Uploaded on 2015-10-09 by heatherwalt

My top 5 criteria in order are: Economy Job opportunities Safety Housing Recreation Possibility Living in the United States I have the luxury not having to worry about Political Stability, Sanitary Standards, and Infrastructure which would be at the top if I was not lucky enough to live in the developed world. **Why do we live where we live?** I recently moved to Portland, Maine. The only reason I came was for a job. However, I have found many reasons that make this a fantastic city. - The economy is doing much better than in the city I moved from and with that came job opportunities for me and my husband. - The area is safe. When I was back in Cleveland a couple weeks ago there were several shooting deaths in the few days I was there. Here in Portland the news reported four attempted muggings in three days. No one was hurt and nothing was actually taken. - There is a sense of community. The buy local movement is major here and not just lip service. There are farmers markets that are busy and successful. People support small businesses and community. I joined the Portland Hour Exchange, the original time bank in the United States, where people exchange time for services each other need. - The area is amazing. There are so many things to do, hiking, biking, and kayaking. There are beautiful beaches, tall mountains, and beautiful forests. - My home is super walkable. My apartment is a mile from my office. On my way home I can buy groceries, books, clothes, or pharmacy items. I can stop at any of dozens of restaurants or run errands at the bank, library or post office. ![Farmers Market][1] ![The ocean][2] ![On the walk home][3] ![Beach][4] **To what extend does your own place of residence fulfill your ideal livability criteria? •** Economy – 80 • Job opportunities -75 • Safety -95 • Housing -40 Recreation Possibility -90 (outdoor); 75 (other) **What would you change?** Housing is expensive comparative to average incomes and the costs are rising fast (20% last year) -as it was my housing cost here is 300% of what it was in Cleveland and my apartment is smaller and is in an old building. Controlling housing costs, particularly their rise, is always a challenge in areas where the economy is doing well and the vacancy rate is near 0%. In addition, there is an issue with the quality of rental unit. Recently their was a scandle where several 1 bedroom apartments which were ineligible for Section 8 (government housing assistance) because they were low quality, yet they were being rented for in excess of $1400/month. **Where to live** Nashville, TN 1. Climate 2. Job opportunity 3. Economy 4. Housing 5. Safety Charlotte, North Carolina 1. Climate 2. Job opportunity 3. Economy 4. Culture 5. Recreation Opportunity Savanna, GA 1. Climate 2. Culture 3. Recreation Opportunity 4. Historic infrastructure 5. environment [1]: https://edxuploads.s3.amazonaws.com/14443529076839325.jpg [2]: https://edxuploads.s3.amazonaws.com/14443530025563645.jpg [3]: https://edxuploads.s3.amazonaws.com/14443531213850648.jpg [4]: https://edxuploads.s3.amazonaws.com/14443531724560284.jpg