Tuesday, July 19, 2022

Cities

I've been thinking about cities, because I'll be moving somewhere after the house is sold next summer. 

Grand Rapids is fine, in the same way that cars and houses and games are fine when they're serviceable but not what you really wanted. Grand Rapids is a highly serviceable city.

I thought about Grand Rapids and what puts it in the fine category, and I realized there are two different kinds of cities. 

The first kind is a city you'll move to on spec. No real plan, no job yet, but the city is so damn enticing that you'll figure it out as you go. You have enough money and you're going to take your shot. 

Cities like Vancouver and San Diego fall into that category. Almost anywhere on the West Coast, really, at least when it's not actively burning down. Vibrant cities, bustling with life and culture. Austin used to be in that category before it became so overcrowded.

Those are "spec" cities. 

Then there's the other kind of city. This is the kind of city you move to for only two reasons: love or a job.

There's no third reason.

Grand Rapids is in this category. Most of the people who live here were born here, and every person who didn't (at least every person I've ever asked, and I'm in the dozens now) moved here for love or a job.

Spec cities and "jove" cities, and I don't want to live in a jove city anymore. I came for love (love of Eli 20.11 and to help him pursue his dreams), but once he's out of school, this won't be his home base anymore.

Time to find the right spec city, stat. Also, please wait for the inevitable post in a year where I explain (in a quite disgruntled manner) why spec cities are way too expensive to actually live in.


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