Why Do You Live Where You Do?
October 28, 2012, Washington, DC: When people ask me what my blog is about, a short answer is that Neighborhood Nomads delves into the question of why people live where they do. There are always a number of reasons, both conscious and unconscious, that a place "becomes home", and I love hearing people's perspectives about which factors trump others when something has to give. Is it most important to be close to family? To have access to cultural resources? To be near a dream job? To settle somewhere safe? Or walkable? Or dense? Would you live somewhere a bit more expensive if it afforded you access to your other priorities? Is it primarily a matter of residing near good schools? Or gravitating towards natural resources like water or mountains or fresh air? Perhaps it's because I'm so engrossed in the topic, but my priorities shift, and often. One day I know our neighborhood is perfect for us, the next I get carried away considering another that satisfies a different priority entirely. It's also clear now that the reasons I moved somewhere in the past were not typically the reasons I stayed: While I may have chose to settle somewhere for its climate or access to the outdoors, for example, I may have ultimately stuck around for its city resources or its proximity to friends and family.
If you had to choose just two factors, two words, why would you say you live where you do? Are they the same two words you would have selected ten years ago? Share them in the comments below, or fill out this form to Participate in the Project. Give your fellow neighborhood nomads an insider's glimpse of your beloved hometown.
Related Content on Neighborhood Nomads:
- Phases of City Living (February 12, 2012)
- Neighborhood Nomads: Reader Interviews