Aktillery, I adore your view and your house! Your house is just dreamy.

Thanks you so much Roarah, likewise to you!

What a great post :) I'm grateful .for my neighborhood as well. My kids walked to school from pre-school through 8th grade (with supervision of course when they were younger.) They're now in college and still friends with some of their 'walking buddies.' We can also walk to the train, so getting to events in the city is super easy, and we walk to town, library, church, etc. My kids walked to their summer jobs at the golf course (caddying and life guarding.) And I love my neighbors! When my DH was fighting cancer, our neighbor friends had a fundraiser party to benefit the Jimmy V foundation - and hundreds of peeps from the neighborhood came to show their love. We were blown away. When he died I had meals for months, help around the house, hugs and love forever.

I'm also doing some updates now - new front porch and front door and windows - and I'm grateful every time I come in the front door or come downstairs and see the light shining in through my pretty new front door windows and sidelights.

Mostly I'm grateful for all the happy memories here with DH, the kids, family and friends.

What a positive, interesting thread, Roarah!

I love that we have the nicest neighbors here in our small mountain community. Quiet, friendly and helpful. We are so blessed! I also love that our rooms are all cozy and welcoming. I love and enjoy every one of them! And, it goes without saying that I adore our views. No matter which direction we look, we have beautiful mountain or mesa views. And with us all being on several acres each, it’s so peaceful and quiet here!

Chicagoans, sorry for your loss and am so happy to know that your memories provide you with comfort now.

Your upgrades sound lovely!

we are also within distance to the train, stores, restaurants and town beach. I am looking forward to my kids having life guard summer jobs in the future. Right now my oldest just turned 11.

Lynn, another great view! One thing I would move for would be a view! It is the one lacking thing that I find in my house. We have a decent size yard for a village house but the view is not picturesque.

roarah: the best job I ever had was as a lifeguard! (on Lake Michigan, at a camp in Saugatuck. Greatest summers ever!) My DD loved being a lifeguard too - I had her take the course as soon as she was old enough. And the associated skills with swimming and first aid are very good to have.

Gorgeous views ak and lynn!

I love my yard. Not too big and not too small. Just right.

And we live adjacent to the golf course. We play, and we can sit in our screened in porch and look at all that beautiful landscaped space that we don’t have to take care of.

Chicagoan: I know Saugatuck! I was born and raised in Michigan, although the eastern part mainly (Mt. Clemens/Grosse Pointe/ Lake St.Clair/Lake Huron/ Lexington / etc.). But we vacationed over on Lake Michigan many times. Beautiful!

I love the architecture of my house as it's a little unusual for our area being post-and-beam but we bought the house because of the fireplace which is floor-to-ceiling (9.5') river rock.

Although we would be considered urban, again our neighbourhood is a little off the beaten track with one road in and one road out and right next to hills/mountains that go north for hundreds of kilometers that we run in, hike, mountain bike and ski. It can be dangerous territory and our kids have been brought up to respect it when they're backcountry hiking and skiing.

We didn't realize when we bought our house that there was that amazing outdoor playground a 5 minute walk from our front door. I run in there 3 days a week on the mountain bike trails and seldom run the same trail set-up twice. The hiking can be as easy or as difficult as you want. I'm in the PNW, Canadian side.

roarah = Great thread, thanks for starting it.

I just moved into my house about six months ago. I previously lived in a townhouse with only east and west exposures. I now have windows on all four sides and loads of light flowing through the house. I'm in the middle of the city and have great shopping, restaurants, etc., within minutes from my house but I'm at the end of a dead-end street with huge old trees everywhere. I'm still only about 10 minutes from my sister but now I'm less than five minutes from my brother.

I still can't believe how lucky I am.

I also live on a street with no traffic, even though I am inside the Los Angeles city limits. My street curves up and then back down to make a semi-loop, overlooking the Sepulveda Arroyo, and so no one drives on this street unless this street is their destination - otherwise, it is out of their way. Here's a view from my front yard, showing snow on the San Gabriel Mountains while it is 70° in my yard:

The mountains are quite far away but because they are so high, we can still see them. I don't have a pool yet, but a contractor is measuring my back yard right now to give me a quote.

One thing I like about my house is that it is 1.3 miles from my work, and so I could walk if I wanted to, but the commute is only 4-5 minutes by car on streets that are now crowded in the direction that I drive. I go home for lunch.
Here's a photo of my front yard:

but we spend most of our time in the back yard. Once I get a pool, I will spend even more time back there, but I will lose my fountain:I like my yards better than I like my house, as the house is small, but the yards are very inviting and comfortable.

I just moved into our house the day after Christmas. We are in a senior community with lots of activities. The home has 10 large windows with lots of natural light. We completely remodeled everything so I have a dream kitchen and living area. I’ll be needing lots of decorating help soon. I tend to be on the shy side but I’m anxious to meet new friends and join in the activities. I’m hoping this is my forever home.

