Where do you live, and how do you like it there?

[astro_girl]

Hey all my H-town peeps! I live in Houston, TX but am moving a little further south this week. (Down in the Clear Lake area).

What I like about where I live:

-No snow! (or really any winter at all to speak of...)

-Huge diverse population. Lots of different ethnic groups are represented here.

-Some of the best (and most!) restaurants.

-Great museums and culture

-Close to the coast

-Close to other major 'fun' cities like Austin, New Orleans, and San Antonio

-I know it ties in to #1, but the ability to drink margaritas on the patio in the middle of January is just a huge plus for me

What I don't like:

-Traffic issues/constant construction

-Lack of outdoor activities to do like bike trails, mountain climbing, hiking, or camping. (You can drive a bit further north and get some of this, but I'd like it a little more locally.)

-Mosquitos. Blegh.

-Hurricanes

-The crappy state of Texas' education system. (This is for the whole state, I know - but I'm a teacher so I have to complain )

[Aqweei]

If youll look at my location you will notice I live in Rome, Georgia. Its all Ive ever known for the 21 years of my existence.

Pros:

Its not a huge town, but its not a small one either. We have alot of nice places to eat but not much recreation outside of that. Lots of places to still buy up a decent amount of property (currently living on 100 acres)

Cons: Not much recreation. Have to drive a good 30-60 minutes to get to fun stuff (Atlanta). No cool niche gyms for things like powerlifting or mma really.

Really... Rome sucks but its home and Im not sure how I would feel about moving away or if it would be any better if I did. I suppose when I finish school we will see.

[SAficionado]

I've lived in a few places all of which have there perks:

Grew up in a small tourist town, Rotorua New Zealand:

Pros:

Nice lakes and forests

Mild Climate

Awesome Mountain Biking

Cons:

Not very progressive

Self Depreciating

Not many job opportunities

Went to University in Christchurch NZ,

Pros:

Great medium sized city, everything you need without the hassles of a big place

1 hour to some great ski fields

Very proud, friendly people

Cons:

Flattened by Earthquake (lost job etc)

Moved to Sunny Queensland Australia for a change and employment and ended up in Mackay.

Pros:

Winter weather has been amazing, couldn't tell you the last time it rained

Some cool bush walks and waterfalls (mind the snakes)

Good wages, mining boom has pumped up economy

Our rental house has a pool

Cons:

Zero Culture, some people have backward/ racist attitudes

Unbearable humidity in summer

Beaches suck, no waves because the barrier reef shelters the swell, lethal jellyfish, crocs etc

Expensive, $300/week rent for a room in a shared house.

Will probably skip back to NZ when I've saved enough for a house. It'll always be home.

[concretecavewoman]

Sadly (or awesomely) this video is only a slight exageration of people in Seattle and Olympia

As a person who lives within a mile of capitol hill, I can attest: this is really just a documentary.

[concretecavewoman]

Seattle-ite here. I moved from southern California/LA area about 6 years ago. I adore my adoptive city and I'd be hard-pressed to ever want to leave. For the sake of context, I live in the heart of downtown; pretty sure I could never live in a 'burb again

Pros:

-Everyone is a transplant, so you meet people from all over

-Amazing culture. Art, music, food. There is always something to do. Just this past week, we had to choose between THREE different book readings/speakers happening the same night, and those were just the ones that I wanted to see. There were at least a dozen others happening around town.

-Food is to die for. Lots of fresh, local produce and meat. Tons of small butchers, cheese shops, and even coffee shops despite the reign of Starbucks. There are farms within 20-30 minutes of the city from which you can procure wonderful food. You can eat healthfully just about anywhere you go. And when you feel like not eating healthfully, plenty of restaurants will happily serve you fresh made pork rinds and a scotch flight.

-Lively downtown; all the hustle and bustle of a big city but not HUGE like NYC (some might see this as a con).

-Beautiful mountainous vistas.

-Tons of outdoorsy stuff to do. Hike, bike, run, trail run, etc etc. You can live in REI clothes year-round.

-Aviation culture. Brrrrrrrrrthppprrrrrrrrrrrbbrrr (that's me making airplane noises)

-Tech culture. You can be in just about any bar and overhear conversations about algorithm optimizations.

-People are very genuinely down to earth and friendly, especially compared to where I came from (go go faster faster so cal), hipsters notwithstanding.

