I grew up just outside NYC, on Long Island. I went to college just outside Boston. I currently live in Connecticut.

What I miss about LI:
- 30 minute LIRR ride to NYC (translation: awesome shopping, museums, and restaurants, plus I did a college internship one summer while living at home (read: free rent ;) ))
- Being within walking distance of the train station
- Being within walking distance of Peter Luger, the best damn steakhouse in the world! :D (My father still lives in the house where I grew up. Whenever my husband and/or I visit him, you better believe we take advantage of this fact! My dad has trouble walking now, so we drive.)

What I miss about Boston and vicinity:
- Not needing a car. (I had two favorite bar/restaurants when I was in college. One was within walking distance of campus, and the other was a block away from a T stop.)
- Great museums (plus free admission with college ID to many of them, including the MFA)
- Living in/near a city with such history!

What annoys me about where I live now:
- The Metro-North train ride to NYC is one hour. Then there's the subway ride... (Although, when I was commuting from CT to NYC, I did get a lot of knitting done.)
- You need a car to get ANYWHERE around here. Public transportation sucks. If my husband and I go to a bar, one of us has to be the designated driver.
- I have to grow veggies on my deck, otherwise the deer will eat them.

What I like about where I live now:
- The peace and quiet! :D
- Even though the train ride to NYC is an hour, that's not too long - we can get into the City and spend a day visiting museums, going to something at Lincoln Center, shopping on Fifth Avenue, etc.
- We have some great restaurants within a short driving distance.

So sorry to read this, StealthMode, but this unfortunately does not surprise me about Virginia Beach. We live in a tiny dot of deep Blue in Virginia and are delighted to have so many like-minded people as neighbors and friends. I don't think I could live in Virginia Beach, either!