molly.com
Saturday 24 June 2006
Where to Live Next
I’ve been researching places where I’d best like to live next. Don’t know if anyone else is thinking of same, but here are some of my findings.
I’m so excited because I get to use a table, a real live true table, in this post! TWO in fact, because I’m just that thrilled (seriously).
Here is a comparison chart of what my research results show so far, first by U.S. findings:
| Location | Attractions | Social Benefits | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. East Coast Cluster (NJ, NY, MD, DC, VA) USA | Culturally, I’m a good fit since I grew up in New Jersey, but I did once say I never wanted to live there again. I could change my mind | Some very good friends and family members in this area | Surprisingly more affordable than I realized |
| San Francisco, CA USA | My favorite city in the world (so far) | Phenomenal friendship network | Extremely expensive, high stress potential |
| San Jose (and South Bay Cities), CA USA | Really dislike the area. Strip malls and cars. | Very good social / work resources and good social network | Extremely expensive |
| Santa Fe, NM USA | Beautiful, stunning, progressive, artistic location with great climate, but little water | Good potential social network | Medium expensive. Outlying areas are less expensive, but also with less services |
| Tucson, AZ USA | Beautiful location, already own home and business here | Limited social support, bad economy | Very affordable |
And now by U.K. findings:
| Location | Attractions | Social Benefits | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|
| London, UK | Vibrant, productive scene, one of the world’s truly amazing cities | Lots of friends, socialized medicine | Damned expensive |
| Newcastle, UK | Lively and growing cultural scene, unique beauty, oh but lord it can get cold | Lots of friends, socialized medicine | Medium expensive, it could work |
What do you think? How about you, looking to go other places, and if so where and why?
Filed under: travel, society
Posted by: Molly | 2:28 pm |
June 24th, 2006 at 2:41 pm
Nottingham is nice. Lively web scene (did I really say that?), great for creative industries, rich in history - favorite of certain other BritPackers ;}
June 24th, 2006 at 2:43 pm
We have a trip planned in about 6 years… it’s a long one where we leave and see where we get. Doing the working thing first and then going to pack up and leave. Some joke at our advance plans, but we have been planning for about 4 years so far, so we’re not exactly giving up on the idea. Moving different places is so exciting - I’m jealous.
June 24th, 2006 at 2:59 pm
@Colly: Clarkey was just going on about how Nottingham has got some serious crime statistics! Not that I’m phased by that, really, living where I do. But what’s up with that?
@karmatosed: Don’t be jealous. Sometimes moving is all about tidying up, you know, purging the past. It’s not easy, takes a little of the old elbow grease, but it leaves everything so much more fresh and clean! My opinion? Do your trip now. Six years is just a big old question mark.
June 24th, 2006 at 3:00 pm
Under “attractions” for San Jose you say you hate it? :/
There are small neighborly downtowns in the south bay. The public transport is getting better. Its a fairly quick hop to SF. And there’s always ME ME ME here as an attraction. But yes: expensive. and crowded.
I love Santa Fe. The Northeast is really cold.
No pacific northwest? Portland is fabulous.
June 24th, 2006 at 3:13 pm
But Laura, don’t you live up in the mountains with some distance between it all? I know you do work in the South Bay, but I thought you had your refuge. I’m not saying San Jose and surrounding areas aren’t beautiful, goodness that part of California is part of why I hang on. SO beautiful, but seemingly unattainable.
As for you, where the hell have you been?
Email me your IM, I think I have an old one.
June 24th, 2006 at 3:41 pm
+1 for Pacific Northwest. I like Portland/Vancouver a lot. Very neat area. I live in Olympia WA which just about splits the difference between Seattle and Portland.
I don’t know what your social network is like up here, but I’d be happy to bring something to your housewarming or have you over for dinner.
June 24th, 2006 at 3:45 pm
You mention prospects in both the US and UK…Are you considering moving internationally? If so, look at Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. Mild winters, warm summers, lots to do and see just here in Victoria, but also up and down the island. Housing is very hot on the island these days, especially in Victoria - new houses popping up everywhere.
Plus, you can get ferries from Victoria to Vancouver, Anacortes, Port Angeles, and Seattle. Did I say there’s plenty to see and do around here???
June 24th, 2006 at 4:05 pm
Actually, the Pacific Northwest does intrigue me. Dave Shea loves his home city of Vancouver, and always tells me of its virtues. I haven’t been to B.C.
Portland is charming, Seattle is a grand city, one of my top tens. But I feel funny in all of them. Maybe because I’m New York born? Don’t know, but I think I need to take another look at some of the Oregon and Washington coast.
Canada, though. Would you welcome me, U.S. citizen and South Park lover though I am?
June 24th, 2006 at 4:23 pm
What about Boston, MA? You don’t mention the Massachusetts area. Brookline and Newton are good areas outside of the city. Small cities with diverse cultures and always some event is going on in the design field. Plus, Molly are you going to Siggraph 2006 here in Boston, MA and would be doing any presentations?
June 24th, 2006 at 4:41 pm
You totally skipped PA in your East Coast cluster! We’ll take care of you in Philly!
