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What's your town like?

Rod

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Staff member
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Jan 4, 2001
Messages
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Just wondering what everyone's town/city is like. To tell you a little about mine... I live about 12 miles outside the city of Los Angeles, CA. I live in a city called Arcadia, right near Pasadena (Home of the Rose Bowl, Rose Parade). I live near the world famous Santa Anita Race Track (just a few minutes away). Arcadia is a pretty popular city, especially being it's in the heart of Southern California (near LA & Pasadena). Weather is typically in the 80's, clear/sunny, light breeze, and of course...smog... There's plenty of stuff to do here (Disneyland, California Adventure, Knotts Berry Farm, Universal Studios/City Walk, all those clubs in Burbank & Hollywood) - of course most of those places are about 40 min. from Arcadia. Most importantly, I'm only 3 miles south of the San Gabriel Mountains, so it's not a far trip to go hiking. Lots of trails and waterfalls to hike up to (when your hiking in these mountains, you wouldn't believe that your near the city!).Cigar Scene - There's a good amount of cigar shops around. However, can't smoke in bars/restaurants; but there are some nice places/restaurants you can smoke on the outside patio's. Anyways, that's a little about where I live. :)- Rod
 
My city? I am about half way between two rural small towns,
and about 30 miles south of the great state of Alabama's largest city, Birmingham. My neighbors consist mostly of farmers and cows, an agricultural area, although the city is moving closer and closer. We have a university close by so there are lots of co-eds about.About 10 minutes away is a small river with a few good swimming holes. You know, the skinny dipping kind. Good for unwinding after the commute, really good for any time.I just finished graduate school and now am commuting tto yet another small town 60 miles away to be a teacher at a high school. Pretty cool! After the days commute, I turn into my road and all the days ills fade away. My house, acreage, no neighbors, a creek, my chickens. And a good smoke.Birmingham, the closest big city, has a couple of tobacconists. They pretty much all have the same brands/sizes with little exception. They all grumble about not getting enough Opus or Don Carlos or Rare Corojo. The owner of one shop is the dad of a girl I went to high school with. He seems to always have the most "interesting" selection. Turned me on to my first Gold Band Romeo Churchill a couple of years ago, rations out Opus, and always has a good story to tell. He chomps through La Unicas as if they were going out of style. Nice man. I support all the shops in some manner even though, as we all know, that the internet most always has the best prices.I/We smoke pretty much where we want to around here. Schools and hospitals and some office buildings are of limits though.So ya'll come on by for smoke. ...JerryG
 
I would tell you about Portland but then everybody would want to move here and we have enough Californians as it is! lolSeriously though this place is great! It combines a little big city with beautiful scenery. You have two large mountains both within an hour drive, you have two large rivers, pretty much enough recreation to keep the whole family busy year round. As far as cigar smoking goes, there are many bars and a few restaurants that are cigar friendly, but the smoke police are in full force and it isn't hard to get dirty looks when you light up, even outdoors!
 
Well it seems EVERYONE loves their city/town, let me be the first to Not like my small town. I'm from Houston, Texas. Don't get me wrong, I love being a Texan; everything is bigger and better. Fast cars, fast money, and fast women:) The only thing that I don't like about this place is the HEAT. IT IS #### HOT HERE! You can feel yourself cooking. If you put an egg in your car it really will cook right now! We have the largest medical center in the world so my health will always be good, good schools (RICE, University of Texas, Texas A&M). If you're a business man, which one day I aspire to be, this is the town to be in. Can you say natural resources? You Cali. people must hate us! Enron, the electrical power giant, is headquartered here in downtown Houston. Lots of places with big leather chairs to smoke cigars. Ok, maybe it's not so bad here but less heat and less traffic I could do with. We now actually beat LA for worst air quality- I'm doing my part to keep polluting with the sweet aroma del habanos. And that's my city in a nut shell.
 
Well it seems EVERYONE loves their city/town, let me be the first to Not like my small town. I'm from Houston, Texas. Don't get me wrong, I love being a Texan; everything is bigger and better. Fast cars, fast money, and fast women:) The only thing that I don't like about this place is the HEAT. IT IS #### HOT HERE! You can feel yourself cooking. If you put an egg in your car it really will cook right now! We have the largest medical center in the world so my health will always be good, good schools (RICE, University of Texas, Texas A&M). If you're a business man, which one day I aspire to be, this is the town to be in. Can you say natural resources? You Cali. people must hate us! Enron, the electrical power giant, is headquartered here in downtown Houston. Lots of places with big leather chairs to smoke cigars. Ok, maybe it's not so bad here but less heat and less traffic I could do with. We now actually beat LA for worst air quality- I'm doing my part to keep polluting with the sweet aroma del habanos. And that's my city in a nut shell.
 
smyrna is a big city and very busy it is a suburb of Atlanta cigar shops everywhere :) the general plays every saturday and we all sit around and listen and smoke road construction is constant pain and the government is waaaay up your a** just like most places we voted out the last sherrrif for highering some one to mesure peoples grass and write tickets if it was over 4 inches!
 
