If I couldn't/didn't live in sowal, my second choice would be. . .

My choices would be:

~ Charleston, S.C. for the scenery, history and houses with personality.

~ Switzerland for scenery, cleanliness and wonderful chocolate!!

~ Suwanee, GA. (Where I live now) - voted one of the best small towns for the past two years by Money magazine. It is close to the mountains, a wonderful boating lake is nearby (Lake Lanier), it is the small town I always wanted, and most of all, the cutest granddaughter on the planet lives here. If my family moves away, I would love to move to SoWal, where my family roots go back many generations.

My dream (which of course will require winning the lottery) would be to have homes in South Walton, Martha's Vineyard, the Big Island of Hawaii, and apartments in Manhattan and Miami South Beach.

Why:
SoWal - obvious.

Martha's Vineyard: The best place in the world to summer. Bar none.

Big Island of Hawaii: It's like this undiscovered little jewel. It's quaint, a bit old fashioned, has plenty of room to spread out, and views in any direction you care to look. Plus, once you have had real Kona coffee, there's no going back.

Manhattan and South Beach: Because I can only take "quaint" and "old fashioned" for so long, and then I need crowds and $18 martinis.

Toots, when you move to Fernandina, I wanna be your neighbor to the north! I would dearly love, if I ever decide to leave here, to go back to St. Mary's, GA (or the surrounding area) on the southernmost tip of Georgia, right across the Florida border. I grew up there (from 5 yo to 13) and still have many, many friends in the area.

Downtown has a little waterfront harbor, where you can catch a ferry out to Cumberland Island (where there are wild horses running free, and a beautiful beach with sanddollars and starfish all over the place and scenic paths through the woods and historic mansions...), and it's small town, but it's big enough to have a real, honest-to-gawd high school marching band that actually dresses up and participates in all of the community parades (I love parades, but we just don't have enough music in 'em down here!)... lots of beautiful, old moss-hung oaks, and quaint little cottages... and lots of bridges over gorgeous marsh... Of course, there's a Navy base right down the street, and a lot of turnover, so not all of the area is as picturesque, but I love, love, love it there!

we took a ferry to St Mary's last year when visiting Fernandina Beach. spent several hours wandering around, shopping and lunching. it is a very beautiful little town - seemed to be filled with young families. very quaint place - did not spend much time there but it seemed like a really special place. the natural beauty surrounding that entire area is some of the most beautiful landscape I've ever seen.

Fernandina is rich with tales of pirates back in the day. and the harbor is famous for the start of the modern shrimping industry. I love eating seafood over there!

My boring answer - either Havana, Florida (or somewhere in northern Gadsden/Leon/Jefferson counties) or Dothan, AL.

Actually leaning toward Dothan in retirement. Housing costs are MUCH MUCH MUCH cheaper up there, close to everything, and a day trip back to SoWal. I just have trouble with the thoughts of giving up my daily sunsets.

While I want to visit all the places y'all have mentioned, my home needs to be near my family, especially my little great-nieces and great-nephew (Crestview and Dothan) and absolutely needs to be an easy drive to Tallahassee.

My dream (which of course will require winning the lottery) would be to have homes in South Walton, Martha's Vineyard, the Big Island of Hawaii, and apartments in Manhattan and Miami South Beach.

Why:
SoWal - obvious.

Martha's Vineyard: The best place in the world to summer. Bar none.

Big Island of Hawaii: It's like this undiscovered little jewel. It's quaint, a bit old fashioned, has plenty of room to spread out, and views in any direction you care to look. Plus, once you have had real Kona coffee, there's no going back.

Manhattan and South Beach: Because I can only take "quaint" and "old fashioned" for so long, and then I need crowds and $18 martinis.

I have a dream like this too: my choices: a cabin on the coast of Maine, probably near Camden or Rockport; an apt in Manhattan; another apt in Paris...and a house in Maui.

forgot to add the why:

Coastal Maine--I love the places where the mountains come down to the sea...or the rocky coast--Oregon, Maine, No. California. There is something uplifting about the combination and contrast.
New York City has the most energy of any place I've ever been. I love just walking down the street--and exploring the neighborhoods and finding the quiet places among all the sounds--it is fantastic. And New Yorkers are friendly and fun.
Paris--does one need to ask why about Paris? Romance and food and art and fashion. Next on my list is to spend Christmas in Paris.
Maui--again, the mountains and the sea. I love the Hana Road and watching the wind surfers and sunset at Mama's Fish House and the rainbows. Living on an island gives me a feeling of freedom that I've never gotten anywhere else, although Sowal comes close.

I have a dream like this too: my choices: a cabin on the coast of Maine, probably near Camden or Rockport; an apt in Manhattan; another apt in Paris...and a house in Maui.

dang, I need to take "dream" lessons from ya'll! is it too late to change my choices? I'm moving in with GW!

I have a dream list that is not yet specific- but involves multiple places.

A major metro area (DC, Chicago, NYC, San Fran) for energy, culture, and education,

a house or condo somewhere tropical for my beach/sand/saltwater fix,

a cabin in Western NC (close to Asheville) for my NC mountain fix,

a farm in KY or a place with real grass and lots of horses,

and

a small place in Europe (France or Spain) to call home base and travel around.

If I win a big lottery, I am prepared to be very nomadic.

Tahiti

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The pictures certainly answer the WHY!

Compton, Ca.

Location Independent Professionals

good site for all of us Nomads.....

Location Independent Professionals

good site for all of us Nomads.....

Oooh, that's cool.

I'd love a place on Martha's Vineyard. A summer place.
Oh my gosh...it's so gorgeous.
Maine is lovely too--in the summer.

I love Key West, it's our other favorite place in Florida other than SoWal but wouldn't want to live there year round, it's a bit small and can be too crowded and is a little remote for year round living to me.

I adore Paris but it's too cold in the winter.

There's a couple of neighborhoods in Ft Worth, TX (about 15 minutes from my house) that I'd like to live in. I'm my momma's and grandmothers' girl, I can't get too far from home.

I always laugh and say if we ever win the lotto that I'd want a place in SoWal, a place in New Orleans, a house in Ft Worth and would just travel to our other favorite places for month long visits!

What a fun thing to think about!

I love Key West, it's our other favorite place in Florida other than SoWal but wouldn't want to live there year round, it's a bit small and can be too crowded and is a little remote for year round living to me.

I adore Paris but it's too cold in the winter.

There's a couple of neighborhoods in Ft Worth, TX (about 15 minutes from my house) that I'd like to live in. I'm my momma's and grandmothers' girl, I can't get too far from home.

I always laugh and say if we ever win the lotto that I'd want a place in SoWal, a place in New Orleans, a house in Ft Worth and would just travel to our other favorite places for month long visits!

What a fun thing to think about!

Where in FW, bba?

Beautiful.....

I agree - great sailboat! Slightly jealous here.