Best place to live and 5 - 10+ reasons why

[2Design]

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. Newton County Arkansas

5. Cheap living (property taxes very low, land relatively inexpensive)

4. Alternative energy encouraged (many on solar power; local distributor of solar power products)

3. Organic farmers around-easy access to good food

2. People willing to trade and swap for things they need

1. A variety of wonderful people of many different traditions-environmentalists, Native Americans, pagans, secular humanists, Sufis and other mystics.

[2Design]

4. what main city is within or near Newton County, ARk

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

7. City?

There isn't even a traffic light in the whole county! No Wal-Mart, either. The county seat, Jasper, has less than 300 people. The closest large town is Fayetteville, which is about 90 miles to the west.

[2Design]

11. Totally unfamiliar with Arkansas

Which part of the state is this county? NW, NE, SE, SW, middle, near memphis, totally opposite side of the state, up in the mountains?

Thanks for answering

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

18. NW Arkansas

the Ozarks are pretty high here-up over 2200 feet. Across the state from Memphis. Newton County is the third county east of the OK line, and the second county south of the MO county line.

Thought of another reason to live here-the water tastes great, and you can get fresh spring water for free.

[2Design]

27. How is west memphis and how far?

I had a possibility in Jan of going to West Memphis for a job. I just had to make up my mind in less than 20 days. I did not know anything about the area. And the person said the crime rate there was very high.

So how far, driving, in hours are you from West Memphis?

[FreeSpeechCrusader]

57. W. Memphis is around 4 hours east of Jasper.

If you had to choice, I wouldn't move to W. Memphis. The crime is pretty bad.

[ForrestGump]

71. Agreed - West Memphis seemed pretty dire when I stopepd there

Though Memphis is just across the river and might offer viable alternatives.

[PragMantisT]

61. Not many cities in Newton county

But some of the best scenery in the state.
Also home of America's first National River- The Buffalo, site of the tallest bluff west of the Mississippi, aptly titled Big Bluff. Made national river (no damming allowed) by Nixon, believe it or not.

[PragMantisT]

5. Right On ayeshahaqqiqa!

And don't forget the notoriously potent dope!

BTW how did you do in the floods last week. It looked horrible. Hope you got out alright.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

6. Thanks for asking

I was safe and dry in Minnesota attending a Dances of Universal Peace weekend...don't know about the potent dope here in Newton County, but the zikrs the Sufis do can get one really really high...and it's legal!

[PragMantisT]

9. Dervishes were in LR not too long ago

Rumi should be read by all thinking people.

Glad to hear you're safe. Hope all your stuff made it.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

19. Thanks

Looks like everything came through it soggy but safe.

Rumi is wonderful-hope everyone can check out his poetry or see the Sema (ceremony of the 'whirling dervishes'). I assume the dervishes you refer to were from the Mevlevi Order-did they turn? There are other Sufi orders where there are dervishes as well, which is why I asked.

[PragMantisT]

60. I think it was the Mevlevi Order.

Color picture was in the Demozette. Believe it or not, even though it is a RW propaganda sheet.

Keep the faith.

[KamaAina]

15. Cool! Sounds like Eureka without the fundies.

My school social worker retired from Baltimore to Carroll County in the '70s. She had me come out there for a few summers.

What I remember most about Eureka was the polarity: everyone seemed to be either a freeper ("Get US OUT of the U.N.!" screamed a billboard on Hwy. 62) -- or an unabashed hippie, and there were enough hippies to have their own, very small, private school. (The social worker was a Socialist.) There were even nose piercings, and remember, this was the '70s!

I had the privilege of being a guest lecturer in math at the school, for one day. Topic: How you can multiply really, really big numbers, as long as you multiply them by 0 or 1 (because anything times 1 equals itself, and anything times 0 equals 0.). My class included what was believed to be the entire African American population of the county at that time, a mixed-race boy who had moved to Eureka with his (white) Mom. Has the diversity situation improved much since then?

The one thing that would be holding me back, besides the fact that it is still on the mainland :-) would be the lack of any way for my driving-deficient self to get up to Harrison, and thence to the outside world. (if the buses even still run to Harrison, that is...)