I love the woods views from every room in my house and that I can't see another house even in winter with all the leaves off. I love my radiant heated floors, they feel so good after coming inside from doing winter chores. I love my kitchen that I designed and installed and the quartz countertops, oh I just love them! I love my garage and that it's big enough for activities and has enough parking for all my vehicles and the tractor. I love pulling into my driveway and having the busyness of the world disappear. I love so many things about this place but most of all, I love the 40 acres of woods and ponds surrounding my home.

We been in our new house for just a year, it’s finally starting to feel like home. The neighborhood is great, with lots of walkers and bikers, and a feeling of being a friendly and safe place to live. I love the light in my main living spaces, the old hardwood floors, and the beautiful fireplace. My neighbors are lovely. I have a lot to be grateful for.

We love living in hilly country, with wonderful views and no close neighbors. Our rooms are all spacious and have lots of natural light, and the two of us have three bathrooms. We enjoy having wild animals close to us, rabbits, squirrels, raccoons, skunks, bobcats, coyotes - all have come to visit our yard around the house. I'm very happy to have space for a garden, where I indulge my love of antique roses. Inside there's enough room to display my 100+ pieces of antique Chinese porcelain.

I am thrilled that we found an old house in (almost) Northern Colorado, a short walk from our great down town, library and more old houses. Our 1908 cottage has beautiful moldings, generous windows and a great front porch. I love walking through our neighborhood and spending time in our down town. Neighbors are wonderful making this a safe and fun place to live. Of course since this is CO, there is biking, hiking, skiing, Rocky Mountain National Park and lots of blue skies and sunshine.

We live in an area of very small yards, but because our back yard is lined with tall hedges, I don’t see my neighbors. Never realized how much I valued this until we started shopping for our next house.

I like the original 1920s architectural details of my house. Crown moldings, nice window trim, hardwood floors, etc.

I like our open kitchen/family room area, which is where everyone hangs out for meals, homework, reading, etc. It’s also a great entertaining space.

I love having a mudroom! Shoes, dog food, overcrowded coat hooks...all tucked away.

Love my gas fireplace.

I have some great neighbors, too, and a quiet neighborhood.

So many beautiful views! Lars I hope your area stays safe from the horrible disasters plaguing California.

we are a very fortunate bunch! It sounds like many of us have homes that are serving us well.

I love our home in almost every way imaginable from the layout inside to the acre of land that surrounds us, yet we are near the city for all that it offers. I feel grateful to have raised our family in this house and in this town, which offers a wide array of opportunities for enrichment.

I love my home's 1939 character and safe, old neighborhood with shaded sidewalks.

I walk to a few of my favorite restaurants, walk to the dog groomer, and I have great trails to walk my dog -- so I can walk one mile, three miles, or five. I like living near my son and grandkids.

I have privacy in the backyard. Besides being fenced, there are no houses behind me as it is protected university land.

I've always lived in the country, but I'm enjoying the conveniences and culture of living in a vibrant university community.

Most of all, I'm grateful that I had a renovation project like this to move me forward after my husband died.

Chicagoans -- I'm so sorry for your loss.

Dyh, I am sorry too for your loss. It is inspiring how you were able to breath new life into your new older house through your grief. I am guessing your husband would be both proud and happy for you in your new beautiful home.

Without sounding stalkerish, I want to visit all of your homes and walk your neighbourhoods with you.. They all sound so homey and comfortable.

1. My floor plan. If I was building a house, this floor plan with very minor changes would be the perfect one.

2. Location: 7-10 minutes to work. Park 2 blocks

I love my house’s potential. I love that it’s a 1954 MCM that has had very little remuddling over the years (it was in the family of the original owners for more than 50 years). I love all the built-ins. I love the big trees, and the neighborhood and being a 15-minute walk to the Rio Grande and it’s beautiful Bosque. It’s like being in a semi-rural setting, but right in town with a co-op grocer within walking distance. I love the MBR that is large enough for a king-size bed (our first!) but not so large that it seems excessive. I love my little winter view that I just noticed over the weekend. I have to be standing up and looking sideways out my office window, but it’s there.

(p.s., those are the same mountains from Lynn’s picture - just not quite the same view!)

And the great beamed ceilings throughout.

Jakabedy, we were just through there yesterday. We stopped at Jambo for lunch on our way home from our long weekend in Taos. Jambo was a fantastic find that we thoroughly enjoyed!

what a pleasant and interesting thread!..we retired in August 2015 and I dream about moving to a warmer climate..just looking around a bit at real estate I realize how difficult it will be to find a new house that I would like as much as this one..a quiet, wooded, stable (we have original owners) neighborhood within walking distance to a huge park..I love our "Brady Bunch" house..some vaulted ceilings, skylights, stone fireplace and dark woodwork surrounded by big trees..if I ever move I will absolutely miss it..a summer and fall pic..while I do love the house I love the setting more..

I love my SoCal location; I can walk to the beach. I love the size; I can't clean more than 1400 sf by myself. This comes with a small yard, but it's what I can handle. I have a mountain peak peek from the deck; we need to give that more use over the summer. I love the new French doors.