June 24th, 2006 at 4:43 pm
What about Oz? I’ve heard only the best about Sydney.
June 24th, 2006 at 4:46 pm
I think London is and possibly always will be a debateable location for anybody to choose to live in.
The vibe I pick up from friends, colleagues and general acquaintances is that the majority of people that were born in and still live in London (like me) can identify with both the good and bad points of London, yet people that have moved to London from smaller cities or towns seem to have a much higher opinion.
There are many plus sides to London, it has a vibrant mix of cultures, endless theatre productions, cinemas, gig venues, restaurants… and there is the potential to easily form great social networks. You have a tube network that can get you to most central locations with ease and relatively quickly, and train links to the rest of the country… or even the Eurostar if you fancy a weekend in Paris or Brussels.
However, there are down sides; London is a beautiful place, with beautiful architecture… but I find that I can only honestly appreciate any of that at night, when the noise has died down, the streets aren’t billowing people in quantities of hundreds or thousands, and you can just stop and appreciate it.
It’s too busy, the pace of life is very fast, and that is something you have to sacrifice if you want the benefits of everything else it has to offer.
Some days I love it, I can stop in Soho on the way home, bump into friends, have a nice meal, or take advantage of any other of London’s offerings. Other days I despise it, with the tube journeys to deal with, work pressures, and the joys of trying to organise a social life with everyone else being just as busy and experiencing similar things themselves.
It isn’t for everyone, I’m not even sure if it’s for me… but I stay for the opportunities.
June 24th, 2006 at 5:04 pm
Hi Molly,
If you decide Newcastle, UK is the place for you and frankly why wouldn’t you. I’d happily shout you a coffee
June 24th, 2006 at 5:09 pm
But you have so many good coffee shops in Tucson!
http://www.arizona-coffee.com/coffee-shops/#tucson
June 24th, 2006 at 5:27 pm
Have you considered Albuquerque? The economy is rockin and there is lots going on here……check out http://www.dukecityfix.com
June 24th, 2006 at 5:52 pm
As a New Yorker who moved to the London area 8 years ago I can tell you that you’d probably be able to find something in London but outside Central London that wouldn’t be as bad on the pocket. In an ideal world I’d have a place in NYC, London and Paris. If I could choose only one - I’d go with NYC.
June 24th, 2006 at 5:56 pm
Why do you want to move? What are you hoping to gain and escape?
June 24th, 2006 at 7:39 pm
“Canada, though. Would you welcome me, U.S. citizen and South Park lover though I am?”
You bet we will! Canada is just that kind of place.
June 24th, 2006 at 8:12 pm
Hey Molly! I just finished up a move. My wife and I moved from Kansas City, MO to Austin, TX. Why? I had wanted out of KC for a long time (born there and never liked it much). I came down to Austin for SXSW (interactive portion) last year and just really dug the city. So we decided to move here. Plus my wife wanted to move someplace warmer during the winter. Voila, a year later here we are. Austin rocks and we’re happy. I will admit though, it is a real pain moving. Especially fixing up a house just to sell it.
Good luck!
June 24th, 2006 at 8:26 pm
“Actually, the Pacific Northwest does intrigue me. Dave Shea loves his home city of Vancouver, and always tells me of its virtues. I haven’t been to B.C.
Canada, though. Would you welcome me, U.S. citizen and South Park lover though I am?”
BC is great…it has a great variety of terrain and climates. The majority of the population is in the south, along the border with Washington state, but there are a number of towns and cities to the north. Be good for road trips!
Welcome you?? Heck, I’d meet you at the airport and take you to where you’re going!
June 24th, 2006 at 8:42 pm
I wish I could up and move somewhere I found interesting. My preference, based on my experience so far, would be to go for lower cost of living. I grew up in Northern Virginia, which is very pricey (not California pricey, but still quite high), and lived recently in Charlottesville, VA which is a great town (named best place in the U.S. to live by Fodors) but also expensive. I’ve just started working in Richmond, VA, which is looking considerably less expensive than the other two areas, but also has higher crime rates. So, I guess we’ll see.
June 24th, 2006 at 9:05 pm
Move to your favorite city in the world.
June 24th, 2006 at 9:15 pm
Or you could do something further east in Canada. Both Derek Featherstone and I are here in Ottawa.
Very pretty city.
June 24th, 2006 at 10:56 pm
Don’t over look Canada. You’ll never have an issue socially, people are friendly, healthcare is plentiful.
Living in Alberta we have an insane booming economy right now, Eastern Canada is a blast too (though strangely enough I have never been there).
Cheers.
June 24th, 2006 at 11:18 pm
RE: Where to live next:
Have you considered Colorado? Colorado Springs is nice, the Garden of the Gods exquisite, Cog Railway to the top of Pikes Peak was fantastic.
The area culture is health conscious, mental / physical /spiritual and environmental.
The whole area was great but I fell in love with Manitou Springs. Clean, crisp, nostalgic, picturesque, just absolutely charming and 6000 ft closer to heaven. You gotta love a community that celebrates an “Alien Invasion Weekend which becomes a scavenger hunt for homemade spaceships in the surrounding area. Extra credit is given for actually capturing an alien.” annually.
