On this day when some feel it is necessary to celebrate something people are supposed to do, I am thinking of going to grad school and finish this time. Finally all of my parental units have died and I have money to pay for grad school. That sounds more bitter than I intended it to sound.
I have lived where the teams are either too expensive (U of I for people not associated with the university is/was outrageously expensive) or there has been no team for too long. I want to do laps with others who want to do laps. I don't want to do laps where people don't complain about me swimming in there way as the piddle (my father's favorite word) down the lane doing something that looks like a *** stroke.
Here are the choices. I want to hear opinions -both good and bad.
Indianapolis (have friends)
Cleveland (as a kid a big Indians fan)
Phoenix (Did everyone see that they increased both their football & baseball budget? How does Ms. Love justify that?)
Northridge, CA (quaint)
San Francisco, Ca (looks like it might be more fun than it really is)
Portland, OR (Seattle-want-to-be)
Kansas City, MO ()
Denver, CO (Good friend lives there)
(The statements are from some one else not me)
The furthest west I've ever been is Iowa City, Topeka, San Antonio. I've lived in a small towns (Galesburg, IL the center of the universe and home of the Ferris Wheel), university/intellectual towns (Champaign/Urbana & Topeka, when Menninger was still there) and center cities with lots of suburbs. (DC, St. Louis, Houston). I've never lived in a suburb.
I think of the list only Northridge, CA is a suburb. I think Kansas City, MO is considered central city. To do this I am also thinking of buying a car. I'm 50 & never had one. I've been to Indy, Cleveland (it really has become a beautiful city), and Kansas City, MO (not the center of the universe as LDSers think).
Any response will be most welcomed.
Thanks a bill,
Craig
Northridge is very close to the center of the porn production world.
Portland is in a drought if it doesn't rain for a week. You'll be OK there, but they hate people from California.
Phoenix (presuming you mean the "suburb" Tempe, where ASU is located) is way hot for most people, but like a drug, very addictive. Scorpions and snakes, but few mosquitoes.
Indianapolis isn't what it used to be, after Dusenberg stopped building cars.
Shouldn't this thread be in the NSR area?
The Portland area is great.Great LMSC,no poisonous snakes,very few mosquitoes,mountains,ocean,rivers,etc.Good mass transit.Very mild climate.Very unlikely to have a drought.Really only one down side,you won't see the sun from Nov to Mar.
But when you do get the peak at the sun, there is usually a rainbow. Makes the rain all worth while!!
Have you considered the Triangle area of NC (Chapel Hill, Durham, and Raleigh)? Three large and great universities to chose from, at least three USMS teams (maybe more), decent cost of living, 1.5-2.0 hours from the beach, 3 hours from mtns, year round golf, biking, and running. I think it still has the highest per capita PhDs in the world and tons and tons of Fortune 500 companies.
The Portland area is great.Great LMSC,no poisonous snakes,very few mosquitoes,mountains,ocean,rivers,etc.Good mass transit.Very mild climate.Very unlikely to have a drought.Really only one down side,you won't see the sun from Nov to Mar.
Savannah Georgia is a really nice place to live.....relatively cheaper compared to some of the other places listed. I have come to really like Georgia after growing up in SoCal....took a little getting used to but climate wise it's pretty reasonable.......The other palce I would like to live is around Cocoa Beach FL. A little touristy but not as bad as other places......
Craig have we made it easier for youto decide. If you like the cold Prince George BC has two great swim pools one is a fifty meter pool the other 25 meter pool. Housing is very low priced and it is the largest city in that far north in Canada. The University is very low cost and they allow foreign students. www.unbc.ca/.../
Fees are low www.unbc.ca/.../fees.html
Prince George BC www.bctravel.com/.../pg.html
Prince George 50 m pool www.swimmersguide.com/.../Detail.cfm
My town Ladner has 5 great pools within 20 minutes. A short stroll from my place an outdoor 25m pool, a 4 min bike ride a great 25 m indoor pool, 15 min drive another 25m pool and in Richmond BC a 13 min drive from my home a 50m indoor pool, a 20 min drive in Richmond a pool complex with 2 25 m pools. A 30 min drive 5 other 25m pools.
To get a better feel for Portland, consider a visit. The Oregon LMSC is hosting this summer's LC Masters Nationals. Read more about the meet, and the Portland area, in the Nationals thread: forums.usms.org/showthread.php
I have some comments about 3 of those cities.
Indy is one of the best sports towns in the United States. You have the Colts, Pacers, Indpls Ice & Indians, there's the Speedway, and of course, the IUPUI Natatorium... they have a great masters team IndySwimFit... plenty of meets in town and nearby cities. You can get to Purdue, Notre Dame, and IU in about an hour for some great college games.
Cleveland is a great place to live - the suburbs are great. Lakewood and Avon Lake are nice towns. Indians, Cavs and Browns games! Boating on Lake Erie is so much fun! Geagua Lake and Cedar Point are close by as well.
San Francisco is such a fun town to visit. Downtown is amazing - Chinatown and Fisherman's Wharf are the best! Very expensive place to live, but lots to do.
My :2cents:
Craig,
After growing up in Northern California, going to school in Santa Barbara and staying a total of 8 years, then Colorado for 24 years were settled in Tempe (granted we've had a place here for about 8 years). Also, we travel regularly for business in UT, WY, ID, MT, NM, NV, NE.
Having said all that, this is by far the best place we have lived when it comes to weather, training opportunities, cost of living (surprised you said its expensive, PM me for more info). Is it hot for a few months a year? Yes, but nothing like the midwest or southeast where you have the horrible humidity.
People ask what we do when its 114 like today, we swim at 5:30am then use the AC in the house/car and enjoy later evenings when it drops down to the 90's. In Colorado we faced the same/yet opposite situation when temps for months are below freezing, you have the heating on when your inside and bundle up if you have to go out!
PS; Agree with you about Austin
