Whats it like where YOU live ????

:? Hey everybody,
Well, I am out here in Torrance California which is in the LAX airport area called the SouthBay - it is an area just outside of Los Angeles proper near the beach. Actually I am about a 15 minute drive from the beach. The weather is really nice here - very temperate most of the year but I feel that this area has become overdeveloped and urbanized - too much city. It is overcrowded and very expensive too and we really have a gang problem here. I am paying $885.00 a month for a one bedroom apartment - and that is on the low side of things out here. A decent house goes for about $400,000 + out here and down at the beach they cost about 1.2-1.5 million.

I am a native of Southern California and I definitely remember better days out here but I am so used to it here it is hard for me to comprehend of living somewhere else even though it might be better in the long run.I am sort of curious as to how things are out there in your neck of the woods as someday I just MAY move out of Southern California.

Im curious...tell me about your neighborhood.

8) EyeLashViper

I live in Tampa, FL. I'm a native of Western NY (Buffalo, NY--actually grew up in a suburb of Buffalo), but have been down here 5 yrs. It's hot/humid here most of the year, but we do get a break in the winter. Some winters are really cold and long by FL standards like last winter (20's & 30's @ night), and some are relatively warm.

The economy is ok, better than Buffalo which is the biggest reason we moved, however it's not as good as it was 5yrs ago. We rent an 1,800 sq. ft., 3/3 home on an acre for $1240/month which to me isn't bad for the size. 1 bedroom apts. go anywhere between $500-$800 depending on the location and type (obviously 'luxury' apts go for more). In the neighborhood we live in there are homes on the river that are worth between $500k to over a million. South Tampa is also a very wealthy area...and of course we have a lot of water front between the bay and the gulf so there's houses worth millions in the bay area (Tampa, St. Pete, Clearwater) and regardless of size, you'll always pay more for waterfront property. Property value ranges wildy, it all depends on location. A house w/waterfront property can go for an enormous amount but the same size house on the other side of the street may go for much, much less.....

All in all, Tampa is an alright place to live. I miss many things about NY (guess I'll always be a northerner @ heart), but I'd give Tampa/Florida 6.5 points out of 10.

I also live in Southern California and I would never leave it. Other places are fun to visit, but you simply cannot beat the weather here. I grew up in an Orange County suburb called Brea where there is very low crime. What I love about SoCal, is there are so many different things do to. If you want big city you can go to LA/Hollywood. If you want the beach, you can drive to the beach. If you want snow you can drive to the mountains. I love it here. It costs a fortune to live here, but it's worth it.

I was in your situation. I lived in SoCal (Calabasas/Westlake to be exact) my entire life. Then, about 2 1/2-3 years ago I was forced to move out to Arizona. I thought it was going to be the worst thing to ever have happen in my life, lol. Well, I was wrong. It is pretty great out here (depending on where you live). Yes, it gets HOT. But for 2-3 out of the year; and that's it. The rest of the year is absolutely GORGEOUS. :) The only downside is I see this place turning into LA really quickly and steadily. That's a real bummer. I still LOVE my hometown, and am planning on moving back out there once I have enough moola saved up (cause you're right, it is FREAKIN' expensive to live out there!!!).

Great thread, it will be interesting to hear how it is in other parts of the country/world (seeing as how I've only been to California, Arizona and Oregon, lol)...

Jennifer

Oh, and did I mention it is a herp HAVEN out here? Muwhahaha... 8) ;)

Jennifer

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Oh, and did I mention it is a herp HAVEN out here? Muwhahaha...

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LOL....rub it in why don't ya! actually, we have our share here as well.

Yeah, I was thinking about that. I will have to say there are only like 3 REALLY good herping states that I know of- Arizona, Florida and Texas. But I don't like rat snakes and alligators (lol) as much as I like tiger rattlesnakes and gila monsters, so THERE! lol.... :wink: Plus it gets a little too hot and humid in the other states for my taste. What can I say, I love the 9% humidity out here, haha.

