Skip to main content

This seems to be working nicely, so we’ll continue the latest in our weekly installment of Manufactured Content.  This week we’re getting a bit Stalky McStalkerson with “What City/States and/or countries have you lived in?" and let's go for both Chronological and Ranked from your favorite to least.

Chronological

  • Milwaukee, WI – Born and lived in Milwaukee proper until I was 8
  • Wauwatosa, WI – Here from 8-17.
  • Roselle, IL – Lived here for the year before college 17-18. Lemme tell ya, nothing better than moving between your Jr and Sr years of high school!
  • Champaign, IL – Undergrad 18-22 (and also in Roselle with parents on off time)
  • Ann Arbor, MI – MBA 22-23 (see above)
  • Lombard, IL – after school, got job back in IL 23-24 and moved out on my own
  • San Jose, CA – Moved here for work, loved a lot of it, hated the cost of living 24-29
  • Portland, OR – 29 to present

Ranked

  • Portland, OR (love everything about it here and no where has been even close)
  • Champaign, IL (it’s considerably nicer today than when I went, but it’s a great classic midwestern college town)
  • Wauwatosa, WI (there was a time I thought about trying to move back to this area for work. Now? Noooooooooope.)
  • San Jose, CA (I love so much of the Bay Area. I hate the traffic. I’m not a huge fan of some of the culture/people. And the cost of living is ludicrous)
  • Ann Arbor, MI (It’s a fine city, but I was heads down getting through school here)
  • Roselle, IL (It’s a suburb. I mean, it’s fine)
  • Lombard, IL (It's a shitty suburb)
  • Milwaukee, WI (We lived in a part that today is much nicer and rebuilt with lots of hip areas, but back then was sketchy as hell)
Original Post

Replies sorted oldest to newest

Chronological

  • Bancroft, WI -- Until 18
  • Green Bay, WI -- for 1 year while at UWGB
  • Stevens Point, WI -- until 2000 when I finished up my undergrad and grad work at UWSP
  • Wisconsin Rapids, WI -- for about 6 years for work
  • Mankato, MN -- for 2 years during my second grad degree
  • Grinnell, IA -- for about 1.5 years for my first job in my new profession
  • Rochester, MN -- for the past 10 years for my current position

Ranked

  • Stevens Point, WI -- Love my time there.  It has everything I need (except jobs), but most close friends are there/nearby, and close to family.  Plus Point Rugby!
  • Rochester, MN -- Big city things in a smaller city, plus my job!  Wife loves it here.  Lots of things that we both enjoy, close enough for regular trips back to central WI.
  • Mankato, MN -- Only there for 2 years but really loved it.  Made some good friends there, loved the campus.  Decent music scene for being a smaller city.
  • Wisconsin Rapids, WI -- One of my best friends lives there, and I was luck to be part of the music scene when I was there.  Met my wife there.  Lots of fun memories.  And you get used to the smell of the paper mill.
  • Bancroft, WI -- Always fun to visit family and friends.  Still can fit in, but gets harder the longer I am away.
  • Grinnell, IA -- Nice small town Iowa, although a very liberal college in a pretty conservative town made for some interesting times.  Did play for city men's rugby team and won our division at the All-Iowa tournament.  First time I have been on a winning team in my life.
  • Green Bay, WI -- Love Green Bay, but did not start school off on a good note so was only there a year.  Can't really rank it fairly.

 

Continuing the Midwestern roots theme:

Chronological:

1960-66- Milwaukee. Intersection of Van Buren and Brady on Milwaukee's Eastside...Little Italy at the time morphing into Hait Ashbury by the end of the decade. Lived next to my Italian-speaking grandparents who scared the shit out of me because of their limited English.

1966-84- 3400 block of Newhall Street on Milwaukee's Eastside  (on border with Shorewood) Still the most memorable years of my life. Bartlett Avenue Grade School, Milwaukee Riverside and UW-Milwaukee. I am still the only person I ever met who went farther away to kindergarten (6 blocks) than he did to college (2 blocks) 

1985-93- Sold out my city roots and settled into white bread suburbia in Shorewood and Whitefish Bay. 

1994-96- Mrs. Blair Kiel offered transfer with Johnson Controls to Melbourne FL. I hated Milwaukee winters (still do)  . Traded -22 degree late January as we left for sunny and 75 when we arrived in Florida....never looked back and never bitched about the heat, cause it still beats the shit out of winter. Brevard County is an unappreciated part of Florida with tons of natural beauty and still not too crowded.

1996-2018- Mrs. Kiel (I married well) takes job with PGA Tour and we move North to Ponte Vedra Beach (metro Jacksonville). Sunshine, ocean, wild life,  Live Oak trees, Spanish moss, St. Augustine, SEC football, no winter and gated communities to keep people like Fedya out...what was not to love?  

5 months ago.....St.George UT. Why the Hell not? 30 some years in Sconnie, 25 in Florida and hopefully another 25 or 30 in the desert Southwest....Despite it being Utah, it's more like Arizona here (were in the corner with Nevada and Arizona) . I've traded gators for mountain lions. Hiking, biking and watching Sunday Night Football at 6:30 P.M. ...not to mention being able to stay up for Brewer games. 

Ranked:

All #1.

I would not have changed a damn thing about anywhere I've lived and I loved every place I've lived. Special memories, friends and life events in every place. I'll always be a Milwaukee kid though. The only thing I truly don't miss is the shitty Florida drivers...I'm actually back in Florida for a week ( we've kept a house here as Mrs. Kiel works a month in Utah and a month in Florida) and I'd forgotten what a bunch of asshole drivers there are here. It's a goddam NASCAR event. Oh, and I don't miss the humidity.

 

Last edited by Blair Kiel
Blair Kiel posted:

never looked back and never bitched about the heat, cause it still beats the shit out of winter.

Same (well sorta). I will never bitch about rain and 45 degrees in December vs -20 and snow.  OR GODDAMNED BLIZZARDS IN APRIL GO HOME MIDWEST YOU'RE DRUNK

Pakrz:

per·i·pa·tet·ic
[ˌperēpəˈtedik]
 
ADJECTIVE
  1. traveling from place to place, in particular working or based in various places for relatively short periods.
    "the peripatetic nature of military life"
    synonyms:

Wait. I just looked and saw that Grinnell only started playing soccer in 1980....maybe it was Greenville College.....it's hard to remember as all the big programs were after me. 