The higher I get the less I feel the cold and the more driven I am to outdoor activities. From hiking to rock climbing to horse back riding and rafting, and my personal favorite, trying to capture the beauty of the landscape on film, there’s just so much to do.
Best of luck with your search.
The Colorado Springs CVB
http://www.experiencecoloradosprings.com/
June 25th, 2006 at 12:23 am
Santa Fe is incredible. We moved in ‘03. The economy is good, and if you have even the slightest desire to work, you will find a job. You have all the benefits of a major metropolis, but none of the hassles, ie, traffic, stress, pollution. Plus it is just absolutely beautiful. Water is an issue, but because of strict conservation efforts, it is not one that should keep you away. Come visit. I work for the best hotel in the city. I’ll be glad to show you around.
June 25th, 2006 at 12:34 am
Oh Molly, You must at the very least visit Vancouver. BC, not the Washington state one, which is nice enough but nothing on the Canadian one. While the actually immigration process is a pain in the but…lots of paperwork, it’s simply more time consuming than anything else. The north shore…minutes from downtown, mountains at your back, the sea at your feet, all the time green. Down side…realestate is outragously expensive but renting is reasonable. The health care issue is better than the press has been going on about. Room for improvement, but doesn’t that apply to everything? Alternative medical access is abundant and varied. The winters can be difficult the first year or so. We have winters where is does not snow any measurable accumulation..a cm or 2. Except on above mentions mountians….3 of them on the north shore alone, But the rain and the grey skies can be difficult. Nice to be able to wear flip flobs almost all year long. Never too too hot, nor too too cold…just right. Interesting people from all over and when the sun shines, everything sparkles as do the people. sigh…can you tell I’m a fan of my home town?
At least come and visit Molly. If you like San Fransisco you’ll love Vancouver…similar but oh so much nicer. And Vancouver would love you.
June 25th, 2006 at 12:53 am
I think you should move to the Netherlands. Economy is rising. Webstandards need evangelizing,
and (medical) insurance is obligatory (and sponsored by the state). the Netherlands is a capitalist country with communist benefits.
June 25th, 2006 at 1:30 am
Why is the economey so bad in Arizona? What is bad, the entire workforce and therefore the culture? Just the tech companies? I have been considering a move there, but wondered why such nice places are so affordable in places like suprise.
I wonder why you have london on the list and then exclude vancoover? Socialised medicine is good for people and good for culture, as the gov;t and everyone is trying to make people better rather make people consumers of high yield companies. Vancoover looks pretty interesting, although people I’ve spoken with in Canada have suggested other cities as well.
June 25th, 2006 at 1:36 am
Clarkey’s right Molly, reports are cheerfully announcing Nottingham to be the most dangerous and violent place to live in the UK. Although it does seem to have a lot of job ops for us Web guys - no connection I hope.
What are you’re priorities when looking for a new place. I’m guessing friends and family, then cost of living, then work opportunities and connections, then culture, climate and beauty, …
Post a top 10 list, then we can give you some suggestions you may not have thought of.
June 25th, 2006 at 1:45 am
If you are looking at the UK then you should check out Manchester. It is often cited as the UK’s creative capital and there is a very large media complex planned for the BBC when they relocate a sunstantial number of their creative staff.
It has a very different vibe from London and isn’t quite as expensive.
Defintely worth considering.
June 25th, 2006 at 1:58 am
Come to Newcastle, the welcome will be warm though the weather may be cold at times. You won’t notice that after a while, and you’ll soon be walking around town in the depths of winter wearing only tee shirt up top (nearly everybody does it). Next time you go, make sure its Winter time and you’ll see what I mean.
PS poster #13 - David Jospeh (top bloke) has been known to stroll around town in his underpants, and absail down tall buildings, luckily not at the same time (but thats another story) :0)
June 25th, 2006 at 2:37 am
Brighton? Just a straight fast train straight to London, and seems to have a budding community. Perhaps quite a chunk cheaper than London.
June 25th, 2006 at 2:46 am
I’d like to recommend the UK to you, but would suggest staying at least two and a half hours away from London (by train), as within that zone house prices are expensive. Manchester and Nottingham have both a good social scene and a lively web development community. Both of the universities in those cities are doing some amazing stuff with the internet.
June 25th, 2006 at 3:23 am
Molly, Seriously, don’t overlook the Pacific Northwest. I grew up in P-town (Portland) and then later 17 years in Seattle. I knew and met many people from the east coast, particulary NY, who relocated to the NW who said the same things as you about fitting in there; they usually admitted that once past the first year or two, it hits you like a ton of bricks, and it’s hard to leave. I’m now living in Strasbourg, France and I miss Seattle badly. I hear Philly is good too, and that’s not because Santa Maria is there.
June 25th, 2006 at 5:13 am
What great input everyone! This is so helpful.
