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I love:
That there is so much to do and see
The design industry thrives here
The ocean
The venice canals
The awesome mix of desert and tropical plant life that I never saw on the east coast
Most streets follow a grid so it's easy to find your way around
The 1920's and 30's architecture

I hate:
The sprawl
The smog
Not enough "walkable" neighborhoods
Litter
Ugly stucco boxes from the 70's

well, being from LA, there isnt too much about the city I like. its become very dirty and full of itself. I find the people too obsessed with appearences and money they forget what's most important. every one is so eager to get no where fast. My 2 yr old niece was almost run over by some chick on her cell phone cause she couldnt wait another few minutes for them to get safely across the street! Her head barely came up to the top of the car!! Needless to say i'm still regretting not calling the cops. This is what glamorous Hollywood blvd has now become- a tourist trap filled with the self absorbed and the homeless. I wish I had see what it was back in the early 20s, 30s and 40s- when stars really were stars and it was glamorous to be in Hollywood. When people dressed up to go grocery shopping. And dont even get me started on the traffic....

but there are some great things about this city. Its history, its cultural hot spots, the beach, Santa Monica, the fact that is really does take you 20 mins to get everywhere (not including the afore mentioned traffic). I've lived in a few different places around the globe but I always love coming home to my hot, roomy LA. I love having a car so I dont have to become a packmule, but hate the high prices and again the traffic! haha. I love NY where you can walk everywhere and there is always some place to go. But in LA, its definately and effort to get where you wanna go. My family is here, and my love is here- my roots are here... but my branches- we'll see.

I'm in Sioux Falls, South Dakota

I Love:
The culture found in certain areas
The history/historical architecture
The flat land surrounding
The small towns that encircle the city and dot the state
The extremely laid back attitudes of most of the people
The price of everything
The amazing green space and park systems
The inexplicable number of antiques and antique stores in the area. And they're all cheap.

Hate:
The lack of public transportation.
Suburbia (makes up a HUGE portion of the city)
Lack of retailers (IKEA, most clothing stores, etc)
The weather: Winters are constantly sub-zero and with FEET of snow, Summers are 98% humidity and 95 degrees.

Wow..we live in Pincher Creek, Alberta - Canada. It has been 2 years since we bought our house there and I am still in love with the town. The air is pure, the people are nice, the town is clean and quiet. Mountains sorrounding it..hmm I am missing it!
We are spending the year in the south of Brazil, where we have a small condo by the beach, in a city called Florianopolis. It is an island, with a big lake in the in the center and 42 beaches around. Something to take your breath away BUT if you don't have a car, it could be a nightmare.

oneformybaby-- all big cities have douchebags. idiot drivers on cell phones aren't just local to los angeles. ;)

i've lived in los angeles all my life, and the older i get, the more i find that my affection for this city grows. there is so much culture, art, music, entertainment, creativity, food, beauty, etc. etc...you just need to find your way out of the little square you live in. and there are certain spots in the city where i feel a real sense of community. there are a lot of amazing people here.

but the things needed badly? more extensive public transit! what the hell? why is this city so wonderful, yet so ill-equipped? this is almost a daily topic on NPR --- but it seems like a pipe dream at this point.

I visited LA properly for the first time this year. I loved my rather brief stay. Previously I have only seen it from the freeways and Disneyland.

The things I loved about it were:
the Downtown architecture
Fantastic interesting shops of all kinds
Nate and Al's (never had motze brei before, now obsessed)
the beaches, food, cafes.
The Getty museum.

Shame you have to get around by car everywhere!

I am from Sydney - so I love the beaches, the climate, the food. Shame we have to get about by car everywhere...

I am trying to tame my nomadic ways. So right now, I am living in Phoenix, AZ.

And after winters in upstate NY, Iowa & DC, I can say I LOVE the AZ HEAT!! I don't miss winter one bit....not a flake, not an icecicle do I miss. >:o)

I love the mountain views.

I love the potential of the city of Phoenix (if its properly cultivated)

I love running into coyotes in the parking lot of my job.

I love avoiding tumbleweed that's sailing across the road.

HOWEVER:

I don't love the debris on the roads that kicks up and cracks my windshield.

I MISS seeing grass and more greenery, though I can appreciate the sonoran stylings.

I miss the vibes of NY & DC.

I don't love the large number of old people I encounter when driving. And so far, AZ tops the list of places I've lived with the absolute worst drivers....yes, there maybe a correlation here.