Born, raised, grew up on the Southwest side of Tulsa, OK. Since the Arkansas River separates the West and Southwest parts of town from the rest of the city, it's like its' own community.
I mention this because even after I had moved out, myself, my parents, and both sets of Grandparents  all lived within a 2-3 mile radius.
Next stop was a shit hole in far West Texas called LaMesa. Training for a job promotion, and thankfully was a short stay; maybe 8 months or so.
Next was Ardmore, OK. First management assignment, loved the area, but lived in a duplex with a sticky-handed neighbor. Had to jump on him within the first 2 weeks we lived there...and that wasn't the only time.
From there back to Tulsa. Approximately 1986-87.
From Tulsa to Roswell, GA ('98). Met Mrs. Timmy in late '99.
Moved to a neighboring town, Alpharetta, GA a couple or so years later.
Moved to Lawrenceville, GA in '94 or '95, and have been here since.
For those of you old enough to remember Larry Flynt, Lawrenceville was the city where he was shot...

Ranking them is a mixed bag.
Tulsa is home, still have family and friends there, but would NEVER move back with current political policies and crime. 
West TX was the worst, by far. Unless you like sand...in your car A/C vents, in your house, and everywhere else it can be blown into.
Ardmore was a beautiful area, I was 5 minutes from Lake Texoma, but nothing that makes me want to move back.
All the places in GA that I have lived are Northern/Northeastern suburbs of Atlanta. Nice areas, but traffic and crime creep are the worst I have ever seen.

I'll probably die here, but if I had my 'druthers, I'd love to move to the mountains of East Tennessee or Western North Carolina.

Juneau, WIsconsin

Cape May,  New Jersey

Groton Conn

Cape May, New Jersey

Madison

Stoughton

CEdarburg, Wisconsin 

Friess Lake, Wisconsin 

Blaine, Minn

Woodland Park, Colorado

RANKING

Woodland Park, Co.....retired in the mountains, very little winter and 300+ days of sun.

Cape May, NJ....seashore, salt air, hoagies, fresh seafood, met my wife and got married, 50 years ago

Madison, spent my  early twenties in a great college town, nuff said.

Fries Lake, Wi,  met some life long friends and had a lot of fun.

The rest blend in, some good , some bad.  

Thats Life!

 

 

Eastman, WI

River Falls, WI

Eastman, Wi

When you grew up on a farm, went to college, came home to farm, you don't move very much.  I have friends who have never left the farm they grew up on. 

Pakrz posted:

Chronological

  • Springfield, MA
  • Finchingfield, England
  • Alamogordo, NM
  • Ft. Walton Beach, FL
  • Grand Forks, ND
  • Tucson, AZ
  • Columbus, GA
  • Clarksville, TN
  • Pan Mun Jom, South Korea
  • Colorado Springs, CO
  • Grand Forks, ND
  • Holmen, WI
  • Tomah, WI
  • Holmen, WI

Ranked

  • Tucson, AZ
  • Alamogordo, NM
  • Colorado Springs, CO
  • Ft. Walton Beach, FL
  • Holmen, WI
  • Grand Forks, ND
  • Tomah, WI
  • Springfield, MA
  • Clarksville, TN
  • Columbus, GA
  • Pan Mun Jom, South Korea
  • Finchingfield, England

I've been in Wisconsin since 1995 and it's killing me.  Winters suck and I can't get back down to the desert southwest fast enough.  Colorado Springs is beautiful. South Korea stinks (Literally) but there was plenty of good times in Itaewon. 

Well, if the winter's suck, maybe head back to Grand Forks!!!

Waukesha

Sullivan, WI (OOT—outside of town 5 miles or so in each case))

Jefferson, WI—OOT

DOusman, WI—OOT

River Falls, WI

Chanhassen, MN

St. Paul

Crystal, MN

St. Paul suburbs. Been here for 15 years and the best I can say is that having a nature reserve in my backyard helps keep me sane. You can take the kid out of the country, but you can’t take the country out of the kid.  😁

Blair Kiel posted:
FLPACKER posted:

Leicester  NY

New Wilmington Pa

Alfred NY

Greensboro NC

Lexington NC

Honeoye Falls NY

Clifton Springs NY 

So no real places?

I've really managed to fly under the radar. 5 of the 7 are villages of no more than 3,000 people. Heck I didn't know what a fork was until my second year in college  

1. Born in Manitowoc lived near Green Street, famous for a great Friday fish fry tavern. 1956-1960.

2. Dad, grocery store manager for A&P, transferred to Milwaukee. Live in West Allis, flunk Kindergarten.

3.) Dad transferred to Delavan, Wi A&P, went to St. Andrews. Pass Kindergarten. Move in 1966 to...

4.) South 13th Street in Manitowoc when Dad is transferred yet again. Stay there, going to Roncalli until 1974...

5.) Eau Claire for the great UW-Eau Claire, working one summer in La Crosse, then graduating early in 1977 (take that, Kindergarten!) and moving to...

6.) South Beloit, Illinois while working in Beloit so I can pay less income taxes in Illinois. This supposedly actually was true.... in 1980 moved to ....

7.) Bakersfield, CA, home of Merle Haggard, Buck Owens and a lot of Okies and Basque shepherds. Still there. Bad air, hot summers but no snow except in the mountains around us. Early football and sporting events is, as Blair Kiel discovered, quite fun.

Next move San Clemente, CA, where I'll grab my metal detector on the beach and search for Richard Nixon's soul....

Lake Charles, La -S La food is best in the world

Sulphur La-same as Lake Charles, just across the bridge

Lakeland, FL-Kiel is right. Drivers around here are horrible. They all think they drive for Nascar. Quality of life in Lakeland is better by far than La but the food can not compare. I have learned that grits wtih fried fish is a great combination since I moved to Florida. Kids and grandkids are within an hours drive. We will be staying for the duration. 

Hayward, WI: Born and raised. Lived there full time through High School.  Loved the fishing and the big name bands that would come through town in the summers. A hatred for sports teams wearing purple took root here.

Eau Claire, WI: Attended UW Eau Claire and graduated from there with a Social Work degree. I lived in EC for 21 years. Wasted my life and time until I met my wife. Lack of decent jobs made me expand my search through a broader area. 

