trinacriabob

NJ TRUKR YO TRUKS TRUK 4ME NO CARS COOL TRK TRUK ROG A lot of people I know have solicited my input on picking out personalized plates. It's a lot of fun, so those were some ideas. Sitting around one day, a friend and I came up with MUF TANG, but the DMV site didn't allow it. The site also "did not like" BREAD 8 (translate that into Spanish - they must have an interpreter at the DMV) I didn't input VAFNGUL (in NJ/NY/CT/PA, I'm sure their interpreter would catch that)

I track BLS LAU stats that come out every month (this week (3/19) will post the Feb. results) and see what the states are doing. I knew NC was 11-ish, but didn't know CLT proper was in the 20% range. Is it really THAT high? Whose out of work - financial types? Any loosening up expected?

All the more reason to live in Montreal...of the cities listed, it's the one I like most... yes, yes

In terms of icons, you are correct, especially in the CBD. But I like Toronto and don't care for Chicago. From Toronto, you can go to some nice destinations within reasonable driving time - Niagara Falls (actually fairly impressive), the beautiful wooded areas north of there, Ottawa, and, stretching it, even Montreal or NYC. Chicago, IMO, is too remote. Toronto just needs a subway that goes into the airport.

The list of miserable cities showed up on home pages a couple of days ago. Not necessarily in order, it included the following 10: Cleveland OH Canton OH Detroit MI Flint MI Stockton CA (very bleak and efforts to turn it around are dim) Scranton PA (maybe) Miami FL St Louis MO Memphis TN Chicago IL I think Cleveland took the top spot. I was surprised to see Chicago on there. Some people (those who live there, or near there) rave about it. I don't like it, and I went to grad school 135 miles from there, so I can weigh in. Once you get past the "wow" factor of "The Loop" and some nice Gold Coast high-rises, it's a big so-what (my opinion).

I've been there once. It's on College, west of downtown, and then there's another Little Italy on St. Clair West. The original Little Italy has a fair number of Portuguese folks living there. Either way, good Italian eats (pastas, tirmaisu) and good Portuguese bakeries (pasteis de nata and freshly baked bread). I also like "the Danforth," a couple of subway stops east of downtown (TYD knows), that has unbelievable Greek food. Toronto has insanely good food. So does Montreal.

Keeping in mind the "standard" value difference between CDN dollar and US dollar, i.e. the 27K : 22K base relationship when LaCrosse (CX) was new, then that townhouse would be about $235K in US dollars. That's not bad. It seems fairly roomy and it has the drive-under 2-car garage. I am afraid to ask what that would cost in a decent neighborhood in Vancouver...

Congrats, TYD! What a great city; however, I have always worried about living someplace that's cold since I wasn't raised in it. I might have posted along these lines before, but I really like parts of Woodbridge-Toronto. It's where all the Italians that "assimilated" moved, so I might like that. There were some great places to eat - yes, in strip malls. Also, I think I might like Mississagua (sp). The only reason I know about it is that I located a childhood friend there that I befriended while our families were in Europe. It seems very multi-cultural. Still, if I had to pick a suburb of a major Canadian city, it would be Saint Jerome, QC, about 28 miles (45 km) north of Montreal. I like it because it is where the metro area thins out as one heads into the Laurentians (mountains north of Montreal). It's Francophone, so I would be immersed really quickly. Regardless, I don't think I could handle the cold...or I would have to spend 4 months in FL as a "snowbird." It must be great to more than double your sq. ft. for an additional $37K.

Agreed. That's right...they have better craftsmanship and detailing, but I don't like how closed, dark and musty they feel. I remember how much I used to hate what they called the "Spanish charmer" small stucco homes in Los Angeles...could just be a realtor term, don't know...but it was "way cool" to buy one of these for a small fortune and then spend another small fortune to fix it up. My thought: get a nice, airy newer home out in the 'burbs, come to L.A. when you need to, and pocket the difference. New(er) homes are airy, have lots of light, and amenities like separated w.c.s, walk-in closets, skylights, kitchen islands and on and on. For day-in day-out living, I much prefer that.