-Dog-friendly

-Very ecologically aware

-Lots of fitness-obsessed people

Just like the blog that JCannon linked, you really do see some amazing things just hanging around town. Every day I see seaplanes buzzing around, big cruise ships docking, people dressed up as pirates Yarr-ing at locals (seriously).... In case it weren't obvious, I'm kind of a fan of this city!

Cons:

-Everyone is a transplant (this is also a con) and so many people are in tech (read, not super social) that it's kind of hard to make friends.

-Lively downtown that closes around 10pm

-Can be kind of homogenous, esp if you're steeped in the tech culture. Lots of well-to-do, educated people without much cultural variety who don't really know people who aren't just like them.

-The weather is awful if you don't LOVE rain.

-Cost of living is high

-Public transit here generally sucks.

-Biking is hazardous with narrow and poorly-maintained streets

[PrincessHeather]

EDIT: Also, to the people who have never seen/ lived with snow- it's not magical. It gets on all your crap and then after being on the ground for .2 seconds it turns into this nasty brown slop that sticks to your car and shoes and makes the whole state look dirty. I'd also like everyone to know that December 2010 it snowed 18 inches overnight and I was trapped in my apartment building with my boyfriend and best friend. Our apartment was heated with solar panels (which also happened to be covered with 18 inches of snow) so it was FREEZING. We walked a km to the liquor store and trudged back and got cold and drunk...

This makes me feel a little better about where I live in South Dakota, the winters I've experienced so far are no where near that bad.

I live just outside the gates of Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota, closest "major" city is Rapid City. It's okay, but it is not where I want to be, mainly becasue I am used to living in Southern California where I can drive to a multitude of big cities and the beach and the mountains and go to major sporting events and have none of those drives be more than 2-3 hours. I grew up in a dessert suburb in Southern California, then lived in Los Angeles for 4 years and spent a few months in Washington DC, so this place is just aggravatingly small and slow by comparison.

We have Mount Rushmore nearby, and that's really the only well known thing nearby. There is a lot of nature stuff to do, the Badlands, Harney Peak, hiking, a few lakes. Another big draw is the Sturgis bike rally every year, but since I am not a biker, it just means a ton of people on bikes making me nervous trying to avoid hitting them on the highway. I've been venturing out more this summer, and while I have found a few new places they aren't that plentiful. And the closest any band or sports team I'm interested in seeing ever gets is Denver, 6 hours from here. But, I'm here because my husband is in the Air Force, and this is where we'll be until he gets a new assignment.... really keeping my fingers crossed for overseas!

[Ulsted]

Austin, TX

Pros:

A lot of outdoor activities are available, especially considering it is a large city.

Nice mild weather during Fall, winter, and spring.

Cool people.

SxSW and Austin City Limits Music festival. In fact, music in general!

Cons:

Too much traffic. This is mostly due to a lack of foresight on city planners to prepare a road system accommodate the increase in drivers.

Hot as balls in the summer. 100F+ (40C+) during the summer and humid as all get out.

Too many people moving here faster than the city can grow. This drives up rent around the city. That's why I am getting a house. Rent is supposed to go up about $500 in the next 5 years.

Overall, it is a pretty awesome.

[Ishbel]

OK a confusing contribution here - I am a scot (from the North of Scotland) now living in Stavanger Norway.

Norway is great for families, overtime is frowned on, and nursery care and schools are good. Great place to go walking/skiing/fishing.

Unfortunately it is REALLY expensive to live here, and we have 5 kids, so I try and buy stuff when we are back at home in Scotland!!! Suitcases have not yet been confiscated, but it is only a matter of time.... shampoo, clothes, any thing really. And don´t you just love the internet!

[dajve]

Another Brit here to join Ocelot and Rostov. I'm from further up though; live in a little village near York (which is where I work).

Good points

• Quiet
  
• Beautiful countryside and wildlife to run amongst
  
• Close to a couple of cities, should I need
  

Bad Points

• Can be a nightmare in the snow and ice
  
• As I don't drive, I'm pretty much reliant on the single bus service (fairly frequent, but still not the most convenient)
  
• Not a lot of places for Parkour practice, as I've discovered this week!
  