:o)

I am a new Torontonian (Canada) citizen. I was raised and lived all my life (more than 40 years) in Montreal, Canada, which has a totally different feeling. But what I like about my new city (Toronto) is that it offers pockets of time frames, like down by the lake (Lake Ontario, check it out on Google maps) because of the street cars and the old buildings, you are not sure in what decade of the 1900's you are in. I like the huge park (High Park) and I like the cultural awardness of the city officials. But...it is nothing to compare to Montreal, a city you want to discover walking, and talking to the locals, who, even if there english is not the best, will make an effort to speak to you in english. So, basically, I love Toronto for architectural and urban sightseeing spots but love Montreal for its people! And please excuse my writing because I am french, from Montreal.

Things I love about Toronto:
- it doesn't take its self too seriously. It's a bit grungy and dirty, and I like it that way.
- The public transit.
- the Crystal (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/ca/Royal_Ontario_Museum.jpg/800px-Royal_Ontario_Museum.jpg)
- The diversity and multiculturalism

Things I don't love about Toronto:
- Entitled 905ers (suburbanites)
- The public transit.
- The smog
- RENT (1200 for a two bedroom basment? Gah)

I live in Denver, CO. It is the only US city that I've been in, that I would want to live in. (Which isn't to say I don't like some of those other cities, just not enough to live there.) All that being said, I'm really hoping to move to Vancouver or
Victoria BC in a year or two. Anyway, about Denver:

LIKE:

--Light rail train stop 1 mile from my house, drops me off one block from work. I can walk a block from home and catch a bus, or walk to the train, or drive to the train.

--Our awesome Botanic Gardens

--Our mild winters

--The pockets of old Denver Square and Wash Park bungalows in my part of the city

--The 16th Street walking mall that connects all of downtown

--Wash Park and our fabulous city parks

--Sam's Diner @ 15th and Curtis

--the Caribou Coffee one block from my place

--Pet-friendly landlords

--People tend to be unpretentious and not so much into image

DON'T LIKE:

--Developers tearing down historic old bungalows and replacing them with ugly McMansions. They are ruining significant portions of once-cool neighborhoods

--The fact that only condos are in my price range, and that's stretching it. The fact that developers think Denverites could pay $1 million for a penthouse condo in the new development just east of where I live

--People who think the speed limit is the slowest you are supposed to drive

--Hiking in the mountains. It's an endurance sport

--The way Tattered Cover has declined since

oops....I hit submit too soon...

-- The way Tattered Cover has declined since the advent of amazon.com. It used to be cool, now Barnes & Noble is the only good bookstore in town.

kickingleaves - 1200 for a 2 bedroom basement is bad for you? ahh.. lucky..

How bout 2300 for a 2 bedroom s$%# hole.. in LA

Oh New York, how I love thee:
--cupcakes (Billy's Bakery, please!)
--Mr Softee trucks on every other block
--the subway (see below also)
--being able to walk everywhere
--Hudson River Park
--rooftops
--diversity
--bars open until 4

Oh New York, how I hate thee:
--the smell of hot garbage in the summer time
--the subway
--Chinatown
--Times Square and all the wretched tourists it brings (even though I was once one of those tourists)
--paying an exorbitant amount for rent

that's funny, chinatown is what i love the most about manhattan. but then... i don't like uptown and most of manhattan at all.

I grew up in Huntington Beach Ca just blocks from the beach, did part of undergrad in LA (Otis) then grad school in Valencia. My BFF, who grew up Santa Monica, explained that unoffical motto of LA is "it's what you look like, not who you are". Then it all made sense. Now I miss the Getty, LACMA, and the garment district but still to this day, I refuse to go below San Luis Obispo.

Now we live in Davis and I hate it too. The people are the same flavor of shallow I knew in LA and OC. It's supposed to be this great progressive city but after living in Berkeley and San Francisco, it's so not. Maybe it looks that way from the outside but live here a few years and realize it's awful - very white, conservative, and weathly. The boomers really take advantage of the college students yet stay here because living in a university town makes them seem hip. The residents will be the first people to scream about how everyone should be required to reduce their carbon footprint while driving their escalade 2 blocks to get their soy latte.

I stay here because I work here and I'm committed to biking or walking to work. That's the only reason.

I still get homesick for LA, where I lived as a kid; and for New York, where I spent my teen-to-adulthood years, but I love my new hometown of Montreal. I cannot fathom why Torontonians think their city is better than Montreal.