River Falls, WI 1988- 1991 worked at UW-RF for 7 1/2 years. UW-RF was the first place I actually used my college degree. Lots of crisis intervention at UW-RF with alcohol, drug abuse and suicide attempts occurring frequently. I was living here when the cable exclusivity laws went into effect. 

North Hudson, WI 1991- Present . We bought our first and only house here. My son was born while we lived here and my wife died while we lived here in 2009. Cancer sucks. I left UW-RF in 1996 and worked for USPS in St. Paul, MN as a Mail Processor.  Retired from USPS in 2016. 

Rankings:

Hayward 

Eau Claire

North Hudson

River Falls

Can't believe how peripatetic many of you all have been!

Born in Waukegan Illinois 

Zion 

Spencer wi

Steven's point- went to uwsp

Woodbury mn. Grad school- met my wife here

Burnsville 

St Cloud MN to present-- raised family

Ranking is futile since central wi and central mn are very similar. I don't like large cities but loved my days at point and am settled in st cloud. I do prefer being rooted next to friends and family. So even though winters suck and let's face it mn and wi are not attractive places to live regardless of what the glossy"discover wisconsin" and "explore mn" brochures say, its home. I do hope when retirement comes the wife and I can escape for a couple months  

 

 

Last edited by Sufferinginmn

Augusta Wi, grand daddy`s dairy farm, Grand mother still lives on the farm.

Fall creek Wi

Sparta Wi, started high school there

Coldspring Tx, finished high school, met my wife, still live here today.

I traveled through 47 states, but Dells mill will always be my home.

 

Sufferinginmn posted:

Can't believe how peripatetic many of you all have been!

Born in Waukegan Illinois 

Zion 

Spencer wi

Steven's point- went to uwsp

Woodbury mn. Grad school- met my wife here

Burnsville 

St Cloud MN to present-- raised family

Ranking is futile since central wi and central mn are very similar. I don't like large cities but loved my days at point and am settled in st cloud. I do prefer being rooted next to friends and family. So even though winters suck and let's face it mn and wi are not attractive places to live regardless of what the glossy"discover wisconsin" and "explore mn" brochures say, its home. I do hope when retirement comes the wife and I can escape for a couple months  

 

 

I agree, about the winters suck in Wisconsin, but so does june, july and august in south east Texas

Sheboygan 

Madison 

Sheboygan 

Naples

South Bend

Austin



Tough to rank. Sheboygan was great growing up and I still love to vacation there, but my life is in Austin since '82. Met my wife in Austin and raised my 3 sons here.

South Bend sucked.

Wausau - borned through age 10. 

Austin - 10 through mid forties. 

I have fond memories of youth hockey and building snow forts out of snow banks when I was young, but I was back in Wausau for my grandfather’s funeral a few years back and had to gas up the rental car in windy negative degree temps...nope!

On the other hand, I remember sleeping on the front yard of my cousin’s dairy farm in Marathon City several nights one summer....No tent, no A/C, no worries. You don’t do that in Texas...fire ants, scorpions and rattlesnakes. 

I have family in Wisconsin but I don’t get back often, and although I’ve spent less than a quarter of my life up there, Wisconsin will always be home. 

I miss squeaky cheese curds too. 

Last edited by bdplant

Clyde N.Y 18 yrs. Best fireworks around.

Newark N.Y. 9 years  (college years S.U.N.Y. Morrisville)

Seneca Falls N.Y. 2 years ( Birthplace of Women's Rights and one of NY's largest landfills) 

Waterloo N.Y. 32 years (Birthplace of Memorial Day)

Blair Kiel posted:
FLPACKER posted:

Leicester  NY

New Wilmington Pa

Alfred NY

Greensboro NC

Lexington NC

Honeoye Falls NY

Clifton Springs NY 

So no real places?

Hey now!!! Don't pick on us little villiage people! 

Farthest west I've traveled is Iowa. What a desolate place. Kinda like Minnesota. 

Chronological 

Concord CA. 1965-1972

Martinez CA. 1972 - 1983

Pleasant Hill CA. 1983 - 1985

Pacifica CA. 1985 - 1986

Redondo Beach CA. 1986 - 1988

Benicia CA 1988 - 2002

Sacramento CA 2002 - 2004

Grafton WI. 2004 - 2013

Benicia CA. 2013 - Present

Ranked:

Grafton WI  

Benicia CA 

Life is funny.

 

Born in Columbia MD

Grew up in Sewell NJ

Bressaone Italy. Greatest secret on Earth

Babenhausen Germany

Fort Lewis wa

Stuttgart Germany 

Afghanistan Saudia Arabia and a few other s  T hole

Ft Bragg NC

Lakewood Wa

Tampa Fl

 

 

Eau Claire, WI until 1993 (k-12, UWEC, then master's at UW Stout)

Altoona, WI 1993-2003

Cleghorn, WI 2003 to present (Bermuda Triangle, Eleva address, Cleghorn phone number and Eau Claire schools for the kiddos)

All in all, I've lived within 10 miles of where I was born. 

Boring, I know.

But, my whole family:  mom, dad and 6 siblings all live within 25 minutes of each other, except  one sister in Hudson.  One sister and husband are Viking fans.  She got dropped on her head a lot as a kid.

Met my wife and now live equidistance from both sets of parents, about a 15 minute drive (Eau Claire and Eleva).  Great for the kids getting to grow up around grandparents and tons of cousins.  Interesting as I lived 200 miles from my grandparents and cousins and never really knew them.

No need to rank as they are essentially the same. 

Last edited by EC Pack

Born in Two Rivers in 1966

Lived in GB until I was 3

Lived in Kenosha 1st and 2nd grade 70-72

Lived on a farm near Mishicot until 1985

1985 - 1988 stationed in eastern England while in the military

1989-1990 Oscoda Michigan

1990-1991 Manitowoc

1991-1992 Youngstown, Ohio

1992-1994 Camp LeJeune, NC

1994-2004 Springfield, VA (DC area)

2004 until today I iive in Dayton, Ohio (SW ohio)

Ranked:

England

Manitowoc area (always be home to me)

DC area

Michigan 

Fun topic!

