05/02/96-05/08/96: What is Your Neighborhood Like?

Some people like the city. Some like the suburbs. Others like the country. Every place has its advantages and disadvatages. Where do you live? What are the best and worst parts about it?

earthcrone: Atlanta is a city of neighborhoods. The one I live in is actually a tiny incorporated city called Chamblee on the northern edge of Atlanta and just inside the Perimeter (I285). Chamblee is blessed with one of the top 10 public high schools in the country, an extremely diverse population (white, African American, Asian, Hispanic) and the income level ranges from affluent corporate executive to poverty level (welfare or illegal immigrants), and the education level is likewise diversified. It is the diversity that makes this a great place to live and bring up children. We are close to town (geographically) but still have more than our share of parks and wooded areas, even in our subdivisions. The largest concentration of office space (even more square footae than downtown) is just next door. For shopping, there are luxury stores, a wonderful antiques shops cluster, the usual small town strip malls (although a lot of ours are distinguished by their signs being in Koreal, Thai, Chinese, or Japanese Asian gangs who are quite lethal. There are apartment complexes where young white-collar workers live next to an apartment where 18 women man sewing machines 24 hours a day in near-slavery conditions. Shut one down and they'll just move to another location. I suspect most of these exploited workers are immigrants without papers. I see food stamps a lot in the supermarkets. I know of families that live in a two-bedroom apartment, finding room for 8 more relatives who arrived later. We have a battered women's shelter with a waiting list. There are almost 50 churches and probably 40 liquor stores. Thrift shops abound. We can see the Atlanta skyline from our streets, and there find our cultural activities such as concerts, art museums, theater, etc., but we have smaller ethnic centers for those activities right here. I used to think we would move to the coast when we retired, but I suspect it would feel homogeneous and boring after this-- I guess I'll finish my days here, in my own neighborhood.

dynamite: Best things...very low crime, no guns,gangs great place to raise kids. Worst things...high unemployment long winters and high taxes.

PSeaholm: I live in La Mesa California, which is a suburb of San Diego. After spending 3 months travelling to Minnesota from Jan to Mar... I must say that the WEATHER just can't be beat anywhere I've ever been! We also have a very low crime rate and I lucked into the greatest place I could ever wish for! Life is wonderful in my community!

PRaitt: I live in a neighborhood of Washington, DC called Capitol Hill. Capitol Hill gets something of a "bad rep" from the media, etc., as far as crime is concerned, but there are so many wonderful things about living there that seem to get overlooked. Capitol Hill has a great feeling of community, of being a small village within a larger city. When I go for walks up and down East Capitol Street some evenings after work, I always see neighbors, friends, people from Church or work. When I go to the corner store the same people and faces are there, and I see them in Lincoln Park, I see them walking their dogs, I see them on the Metro, I see them at Eastern Market on the weekends. You definitely get the sense, living on the Hill, that you are part of a network of people that cares about each other and has similar interests and activities. And I think that's really nice. Probably my favorite part of living on the Hill is my walk home from work in the evenings. I walk through Lincoln Park every night, and once it's warm out there is a collection of young guys who are always there, playing African drums. It sounds so amazing, it always sort of transports me and soothes me when I hear it. Washington is an amazing city, and the Hill is quite a cool neighborhood.

twaj: I live in North Edison, New Jersey. It is a fairly expensive and moderately upscale area forty-five miles away from Manhattan by train or car. The area is covered with 70's and 80's built neighborhoods with mostly single family homes. The location is good- you can get almost anything in a New Jersey suburb from Thai Cuisine to Legal services, all within a couple miles of the home. The bad thing about the area is the congestion- too much traffic. Also one would expect more exclusivity in the local schools, but due to a small public housing development within the district that the realators don't tell people about, the community's profile is somewhat crippled. In Ohio, one can find a nicer home with more acreage, not to mention prestige, for the same price in a more professional environment. Other costs of living are higher in New Jersey as well. What distresses me the most about is the lack of zoning and the above-ground wiring.

Fantasm: Mt Morris MI Country living at it's best. Close enough to the city but far enough out to be peaeful and safe. Bad thing is...??? Haven't really noticed any...except maybe the snow plows always pile the snow at the end of the driveway just after we shovel it!

ARomero: I live in a suburb of the city of Santo Domingo, Dominican republic. This neighborhood or area is called Costa Azul (Blue Coast). I live in a condo. The only condo on the coast. Yes, the condo is built right upon a coral reef, jutting into the Caribbean sea. Next door I see cows pasturing in an open field. What kind of neighborhood this is? I have no idea. I know though that there is no violent crime. I can leave my keys in the car and nobody will steal it. There is no noice, just the sound of birds. It's very quiet, but I like it that way. My neighbors are very hospitable. I try to be also.