To answer a few questions as to why I’m doing this and what I hope to find, here’s the deal. I’ve lived in Tucson for 26 years, and while it holds a wonderful place in my heart (I’m sitting in the airport right now overlookinmg a magnificent sunrise, breathtaking) I feel the social support here is lacking, and the depressed economy (too many people, too little industry, right-to-work state) combined with the unique way Arizona State deals with medical insurance (unlike most states, Arizona has its own state-funded insurance for the poor, which changes the way regular insurers can work here) well, there you have it.
My priorities: Live in a place where I have strong friendships, social medicine and related services, and is reasonably affordable and pleasant. If there’s a vibrant web scene, all the better.
How all this will pan out, and when and where I actually go, if I go, I don’t know yet. But I know I want a change, and that the circumstances of being here have not been conducive to my well-being and happiness for a long, long time.
June 25th, 2006 at 5:52 am
Amsterdam perhaps. Reasonably affordable. Very good social atmosphere, especially towards english-speaking expats, lots of IT-related business, a major airport at about 15 miles away, excellent coffee (starbucks never dared to open a branch here), decent beer.
The weather is rather british.
June 25th, 2006 at 6:08 am
From the way you were talking at @media last week, it sounds as though you’ve not really lived at home for a very long time; that you just popped home every once in a while between visiting friends and traveling thw world.
Maybe moving won’t be so hard, especailly when you obviously have such a good, strong reason to move.
June 25th, 2006 at 6:25 am
Newcastle gets my biased vote, the coldness is nothing a good pair of thermal knickers won’t fix. Plus you have all the lovely restaurant’s in Jessmond.
June 25th, 2006 at 6:36 am
Boston was previously mentioned and I’ll agree to that. Nice place, money, plenty of opportunities to teach, easy access to a major airport, easy access to NYC. Plus, Molly, you should know that the governor recently passed into law a state-wide healthcare plan - the first in the nation. Check it out at: http://www.mass.gov/?pageID=pressreleases&agId=Agov2&prModName=gov2pressrelease&prFile=gov_pr_060412_Healthcare_signing.xml and http://www.mass.gov/?pageID=pressreleases&agId=Agov2&prModName=gov2pressrelease&prFile=gov_pr_060501_healthcare_waiver.xml
June 25th, 2006 at 6:46 am
Vote #3 for Portland. Visited once and fell in love. I think Oregon is plagued by high unemployment though. But Portland is beautiful and about an 1-2 hours from Mt. Hood and two-dozen waterfalls. Downtown has a fairly vibrant arts scene. And mass transit system is pretty good. I priced apartments there too. I thought they were reasonable.
The word is that Philly is becoming the new Brooklyn. Some artists from New York are making their way southward. Not a bad choice IMO. Good food. Lots to do. Two hours from NYC and DC, which have well-established web industries. And it’s a bit more affordable than either NYC or DC.
I’d also recommend the NYC-area. It *is* surprisingly affordable. Strong and large web community. There are 1,001 ways to legally make a buck. Harlem and Washington Heights are *rapidly* gentrifying. They’re the last bastions of anything approaching affordability in Manhattan. The outer burroughs and inner suburbs are still pretty reasonable. And every once-in-a-while an absolute steal rears its head (like a $165,000, 500 sq ft. co-op in Manhattan).
June 25th, 2006 at 7:48 am
Newcastle, UK is the city where I was born and grew up - and I spent 5 years living in London. They are both great cities to live in … I’m now a ‘Home Counties’ dweller, about the only thing anyone says is good about the town I live in is how easy it is to get out of (to London, or to the countryside)
June 25th, 2006 at 8:53 am
I’ll put in another vote for Boston - while I’m not technically from there (I live in NH, and work in Portsmouth NH) I think Boston could be a good fit for you - plus, it needs another high profile web personality, now that Dan is too busy with Jack…
June 25th, 2006 at 1:02 pm
I put in a vote for the east coast cluster. I too grew up in New Jersey, and then ended up in the Washington, D.C. area when I went to college. I’ve lived in the area ever since, and currently live in suburban MD. There is a lot of consultant work with government agencies, not to mention a ton of colleges and universities that have teaching gigs. Lots of Web work and people…good cultural scene, though nothing compares to NYC. Downside is that it is expensive to live here. It can also get cold in the winter, but not as bad as the Northeast and it usually doesn’t last as long.
June 25th, 2006 at 1:29 pm
A lot of people are recommending where they live, but I wouldn’t say Oxford. Its rather expensive, but the cotswolds are a different matter! Also, Glasgow is a superb modern city. Friendly, alive, and very cutting edge.
I’d heard that Brighton was on a par with London with price, but maybe not? Anyway, it would be great to see you more in the UK!
June 25th, 2006 at 3:17 pm
It’s got to be Newcastle Molly! Excellent transport, small and friendly, National Health Service, you have lots of friends here, very close to some amazing countryside.
But yes very cold, mind you with my part Polish roots I don’t tend to feel it so much.
On the web front, it has (as you already know) the beginnings of a vibrant web scene).
As UK cities go, it’s one of the cheapest.
Why not do some digging around on DirectGov (www.direct.gov), you should be able to get all the population and services statistics from there (for any area of the UK). Ok that’s my eGov plug over
Tell me what else you want to know Molly, and I’ll do my best to persuade
June 25th, 2006 at 3:33 pm
You know my opinion, both on work and living. SF Bay Area somewhere, all the way.
