Tag: San Luis Obispo

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I like living in the most unaffordable city

The National Association of Home Builders released last month their Housing Opportunity Index covering the most and least affordable cities in the country. Here’s a quick rundown of the top 10 metropolitan areas with a population over 500,000.

Ten Least Affordable Cities

1. New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ
2. San Francisco-San mateo-Redwood City, CA
3. Nassau-Suffolk, NY
4. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA
5. Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall, FL
6. Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine, CA
7. El Paso, TX
8. Newark-Union, NJ-PA
9. Honolulu, HI
10. Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA

Ten Most Affordable CitiesW

1. Indianapolis-Carmel, IN
2. Warren-Troy-Farmington Hills, MI
3. Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA
4. Detroit-Livonia-Dearborn, MI
5. Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI
6. Syracuse, NY
7. Dayton, OH
8. Akron, OH
9. Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor, OH
10. Scranton-Wilkes-Barre, PA

No one wants to live in these cities, that’s why they are so “affordable”. There’s more to a city than having cheap rent but if the big city isn’t your thing, you may be more interested in checking into the most and least affordable cities under 500,000:

Ten Least Affordable Cities with a Population Under 500,000

1. San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA
2. Ocean City, NJ
3. Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
4. Napa, CA
5. Flagstaff, AZ
6. Medford, OR
7. Bend, OR
8. Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA
9. St. George, UT
10. Laredo, TX

So I’ve lived in SLO and even at the time I can see the rents going up, but this is primarily because the city refuses to build out to accomodate the increasing demand of the University there. 10 years ago, the city was about 55,000 population, of that 36,000 were college students and the rest were bartenders or retired folks.

Ten Most Affordable Cities with a Population Under 500,000

1. Lansing-East Lansing, MI
2. Sandusky, OH
3. Lima, OH
4. Springfield, OH
5. Bay City, MI
6. Battle Creek, MI
7. Canton-Massillon, OH
8. Saginaw-Saginaw Township North, MI
9. Utica-Rome, NY
10. Binghamton, NY

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King of the concrete jungle

I just read ESPN’s page 2, Allison Glock writes up a story on Chuck Liddell, providing the reader a good snap shot of his background and demeanor. I’ve known and know of Chuck since my college days and wanted post both the ESPN story and a quick letter I wrote about one moment I witnessed Chuck’s abilities.

Here’s the ESPN story: This guy scares you?

Is Chuck Liddell the biggest badass on the planet?

He may very well be. As Allison has portrayed Chuck, he’s never been one to showboat, thug, or pick fights for proof or purpose; which is also uncanny when compared to most MMA fighters or even boxers today. His confidence and poise alone are enough intimidation to scare the shit out of most sober or intelligent men.

I’ve known Chuck from attending Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (SLO) in ’96 to 2000 , through mutual bartender friends, bouncers and kick boxing enthusiast and as far back as I can remember he’s always been this way and I don’t foresee much chance of change with celebrity.

The moment that I remember in college that made me realize this guy is not only someone you don’t want to mess with and that he’s got more talent in one action, than many fighters have in a full round, was a take down in a bar in 99. It could have been any weekday night in SLO, part of a community where the retired population out number the college students. Chuck worked part time as a bartender slash bouncer at The Library, one of a handful of serviceable bars on Higuera St. He was commanding crowd control with one look and pouring one dollar beers in the next motion.

This was a no frills bar with the primary decor, at the time, being a larger than life size picture of a librarian captured shushing the crowd with her index finger over her mouth. On most nights, Chuck seemed to be the only one accommodating her. Two novice 21 and liquored boys began to draw attention of the packed bar crowd as their argument grew in fervor. Chuck had an astute comprehension then, of when conflict would escalate to violence and had already motioned to the end of the bar closest to the fray.

Locals that frequent the Library are aware of Chuck and for the most part know not to start a fight in his bar. Before the first punch was landed, Chuck had already stepped up on the 4 foot bar and launched himself over three rows of kids pressed up at the bar clamoring for drinks. With a precision I had not ever seen before live, he locked up the instigator in a one-armed choke hold with his left and grabbed the other by the back of the neck with his right. Dragging both to the door as if a lion could drag its kill and cub at the same time.

The first was out cold before reaching the sidewalk and Chuck laid him out in the gutter for the street sweepers to pick up during their morning routes. Stunned by both the grip and the quickness Chuck had disposed of his attacker, the other kid cowered awaiting punishment. Chuck simply stated “You’re out. No fighting in the bar.”, released him and calmly walked back in to resume his duties behind the counter.

Patrons pausing to watch the action and students waiting in line outside, either stood mouths agape or nodded their heads in understanding. It was a quick lesson or a known understanding then, you just don’t fuck with Chuck.

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The Landlord

The last house I lived at in SLO was on Kentucky st with a roommate Ben-G (ms). If you’re not familiar this spot is on the hill about a few blocks from the University campus. We lived in small railroadish building of 4 apartments, each 2 stories (bedrooms up stairs, common area down), single driveway with a small back lot and up against a similar set up behind us. It was college row as almost everyone around the street went to SLO and there were several frat houses around the block.

I remember the neighbors to the right of us were mellow college geeks/hackers with whom I got all my free software (Photoshop, windows, media, games etc.), mp3s and other computer tech from. They used to have the fastest binge parties where everyone drank hard liquor for an hour or two straight and was either passed out or gone before midnight… on rare occasion there was a lingering crew but I always assumed the participants were rotating and no one actually lasted more than 3 hours at a time there. Our neighbors on the otherside were brothers and that’s were we met the basty. Soon after, plenty of antics ensued…

Our landlord for the building was a retired lady who insisted we come by the house to drop off the check each week. Her and her husband were nice people and all, and we never had much to complain about (unlike our previous landlord – another story), although he would sometimes show up unannounced to “check out the quality of the window screens” or “see if the water is on” as reasons to check out the place so that we hadn’t destroyed it yet. Pearl was her name and just by name she reminded me of this video, however, unrelated to her tenant etiquette, this is certainly a funny vid.


The Landlord on FunnyOrDie.com