h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Paradise is outside the citylimits of the most irritating city in the world. Send $$$ so I can get the #@&% out of here and come live with you nice British people.

I used to live in Toronto. I thought it was pretty good as cities go, in terms of architecture, public transit, restaurants, zoos, etc., but the air pollution, the commute (I lived smack in the middle of the city and it still took me 40 minutes to get to work by public transit) and the machismo of Bay Street got to be too much.

I live in Ottawa now, and it's pretty close to paradise (for a Canadian city, anyway) -- an extremely livable, walkable city with lots of green spaces, public places (museums, galleries, libraries), and easy access to cross-country ski trails in the winter and whitewater rapids for kayaking in the summer.

The most beautiful place I've ever stayed is the Bay area in California (an area of the world which includes San Jose, San Francisco, Monterey, Carmel-by-the-Sea...). Mountains on one side, the Pacific Ocean on the other, white sand beaches, redwood forests, cedars and peppermint trees growing wild in the hills, year-round moderate temperatures and sunshine every day... absolutely gorgeous. Unfortunately, it's extremely expensive to live in this part of the world, after the tech bust it's hard to get work, and there's no medicare if you're unemployed. Not paradise after all.

Indigo S.

Funny, I visited a friend who lives in Niagara and thought Toronto was pretty good. But then I don't have to live there I guess.
Niagara-on-the-Lake was very nice though!