For a web person, I feel it’s definitely the most vibrant place to be (you can get all those little Web 2.0-startups back on the right track!
) and I’ve never felt more at home anywhere than I have in Cupertino. Yes, it’s expensive, but I’m finding London / the UK to be quite a lot more expensive right now (insert a frown upon looking at my finances declining fiercely from three weeks of England), and the wages in Cali are generally high enough to make living there much more affordable.
Also, very important to me: food. You won’t get it better than SF, that’s for sure.
June 25th, 2006 at 3:43 pm
And don’t forget that if you move once, and it doesn’t have what you wanted, you can always do it again when you’ve narrowed down your choices a bit…
I’m ex-London/SE England (never again), ex-Newcastle (loved it - it’s an easy place to meet people as it’s small), ex-Manchester (increasingly expensive, best thing about it is how easy it is to get to other places from there, wouldn’t go back), ex-Cardiff (nice, especially the areas around), and now pretty-much-permanent in Wellington, New Zealand (cheap, sea, mountains, compact and friendly… but not exactly local for other countries!)
But I think the most important thing for a successful move is to have friends in the new place who can help you settle when you arrive and who can introduce you to other people - it makes it so much easier!
June 25th, 2006 at 4:40 pm
I think you should move to Canada. Toronto makes more sense than Vancouver for travel (8 hours max to Heathrow rather than 12), and our weather is less cloudy. (You couldn’t handle the winters in Ottawa.) Nonetheless, Vancouver could be a strong choice.
June 25th, 2006 at 5:12 pm
Molly, come to Warsaw, Poland! We got really growing internet market here. And people becoming more and more open-minded to the web matters. The new generation of webdesigners and journalists see the ‘digital’ future. Very affordable, people very friendly, and you can’t imagine how many attractions!
June 25th, 2006 at 6:59 pm
What, no mention of Australia?
Seriously though, your roundup does suggest that SF would be the way to go if money was no object. So I guess the first question is whether the money/stress would outweigh your love of the city.
June 25th, 2006 at 7:55 pm
New York is a great city, I love it, but based on your chart, doesn’t Newcastle look the best?
Also, you should check out Toronto. It’s a great city; it’s very similar to New York, but a bit colder in the winter, and cheaper. That, and it has nationalized free public healthcare, like the UK.
June 25th, 2006 at 8:13 pm
Based on your reasons for moving and considering all the places I have lived–Washington, D.C., Portland, OR, Austin, TX, Albuquerque, Northern Nevada, Santa Fe and a couple of places in Europe–I recommend Austin. Though Austin is not on your list and it is unpleasantly hot in the summer, it is the most socially welcoming city I have ever lived in. People are friendly and interesting, well educated, well traveled and into everything. The cost of living is low, including housing prices. There are vibrant web, tech, and art scenes with an overall decent economy that supports entrepreneurs. I have been invited to parties, poetry slams and myriad other social events in line at the grocery store, waiting for the bus, at the public pool, walking my dog, etc. Until I left I did not realize how remarkable a place Austin is.
As a second place option, although I have never been there, I have heard that Dublin is also a very friendly city with a great social scene, strong economy and especially strong tech environment.
June 25th, 2006 at 8:18 pm
Australia, I can only talk about the western side.
Attractions:
Laid back Californian lifestyle, Californian/Mediterranean climate without the stress, people or smog.
Socialized medicine
Great local web community: http://port80.asn.au
Most isolated city in the world (which is good and bad)
Economy booming, which means house prices have gone mad, from US$60,000 five years ago to US$180,000 for a three bedroom house in a cheap suburb.
June 26th, 2006 at 2:11 am
Molly, you might want to try before you buy: http://www.canicrash.org/. Do a world tour and see what fits the best.
June 26th, 2006 at 2:45 am
Moving to England would be a nice change of scenery and a chance to build new business relationships as well as make new friends this side of the pond.
Being English, I am obviously bias, but it really isn’t that bad, although I do plan on moving to Spain within the next 10 years…a change of scenery, culture, language and a chance to build new relationships…
ps - Leeds and Manchester are very nice cities to live. The architecture is fantastic and the night life is excellent.
June 26th, 2006 at 3:26 am
I think you know which of your options I’d recommend. The one thing I’d say though is that you’ll get used to the cold in Newcastle .. and most people here aren’t mad enough to walk on the beach in winter. That was special for you
You have to remember, I used to live in Cape Town and Durban — both hot, only differing in humidity! Newcastle is fairly easy to adapt too and if your central heating is good you’ll be fine.
June 26th, 2006 at 3:46 am
Here in the UK there’s a saying “the people get nicer the further north you go”. As a born and bred southerner I’m ashamed to say that this really is true. My partner and I are mulling on the moving thing and we’ve decided that the people - and whether you feel comfortable around them and like you ‘fit in’ - are the number one thing. There are great people around down South where I am now (just north of Jon H), but often they seem drowned out by a lot of… Well, let’s just say much less pleasant people.
