Technically I live / work in Metro Vancouver but I was born and raised in a small town about an hour away called Chilliwack and have spent every weekend there since I moved for school. I fully intend on moving back there once I'm in the right position to do so, and probably living there, or at least somewhere in the Fraser Valley, until I die. It's basically The Shire, no place on Earth that I've been to has ever come close to bringing me as much comfort and freedom to explore. The town is basically layed out across a flat valley completely encircled by tall mountains with a river bordering it. A 15 minute drive to edge of the valley and you're free to explore an endless labyrinth of trails, private campsites, mountains, caves, streams, swamps, and waterfalls. Here are some pictures I've taken on my cellphone of the town and the surrounding area:

http://i.imgur.com/mDyXzNW.jpg?1http://i.imgur.com/nubHrE0.jpg?1http://i.imgur.com/LC4CO6G.jpg?1http://i.imgur.com/arxdcT1.jpg?1http://i.imgur.com/DObaUlq.jpg?1http://i.imgur.com/DxMdebs.jpg?1http://i.imgur.com/s393Ufw.jpg?1http://i.imgur.com/qDHg1ak.jpg?1http://i.imgur.com/CPKOKDG.jpg?1

EDIT: Vancouver and the surrounding districts lost their appeal on me within months of moving here. While growing up I always thought I'd enjoy the big city more but the longer I spend here the more I want to move back home. I totally understand that a lot of people really enjoy the service overload of the city, where you can basically get off a bus anywhere and have infinite things to do (provided you can afford it), or the mind boggling architecture, or the feeling of being completely anonymous in a sea of thousands of people, or the near instant access to any food or product imaginable, but coming in from a small town, it just takes the form of a massive imposing grey concrete prison. The metro feels like a can of sardines, the air smells of exhaust and trash, the skyscrapers block out the sun and mountains, your ears are constantly bombarded by engine noises and construction sites, and you'll never have the chance to walk down an empty street at night, nothing ever sleeps in the city. Never thought I'd sound like such a redneck, but living in Vancouver has made me more of a hick than I ever was growing up.

At least it's easy to get a job.

Blackpool, UK

Positives
- By the sea, loads of beaches and fronts in neighbouring Lytham and St Annes etc.
- Old skool Victorian piers, at one point was a real holiday destination
- Has a landmark tower
- Some cosy little rock venues
- Good range of 24 hour supermarkets dotted around
- Not too far from the peak district for hiking etc.
- House prices away from the town centre and front are dirt cheap (see negatives)
- Plenty of decent takeaways around
- Decent shopping precinct
- Not bad if you're into cycling
- Great zoo
- Winter gardens and the tower ballroom are decent venues for the limited acts that play there

Negatives
- Town centre overrun with chavs and drug addicts
- ...plus tourists and drunk idiots at all times of day in the city centre as a popular choice for stag/hen weekends
- ...plus gypsies everywhere trying to take advantage of the tourists
- Too small to have a surprising number of mid-level chain stores
- Only one cinema in the whole area as far as I'm aware
- Entire front and all 3 piers fallen into disrepair so no longer a desirable holiday destination unless you're flat broke and desperate
- Pretty much a regional peninsula so awkward to travel to anywhere else in the UK
- Ladies aren't nearly as attractive as in neighbouring Preston, Lancaster, Liverpool or Manchester. Except Mrs Jonts of course.

Blackpool then:
http://http://www.victorian-era.co.u...op/brit173.jpg

Blackpool now:
http://http://www.johndavies.org/pic-blackpool2.jpg

Dude you live in a postcard, it looks incredible. :yeah:

Great pics EPOCH6. Reminds me of up in the White Mountains in New Hampshire.

I spent my first 37 years in Methuen, MA. Small town north of Boston that's 50 years older than the United States (inc. in 1726)

Way back when the towns land was split up between three extremely wealthy dudes.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Nevins,_Sr.

