Skip to content CHAPTER 3
My Top 5 Favorite Cities in America
1. Wilmington, NC – I put this in partly because it is near where we live, it is near the grands and our kids for sure.
a. Cost of Living, retiring on the Coast is not possible in most places unless you have a lot of money, we do ok, but our not close to rich but you don’t have to be here and I am grateful for that!
b. Churches, we have several awesome churches and where we go at Life Point has been very good to us. Other Churches not far from here we could make home in a heartbeat.
c. A great Community College and the great UNCW (where are daughter Natalie works) are less than five miles away from us and we like living in a college town! Love going to see sports!
2. Washington DC – I almost surprised myself putting this City in here given we paid over $3K per month in rent. Over $200 per month in food and other expenses. But, it may be easier to understand when you see below.
a. We lived three blocks from the white house, my work was next to the Treasury so it was also about three blocks away.
b. We had three grocery stores and a smaller one blocks from the house, an easy walking distance away.
c. Church we would walk down to the Green Line, ride it to the Navy Yard and the National Community Church was across the street.
d. We were walking distance to the Arena and many museums.
e. My personal ministry at the Vietnam Wall and with Veterans, helped them with medical, money, hugs, Prayers, housing and etc.
f. The Metro took us to two great malls in Virginia! We could take the metro stress-free and actually when you consider parking and all, cheaper than if we had owned a car which we sold it when we got to DC.
g. DC was magical, a great Church, great venues, great food and despite what some say – great people.
3. New York, NY
a. First let me say, we have not lived here but have seen enough of NYC to say it is a mighty piece of history and its beauty is not only in the buildings but in so much more! See below:
i. The Parks – Not just Central Park which is historic and like 20,000 steps to walk through -It is a 2-day park for sure!
ii. So many other parks like Bryant Park which was in a perfect spot for us! It was next to one of the beastly city Libraries which connected to Sheila so well and the metal Ping Pong tables! I would bring my own Paddle and balls, when I was done, I would just leave the balls for the pros there, or at least they were pros to me and I was good! I got to 11 points once and the guy was beside himself. I guess him beating me 21-11 was like a win for me! We would spend the morning do this and then head a couple of blocks away the Rockefeller Plaza (the rock) and have a great lunch and more!
iii. Yes, the PARKS1
b. The Architecture! Take your time, it is special, and a really good viewing point is at the top of the Rock, so please go there if you haven’t! Not just the tall buildings, but Churches and other buildings. Think about 250 square feet Apartments that cost 2K a month! Go to the other boroughs like Brooklyn and the Queens to see that grand architecture.
c. Statue of Liberty on Staten Island – If you have seen it, just view again, but go in at least once and think about this awesome Gift this was to the U.S, A at a time we needed it.
d. Fireworks on the 4th! It is like none other, do plan as they switch rivers each year I think! This is not a 30-minute show from one station, it is about 1 hour from several stations and so well done!
e. THE PEOPLE! On any given day you can talk to people from twenty countries and all 50 states! If you know me, it is my favorite thing I do, I will have two-dollar bills with me while I am there always and it is amazing how a two-dollar bill can make a difference, but it does. I have led hurting people to Jesus on the streets of NYC. I don’t mean the back alleys; I don’t go there – right on the main streets. It’s about people to me and I love to go embrace their successes and pray for hard times to ease.
Finally, when you are in NYC for reason, remember Manhattan is not the only Burrough, there are several that offer so much to do and see if you are into Sports or not. They can be cheaper and can offer great value as part of a great time, yes be careful but I would say that about where we live and most anywhere .
4. Ashville, NC – Ashville is often misunderstood. It is often labeled as liberal old and not clean. So much is not true.
a. Asheville is actually a nice blend of old and new, of Country and City. You have the Biltmore Vanderbilt Mansion and a mile down the road, it may be a one-bedroom bungalow and the people get along great. They love each other and often help each other.
b. When you go downtown you quickly learn this may be one of the best pet-friendly cities in the US! The streets and often the stores are shared with pets. Eat outside, your dog will have Water, Shade and perhaps a bone to chew on!
c. Yes, lots of Mary Jane in use, but they never pushed it on us and they were not driving and ‘smoking’.
d. A beautiful city year-round with Horseback Trials nearby that will take your breath away. Yes, it snows in the winter.
e. Bring your walking shoes and you are a short ride to Horse Back Riding and so much more. A couple hours on a back day from Sugar Mountain, our favorite ski area in NC.
5. Charlotte, NC – A big reason Charlotte is here, is that we had the privilege of calling this home for about eight years, our son still does along with is lovely wife and two Grandkids. Charlotte is clean, you pay for it for sure, not a cheap place to live in some of its areas but a great place with great K-12 School, Colleges, and Universities. This Banking city is more than white collar, it is all collar, the people are for the most part great and the charity work done is off the map! I think Elevation Church does more than many cities, but then, it is bigger than many cities, Central Assembly of God, St Matthews, Calvary Church and so many more are great places doing great things! Charlotte also has the best Triple-A Baseball Park that I have been in. A great Basketball Arena. It has Bank of America Stadium for Football and Soccer. Let’s not forget NASCAR – Lowes Motor Speedway (one of the best!
So much lake front with Lake Wilie and Lake Norman right there, this offers great places to eat, fish and live, but be ready to pay 😊 I have to say, Charlotte has great medical facilities as well as many companies with large presences there.
Did I mention Charlotte area also have Carowinds, some of the fastest Roller Coasters and a water park as part of it (big and not too costly. So much more to do around Charlotte, Rapids are close and you can be skiing in Snow or lying on the beach where we live now in about 3 hours.