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

21. Hippies still here, just older

Eureka is interesting. There's an active gay rights group there, and a Sufi tekka, and that private school...and the fundies are still there as well. But I've not seen a lot of strident billboards when I've gone over there for zikr.

It is getting more racially diverse, namely because Tyson Foods has attracted a lot of folks from Mexico and Central America. There are even African Americans in Harrison, believe it or not!

Transportation is still a problem, though folks around here do tend to carpool. Or you can borrow Doug's mule if you just have to go to the Nail Store (yes, they sell nails, but also a lot of other things; Nail is the name of the hamlet where the store is).

Once in Harrison, you can get around. They have 'trollies' (buses in trolley disguise), a taxicab, and links to the outside world via Greyhound.

[LDS Jock]

33. I never thought of Eureka Springs as fundie

To us locals, it was the place with that gay bar you were supposed to stay away from. Long before I made my first trip there, I was told about it and to be wary of any guys smiling at me. Of course, that was long before I became the one doing the smiling to seduce :)

As far as diversity.. that is the way the whole area is. It has improved in the more recent years. Carroll County is now almost 10% hispanic but little in the way of other groups. The large increase in hispanics is due to Tyson Foods locations in Berryville and Green Forest and the recruitment of immigrants to work in the plants.

[LDS Jock]

32. Newton County is GORGEOUS

I've been through there many times. The drive along Hwy 7 is considered among the most beautiful in the state. I grew not too far from there, just two counties away in Marion County by Bull Shoals Lake and every summer we would go to Newton County to go to Dogpatch. I wish it were still open and around. Certainly no Disneyland, but for a local kid it was pretty impressive.

[LDS Jock]

2. Salt Lake City

I lived there a few years and just loved it.

1. Low Crime
2. Snow capped mountains surrounding town -- scenery
3. Easy access to mountain recreation
4. Good public schools
5. Most logical street layout in the US
6. Lower than average unemployment rates
7. Four well defined seasons, well balanced
8. Fun to shock Mormons

Those are what comes to mind right now anyway. I love SLC.

[2Design]

13. Never have been to Salt Lake City

Is there tons of snow and cold in the winter?

[LDS Jock]

31. Cold but not too cold

and about 60 inches of snow officially. If you live in the higher suburbs, that amount will be much higher, more like 100 inches a year. The ski resorts twenty miles away get 500 inches.

[Teddy_Salad]

3. Australia

1) Great weather most of the year
2) More relaxed society
3) Dame Edna Everage
4) People there are 'on the whole' more happy go lucky and 'easy going'
5) National Health Care and compared with the US, mainly affordable private health coverage
6) Great beaches (Watch the sharks though :scared:)
7) Amazing wildlife
8) Little Creatures Beer
9) Aussie Rules Football
10) Cricket
11) Olivia Newton John
12) Oh....and cheap "property taxes". I was back there in February and my Mum was complaining that their rates (property taxes) had gone up to $500 Aussie dollars per year. I laughed at her.

[2Design]

14. I would love to check Austrialia

I do not know anything about this country or how hard it would even be to get there or how expensive to travel. This would be a nice place to check out.

[gate of the sun]

30. yea and locust ,mice andsheep eating dogs

what I heard.....seriously I'd love to move there but I think New Zealand would be better.

[Teddy_Salad]

38. NZ

"Seriously I'd love to move there but I think New Zealand would be better."

Oh please!
Yeah, in Australia we have deadly animals that will eat you alive but you do know that NZ has the very scary "Kiwi"?

A frightening beast that will chop you off at your....ahhhh.....ankles.

Hell, they even have road signs all throughout New Zealand warning you of the danger ahead.....to proceed at your own peril.



I'd rather come face to face with a Great White Shark than come across one of these ferocious "Kiwis" in the middle of nowhere!!!

[LDS Jock]

68. Nightmares about Kiwis

About being hunted by a pack of wild kiwis, chasing me, tripping me, then pecking me to death. :scared:

[LDS Jock]

34. Funnel Web Spiders

I saw those on the Discovery Channel. YIKES!! A ten inch spider, fairly aggressive, and the most poisonous spider on earth. They also live in cities, such as Sydney. I have serious spiderphobia.