BlueBoar: Caldwell, Idaho- Great boxing esp. Kenny Keene Cruiserweight champ. Good friendly people. The only bad thing is the potato factory smells at night sometimes. Oh yeah, tourists are okay but we'd prefer you kept sailin' on thru to CA. Say Hi to Mickey for me.

Nizk: city: adv -- complete facilities for anything. disadv -- polluted, corrupted
suburds: adv -- fresh, peaceful. disadv -- boring, no nightlife

OlegDrake: I live in a small town in Northern Missouri, in a big, two stories white house. Around us there are a lot of other houses but most of them are green or red. Two houses from us to the left you can see a funeral home. May be you think that it's kind of sad around their, but it's not right because the building is really nice and doesn't look like a funeral home at all. This was about my neigborhood in U.S. Now little bit about my Ukrainian negborhood. I live in 9 storie house on the sixth floor. There are three more appartments on the same floor with us. Outside, right in front of my window I can see a kindergarten, I like to observe kids, when I don't have nothing else to do, sometimes it's funny and interesting. What is more it reminds me about my own childhood. There are many more big apartments buildings around.

kf0yn: I live in a large apartment complex in a medium size city (Davenport, IA). It's not bad -- it's close to everything, but I think in the future, I'd like to move out to the country. I could use the privacy, and it be better for my favorite hobby - amateur radio.

Sparrow: I live in London England, The best thing about it is we are the greenest Borough in London the worst thing is all the pollution from the traffic, they should invest more in Public Transport.

BOSTONIAN: If you are an ultra conservative and vote a straight Republican ticket--Springfield,Illinois is the place for you and you are more than welcome. If you are a person such as myself who believes in such radical ideas as food for the hungry and housing for the shelterless -- be prepared to be called a left wing liberal or even a communist!! Do not let anyone in Springfield, Illinois know you like the Clintons because you could get shot. Outsiders are not accepted. If you want to adjust here DO NOT THINK just listen to the hate messages coming over the radio waves.

KingCrash: I live in Paris, Tn, a small town with a population of about 30,000 to 40,000. I live about a mile out of town. I'm not way out in the rolling, country hills, but it's not in the middle of the city where sirens and honking cars are the only sound. It's peaceful yet I'm less than two minutes away from town. I enjoy where I live.

chile: Brandermill, in Chesterfield Virginia is an unbelievably beautiful community! Yes we have rules and regulations but it is well worth it. The schools are exceptional and we are very close in to Richmond VA, without the noise and congestion. Our home (moderately priced) is located near a golf course, with the woods all around us. We hear no traffic, planes, buses....etc. But, shopping and other necessary things are available right in the planned community. If anyone were going to transfer to Richmond, VA. I would highly reccommend checking into this area. We have our own "Sunday Park" with a beautiful Resevoir for boating and a park called "Sandy Park" and a terrific restuarant with a view. I could go on and on....but please! see it for yourself. Come and visit and stay at the Wonderful Brandermil Inn. If you need a realtor contact Pinchbeck, Inc. (804)272-3377

mabourn: I live in a small town 10 min. from St Paul Minnesota. You still get that small town feel with easy access to the city. The best thing about my neighborhood is neighbors who are always willing to lend a hand when you need them. The worst thing is neighbors who cant mind their own business.

JeffCameron: I live on the Campus of Ohio State University. There is a pretty high crime rate on the campus, but it is mostle centered around the parking lots and the parking garages. Aside from that there is not much wrong with this place. I grew up in the City and have pretty much lived in the city all my life, but I love nature, and my fav. hobby is Repelling... unfortunatly there are not many places to do that around here.

CCVOLLHARDT: I live in Fairfield, Connecticut. I don't know what you would classify it as. It has a population of over 50,000 people. It is a really nice area. A little too expensive, and people are a little too rich. Some of them "snobs." Overall though it is a good area to live in. There are beaches and lakes. Cascades and parks. Many stores. The Post Road is really nice in the spring and the fall. The schools are pretty good too. They're starting to get over populated, but they're o.k.

Beatleman: I live in a burb 10 minutes from Chicago, yet 20 minutes from the "counrty"....i can get the best of all three lives..and at times i like the city, others i like the burbs and others i like the country.

