Where would you live?

[nightcrawler13]

In 2 years i finish my Open University degree and go TEFL'n around the world, will work/travel for probably around 5 years till i feel i've seen a good chunk of the globe

Then, it shall be time to find somewhere to live.... Manchester is great for many things, but it's lacking in the weather department, and there is a lack of wilderness unless you count the peak district which isnt really IN manchester. So I've started spending a bit of time each week looking for places to shortlist of somewhere to settle down.

My question is, if you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be and why? What criteria comes into play for you when thinking of the best place to live?

I'm trying to cover all bases really, though it's a difficult thing to do....

decent weather

lack of potential super crazy weather (tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, floods)

nearish a city

not in the stix

nearish an airport

close to some form of outdoor fun (lake, ocean, canyon, forest, etc)

generally happy people

generally sane people

lack of cynicism

generally low crime

decent public transport

cheapish living costs

good food

i have many years to find a shortlist of perfect places, but suggestions are always welcome

[The Nal]

Rome. It has all those things.

[Ed209]

So much of the world, so little time to see it. I want to go everywhere (apart from France).

I just like the simple things, good food, good drink, good nightlife, good people.

If I was in the UK, Bath/Bristol area would be my number one choice. I've done London, love it, but had enough of that place.

In Europe, I'd love to live somewhere in Italy. Beautiful country, great people, amazing architecture and history, and those guys have the food and work ethic sorted. I really love that country.

There's a lot of places in Asia and Africa I would love to visit, but I'm not sure I could live there permanently. Hong Kong maybe being one place I'd probably love.

Australia? No thanks.

In America, I reckon Seattle or San Fran ticks a lot of your boxes (apart from the weather). Haven't been to either but now that I'm living in the states they are top of my places to visit.

[Jackmypie]

California for me.

Medicinal weed

Amazing weather

Awesome beaches

Coachella

Good surf

Good skiing

Some good gig venues

Nice ladies

San Francisco

Nice people (mostly)

That's all I care about really.....

Also, Italy, Thailand, South France are niiiiice.

[lost]

montreal though it gets quite cold or Potsdam near Berlin is nice.

[Wooderson]

California for me.

Medicinal weed

Amazing weather

Awesome beaches

Coachella

Good surf

Good skiing

Some good gig venues

Nice ladies

San Francisco

Nice people (mostly)

That's all I care about really.....

[The Nal]

As much as I loved it when I was there, I wouldn't live in America due to the fact they're gun crazy and very right wing. The country is totally f**ked up. Pity because they have lots of really great things going for them too.

Edited August 19, 2011 by The Nal

[The_Amazing_Oblong]

In Europe it would be in Limburg somewhere around the Maastricht area in the little teardrop of Holland that drips down into central Europe, somewhere like Heerlen. Belgium, Luxemburg. France, Germany all 10 minutes in the car. Switzerland, Italy, Austria, Czech Republic within train ride.

Would be a perfect base to travel central europe. Obviously coffee shops are a bonus if you shmoke and the people there seemed really very friendly.

Another decent shout would be somewhere like Alpujarra in the Granada area of Spain. New Age hippy type commune. It wouldn't be Alpujarra because I think that bird has flown but somewhere similar that is just starting up. Loads of these types of places up in the mountains. Maybe Christiania in Copenhagen, although I have never stayed at Christiania but it would be worth a sniff about.

[Wooderson]

As much as I loved it when I was there, I wouldn't live in America due to the fact they're gun crazy and very right wing. The country is totally f**ked up. Pity because they have lots of really great things going for them too.

[Wooderson]

In Europe it would be in Limburg somewhere around the Maastricht area in the little teardrop of Holland that drips down into central Europe, somewhere like Heerlen. Belgium, Luxemburg. France, Germany all 10 minutes in the car. Switzerland, Italy, Austria, Czech Republic within train ride.

Would be a perfect base to travel central europe. Obviously coffee shops are a bonus if you shmoke and the people there seemed really very friendly.

[The Nal]

Political system is polarised, yes. No place is perfect squire. If Dublin had Nice's weather we'd be on the pigs back!

Edited August 19, 2011 by The Nal

[philipsteak]

So much of the world, so little time to see it. I want to go everywhere (apart from France).

I just like the simple things, good food, good drink, good nightlife, good people.

If I was in the UK, Bath/Bristol area would be my number one choice. I've done London, love it, but had enough of that place.

