I agree it would depend on where.The ocean on the East Coast NO WAY. Hawaii OH YA! I would like to live on a river in say California, but would not go near a river in Florida. I guess if money was not an issue I could live anywhere and it would be on the ocean in Hawaii, Spain,or California in that order.
As someone who grew up in and around the Floriduh beaches, I can honestly say that I wouldn't be disappointed if they closed every public beach down...........I guess people are just too ignorant to learn how to keep things clean........Tarballs and trash are about as classy as you can get........
Plus I've seen first hand what a Hurricane can do to a house on the beach.........And all the maintenence and up keep just from the salt air..........
I use to want to have a house by the beach by the time I was an old pink haired lady.....BUT with the weather and events happening in the last couple of years.....I am fine right where I am
Ocean: sunami, mass amount of ocean washing away everything, slow horrible death, no.
River: rain, swollen river, flooding that washes away everything, no.
Desert: sun/cold/heat/some humidity...a few thundershowers/winter rain storms....the best of the choices, to me anyway.
I have spent many months on the Island of St Thomas. I think given the choice, just my virtue of it's blue blue waters and blue blue sky...I would choose the ocean.
Just something about that salt water and being able to see the bottom.