MADMAC: I live in Eklutna Village, a small Indian Village located 23 miles North of Anchorage. Eklutna is located in an unique valley. To the North lies the Knik River, to the West lies the upper-Knik arm of the Cook Inlet. We are bordered on the East by the Chugach Mountains. Eklutna Glacier is 26 miles up the valley. The glacier feeds Eklutna Lake, the largest lake in the Chugach Mountains, and Eklutna River. It is a small Village with a population of about 40 full-time residents. We have moose, bear, porcupine, fox, wolf, squirrel, eagles, etc. We have a several miles of trails for hiking, mountain biking, cross-country skiing, etc. Our average annual precipitation is less than 16" and we enjoy a dry, windless climate. We have a tourist attraction that saw 23,000 paying customers in the summer of 1995. The Big Negative: Our Village is unfortunately in the zoning jurisdiction of the Municipality of Anchorage. The Municipality is allowing the National Bank of Alaska to quarry the granite hills that lie behind our Village and that give our Village its name (Eklutna: two knobs in a river). NBA is a politically powerful entity that has bought many allies. Politics here suck.

benigma: I live in Fairfax, the 'burbs of Washington, DC. Best things: Stable well-maintained neighborhood, young middle class families, nearby parks, convenient shopping Worst things: Long drive to work in Wash, lack of diversity (ethnic or otherwise), shamelessly bourgeoisie.

jtanouye: San Luis Obispo, California Best: Wonderful people, clean fresh air, medium population, low crime, beautiful scenery, nice beaches, great weather year round, fine schools and universities, nice homes, and growing economy. Worst: May run out of places to go, otherwise...it's too perfect.

Yetta: I live on one of the outer suburbs of Perth, Western Australia, called Greenwood. Greenwood is approximately 15 miles from Perth City and on the freeway takes only 15 minutes to the centre, that's out of the rush hour, naturally ! (Then the run can take up to an hour !) Greenwood is usually a very quiet area, very occasionally we get vandals, but not often. Greenwood, as the name suggests, is green all year round, with loads of trees and parklands. Actually all streets, roads and courts are named after Australian trees of various types. Houses are of the upper-middle class and mostly brick built with tiled roofs. All houses have gardens planted in many different styles. We have 2 shopping centres in the area - 1 larger than the other, but neither is big. Fortunately, we have very large shopping complexes in any direction you wish to take. Greenwood has 1 State run Senior High School and 3 Primary Schools. There are also 3 Private Primary Schools in the area. Churches of all denominations a here. I don't really think there are any disadvantages in living in Greenwood. - I just love it, and have lived with my family for 10 years now.

anthonyk: Well, i live in middlesex, NJ. It's a relativly quiet neigborhood in central jersey. Noting much ever happens here. But for a small town (2 sq miles) we have 5 chineese food places, 6 pizza places, 4 restaratunts, a McDonalds, 2 quck checks, a wawa, and a food mart, Pathmark, Acme, and A&P;, CVS and a Drug Fair, a lumber yard, 3 video stores, about 10 bars, 3 liquor stores, a GNC, a Taxidermist, a Chemical research lab, 2 small computer manufacturing companies, 3 body shops, a salvage yard, countless other small businesses, and a 3,000 ton pile of raido active dirt left over from the Manhattan Project research that was done here in the 40's. And we're all still bored to tears. Go figure? Over all I'de say it is a great place to live, and i really enjoy it. The crime is low and what little there is is really petty. Most people are friendly. Drawbacks? I've been here too long and need to get OUT!!

RebeccaW: I live in two places at once, being a student - I live at home in the country and during term in the city, so I'm in a position to compare the two. I adore the city (Birmingham, England), because there's loads to do. But sometimes it's nice to get home (Stroud, kinda half-way between Birmingham and Bristol) and look at some hills and feel relaxed and peaceful. The country's nice for a few days, but everything moves much more slowly there, so if you're after an exciting life, you're unlikely to get it there .. that's why I plan to move out to the metropolis after I graduate and just go and visit my parents for a few days at a time!