Heart-NYC:

People watching
Hudson River walk
museums
theatre
restaurants
stores/shops
inspiration on every corner (good & bad)
walking everywhere
diversity

Seattle

love
- there is water and bridges everywhere
- all the buildings are so clean and shiny and new
- the buses go everywhere
- coffee is both abundant and reliably excellent
- a western style obsession with good food without pretension
- ten million excellent and cheap thai restaurants
- you can see an amazing rock show in an intimate setting for $8 on a wednesday night
- the public library feels like a spaceship and sells coffee
- WIFI absolutely everywhere

hate
- in the summer, the days are too long, in the winter, they are too short
- How can it possibly be pouring rain IN JUNE!
- there are an awful lot of those hideous box houses
- weirdly not diverse for a city
- ah, hipsters: being looked down upon for your appreciation of anything mainstream

2300? Oh my god.

I've been in Irvine for 12 years after saying forever that I'd never live here. I actually really love it here...

- the people are nice
- the city takes excellent care of the communal parks and landscaping
- I can walk to Trader Joes from my house
- there are lots of natural areas for hiking close by
- gorgeous views of the Santa Ana mountains
- bicycle friendly
- clean, clean, clean
- there are always tons of people out after dark walking so I feel safe
- it's close enough to LA and San Diego that if I want a bigger city experience, I can get it
- close to the beach
- very diverse culturally (not so much financially)
- low, low crime rate

I guess the only thing I don't like is how stringent the homeowner's associations are here. Even when you are in the right, the hoops you have to jump through to get a ruling in your favor are enough to drive a person crazy.

I've lived in LA for almost 5 years. I love a lot of things about LA, but the most unique thing for me is the sheer size of it. As a midwestern transplant from a handful of other small to moderate size cities, the psychological effect is huge. I like the anonymity. I like that I can get lost everyday if I want and discover something new. I love the old time machines and the glimmers of opulence. There is a lot of optimism here; that's the most dramatic difference from my rustbust years. I live in a relative ghetto, but it doesn't feel oppressive. Us working class types are good company.

I also love Long Beach, where I'm relocating in a few months. I love the permanent summer camp vibe and all those massive doe-eyed parks.

I'll concede that the traffic is a bummer. And I don't particularly care for Hollywood, or what it typifies, but "Hollywood" is an American invention, not a Los Angelean one. There's a difference.

The worst element of any city is residents who hate where they live and do nothing but complain about it. They are poison to be around. Easy on the bad attitudes, people. Make it work.

Riverside,ca

Love:
Family is here
When it rains
Driving distance to the beach, forests, mountains, desert, LA & San Diego
UCR botanic gardens
Downtown farmers market

Dislike:
Smog, smog & more smog
pitiful public transportation & bad traffic
doesn't rain enough for me and gets to hot
Lack of eco-friendliness

oh yeah -- love my church too :)

I live in Orlando, FL, by way of Boston, MA which was quite a change to say the least. Let's talk about tourists! Jeeze

Good:
Lots of attractions to visit
Tons of bars
Incredible amounts of shopping options (clothes, home, accessories, everything under the moon), with some very cute boutiques
Great vegetarian and organic restaurants and grocery stores

Bad:
- Attractions get old very quickly and are expensive
- Tons of bars and nothing else downtown (not even a movie theatre)
- Tourists EVERYWHERE
- Traffic, I'd rather drive in NYC on a weekday at 5pm than in Orlando at any time
- Overdeveloped, no grass anywhere
- No views of anything, flat land as far as you can see, which isn't far thanks to the abundance of half finished high-end condos
- The worst public transportation I've ever come across (4 hours between buses!?)
- All of the high schools look like prisons, chain link fences, mobile classrooms and barbed wire
- Humidity
- You must drive everywhere; I live 3.1 miles from my home but it takes 1 hour to take a bus, 20 minutes to drive it and 15 - 30ish excruciatingly hot, humid minutes to walk/bike
- Disney owns half the town
- No recycling at apartment complexes!
- 1,000 of homeless cats; yes homeless cats are a huge problem here and when they go into heat, well let's just say that earplug sales are great in Orlando ug

The fair City of Angels

Loves:
My Mayberry-like neighborhood. I'll take my "greatest generation" neighbors over hipsters anyday.
The crystal clear views after Santa Ana winds or a storm.
Diversity
An early Sunday morning drive up PCH.
Weather
Santa Monica Mountains
Film shoots all over town.
Sample sales
Its not New York

Dislikes:
Traffic
Lack of rain
Petitioners outside of every coffee house and grocery store
Lack of left hand turn signals on major streets.
Excessive abuse of valet parking only by restaurants and stores.
Extreme bass levels booming from vehicles.
Bicycles in car lanes.
It's not New York

I've lived in Houston, TX my entire life.