[Teddy_Salad]

42. Funnelwebs

Yeah.....kids especially often die from the bites of these critters.

And you are right. Sydney is full of them.

Thankfully, I grew up on the other side of Australia, Western Australia, where there are no Funnelweb Spiders.

We only had to deal with Great White Sharks, Red Back spiders on the dunny seat and Dugite snakes. :scared:

[LDS Jock]

44. Australia seems fascinating

but there are just too many damn things trying to kill you there :)

[Teddy_Salad]

46. It's not that bad, really

I've lived the vast majority of my life in Australia and I wasn't killed by anything.

I used to practically live at the beach and the worst thing that happened to me was severe sun burn.
Yeah, I know that can kill you but it's just not as frightening as coming face to face with a Great White.....or so I'd imagine.

And the only snake I ever saw there was a dead one, after my dad killed it.

Sadly, in Australia you are far more likely to be killed on the road than by a deadly creature.
Australia's road toll is incredibly high.

[2Design]

53. Australia...bugs, spiders, and kiwi

Wow, I forgot there are always some other creatures to watch out for. I fear spiders and snakes. And the palmetto bugs(cockroaches) of the south are yuck.....

So terry salad, do you live in Australia now. Tell more about the negatives of this area. What other best parts are there?

[Teddy_Salad]

58. Hi erl

Terry Salad may well live in Australia but me, Teddy Salad now lives in New York. :)

Funny you mention cockroaches.
My wife, who's American, just could not come to grips with the cockroaches in Australia.
They really freaked her out and we had a lot of them.

But one day she saw some flying in our house there and she nearly fainted.
She'd never seen a "flying" cockroach before.

Thus, we now live in the US.

[2Design]

62. sorry teddy..... typing from memory.....well ...it is going.....:)

Were you brought up in Australia or visited there?

I live in the middle south and they have those bugs. They are about 2 inches long. The flyig ones are about 1 inch long......

They call them palmetto bugs or water bugs.... but they are huge and everywhere in the summer. They don't care if it is light out or night. I really get the creeps from them.

You are a yankee fan. I like the team and used to go to games regularly in my early 20s. They are not the same. They shift teams so much for money now a days, that team members are not a loyallty. I know the yankees are winning so the team members are staying longer. Jeter is good and cute.....but beyond SS, I don't know who the players are.

I think I just like being at the game and watching people.

Here we have the tides, they are wantabe Met team...Fun and safe to go watch though...

Keep looking for other places to live..... New York area is so expensive and so crowded and so snowy... I love snow on the mountains and lawns...but driving in it is just crazy....

[Frederic Bastiat]

8. Montreal

1. Most Liberal city of its size in North America

2. Great Food and boasts some of the best restaurants in NA

3. Great Outdoors - bike trails all over the city, easy access to ski hills

4. Relatively low cost of living

5. Imagine the English and the French living together in harmony (well most of the time)

6. Is on the Formula One circuit

7. Lots of museums, theatres and shows all year round

8. Home to some big schools hence lots of hot young chicks

9. Full fledged Gay village (should you happen to swing that way)

10. Hockey rules!

[Teddy_Salad]

10. Montreal is great

Beautiful city

[2Design]

12. Never been to Montreal

Went to Quebec and loved the French feel. I loved France when I was in Paris on Business in the early 80s.

Been to Victoria and Vancouver Island (Gabriel) That was a nice experience.

[bif]

37. You forgot a couple things

11. Fireworks every Wednesday and Saturday (As I recall)
12. Jazz and world music festival
13. "Just for Laughs festival
14. Franco Follies (sp?)
15. Friendly people
(we vacationed there last summer and fell in love with the city)

[Frederic Bastiat]

50. I included them under shows

The fireworks are during the summer, part of an international competition. Each competing country gets to display their fireworks and at the end the audience gets to vote which country had the best show.

The F1 is really what kicks off the Summer festivities followed by the Jazz fest etc

Now all you have to do is visit in January, when its -40F LOL, I come so close to going back stateside sometimes.

[bif]

63. You're lucky. You live in a wonderful city!

I'd move there in a heartbeat--if only I could get a job there.

