Find Your Spot

www.findyourspot.com

The above link takes you to a fairly exhaustive survey that tells you what city/town is most suitable for your interests and lifestyle. My sister's boyfriend Martin showed it to us while I was in Tampa. It asks about weather, culture, attractions, even politics and taxes. The first time I took it, my #1 was Idaho Falls, Idaho. All I could think was "ok, I like potatoes...." But apparently the town is described as "High Tech meets the Great Outdoors," and that sounded appealing to me.

So I took it again today and here's what came up:

#1 Anchorage, Alaska

Ok, if there's still a belief out there that deep-down I really do like people, this should help put that notion to rest. Kind of a cool city to have #1, I must say. Better than Idaho Falls, that's fer sure. The survey describes Anchorage as having "...all the amenities of a large city, minus the congestion and the hectic pace." "While geographically remote, it is quite cosmopolitan in look and attitude." "All the best performing artists play here (i doubt that)...the midnight sun offers residents many bonus hours of summer daylight." It's also one of the best places to raise a family.

Alright, I'm up for a trip to Anchorage. Who's coming with me?

#2 Duluth, Minnesota

Yeah. Huh? The city sits on a hill that overlooks Lake Superior. Rated as one of the most livable small cities in the country.

#3 Idaho Falls, Idaho

Dammit! Couldn't escape this being on my list. Let's take a deeper look. "The city exudes a down-home charm, and is home to a curious mix of residents. Farmers chat on the street corner with computer programmers, and artists, business people and hardy outdoor recreationalists live side by side." "...mountains on one side, sand dunes on the other." Near Yellowstone National Park. "...city is blessed with a near inexhaustible supply of pure mountain water, which means cost effective electrical energy as well as world class fishing and endless whitewater fun.

#4 Ogden, Utah

Gah, see right away I reject Ogden because my company has a site out there. So screw that. I don't even care what it's like.

#5 St. Cloud, Minnesota

Another Minnesota. The description has to stretch the town's advantages a little bit to make it seem great. It seems like a nice town with a nice atmosphere, but I suspect boredom would set in very quickly.

#6 Syracuse, New York

Didn't think I'd get any place in NY. "Thriving business community, a leading university, and a dynamic arts scene."

#7 Erie, Pennsylvania

Ugh, you've gotta be kidding me.

#8 Rochester, New York

Bircher might have something to say about this.

#9 Buffalo, New York

Buffalo?? BUFFALO?

#10 Portland, Maine

Hey now. All right! Finally a spot in New England. I know I like it up here and was surprised to see nary a NH, MA, or CT city on the list.

The rest:

Jackson, Wyoming
Nashua, New Hampshire (close)
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Loveland, Colorado
Manchester, NH (closer)
Fort Wayne, Indiana (fuck no)
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Provo-Orem, Utah (do I look like a mormon? jesus)
Spokane, Washington
Fort Collins, Colorado
Eden Prairie, Minnesota
Mansfield, Ohio
Steamboat Springs, Colorado
Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota (this was much higher on my list last time)

Anyway, you guys should take the survey for yourselves and let me know what it comes out with/ if you agree with it, if we have any of the same cities, etc. Lisa's #1 was El Paso, Texas. Lori's was Seattle, Washington and then a bunch of cities in the South, although Cicinnati was her #3, which is just bullshit.