Jennifer

I live in southern Virginia, and I must say. It sucks here. 95% of the towns here are retirement towns, full of old people... Which is cool, if you're an old person. Hell I think my graduating class in high school was like 65 or something like that... I've heard of schools around the country having 1000's... So yeah, pathetic... that's the PUBLIC school by the way. As far as the weather, I cannot complain. We have as many good days as we do crappy ones, and a good day in Virginia makes me forget about the bad ones. Nice warm sun, cool breeze. Can't beat it. I enjoy the herping here. Lots of watersnakes, tons of garters, the basic eastern US hots being copperheads and cottonmouths, yet to see a rattler but I hear they are around if you look hard enough. I've found a handful of eastern kingsnakes, gorgeous little things.



oh... and property value??? everything here was built in like 1900. it's all cheap. we live in a 3 story, 6 bedroom, 5 bathroom home and it was about 200,000. granted it's old, but it's nice.

Jennifer, we have Southern Ringneck Snakes too and they are very pretty...also have rattlers, I've yet to see one yet though. Gators scare me, since moving down here I have a recurring nightmare that my dogs get eaten by gators, lol. But yeah, the humidity sucks!! Don't think this will be home forever to be honest, but can't afford another big move just yet.

I was born and raised in Northern New Jersey, about 10 mins from New York City. After college in CT, and grad school and teaching for 2 years in Batlimore, I've settled in NYC.

I love NYC, it's what I'm used to. I live on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. The downside of living here is that everything is SO expernsive---and there's so much to do that money just flies out of your pocket! Oh yeah, I teach 5th and 6th grade science in the South Bronx, right near Yankee Stadium.

(PS--A lot of snakes and reptiles are illegal here---shhh---don't tell) :)

I live in metro Atlanta, which is where I was born and raised (one of the few natives here). I've lived elsewhere, but keep coming back home. Atlanta, like SoCal, has the advantage of a mild climate and being within reasonable driving distance of snow skiing/mountains and beaches (2 coasts), but also has the advantage of being reasonably close to lots of varied-crop farmland and the Okeefenokee Swamp as well.

The economy here hasn't had as rough a time as much of the country has since 9/11, but we're certainly not at our peak right now. Depending on where in metro Atlanta you choose to live, a 1-bedroom apartment could run you anywhere from $500 a month to thousands a month, but most will be in the $700-$1000 a month range right now. City of Atlanta property taxes are quite high and the water infrastructure is falling apart, but outside the city limits it's fine. Houses can run you anywhere from $30k for a shack in cracktown to $140k for an average suburban home to several million for a home like Whitney Houston or Deion Sanders or Martina Navratilova or other wealthy residents have.

The big problem for Atlanta residents is the traffic. According to surveys, we have one of the worst average commutes in the country. It's nothing that would throw your average NJ to NYC commuter, but would floor the average person from Topeka or Tacoma.

The big disadvantage for herpers in Georgia is that no native species (to the state) may be kept without a DNR permit. That means no Eastern Kings, no green anoles, no garters, etc., though you can have all the anacondas you want.

Little Rock, Arkansas...SOOOOOOOOO HUMID..it feels like 120 degree's out when it's only 90. and people here (a majority..rednecks) think all snakes are the devil..i hate it here and hope to move asap :)

lol...nuff said

I live in San Antonio, Texas and love it. Our summer high temps have been around 95 and around 75-80 at night. Our winters are mild and have maybe one freeze during that with lows usually around 40-50 and typical highs around 65-70 unless we get a really strong cold front. Our population is 1,144,646 that was in 2000 so now maybe around 1.6 million people.

My wife and i live in a 1 bedroom apartment on the north side of town and we pay $455 a month. You can buy an older 3-4 bedroom house anywhere from $60,000 on the south side of town to about $200,000 on the north side.

There is always some type of party or public function going on somwhere in San Antonio where you can hear music and eat some good food. Speaking of food San Antonio has the best mexican food in the whole U.S. As far as trafic goes it takes around 15-30 minutes to get from one side of the city to the other. There is alot of freeway construction going on so traffic gets worse in those areas especially during rush hour where it could double the time it takes to get anywhere via freeway. But in San Antonio you can take surface streets and get everywhere. For those who never been to Texas its HUGE it takes at least 7 hours just to get out of the state and thats with a speed limit of 70 (usually do around 85). It takes 2.5 hours to get to the gulf coast.

In Texas you can keep any herp you want just as long as you have the appropriate permits. And permits only apply to Native and Non-Native venemous species.

