WomenCo.

Many of you may have a hard time believing this, but I think Birmingham, Alabama is one of the nicer cities.  I grew up in Atlanta, Georgia and moved to Birmingham when I was 12.  I have lived in several other places as well (i.e. West Texas, Phoenix, Arizona), and I have traveled extensively all over the country for my career (almost 20 years) so it's not as though I haven't been exposed to the rest of the country.

What's so great about Birmingham?  Well first of all, the landscape.  Tons of beautiful lush trees, EVERYTHING green, beautiful blooming flowers, and many rolling green hills.  The people are incredibly friendly, the cost of living is VERY low so you can actually afford really nice housing, and the weather - for the most part - is great.  There is a wonderful art community in Birmingham, and the "Birmingham Broadway Series" has brought some terrific shows into town (i.e. Spamalot and Wicked to name a few). 

What's NOT so great about Birmingham?  Well, first - to be fair, Birmingham has come a LONG way since the civil rights movement began.  However, it is still a very traditional mindset here - must attend church to have any kind of social life (for most people), interracial dating isn't seen much, and absolutely NO tolerance for so-called "liberal" issues, i.e. preserving the environment, gay/lesbian lifestyle, social reform, national Democratic politics, separation of church and state, and any religion other than Christianity (hell, any religion other than BAPTIST lol - no real offense meant to any of my great Baptist friends).

In spite of the "not so great" parts about Birmingham, it is still a truly beautiful place to live.  I am a southern girl at heart, and Birmingham just keeps sucking me back in, no matter where else I live.  Besides - Atlanta is just 2 hours away if you REALLY need your "liberal fix"!! (ha)

Phyllis R. Neill, www.shementor.com

My all time favorite of cities I've lived in is Tampa Florida. Of course the drawback is that the four seasons are Spring, Summer, Summer, Spring but hey, I can deal with 90 degree weather in the summer when I can get 70 degree weather in January.  I loved the fact that the cost of living was low, there is no state tax and everything grows. We had poinsettias that were planted outside and grew to the size of large bushes! And of course it's convenient to the water but hurricanes usually pas them by.

Orleans, Cape Cod &  Boston in MA: Good food and lots of cultural sites

Tampa, FL:  Beautiful beaches, shopping, food, relaxed lifestyle, the weather

San Francisco & Monterrey in CA:  Amazing fresh fruit and vegetables, great museums, and interesting people

San Antonio, TX: Exceptional museums, the Riverwalk, lots of good restaurants

Nigara Falls in Canada: Beautiful gardens, exceptionally clean, culturally diversified, lots to do every day

Paris, France: The fresh food, architecture, museums, and parks

Fort Worth, Texas. all the way! Gets a bit hot in the summer, but winters aren't too bad. We have nationally known museums (see Kimball Art Museum), 3rd ranked opera style performing hall in the world (Bass Perfomance Hall), a much more laid back atmosphere than most cities, the Botanical Gardens/Japanese Garden. Ft Worth is also known as Where the West Begins, we're fond of saying from cowboy to culture. I'm skipping a lot, but it's a great place

Ok, I'm biased. It's my own city, Macon, GA.  I, too, have lived in several areas of the country and was born in West Georgia and grew up 30 miles south of Atlanta in a town called Newnan. The truth is that I HATED Macon when I first moved here. I've grown now to LOVE IT. We have the world re-nowned Cherry Blossom Festival in March and a city FULL of southern history downtown. In the spring, it is BEAUTIFUL here when the Cherry Blossom Trees bloom (although they can wreak havoc on your sinus.) The people are incredible, and I still enjoy seeing especially the older people who wave when they see you even though you have no idea who they are and they have no idea who you are. I guess though that the biggest reason is just to simply say "because it is home."