…Where would you live?
The question arose today when a friend asked me if Santa Barbara was my “last stop.” I paused before answering because I couldn’t say definitively that I’d stay here for the rest of my life, as gorgeous as it is. They don’t call it “the American Riviera” for nothing.
That said, it’s also very expensive to live here – from the housing to the health insurance, from the gas to the groceries. On the plus side, there’s the great weather (most of the time), the scenery (mountains + ocean), the culture (the film festival, several independent bookstores, lots of concerts) and the restaurants (name your cuisine). It’s the best of two worlds: a small city with a rural feel. And then there’s the lure of friends; we have genuine buddies here. Yes, there are earthquakes, fires and mudslides. If you live in California you deal with them.
Back to the question: Do I want to live in Santa Barbara for the rest of my life?
I’ve moved a lot. I grew up in NY, settled in CT in the ’80s, moved to FL in the ’90s to escape the cold, moved to LA seven years later to escape the hurricanes and try the left coast, and migrated north to Santa Barbara six years after that. So I’ve been a nomad. As a writer I can live just about anywhere as long as there’s an Internet connection. But where would I go next?
There are requirements.
- Given Michael’s medical problems, we’d need to be near a good hospital with competent doctors.
- Given my aversion to the cold, we’d need to be in a warm climate.
- Given our love of the water, we’d need to be near a coastline.
- Given our enjoyment of movies, we’d need a place with some first-run theaters (preferably with stadium seating).
- Given that we’re not Oprah, we’d need an affordable real estate market.
- Given that my mother and sister live in NY, we’d need an airport not too far away.
- Given our piggy appetites, we’d need a variety of restaurants (and I don’t mean the Olive Garden).
So where? An island in the Caribbean? Provence or Tuscany? Some town in California I have yet to hear about? It’s fun to fantasize about where you would live if you had total freedom to go anywhere, but in the end there’s no place like home…wherever that is.
Maui? kiawah island sc? Anna Maria Island Fla? I do love the beach. But today I saw my first robin of the year and it sure is a wonderful feeling.
Now THIS is a tough one. I haven’t been the nomad you are…been ensconced in Merry-land for 38 of the last 39 years (and the other year was in Northern Va., so no diff’rence)…it doesn’t seem like home when you’re born in Canada and grew up in Noo Yawk. But it is, of course…the only one my kids have ever (will ever?) known, or are likely to know…or so we think…
You surely do need the warmer climes, good airport service, and better hospital service. And you both love the water. So, unless you are taxed to DEATH (possible), or victimized by those gang issues in the town (hopefully impossible)…where you are is pretty daggone great.
It’s grand to imagine some Shangri-La. At times, I’ve contemplated Switzerland (I like the cold, and it’s my dad’s family heritage)…or someplace in the South (I went to school there, it’s homey for me)…but no, don’t think so anymo’ — when we were last in SoCal as a family, my wife loved La Jolla…and as soon as we make our next several million…(riiiight)…
I’ve never been to Hawaii, Melissa, but I have friends who go all the time and love it. To live there though? Talk about expensive. They do have a good health care system, so I hear. You saw your first robin? Well, then spring has sprung!
Speaking of Maryland, Dave, Michael loves Annapolis, given all the boaty stuff, and a friend lives on the eastern shore and loves it. But again, too cold for me. But as you point out, the taxes are horrendous here in CA, along with the real estate, and gas prices hit $3.99 yesterday for regular! Outrageous. I’ve only been to the Italian/Swiss border but it’s so lovely there with all the lakes. I’d live there in the summer for sure. La Jolla’s beautiful but sooo pricey.
You know, Jane, I think Tampa fits all your requirements. Hospitals, check. Warm climate, check. Coastal, check. Movie theaters, check. Airport, check. Restaurants, check. Affordable, possibly – aren’t there all sorts of newly built homes that no one can afford to buy right now so the prices are being slashed? And, you could watch your Yankees every March!
Don’t think we haven’t thought about Tampa/St. Pete, Sue. (We had such a good time with you there last year.) It does fit the criteria in many ways but summers in FL are pretty dull. In some ways it’s nice to have the snowbirds fly back home and have less traffic and fewer crowds. But it also gets verrrry quiet. And rainy. And hot. I’m so picky, aren’t I?
This is a topic we talk about at our home all the damn time.
We have lived so many places for our careers, which brought us here.
But we are ready to move on but to where?
We know where we won’t live but where to live has become difficult.
Where you are sounds wonderful but I really like 4 seasons, although the older I get I admit I don’t like snow as much and hot and humid I can so do without. And northern VA/DC is nothing if it’s not hot and humid. We have a vacation home that at first we thought we would retire to but now we know we could never ever live there full time! Ever! (Medical plays a big part of this as well for us.)
When the commercials begin running 24/7 for election candidates I may choose Canada or Italy.
I love Toronto and I could see the Yanks. Italy not so much, oh but the food, mountains and water in the north. I have a great vocabulary of swear words in Italian and that could be most helpful.
See why we can’t decide?
So you’ve been nomads too, Peg? We, too, know where we won’t live. It’s much easier to cross places off the list. Santa Barbara does have 4 seasons, it really does. Right now I’m sitting here wearing three layers of clothes and the heat is on. We do have winter, just no snow (except the other day when we had frost warnings and then hail). And it’s very dry on those few days in the summer when it does get hot. No humidity. (Great for the hair!) I love Toronto too, but the weather would rule that out for me. Italy? Now that’s tempting even without coverage of the Yankees. Michael’s cousin lives in Florence in a 14th century villa. How fabulous does that sound?