Who's Your City?

I just finished reading Richard Florida's book "Who's Your City". He makes the point that choosing where we live ranks up there in importance with choosing our career and choosing our mate. I had never thought about it in those terms, but most of the time, I didn't have a choice in my destination - it was career driven. Now, I have the opportunity to reaccess where I live and how the personality of my city fits with who I am and where I want to go.

The book is based on years of research on the characteristics of cities, the characteristics of people, and their happiness in a particular city and region. There is quite a bit of data and, at times, it reads like a journal article. The bottom line, though, is that place does matter in our overall happiness. We need/want different things in different stages of our lives, but regardless, the place we choose to live in these different stages affects our happiness and success.

When I sit back and observe my friends, I can see evidence of Mr. Florida's research in my micro-community. Generally speaking, the people I think who are happiest in Tallahassee have family here or graduated from FSU and have a strong network of college friends in the local area. I don't think career opportunities rank high (other than those who came here for a particular job) in our city. Of my friends who do not have family here or did not graduate from FSU (me included), I think most are happy, but I don't think Tallahassee would have been a first choice. We are transplants and probably secretly think that one day we won't live here.

I live in Tallahassee because I knew someone who lived here. I was making a career change and it seemed as good a place as any other to go. Once I got here, I liked the weather, the trees, the grass, the small town feel in a larger town and I built a network of good friends. However, I don't think its "my city".

Where do you live? Why do you live there? And, is it "your city"?