<p>One of the most active areas in current astrophysics is the search for clues to answering the ancient question: are we alone? This Perspective focuses on where most of the life in our Galaxy might reside over the very long haul, taking a freer viewpoint than is typical for astrobiology. The astrophysical discussion includes stellar numbers and longevity, planetary numbers and conditions, and the effects of stellar magnetic activity. I support the position that exoplanets in habitable zones around stars of between 0.5 and 0.8 solar masses might be the dominant habitats for surface life. However, the primary habitat in the Galaxy could easily be salty oceans under thick ice shells instead. These are probably much more numerous than planets with Earth-like conditions and have little dependence on stellar properties. In both cases, exoplanets of a few Earth masses are favoured for several reasons. These conclusions are based on terrestrial life, but there is no reason to think that nature is confined to that paradigm, so I discuss some other speculative possibilities. Finally, I suggest that the classical Drake equation should be made dynamic to reflect galactic evolution, and discuss the importance of survival times for life and civilizations.</p>