What I love:
the Museum District
the architecture, history, and arts scene of the Heights
the fabulous thrift and antique stores in Montrose
the zoo
Texas pride
the proximity to Galveston-- a mecca for history nerds
IKEA and Anthropologie
Angelika theater for indie films
big city feel
St. Arnold's brewery

What I do not love:
HOT, humid, looooong summers
lack of an indie music scene
huge amounts of suburban sprawl
moderately priced housing only exists in the suburbs
conspicuous consumerism
traffic
crappy public transit system

Vancouver, BC

Love:
- Weather - it's the tropics of Canada & one of the few Canadian cities that doesn't' have to deal with months of snow
- Downtown/West End - amazing place to live & work. I don't need a car, can walk to everything including 3 beaches, Stanley Park, the art gallery, live music venues, stadiums, amazing restaurants, all of my friends homes ... I could go on...
- Ocean & the mountains. Ski & sail on the same day or just walk the seawall & gaze up at those snow-capped peaks
- Stanley Park, 1000 acres of forest only a 10 minute walk away ...
- Home of Fluevog http://www.fluevog.com/
- Commodore Ballroom, with it's horsehair sprung dance floor
- Amazing sushi can be had on every downtown block
- Has a very laid back pace of life and is accepting of people with of all variety of orientations, backgrounds and pursuits
- Near-zero tolerance for cigarette smoking in public places, yet no one seems to mind the ever-present fragrance of BC bud


Don't Love:
-The city itself is elf centered with an inferiority complex, constantly navel gazing and trying to validate it's place as a "world-class" city
- The city gets by on it's looks, little substance or culture to hold it up
- Cliquey, overly-polite population makes it difficult to meet new people
- Cost of housing, $1300/month to rent a 500 sq ft box apartment downtown?! Not only insanely expensive, but it's forcing the creative & service classes out of the city
- Ever-increasing homelessness
- Serious drug & social problems in the Downtown East side
- Huge property crime issues
- Rain, Rain, Rain (still better than snow!)

That would be "self centered" - not sure if any cities are "elf centered" but they would sure be an interesting place to visit!

I love:

LA

I hate:

LA

I live in central New Jersey (Lawrenceville). My LOVES: Village-type setting, open spaces (some preserved farmland), little family-owned farms where you can buy local (safe) organic meats, eggs and produce. Close to work (6 miles)--can drive there on back roads or main road (no highway!). Overall picturesque---, 15 minute ride to Princeton (great university town with lots to offer) or in the opposite direction, Trenton (state capitol) much dicier, though...not very safe. The major highways are 5 minutes from me to drive to the shore or beach (1 hour drive) or Philadelphia (1 hour drive) opposite direction. Again, only 1 hour drive to Philly or 1 hour to NYC (also train accessablity). Near the Sourland Mountains (very pretty) with historic older homes and great antique shopping and lots of history. The area has a feeling of living in the country, but access to the city is easy for excitement and cultural events. My DISLIKES: New Jersey has the highest property taxes in the country and there's too much corruption in our state and local government. The area is affluent, so some snooty attitudes ....I have to drive to a supermarket...none too close to me. All in all, my likes are way more than my dislikes. I feel lucky to live here! (Sorry for the rambling format.)

I live in a teeny tiny town in western Missouri.

I like:
- Not having to worry about crime
- being able to ride my bike everywhere
- The extremely low cost of living

I hate:
- There's NOTHING to do here; nary a movie theater or a museum to be had.
- driving everywhere we want to go because there is nothing in our town
- no public transportation
- All that nonsense about people being friendlier in small towns: not that true. I have lived here 2 years and met no one.
- Did I mention that there is NOTHING to do?
- Crappy (although safe) schools

I lived in LA for 10 years & loved it. Especially the smell of jasmine in the air in the spring/summer, the sun, never having to wonder what there was to do if we wanted to do something, fun places to visit, the climate. Some things I don't like are the over abundance of billboards everywhere (which I didn't really notice until I was away for a while & came back to visit), the smog (I hated driving to work and actually seeing the brown layer in the air), and the emphasis on "things" - always having to have the latest & best.

I moved to Charlotte, NC last year and it took me a few months to acclimate. But, now I've found some things I love about this city too. I like how the neighborhoods are named - they have their own identity, their own community and even their own websites. I love how many trees there are here. This is a historic city - dating back to 1769 - with really interesting stories and history. I also like the really awesome thunderstorms we have in the summer. I don't like the crime rates & the bad drivers.

I hate the traffic and lack of public transportation!
I hate the pollution and polluted beaches!
I hate that people are so angry at each other!
I love that the city is not boring!
I love that its not majority white!
I love that there is authentic ethnic food, culture, and people!
I love that there are so many recent immigrants from all over!

I hate the lack of open space, parks, greenery, and flowers!

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