Your hometown and why you enjoy living there.

We all live somewhere and all places have their charm, so why promote it a bit. I live in Amersfoort, a tiny medieval town in the centre of Holland, small, quiet, pleasant. Full of bars and restaurants and of course a lot of old stuff. Lots of festivals in the summer, lots of tourists with other priorities then hash and hookers.

Summer

https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...oppelpoort.jpg

https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...y/DSC02387.jpg

Winter

https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...gony/dehof.jpg

https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...agony/2005.jpg

^--my street

My hometown has a little less charm...

My hometown is less than 200 years old. It has no charm, it is not quaint, it is large compared to surrounding cities/towns, it is not modern, or retro, or post-modern, or old-school, or medieval, or historically significant in much ways. Thus is not interesting at all. :shame:

... well, to me at least.

Currently I live in Essen, a large city with beautiful exhaust fumes everwhere, charming old coal mines with rotten buildings, a new almost useless shopping center in the middle of the city and uhm, we also have an attraction and that would be me.
Ok, there are some negative sides to the city as well, like a working subway system, a university, it's a bit greener than other cities I heard and the people are actually quite nice here in general unlike my old home"town" where everyone either didn't know me or hated me(oh the charming village life of happiness)
Well, I don't have a lot of pictures and they aren't really good either but let me post two from around Christmas:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

https://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i...en/Theater.jpg
That's one of the big light thingies they put up when Norway was the guest/featured country, behind it is the Opera or Theater :sweatdrop:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

https://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i...er_Strasse.jpg
One of the shopping streets in the city with Christmas lights, notice the lack of snow. :furious3:

Well the Euro people are lucky they have so much history in their hometowns. My town was just a quaint farming community till 1941 where a military base and the only airbase north of SF till about 1960 was built. My grandparents worked there and we still live in the same house they got during the end of WW2

Oh common Essen has some absolutily stunning parts the cathedral is one of germany's finest, one the oldest roman in Europe in fact?

^-for the husar

Ah well some more

https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/Fragony/006.jpg

^--- on my way to the supermarket

https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...-the_river.jpg

^--- my street from different angle

https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/Fragony/007.jpg

first pic from different angle

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nurnberg

:sweetheart:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helena,_Montana

Halle - Belgium

Sint-Martinus Basiliek:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

https://i156.photobucket.com/albums/...iliekHalle.jpg

And off course, Carnaval Halle:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

https://i156.photobucket.com/albums/...g/P3020218.jpg

:jester:

https://img219.imageshack.us/img219/...elsinkioo2.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helsinki

Alright, Cardiff-

https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...tle_autumn.jpg

We've got quite a nice castle, even if it is a bit of a hodge-podge; some Roman walls, a Norman keep, and then the clock tower and most of the interior done up in a neo-gothic style during the 19th C. by the Bute family.

https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...-photos-02.jpg

Caroline St., AKA Chippy Lane, which isn't quite as grotty as it used to be, but still does the best fish and chips in the world.

https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...insbrewery.jpg

The Brains Brewery, which makes the tasty beer I like to drink.

https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...ic20centre.jpg

Our lovely civic centre. The building in the centre of the foreground is our city hall, and the one to its right is the National Museum and Gallery of Wales, famous for its Monet collection.

Wales looks very beautiful.

My home town is Sacramento, California, the capital of that state. I'm not living there now, but plan to be back there within a year or so.

It's lost most of its "charm," but is an hour and a half away from San Francisco and Lake Tahoe, an hour away from Napa Valley and the gold foothills, and has MUCH better weather than where I am currently (outside of NYC). State government jobs abound in Sac. The northern California coast is just a few hours away driving, and is a favorite hangout of mine--oodles of charm and natural beauty.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madrid

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alicante

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dublin

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zaporozh%27ye

In no particular order.