VinceJohns: My square mile in Oklahoma City, nestled among others like it, has mostly single- family dwellings, but the periphery contains a few apartment complexes, a shopping mall and other stores -- and in one area the lots are big enough to allow raising horses and other livestock. Near the center of the section are an elementary school and a city park with tennis & volleyball courts. Our Neighborhood Association is quite active, sponsoring daily patrols (manned by volunteers who drive around the neighborhood), picnics in the summer, dances at the school in the winter, and talks by local officials. In the last couple of years we have sponsored block parties, a parade, singing/instrumental performances by students living here, bicycle safety clinics for kids, and trash cleanup parties in the public areas. Like other associations in nearby neighborhoods, we publish a monthly newsletter, delivered to everyone's door (including people who don't pay dues; it's supported by advertising) by volunteers. Our members range from babies to retirees, our crime rate is pretty low, and there is a great sense of community (at least among the people I meet). The cost of housing is quite low here, and the climate is pleasant, if tornadoes don't bother you too much. One disadvantage to Oklahoma City -- prices of computer equipment (my kind of toys) are slightly lower in Dallas, a four-hour drive away.

memo: I live in a Mexico City suburb (Or might I call it a city within a city?) With a population of nearly 22 million person in one place...well it's sometimes difficult! Air polution, high crime rate, high unemployment, get all this together and what do you get? Well, anyhow, I'd move right now and live is Scotlands Highlands, Really! Even though I dont know them. I bet it would be a nice place to live.

terryism: Embedded in Fairfax, Va., outside Washington, D.C.:Lot of better homes and garden competition. But it's a road less-traveled and safe. Several times I've had guests leave valuable on top of their car overnight (an electronic keyboard, a purse) or the car door ajar for hours with valuable inside and nothing was disturbed. We have lots of old trees, a park and private swimming club within 1,000 yards, a school across the street with lots of room to play. We're happy and we got in here because of a house that was foreclosed on. What luck!

Spunky: I live in a rural town in Central Indiana. Most city people would call this living in the country, but I'm used to my closest neighbor being at least 1 mile away. We have a very low crime rate and decent schools. I live about 15 miles from the Purdue University campus. So, I have the city at my disposal. One day, (soon I hope) we will move to the country and live in the middle of a cornfield with my closest neighbor being at least 1 mile away. I'm a country girl!

advocat: Sacramento has four seasons. It rains (We've had two- hundred-year floods in ten years. It blows (winds get up to 40 mph). It gets hot. Sometimes durring summer, it doesn't drop below 95 - at night! And, we are the tree capitol of the U.S. We are also 1.5 hours from Lake Tahoe and 1.5 hours from San Francisco. Lots of good looking women too.

kanel: I live on a lake in Central Illinois. It is quiet and I use the lake to go fishing a lot. My neighbors are mostly retired people and their aren't a lot of parties around where I live. I like it better than living in a big city.

elyza: I live in Washington, DC in a neighborhood called Logan Circle. My townhouse is on a block that was renovated within the last 6 years to help bring the neighborhood back to its former glory..HA! Our block is a golden cage. Beautiful luxury apartments surrounded by hookers and crack dealers on each corner.During the day its relatively fine, but once the sun goes down its like walking through the gates of hell. It's proof that improving one block does not improve the neighborhood. The good side? It's not the suburbs.

NeonRose: I live is Oshawa, a city just outside of Tornto, Canada. It's a pretty cool place. Being a small to medium sized city, there is still the friendly neighbourly atmosphere, but there is also the growth of the city to extend the amount of activities available. And with Toronto close by, all ya gotta do is catch a bus (cars are more conveient though).. Problems occuring is the increase in crime, and pollution as the city grows.. Five years ago, you wouldn't see a prostitute in Oshawa - Anywhere, but they are popping up downtown.. with a several raids made downtown already.. :( Another problem is the employment situation.. Even tho we have 2 GM plants, the rate of unemploymnt is fairly high, compared to similar cities that tend to be industrial cities.

kisbalazs: I live in a small town of Hungary named Pecs. The town have been built beside a mountain. The worst is the town does not have any river. I like rivers, and all kind of natural waters. The best is the mountain with forests. I do not like the centre of the town because there is smog and noise produced by many cars. I prefer the fresh air, you see. I live in a university hostel so I have many neighbours. Some of them are boring but luckily others are really good girls & guys.

aiken: Atlanta, Ga. One of the previous post concerned northern Atlanta. I live in one of the neighborhoods known as Midtown. This is the area between downtown and the Buckhead area. The area is fantastic, some petty crime, lots of nice houses, parks (Piedmont, Ansley ) and numerous restruants, bars, museums, theaters, sporting events, and musical festivals such as this weekend we had the Midtown MusicFest, a 3 day event with 6 stages and over one hundred international, national and local bands. Midtown has a large homosexual population, which I think is a plus even though I am straight. The neighborhoods are safe, clean, homes are kept neat, if not eclectic at times and everyone looks out for each other. Schools could be better, but they are urban systems in Georgia. No school system in Georgia is great in my opinion. I have lived here one year, love the location, people and environement. Downsides are the very high rents and cost of older homes. Also the basic geographical problem that Atlanta is 5 hours from the coast. I need a beach bad.