[AlterStephen]

I live in Utah, raised here since I was three weeks old. I love it here. The people are amazing and the scenery is beautiful. The only thing that gets on my nerves sometimes is the weather, especially the fall when it often gets really windy (I can handle all forms of weather except wind). The winters are very cold and snowy (a pain to drive in), and summer can get brutally hot (usually high 90s). Mid-spring is the most messed up time of the year, though, because it can't seem to make it up its mind about whether it wants to be winter still or start getting into summertime: it will snow one day and then randomly be pleasantly warm a week later, and then go back to freezing and start raining out of nowhere. I still don't understand after 20 years of living here.

But this is home. I don't see myself living anywhere else, at least not any time soon.

[Zima]

Seattle-ite here. I moved from southern California/LA area about 6 years ago. I adore my adoptive city and I'd be hard-pressed to ever want to leave. For the sake of context, I live in the heart of downtown; pretty sure I could never live in a 'burb again

Pros:

-Everyone is a transplant, so you meet people from all over

-Amazing culture. Art, music, food. There is always something to do. Just this past week, we had to choose between THREE different book readings/speakers happening the same night, and those were just the ones that I wanted to see. There were at least a dozen others happening around town.

-Food is to die for. Lots of fresh, local produce and meat. Tons of small butchers, cheese shops, and even coffee shops despite the reign of Starbucks. There are farms within 20-30 minutes of the city from which you can procure wonderful food. You can eat healthfully just about anywhere you go. And when you feel like not eating healthfully, plenty of restaurants will happily serve you fresh made pork rinds and a scotch flight.

-Lively downtown; all the hustle and bustle of a big city but not HUGE like NYC (some might see this as a con).

-Beautiful mountainous vistas.

-Tons of outdoorsy stuff to do. Hike, bike, run, trail run, etc etc. You can live in REI clothes year-round.

-Aviation culture. Brrrrrrrrrthppprrrrrrrrrrrbbrrr (that's me making airplane noises)

-Tech culture. You can be in just about any bar and overhear conversations about algorithm optimizations.

-People are very genuinely down to earth and friendly, especially compared to where I came from (go go faster faster so cal), hipsters notwithstanding.

-Dog-friendly

-Very ecologically aware

-Lots of fitness-obsessed people

Just like the blog that JCannon linked, you really do see some amazing things just hanging around town. Every day I see seaplanes buzzing around, big cruise ships docking, people dressed up as pirates Yarr-ing at locals (seriously).... In case it weren't obvious, I'm kind of a fan of this city!

Cons:

-Everyone is a transplant (this is also a con) and so many people are in tech (read, not super social) that it's kind of hard to make friends.

-Lively downtown that closes around 10pm

-Can be kind of homogenous, esp if you're steeped in the tech culture. Lots of well-to-do, educated people without much cultural variety who don't really know people who aren't just like them.

-The weather is awful if you don't LOVE rain.

-Cost of living is high

-Public transit here generally sucks.

-Biking is hazardous with narrow and poorly-maintained streets

This makes me want to move to Seattle even more...yarrr.

So far, Northern Europe and Seattle sound the most appealing to me. Planning to check out Seattle during Spring break this year, and the Scandinavian lands when I have...a lot more money.

[KillerGriller]

I live in Hamilton, Ontario. It's near Toronto.

+ Very diverse in good ways

+ Cheap real estate has meant loads of innovative, independent businesses starting up

+ I can afford a house here that would cost two to three times more in Burlington or Oakville.

+ Very close to some gorgeous trails for running

+ Vibrant arts community that's extremely friendly, to boot

+ Unique history and culture

+ Frequent awesome events (fitness-related and otherwise)

- Municipal government is frequently not very good at making the city better

- Very, very high poverty in some area, plus the relates issues that come with that (drugs, prostitution etc)

- An abundance of one-way streets in areas that make little sense

- Traditional jobs are harder to come by. Or I suck at looking for them. Either way, it's a minus

- Heavy industry has caused air quality concerns

I'm pretty happy with where I am now (I'm not working where I want to, but I'm working full-time in a down economy, so I have that going for me), but if the kind of job I want opens up elsewhere, I'd have to weigh my options and consider moving. But for now? I like where I live just fine.

Same as Scott, I agree with his pluses but not all his minus'

One way streets: What other city can you cross in 15 minutes. In Burlington that gets you 2km because there are so many lights. Here you can leave the west end and hit Centennial in 15min. One way streets are for residents and simply move traffic more effectively for the people that live here. Under pressure from visitors they've started switching some to two-way which effectively disrupts the continuity of it.