Nekoosa, WI 1968 - 1987

U.S. Army 1987 - 1998 (Ft. Jackson, SC; Ft. Gordon, GA; Ft. Huachuca, AZ; Middle East for a couple years total; Camp Humprheys, Korea, Ft. Detrick, MD)

Leesburg, VA 1998 - 2010

Gilbert, AZ 2010 - present

I agree with those who would rather take the heat of the summer in the Southwest over the cold of the winter in the Midwest, it's not even close IMO.

So...

Born in La Crosse, 1954

Spent a year up in St. Paul back in 1972-73

Back to La Crosse in 1973

Headed to Madison in 1978

Travelled out to Boulder, Colorado 1980

Tried Denver in 1983, but went back to Boulder

Resided in Chicago 1985-86

Returned to Boulder in 1987

Moved to Broomfield, Colorado in 1994...present

Cuz I did a lot of oilfield work in the early 80's I have journeyed around the Rocky Mountain west: Colorado; SLC; Utah; Idaho; New Mexico; Montana...but spent much of my oil life travelling and staying in Wyoming and loved it!  

Colorado now is getting too populated, since the MJ law was passed.  Lots of low-lifes have moved into the state.  Goofballs from CA and jerks from the east coast come here and don't much care about community or Colorado culture.  Violent crime is up.  Driving is dangerous.  Highways are clogged.  The cost of living is climbing higher and higher while the quality of life is slipping backwards.  Development is scouring away the open lands and more huge apartment complexes are devouring the country-sides.  Some longtime residents are leaving.  Us too one day.

Thinking about moving up to Wyoming...my second most fave state...after Wisconsin.

Go Packers and Go Brewers!

Last edited by GBP1

Chilton WI 1962-1974

Kaukauna WI 1974-1980

LaCrosse WI 1980-1982

Fort Sill OK Sept-Dec 1982

Fort Ord CA 1983-1984

Schofield Barracks HI 1984-1986

St Paul MN 1986-1990

South St Paul MN 1990-Present

LaCrosse was my favorite.

Thunderbird posted:

Fun topic!

Nekoosa, WI 1968 - 1987

U.S. Army 1987 - 1998 (Ft. Jackson, SC; Ft. Gordon, GA; Ft. Huachuca, AZ; Middle East for a couple years total; Camp Humprheys, Korea, Ft. Detrick, MD)

Leesburg, VA 1998 - 2010

Gilbert, AZ 2010 - present

I agree with those who would rather take the heat of the summer in the Southwest over the cold of the winter in the Midwest, it's not even close IMO.

I haven't lived in the SW but I have lived in the southern states and I would rather freeze than deal with 103 degrees with 100% humidity.

GBP1 posted:

 

Colorado now is getting too populated, since the MJ law was passed.  Lots of low-lifes have moved into the state.  Goofballs from CA and jerks from the east coast come here and don't much care about community or Colorado culture.  Violent crime is up.  Driving is dangerous.  Highways are clogged.  The cost of living is climbing higher and higher while the quality of life is slipping backwards.  Development is scouring away the open lands and more huge apartment complexes are devouring the country-sides.  Some longtime residents are leaving.  Us too one day.

Sounds like Austin, minus the Mary Jane legalization part. 

bdplant posted:
GBP1 posted:

 

Colorado now is getting too populated, since the MJ law was passed.  Lots of low-lifes have moved into the state.  Goofballs from CA and jerks from the east coast come here and don't much care about community or Colorado culture.  Violent crime is up.  Driving is dangerous.  Highways are clogged.  The cost of living is climbing higher and higher while the quality of life is slipping backwards.  Development is scouring away the open lands and more huge apartment complexes are devouring the country-sides.  Some longtime residents are leaving.  Us too one day.

Sounds like Austin, minus the Mary Jane legalization part. 

And Houston too!!

The Heckler posted:
Thunderbird posted:

Fun topic!

Nekoosa, WI 1968 - 1987

U.S. Army 1987 - 1998 (Ft. Jackson, SC; Ft. Gordon, GA; Ft. Huachuca, AZ; Middle East for a couple years total; Camp Humprheys, Korea, Ft. Detrick, MD)

Leesburg, VA 1998 - 2010

Gilbert, AZ 2010 - present

I agree with those who would rather take the heat of the summer in the Southwest over the cold of the winter in the Midwest, it's not even close IMO.

I haven't lived in the SW but I have lived in the southern states and I would rather freeze than deal with 103 degrees with 100% humidity.

That's the great thing about Bakersfield. 15-20% humidity, meaning 85 is positively pleasant and in the 90s is quite tolerable, especially in the shade.

Here in the Colorado mountains at approx 8500 ft elevation we have no skeeters, no ticks, few flies and bees, in fact we do not have screen doors, no need.  We also have no humidity, little snow and 300 or so days of sunshine per year.  We have no need for air conditioning, no matter how hot it gets, the nights usually get down to at least 50, thus cooling down the house for the next day.  However, we have forest fires, frequent hail storms, mountain lions and lots of bear trouble.  I have had them on my second story deck and in my garage.

Pick your poison.  I'll take the great climate and deal with nuisances.

Timpranillo posted:

Portland, OR is horrible and none of you fine upstanding people should ever consider moving to this hellworld.  You're better than that!  

I'm thinking of selling my 3 San Francisco homes......and buying your entire neighborhood. 

We were fortunate to  sell our house in Wis. Rapids only one month after it hit the market.  Moved into a 55+ retirement community,  a rental, smaller 3 bedroom duplex, attached 2 stall garage.  I have always been happy with antenna TV, and going to the public library for internet,  here we have a 10% senior discount on Cable and internet.  Just the other night, I saw my first BREWER game in High Definition,  sure is nice to join the 21st century  

Pakrz posted:

Not exactly a ringing endorsement for legalizing marijuana. 😂

I hear over development and traffic is really a big issue with legalization.  God damn weed developers.

Last edited by Henry
Pakrz posted:

SE sucks... Can't stand the humidity.  And the bugs.  And the gators.  And the dumdums. 

Even though I live in the SE, I have to agree.
I will say that rural and mountain folks are the nicest I've ever met...unless you piss them off! 
Atlanta is a crime-ridden cesspool, and it's in the suburbs now.
An hour North is a totally different world. 

