Things you love and hate about where you live.

[Alchimedes]

I live in the Central Valley- Modesto.

Things I like:

Easy access to bike riding back roads without any traffic.
Plenty of Movie Theaters. One with Digital tech.
We have for the most part true changes in season. (We don't get snow at all though)
Affordable housing.
Plenty of good schools. Great program for Handicapped kids. The best in the state.



Things I dislike:
Air Quality- We are a pocket for all the bay area and foothills area smog and bad air, it drifts in and hangs. Modesto was second to L. A. in air quality a couple of years ago. There's an article on this.
Too many fast food restaurant's.
Too many Good Ol'boy politicians.
Traffic in the city is a Nightmare, we aren't setup with an crosstown freeway. Bike lanes have been removed, so now it's even more dangerous.
Poorly maintained streets, traffic lights out of sync.
The city is at least an hour from anything remotely entertaining.
Meth capital of the world.
Gangs are on the rise.
Fog for days on end, with no sun in sight.
Despite the sagging housing market, houses are still being built. Putting further strain on the city's infrastructure.
Too many High-rise Pick up trucks. Ugh. Someone is compensating for a smaller problem.

[knittingknerd]

Originally Posted by ToyGuy

Them are fightin' words!
I miss Cincinnati-style chili soooo much-
I'll trade ya some chili for some chowda.

Real chili.... dude. My dad is the type that everywhere he goes he gets chili, which in my family it's a good or bad thing, and on cold nights/days he busts out his different forms. Cincinnati is so good. There's a place in Newport's Fashion Island that makes 12 different types of chili 12 different ways, it's called "Red Rock Chili" if you're in OC check it out.

Originally Posted by PrincessY

I live off Foothill between the High School and the Middle School.

Tom's Farms is pretty cute. And the new shopping center off Cajalico is very nice with a lot of the clothing stores I shop at. Hunny's has moved locations from that dumpy ancient building over to what used to be The Grinder. We ate at Hunny's once when we first moved here - we thought it was pretty bad and haven't been back since. Maybe it will be better in the new location.

I know where you live! I lived down the street from Woodrow Wilson Elem. and the shopping center you're talking about. You know where the "It's a Grind" is? I used to walk there all the time. It kinda' bugs because we moved right as the shopping center in Cajalico was opening up. Maybe Hunny's has changed. That's too bad.

[Missviolet]

*cocks head* I don't think I've ever even heard of a place that sells just chilli. Is that all they sell? Is there one in Nor Cal?

[PrincessY]

Originally Posted by knittingknerd

I lived down the street from Woodrow Wilson Elem. and the shopping center you're talking about. You know where the "It's a Grind" is?

You were a little farther south than I am. I know that "It's a Grind" very well - near the Stater's and Jack in the Box. Lots of new restaurants near where you were. Nice little Thai place in the new center.

[Bruce Bergman]

Originally Posted by Missviolet

*cocks head* I don't think I've ever even heard of a place that sells just chilli. Is that all they sell? Is there one in Nor Cal?

A "Chili Only" restaurant is not that unusual, but you need a pretty good sized burg to make it work, otherwise you don't get enough traffic to make it. And they have to be some really good chili cooks.

One we have around here - "Chili My Soul" in Encino, CA - Ventura Blvd at either Balboa or White Oak.

--<< Bruce >>--

[Missviolet]

Ahhh.. I think I'm missing out! I love a good bowl of chilli with onions, cheddar and a scoop of brown sugar!

[barfownz]

In an averages teens opinion...

Good - In the middle from major cities. Hollywood, Anaheim, LA, San Diego.

Bad - Nothing to do for teens except for hanging out with friends, Mall, or driving around.

[sunnygirl]

One thing I hate about Irvine is that there is only one liquor store in the whole city.

And almost everything closes by 10pm.

[Disneykat]

Originally Posted by PrincessY

See, even Disneyland Daddy can't find anything really good to say about Corona. Seriously, it's not that bad.

What I like about Corona:

• From my house, I have a beautiful view of the San Bernardino Mountains and I am right up against the Cleveland National Forest (for which I don't know why they call it a forest since there aren't any trees, just shrubs.)
• People are nice enough - not overly friendly neighbors but I know I could count on them if I needed them.
• 45 min. to an hour and a half away from OC, Big Bear, Oak Glen, San Diego, LA
• Beautiful weather in the winter

What I dislike about Corona:

• SMOG. Not as bad as Riverside or San Bernardino areas, but I cannot see those beautiful mountains in the summer because of smog.
• Developing asthma because of the smog.
• No real mom and pop restaurants (unless you count the 8,000 really bad Mexican restaurants).
• Downtown, which could be really cute if revitalized, is a pit. So I don't see any "small town" civic pride here (like Redlands has).
• Too far from the ocean.
• To get almost anywhere, you have to get on the 91.

Miguel's Jr. (not juniors. There is no "s" on the end of it)...moma nd pop place.

Hunny's- mom and pop place

Who could forget Gingerbread Cottage bakery? Best. meringue cookies. EVER. I miss those soooo much

The grinder?

La Cabana?

I liked Corona. I miss parts of it. I went to HS there and I loved the church I went to.

The "mountains" are beautiful. You can't beat that.

Glen Ivy....great way to relax

Awww Corona How I miss thee.

