Get over it. Almost all great artists have lived in communities with concentrations of other artists. The best place to do this is in New York, and there's over a century of examples to back this up like how Miles Davis was from Kansas City, but he had to move to New York to become great. Greatness is rarely acheived in small towns or cities. If it was, so many people would not desire to move to New York.

LOL..I meant to say Minneapolis :cool: . But fwiw, I would avoid any city in Minnesota.

If we're going international.. then I could EASILY live in London. I love it, and go there at least every other year to see my friends who live there. It's charming, clean, and full of friendly people.

Albuquerque is a horrible city. New Mexico is full of drugs and alcohol. Not a good state at all. Des Moines is always a few years behind the times, so if anyone wants to relive a few years, move to Des Moines.

Minnesota, just the word sounds bad.

Regarding the NYC artist thing, I'm with you. I imagine LA is probably worse with the whole "what do you do? ---Oh I'm an actor.-----What do you really do?----Wait tables." I mean, if you've got a dream, go for it, but sometimes you should probably stop wasting your time and get a job, get an education, do something. Of course this is all rooted in my hatred for Hollywood. Actually, I hate drama majors too, no offense to any. It just annoys me to see people majoring in drama as their parents shell out 25k a year.

DG, Oh I'm def from the suburbs. My dad works in Buckhead and we have a condo up there, but I was raised in Fayette County. It has gotten so bad that I think my parents may sell the house and move up there until my dad retires.

Cities to avoid (in my humble opinion):

1. NYC: great for culture but it's just too big and busy for my taste! Love to visit but always happy when it's time to go.
2. Atlanta: I just can't explain it. I have several friends who live there and love it. Everytime I go there I just hate it!!!!
3. Charlotte: This falls under the same catagory for me as Atlanta. People who live there love it. When I'm there I feel like I'm trapped in hell.....
4. Philly: I grew up about an hour from there. I try not to label cities as trashy but this one has to get the trashy label.
5. San Fran: I'm a liberal but SF is even too liberal for me! I don't need it shoved in my face every second. And I just have an issue with paying $2000/month for rent and getting a flea bag apartment.
6. The entire state of New Jersey. See Philly for the explanation.
7. Baltimore: The city has worked so hard to clean the place up but it's still not that safe. And ever since some stranger tried to get in my car while I was stopped at a light I have never been back and don't intend too.
8. Durham: until the city can get a handle on the crime and the gang violence I just can't do it. And it's a shame b/c it's a great place with great history.

Cities I would live in without question:

1. Raleigh (of course :) )
2. DC: if you know where you are going you are fine!
3. Miami: I love the culture in this place! It may be disgustingly hot but i would rather have that then have to break out the snow shovel!
4. San Diego: even though it's expensive as all get out I've heard nothing but good things about it from my friends who live out there.
5. San Antonio: this place is just beautiful and it's big but not too big. And it's got a lot of history and culture.

I don't know if you're being sarcastic or not...but St. Louis can be tolerable. It's VERY hit and miss. What places did you go to in St. Louis? If someone went to all of the wrong spots I can see how anyone can think STL is the worst place ever.

I used to think this, then I moved to Lansing - they seem to be getting a lot of things that Des Moines was getting a few years ago. I think Des Moines is also cleaner.

I agree. I think the same goes for even freelancers (with anything), entrepreneurs (like those who want to open up a trendy restaurant), and authors. I also think it's about wanting to be around people who are accepting of your lifestyle and can relate to. Now, I will also throw in people who have been on a reality tv show. When my cousin came back from Survivor, there were so many people who gave her shit (here in STL). She eventually moved out to LA (like what many RT people do, lol). I believe she's doing a lot better out there.

I feel the same way about St. Louis. It is probably the most disguisting city I have visited (and I have spent a lot of time in LA and London). It was hot, dirty, crime ridden, frightning, and so on...

Like getting lost in the neighborhoods by SLU's campus? Or the East side? Or anywhere downtown at night really...:( Been there, done all of that hahaha.

When I say I like STL, I mean I like Chesterfield mainly which is not actually STL, but a suburb-ish type thing; mostly b/c there are so many people I know there.

LOL you sounds as defensive as people from Pittsburgh.