Heavy Industry/Air Quality: The prevailing winds push our air pollutants east, the pollution we get is mainly from Cleavland (area) and the heavy industry on the southern shores of Lake Erie. Yes we have a lot of heavy industry but no more than a lot of other cities, ours is just more visible and easy to blame.

Pluses for me:

I have a fully walkable neighborhood. I can be in major green spaces and trails in 2min (running), downtown for widely varied ethnic foods, live music, visual arts etc. in 30 min (walking), or down to the lakefront parks etc. in 15min (biking). Where else can you do that and still have all the amenities a large city offers.

Green spaces all over the place. A major forest/escarpment corridor bi-sects the city with interconnected trails (single track, multi-use, paved, etc.) and destination parks. Waterfalls, rock scrambles, scenic vistas all accessible across the city.

It's not Toronto. We don't have the issues of a major urban center, yet I can jump on a train and be there in 30-40 minutes (if I want)

[Jabba the Hupp]

I live in MN and it's probably the worst place in the universe, I mean the best thing we have here is the Mall of America, woo :|

Pros:

-Family lives here

-Rent is cheap

Cons:

-It's cold as balls for 8 months out of the year (such as right now, I'm inside and still wearing my coat. It was like 9*C when I left this moring (47*F))

-Road construction. For SOME REASON it starts at the end of summer, and then goes for like 3 months, and then everything halts while it snows, and then it starts up again in spring, stops during summer, starts again... Seriously. Plus they work on every single friggin' road at the same time. My whole drive to work was dug up and had lanes shifted OVERNIGHT. That's 3 freeways o.O

-I have to wake up early during the winter to dig out my car, and then spend 2 hours in traffic for what should be a 40 minute drive

-It's hard to walk in high-heels in the winter

There is literally nothing interesting about MN. I would kill to live in London or Germany or Australia... Even California or Hawaii would be an acceptable second. Once I finish school for animation I can only hope I get a job opportunity away from this pit :|

EDIT: Also, to the people who have never seen/ lived with snow- it's not magical. It gets on all your crap and then after being on the ground for .2 seconds it turns into this nasty brown slop that sticks to your car and shoes and makes the whole state look dirty. I'd also like everyone to know that December 2010 it snowed 18 inches overnight and I was trapped in my apartment building with my boyfriend and best friend. Our apartment was heated with solar panels (which also happened to be covered with 18 inches of snow) so it was FREEZING. We walked a km to the liquor store and trudged back and got cold and drunk...

Sorry Laney but I think you're wrong on this one. I think Minneapolis/St. Paul is one of the most underrated metro areas in the U.S. Yeah it may not be for everyone but if you enjoy seasons and being outside it is definitely an amazing place to be.

It appears your biggest gripe with Minnesota is that you absolutely hate the snow, which means anywhere in the north may not be for you. But for people that enjoy fall/spring weather, where it's a little chilly but still comfortable or who like to get outside and play in the snow then Minnesota is fantastic. Hockey, ice fishing, cross country skiing, etc etc, lots to do in MN even in the winter. It was chilly today but you probably noticed that a lot of Minnesotans were still in T Shirts and Shorts because that's just what we do.

As for thinking that the best thing in Minnesota is the Mall of America...well you must not get out too much. North shore by duluth, Boundary Waters, downtown of Mpls or St paul, out on Lake Minnetonka or freaking Juicy Lucy from Matts Bar. Many fun and interesting things and places in Minnesota.

Only cons of Minnesota for me are the lack of mountains and an ocean. Lake Superior will have to do though.

[Raikas]

It's not Toronto. We don't have the issues of a major urban center, yet I can jump on a train and be there in 30-40 minutes (if I want)

Wow, 30 minutes in from Hamilton? What train are you taking? When I take the GO from Burlington station it's longer than that even on the express!

To answer the original question: I live in Burlington, Ontario - I moved here from Calgary, Alberta a little under 3 years ago (I lived in Calgary for 5 years and while I found it depressing for the first 6 months, I eventually grew to totally love that city), Burlington is okay - not great, not bad, just okay.