In Europe, I'd love to live somewhere in Italy. Beautiful country, great people, amazing architecture and history, and those guys have the food and work ethic sorted. I really love that country.

There's a lot of places in Asia and Africa I would love to visit, but I'm not sure I could live there permanently. Hong Kong maybe being one place I'd probably love.

Australia? No thanks.

In America, I reckon Seattle or San Fran ticks a lot of your boxes (apart from the weather). Haven't been to either but now that I'm living in the states they are top of my places to visit.

[jump]

A place with no extradition laws and can get a high speed broadband connection are the top priorities on my list.

[Wooderson]

Guns though chief!? Dunno about bringing up a kid where theres rack after rack of ammo beside the Nintendo section of Walmart?!

And they're out of control now with religion. Totally out of control.

Cracking place though from what I've heard, Sonoma County and out that way.

[LusciousLucy]

My answer is:

Adelaide environs, South Australia

decent weather - check (as long as you can handle 40c for a bit every summer)

lack of potential super crazy weather (tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, floods) - check, a rare forest fire or drought not a prob

nearish a city - lush, small and ultra friendly city, easy to drive to from local area

not in the stix - depends how in the stix you consider South Australia to be

nearish an airport - Adelaide airport

close to some form of outdoor fun (lake, ocean, canyon, forest, etc) - Australia!

generally happy people - some of the nicest and politest Aussies you could hope to meet

generally sane people - apart from a couple of documented bodies in barrels incidents last century, its great.

lack of cynicism - how can you be cynical when you live in a state called 'The Festival State'?

generally low crime - see above

decent public transport - trams that take you straight to the beach! A train that can take you to the top of the country in one trip or directly east or west in a country the size of a continent.

cheapish living costs - fairly cheap

good food - incredible food markets, culture and the most important - wine and ale! And cider is made in the hills by a Brit!

Additional benefits: the best great white shark diving on the planet is not far away, music and arts festivals on nearly all year round, stunning beaches and incredible wildlife on your doorstep. Not too far from Asia for TEFL work when you feel like it too. Edited to also say that if I'm correct in thinking, SA has a bit more of a liberal attitude to home cultivation of cannabis. The local bush weed is stunning too

My steps to returning here and one day settling start this Thursday as start my new job finally permanently employed after 3 years since being in Oz and in a career that will have me some day sat overlooking vineyards in the Barossa/Adelaide Hills and achieving all my dreams. Plan is to knuckle under with a year or two in the wine biz here and then apply for sponsorship after that. Cant wait!

Good luck with whatever you choose my dear. Your love for entertaining would go down very well in Adelaide too.

Edited August 19, 2011 by LusciousLucy

[LusciousLucy]

Seattle is an amazing city and the Pacific Northwest is an amazing area. Got friends there (Tacoma, but close enough) so I've been a few times. They love it there (originally from Chicago) but if nightcrawler can't handle the weather in Manchester, I think Seattle would finish him off. They love to point out that it gets less rain than New York, but the difference is, its just constant, relentless drizzle. With occasional mist and fog.

[The Nal]

Spend the night in a little cabin 250 meters from where this was taken. Weird little place.

[sifi]

Couldn't live in Australia, I'm afraid - unless there has been a massive change in mindset's over there, I couldn't handle the lack of decent bookshops.

I myself would choose to live in Percy Shelley's old house on the sea-front at San Terenzo Al Mare, gulf of Spezia.

[Wooderson]

Cracking spot to hide a body though.

[The Nal]

The many, many dirtcheap horrors from the 1980s to one side chief. That pic is from Jenner. Population 136.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jenner,_California_double-murder_of_2004

[The Nal]

Couldn't live in Australia, I'm afraid - unless there has been a massive change in mindset's over there, I couldn't handle the lack of decent bookshops.

I myself would choose to live in Percy Shelley's old house on the sea-front at San Terenzo Al Mare, gulf of Spezia.

[sifi]

Do you have any experience in Sicily? Going to Toarmina next month, looking for tips.

[The Nal]

Yes, I saw that. I've not been for years, sorry, other than a couple of days in Catania. The fish is good, I recall, and Catania is beautiful.

[Wooderson]

Zodiac killer. What an enigma.

[sifi]

Anyway, back to Shelley's house.

View from it -

And view of it

It's the white one at the front.

Edited August 19, 2011 by sifi