andreamer: I go to Knox College, which is in Galesburg, IL. It's a pleasant little town, boasting Carl Sandburg's birthplace and the only remaining site of a Lincoln-Douglass debate. However, it closes at five.

sodo11: I live in Springfield, Massachuesetts. It's conveniently located within a short driving distance of the city of Hartford, New York City, New Haven, Ct., and the beautiful five college area of Amherst, MA.. Springfield has the potential to be a great city. Unfortunately, the locals tell me that there are organized and corrupt groups who have basically stood on the way of Springfield's progress. In my neighbourhood, crime and poverty are the orders of the day. My guess is that, the new mayor is trying hard to help the city take off economically. The city is sitting on a gold mine. We've the Hall of Fame of Basketball right in the center of the city and for a long time they were just sitting on it. Thanks to the citizens of the Springfield, the politicians are just starting to take advantage of that fact. In any case it seems the future of most cities in America where politicians simply ran out of imagination and bank their cities' growth and develpment on Cassino!..This is the era of gambling.

Mekanic: I live in a small community that is starting to grow rapidly. The people don't know how to handle it. I like the community just the way it is but I guess it would be better if there were more to do here. I guess it is not fun in a place where the only fun thing to do is to go to the bar.

KMorrison: Port Charlotte, Florida enjoys a relatively low crime rate, but unfortunately, it's getting worse every year. The cost of living is also low here, but we sure see a jump during tourist season! Hey, some of us live and work here! But, we just adapt. We locals know not to try to eat at a restaurant from September through May...unless we've got two hours to kill waiting for a table!

BTerry: I live in a pretty cool area, well to some people. I live in upstate NY. Here We have big fields, and everything else! But there are too many farms!! :)

Canadian_Guy: I live in the city of Penticton, BC, Canada. Its a very tourist orientated city, with summer temperatures exceeding 110F (yes, in Canada), tourists bring two things...money and crime. As a local citizen I of course appreciate the money, but imported crime, I think is a problem. Summer populations here exceed 130,000, but its a nice place to live and to party. Penticton doesn't have any real gangs so in sum...a city is a cool place to live.

Shazam420: I live in Berkeley, CA. There is great diversity here not only in people, but the way things are done. It is close to Mt. Diablo (1 hr.) and Mt. Tamalpias (1 hr.) which is also great, because living this close to Oakland can be suffocating. If you're from Oakland, please don't take this personally -- you have my greatest sympathy :) I just need to escape sometimes, and there are a bounty of beautiful natural setings in Northern California to take advantage of. I'm moving to Cambridge, MA. in three months, but I have not seen any MA entries in the survey. If you can give me some insight, please go to my page and drop me a line! that's at "http://members.tripod.com/~Shazam420/".

Franc: I live in the prairies of Saskatchewan and I love them! Their so calm and peaceful and the worst thing that can happen is that you're farm burns down and you lose a chicken or two! All in all, the prairies are the best place in the world to live!

CaptainLemming: I live in the Redding, California area. The town would be better known as thr redneck racist club. It is a rural/suburban area with little mixing of races. The scenery and nature are great, but the city council is so backward that nothing gets done unless it brings money into the coiffers of the city. Basically you have to look for like kinds of people, unles you are a racist redneck. I hear the word "Ni**er" at least twice a week. Other than that it i a nice place to live. The people leave you alone, unless you make an outstanding example of yourself.

Ragan: Plano, Tx. I live in a really nice community. The best part is that there is so much tax revenue due to the amount of growth and big business that the streets and other infrastructure are constantly being upgraded. The streets are the cleanest and in the best state of repair of any I've ever seen. The downside is that there is so much affluence that rents are very high. Nonetheless, I can't imagine living in another part of the Dallas area.

jtb: I live on the North Side of Chicago, and I don't know if I'd want to live anywhere else. I live in a quiet residential area that is very atypical from what you see in New York. I'm near several bus lines and the elevated train, so there is never a problem getting around. I can walk to Wrigley Field, and my rent is still quite reasonable. I drive my car probably four a week on average, which is fine with me as I have a real aversion to traffic. Except for the lack of parking, it's perfect.

RuthD: I live in a town of about 2000 people in North Texas. I think that there are many advantages to where I live. For example, there is a strong sense of togetherness. People know and care about each other. The high school I graduated from was very good. This was do partly in fact to the caring people who live in my small town. The disadvantages are much more harsh. There is a lack of things to do on weekends. This can cause trouble and illegal activities. Teenagers will find something to do so it is better to give them something to do rather than leave them to find their own thing.