Where Would You Live?

If you could live anywhere in the U.S. and money wasn’t an issue, where would it be? Would you like to live in big city like New York City or Chicago, or would you opt for a small town in Vermont or Oregon?

And why don't you live there now? Probably because of money (among other reasons).

According to Forbes Magazine, the top five most expensive places to live in the U.S. in 2010 were:

1. New York City, New York – I have no idea how people survive financially in this city. In general, people have to make 40 times the monthly apartment rent to qualify without a guarantor. Let’s do the math. If the average apartment rents for $2,800 you’d have to earn $122,000. I don’t know many people who earn that much money.

2. Los Angeles, California – It may be sunny there but gas prices are higher and commutes are astounding. And then there’s pollution, smog, earthquakes. Why do people want to live there?

3. Honolulu, Hawaii – This might be paradise but it comes with a price. Everything (food, household product, gas, building materials, etc.) has to be imported so it costs more. Living in this city costs 55% more than the average U.S. city.

4. Aspen, Colorado – It’s a nice place to visit and home to some major celebrities but the average house is $2.6 million. The rich and the famous have made this mountain retreat expensive.

5. Juneau, Alaska – This city has the same problem as Honolulu. If you think gas prices are high where you live, they have gotten as high as $9 per gallon the small city of Juneau.

The only one of these place that I would even slight consider living is New York City and that's because it's the publishing capital of the U.S. (and I'd have to have so much money that I would need another residence somewhere else). I’ve visited all of these places with the exception of Juneau, Alaska. I think my perfect place would be a cottage on a beach that is close enough to a city (under an hour’s drive) that had the culture (theaters) and amenities (B&N, Target, Hobby Lobby) I wanted.

Ah, maybe one day…