[SW FL Dem]

16. Ventura County,. CA

1. Great weather
2. Low crime rate
3. Great schools
4. Beautiful beaches and mountains
5. Family friendly
6. Ocean breezes and good air for CA
7. Fresh strawberries, corn and other fruits/veggies
8. Educated and aware residents
9. Only an hour or so to LA and all that it offers

Can you tell I wish I still lived there?

[2Design]

17. you now live in Fla?

Where in fla, and do you like and what is the cost of living?

Ventura Calif, sounds great but just to get a house you need to have a 1/2 million dollars for a starter home.......

[SW FL Dem]

23. I don't like FL

The weather sucks from June through October, there are cockroaches, fire ants and lots of rude people. Most houses are in homeowners associations run by control freaks.

[LDS Jock]

35. Fire Ants SUCK!!!

We have them here too. For those of you who don't know anything about fire ants, take a look at this.

[maveric]

20. San Diego

1.The Weather
2.The Weather
3.The Weather
4.The Weather
5.Fish Tacos

[2Design]

26. another expensive place that I wish I had gotten to a long time ago

I visited San Diego in 1976 while driving around the country. I have thought of it a lot lately. Met a guy in 1977 in New York from San Diego..... he was hot for me and I didn't respond well. I lived in Raleigh NC at the time and did not want to move to Calif.

Sometimes wonder how that might have turned out if I was more mature.

I love the water and nice weather.

Does that area have the same problem with the palmettos bugs(cockroaches) as florida or do have other bugs and reptiles to worry about in the warmer climate.....

[ForrestGump]

73. San Diego's got cockroaches

but it's not as humid as Florida (not even in the same universe of humidity, actually -- it's almost desert-dry. modified slightly by the ocean) and you don't see anywhere near the diversity of insects and other critters that you have infiltrating Florida homes.

San Diego's always been right up there on my list of favorite US cities. It's had its problems with violent crime, but it's overall a great place.

[Teddy_Salad]

43. San Diego

I grew up in Perth, Western Australia and people who have been to both cities always tell me how much like San Diego, Perth is.
Especially weather wise.

Perth is a truly beautiful city with great weather ten months of the year.

I've never been to SD so have no idea if it's true.

[tjwash]

55. Americas finest city...

...with the worlds worst sports franchises. Oh well, it's a small trade off.



Look at that blue sky. and this was taken in February

[TroubleMan]

22. Amsterdam

5. The Marines on Embassy Duty there have to be piss tested every week.

4. I heard the window shopping is great.

3. The place has a lot of dykes, and I there's few things I like better than a couple of dykes.

2. I don't drink coffee, but I would love the coffee shops there.

1. As Cheech said in the movie...."AmsterDAAAAAAAAAMMMNNNN!!!"

[Red State Rebel]

24. St. Lous, Missouri!!

1. Very reasonable cost of living.
2. Great place to raise a family.
3. Excellent entertainment and arts - The Fox Theatre - refurbished beautiful theatre for broadway shows, concerts, etc. Riverport Amphitheatre - Huge concert venue - Touhill Performing Arts Center - Medium sized brand new concert/play venue - The Muny Opera - I believe it's the U.S's oldest outdoor summer theatre. Broadway shows all summer long under the stars - the great thing about the Muny is they have an entire section across the back of free seats - first come, first serve.
4. Great sports!!!! Cardinals, Rams, Blues all in new or currently being built venues.
5. The Missouri Botanical Gardens - probably the best in the country. It includes not only the gardens proper, but a new Butterfly house, The Shaw Nature Preserve and the Jewel Box in Forest Park. Programs from the Gardens have volunteers planting community gardens in the city, funding plantings along the highways, classes at the gardens and educational programs coordinated with the area schools.
6. The St. Louis Science Center - Excellent hands on exhibits for young and old alike including an IMAX theatre and planetarium.
7. Friendly people - midwest slower paced living.
8. Decent job market - Monsanto, Boeing, Anhueser Busch, Chrysler, Ford, etc.
9. All four seasons - where we live the hills look like they are in fire in Autumn.
10. Large variety of cultures - St. Louis was founded by the French, settled heavily with German immigrants and currently has the largest Serbian settlement in the U.S. "The Hill" is where the Italians settled when they came over and is full of some of the best Italian restaurants you will ever find.
11. First class Symphony - the Grammy winning St. Louis Symphony Orchestra.
12. The Landing - downtown on the river - area full of clubs and nightlife.
13. Cathedral Basillica St. Louis - The largest collection of mosaic art in the world. Absolutely stunning!

