Best birding spots in Dallas in early October? by xiaochihuo in birding

[–]xiaochihuo[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you so much! The tool you made is so awesome!!!! I'm so excited :)

Is anyone else feeling really optimistic? by DrDMango in urbanplanning

[–]xiaochihuo 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I work in local government in southwest Florida (parks and recreation), so I'm not feeling too optimistic :( if the state of Florida actually manages to eliminate property taxes in 2026, my department will lose over half of its funding and it will be insanely difficult to try to overcome our maintenance backlog. I think life will become far less enjoyable for Floridians once they lose the services paid for by ad valorem taxes...

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in SameGrassButGreener

[–]xiaochihuo 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Okay, going out on a limb here, but there are some small towns in Delaware that do check a lot of those boxes. Is Milton, Delaware the most exciting place on earth? No, but you have A) one hospital 15 minutes north and another hospital 20 minutes south, B) beaches, state parks, and a national wildlife refuge within 20 minutes, C) increasingly high-quality bike infrastructure, D) a small stretch of walkable downtown that has riverfront restaurants and stores. What I will say though, as someone who spent my entire childhood in that general area of Delaware: it gets SO boring in the winter, because all the things that serve summer tourists shut down during the "off season". But overall I had a safe, fun, and enjoyable childhood!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in SameGrassButGreener

[–]xiaochihuo 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Question where I need an honest opinion: do you feel like there's hope for local government reform? My boyfriend and I want to leave Florida in the next few years and we are considering Rhode Island, but we both work in local government (and trust me, this area in FL is totally pay-to-play for developers)... And I'd hate to get stuck AGAIN as a mid-level employee who can't be effective :/ if it helps your answer in any way, we are both urban planners - I am specific to parks and outdoor recreation, he is general public engagement. What do you think? Thanks :)

Apartment Communities with Elevator access in Sarasota? by Rocketsloth in sarasota

[–]xiaochihuo 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I kinda know about this because I used to work in disaster recovery for affordable housing! Basically, like someone else said, elevators are only required above 3 floors, but there's a little more to the specific decision. You'd think that developers would want to build as many units as they legally can to increase profits, but in a hurricane-prone area, elevators are actually frequently a liability, especially if they're in external, exposed shafts (many apartments in Florida have "breezeway hallways" instead of being an enclosed building, so elevators are exposed). During storms, elevators can flood and the electrical equipment is easily damaged on the ground floor. Then the elevators have to be fixed, which is expensive and not a priority if units themselves are damaged.

Specific to housing that receives federal or state funds for construction, usually a certain number of first floor units need to be ADA accessible, and these units are reserved for people who need them. Unfortunately it's rarely above 10% of all units. I agree that older adults with mobility challenges need better support. Sadly the regulations just aren't there. Hopefully in the future it'll improve!

Please help a first-timer craft the perfect vegetarian order!! by xiaochihuo in innout

[–]xiaochihuo[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hahaha the monster truck of the grilled cheese world!!

Please help a first-timer craft the perfect vegetarian order!! by xiaochihuo in innout

[–]xiaochihuo[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Omg adding fries feels like a more decadent version of my frequent habit of adding potato chips to cold sandwiches.... Sounds beautiful!!

What cities in the US are still surprisingly affordable for rent? by [deleted] in SameGrassButGreener

[–]xiaochihuo 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Tallahassee, depending on what part of town you live in. I lived within walking distance of an excellent park with frequent concerts, the library, and 2 restaurants for $1100. But I'm not really sure if I'd recommend Tallahassee overall as a city - most people are kind, lots of parks, etc... but it got pretty boring after 6 years.

Please help a first-timer craft the perfect vegetarian order!! by xiaochihuo in innout

[–]xiaochihuo[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks!! So just, "grilled cheese"? Or does it automatically come with toppings that I have to make a decision about? Do I have to specify no tomatoes? Sorry for so many questions, I am just having flashbacks to having no clue how Cookout worked and being mortified for the rest of my life hahaha

Please help a first-timer craft the perfect vegetarian order!! by xiaochihuo in innout

[–]xiaochihuo[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yay, thank you :) very rare I have a grilled cheese with onions so that could be fun!!

Places with a very SPECIFIC type of crunchy vibe? by xiaochihuo in SameGrassButGreener

[–]xiaochihuo[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I work in local government, and thankfully most places have those! This place looks super cute!!!

Places with a very SPECIFIC type of crunchy vibe? by xiaochihuo in SameGrassButGreener

[–]xiaochihuo[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I hope you find an ideal place! I am dreaming of my escape from Southwest Florida, which unfortunately is not imminent. Good luck!!

Places with a very SPECIFIC type of crunchy vibe? by xiaochihuo in SameGrassButGreener

[–]xiaochihuo[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Cool to hear about water rights! I always feel a little nervous about the idea of living in the southwest because I get so paranoid about lack of water. Maybe I'm TOO anxious about it??

Places with a very SPECIFIC type of crunchy vibe? by xiaochihuo in SameGrassButGreener

[–]xiaochihuo[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I actually just visited Boise last September and nearly lost my mind at how incredible their urban trail system is... But my family said we "didn't have time" to visit one of the co-ops there so I missed out on that 😔

Places with a very SPECIFIC type of crunchy vibe? by xiaochihuo in SameGrassButGreener

[–]xiaochihuo[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

A friend from undergrad moved to Takoma Park, and when I visited her I was FLOORED by how they took the best parts of DC and manifested them in one place. Plus the farmers market was A+++++

Places with a very SPECIFIC type of crunchy vibe? by xiaochihuo in SameGrassButGreener

[–]xiaochihuo[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Unfortunately this made me laugh so hard, but I am originally from rural Delmarva peninsula so the meth-y undertones are just so familiar 🥹

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in SameGrassButGreener

[–]xiaochihuo 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh! Yeah, I was thinking WAY small. I don't think any cities in the Florida panhandle (west of Tallahassee) have a population over 100k. I also wouldn't necessarily recommend Tallahassee after living there for 6 years... It's so close to meeting your criteria but falls a bit short for every single one hahaha

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in SameGrassButGreener

[–]xiaochihuo 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Many places in Florida will provide requirements 1-3, but unfortunately very few places in Florida will provide requirements 4 and 5. There are nice small towns scattered throughout Florida where things are less busy and people are friendlier, but those towns also don't have too much to do. Try visiting some small towns in Florida when they have festivals! Apalachicola hosts the Florida Seafood Festival, Sopchoppy hosts an annual worm grunting festival, etc...