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Ask HN: If you could live and work somewhere, where would it be?

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Re: Ask HN: If you could live and work somewhere, where would it be?

#101

Post by dvcrn »

holydude wrote: post #61
ajkjk wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you know the language? Is it necessary to in order to feel that life is as fast-paced as you mention?

Absolutely. I would not say Korea is a good place to be in as a developer. Mostly dominated by Korean corps. Some companies started my foreign ethnic koreans. They are good and nice places but pay is ...mediocre. Koreans are also a bit racist but if you do not mind it's fine.

> but pay is ...mediocre.

sure, it's no Silicon Valley but you can get decent/well paid jobs with a bit of trying. My salary was even slightly better than what I made in Germany before

Re: Ask HN: If you could live and work somewhere, where would it be?

#102

Post by BigJono »

praneshp wrote: post #80
andrewhyde wrote: post #69

Melbourne, 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).

(As an Indian) Pros: The MCG (As an Indian) Cons: India usually loses/struggles in boxing day tests.

Every few years I consider moving somewhere else, and then I remember I won't be able to go to the cricket and footy at the G anymore, or the tennis, or the formula one :(

Melbourne has got to be one of the best cities in the world if you enjoy sports.

Re: Ask HN: If you could live and work somewhere, where would it be?

#103

Post by dijit »

bevax wrote: post #84

One place? I could limit my choice down to three for different reasons. * Kazan, Russia. A big city with a great architecture, interesting people and a broad mix of cultures. Also, part of family is not too far away. * Finland, mostly because I am interested in their education system and my child gets into that age… Otherwise it's also a tech hot spot, plenty great people and projects originated there. * Crete, Greec…

Spent a few months working in Helsinki. Aside from the cost of living (mostly rent), I can say it's truly a wonderful place.

I would go back if there was a decent job waiting for me.

Re: Ask HN: If you could live and work somewhere, where would it be?

#104

Post by varjag »

Apreche wrote: post #23

I'm already there. It's NYC. The only thing I would change is to give us some tropical weather.

Been there only once for a couple weeks, but it's the best city ever, hands down. A hub of many industries and the urbanite heaven. Having visited many of the usual suspects referred in this thread plus some, nothing compares really.

Re: Ask HN: If you could live and work somewhere, where would it be?

#105

Post by diggan »

pzh wrote: post #28
CptArmchair wrote: post #2

Barcelona, best beaches with a fantastic city as a backdrop. One of the best City's in the world. Great food, great nightlife, amazing vibe in general.

The pay is shit, though, if you don't bring a remote job with you. For comparison, prepare for sth like 40k EUR vs SV's $200+k.

Well, where the cost of living is cheap, the salaries will follow as well (or the other way around). Unless you work with a company in Barcelona and live somewhere else, you're not gonna be poor (money-wise) as a developer there.

Re: Ask HN: If you could live and work somewhere, where would it be?

#106

Post by dijit »

rajathagasthya wrote: post #62

London. A great city with amazing history and culture, tons of things to do, other European cities are hours away if you want to travel and has a good tech scene. Add to that, it has a fantastic public transport system and no language barrier. And of course, you can watch Premier League games every weekend!

I don't know if you've lived there or not, but I'm going to assume you haven't and give you my experience over 3 years.

1) Public transport is good, when it works. It often doesn't.

2) Public transport is good, until you have a job that has structured hours- which is most jobs, as evidenced by the INSANE rush hour. 20 minutes in some guys armpit feels like multiple hours.

3) You can't afford to live somewhere nice. I mean, I earned quite a bit more than the average and was spending 50-60% of my take home salary on rent. And I lived in a bad neighbourhood. (because I wanted to live alone).

4) Pubs have the same problem as the transport system, super crowded at rush times.. spills into the streets, especially in the west end/theatreland.

That said, if I had the money to live well in London, it would be a great place to live.

Re: Ask HN: If you could live and work somewhere, where would it be?

#107

Post by jedilance »

askar_yu wrote: post #99

Istanbul, Turkey. Warm climate, fantastic food and friendly people. Modern city with developed infrastructure. I lived there between 2011 and 2013 and enjoyed every bit of it. Upon leaving, I knew that I would go back to live there again because I loved it so much. However recent events and overall political direction Turkey is taking is killing that wish within me. I really hope things get better in Turkey.

How did you handle the stress of traffic jam?

Re: Ask HN: If you could live and work somewhere, where would it be?

#108

Post by holydude »

dvcrn wrote: post #101
holydude wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Absolutely. I would not say Korea is a good place to be in as a developer. Mostly dominated by Korean corps. Some companies started my foreign ethnic koreans. They are good and nice places but pay is ...mediocre. Koreans are also a bit racist but if you do not mind it's fine.

> but pay is ...mediocre. sure, it's no Silicon Valley but you can get decent/well paid jobs with a bit of trying. My salary was even slightly better than what I made in Germany before

I saw small/medium company offering 60k $ for normal position. How much do you make ? What kind of company ?

Re: Ask HN: If you could live and work somewhere, where would it be?

#109

Post by mailshanx »

sawmurai wrote: post #72
alinalex wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

1. In which area of Switzerland did you move? 2. Which languages should you know besides english? 3. How did you find the job: online, recommendation? 4. Did you move with family or alone? 5. How many years of experience did you have?

1. Zurich city 2. English is enough for working in IT. Live gets a lot easier if you know German in German-speaking Switzerland, French in western Switzerland or Italian in Tessin (southern Switzerland) 3. I searched online and was approached by Hays. Then I had three interviews with three offers and took the best fit. 4. I moved alone but my girlfriend already lived here which made it easier of course 5. 10 years in…

As a foreigner on a work visa, is it possible to operate a side business in Switzerland? I would be very grateful if you could explain how to make it work from a visa / taxes perspective. Did you incorporate your side business, and if yes, where?

Re: Ask HN: If you could live and work somewhere, where would it be?

#110

Post by a_bonobo »

dvcrn wrote: post #92
timr wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

it's very easy to feel isolated as a foreigner and seeing thousands of people squishing themselves into the trains every morning doesn't make it better. I'm here now, have been for six months (on sabbatical; studying Japanese half-time). It's interesting...sometimes I feel isolated (as anyone would when you don't speak or read the language fluently), but folks here have been quite friendly and supportive. I've found…

Let me elaborate on the isolated part a bit maybe. I speak almost fluent Japanese but the problem comes more in the very strong cultural difference that you are mostly not even aware of unless you are indeed fluent and surrounded by people that tell you your mistakes (which doesn't happen often). It is (IMO) very hard to make 'good' Japanese friends (not talking about occasional drinking buddies). People seem nice bu…

>Sure, everyone is indeed very very friendly and supportive but that can easily be confused with the polite nature that's rooted deeply in this country.

Have a look at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honne_and_tatemae

I have a Japanese wife and quasi-lived in Japan for a few months doing remote work, and the tatemae part is quite isolating. People are extremely friendly but there is a certain mask-like thing to it - it's very hard to describe. Politeness, but often it's politeness without warmth?

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