Nice vehicle...good clean lines...it should serve you well for a long time!

we haven't tangled in a long time...too bad you had to break the streak...time to grow up Response to thread: turnover

I remember the chase scene Response to thread: rollover

*mindblowing* Response to thread: "Basic Instinct"

toothpick

People can have the Bay Area...it's not that compelling to live there...one can go there on vacation twice a year, take the pictures and tours they want, and go home... A friend of mine relocated from LA to Las Vegas. I don't care for it, but she's made a nice life for herself there and doesn't at all partake in Las Vegas decadence. I'm going for Memorial Day. Most people I know who left California have no desire to go back. The erosion of the middle class and the "have/have not" problem in SF, SJ, LA and SD is kind of scary.

Wow, so it's overpriced...in a nice suburb of Seattle, that would be one very expensive townhome. In a nice suburb of San Francisco (minus brick), that would be in nosebleed territory.

Rob, I like that area, but I don't like all the gables in the roofline. I prefer more hip roofs and maybe some gables thrown in. When I was in Ken Caryl Ranch in the mid 90s, I saw a lot of nice homes I liked...and many of them had a lot of brick/stone...

As long as these listings are active, here are some examples: Houston area - really like the all-brick one-story ranches like this: Brick one story home Pittsburgh area - townhomes with brick that look like this: Townhome, 3 -level, mostly brick and 2-car garage Atlanta area - one-story with stucco, though not as nice as others I've seen - the angled door is kind of funky: One story north suburbs of Atlanta home Pacific Northwest - a lot of "transitional" styled homes One story PNW home with more siding than brick This is the kind of stuff I was referring to. Prices from 175K to 275K +/-, cheapest in Houston, most expensive in PNW

My range of what I like in real estate is a little narrow (minded). What I really like is 1988 to 1996 (+/-) "transitional" style...not exactly traditional with all the symmetry, but with mostly hip roofs, a lot of brick, at least 8:12 roof pitch, and the front of the house (rooms, entry, garage) on different masses. Sounds complicated, but this is what they still build a lot of in the suburbs of Houston, for example. There was some of this going on in Atlanta, too, and the stucco (a departure for the South) didn't look that bad. They also built this style in Seattle and Portland during the same period, with less brick or stone, and definitely not stucco because of the constant moisture. I like the same kind of thing in townhomes, except that they would put a 2-car garage underneath and then a person walks up to the entry on level 2. The bedrooms would be on level 3. I don't like older homes at all and don't like the new wave into the craftsman/bungalow look. The PNW switched over to craftsman style (almost exclusively) in the late 90s. Drew, I've seen some of the "inventory" I like, and at a price I like, in some PIT suburbs...with most of that stuff showing up in Adams Township on searches (I have no clue if that's good or bad) and other places that end with the word "township." I actually prefer to live in the suburbs...it's a lot quieter, so, I lived in the north suburbs of Atlanta and the East Side (across the lake and the bridges) in Seattle. I find that people who are just as interesting and smart live in the suburbs, so I don't mind it at all, despite the fact that a lot of people bristle at the thought of living in suburbia. Back on topic, the topic of the life cycle of urban and metro areas is always an area of fascination...so is the "shelf life" of what is cool and uncool in residential architecture...

Switzerland

Agree. Some of us still haven't forgotten Olds, especially those of us who grew up with them and remember the Cutlass Supreme as the veritable American "king of the hill." For some folks who aren't car savvy, Olds and Buick are kind of synonymous. However, Pontiac, in my mind, will always be the most evocative of the GM brands. I will sorely miss the Pontiac brand.

absolutely...gosto muito, mais nao posso comer muito de issos response to thread: Alps

nose (sorry)

Actually, I am not crazy about going there but, when I have to, I will definitely go. For the Regal, I have bought 5 items there - and saved myself a lot of money: 1. Heater blower motor 2. Washer fluid bottle 3. Radio pod 4. Steering wheel 5. Dash light 30 second delay switch ($7 instead of $200+, ridiculous) When I am there, it's fun to walk around the aisles and look at cars I used to like (i.e. Grand Le Mans )

Re Chandler - I guess that means you will be able to eat at Daphne's another time or two. Pittsburgh seems to be an attractive city. I like to look at MLS sites and there are a lot of nice homes in PIT... not exactly bargains (nor are the property taxes), but reasonable enough.