Not Miserable

Some of you have asked where I live. Well, according to Forbes.com I live in a pretty miserable city. And darn it, I'm tired of my city being bashed. We always seem to be in the national news for one of our problems. Over the years it's been the high crime rate, our inadequate education system, the fact that we're a bedroom community for the Bay Area, the high foreclosure rate, and long commute times. And now Forbes has tabulated all these things on an index and determined that we are the most miserable city in America. I don't agree. I think my city is a pretty pleasant spot. It has a great climate and is close to the coast and the mountains. Within two hours you can be snow skiing or soaking up the sun on a beach. Right outside our back door we have 1000 miles of delta waterways that provide ample space for fishing, boating, water skiing, and bird watching. We are close to the capital and the fascinating city of San Francisco. The international airport is conveniently located for traveling to foreign destinations. We grow all kinds of wonderful produce here, so good eating is cheap and healthy. Delicacies like asparagus, strawberries, avocados, artichokes, pears, and almonds are all readily available. Up until a few years ago, when the Bay Area commuters decided that Stockton was close enough to their jobs, housing was affordable. And it's getting there again. And we still have a lot of beautiful old neighborhoods, full of charming older houses with mature landscaping and lovely old trees.

And Stockton has been good to me. I was born here and educated here and I started my business here. We bought houses with our hearts (rather than an eye to investment return) and never had any trouble selling them. We now own two rental houses and are helping to provide decent housing for others. I've invested a lot in this town and it's probably no worse than any other, and I want the media to stop bashing it! Thank you, I feel better now.

Now on to more cottage love and some of the reasons why my town is NOT the most miserable city in America.

We have this university with its lovely brick buildings and unique belltower.

Also on campus is Morris Chapel, host to many, many beautiful weddings.

This is the conservatory of music.

I wandered around the neighborhood just east of the university this morning taking these pictures. This neighborhood is full of charming homes from the 20s and 30s. Enjoy.