[deleted]
Ask HN: If you could live and work somewhere, where would it be?
301–310 of 400 posts
Re: Ask HN: If you could live and work somewhere, where would it be?
#302Switzerland. High living standard and good wage, multiple languages to speak (German, French, Italian, and English), neutral in the world (so I don't have to bother with wars children disguised as adults are organising), great public transport. Beautiful landscape, I'm very fond of mountains, YMMV (yes, I've been in SV/SF, also very nice). Alas, my parents weren't Swiss, but they were from a reasonably liberal (in th…
Salaries are high, but cost of living is also really high. If you are from the US, expect to eat out less and have a smaller house/apartment, but have nicer (and longer) holidays.
I would assume the balance is less ideal than US. Then again people from US compare to EU while in EU you get pension, insurance, and generally a social system to protect the weak (which might be you one day).
Quite frankly I wouldn't mind not having much money to live on. My living standard doesn't evolve around e.g. eating out. I want my own apartment (for two), a cheap car, a good laptop, a reasonable good smartphone, and some interior stuff (the usual plus some expensive kitchen equipment as outlier). That's pretty much it. You don't need a high income for all of that. The only expensive one is the car and that's something you save up for (long term investment).
Health is the most important to me; from which everything sprouts. I've been in Switzerland a couple of times. The air in Switzerland is night and day compared to where I live (NL), and I don't even live in a big city.
If enough IT people move to Switzerland (I know some known figures who have) something nice can brew there. For example, Google has a lab there.
Even if you can't get an IT job there's non IT jobs available, including low wage / low education. Perhaps Norway is a better country in that regard. Postal service delivery, for example, earns a lot compared to NL. The weather is Scandinavian, but due to the Mexican Gulf temperature near coast is higher than Sweden and Finland (this also keeps fishing trade alive in winter). Relatively clean air, and they're also neutral (tho less than Switzerland).
Obviously it'd be a backup plan. I don't think you can get a visa for that anyway. Another option could be remote work.
Re: Ask HN: If you could live and work somewhere, where would it be?
#303It would be right where I am, which is where my extended family is. With a wife and kids and being in my 30's, I've learned that who you're with is more important than where you are.
is your wife's family in the same location as yours? if not, how did you select?
Re: Ask HN: If you could live and work somewhere, where would it be?
#304Mill Valley (Marin County), California. Because of the Dipsea Trail. (One of the best hike/run trails on the planet.)
I have to agree with you on the Dipsea trail. However, public transit is infrequent and the commute to the city (nevermind the South Bay) looks pretty bad.
Re: Ask HN: If you could live and work somewhere, where would it be?
#305Switzerland. High living standard and good wage, multiple languages to speak (German, French, Italian, and English), neutral in the world (so I don't have to bother with wars children disguised as adults are organising), great public transport. Beautiful landscape, I'm very fond of mountains, YMMV (yes, I've been in SV/SF, also very nice). Alas, my parents weren't Swiss, but they were from a reasonably liberal (in th…
I travel to Switzerland quite often for work plus I have relatives living in Switzerland since ages and I used to live close to the Italian-Switzerland border. I would never move there as the country is so boring. Really, every time I travel to Zurich I get bored and annoyed like hell.
I'm basically never bored alone, I prefer to be alone, and I can spend nearly 24/7 alone (although part of that time communicating via the Internet). The social interactions at work and with family is more than enough for me. I don't need to go 'go out', 'date', 'visit clubs', or 'see the world'. I've been there, done that. I want to settle at a place. Obviously YMMV.
With the coming of VR I expect we're going to see more commonly people who barely if ever go on vacation but go on vacation via VR. You can see the Eiffel Tower on pictures right now. What if you could experience it with VR? Although even that I CBA with.
If you want to live in a city with a good night life there's tons of options available, I got quite some good experiences here and there (Berlin, for example, I found far more amazing and friendlier than Amsterdam while I'm in Amsterdam in 30 min) it just depends on your personal interests tho.
Re: Ask HN: If you could live and work somewhere, where would it be?
#306Re: Ask HN: If you could live and work somewhere, where would it be?
#307Melbourne, Australia needs to be on your list. Pros: Most livable city in the world. Great startup scene. Phenomenal transportation options. Great universities. Fantastic street art everywhere. Amazing food. USD vs. AUD is quite good for USD right now so it is pretty affordable. Cons: Internet not blazing fast. Beaches elsewhere in Australia are much better (it is on a bay = no waves).
Portsea Back Beach (and surrounds) on a hot, clear day is one of the nicest beaches I've ever seen, with the benefit of bay beaches 5 minutes away if you prefer that, this is only an hour or so from southeast suburbs of Melbourne, and minimal crowds and no traffic in peak summer.
In the city, I love cycling up and down the bayside trail. Sure you can't surf there, but to be able to the water and smell the salt on a bike path that can take you to the CBD, that's good enough to relax me. Lots of activities like kitesurfing, free beachside powered BBQs, etc make it a fun place when the weather is good enough. St Kilda beach is a happening place in summer with a lively boardwalk. Go further south on the path and check out Elwood for a quieter scenic environment. Continue on to Brighton Beach and check out the beach boxes. Keep going further and once you get to the Sandringham area the beaches become more rugged and ocean-like. On a clear sunny day it's really beautiful, water very blue and nice sand. Bonus: you face the sunset on Melbourne's bay beaches, which can be really nice, whereas the rest of the east coast of Australia only gets sunrises on the beaches.
Regarding internet - if you're in an area with cable, you can get cable internet which is 60mbit and fine. NBN is rolling out slowly which is 100mbit+ but mostly in newer developments for now. I could never do DSL. Mobile is good in the cities with Telstra usually ahead of US carriers in speed.
Unfortunately the climate outside of summer is kind of crap, relative to the rest of Australia, but the city is vibrant enough to offer other things to do in winter (which is not that cold, but the homes aren't built for winter and heating, and the sky gets gloomy a lot). On the plus side, you can take your vacations in the winter when it's summer in the northern hemisphere, or explore SE Asia where its warm year-round, or stay in Australia and check out Queensland or WA which are nice in winter.
Re: Ask HN: If you could live and work somewhere, where would it be?
#308I'm amazed nobody has said Denver, Colorado yet. The combination of big city plus mountain geography is very unique in the US, but also anywhere in the world I think (I've heard suggestions that Zurich is similar r.e. geography, but the city isn't as big). If you like being outdoors, this is the place. The culture here is exactly that: to be outside all the time skiing, cycling, climbing, hiking, etc. The only downsi…
Visiting friends there in a week or so... Any suggestions for what to do in winter there that isn't some outdoors sport or something that requires being outside for long periods? Our friends have a young baby so we have a limiting factor in our group.
Also, what is the tech industry like there and what neighborhoods are up and coming but still super safe?
Re: Ask HN: If you could live and work somewhere, where would it be?
#309Victoria, BC, Canada. Fantastic food, great lifestyle, amazing scenery, close to 2 big cities (Vancouver, Seattle), best weather in Canada, a growing technology industry... The only downside is that in 10-20 years it will probably become overcrowded.
What's the cost of living in Victoria? I was there last year and loved it (equally Van was lovely), but the rent looked almost as outrageous as London.
Ha, you haven't even seen the super-low salaries yet.
Re: Ask HN: If you could live and work somewhere, where would it be?
#310It would be right where I am, which is where my extended family is. With a wife and kids and being in my 30's, I've learned that who you're with is more important than where you are.
is your wife's family in the same location as yours? if not, how did you select?
Although we're both from the area, my parents have passed on and my sister is the only one who's not within a two hour drive (including most of my wife's family).