Live close to a bunch of medical schools and you have some serious expertise and choices.

I've been raised to believe I need hospitals and expertise around the corner from me. I don't think so.

I've had one need for a hospital here and it was not an unpleasant experience. I was attended to immediately and well. I've been to emergency many time in Philly area hospitals and I've had to camp out.

As you pointed out, you have five of everything everywhere, that's because of population density. You also have delivery.

I have no delivery out here other than Amazon, UPS, etc. There is no Chinese. There is no pizza. There is no delivery of any kind.

There is also an incredible limited number of service professionals. There's three plumbers within driving distance and they all have a 6-month wait. Same thing with electricians and contractors of any sort. When they finally show up they do half the job and then they leave for a month. And you're lucky to have them. I cultivated a relationship with a couple of younger independents that I was very lucky to find. But my prime contractor ghosted me.

You know those home repair insurance coverage services? In previous houses we were covered and used them and there was great financial payback. We were safe and secure and things got fixed. Not here. They are happy to sell you the contract. But when it comes time to fix anything they actually can't find someone. So then they say we will allocate a very minimal amount for you to go find someone and deal it with it yourself. The low amount is never the amounted ultimately ends up being and you are expected to pay the difference.

M tried to sign up to be an Uber driver when we first got here. They responded that there were too many drivers in our area. Except I can't get an Uber here. No Uber eats, no Lyft, etc. In their case too many is more than zero, so I guess their system can't admit to a non-coverage area.

I watch M's phone when she sleeps for any guest issues. I just saw an advertisement for Uber eats pop-up. Those bastards

On the other hand, while the rest of the country is roasting, it's 80° here. And that's a high. The downstairs of the house is cool from the night before and the upstairs is easily cooled with fans. There is a constant light cooling breeze from the ocean side. Nights are low enough for open window sleeping temperatures.

The compromise is worth it.

I remember being scared on your Cleveland highways. When I visited you. The cars were going much faster than I was comfortable. But not nearly as fast as Michigan. That was terrifying. I grew up in the Philly area and I know the hand wave. For the most part we are happy drivers unless there's construction on the Schuylkill or on 95.

And we know how to politely save spaces after we've shoveled the snow out on those tight streets. At least some of us.

I'm talking Kensington. Where I lived in my brother's basement for a year. Where M is from.

Where the crack of the crack bottle underfoot is omnipresent. Or whatever else they store in it nowadays.

You know any bloodier places? In the US?

And I don't mean that p**** fish town. I'm talking the inner k&a blocks.

And keep in mind I lived in Trenton. And Trenton is not nearly as dangerous as Kensington.

In those days when one house on the block fell to a crack house, the rest folded very quickly as the people abandoned. The ones moving in would kill you for a parking spot.