I’ve lived and worked in lots of different places here in the UK and I’d move like a shot to either Newcastle or Glasgow. I spent 3 years studying in Newcastle and it’s just brilliant. Down to earth, lively, cultured but not pretentous, socially diverse, 20 minutes drive from glorious countryside and only a couple of hours from the Scottish Highlands. It’s really not that cold (my sister lived in an unheated flat in Edinburgh for a year once - now *that’s* cold) and being on the east coast it doesn’t rain so much either.
As Jon says, Glasgow is also great. In fact the UK’s northern cities - Newcastle, Glasgow, Manchester, Leeds - all offer much of London’s cultural buzz at better prices and with (generally) nicer people.
UpMyStreet.com is handy for checking out specific areas with crime stats, local government info, house prices and more.
June 26th, 2006 at 4:02 am
Wow, what timing. I’m thinking of moving again soon.
London:
Lived there for over 15 years, loved it when I was younger but the noise and pollution got the better of me when I was trying to do serious work… car alarm hell to me now. Lovely place to visit, wouldn’t want to live there
Brighton:
Seriously though it’s a great place, a lot of media businesses down there. A really good mixed culture. Getting as expensive as London quite quickly if you want to be near the sea at all. I did enjoy my time there before I moved up to Cumbria.
Was excellent, then started to fill up with Londoners
Newcastle:
Never lived there, only visited so can’t comment.
If you did end up up north though you’d be most welcome to come and run away to the nurturing cumbrian mountains when you needed to. I’ll post another comment later with the picture of where I’m planning to move. It’s a lone house in a valley. A real rural idyll, but one that’s fitted with capacity for 8 phone lines. Peace, beauty and a whole heap of Broadband… Ahhhhhhhhhh.
June 26th, 2006 at 5:41 am
Canada for the win - Vancouver or Toronto are both short-listed cities in my emigration dream. Vancouver has the nod because it’s closer to Whistler, my personal snowboarding Mecca.
June 26th, 2006 at 6:03 am
Hello Molly,
First visit to the site after starting to read your book (fantastic by the way)
Anyway I live in the UK near Newcastle in a town called Washington. (DC got it from us lol)
It is a very historic and friendly town. Visit: http://www.washington.co.uk/washington_index.htm
Yes it can be a little cold during the winter, but as you will see it has much to offer.
COME LIVE HERE!!!
Kind regards
paulxxx
June 26th, 2006 at 6:18 am
As a Canadian living about 4 hrs from Toronto and 5 hrs from Ottawa, I would recommend either. As Joe stated, the winters in Ottawa are tougher than Toronto (colder and more snow but beautiful and with wonderful skating on a 5 mile/8 km stretch of frozen canal) but in Ottawa’s favour, it is smaller and much more attractive. In Toronto, you would get a milder winter (hotter and more humid summer) and a much more diverse community. Both have a strong and diverse health community (hospitals, medical schools, alternative treatments) and both
are within driving distance so we could meethave great communities of peoples.June 26th, 2006 at 6:30 am
If I could ditch reality I’d move somewhere tropical.
If I had to make a living I’d consider the NW area. I love how lush and green Oregon is. Living overseas would be a great expereince too, but I’m not sure I’d want it to be permanent.
Is the SE completely out of the question? I don’t know why but Asheville (NC) tends to attract people from New York, Ohio and Colorado. Before Asheville became a hip town, it was known as place where people came to get better. Today, Asheville has alternative therapists/doctors out the wazoo. The web/technical scene is still on the small side, but we have a thriving artist community. Parts of Asheville are also very Community oriented.
I talked my mom into retiring here and I’m slowing working on the rest of my friends that still live in the NE area.
June 26th, 2006 at 9:28 am
I second the vote for colorado. Very healthy state, relaxed, improving public transportation, beautiful mountains, wonderful downtown dining…
Also, more sunny days than San Diego.
June 26th, 2006 at 9:49 am
The north coast of Ohio is nice. We’re close to Cleveland which has a major international airport, Detroit, 5 hours from Chicago if you drive… The area is extremely tech-savvy and artistic. It’s close to everything, but out of the way enough to give you some peace and quiet if you need it.
June 26th, 2006 at 10:47 am
I’m disappointed Seattle didn’t make your list. I’ve worked with a number of NY transplants - you just have to choose the right area of the city. I’d be happy to show you around, or talk it over over the great coffee I still owe you, maybe when you’re here for Web Design World?
June 26th, 2006 at 11:04 am
Molly,
In the Mid Atlantic area Baltimore is a place to consider. It’s grown up nicely, is close to DC, Philly & NYC, has great food and a decent web design & development community not to mention it’s the home of John Waters and the annual Hon Fest!
Peter
June 26th, 2006 at 1:21 pm
If you are actually considering NM (USA) you might consider Albuquerque rather than Santa Fe. It’s less expensive, and only 45 minutes from Santa Fe. Still no water, though. A youngster like yourself probably doesn’t read the AARP magazine, but the last issue listed Las Cruces, NM as one of the nicest and most affordable places in the US.
June 26th, 2006 at 4:19 pm
What’s this? No mention of Boston?