Born: Nekoosa, WI (hospital was in Wisconsin Rapids) ‘74-86

Moved to: Janesville, WI ‘86-93

Moved to: Okinawa ‘94-99

Moved To Nashville, TN ‘99-03

Moved to: Chicagoland ‘03-today

I’ll live out my final days in Japan after retirement God willing, but before then I’d move back to Nashville in a heartbeat. Great, diverse, eclectic, and relatively low cost of living. As a music lover there’s no better place. 

1966: b. Port Washington, WI.  1984: Hanover, NH.  1987: Great Falls, MT (summer).  1987: Mesa, AZ (fall).  1988: Vero Beach, FL (spring, summer).  1989: Boston, MA.  1992: Redmond/Sammamish, WA.  1993: Seattle, WA.  1996: Bozeman, MT.  1998: Port Washington, WI.  2018: Snoqualmie, WA.

Each place is/was great for its time & place in my life.  Best is Port Washington, WI for having family family, raising kids.  You only get at most one hometown.  Quite content in Snoqualmie, WA for the present.

 

This is a fun topic. Chronological order. 

Bath, NY - first 28 years (Western NY Finger Lakes area) 

Venezuela - 3.5 years

Elkhart, IN - 5 years

Perkasie, PA - 25 years (currently)

i loved Venezuela - beautiful country and people.  I cry over the current situation there.  I love fall in western NY when the leaves change, wine season, etc.  I like spring in eastern PA (now) when trees and shrubs are budding and vibrant flower colors.  

Blair Kiel posted:
Timpranillo posted:

Portland, OR is horrible and none of you fine upstanding people should ever consider moving to this hellworld.  You're better than that!  

I'm thinking of selling my 3 San Francisco homes......and buying your entire neighborhood. 

Did jaymo just out himself.....? 

Last edited by MNPackman

Madison from birth thru college.  Awesome time, including an apartment just across from Camp Randall on Breese Terrace.

Freeport, Illinois as a teacher.

Turtle Lake, Wi. As a teacher.

Pocatello, Idaho as a TV cinematographer/photographer

Missoula, Montana, TV production.

San Luis Obispo, Directing live TV news.  

Boise, Idaho from 1980 till now.  Directing live TV news plus working as an Instructional TV Manager for Boise State University and teaching an occasional class.  Now retired.

 

I’ve had people ask me how I could ever leave Madison or San Luis Obispo.  Yeah, they were great, but where I’m at now is even better imho.  You have 4 distinct seasons, but not brutal winters.  If you’re an outdoorsman you have skiing, whitewater rafting, fly fishing, mountaineering and so much more right outside your door.  Unfortunately, we are constantly ranked among the best places to live and the growth/traffic are getting nuts.  Too bad.  It was great back in the day.

PA green & gold posted:

 

Perkasie, PA - 25 years (currently)

i loved Venezuela - beautiful country and people.  I cry over the current situation there.  I love fall in western NY when the leaves change, wine season, etc.  I like spring in eastern PA (now) when trees and shrubs are budding and vibrant flower colors.  

Hey, I was in Telford from 1998-2004!

Last edited by PackerHawk

Cool topic!!!!!

West Alliss, WI (1975-77) Born

Wichita, KS (1977-1984)

Glen Ellyn, IL (Suburb of Chicago) (1984-1993)

Iowa City, IA (College years)

Norfolk, VA (when I was in the US Navy)

Carbondale, IL - Grad School (2000-2004)

Jacksonville, FL (2004-2005)

St. Augustine, FL (2005-2011)

St. Paul, MN (2011-Present)

Ranked:

Such good times at all of those places, met lots of good people, watched the packers at many great packer bars.  

 

 

Music City posted:

Born: Nekoosa, WI (hospital was in Wisconsin Rapids) ‘74-86

Moved to: Janesville, WI ‘86-93

Moved to: Okinawa ‘94-99

Moved To Nashville, TN ‘99-03

Moved to: Chicagoland ‘03-today

I’ll live out my final days in Japan after retirement God willing, but before then I’d move back to Nashville in a heartbeat. Great, diverse, eclectic, and relatively low cost of living. As a music lover there’s no better place. 

We have a while before we retire but when that day comes it will be somewhere close to Nashville or anywhere in Tennessee.  Tennessee is paradise compared to the hell hole I live in (SW Ohio).

Rice Lake, WI (origin)

HIbbing, MN - godforsaken iron range, 1 yr

Mankato, MN - 2 yrs

Janesville, WI - 12 yrs

Madison, WI - 13 yrs, UW grad

Milwaukee (Germantown) - 1 yr

Maplewood, MN (St. Paul suburb) - 29 yrs, likely here to stay for a while to stay close to kids. Still pretty close to my northern Wis. roots.

 

 

 

 

Philiadelphia PA   0-6 years of age

Lumberton New Jersey  6-21 years

Ft Jackson SC   1961--2 months basic training

Ft Knox KY  2 months AIT

Ft Benjamin Harrison IN  2 months

Munich Germany  1 year--1961

Augsburg Germany 2 years 1962-1964

Ft Campbell KY 1964-1965

Vietnam all of 1966

Ft Hood Texas 1967-1968

Clarksville Tn  1968-1972

Hopkinsville KY 1972-1973

Sarasota FL  1973-1982

Savanna IL 1982-1983

Bloomington IN  1983-1985

Werthiem Germany 1985- 1990

Uijongbu Korea  1990-2000

Redstone Arsenal AL  2000-present

 

It has been a good run, lover every minute of it.

 

 

 

I'll have a final tally of State/Countries Friday AM, however...

38 states represented at X4. The 12 states not represented thus far: (If I missed someone already listing, lemme know!)

  • Alaska
  • Arkansas
  • Delaware
  • Maine
  • Mississippi
  • Missouri (Most surprising to me!)
  • Nebraska
  • Nevada
  • Rhode Island
  • South Dakota
  • Vermont
  • West Virginia
Last edited by Timpranillo

That took quite  a bit of work Tim,  good job,  I;m pretty impressed, and very proud of all the folks who live so far away and still luv their PACKERS. 

If you count vacations, I could knock your list down to Alaska and South Dakota

The Heckler posted:  

We have a while before we retire but when that day comes it will be somewhere close to Nashville or anywhere in Tennessee.  Tennessee is paradise compared to the hell hole I live in (SW Ohio).

Hear, hear!

I picked East TN because Tennessee is 'friendly' for retirees (low cost of living, personal and property taxes, etc., etc.), the tri-state areas of TN, VA, and NC are immediate, and there's breath-taking beauty in every direction.