The staff of one of the local BBQ joints wear a tee-shirt that pretty much sums it up here in Fort Worth, "Lifes too short to work in Dallas". We've got a population of about 1/2 mil where Dallas is at 3.3 mil as of 1999.
The Bass family (very much like the Walton's where each member is a billionaire) has done a fantastic job of putting a new face to downtown. A new world-class performing arts center, expanded several museum facilities, plenty of night life without being rowdy. Lots and lots of free parking after 5 pm. A private security force plus the local PD bicycle thru town at night. Mostly watching the parking lots. Surprisingly, they're all really friendly folk.As with many other cities, many restaurants have outlawed smoking, but 8 out of every 10 have sidewalk tables to eat/drink/smoke at.
The Kimbell art museum is the worlds richest, privately funded museum. Just down the street is probably the largest collection of Russell's/Remmington's in the country, somewhere aroung 80 originals hanging there.
For 'horsing around' the Will Rogers Coliseum is always hosting an event. If ya can't tell, I like it here. Not too many people, but plenty to do. If I could change anything, it would be to add mountains and like Puro, reduce the heat.
BTW, purosdave, our chorus plans to compete at the international barbershop convention which is to be held in Portland 7/2002. We'll know in 10/2001 if we're competing or watching. Anyway, I'm very much looking forward to visiting your fine city.
 
Horse, you're right on about Ft. Worth. I have many a friends there and they all love it. I've been their before, but not on purpose-I got lost on the way to the Dallas airport from Houston!!!! I'm an idiot, what can I say:).
 
I live in Nashville and no I'm not in the county music business. (I did work in it while in college though). It is basically a bunch of blah, blah, blah but lots of people and industry keep moving here so we're getting more and more diverse. Actually just what we needed. Everyone worries we'll get as big as Atlanta soon but they keep forgetting Atlanta keeps getting big too, so we'll never catch up! Go UT (that's Univ. of Tennessee for non SEC lovers). Go Titans!Cigar related, CAO is here (hmmm...maybe I should send them my resume) and not too much else. But I don't really hit the town much so I wouldn't really know. U.S. Tobacco used to have a museum here but I think it went away. Had a very large collection of pipes and all kinds of tobacco related items. There used to be some "cigar louges" down town but I'm not sure they survived to boom. It is over isn't it? Most clubs here change names and themes every three years anyway and that's about how often I frequent them.See y'all later,Jay
 
Jay,     I have driven around Nashville to visit customers in Columbia, TN and up in Kentucky, but I have never spent a night IN Nashville. Looks like a nice town though.     One thing IS for sure, if you are tuning the car radio, looking for anything BUT country music...you are SOL! :biggrin:     There are supposed to be some WORLD class restaurants in Nashville. The Grand Ol' Opry still packs 'em in weekly. WSM used to be an institution in the South years ago. You can buy a Stetson or fancy cowboy boots in Nashville as easily as you can in Texas. Saturn's automobile plant is located very nearby. I wanted to tour the factory, but didn't make the time. Another lesson in life I guess.    Hey Jay, any good BBQ in Nashville? Memphis, I know about, but not Nashville. (Hey, that's BBQ Pork for the rest of the world!) If you can't find anything good to eat in Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia, etc. - you just aren't trying. Gosh, I'm making myself hungry! What did I do with that "Moon Pie?"  :)Hey Jay, that gives me an idea. "Oh crap!" everyone says. Why don't you do a La Luna - Moon Pie Pass? Almost no one outside our area knows what the heck a Moon Pie is. Idea goes like this...10 Chocolate Moon Pies/and or Goo Goo Clusters - one for every passer, and maybe 10 La Luna cigars - one for every passer, and an assortment of @ 15 other cigars to put and take from. Trouble is - you are going to have to wait until Fall/Winter, because it has been soooo hot lately the darn things would melt! Not a bad idea though.  :biggrin:Sam  :cool:
 
