by trees, nature, and wild animal encounters every once in a while. My neighbors are my cousins and grandparents. We always have Cheistmas together, so we don't need to drive anywhere. And our family church is right down the road.
While living in the woods have some lovely pros, there are always cons
Cons: We have ~zip~ service. Nada. Nothing. I usually get 1 bar of 4G, and if I'm lucky, I get 2 bars. The other thing is my neighbors have kids. And with kids, comes noise. And also, a puppy. Yes the puppy is cute, but every morning at 6 a.m, they let it out and don't let it back in. So it yelps and barks and whines and wakes me up!
Final score:
0points
#98
NW Arizona. Open spaces. Lots of outdoor recreation. 1 hour to Vegas. Only dangers are flash floods n excessive heat in summer. Cons are mostly poor education system n few well paying jobs.
Final score:
0points
#99
Central FL. It's beautiful and there's always something amazing to do! And it's always too hot, too crowded, and too expensive to do any of it.
Final score:
0points
#100
United States of America.
Where I live in the states, it's a lot quiet and rural, in which I like. The neighborhood is very tight knit, so everyone basically watches out for each other.
Something I dislike is the random changes in the winter season before spring. It's first warm and most of the snow is melted. Then it snows again. The snow then turns to ice. And then it melts until the season decides it's time for spring.
Otherwise the US is fine depending on where you live.
Final score:
0points
#101
I'm in the Garden state, a funny name for a state that's mostly thought of as all major highways and cement. We have beautiful towns, decent schools, ocean coastline, farmland and lots of history. Plentiful jobs, healthcare appointments are easy to get, my town has a college and a hospital, good restaurants and of course the pizza and regional Italian dishes. The Sopranos knew they had a good thing in.....New Jersey!!
That being said, the underbelly of NJ is insane property taxes, the need for a car or two, the long commute drive, the infrastructure, the high cost of living (like everywhere), the list goes on and on.
Final score:
0points
#102
Ohio.
Pros: I live near lake Erie, and i can swim sometimes. Plus snow isn't too bad
Cons: Expensive healthcare, corporate greed causing chemical spills, necromorphs, and the winters last way to long.
Final score:
0points
#103
Pros: Dogs, friendly neighborhood, safe schools, large candy bars on Halloween.
Cons: Lots of shootings at night, scary people, lots of stray dogs and cats.
Final score:
0points
#104
Pros: my family lives too far away to visit regularly.
Cons: my family lives too far away to visit regularly.
Final score:
0points
#105
Not a large city and not a small town. Just right! Situated on the shore of a beautiful lake with a nice clean beach. Glorious summers, but winter can be brutal. I have traveled a lot and would not want to live anywhere else. Although I did sort of fall in love with Mass. when I was there!
Final score:
0points
#106
I will talk only about my city in Germany:
Pro: Despite being a large city (250.000 people) you can find cheap places to rent because it is not a particularly tourist-y or otherwise "important" city.
It is reasonably close to interesting places like Cologne (the dome) and Düsseldorf (japanese stores!!). You can even reach the Netherlands and Belgium within an hour.
Con: No sugar coating it: My City is ugly. there are a few nice looking corners here and there, but the majority of it rather ugly, specially around the central train station and the main shopping street.
Final score:
0points
#107
Rural Shasta County, California
Pros - Absolutely gorgeous landscape - mountains, lakes, rivers. Affordable from a California perspective. Lots and lots of outdoor activity. Very quiet. Close enough to the Bay Area for weekends
Cons - Low population means low level of services. Main city is run by a cult. Health care is lacking. Bunches of tweakers.
Final score:
0points
#108
In January I moved to a remote tropical island 15 miles outside of Bocas del Toro, Panamá. I spent a few months here last year and now am here permanently.
I got rid of almost everything I owned. Couches, beds, computers, TVs, clothes, car, everything. I moved with a duffle bag, shipped one box and stored one box.
Every morning I wake up and turn my head to the left to see the sunrise over the water. I feel like I'm dreaming. My bungalow doesn't have any walls, just a roof and floor and some posts. I have a little cabin too but worked most of the time in my bungalow.
It's on a farm and I pick fresh plants and flowers for lunch every day. There are also apples, passion fruit, bananas, coconuts, and cacao.
Downside is town is 15 miles away by boat and my boat is very unreliable. I've been stuck several times; usually either at my home or in town but a few times just drifting in between. Luckily, amazingly, I can get a cell signal everywhere so U can call a tow boat and tell him "I'm about 5 miles from town" and hope he finds me.
My biggest worry is medical. There's a hospital in town and a general practitioner I like, but no psychologists and for shutting serious I would need to go to a bigger city, likely David which is around 12 hours away.
It's paradise though. Truly.
Final score:
0points
#109
Tasmania, Australia.
Pros: clean air, 100% renewable energy, beautiful scenery - from beaches to the wilderness, lovely people.
Cons: public transport is a mess, higher cost of living (the island tax) and lower salaries than mainland Aus, aging population (high number of retirees). And if you're a single person over 35, prepare for celibacy.
Final score:
0points
#110
France, a hameau of 150 persons just outside several larger towns /cities, and has the same postal code as 7 other towns in the same communauté.
Pros: its really, really quiet here.
Although there are signs pointing to the town, you won't see it until you're actually in it, but don't blink, because you might miss it.
Rush "hours" are 5 cars at 7h30 and 18h00.
No ambient light noise so you can see the milky-way at night.
Neighbors are nice, amiable, and quiet.
The view of the farm fields stretch on forever and often, when it rains, I see rainbows.
Our position between hills means we have a microclimate-it might be raining everywhere around us, but we have snow or hail. Or it's sunny everywhere else and we have rain.
I see deer, boar, pheasant, hawks, hares, foxes and all kinds of wildlife in the areas surrounding my hameau.
There is a place by a river with a picnic table and barbecue grill that only us locals know about.
Cons: no public transport - no buses at all, so you must have a car or be an ambitious cyclist.
Nearest village with a grocery store is 5 km away.
Nearest village with a bar/tabac is 7 km away.
No restaurants will deliver to my address.
Because my hameau has the same postal code as 7 other towns, my mail/packages are often delivered to the right address in the wrong town.
Occasionally, emergency services get lost finding our town, too.
Final score:
0points
#111
Florida
Pros: Salty Water?
Cons: Hot, Mosquitoes, Practically only ( I don’t mean to offend) elders, Drenching, (THE NOISE) , Only two seasons, (Summer & Autumn) No snow, Everyone is obsessed with golf, (in my opinion, it is super boring) and, HEAT HEAT HEAT OMG THE HEAT NEVER STOPS 😱 😱 😱
Final score:
-2points
What do you think ?
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