I don't like living here. That is, the village (Oude-Tonge) I live in, not the city (Rotterdam) in my location tag.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lisbon

Hey Raz, which city do you actually live in? Perth would fit all of those indicators, ie Boring and uninteresting. At Least I'm not in Adelaide! :laugh4: jk.

My original 'hometown' although not my city of birth, was Chester in England. Quaint, historical, but overplays the Romaness a touch too much. I mean 3/4 of the 'Roman' Walls date from the Medieval period.

The Cathedral though is pretty spectacular, and this is coming form a professed atheist!

I've grown up here.

I'll probably end up moving back at some point in my life, but right now, I can't wait to get out and off to UNI.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regensburg

It is beautiful plus I live right in a calmer part of the old town....in a house "only" 350 years old, but well.....

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Subedei

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regensburg

It is beautiful plus I live right in a calmer part of the old town....in a house "only" 350 years old, but well.....

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Uhm, wow that looks absolutily incredible.

I live in Southern Sydney (More specifically The Sutherland Shire) and I love it here. The area is known for being really elitist/snobish (I know that all of the Sydneysiders who read this thread will roll their eyes when they see my post) but seriously - we are the greatest place in the Soutehrn Hemisphere. Awesome people (minus the racists), awesome beaches, and just plain awesome everything else.

As for Sydney in general this is where most of my relatives live and where I go to University. I couldn't move out, even if I wanted to.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gaius Scribonius Curio

Hey Raz, which city do you actually live in? Perth would fit all of those indicators, ie Boring and uninteresting. At Least I'm not in Adelaide! :laugh4: jk.

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Eh, Perth is exactly where I live. :laugh4:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Fragony

Uhm, wow that looks absolutily incredible.

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Thank you Fragony! It is very nice here. One can just walk around in the city and look at all the patrician buildings [I used to live in a house of a very rich 11th-12th century merchant family].

Where I live right now [the very right part of the panorama wiki-pic], I am only a 3 minutes walk away from a park built around the rest of an old fortification.

Enough with the braggin`....

But if you come to Southern Germany [in other words Bavaria] you have to check out Regensburg. It is only 1h by train from Nürnberg [known as Evil Maniac from Marses home as I just learned & from the acclaimed MTW2] or 1,5h from Munich....Ynd U may get a Subedei-history tour of the city...incl. a visit in the medieval torture room...just to look, no testing necessary.

Cheers, Sub

Sure made my hitlist don't be surprised if I do.

Can you consider BFE as a town? If not then I don't have one and don't live there. More people should leave their home towns; you'll gain more from leaving your comfort zone.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Fragony

Sure made my hitlist don't be surprised if I do.

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~:cheers: You are welcome!

Wonderful to see the places everyone lives. I love and am envious of the history in Europe -- I was born wrong side of the atlantic in that regard, but what can one do about one's parents, eh?

At any rate, in the town I mostly call home we have 50 million year old mountains (QTVR link)... ~:)

I've never lived in a town, but I can post images of some trees. :2thumbsup:

https://img137.imageshack.us/img137/4950/1060643iz1.jpg

Oh look, rainy. What a shocker. :laugh4:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by HoreTore

Oh look, rainy. What a shocker. :laugh4:

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LOL! Oh well, can't help it but having a liking for overcasted weather. :2thumbsup:

There's nothing to enjoy about living in Basingstoke. I think everyone in the UK is aware of that.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Subedei

But if you come to Southern Germany [in other words Bavaria] you have to check out Regensburg.

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No kidding! My cousin goes to university there!

I spent the first three years of my life in York. I've only been back there around eight times since, though I've yet to fall out of love with the place. Like Chester they tend to go a bit far with the whole Viking/Roman connection, but they're so tacky about it that it's quite endearing. The Minster, Walls, and ruins of St Mary's Abbey are all pretty darn groovy. One of the great historical towns of Europe, I dare say.

Stockport on the other hand is.. umm.. different.

Amersfoort and Regensburg look bleedin' gorgeous.