Edward Francis Searles - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Charles H. Tenney - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

They each spent considerable amounts of money building their respective homes and various other buildings in the town. They also separated their lands with castle walls. It's like a trip in the way back machine driving around town. Some pics here.

https://www.google.com/search?q=meth...w=1920&bih=956

The town is also home to one of the largest pipe organs in the world.

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com...1657c64fc9.jpg

As boring as living in Hampton Roads, Virginia can be, the Norfolk Naval Base has ensured that the recession has been relatively mild around here. I understand the idea of reducing the size of the military, but since my area is going to be directly affected by military cutbacks, I have significantly less sympathy for the idea than I would if I lived elsewhere. Seriously, this area lives or dies by the military. I forget what the statistics were, but something like 3/4 of every job around here is either directly or indirectly connected with the military. If you want a non-military middle class job without a college degree, then pretty much your only option is something involving the shipyard.

I guess that's both pro and con.

I thought you were from Florida.

And I thought you were from the Atlantic Ocean. We all have our illusions.

@Epoch - You have some beautiful scenery.

What's the legal drinking age where you're from?

Ah, Blackpool. My auntie moved from here to Blackpool (no idea why anyone would ever do that, frankly) years ago so I've spent a fair amount of time there. It's not the worst place, but it's full of the worst stag/hen do's imaginable and a lot of the residents are awful and seem small minded, as you mentioned. Brilliant zoo, though! I absolutely love that Rebellion is still going strong there too, and to be fair, it seems to be getting better as the years go on! This years line up is great.

The thing with Manchester and Liverpool is really, they're not even comparable as cities, the only reason they're ever paired and put up against one another is because they're in the same region. But like they are SO different it's untrue. Liverpool is more like Newcastle and Manchester imho is more like London or even Leeds so I don't know why they don't get compared as much.

I genuinely do believe Liverpool is a much -nicer- city, though, and I don't even think I'm being biased when I say that and it's got nothing to do with the whole Scouse/Manc rivalry either, because that's just pathetic. If I thought Manchester was nicer, I'd just say, but the truth is I really really don't. I reckon in terms of opportunity if you're wanting to progress in certain occupations then Manchester knocks Liverpool out of the park and as I mentioned before their gig scene is second only to London, but I've never ever thought Manchester was even the tiniest bit nice, the only reason their opportunities are more plentiful and they have so many bands touring there is because of its size and that it has more venues, the crowds in MCR at gigs are mostly awful (I spent probably most of my teens in MCR as Liverpool had a serious gig drought and no one came here for AGES so I had to be there all the time, so it's not like I've just been to the odd show there, I've been to ****ing loads). I also just find it far too big without there actually being THAT much there? And the city centre is weird and I don't even know where it begins or ends? There's far too many awful high rise buildings and flats too, sadly Manchester is a prime example of crass gentrification and so far Liverpool has been lucky enough to escape that on the most part and architecturally, Liverpool shames Manchester. I've also ALWAYS said that the people in Manchester are very stand-offish and cold, considering it's a northern city where, mostly, the people are very welcoming. I think that's why I see it as the north's answer to London, because of its size and how much the people are so unlike northerners in most other cities up here.

You've moved around a fair bit, then! I've only ever lived in Liverpool. Never left the place and I don't think I ever will. If I do, the only place I'd move to would be Berlin. There's not a chance I'd leave Liverpool to go and live in another part of this country. I got close last year when a friend and I were gonna move to Newcastle but it never materialised cos when we went there to visit, as I mentioned earlier, we just realised that there was literally no point. Even though its council keeps making questionable choices and our mayor is a ****ing horrible greedy idiot, Liverpool has everything you could possibly want in a city and I absolutely adore the place, through and through.

Woah, this sounds like a London vs Manchester vs Birmingham vs Liverpool thread to me. It does seem silly to compare them in various contexts but people do anyway.

Personally I gradually moved to Blackpool for the love of a good woman, she got me closer and closer with Salford and Bolton but eventually I relented. Having been here for over 2 years now I'd be curious to know what your Auntie's excuse was, since she was already on the coast?

And I'd forgotten about the zoo! Damn, will have to edit my post forthwith.