I have never lived anywhere but the suburbs of So. California. I have spent most of a summer in a small Virgina town many years ago and found it great. We have a small vacation place in the mountains about 2 hours from our home.

I agree the traffic problems continue to get worse, particularly the last 2 years since the great state legislature of California decided to grant driver's licenses to illeagal aliens, adding a few million drivers to the roads. Crime is always a problem. Some stats will tell you violent crime is down but that is misleading since state Proposition 47 (titled "Safe Streets") reclassified many violent felonies as non-violient or as misdemanors. Things like a drive-by shooting if nobody is hit, rape of an unconcious person are not longer violent felonies. I know, you can't believe it either. Taxes continue to rise, the latest was a 12 cent a gallon increase in state gas taxes.

Were my wife and I younger, like my son, we would get the hell out. However I am not really interested in starting over building a network of friends.

All the problems aside, the weather here is wonderful, I have access to some of the finest live entertainment anywhere, no matter what you want to see or hear. I could be skiing in the morning and sitting on the beach in the afternoon, both within 45 miles of my home. Is the suburban life nirvana? No, I do not think anyplace on earth will give that. However it really is all I know.