I consider myself to have two hometowns -- Willmar, MN and Spicer, MN. They're okay, but neither place is worth writing home about either.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Tamur

Wonderful to see the places everyone lives. I love and am envious of the history in Europe -- I was born wrong side of the atlantic in that regard, but what can one do about one's parents, eh?

At any rate, in the town I mostly call home we have 50 million year old mountains (QTVR link)... ~:)

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You live in Montana? Then why did I think you were a Wisconsinite? :dizzy2:

I'm here near Madison as of last summer, but it doesn't feel like somewhere that we'll stay for too long. Absolutely gorgeous with all the green, and the gardener in me is thrilled, but the lack of snow-capped mountains is strangely stifling.

I've heard the opposite from people who grew up here and moved to the Rockies, that they felt claustrophobic there, and moved back. I guess it all depends what you're used to, this hometown thing ~:)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Tamur

Wonderful to see the places everyone lives. I love and am envious of the history in Europe -- I was born wrong side of the atlantic in that regard, but what can one do about one's parents, eh?

At any rate, in the town I mostly call home we have 50 million year old mountains (QTVR link)... ~:)

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Mah man. We need to hang out some time! I actually posted Helena as my Hometown, but I live in Missoula.

.
I like my town because I enjoy getting almost hit by a car with the green light on my side, sworn and beaten up after responding. :smash:
.

My hometown sucks! It's a drug-infested craphole where even honest, law-abiding citizens like me are treated like criminals by arrogant police officers (in place of the far more offensive term I usually use) whose job it is to protect and serve us! :furious3:

Sydney, but North Sydney, near Manly, the best beach in Sydney. But I hate the CBD, it's so boring and dull. I need trees, soil and air. My original hometowns are Islington (I'm a Gooner, go figure :laugh4:), then here (village with the oldest still standing church in England IIRC).

Regensburg!! That's the town that they used/mentioned so often in my German Textbooks back in school. :laugh4:

Welcome to the ugly post-industrial wasteland I call home.

Ugly aerial view

https://img227.imageshack.us/img227/8259/stadje1rw4.jpg

Ugly train station

https://img227.imageshack.us/img227/1750/stadje2cf9.jpg

Ugly postal distribution

https://img293.imageshack.us/img293/7149/stadje3ho1.jpg

Depressing outskirts

https://img357.imageshack.us/img357/4595/stadje4ao7.jpg


Can anyone guess what town it is?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Adrian II

Can anyone guess what town it is?

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Looks like Slough. :wink3:

AdrianII can be so mean at times

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Fragony

AdrianII can be so mean at times

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Yup.

It's true by the way, I live there too. :balloon2:


P.S. I have been to Helsinki may years ago, 1975-ish. Still remember it. A beautiful city! :yes:

I don't really consider the place I live to be my 'hometown' since I have moved many times in my life, but I've been here for 5 years now and I'm not moving again anytime soon, so I suppose it is home for a while. This is my 'town':

http://www3.nationalgeographic.com/p...shingtondc.jpg

Washington DC is definitely a place to have mixed feelings about. It's got some of the worst traffic problems in the entire nation. This is partly due to an incredibly inadequate and poorly funded public transportation system and partly due to a massive population explosion over the previous 20 years that has overloaded the existing infrastructure. This same population explosion has also made real estate prices absurdly high.

Despite that, the city itself is very clean, well-maintained, and looks good. There is an enormous amount of stuff to do here, and some of the best museums and cultural attractions in the entire country. The food scene has also exploded in the past 5 to 10 years, and there are numerous world-class restaurants, wine bars, and other foodie attractions in the area to sate my appetite for gluttony. On top of it all, you can fly directly to most places in the world, and it's got easy access to all of North America and Europe.

