Who hasn’t thought it, when the daffodils bloom or the baseball team jogs onto the field, kicking up clay on opening day?

This is why we love living here.

Spring reminds us.

It comes early, following an easygoing autumn and tolerable winter, with infrequent snows that turn the entire state into children with an unexpected day off school.

But there’s more than great weather to recommend us here in the Midlands.

The Columbia area has much to offer: history, architecture, walk able neighborhoods, hospitality, fascinating politics, diversity, stimulating college life — and engaged citizens working to make all that even better.

As new residents explore living in the Columbia area – and more than 120,000 people moved to the metropolitan area in the past decade – the variety of communities and home sites is pleasantly surprising.

Historic downtown neighborhoods, orderly with antebellum homes, mill houses and bungalows, have gained esteem in recent years. They offer sidewalks, grand trees, parks and gardens.

Most recently, downtown storefronts have been reconstructed into deluxe condominiums where residents can easily take advantage of art exhibitions, college lectures and concerts, riverfront recreation.

Just minutes from downtown are ranch-style neighborhoods, with their large lots and convenient shopping. Farther out are new suburban communities, move-in ready and loaded with the extras that can make owning a home hassle-free.

Out in the country or on the lake, people wave as they pass on two-lane roads.

Spring reminds us.

But in the end, it’s our neighbors who make living here feel like home.

Dawn Hinshaw writes about people, historic preservation and county government for The State.