The fact that some of the tastiest motorcycling roads in America run all that area doesn't hurt anything either... 

I went to grad school in Vermillion SD.  Best buffalo wings I've ever eaten were Yings Wings at the Buckaroo Bar and Grill in Hudson SD.  

Instead of going "around the world" at the bar, we would go "around the trailer park" and drink Hamms, Natty, and Grain Belt.  It was as bad as it sounds.  

Pretty sure that counts.  

Last edited by El-Ka-Bong
Timpranillo posted:

I'll have a final tally of State/Countries Friday AM, however...

38 states represented at X4. The 12 states not represented thus far: (If I missed someone already listing, lemme know!)

  • Alaska
  • Arkansas
  • Delaware
  • Maine
  • Mississippi
  • Missouri (Most surprising to me!)
  • Nebraska
  • Nevada
  • Rhode Island
  • South Dakota
  • Vermont
  • West Virginia

"Been" to every state here except for West Virginia and Alaska. Alaska is on the visit list. West Virginia... I'm busy that week. 

Floridarob posted:

Lake Charles, La -S La food is best in the world

Sulphur La-same as Lake Charles, just across the bridge

Lakeland, FL-Kiel is right. Drivers around here are horrible. They all think they drive for Nascar. Quality of life in Lakeland is better by far than La but the food can not compare. I have learned that grits wtih fried fish is a great combination since I moved to Florida. Kids and grandkids are within an hours drive. We will be staying for the duration. 

Holy dogsnot.

I lived near Lake Hollingsworth for 5 years. Used to have to go to Beef O'Brady's to watch the Vikings games.  I really miss the minor league baseball games.

MN, then CA, NC, back to CA, Okinawa, back to CA, Kuwait, CA again, then Rockport Maine, Lakeland FL, Cranberry Township PA, then back to MN.

My parents grew up in Milwaukee.  Dad joined the army and was stationed in Alabama.

1958 - year I was born.  Athens, Alabama

1959 - Fort Sill Oklahoma

~1959 (or 1960?) - Milwaukee.  2223 West Villard Avenue (Northlawn).

1966-1976 - Still Milwaukee, but parents got a house.  Then dad took a voluntary job transfer to sales, his region was New England, and so family moved January of 1976.  I got to stay with an aunt and uncle so I could finish HS where I had gone.

1976-2003 - Massachusetts.  Milford save when in college (Amherst) and the last 8 years or so Uxbridge.  What a crappy time to move.  The day after I graduated HS.

2003-2008 - Dallas area, mainly Plano.  Was laid off and moved to take a job.

2008-present - Bowdle, South Dakota.  I won't bother to explain that one.  Middle of no where.  The big city, Aberdeen is 55m east (population ~25k).  My house costed 26,000 (paid off) and my property taxes are 360/year so that is a whopping 30/month for the place.

So now you can scratch off South Dakota.

Best places - The house in Milwaukee for that time (kid growing up) tied with Uxbridge, MA which is a real nice town and the area has some proximity to Boston, Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard and my favorite, the White Mountains in New Hampshire.  Massachusetts is incredibly green with four seasons and awesome foliage.  Of course, Wisconsin lakes blow MA away (in that regard)!

Worst - didn't care much for Dallas.  Great place if you are big into consumerism.  But, tennis almost year long just make sure to hold it to morning or evening during the hot days.  Where I am at now isn't so hot, but at my age I don't know how I would financially handle my retirement years living in a more typical locale.

 

Last edited by phaedrus
Pakrz posted:

I’m just impressed that you can get Internet access in Bowdle, SD. 

LOL

It's actually quite good.  It's all fiber optic.

Good luck meeting a woman here.  (I'm divorced.)  That concerns me.

Weather can be intense.  I've done cold elsewhere, of course, but, man, is this area windy.  Tack on 30 mph winds to single digits and forget it.  You cannot be exposed.  No way.  Not that well below zero is not an occurrence.

Pakrz posted:

I spent many years in Grand Forks, North Dakota. You don’t have a clue what a cold winter feels like unless you’ve experienced it in the Dakotas. Un****ingbelievable. 

And for extreme masochism, how the heck does someone run a livestock farm in the Dakotas?  I think calving is generally in March.  Ya gotta be kidding me!  Having to tend to livestock in a Dakota winter?

This one old farmer told me about a winter storm in 1966.  He had a rope tied from his front door to his barn.  He said he couldn't see 5 feet in front of him.  That's how he got to his livestock.

I saw an article on coldest US cities (obviously have to be of a certain population size).

1. Fairbanks, Alaska
2. Grand Forks, ND
3. Bismarck, ND
4. Fargo, ND
5. Aberdeen, SD

I saw the signs for Grand Forks once when I visited my then girl friend who lived in Fargo.  That's getting up there.

I've been to Reno, Chicago, Fargo, Minnesota
Buffalo, Toronto, Winslow, Sarasota
Wichita, Tulsa, Ottawa, Oklahoma
Tampa, Panama, Mattawa, La Paloma
Bangor, Baltimore, Salvador, Amarillo
Tocopilla, Barranquilla, and Padilla, I'm a killer
I've been everywhere, man
I've been everywhere, man
Crossed the desert's bare, man
I've breathed the mountain air, man
Of travel I've a'had my share, man
I've been everywhere
I've been to Boston, Charleston, Dayton, Louisiana
Washington, Houston, Kingston, Texarkana
Monterey, Faraday, Santa Fe, Tallapoosa
Glen Rock, Black Rock, Little Rock, Oskaloosa
Tennessee to Hennessey, Chicopee, Spirit Lake
Grand Lake, Devil's Lake, Crater Lake, for Pete's sake
I've been everywhere, man
I've been everywhere, man
Crossed the desert's bare, man
I've breathed the mountain air, man
Of travel I've a'had my share, man
I've been everywhere
I've been to Louisville, Nashville, Knoxville, Ombabika
Schefferville, Jacksonville, Waterville, Costa Rica
Pittsfield, Springfield, Bakersfield, Shreveport
Hackensack, Cadillac, Fond du Lac, Davenport
Idaho, Jellico, Argentina, Diamantina
Pasadena, Catalina, see what I mean'a
I've been everywhere, man
I've been everywhere, man
Crossed the desert's bare, man
I've breathed the mountain air, man
Of travel I've a'had my share, man
I've been everywhere
I've been to Pittsburgh, Parkersburg, Gravelbourg, Colorado
Ellensburg, Rexburg, Vicksburg, El Dorado
Larimore, Admore, Haverstraw, Chatanika
Chaska, Nebraska, Alaska, Opelaka
Baraboo, Waterloo, Kalamazoo, Kansas City
Sioux City, Cedar City, Dodge City, what a pity.