All in all, I'm pretty happy with Washington DC. The main disadvantages to living here can be alleviated if you have a high enough income, and fortunately things have been moving in my favor in that area for a while now. I think it would be a lot harder to live a 'nice' life here on the typical income, even harder than in New York City. I'll enjoy being here for as long as I'm here, though I don't think I'll miss it when I eventually move.

Currently living in Frankfurt - the city itself is OK (probably a bit better than its image). It misses a certain charme but certainly has some nice corners.

On the plus side are the great logistics (at least you get away from Frankfurt pretty quckly - be it by car, train or plane ~;)), and the nice surrounding area (e.g. Taunus - added the German Wikipedia link as it offers more pics)

This summer we will actually move to Eppstein, a small town in the Taunus (longer way to work - but the nice vicinity is worth it ~:))

But my "hometown" (i.e. where I was born and where I lived for 25 years) would actually be Göttingen - very nice university city (~20% of the residents are actually students at the University) - I always love to visit the city again.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Adrian II

It's true by the way, I live there too. :balloon2:
:

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Don't feel bad, this is where we all end up.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Fragony

Don't feel bad, this is where we all end up.

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Just to be sure: you did recognize my place? Could you say the name please?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Adrian II

Just to be sure: you did recognize my place? Could you say the name please?

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Hell? :devil: But then what level. :wall:

Trainstation is amersfoort :shame:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Vladimir

Hell? :devil: But then what level. :wall:

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I believe that somewhere a coin is still waiting to drop. :mellow:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Fragony

Trainstation is amersfoort :shame:

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Clunk! :laugh2:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by TinCow

I don't really consider the place I live to be my 'hometown' since I have moved many times in my life, but I've been here for 5 years now and I'm not moving again anytime soon, so I suppose it is home for a while. This is my 'town':

http://www3.nationalgeographic.com/p...shingtondc.jpg

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I've been in the area for 16 years, and I still don't consider it my hometown. I suppose it's as good as it can get when the area has 3 separate governments, all at odds with the others, and one of which is broke and reliant on the federal government for handouts.

Lisa Simpson said it best:

Quote:

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The city of Washington was built on a stagnant swamp some two hundred years ago and very little has changed; it stank then and it stinks now.

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https://img176.imageshack.us/img176/...pectionfb4.jpg

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Wakizashi

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helena,_Montana

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I think Helena looks neat. (No, I'm not being sarcastic) It's foreign and exotic through my eyes. A bit isolated, but not a bad place to live, surely?

What's up with all the non-Euro's thinking their towns lack charm? I think smalltown America is romantic.
Never been to Australia or New Zealand, but there too I can imagine myself living well.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Spartan198

My hometown sucks! It's a drug-infested craphole where even honest, law-abiding citizens like me are treated like criminals by arrogant police officers

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Which arrondissement do you live in? ~;)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by drone

I've been in the area for 16 years, and I still don't consider it my hometown. I suppose it's as good as it can get when the area has 3 separate governments, all at odds with the others, and one of which is broke and reliant on the federal government for handouts.

Lisa Simpson said it best:

Quote:

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The city of Washington was built on a stagnant swamp some two hundred years ago and very little has changed; it stank then and it stinks now.

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Ah, yes, how could I have forgotten the weather? Hot and sweaty in the summer, and an almost complete lack of snow in the winter. Yet there's always some brief snowstorms and the city never manages to prepare for them very well. Still, I do like the place overall. For all its flaws, there's a lot of stuff to do and it IS a pretty city in my opinion. I've seen many national capitals, and ours is definitely sprinkled with enough monuments, great structures, and museums to compete with any of them. It's a surprising showing for a city that was at best third tier 20+ years ago.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHdFJJ63Id8
Galway 300 pubs in walking distance , seemingly continuous festivals one after the other , wide choice of music every night of the week , the sea the river the lake . Pity about the weather and the traffic though .

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There's nothing to enjoy about living in Basingstoke.

