Hello I'm Rich Brown and this is my personal website and blog. I'm just your simple, average, down to earth, professional, out gay man and aspiring circuit boy, living in Phoenix, Arizona with a few things to say while trying to find my place among all the scary, conservative, religious nuts in this sick and twisted world.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Why Do You Choose To Stay Where You Live?
Have you ever taken a step back for a moment and questioned where you're living and why you've decided to stay there? I don't mean your house, condo or apartment, but the actual city, state, region, or even country where you are living?
I do it all the time which is probably the reason why I've lived in four different states, and a almost a dozen different cities.
We make our decisions based on knowledge, past experience, gut instinct, and sometimes even by following the whim or demands of another person. The choice of where we live is usually beyond our control for the first decade of our life, but then after becoming an adult we're typically all free to take leave and decide for ourselves which place is best suited for us.
What's fascinating to me is how people choose to live in one area and be perfectly content, while other people find that area completely inhabitable. I would say that living here in Phoenix makes people constantly question their decision to remain here. It's not that Phoenix is a bad place to live, because it's really not, it's because during the peak of the summer months, Phoenix is a pretty difficult place to get used too. Frankly, it's hot here, and some people just don't like the heat. Phoenix is the type of place where people come to find out the true meaning of 'a Dry Heat' and decide if it's tolerable enough for them to remain here. Obviously many people remain based on our growing population, but also many still decide to leave based on the transient nature of the city.
As of late I've had several friends reconsider their decision to remain here and I always seem to have other friends who say "How can you live there, it's so damn hot?" I completely understand when people question living here, because I have myself reconsidered the choice to live here many times. I've even moved away from Phoenix twice now, once to try out Las Vegas and then again to explore San Francisco. Both times I remained away for only a few years before returning back to the desert. Phoenix has cast her spell on me and I just can't seem to stay away for very long. While I really enjoy what other cities have to offer, and I certainly could be perfectly content in these other cities, I really do love living here in Phoenix.
In the past Phoenix hasn't been the most cosmopolitan of cities, but that's changing as is evident by our growing number of trendy restaurants and bars, boutique hotels, modern shopping, the growing city skyline, and the near completion of the light rail which will span from one end of the city to the other. Phoenix is finally growing out of the awkward, lanky, teen years to take her place as a young adult among the other 4 largest cities in the United States which makes this an exciting time to be here.
While many think that Phoenix is too hot, it's one of my very favorite reasons for living here. Once you spend a year or two getting acclimated to the heat, it's really difficult to ever go back to a colder climate. Not only does the heat make it a wonderful place to be in the winter, but gives us some distinct advantages in the summer. Swimming pools typically never close up, not even for the winter. The dress here is almost always casual meaning shorts and t-shirts are usually acceptable attire nearly everywhere. Because the weather is typically nice and it's always sunny, people generally tend to be very active here in Phoenix and you frequently find very scantily clad, attractive people out and about enjoying the weather. Simply stated, there are always a ton of hot, shirtless guys, wearing only shorts outside. That alone is probably reason enough to keep most of us gay boys here in Phoenix.
Like any other city, Phoenix has both it's advantages and disadvantages. It's certainly not a place for everyone, but I really enjoy being here and Phoenix will always represent my first independent step out of University and away from home. It was a chance for me to get far away from anyone I knew and a place where I could finally be free to come out and be myself. Because of that I've long had a special place in my heart for Phoenix, and no matter where I end up, she will always feel like my real home.
So, why do you choose to stay where YOU live? Cheers!
Because I work in L.A., I am constantly asked that question. Often by people who have never been here. Here being South Orange County, CA.
I believe the inland is too hot and air quality sucks! The coast here is always 10+ degrees cooler. The air is clean. We always get ocean breezes. The traffic is much less hectic than L.A. or San Diego although its getting worse. Everywhere I need to go there are beautiful open outdoor spaces that are clean and well maintained. There is constant new building and improvement. Oh and I forgot, its the safest place to live in America according to the FBI. Oh yeah, the beaches are among the most beautiful in the world too.
The downside is that the gay community is large but widespread. Our few locals hangouts have not managed to survive economically and have recently all closed save for one that will close in September.
However, we are halfway between L.A. and San Diego and 20 minutes from Long Beach. All of these cities have large urban gay centers. So it's not too far away if you want it.
That's why we continue to live here.
|______________________________________________________________________ posted by Joe in the OC @ Thursday, July 19, 2007 5:06:00 PM
Strangely enough, my next blog entry was going to be about this very subject. I live in a smalltown, so the ins and outs are a bit different.
I'll touch base on it tomorrow after I give it more thought.
|______________________________________________________________________ posted by Michael @ Thursday, July 19, 2007 10:29:00 PM
Great post Rich! And one that will get many people thinking.
I grew up an Airforce brat so we were all over Canada. I eventuall settle here in Alberta because it is SO beautiful, and because it's much drier than the humid province of Ontario where we came from moving here. (hot and humid don't mix well for me)
Esthetically speaking Alberta is one of the most beautiful provinces in my eyes, but it's also a booming province where some of the others are not.
Also my family is here and all of my friends. They are hugely important in my life, but if I truly loved it elsewhere I could see myself moving eventually. Thankfully I have it all here though.
And incidentally I'd be one of those people asking you "how can you live in that HEAT??" LOL
|______________________________________________________________________ posted by Jude @ Saturday, July 21, 2007 9:28:00 AM
