what, not New York?

[fflo]

from findyourspot.com, where I should live in this country [and my reactions]:

Portland, OR   [sure]
Hartford, CT   [mebbe]
Worcester, MA   [mebbe]
Providence, RI   [mebbe]
New Haven, CT   [mebbe]
Baltimore, MD   [sure]
Milwaukee, WI   [well ... i dunno]
Boston, MA   [mebbe]
Chicago, IL   [sure]
Eugene, OR   [mebbe]
Medford, OR   [don't think so]
Danbury, CT   [well ... i dunno]
Corvallis, OR   [nah]
Frederick, MD   [mebbe]
Sheboygan, WI   [nah]
Charleston, WV   [don't think so]
Madison, WI   [mebbe]
Gaithersburg, MD   [nah]
Eau Claire, WI   [nah]
Oshkosh-Appleton/Neenah, WI   [don't think so]
Bend, OR   [no freakin' way]
Little Rock, AR   [no freakin' way]
Washington, DC   [mebbe]

I decided to say I wanted there to be a Jewish community, even if I eschew religion in general. Know what I mean? Who wants to live in the U.S. where there are no Jewish people, unless you're going rural?

Comments

[fflo.livejournal.com]

How good can Shreveport and Baton Rouge possibly be for ze queerz? Of course I am merely conjecturing based on loose cultural stereotyping, but still.

[sprig5.livejournal.com]

I know. It's a strange list. But I refused to give preferences concerning weather etc. Oh yeah-- I also valued being near universities and dog-friendliness, so maybe those things help explain the eclecticism of this list.

Also-- let me put a plug in for Milwaukee. If you don't mind lotsa snow. It has charm, culture, Jewish people, and a socialist past. And it's near lotsa water. Nonhumid summers. Probably your more truly midwestern friends can say more about it than I can though (I can hardly claim midwesternness any more).

[sprig5.livejournal.com]

and Cape Cod is not a city! But I loved visiting there

[fflo.livejournal.com]

Milwaukee just seems so remotely located to me, somehow.

You don't think you carry the Midwestern pseudo-gene in you? I was surprised to find out how much mine had remained present if dormant until called up by local culture again. (Or would it be my Plainsian pseudo-gene? I suppose there are some differences.)

[sprig5.livejournal.com]

Milwaukee is 1 hour from Chicago. By train, I think it was. However, driving with my parents from Milw. to Chicago last year took hours.

Midwestern pseudo-gene, dormant until called up by local culture again

Well, that's true. Recently I assumed it was OK to make these cheddar cheese potatoes from a box for a brunch (my mom would do that). I would not be surprised to attend a funeral and see 14 different kinds of jell-O, as was the case at my grandmother's funeral in Redgranite, Wisconsin, a few years (well, 7 years) ago. I remember being in the Catholic church during the funeral service and smelling onions and being aware that the "Ladies of the Sodality" (whatever that means--I wasn't raised Catholic) were downstairs cooking sloppy joes and setting out many Jell-O salads. Some of the ingredients in the various jello salads could be: marshmallows, carrot bits, peas, canned cranberry, various fruit chunks, cabbage (Yes!). I was moved to look on the web ....

http://www.elise.com/recipes/archives/000662grandmas_pineapple_cucumber_lime_jello_salad.php

http://www.lileks.com/institute/gallery/jello/1.html

http://www.lileks.com/institute/gallery/knox/4.html

http://www.lileks.com/institute/gallery/knox/6.html

http://www.lileks.com/institute/gallery/sad/4.html