The Best Place in the World

According to Sperling's Best Places, the best place for me to live is Boston, followed by San Francisco; the Washington, D.C., area (where I grew up); Long Island; or New York City. Chicago, where I used to live and loved, comes in number 9, after Minneapolis-St. Paul (have considered), Pittsburgh (disliked the one time I visited), and Baltimore (seems to be an up-and-coming city). A number of other tempting places appear in my list, including Seattle, Denver, and Philadelphia.

The notion of a best place is an interesting one. I still remember something a friend told me once. She and her family used to live in a valley in Virginia; however, they had nothing in common with their neighbors. Now that they live outside of Chicago, they appreciate all the friends they've been able to make, though their current home isn't as beautiful as their former place.

Interesting too because I'd always thought I'd end up in Boston someday. I had the chance to attend graduate school in Boston but decided that, after being in Chicago for so long, Boston might feel too "provincial." Now that I'm in New York City though, I'm aware of how expensive it is to live here. I know New York has some diehard fans, but frankly, I don't know if it's all worth it. I don't think the quality of life is very good in this city even if it has many wonderful things.

Sometimes I wonder if that old saying is true, that home is where the heart is. That the best place to be is where one's heart is, regardless of what a place can offer.

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