 

1958-1979  Stockton, IL - Hometown in NW IL just south of WI.  Lived there through HS and then 2 years of commuting to community college for Associates degree.  Picturesque early 20th century midwest small town with downtown buildings built 1890-1910.  Huge HS football tradition dating back to before the NFL existed (at least 1913).

1979-1981  Normal, IL - Illinois State University for Bachelors degree.  Smaller twin city of Bloomington.  Population 30K, 20K of that was ISU.  Town was college employees and/or burb for people woho worked in Bloomington.

1981-1984  Rockford, IL - First jobs out of college just in time for early 80s recession (ugh).   Industrial city with nice neigthborhoods, low housing cost, good family atmosphere.  City blossomed in 40s and 50s with companies that supported Aerospace and Automotive industries.  Later that decade to get hit with decline of the US auto industry and the breakup of the big Chicago housing projects that would scatter gang kuckleheads all over Chicago, some of the burbs and as far away as Rockford.

1984-1987  Freeport, IL - Changed jobs (actualy commuted to Monroe, WI). Met my wife and got married.  Smaller city with a nice mix of manufacturing and insurance companies for a prosperous friendly midwestern small city.  Has not fared well in the 2000s due to substantial loss of manufacturing jobs and almost total loss of the insurance companies.  Some would say just a shell of its former self. 

1987-present  Rockford, IL - After marriage took a job for a promotion and moved back bought a home.  Raised 2 kids through HS and 1 through college (as an athlete).  Wife became disabled 10 years ago, then cancer a few years later  and passed away about 1.5 years ago.  KIds have moved on (Milwaukee & Chicago), just me and my son's left behind pitbull now.  City's older neighborhoods struggled with influx of gang/drug idiocy from Chitown.  Caused decline in those areas and the downtown and generated enough per capita crime stats to land it on just about every worst 10 cities list you read.  Except about 2/3 of the city stll as it was decades earlier.  Recently big redevolpement projects are restoring downtown to a nice entertainment/shopping area.  Some of the lost blue-collar jobs are returning and anti-blight and housing initiatives underway in older areas.  

Final Results

  • Respondents - 43
  • States represented - 41
  • States not represented - 9: AK, AR, DE, MS, MO, NV, RI, VT, WV + DC
  • Top 5 States - WI, IL, FL, MN, CA
  • People that have never lived in WI - 10
  • States with only 1 person - CT, HI, KS, LA, ME, ND, NE, NH, OH, OR, SD, WY
  • Most locations by one person - 10
  • People that have lived in only 1 state - 6 (4 WI, 1IL, 1 NY)
  • Average number of locations per respondent - 3.8
  • Countries represented - England, South Korea, Thailand, Italy, Germany,  Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, France, Japan, Venezuela, Vietnam, "Middle East", Kuwait
Last edited by Timpranillo
Timpranillo posted:

Final Results

  • Respondents - 43
  • States represented - 41
  • States not represented - 9: AK, AR, DE, MS, MO, NV, RI, VT, WV  
  • Top 5 States - WI, IL, FL, MN, CA
  • People that have never lived in WI - 10
  • States with only 1 person - CT, HI, KS, LA, ME, ND, NE, NH, OH, OR, SD, WY
  • Most locations by one person - 10
  • People that have lived in only 1 state - 6 (4 WI, 1IL, 1 NY)
  • Average number of locations per respondent - 3.8
  • Countries represented - England, South Korea, Thailand, Italy, Germany,  Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, France, Japan, Venezuela, Vietnam, "Middle East", Kuwait

OOPS.  33 people HAVE lived in WI. Only 10 that responded haven't. I'll edit. 

skully posted:

We were fortunate to  sell our house in Wis. Rapids only one month after it hit the market.  Moved into a 55+ retirement community,  a rental, smaller 3 bedroom duplex, attached 2 stall garage.  I have always been happy with antenna TV, and going to the public library for internet,  here we have a 10% senior discount on Cable and internet.  Just the other night, I saw my first BREWER game in High Definition,  sure is nice to join the 21st century  

Are you still in Rapids? I hear they have a good library. 

skully posted:
Music City posted:

Born: Nekoosa, WI (hospital was in Wisconsin Rapids) ‘74-86

  What a small world,  Riverview hospital , was just there last week for my annual physical.

Smaller world. My grand-daughter was born there yesterday. 

Late to the game but:

Boscobel
Chilton
Boscobel (again)
Prairie du Chien (Campion)
Madison (some college)
La Crosse (more college)
Madison (grad school)
Sheboygan (ain'tso)
Iron Mountain (I lived on the iron mountain and could see Wisconsin)
Stevens Point for the last 30 years, though I have worked in Rapids for 25 of that.

Rochester, NY.    Born 1959

Syracuse, NY.     65-77

Morrisville, NY.    College 1 semester

Syracuse, NY.     78-79

Lake Havasu, AZ.   1980-82    Home of the (London Bridge)

Syracuse,  1983-2014   (Retired sheriffs office)

Lake Havasu, AZ.    2014-present.     Would take 110 & sunny vs. snow/rain for 6 months.  Hey it’s a dry heat, low humidity in AZ

    

Yeah sorry I’m late but here it goes. 

Delphos OH till (birth to 4)

Marshfield WI (4-sophomore years high school)

Holmen WU (junior/senior year)

Columbus OH (undergraduate)

Des Moines IA (Med school)

Dublin OH (residency)

Suffolk VA (Private Practice 2008-2015)

Galesburg IL 

 

Columbus/Dublin years by far my favorite strangely followed by my time in Galesburg. 