I've lived here all my life - visited lots of other places and I love it.

[fudge stripe cookays]

25. Only thing about St. Louis...

and environs.

Don't move here if you can't handle mullets. I've never seen so many ugly men in one place in my life! The El Camino hairdo was a paramount chacteristic of that look. Oh...and the handlebar moustache.

[wysimdnwyg]

65. Hey, FSC!

I was surfing for a puppy trainer today and ran across a web site you might like.

http://photos.deanforamerica.com/gallery/14996

It's Pets for Dean.

[fudge stripe cookays]

69. Thanks! I knew about it...

and sent in Fargo's picture (part of my reason for dressing him up so cute), but I think right about then was when they got REALLY busy with more pressing campaign issues, so I don't think we ever got posted.

I'm not bitter or anything. :-( No, really.

[SarahB]

28. Central Connecticut

(I keep telling myself these things whenever I get miserable, but I have had greater issues than geography at times. Overall though, I like this place.)

1. It's an hour and a half from Boston.
2. It's an hour and a half to New York.
3. Many (if not most) of the nation's best universities are within a 100 mile radius.
4. Real estate prices aren't exorbitant.
5. Plenty of cultural activities if you seek them out.
6. Lots of areas with open space. Eastern Connecticut anyway is largely unspoiled by highways, development, etc. (I'm sort of on the line of eastern and central CT).
7. 40 miles from beaches and rarely do hurricanes that reach Long Island Sound cause much more than rain inland.
8. Rarely do we have problems from tornados, earthquakes, or volcanos.
9. It's a solid blue state (we just ignore Lieberman now).
10. Multitudes of refined babes.

[2Design]

29. I have photographs at the Old STate House in Hartford

Hi Ct.
I have photographs at the Old State House Gift shop. I used to like skiing at Powder ridge.

The only thing I disliked is I95 and the snow for driving. Lots of pretty country though

[Screaming Lord Byron]

36. Wellington, New Zealand.

Small city, yet cosmopolitan
Best location of any city, anywhere
Fantastic architecture
Great arts scene
Left-wing Government.

[Teddy_Salad]

40. Wellington is very nice

The harbour there is pretty nice.
Not as spectacular as Sydney but nice nonetheless.
I love the way the airport is situated right on it.
Can be a hairy ride in and out of there though.

The two things I remember most about Wellington is the very cool building they house the NZ parliament in there.....The Beehive.
What a great name for a building housing politicians!

And the buses they had running around the city. I guess they're called Trolley Buses. They were all running on overhead wires.
I thought they were pretty neat.
Don't know if they still have them. It's 18 years since I was last there.

But yeah.....a very nice city.

[ForrestGump]

70. Wellington's not my cup o' tea at all

Far from it. On a NZ scale, I see it as rather a horrid place with dismal weather (it's NZ's 'Windy City'), too much traffic on bad roads, depressingly drab architecture, and people less friendly than is the norm. All by NZ standards, of course -- by US standards it'd be a fairly okay (small) city.

Of the major NZ cities, I'd choose Christchurch. Much better. I'd even consider taking Auckland, NZ's Los Angeles, over Wellington.

And there're plenty of excellent smaller centers (e.g., Nelson, Blenheim, Warkworth, Queenstown) as well as the abundant boonies.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

39. new york city

world most exciting city
anything you want you can have
its filled with such vibrancy
diversity
lots of liberals
we may be rude but atleast we are honest

[Teddy_Salad]

45. NYC

I live in Rockland County, the 'burbs of NYC and I find the people out here much ruder than people in the city.

Actually, I've never had any trouble with anyone in the city.
When I first arrived here and didn't know my way around NYC, people would go out of their way to give me directions and just be helpful.