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You don't live in basingstoke , you live in one of them nice villages outside it .
Anyhow basingstoke is fine its a major junction , just get down the station jump on the next train that pulls in and see where it takes ya , thats always an enjoyable thing to do in basingstoke .:2thumbsup:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Louis VI the Fat

I think Helena looks neat. (No, I'm not being sarcastic) It's foreign and exotic through my eyes. A bit isolated, but not a bad place to live, surely?

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Is beautiful, like much of western Montana as the few orgahs who have been or lived here can attest. Helena is quaint, very little crime, and a good place to raise a family. the townspeople themselves are a little introverted, but once you are accepted you are considered to be a part of their family, and they will literally do anything for you. As far as history goes, if you want to look at the area in Western eyes, yes there is very little history, about 140 years worth, but in the natives eyes, this place is ancient, some stories date back as far as 4000 BC so europe and much of North Africa has relatively little on us (and much of America for that matter). Its just adjusting, I've heard that being 3,500 ft above sea level can be a little exhausting for someone not used to it. :laugh4:

Edit: and as weird as it may sound coming from an American, many Montanans feel partial to our French Forefathers who were the true bringers of both Catholicism and cultural acceptance to our fair land. More so than the British, or even white American settlers who came much later.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Tincow

I don't really consider the place I live to be my 'hometown' since I have moved many times in my life, but I've been here for 5 years now and I'm not moving again anytime soon, so I suppose it is home for a while. This is my 'town':

http://www3.nationalgeographic.com/p...shingtondc.jpg

Washington DC is definitely a place to have mixed feelings about. It's got some of the worst traffic problems in the entire nation. This is partly due to an incredibly inadequate and poorly funded public transportation system and partly due to a massive population explosion over the previous 20 years that has overloaded the existing infrastructure. This same population explosion has also made real estate prices absurdly high.

Despite that, the city itself is very clean, well-maintained, and looks good. There is an enormous amount of stuff to do here, and some of the best museums and cultural attractions in the entire country. The food scene has also exploded in the past 5 to 10 years, and there are numerous world-class restaurants, wine bars, and other foodie attractions in the area to sate my appetite for gluttony. On top of it all, you can fly directly to most places in the world, and it's got easy access to all of North America and Europe.

All in all, I'm pretty happy with Washington DC. The main disadvantages to living here can be alleviated if you have a high enough income, and fortunately things have been moving in my favor in that area for a while now. I think it would be a lot harder to live a 'nice' life here on the typical income, even harder than in New York City. I'll enjoy being here for as long as I'm here, though I don't think I'll miss it when I eventually move.

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I was about born 20 minutes south of here in Fairifax, Virginia. I grew up as this place was exploding in Herndon (Known Today as Oak Hill). When my parents moved here in the early 80s, there was practically nothing. I went back 5 years and the place had exploded. None of my childhood forests where I build tree forts and played with my friends remained. i was a bit depressed by it really. I have so many found early childhood memories there. It's probably even grown more since I've been back.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairfax,_Virginia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oak_Hil...y%2C_Virginia- Ah the wiki article even has my childhood park

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frying_Pan_Park

Man, I'm getting really nostalgic here.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Wakizashi

Is beautiful, like much of western Montana as the few orgahs who have been or lived here can attest.

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Good thread, like Frag said you guys are giving me ideas. I already told you I would love to see Montana, but how on earth?.. How about if you create some outrageous news item. So I can casually walk into my chief editor's office at the right moment, to hear him say 'Um, Adrian, I've been toying with this funny idea. Since you pretend you're the only one in Europe with sensible ideas about the U.S., how would you like to.. ' and then, after feigning complete surprise and a long moment's hesitation, I could say 'Well, if I have to.. '

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Wakizashi

As far as history goes, if you want to look at the area in Western eyes, yes there is very little history

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Can we stop this historic pissing contest? AFAIK the Indians have it, despite bogus Chinese claims, and none of us gets even close to the age of their Indus civilization, nor do we care to. Injuns and Injun history is just fine with me. :yes:

Helsinki, where Kagemusha lives, is another option. As I remember it, Helsinki is spaceous, very elegant, totally relaxed, a bit like Lisbon on a crystal-clear fjord. And the thought of those big yachts and historic frigates smack in the middle of it makes my mouth water.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Louis VI the Fat

What's up with all the non-Euro's thinking their towns lack charm? I think smalltown America is romantic.