GBPnut posted:

Rochester, NY.    Born 1959

Syracuse, NY.     65-77

Morrisville, NY.    College 1 semester

Syracuse, NY.     78-79

Lake Havasu, AZ.   1980-82    Home of the (London Bridge)

Syracuse,  1983-2014   (Retired sheriffs office)

Lake Havasu, AZ.    2014-present.     Would take 110 & sunny vs. snow/rain for 6 months.  Hey it’s a dry heat, low humidity in AZ

    

I was born in Lyons N.Y  in 1959 and attended SUNY Morrisville. from 77-79 Automotive Technology

hof1991 posted:

Late to the game but:

Boscobel

Boscobel (again)
Prairie du Chien (Campion)

Drive thru Boscobel everyday on my way to work in Muscoda.   Also graduated from high school in Prairie du Chien, but it was the public school.   Were you at Campion when Reo Speedwagon played there in 1972 or '73?  

Packiderm posted:
GBPnut posted:

Rochester, NY.    Born 1959

Syracuse, NY.     65-77

Morrisville, NY.    College 1 semester

Syracuse, NY.     78-79

Lake Havasu, AZ.   1980-82    Home of the (London Bridge)

Syracuse,  1983-2014   (Retired sheriffs office)

Lake Havasu, AZ.    2014-present.     Would take 110 & sunny vs. snow/rain for 6 months.  Hey it’s a dry heat, low humidity in AZ

    

I was born in Lyons N.Y  in 1959 and attended SUNY Morrisville. from 77-79 Automotive Technology

Born and raised in Rochester, went to St. Bonaventure University in Olean, NY, where I met my wife (a Utica, NY girl).

ammo posted:
BearBite posted:

 

 

1987-present  Rockford, IL -   

Rockford, the armpit of Illinois.  

You (and PAKRZ) are completely clueless.  Not that its suprising considering some of your posts.  Ever been to East St Louis?  Decatur?  Danville?  Rockford is head and shoulders above them all.  Hell you only need to travel 10 miles to Beloit to find a worse place.  

It's a complete schithole. The violent crime rate in Rockford, Illinois is 15.88 per 1,000 residents, which ranks as the 26th most violent city in America...

Lol at BareBitch.  Just STFU with your nonsense. 

 

Pakrz posted:

It's a complete schithole. The violent crime rate in Rockford, Illinois is 15.88 per 1,000 residents, which ranks as the 26th most violent city in America...

Lol at BareBitch.  Just STFU with your nonsense. 

 

Hooray you can read a stand alone stat but you are still clueless as far as a whole assesment.   At least I was never dumb enough to live in North Dakota.

Last edited by BearBite
YATittle posted:

Lived in South Beloit, visited Rockford occasionally, but that was back when they had a working Chrysler plant and jobs.

Still do, they make the Jeep Cherokee there so swing and a miss.

It's amazing that you would dig your heels so far in the dirt in support of Rockford, Illinois. Anybody with an IQ above 10 knows that place is a dump. 

North Dakota sucks. Unfortunately, we didn't have the opportunity to tell the United States Air Force to go **** themselves, so we went. That said, I'd go back there in a heartbeat if my only other choice was to reside in Illinois, in particular Rockford. 

BearBite posted:
YATittle posted:

Lived in South Beloit, visited Rockford occasionally, but that was back when they had a working Chrysler plant and jobs.

Still do, they make the Jeep Cherokee there so swing and a miss.

One of the worst vehicles built.  Explains the quality of the workforce. 

ammo posted:
BearBite posted:
YATittle posted:

Lived in South Beloit, visited Rockford occasionally, but that was back when they had a working Chrysler plant and jobs.

Still do, they make the Jeep Cherokee there so swing and a miss.

One of the worst vehicles built.  Explains the quality of the workforce. 

I am sure thats based on your expert opinoin also.  Tell it to Fiat see how much they care.

Pakrz posted:

It's amazing that you would dig your heels so far in the dirt in support of Rockford, Illinois. Anybody with an IQ above 10 knows that place is a dump. 

North Dakota sucks. Unfortunately, we didn't have the opportunity to tell the United States Air Force to go **** themselves, so we went. That said, I'd go back there in a heartbeat if my only other choice was to reside in Illinois, in particular Rockford. 

If you'd rather live in ND then your IQ is really in doubt...

BearBite posted:
ammo posted:
BearBite posted:
YATittle posted:

Lived in South Beloit, visited Rockford occasionally, but that was back when they had a working Chrysler plant and jobs.

Still do, they make the Jeep Cherokee there so swing and a miss.

One of the worst vehicles built.  Explains the quality of the workforce. 

I am sure thats based on your expert opinoin also.  Tell it to Fiat see how much they care.

No, it's based on people I know who used to own one. 

Sister in Henrietta, bro in Avon NY, relatives in Castile.  Wife’s parents had camp in Moravia. Friend went to Morrisvile in auto tech (mark stanton) during those years, I basically played foosball & 🍺 at CVI & the Fort, and slept in until noon missing classes. Screw NY w/ high taxes & crappy weather, 

ammo posted:
hof1991 posted:

Late to the game but:

Boscobel

Boscobel (again)
Prairie du Chien (Campion)

Drive thru Boscobel everyday on my way to work in Muscoda.   Also graduated from high school in Prairie du Chien, but it was the public school.   Were you at Campion when Reo Speedwagon played there in 1972 or '73?  

Nope, that was after the Class of 72 graduated.Though I saw them in Point a couple of years ago. Did you know Mark Lester? His older brother was in my class.  Plus - people work in Muscoda? Always knew when there was a new newscaster in Madison, cuz they would pronounce it phonetically - Mus-coda.

Pakrz posted:

But yes, Rockford is a fuggin hole. 

Really not sure you can say that as apparently Rockford is so exciting and full of interesting things to do, that literally just minutes after the Bears scored to go up 15-10 on the Eagles in the playoffs, BearBite must have stopped watching the Bears/Eagles game as he stopped talking trash about his bears. And whatever interesting cultural activity must have been amazing, as he didn't come back to X4 for weeks.

Clearly, right at that exact moment, inspiration hit and he decided to experience the wonders of nature and culture available to one in Rockford, IL literally in the snap of a finger (or kick of a football amirite?), again, proving that not only is Rockford not a hole, it's the cultural epicenter of Illinois, nay, America. 

Speaking of which, does anyone know what happened in that game after that Bears TD, I can't quite remember. 

Last edited by Timpranillo

Add Reply

Post
×
×
×
×
Link copied to your clipboard.
×