Ever seen the the movie Deliverance? lol

Im an implant here in South Central Illinois (originally from Merritt Island Florida) so it was a cultural shock at first. Now I wouldnt trade it for anything. The biggest crime you are going to see around here is child hood pranks. We have had 2 murders in this are in the 30 years that I have been here.

Right now the weather is very mild for this time of year but usually very hot and humid with severe storms. We see several tornado's a year in this area. Winter time is usually very cold with several days in the minus collumn and snow. Usually only get a mild amount of snow but occasionally get a good blizzard here and there.

It's farming country here, everywhere you look it's corn, soy beans, milo and wheat. Cow's, pig's, horses, turkeys, chickens.....you get the picture. If it's not farm ground, it's hunting woods.

I am purchacing my nice little 3 bedroom house for less than $200.00 a month. An exspensive house around here runs just under $100,000.00 but if you moved that same house a couple hours north it would be worth $500,000.00.

If you want quiet and clean air, then this is the place to be. I do have to admit though that I do miss being able to do anything after 9pm. SO much more to do in the big citys, we just dont have the bull s**t to put up with.

It hasn't snowed here in San Antonio since 1985. It was like 3" LOL

I live in Richmond, VA. I grew up here, and I must say that overall it is a pretty cool area. The overall theme of the city itself it just old, but in a way it gives it character. I live in a historic district of downtown that has been renovated recently, but they still kept that old look. I live about 2 blocks from Virginia Commonwealth University, where I go to school, and that area of Richmond is called the Fan, which is like a college town in itself, but within a city. Not the traditional college town, where theres the college and thats it, but that plus all the other things the city has to offer.

People say theres a lot of crime in the city, and some of it does occur randomly. However, the vast majority of crime is drug related, so if you aren't all caught up in that, just use common sense and you'll be fine.

Richmond has a vast surrounding area of suburbs. I grew up in a planned development about 20 mins south of the city. Upper-middle class, nice houses, small neighborhoods which were all situated around a huge lake. Lots of park areas around the lake to fish and canoe. There were bike paths that go all throughout the community through the woods so you never had to go on a main road, my friends and I would just ride our bikes around all day. Great place to grow up.

Overall, theres a lot to do for all age groups. Theres so many curbside bars and restaurants in my area, along with live music somewhere almost every night of the week and the weekends are usually crazy. All of the bars are within walking distance from where everyone lives, so being a student, you basically just bar hop or find house parties, everyone is just out walking around.

To contrast, I lived up in Fairfax, in Northern VA right outside of Washington, DC. I lived there for about a year and a half while I went to George Mason University. I must say I never liked that area. You must take a highway of some sort to go ANYWHERE. It is crowded and everything is spread so far apart. Fairfax is turning into just one huge strip mall with million-dollar houses spaced about 3 feet apart side to side. Everyone there works either for the government or some telecommunications mogul. So you've got all these drones doing the same routine every day. Its so crowded up there and for a supposedly wealthy county (one of the top income per capita in the nation), there is A LOT of crime and gang activity. My car was actually stolen and chopped while I lived up there.

Overall, (IMHO) Northern VA a crappy area with crappy people, everyone there is very arrogant and lacks the southern hospitality that Richmond has. I'm sure there's *******s in Richmond, but they'll still say hi or give you a nod when you walk past them on the street.

LaVale MD ... take your cross of a nice 85-90 degree summer and throw in an average of 250 inches of snow a winter :shock: . We pretty much get all the weather patterns. As far as night life goes ... we have more bars than churches ( unless you count your bar as a church, which some do ;) ). Other than that .. there's not a whole heck of alot to get into here. As far as herpin goes ... we've got Northern Copperheads, Timber Rattlesnakes, Black Snakes, Black Racers, Corn Snakes, Garter Snakes .. and a bunch of smaller lizards ( salamanders and the such ).

Whelp.... i live in Commerce, Michigan, and it sucks. we have about.... ooooh... lets say... 400 seasons a year? It snowed in June. JUNE. it's not supposed to do that...

besides the weather being terrible, i live in a nice area. i have a lake every few miles or so, and i live right by one, across the street from it. its oober cool :)

No cool critters here... garter snakes and thats about it. theres toads.. i guess that counts?? hmmm.. we have skunks. haha in my trash, all the time.

So i think i'll move to Hawaii now.