What do You Love About Where You Live?

Damn Fine Shave has been attracting members from all over the world bringing us together in a common interest in shaving and I thought it would be interesting to hear from people describing what they love about where they live. So, what do you love about where you live? Tell the rest of the members, in short form or as long as you like and include pictures too if you have them. The odd complaint is ok too but the primary intent is to highlight the good stuff. It can be about people as well as place - it can be about whatever it is you love about your location.
Marko

I live in Calgary, Alberta Canada.  What I love about Calgary is the proximity to the Rocky Mountains - they're 45 miles west of Calgary.  Banff National Park, Jasper, Lake Louise are all places that I've spent time throughout my life.  Activities here generally gravitate to the west (sorry Saskatchewan) whether its skiing, hiking, backpacking, climbing, or boating a few mountain ranges over in the Okanagan.  Its only a 12 hour drive if I want to go to the beautiful coastal city of Vancouver, much of which you've seen up close in celestino 's beautiful SOTD pictures.  People in Calgary are generally warm and friendly and open to meeting and accepting newcomers - thats in keeping with the pioneer spirit that continues on from the early settlement days in the region.  Alberta is a young province having entered Confederation in 1905 along with Saskatchewan.  Many Canadians may have wondered why Albertans are so different (I'm being charitable here) and at least in part it has to do with patterns of settlement.  Alberta and Saskatchewan weren't settled through orderly migration of people from central and eastern Canada but rather from a mix of Eastern European farmers - hearty stock in sheepskin coats is what they were looking for- and Americans coming up through the Midwest north through the Dakotas and Montana.  The Canadian West was the last frontier where homesteads could be had in exchange for breaking and cultivating the land.  It was billed as "the last best west".  (I have to admit that I've sometimes wondered in the dark of a brutal winter if they really meant that as in first best, second best...last best)  I'm giving a pretty cursory run throughout the history and its a bit more detailed than I've represented, however, my point is that it wasn't that long ago that folks were coming here without much looking for a better life and people welcomed them and everyone helped each other out to make sure we all survived and eventually flourished.  They worked hard together and helped each other out.

I love that for decades Alberta has been a land of opportunity for people from all over Canada (and the world) to come from their economically depressed regions and find good, honest work at decent wages so they could provide for their families and prosper.  Many of these people worked in Alberta and lived with their families in their home provinces so the economic benefits of their work could also help their own communities share in the prosperity.  Even for Albertans who live here, going "up north" to work is a very common event.  Thats just more of the pioneer spirit that I spoke of above.  

Here are a couple of videos that maybe express some of my thoughts better than me - the first is about people who work away from their friends and families -the Alberta experience and the second is about coal keeping the lights on but I include oil along with coal because those are the energy heavy lifters around here and its why we pay the price.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xh2EKvt_4Qo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxtwDCbTl0I

I like having seasons.

Just when I have had enough of snow or oppressive heat it changes.

Marko,

Thank you so very much for these two wonderful videos.

My mother's parents pioneered in The North West Territories in 1902. That part near Lipton and much more became Saskatchewan in 1905.
My mother was born in 1906. Westerners are, indeed, very special.

Mickey

"What do You Love About Where You Live?"
My country, Canada.
My province, Ontario.
My city, Toronto.
My neighbourhood, Willowdale
My street, Aspenwood Dr.
My neighbours, wonderful caring people from Atlantic to Pacific and from 49th parallel to the North Pole..

I am so very, very lucky.

Seattle, here. I've been here 35 years, having grown up in Boulder. (When I lived in Boulder, one needed to mention the state--no more.) I love the progressive, beautifully green and amazing urban environment of Seattle. The short days in winter are a bit of a downer, but days like today make it the most desirable place to live that I know...

Marko,

Thank you so very much for these two wonderful videos.

My mother's parents pioneered in The North West Territories in 1902. That part near Lipton and much more  became Saskatchewan in 1905.
My mother was born in 1906. Westerners are, indeed,  very special.

Mickey

Hi Mickey, you're welcome. I have to admit that both of those videos make me tear up a bit - the honesty and reality of it I think.

I bet your mother had some interesting stories - Saskatchewan people are salt of the earth people, apart from that minor problem with watermelons on their heads for Roughrider games

I grew up in southwestern Ontario in a very small farming town, which happens to be the tomato capital of Canada, called Leamington and I really appreciated having done so, but the west-coast is my home, now.
Once you acclimatize yourself to the dark and rainy winter months in Vancouver (2-3), then most temperate days are quite nice, considering you can do so many outdoor activities in the vicinity of the city with just a 10-30 minute car ride.
Furthermore, it is one of the most multi-cultural and progressive cities I have been to.
I'll allow some photos to illustrate why I love being in this city, so much.


Images from Seymour Mountain, located in North Vancouver, (20 minute drive from my house, then a nice 45 minute hike)

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The Cherry Blossom trees are, also, lovely on our street.    

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I live in Florida now.... why?... I like the warm weather and the golf but I do miss New York Manhattan nightlife. The food restaurants shopping Second To None it is really the center of the universe if I had the money I'd move back and travel I do miss the change of seasons and I do miss sking oh so much. But since I lost everything in real estate and the stock market it's taking me a long hard road to get back especially at the age of 62

Although I was born and reared in Brooklyn, New York and spent my twenties in Toledo, Ohio, I have now lived more than half of my life in San Diego.  I love the weather, even though we can get heat waves a couple of times a year.  If I want snow in winter (which I don't), the mountains are only an hour away.  The deserts are only slightly farther east, and the Pacific is only a few miles to the west from where I live in the city.  Balboa Park is an absolute gem and I love going to the many museums located there.  The part of the city where I live is older but vibrant and really coming into its own once again.  I drive when I have to but public transport is very close by and on more than one occasion I have even walked the 4½ miles to downtown from where I live.  The city is a cross section of nationalities and for such a large place (1,300,000+ in the city, 3,000,000+ in the entire county) it is reasonably laid back and friendly.


Downtown, as seen from the air.  In the foreground you can see the runway of San Diego International Airport.
It is the busiest single runway airport in the United States and second busiest in the world after Gatwick Airport outside of London.


Part of Balboa Park, the city's premier park.


The Gaslamp Quarter at night.  celestinothis would be San Diego's equivalent of Vancouver's Gastown.


Another view of downtown San Diego taken from across San Diego Bay.