And haha, I agree with shinerbock re: LA. I swear, if I ever met anybody who responded to "So, what do you do," with "I'm an ACTOR," I'd punch him in the face. I don't like Hollywood, big movies, actors, theater, any of it.

ETA: I was totally not kidding/sarcastic about St. Louis. I really hated it. I haven't been there for years, but it was the creepiest place I've ever been. I remember driving down some long ass street where I thought we might be killed. Then, we hung out somewhere near downtown and the best thing we found was some crappy bar where all the food had meat in it and it was just dumb.

Inner city St. Louis IS horrible...I went there with a group in college. There are some nice parts of St. Louis too.

I can't believe no one mentioned East St. Louis, IL. From what I've heard that's worse than anything mentioned thus far.

Yeah that place is seriously awful, it's scary and it's heartbreaking at the same time when you realize that people actually do live there (you'd never know though b/c every building is burnt-out, run-down, and or/abandoned); I wouldn't wish it upon my worst enemy to get stuck living in East St. Louis. Or the South Bronx, that'd be bad too.

I also want to add Memphis to my list, a fun place to go visit once in a great while but I would never, EVER live there.

But San Antonio, Portland, and some parts of Washington would be ok with me. :)

Worst places to live in California:
1-East LA and all of inner LA *some of the hills are alright
2-Oakland
3-Bakersfield
4-Sacramento
5-Inland Empire

Best places:
1-San Diego
2-Orange County Coast (Newport, Laguna, Irvine)
3-Central Coast (Monterrey, Salinas, Santa Barbara)
4-Ventura County (Westlake Village, Malibu, Thousand Oaks)

Actually, some of my cousins live out there. From what they tell me about the people from my community, I am going to avoid that state like the plague :-)

The cold does not bother me since I've lived in Canada and currently in Michigan.

LOL, some people call SLU and UM-St. Louis the "Oasis in the Ghetto", lol. I've never been on the east side, except for passing through on the highway. But, I've heard terrible things about it. And, yeah, if you love suburbish types of places, yes, Chesterfield, Ballwin, and Creve Coeur are ideal.

If any of you peeps ever find yourself in STL (yes, I'm going to blatantly defend my city), flock to Central West End (pretty classy), the nice part of Washington Ave. (fun things to do and cool restaurants), Soulard/Lafayette (good bars, home of the 2nd largest mardi gras celebration), the "Gay friendly" area of South Grand (has "culture"). I've heard mixed things about Laclede's Landing (bars and clubs). I've only partied there once, for Mardi Gras-Fat Tuesday. NEVER AGAIN! I felt like I was in a gangsta rap video. I was in a sea of white tees and grillz (I even seen a few with lights in them :eek: ). Fights like broke out every 10 minutes and saw way too many people flashing gang signs. Supposedly, it's different when it is not around Mardi Gras time, from what I've heard. All of Clayton, south part of U City, the Loop, and some areas of Maplewood are cool too. Technically, they are suburbs but they kind of border the city and have a nice urban feel. Urban as in classy (Clayton and south U City) and culture (the Loop), not as in ghetto, lol. STL is no Chicago or anything, but if you go to the right spots you'll be okay.

Honorable mentions:
The Hill (in south city)-If you're into authentic Italian food, this is the place for you.
Southern Maryland Heights (suburb)-because of Westport. Creve Coeur Lake/Park is cool too. Home of DPhiE's national headquarter.
Webster Groves and Kirkwood (suburbs)-Nice small town feel in a medium
sized city.
Ferguson (suburb), near the railroad tracks-Also have a nice small town feel.
New Town in St. Charles (exburb)-VERY small town feel.

Small town as in nice architecture, lack of cheesy strip malls and chain restaurants, and the "everybody knows your name" feeling.

Ummm...that long street was probably Grand, lol. Especially North Grand. Yeah, a place where you should lock your car doors. If you have to get out, you better pack some heat, haha. South Grand is hit or miss.

Soulard is lots of fun, wouldn't want to live there necessarily but it's fun to go down there on some nights and def. for Mardi Gras. Same with the Landing, it's ok occasionally. And I absolutely love, love, LOVE Clayton; I dated a guy who moved there after graduation and I loved going to see him on the weekends, it's so pretty and there's so much to do. Too bad the cost of living there (and in Creve Coeur, Chesterfield, etc.) is so much otherwise I'd move there in a second.

And yes UMSL and SLU are both odd, so nice but they're surrounding by the ghetto, literally the second you step off the campus.

/STL loving :D

I'm going to mildy defend Miami. I go to school in South Dade (I didn't know that places like that existed for years and will not go back once school is done) and I was raised in North Dade and to me there is a world of difference. Like English, and driving, etc. etc. It's all really starting to become the same though.

The eastern section of Dade is nice, but a bit stuffy. It's really like everything everyone else said about their cities, it's a big mix of stuff. It's not perfect, but you can live and function here and I'd never call it dirty. And sure it's hot, but what do you expect it to do that close to the tropics? SNOW? We at least get a good ocean breeze so we didn't suffer like all those other cities in the recent heat waves. Don't ever try to find decent parking at any mall though, it doesn't matter if it's 8am or 11pm.

I don't have cities I would not live in, I have entire states, entire REGIONS I will never live in. In fact, everytime Mr. KR is approached by a headhunter trying to get him to change jobs, he knows he has to look at my "list" to see if the place is acceptable or not.

The list is as follows:
Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire: YES
Rhode Island: YES, as long it's near Newport
Connecticut, New York, New Jersey (mainly because the in-laws live there), Delaware: NO
Pennsylvania: YES, but only if it's west of Harrisburg or south of Butler County
Virginia: YES if it's the Tidewater region, around Richmond or the S/W part of the state. NOVA is a big NONO
Washington, D.C. NooooooooooWaaaaaaaaaaay Let's just say that a relative is a homicide detective there who owns a 5 bedroom McMansion and drives a high end Mercedes and an Escalade. I don't want to live in a place that has to pay its cops so much money that they live like sheiks. Lots of overtime = lots of murder. Um, no thanks, there.
West Virginia: no thanks
North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia: yes, but only certain areas
Florida: maybe the Gulf Coast, particularly the Panhandle or JAX because we have friends there.
Ohio, Alabama,maybe
Indiana, Arkansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Illinois: NO

Any state that hasn't yet been mentioned, is by default on my list of "states I'd chew glass before I'd allow myself to move there."

When I was little, maybe between ages of 2 and 5, we lived in Miami because my father was finishing up school there. It was a place called Libertyville or Liberty City or Liberty something! Do you know it? I don't know if that would be north Dade or south Dade.

No offense, as always...I'm not in the biz of offending people.. These places suck:

Detroit, New Jersey, LA, All of Wisconsin, Miami, the entire country of France, Cinci, Cleveland, All of Ohio, Philly, Pittsburgh, again Pittsburgh, Boston, people who talk like they're from Boston, Houston, New Orleans, ________, Florida, and NYC(especially NYC)...

D.C. and Atlanta both suck, but both have their redeeming non-thug qualities.

I'll tell you what. You come to New York, and I'll treat you to a beer in Chumley's. I'd treat you to a pastarmi sandwich at Katz's, but you're a vegetarian.

Have you ever even been to New York, besides one of the airports or Midtown?

What people do not realize is the St Louis is just that St. Louis and actually small.

But, the burbs are a lot different for sure. I remember when Chesterfield was fields until they built Chesterfield Mall. Then it started booming.

The Hill for good Italian food is nice.

Cant remember all of teh burbs names, but stayed in Sunset Hills when I travelled to St L every other week.

Dionysis two things, do you remember Demetris in Chesterfield a great Greek Resturant and Florisent? N-S-E-W Florisent and all met at one intersection?

Wow. That was strange!:D

Clayton was pretty ritzy!

I see various people here liked San Antonio. I loved it when I visited it. I saw the Riverwalk, the Alamo, the Mexican market, and the big Mall. I don't know if I would like to live there for good, but it is a wonderful place to visit and I can only say good things about it.

Atlanta- depends on the part. I like the suburbs (like Marietta and Smyrna). I like Buckhead. I did not like the southern part close to the airport.

NYC is cool to visit, but I don't want to move there. Too expensive anyway.

I really like Wisconsin. If it weren't so far away from my family, and if there were more things pertaining to my hobbies to do there, I would move there. I used to fantasize about going to work for Pleasant Company- and I still check their job listings every once in a while.

I used to say that the state I would like the least to move to was Utah. I have been there before. Now I can think of many other nominees before Utah would show up.

And I dreamed of Alaska last night, but have no interest in moving there. Still preferable to Hawaii, which does not appeal to me in the least bit.

Atlanta. Just thinking about driving in that place gives me a headache. I hate the idea of sprawl, and it's not what I want culturally. Unfortunately, I have to go there for a conference for work next month. I will self-medicate with lots of Jack Daniels.

Panama City Beach, Florida. Dirty. Trashy. Dirty. Trashy.

Los Angeles Some people love it; I can handle the suburbs. I guess I have an aversion to traffic.

Charlotte. I like a little more culture in my cities, thanks.

I'm ambivalent about St. Louis. The boy's from there, and the reason I wouldn't move there is because of the inevitable parents-in-our-business, not the actual city. I've been there enough to avoid the areas where I could get shot.

Whole lotta hate on this thread...

New Jersey, like many states, has its good, its bad, and its ugly. I spent the morning at the Shore and am heading to a dance festival in Hoboken shortly. There are few places in this country where you can find all the culture and beauty that is found here in the Garden State! Personally, I would not want to live in *any* city; I prefer the suburbs. I enjoy being close to NYC and all the benefits it offers (like Sloan Kettering - given the recent cases of cancer in my family lately, living less than an hour away from THE best cancer hospital in the US is truly a blessing!).

To answer whomever posted the question, I would agree that Newark, Camden, Trenton, Patterson, et al, are NJ cities to avoid. Please don't slam the entire state.

[/soapbox]

Cherry Hills is nice and close to Philly!:)

Great Greek Resturant, but had an Italian Belly dancer? What is with that?:confused:

No Title.
 

New york!!!!! > One, too much urine. Two, too much litter. Three, WAY too many people. Finally, People exist there. They don't live. They don't just take the time to sit down and relax. Now honestly, How many people do you see Sitting outside on their porch talking to their neighbor or playing with their kids or grandkids? Or even stop moving for 2 seconds?? I'm From Mississippi. Yeah, the SOUTH. I swear, I HATE that stereotype That we're dumb and lazy. We just like to relax a little, and people from the North don't understand that. They move around too much! Well, I love you anyway. :D

St. Louis and Memphis!

I watched a special about the New Madrid fault today. St. Louis and Memphis and anywhere within a 350 mile radius are screwed when that thing lets loose again! :eek:

^Good call.

To Russ, I've been in and around NYC, but I honestly am not familiar enough to tell you much about places I liked or disliked. I def have not spent enough time there to know streets or many different areas. However, I just didnt like it, for a couple reasons...
1) Its kinda dirty, I know they've cleaned up crime and such, but I just prefer cleaner areas.
2) Concrete, too much.
3) Too much of a melting pot for me.
4) Class. I'm not saying the city is completely unclassy, but people were just different. A lot more vulgarity, and a lot more rude people. I know NY'ers don't mind, but I do.

Errr... I hate to break this to you, but NY has been found to have the politest people in the world.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13452608/from/ET/

I have interacted with two different people who were very blunt and overbearing bordering on rude. But others excused them for this saying "she's from New York". I refused to accept that excuse. After all, I would not want people not expecting me to meet high standards simply because of my hometown.

Baltimore, Provedence, maybe for living. Maybe Santa Monica or Malibu. Richmond City is no where near Richmond County, btw. That is so strange to me.

I would like to visit Savanah (sp?) and Mobile. ATL was too, I don't know. I didn't really like Miami.

Youngstown, OH is much better than Miami.

To everyone who's said that NY is dirty: when was the last time that you've been here? It's definitely cleaned up a lot in the past couple of years. I'd say it's cleaner than some other cities.

I would have to agree...

HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

First of all, no really even lives in Detroit, they live in suburbs of Detroit. That being said their are some very nice areas outside of the Detroit proper area.
Places I wouldn't want to live: Jersey, Ohio, actually the entire midwest and east coast i can do without. Also, the north north like wisconsin and montana (where the men are men and the women are too). The only places that I would live on the west coast would be Monteray CA, Portland OR, and maybe Seattle. I like Nashville and a lot of southern cities, but it can get way too hot for me.