Pros:

- attractive waterfront

- decent number of bike lanes

- easy access to the Bruce trail for hiking

- very close to Hamilton

- fairly close to Toronto for cultural events

- fairly close to the US border/Niaraga Falls/Buffalo for shopping

- reasonable number of events/services for a city of this size

Cons:

- a little too commuter-centric

- not quite close enough to Toronto to make travel painless

- not quite enough of a distinct city feeling

[KillerGriller]

Wow, 30 minutes in from Hamilton? What train are you taking? When I take the GO from Burlington station it's longer than that even on the express!

To answer the original question: I live in Burlington, Ontario - I moved here from Calgary, Alberta a little under 3 years ago (I lived in Calgary for 5 years and while I found it depressing for the first 6 months, I eventually grew to totally love that city), Burlington is okay - not great, not bad, just okay.

Pros:

- attractive waterfront

- decent number of bike lanes

- easy access to the Bruce trail for hiking

- very close to Hamilton

- fairly close to Toronto for cultural events

- fairly close to the US border/Niaraga Falls/Buffalo for shopping

- reasonable number of events/services for a city of this size

Cons:

- a little too commuter-centric

- not quite close enough to Toronto to make travel painless

- not quite enough of a distinct city feeling

My apologies, to be honest it's been quite a while since I've taken the GO, you're are probably right...still beats traffic though

I lived in Burlington years ago, and found it lacked personality, and was a little to sterile for my tastes. No real diversity to speak of.

[Raikas]

No real diversity to speak of.

Huh, I suppose it depends on what you mean in terms of diversity (the very clear class distinctions between neighbourhoods totally surprised me), but in cultural terms I haven't found it to be nearly as Anglo-centric as I expected (it's not Scarborough or Richmond, of course, but few other places in Canada are).

[awesomesauce]

I live in Baltimore, MD. I live here because someday I'm going to meet John Waters. I know where he hang out.

I grew up in Tulsa, OK. I miss The Weather (not the hot steamy weather. The Weather. You know, storms.), but I don't miss the small minds.

[Ninja]

I live on the outskirts of Los Angeles County in a sleepy little suburb

Pros:

-We skip the shitty seasons, and thus rarely have extreme weather. Only time I've ever seen snow was in the high desert and the mountains

-Beaches are only an hour away

-Same with mountains

-The little city I'm in is fairly nice, mini mansions just blocks from me and mega mansions elsewhere

-Los Angeles isn't far away so tons of stuff to do

_It be 80 in the middle of the winter (not always but it happens)

Cons-

-The summer gets long. It was a 100 here yesterday and will be around 90 all week. It's not humid at least but it can in the 90's well into November sometimes. A few years ago it was 95 on Thanksgiving.

-Traffic is horrible. Takes an hour to drive 25 miles headed towards LA during rush hours. God help you if live further than that.

-No real public transportation. Due to earthquakes and the fact that there is a lot of space, the area is built outward and not upward. You'll be driving all the time here

-Insane cost of living compared to a lot of areas

-Driving should be a sport here. Everyone either drives too slow or too fast and in all the wrong lanes. We can't drive in the rain at all. Speaking of rain, we don't get a lot of it but it's literally the top news story when it does.

So cal is nice to live in if you have money and not a terribad commute. I'm broke though so it sucks.

[Stolly]

Country Victoria here. I live about an hour west from Melbourne by train. Ive only moved here this year, but I love it mostly.

This used to be a major gold mining town so we have tonnes of beautiful architecture and history. The Grampians (famous for its rock climbing) is only an hour or so from here, the city is an hour away, Geelong is 40min.

Housing prices are surprisingly dirt cheap, and we are having quite a big influx of people moving from the city and making the commute instead.

On the down side, we are very well known for the rubbish weather. I have just spent my first winter here, and I am seriously considering investing in a light box for next year. Our average temp for the last 3mths was about 10C and rain. School drop offs in 4c and rain SUCKS.

Oh and too many people here (young girls mostly) believe that leggings/jeggins are pants....they are NOT.

[Maj. Bloodnok]

St. Louis, MO here, born and raised. I've lived in Spain, New Zealand, Mexico, Argentina, New York City, and Worcester, MA, and this is home.

Likes:

Spring and fall. Good weather, mild temperatures, some heavy weather, but not too much. Lots of tree-lined boulevards, public parks, and places for walking, riding bikes, etc. Excellent local farm produce.