[knittingknerd]

Originally Posted by barfownz

In an averages teens opinion...

Good - In the middle from major cities. Hollywood, Anaheim, LA, San Diego.

Bad - Nothing to do for teens except for hanging out with friends, Mall, or driving around.

Anaheim isn't all that safe or fun if you're not a Disneylander. Although there is a good hooka bar.

Violet- the chili place is right in the big fancy dancy Newport mall. You could get chili+ potatoes (mashed or baked),spagehtti, on a burger, in a bread bowl, in a cornbread box thing, on a salad... I am missing a few varieties. So good.

[Exprmnt626]

I live in San Diego, CA...

Things I love-
Carne Asada Fries. I haven't been able to find these in very many places outside of SD. Mexican food in general seems to be of better quality than in San Francisco and L.A.

Balboa Park, North Park, Little Italy, and Golden Hill.

Things I hate-
Suburban sprawl! Everything looks so similar outside of downtown.
The physical size of this city. You need a car to get everywhere in this town...which only makes traffic even more unbearable.
Public transportation. It's pretty much nonexistent for a city of this size.
San Diego is infested with Republicans. Ick.
No pro hockey team.


--nick--

[kirbilicious]

I live in the suburbs of Philadelphia.

What I love:
- We have 4 distinct seasons! Sure it's terribly humid in the summer and freezing in the winter, but spring is usually beautiful and autumn is the most amazing season. I feel bad for everyone who doesn't get to experience the leaves changing color.
- I'm extremely close to the city.
- Many major highways either go through my town or can be easily accessed.

What I dislike:
- Becuase of our 4 seasons, nobody adjusts well to the weather. For example, the slightest bit of snow causes everyone to freak out and a mere 2 inches will spark massive school closings, even though we go through the same thing year after year.
- Too many shopping centers and chain restaurants.
- Too far from any Disney park.

[Hakuna Makarla]

Love...... small town, no traffic, nice people, my job is 10 minutes away, clean, no smog, a white christmas which says it all. 4 seasons, ( 2 if you have never lived here and do not see them coming 0 lots of country .. wide open spaces, nearest town from me is many miles away !

dislike... no costco, and bigger stores, but I can drive 60 miles to one so its all good. no amusement parks, I miss the ocean.

[pratt55]

Phoenix, Arizona

Love -

The Suns
mild winters
5 1/2 hour drive to Disneyland

Hate -

The Cardinals
the hot summers
5 1/2 drive to Disneyland

[lazyboy97O]

Originally Posted by TraceCub

I was just shocked because they were always mobbed. When it was open, that made three in the metro area. There usually was always a wait during the usual dinner time times. I liked them - A LOT and was just really bummed by the thought that they closed.

The other chain restuaruants that I'm surprised are having trouble in this area are Logan's Steakhouse, Roadhouse, Hops, Copeland's and Bugaboo Creek. Gee, I guess Georgia's got a thing against steak, huh?

The Smokey Bones and Bugaboo Creek in Kennesaw on Barrett Pkwy are both still open. Hops is gone though.

Originally Posted by TraceCub

I live in Atlanta, GA.

The few things that I like are:
Kennesaw Mountain is about a 30 minute drive from where I currently live. It's beautiful!

Stone Mountain is also about a 20-25 minute drive (the other way) from where I live. I love to hike to the top on a clear day and see the city.

There's a fun place in the city called Shakespeare's Tavern that I to go to! They recently rennovated the outside to look like a section of the Globe Theater. They have fun, seasonal food items and there is NOT a bad seat in the house for their plays. I've seen Romeo & Juliet four times there, Julius Ceasar twice and Christmas Carol once. It's great fun and a good cultural diversion if you don't want to join some of the snobs at the Alliance and the Fox (both of which I love as well).


Things I hate:

How the scum of the earth seem to rule the city.

Confederate Flags on bumpers. (really people, let. it. go. )

How everyone besides us is a baseball, hockey, football, or basketball fan (college or pro). No, I don't follow that team religiously and yes I do have my priorities straight.

ITP or OTP distinctions.

I'm really disturbed here recently at how it seems like NO business is safe from having to close down. We recently drove out to a mall we haven't been to in about six months. I was absolutely appalled that so many mom & pop stores had to shut down and haven't been replaced. But I was absolutely dumbfounded when big chains like Smokey Bones were also forced to shut down.

Not to get too off topic but we recently saw Anthony Bourdain's episode on Cleveland where he highlighted that the city never really recovered after the Industrial collapse. I think (at least metro) Atlanta is going to have a collapse of its own. It won't be ghost factories that dot the landscape, but ghost outlet centers. It's sad.

I hate my apartment complex. It just recently changed management - again. And there will no doubt be another price hike soon. $900 for a place where kids heathens are allowed to run around with stones and sticks and bang on any random object they can find (including the buildings and cars). Wish we could move.

Oh, and as surprising as it may be to some, I *hate* our Target. Nowhere else I've ever been will have only two registers open in which one is an express 10 items or less lane. On Christmas Eve day. Ugh!

Methinks I better stop now. This thread opened a can of worms for me.

I think you hit Atlanta spot on. Isn't Shakespeare's Tavern the one next to the adult novelty shop? I just always found that to be a perfect little example of Atlanta.