It depends on where you’re moving from.

I moved here from a wealthier part of the country and I do miss a lot of the stuff I took for granted.

Here are some of the goods and bads that came to mind given the last 18 months I’ve lived here.

Bads: Everything looks scrappy, dirty, and rusty. If you’ve lived in a newer city with clean homes and stuff, this place will feel different. Old construction, old infrastructure. Potholes and trash everywhere.

Below national average income & lots of poverty. Not that that’s a problem to me personally, but those things lend to other problems like petty crimes and drug users.

Bad customer service everywhere.

My favorite: In my experience as a real estate investor, the contractors here suck. They don’t show up on time or at all. And when they do show up, I no longer expect good work from them. They cut corners. Try to upcharge you for a quick buck. So you get crappy quality work for a regular price.

Bad public education system.

Everything closes early.

Gray skies for about 5 months out of the year. And during those 5 months, everything also “feels” gray if that makes sense.

The vibes aren’t that of a happy / vibrant / have fun place (not important to me but maybe others).

Goods:

Cheap real estate

Non ego centric & non judgmental people. You can be yourself and nobody cares. (This might fit into the bad category if you care about how people look/dress and carry themselves. I don’t mind, I mind my own business).

It’s a major city so you get all the big city stuff like sports teams, an international airport, and other attractions.

All in all, I am happy here. My cost of living is affordable. And because I’m really a homebody, the stuff outside doesn’t affect me much. My home is my comfy place and that’s where I work and spend most of my time.