If I was nauseatingly rich, I’d move to SF or London in a heartbeat. I also wouldn’t mind landing in Chicago at some point in my life.
June 26th, 2006 at 7:33 pm
Joe’s right about the Winters in Ottawa. Spring is fairly messy. And the Summers are friggin’ humid. I guess Autumn is nice.
What the hell am I doing here?
June 26th, 2006 at 7:39 pm
Northern VA. Hehe.
June 26th, 2006 at 8:10 pm
Hi Molly,
How bout good ole Canada.
British Columbia is beautiful and thriving.
June 26th, 2006 at 10:42 pm
Why anyone would want to live anywhere in the US other than the northeast is beyond me. Come home, Molly!
June 27th, 2006 at 1:33 am
Hi,
If London is on your list, consider Luton just north of London. There is a train into London that friends of mine use it every day and it works suprisingly well for them.
Next time you are in London get a train map and just see where the ineresting sounding places are on the outside of the M25.
Given your health issues, the socialised medicine may put a +1 into the UK column.
If you dont mind a longer commute maybe consider York.
All of this is based on “holiday” trips and where friends live rather than first hand experience.
And cold can be good, you get to wear really great hand knit jumpers.
thatch
June 27th, 2006 at 3:24 am
If UK, may I introduce Edinburgh, capital of Scotland? For me Edinburgh is like a London in small format and less crowdy. The architecture is beautiful, the Highlands give plenty of leisure, the climate is “not too hot and not too cold” and the people are friendly. Actually I do not know whether it is less, more or equal expensive as London, but I know E. is worth a visit.
June 27th, 2006 at 4:38 am
Hi Molly
Plenty of recommendations for Newcastle - I’ll add mine too. Its a great place and growing a good IT/web presence as the great IT migration continues from the south. Some of the most spectacular parts of the UK are within 2 hours drive. The coast is unspoilt and stunning, friendly people, good arts and music scene, and isn’t it just a little boring if the sun is shining all the time?
Its a great place to be alive in.
All the best
Peter
June 27th, 2006 at 4:52 am
Hi Molly! Have you ever consider Spain, Barcelona?
I would recomend you, i’m sure you would enjoy the place.
There is a good web scene, it`s very affordable, and sure
you quickly make new friends, or met someones.
June 27th, 2006 at 5:52 am
Newcastle is cold, outside, in a tshirt. It’s lovely and warm in coffee shops and bars with friends
I don’t need to sell it to you all over again… please grace us with yr presence! 
June 27th, 2006 at 7:37 am
Come now, Ottawa’s winters are not that bad. They build character and you’ve neglected to mention all the benefits, like fantastic skating on the world’s largest skating rink, snowshoeing or cross-country skiing in the Gatineaus, and downhill skiing not too far away - oh, and eating Beavertails! Not to mention how gorgeous the snow looks when it covers everything in a rich, white, velvety blanket.
We have a fantastic system of bike trails if you’re into running, biking, rollerblading, or even just walking - not to mention a great public transportation system. We have some gorgeous scenery, Parliament Hill probably being one of the best, many many museums, two large universities, great music and art festivals, and I could go on and on.
Ottawa is a great place to live!
June 27th, 2006 at 7:38 am
Hey Molly,
Sorry to hear that you might be leaving us here in lovely Tucson, although I’ve been thinking about moving myself for much different reasons. Personally for me I’ve found Tucson filled with wonderful and talented people in Web and programming (the JUG I helped start is one of the best because of the talented people here). My reason for moving has all about to do the summers, I am very tired of the heat (although I do love the monsoons, which unfortunately have been very weak these past few years). As for where I would like to move the two places on the top of my list are San Francisco (which I’ve already lived in and absolutely loved it) and Portland, OR (which I visited last summer and fell in love with it - it reminded me of SF so much).
Anyways, I hope you find a suitable place, moving can definitely re-energize you.
June 27th, 2006 at 11:52 am
I left my heart in San Francisco… (7 years ago)
June 27th, 2006 at 12:05 pm
I’ve delayed my response, as I have a bias as a Santa Fean.
That said, I think you should look at what your priorities are, and filter responses accordingly.
When I lived in Albuquerque, up until about ten years ago, I didn’t like it because “there wasn’t a there there.” That’s no longer true. Richard Florida’s ideas are alive and well there, and you wouldn’t have to drive an hour to get to an airport.
Health care in New Mexico isn’t going to be much better than in Tucson. For this reason, I’d look at what the Canadians are saying, especially re Vancouver and Victoria. Not as much snow as many U.S. cities, let alone Montreal. Doesn’t get too hot or too cold (Heat and humidity in summer bothered me more in QC and ON than BC). Pricey though.
If you put a priority on reducing stress, Santa Fe is relaxing to be sure. That also means that if a service person is scheduled to come on Tuesday, you’d better ask which Tuesday. Massage therapists everywhere, including students at the several schools.
Probably more good restaurants per capita than most cities anywhere.