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You wouldn't say that if you grew up in a small town. Trust me.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that growing up in rural small-town America was truly bad per se -- it does have its advantages. But it's definitely not all that and a bag of chips. :no: There's a reason I moved from Willmar to Minneapolis....and the universe willing, I don't intend to return anytime soon (except to visit friends & family, of course).

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Adrian II

Good thread, like Frag said you guys are giving me ideas. I already told you I would love to see Montana, but how on earth?.. How about if you create some outrageous news item. So I can casually walk into my chief editor's office at the right moment, to hear him say 'Um, Adrian, I've been toying with this funny idea. Since you pretend you're the only one in Europe with sensible ideas about the U.S., how would you like to.. ' and then, after feigning complete surprise and a long moment's hesitation, I could say 'Well, if I have to..

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http://www.helenair.com/

Well, unfortunately this is about all I can give you. We live life I little slower around here. Although I'm sure the Cracked Bell...thingy in the mines is a reeeaaalllll travesty. :laugh4:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Tribesman

You don't live in basingstoke , you live in one of them nice villages outside it .
Anyhow basingstoke is fine its a major junction , just get down the station jump on the next train that pulls in and see where it takes ya , thats always an enjoyable thing to do in basingstoke .:2thumbsup:

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Easy, someone might track me down ~;)

And yes, I've tried that. ~D

Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Can't say too much about it, really. It's a typical suburb that's grown way too much. We had a great opportunity a few years ago - anyone remember the New Jersey Derby horserace? - The racetrack was torn down with the promise that we'd get our own little main street, complete with shops and parks and houses and everything. Instead, we got a strip mall (some highlights being a Wegman's with the sorriest excuse for a clock tower I have ever seen, a "Christmas Shoppe" store that operates year-round, and a Home Depot that moved from literally the strip mall 100 feet down the road that was supposed to be the big thing ten years ago) and a horribly-named "Town Center Drive" that gets its own traffic light but is pretty much a transit street that goes into the parking lot. Oh, and the Fort Dix would-be terrorists from last year grew up here.

On the bright side, there is a nice little park that's a national historic landmark that's about five minutes from my house. The highlight is the woods. Not much, but there are a few trails and a little creek running through it.

I'll be going to school in DC next year. Northwest part of the city, and from what I've seen it's a nice section.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Fragony

We all live somewhere and all places have their charmt

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Never been to Sunderland have you? :laugh4:

This is what I see, out my front door.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...TIONS_AZ15.jpg

Quote:

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Originally Posted by GeneralHankerchief

I'll be going to school in DC next year. Northwest part of the city, and from what I've seen it's a nice section.

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Whereabouts?

Georgetown, GW, or American, I would presume. Northwest is nice, that's where all the rich people and embassies are. ~;)

American, yeah. From what I recall it's up past Embassy Row; closer to the Cathedral and Cheney's house.

Good school. I almost went there for both undergrad and law. I remember being impressed by their cafeteria.:2thumbsup:

Suburb north of Baltimore, Maryland.

Nothing much to say about here, just an average east coast suburb I guess

Quote:

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Originally Posted by TinCow

Good school. I almost went there for both undergrad and law. I remember being impressed by their cafeteria.:2thumbsup:

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That's actually really funny you say that. Reason being is because my roommate last year went there and HATED it. He said it was so dressed up for tours it was unbelievable. He mentioned the cafeteria, which he said was closed most of the time after when he attended. He transferred after one semester.