Best & worst states

Posted: Mar. 23, 2009

How many states have you lived in? What was the best state? What was the worst and why? Please discuss.

A recent Pew Research survey found that 53% of us have never lived outside the state where we were born. However, 15% have lived in four or more states.

I’ve lived in three states. North Carolina gets my “best” vote by far. I was born here and have lived most of my life here. During my radio career I worked for nine months in Norfolk. I also worked in radio for three years in Houston. I really loved Texas. The people were incredibly friendly with the exception of a few wild and wacky drivers on the Katy Freeway. Virginia was okay. Norfolk was not nearly as nice a place as Raleigh but at the time it paid more. If I could pick a place to live in Virginia it would probably be Charlottesville. If I could pick a place to live in Texas it would likely be in the Hill Country around Austin.

I didn’t like the weather in Houston. The humidity was horrible and the mosquitoes were tenacious. I loved the restaurants in Texas. From Tex-Mex to brisket the Lone Star State had a lot to offer on the culinary front. Tidewater Virginia had terrific seafood. One of my favorite restaurants in Virginia Beach was Henry’s. I don’t believe this once popular seafood eatery is open anymore.

What about you and your life journey? What were your favorite stops and states along the way?

Share:

35 Comments

Welcome to GOLO, where WRAL.com visitors can comment on stories and create profile pages, blogs and photo galleries.

You must be a registered WRAL.com user to use these tools. Click here to register or log in.

View Comments

page 1 \| 2
<prev	next>

sort order: oldest first | newest first

I have only lived in NC. I was born in Williamston in 1972 & went to school in Wilmington from 1990-1994. I moved to Rocky Mount in 1995 when I got married. My husband, who is from Windsor, & I moved back to Williamston following Hurricane Floyd in 1999 & still live there now. I liked the conveneince of living in Rocky Mount but I prefer to live & raise our son in Williamston because it is less hectic & more laid back. He goes to a small school just like I did where everyone knows him & he knows most of the teachers, even though he has not had them as a teacher. I think I will always live in NC because you can't beat the weather & the great getaways to the coast!!!

khoggard
March 23, 2009 10:37 a.m.

Report abuse

I have lived in Georgia, Florida, New York, Virginia,& North Carolina. Every state has something unique to offer. I have enjoyed every place I have lived. But my flip flops prefer the south and the sun. North Carolina is a wonderful place to live... my only compliant is winter in Raleigh has some cloudy days. I prefer the few cloudy days to traffic in Atlanta any day! Fall in upstate NY state awesome. At this point in my life i am right where i want to be, NC!!

Bubbette
GOLO member since October 21, 2007
March 23, 2009 11:03 a.m.

Report abuse

Gee, Bill, we have more parallels that I knew. I have also lived in just three states, Texas, NC, Virginia.

I grew up in Houston, Texas, and lived for a while in/near the NE Texas town of Mt. Vernon (home of Dandy Don Meredith), and then lived in Austin for about eleven years.

I've lived in NC for almost twenty years, coming here with my job - lived in Chatham county then Mebane.

My Virginia connection is sort of a dubious dual-residency thing. My wife and daughter lived in Lynchburg for four years while my daughter attended a fine arts high school and I split my time between NC and Virginia. I always joked that we were illegal aliens in Virginia but I spent enough time there (and paid rent/utilities) to justly say I qualified as a resident.

I find that there are enough similarities between places to make them livable. I guess I'd like to end up back in Texas, maybe some place less hectic than Houston or Austin. You can take the boy out of Texas but ...

thefensk
GOLO member since July 11, 2007
March 23, 2009 11:08 a.m.

Report abuse

Being retired military and a military brat I have lived in 15 states and 5 countries not counting those countries such as Viet Nam and Iraq that I was forced to visit. I was raised in North Carolina, going to 71st High in Fayetteville and graduating from Campbell University (then College) in Buies Creek. This is my favorite state. My most visited state is the state of confusion in my grand daughters' opinions

CampbellGrad
GOLO member since January 23, 2009
March 23, 2009 11:12 a.m.

Report abuse

I have lived in NC for 18 years, but I will always be a Northener. I was born in and lived in NJ for 37 years before moving to NC and consider NJ as my favorite state. NJ gets a lot of bad talk, but I love it! Lived close to NYC and all of its many wonders. My favorite, however, was the Jersey Shore and the boardwalk. Nothing even similar to it on the NC coast. The boardwalk in Seaside Heights was like a mini State Fair all summer long with food, rides, games and fun! I also miss a lot of the Italian food I could get in NJ that I either can't get or can't afford here in NC. Iced tea in NJ is quite different than sweet tea in NC too. Also, sorry, but I will never say "Y'all," it is "You Guys" to me!! Don't get me wrong, I like a lot of things about NC too - especially the weather - and there are some aspects of NJ I don't like, but it is still home to me.

dak0928
March 23, 2009 11:38 a.m.

Report abuse

I am a military wife (ret) and have lived in several states..I am in Lynchburg Va now..but first thing that I do when I turn on computer is check Wral news. Ha..Too warm and humid for me in Raleigh, but that is home and always will be..Cannot get NC our of my blood...

mamananagramps
March 23, 2009 11:46 a.m.

Report abuse

I grew up on the NC coast. Now live in the Triangle. But if I could live anywhere it would be the low country of coastal SC.

no more - no less
March 23, 2009 12:10 p.m.

Report abuse

I have lived in Buffalo, NY,where I was born and went to school, New Jersey and now N.C.I would never live up north again, too cold and too expensive, not worth the money it costs to live up there. Having said that I do miss the people, Buffalo is the friendliest city and the people are so warm, can't say too many good things about jersey, it's nothing but a rat race, traffic is a nightmare, people are pushy and unfriendly to outsiders, and it is not the cleanest place in the world. I loved the beach in the summer but I love the Carolina coast much better, quiet and clean, the beaches in NJ are a zoo, too crowded, moving from that state was the best thing I ever did!!

jgirl5830
March 23, 2009 12:24 p.m.

Report abuse

I have lived in Ohio, Illinois, North Dakota, Florida, and North Carolina. Of these, North Carolina has been my favorite by far (except for the week of the Ohio State/Michigan game, then I miss Columbus!). I like the people, the land, and the climate of NC. There is no state I have lived in that I really hated, but I must admit that the 40 below temperatures and 7 month-long winters in North Dakota were challenging!

Celt
GOLO member since September 19, 2007
March 23, 2009 1:22 p.m.

Report abuse

I'm a Tarheel native through and through. My family has been in NC for generations. I have traveled to many states but have never lived in any other. You just cant beat a good thing. We have good weather, beautiful mountains and coast and a hometown feel anywhere you go in this state.

lseltmann
March 23, 2009 1:43 p.m.

Report abuse

page 1 \| 2
<prev	next>

sort order: oldest first | newest first

This blog post is closed for comments.

Related Items

Site Search

Best & worst states

35 Comments