World-class, taxpayer funded zoo, botanical garden, art museum, history museum, and science museum.

Active music scene, tending towards roots rock, blues, alt-country, and jazz, though there's a thriving hip-hop, R&B and Latin music scene here.

Pretty ethnically diverse: lots of people from India, Vietnam, Thailand, Somalia, Bosnia, Mexico and China, along with the earlier groups of Irish, Germans, French, Hungarians, African-Americans, etc. This translates to LOTS of good, screamingly authentic food.

Foodie culture: we have the oldest farmer's market west of the Mississippi, a branch of the Slow Food movement, excellent breweries and wineries (and then there's Anheuser Busch), some very inventive chefs and restauranteurs, and even our own cut of pork (the pork steak).

Architecture: there are a lot of incredible old neighborhoods in the city proper, and some amazing examples of '30s deco architecture among the government buildings downtown. St. Louis' City Hall looks like a a haunted house. The Cathedral Basilica is built in the Romanesque style(rather than the usual Gothic), and has huge mosaics. Eero Saarinen's Gateway Arch, Gyo Obata's Lambert Airport and St. Louis Priory Church, Samuel Eads' Bridge, on and on and on...

History: this town's been here since the 1700s. The area's been inhabited since about 900 BC. (Major archeological site across the river at Cahokia Mounds) Ghosts, artists, criminals, freaks, politicians, scientists, whatever kind of history you like, we've got it.

Nature: drive 30-60 minutes in any direction, and you're out of the metropolitan area and into the wild country. Lots of rivers, hiking, birdwatching, hunting, etc.

Good universities, especially for medicine, law, and science.

Dislikes:

Summer and winter. Summer can be brutally hot and suffocatingly humid; winter is cold and dreary. Snow is fitful and erratic; some years we get buried, and some years we get nothing.

Public transportation is not nearly as extensive as it could be, and is considered suitable only for poor people. We have a light rail system, but it only covers certain areas.

Politics gets vicious around here, especially over racial issues. There are some weird aspects of city government that date back to the Civil War (police department is run by the state government, for example), and a number of city politicians have been caught up in one scandal or another.

Public primary education tends to get used as a political football, and the funding gets cut a lot. Wealthier families opt for private schools, or even collective homeschooling.

Crime can get bad, but if you pay attention you can avoid it. I've lived here for years and never been mugged.

All in all, it's home. My family's here, and I'm not leaving any time soon.

[jjhatch]

Austin, TX

Pros:

A lot of outdoor activities are available, especially considering it is a large city.

Nice mild weather during Fall, winter, and spring.

Cool people.

SxSW and Austin City Limits Music festival. In fact, music in general!

Cons:

Too much traffic. This is mostly due to a lack of foresight on city planners to prepare a road system accommodate the increase in drivers.

Hot as balls in the summer. 100F+ (40C+) during the summer and humid as all get out.

Too many people moving here faster than the city can grow. This drives up rent around the city. That's why I am getting a house. Rent is supposed to go up about $500 in the next 5 years.

Overall, it is a pretty awesome.

Another Austinite! My list is pretty much the same. However, even though the rent is going up, it's still one of the cheapest places in the US to live.

[cob]

Vegas. it sucks. But, at least there are mountains for climbings!

[shoobie]

I live in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.. Looks like i am the only brazilian around (at least on this thread??)

It's a nice place really... a bit too crowded sometimes, but you get used to it! And having Copacabana beach as your back yard is quite awesome, i must admit!

[Affekonig]

The Northernmost, bleak, desolate, frozen, major city in north america. (iirc it's northernmost with pop > 500,000, anchorage is like 300,000)

Edmonton Alberta!

I actually think it's really great. There are so few places anywhere in the world that I could live in a safe neighbourhood, walking distance of cultural districts, 5 minute bus ride from downtown, in a single family home with a yard, for a price any family could afford. It also helps that the rocky mountains are close enough for weekend camping trips.

Downsides, if you have never experienced -40 standing air temperature, it's not really something you should go out of your way to try. also, really miss the ocean.

[PopCandy]

Also live in Rio de Janeiro. It's a big city, so it has big city problems, and it's becoming super expensive to live here, but I LOVE it.It's hard to explain why for someone who has never been here, but there's just so many little things that make me love this city. And then there's this, of course: