Columbia, SC- Small town with big city buildings... or vice versa, I can't tell! It's a place where everyone knows your name, but we still have the luxuries of a big city...

Also, I used to live in Gainesville, GA (yes, GA, not FL).... I think Georgia's the best state, ever, because it has a lot of southern charm. Also, who doesn't love ATLANTA?!?!?!

Madison Wisconsin:

it's a really pretty city, sandwiched in between two lakes, with lots of tree-lined streets, bike paths, public parks and gardens
it's not too big and it's not too small
the University of Wisconsin!
there's a pretty liberal atmosphere overall
State Street -- a half-mile stretch of stores, restaurants and bars; cars aren't allowed to drive on it. It's like an outdoor mall, but it also has apartments, hotel rooms and even dorms above the stores. You can buy just about anything a college student would ever need there, from alcohol to CDs to dorm furniture, and it's smack in the middle of campus
people here genuinely seem to care about other people, even if they don't know them (this is something I've definitely NOT noticed in many others places that I've visited)
we're only a few hours away from both Chicago and the Twin Cities
. . . but at the same time, you only have to drive for a half hour to find a decent place to go camping
having four distinct seasons, all beautiful (even if summer is too humid for me and winter is too cold)
really really good public school system
it was rated the #1 city to live in in America for several years in various different publications, and it's almost always in the top ten
we have a really fun zoo with free admission (my friends and I still go there sometimes when we're bored)
better ice cream than most of you will ever have in your lives
everybody I know just seems to be really involved with the community and the city itself

Other places I've visited that I liked a lot: New York, both the city and the state (upstate New York is almost identical to Wisconsin, as much as most New Yorkers would like to deny it), New Orleans, Austria and Germany, Segovia (Spain), Colorado.

LOL, I went to college in Easton, PA (which is right near Allentown for those of you not familiar with the area) and I'm going to have to agree with you...it's really not the most exciting area. Although, Easton has the Crayola factory, which is pretty cool.

Kentucky
 

i can get sweet tea at any resturaunt or house.

i can see every star at night.

the people are the bomb.

Sweet Tea?
 

Is sweet tea regular tea with sugar or is it something different?

More on Philadelphia!!
 

Come to Philly!! Highlights:

• All the history of our great country - Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, the Betsy Ross House, the First Bank, Ben Franklin's House and SO much more!
• The Art Museum - Awesome exhibits, and Wednesday nights they are open late and have a hip little thing going.
• The Franklin Institute - it's soooo fun to take your kids here, plus there's an IMAX theater!!!
• Rittenhouse Square - a gorgeous park where you can just throw down a blanket, kick off your shoes and read on a lazy spring day!
• Geno's and Pat's Steaks...Cheesesteaks!!!
• Awesome Universities with Greek Life: University of Pennsylvania, Drexel University, Temple University, LaSalle University, St. Joseph's University, Philadelphia University, University of the Sciences in Philadelphia
• The Continental, The Plough & The Stars, Paradigm, Swanky Bubbles, Fergie's Pub, Monk's Cafe and numerous other GREAT bars!
• Buddakhan, Le Bec Fin, The Striped Bass, Le Brasserie Perrier, Susanna Foo, Friday Saturday Sunday, La Baia, Porcini, and about 5 zillion other fantastic restaurants!
• SPORTS all year round!!! And where else can you go see the hometown fans boo Santa Claus, Destiny's Child and throw batteries at a professional baseball player! And I'm sorry, but the Phillie Phanatic is the coolest mascot in all of sports!!!
• And sooooooooooooo much more :) I should get a job with the travel and tourism bureau!

Cincinnati
 

I absolutely LOVE Ohio. I couldnt imagine ever moving to another state. And for all of the bad things you could say about Cincinnati, it's one of the coolest places. And if you like to drink, this is the place to be. The German history here provides for a lot of Festivals and opportunities to drink and hang out. An interesting fact- Cincinnati is home to the largest Chicken dance in the nation which is held during our Oktoberfest Zinzinnati. There is no better place for a German-American (like myself) to be than Cincinnati.

http://www.crazychameleon.com/assets...e-mountain.jpg

The view and the people. gonna missed it when i leave. Oh well, I'll be back in March for my 2nd Cape Argus bike race :)

My college town..umm...cool when you are a freshman (there are 2 universities here, so almost everything in town is geared towards college students), but the coolness REALLY wanes by the time you are a senior.

My hometown: Atlanta

Gotta love Atlanta! All the glamor and sophistication of a big city, with the down home Southern hospitality of a rural town.

other suburban philly items:

a soft pretzel can be found just about anywhere and can be eaten any time of day.

wawa and wawa coffee

you don't always have to pump your own gas

bill cosby

AUSTIN TEXAS....Live Music Capitol of the World....need i say more??

Hawaii
*the weather
*some of the most beautiful beaches on Earth
*very friendly people...after all we are nicknamed the "aloha state."
* the FOOD! OMG, Hawaii's food is wonderful...dishes from every different culture and ethnicity.
*the diversity...Hawaii is a melting-pot for many races, cultures, religions, lifestyles, etc.
*no freeways (there are a few on Oahu, but they are minor compared to mainland ones...and none on any other island)
*very goodlooking male population! :)
*laidback atmosphere and lifestyle
*gorgeous sunrises/sunsets
*Being able to go from the ocean to the mountains in less than an hour.
*Not having to drive for more than an hour at a time.
*the waterfalls and freshwater swimming pools
*rainbows
*plants/animals/wildlife found no place else in the world
*Hawaii is the only state that had a royal family and a palace (which still exists on Oahu).
*Bette Midler, Charles Lindbergh, Marilyn Monroe, George Harrison, Kris Kristofferson, and Randy Travis have all been/are residents of the islands (Kris Kristofferson lives in the tiny town of Hana, Maui).
*it's Paradise...what more can i say?

i think hawaii beats us all out!!!!

however, i do have one more to add for suburbs of philly:

the jackass boys!

For a girl who has only been to California, Nevada and Florida, reading these posts makes me want to drop everything and drive across the country in a VW bus.

CALIFORNIA
Santa Barbara (50 miles north of LA on the coast), Santa Cruz (40 miles South of SF on the coast) & the Central Coast
*Perfect weather about 360 days a year (65-75 degrees)
*Beach, beach and more beach
*Students going to UCSB have the option of living on Del Playa, a road which runs parallel to the ocean on the cliffs. My house had 180 degree views of coastline (not to mention a jacuzzi on the cliff) - what college student lives like that?!?
*Micheal Jordan frequents a bar in downtown SB and occasionally bartends
*More Wine-Tasting rooms than there are stars in the sky (not really but close)
*Mountains & Redwoods about a 10 minute drive from the beach
*Santa Cruz - <1 hour to San Francisco, Santa Barbara - <1 hour to Los Angeles
*BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE
*Fresh seafood for dirt cheap
*Jeans and NICE flip-flops are considered dressing up


:cool:

We had an awesome day in dc weather wise. It was a cool 83 here.