Sam,Yeah, Nashville is not too bad a town. You are out of luck on music unless you like country or Top 40 stuff. There are a few other stations but driving thru Nashville, you could miss them on the dial quite easily, coverage is lousy. But it is better than KY, there is nothing BUT country music on the radio whenever I travel up there.Can't believe I forgot about the Grand Ole Opry, my wife was the marketing mgr. for them for a few years, she'd kill me if she still worked there. I guess it is still Nashville's claim to fame, they mention it as soon as you enter Davidson county TN.When you get some info on these "world class" restaurants please let me know. I honestly can't think of anything that good, but there are lot's of places I wouldn't think of going to. As for BBQ, we've got some fantastic places, but you'd never find 'em without a map. They are all hole-in-the-wall joints scattered throughout the city and once you get there, you'll wait an hour to eat. I thought all BBQ was pork? Hmmmmmm.I like the moon pie-La Luna idea? Maybe once I get a pass or two under my belt I'll give it a try. Since I'm not familiar with La Luna it will give me some time search some out. But..... if I went ahead and did one now we'd get the chance to smoke moon-pie covered cigars. Would probably be better than everything I smoked this week. My 'buds must be off.Jay
 
Jay, you look like another candidate for the Hands Across America Pass - "The Deep South Contingent".With you in nashville, Mel in Smyrna, and me near Birmingham, none of us are more than a few hours away.Jeff - are you hearing this?JerryG
 
Jay, I'm not saying that these restaurants are Michelin 3 star rated, but they are supposed to be extremely good! Some are AAA Diamond Award Winners! Wine Spectator rated, etc. Arthur's, 1001 Broadway
Belle Meade Brasserie, 101 Page Road
Bound'ry Restaurant, 901 20th Ave. S
F. Scotts, 2210 Crestmoor Road
Merchants, 401 BroadwayHey, it's a gift! :biggrin: Re: Barbecue. To people in NC, SC, GA, AL, and TN - BBQ means PORK. In Texas and St. Louis, etc. it means BEEF. They are just as adamant about their BBQ as we are about ours. I have visited and eaten at most of the famous BBQ restaurants in the South, and I wouldn't change from Pork BBQ, because that's what I was raised with. I don't argue about who has the best anymore...I just eat it and enjoy. As the saying goes: "It's ALL good!" Darned if you didn't go and make me hungry!!! :)Sam :cool:
 
#### straight we're proud of our BBQ! Goode Company Bar-B-Q is the best here in Houston, it is #### goode (get it:) )! Ok, that was lame. HAHA. Anyway, we have pork BBQ too, but it is mostly beef. Smoked turkey is quite good too. Any BBQ up north? You yankees like it even? :biggrin:
 
Puro,I have heard that they have some "good" BBQ restaurants in NYC, because some Southerners started cooking BBQ there. Frankly, I am not convinced!I was travelling through Pennsylvania a couple of years ago on business and it was about noon, and I was hungry. I had never been in the area where I was travelling. I happened to spot a likely looking family oriented restaurant on the right hand side of the street that advertised "Great BBQ." Well, I was hungry and my curiousity got the better of my good judgement...I had to try their BBQ. Get this....a cheeseburger bun and hotdog chili was what they called BBQ. I had to laugh it was soooo pathetic. I ate it because I was hungry, but I still find their version of BBQ humorous to this day. Hotdog chili....waaaa hahahahaha! Come to NC, and I'll show you some BBQ. Poor devils!  :biggrin:pennsylvania guys said, "We gotcha grinders, and we gotcha hoagies, and we gotcha Phili Cheese steaks! Don't know nothi' about barbecue!" .....Fair enough. :)Hey Puro! I'll bet you've got some nice steak restaurants in Houston. Probably have steaks the size of a Volkswagon Beetle. Ha Ha!  :)
Sam  :cool:
 
HAHAHA. Hotdog chili! HAHAHA. Oh you're killing me...actually, I am sad to hear that is what they call BBQ, those people are missin' out! Anyway, steaks out the wazoo here. Their is one steak place you have to drive to a small town to eat at. They measure the steaks in: small, medium, large, and "are you hungry." The small is 16 ro so oz.! The one I got was off the #### plate! The quality is "good," but we have some really nice places in the city. I luv a big ol steak then a stogie.:) BTW Sammy, I'm listening to Stevie Ray Vaughn right now, after all that talk about him I thought I'd give him a try...it's pretty good.
 
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