Love NY.
Yeah, there are many prettier cities than NY but there is just no other place like it, anywhere in the world.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

47. i agree

now parisians are rude...new yorkers are just in a rush....there is a difference

[2Design]

52. I found the parisians nicer than New York

When I went to paris in 1981 for business, I found the people friendlier and nicer than New yorkers. I felt safer in that city travelling around alone. There weren't as many bad areas like there are in NYC.

Now I like NYC too. I have enjoyed fulton market and in September watching the schooner races on the harbor. I have gone to plays on broardway and radio city music hall. My mom took us at Christmas time when I was younger back when they had a movie and the show. It was fantastic to go. See all the lights and see the window shows in the department stores.

When to see Tony and Marie wedding in the lower part of manhattan, and that was interesting.

Enjoyed going to the Statue of Liberty.

[Commendatori]

41. Edinburgh, Scotland

- Scenic

- Not so expensive by European standards

- Friendly people

- Great beer, contrary to popular opinion

- No appreciable language barrier

- Bush isn't your president

[Teddy_Salad]

48. Ahhh....Now You're Talkin'

Edinburgh.

Understand I've never been to Florence or Venice but Edinburgh is without doubt the most beautiful city I've seen.
I just love that place!

Funny, Scotland's two major cities rank top and bottom in my cities list.
Glasgow is just horrible.
Although I do like it's "down-to-earth-iness", it doesn't have too much else to like.
Except maybe Mackintosh's very cool building at the Glasgow School of Art.

I always go there when I visit the UK because I have friends there and I try hard to like it but it just doesn't do it for me. :(

[Commendatori]

49. I could spend the rest of my life

on Rose Street in Edinburgh. Best atmosphere I've ever been in.

[Screaming Lord Byron]

64. Sure, but why bother with Edinburgh when Glasgow exists?

All of the above plus a fantastic music scene, really decent, funny and passionate residents (unlike Edinburgh), and great football (except Rangers, of course)

[Dan-W]

75. It's been 25 years since I was there, but

spent 2 nights at a B&B, in city, and found the Glasgwegians fine people. What an accent, though, like nothing else in Scotland!
They've got a lot of their own slang terms, too. Besides the soccer, they've had an NFL Europe team for years now.

-Dw

[Commendatori]

76. Been to both, preferred Edinburgh (n/t)

[elfwitch]

51. San Antonio, Texas

- great food
- breathable air
- cheap to live
- Fiesta
- toobin down the river (many in the area)
- short drive to Austin
- museums and parks
- cheap to live
- Taco Cabana
- Alamo Cafe
- H.E.B. Grocery Stores
- friendly people
- cheap to live
- short drive to the Hill Country
- the Spurs!
- the Riverwalk
- CHEAP TO LIVE!!!

[SammyWinstonJack]

66. I agree

Have lived in San Antonio for 11 yrs now, and I think it's a great place to live for all the reasons you mentioned. :-)

[ForrestGump]

74. Another of my all-time favorite US cities!

I love San Antonio....and Austin, and the Hill Country, and the area south of SA. And all that even without considering fond memories of a certain Tejana.... :D

Viva Tejas!

[curse10]

54. Boston, MA

1. The Red Sox
2. brownstones
3. cobble sidewalks
4. the cold, cold Atlantic
5. old graveyards make excellent picnic spots
6. the Isabella Gardner museum
7. the Commons in October

[Teddy_Salad]

59. I love Boston

Hate the baseball team ;) but love the city, the people and especially the history there.

Boston's great!

[LDS Jock]

67. and gay marriage soon

maybe

[Triple H]

56. Anywhere in the Mediterranean!

1. It's hot all year around.
2. The sun is always shining.
3. Hot chicks in bathing suits.
4. Non-stop parties.
5. Did I mention hot chicks in bathing suits?

[HEyHEY]

72. Small town on the Irish Coast

Get a little old house with a view of the ocean. Spend my days sailing and hanging out in a dingy bar.

Other than that - My Hometown Vancouver BC.

1- Liberal
2- Beautiful
3- Best Chinese food in the world
4- VERY multicultural
5- By the ocean
6- Mild Climate
7- Cool art scene
8- Olympics coming