Beautiful climate. We bitch and moan when the temperature nears 90 (usually 5-10 degrees cooler than Albuquerque. It might hit 100 once a year, 95 5-10 days total). It snows, but you rarely (once a year maybe) have to shovel it if you don’t live in the mountains.
Water. We don’t have it. On the other hand, we’re experts at not using it. The sight of a lawn is almost shocking, yet xeriscaping is mostly well done, rather than a yard of rocks that you sometimes see in drought-prone climes.
I know you have New Mexico clients, but I’m not sure how often you actually see them in person. The fact that you can’t fly most places non-stop may be a factor. Probably familiar to you in that Tucson is pretty much the same way. Free wifi throughout ABQ terminal though.
In a nutshell, what’s most important to you? Healthcare costs, existing/potential social network, population size/density, ease of travel access, political/social makeup, arts community, number of web geeks, need of your skills? Putting these in order of importance may help tip the scales in favor of a couple of finalists.
June 27th, 2006 at 12:25 pm
Molly. I just moved back to San Francisco last weekend. Starting over. Single with two young children. Sure, there’s some risk involved, but I feel so happy/alive again. That’s what important, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to go out with a whimper.
As for as other US cities… Portland is way, way cooler than San Francisco as far as cuisine, the arts, and beautiful people go (to the point where it’s almost embarrassing). But hey… if YOU moved to SF, it would totally even the score.
June 27th, 2006 at 12:35 pm
some where on the european continent i think is where i could see myself, although some advice; don’t come to scotland (im scottish and currently live in scotland) as the culture sucks.
don’t believe the stuff you read and hear about the culture, etc as the people are tired, deprived and over worked and their attitude shows that.
for me to say that as a scots man, i’m embarrassed but god, it’s the truth
anyway, where ever you end up, enjoy yourself and i hope it works out for you.
June 27th, 2006 at 6:36 pm
Molly,
I think Canada is the way to go.
While I currently live in Toronto, my heart lies on the East Coast, however, the economy there cannot support me, so I am planning on migrating within the next year or 2 to Vancouver. The central provinces just lack the geographical beauty of the coasts (which, having visited Tucson, I would miss if I was you).
But in terms of the web communities, either city (or Ottawa for that matter-except that winters there do suck), would be more than willing to welcome you with open arms.
June 28th, 2006 at 12:34 am
I was in the same shoes as you this year and I have to say it was a difficult for me to eliminate the options too. I was considering a broad list like yours: LA, SF, NY, Miami, London, Istanbul, Kiev anyways..
I concluded for myself that most cities are going to be expensive and that you need to make a choice based on your career prospects, and also “Visa” requirements of the country if you’re looking to go abroad.
So, London somewhat was out of question because of that but I would recommend London for the vibrant & international city life if you can get a visa.
Barcelona or Madrid are amazing cities with a healthy, balanced lifestyle for people of all ages but I don’t know about the business potential there. Again Visa is an issue, as an American you can only “live” there for 6 months, but not work.
So in the States..
Someone mentioned Austin in the comments, I was in Austin for SXSW. I found the city to be somewhat small, and spread-out, more suburban.. and the food variety was not too diverse, more tex-mex dominant in most restaurants it seemed like.
Seattle is a beautiful city, if you live in downtown, and it’s a lot of fun, but it rains a lot and that’s why I wanted to leave Seattle.
NY is too chaotic, big and expensive. Also, you have to eliminate all your basic belongings in a buddhist kind of way, no car, no nice apartment etc…
Miami is a bit too relaxed. It’s good for trade but not great for high-tech work.
LA is very nice. I wish I was in entertainment.
In the end, I moved down back to the Bay Area. It is expensive, but there is nowhere like here for social networking and meeting really international, interesting, diverse people. If you are a techie, this is pretty much the place to be imho.
When I retire, I’ll move to Brazil or Spain
June 28th, 2006 at 3:08 am
In my dreams, I’d move the a caribean island, I fell in love on my honeymoon (with the island, I was already in love with the guy I went with
) but practically, it wouldn’t work.
Out of your list, I think London would be first, and although I’ve never been there, SanFran is the american city that appeals the most to me, Chicago comes second…
I guess if you found a place out of the heart of London, in the suburbs, you would still have access to the “beat” of it, but you could return to a more peaceful neighbourhood. I love London as a city, my mother was born and raised there and has great memories of it.
Otherwise, for a good climate and above average healthcare, Toulouse (South West France) is a great city. there are plenty of internationals here, the Aeronautics industry is booming, and high tech businesses are developing fast. You have regular quick air-links to Paris, London, and many other european cities, plus world-wide connections of course. The city is beautiful and just the right size to have things going on but still be “human-sized”. And it beats Limoges hands down (but then the less-trendy suburbs of Calcutta probably beat Limoges too…)
Oh, and it’s got me, of course
(but don’t let that put you off !)
June 28th, 2006 at 6:48 am
Molly
I came to Portland 18 years ago on vacation. When I got back home in Southern California we put our home up for sale and moved here 3 months later.
As far as the Oregon Coast you might want to check out Cannon Beach on the web. It’s about 90 miles or so from Portland. The lifestyle is definitely one to envy over there.
Good luck on your search for a new city!
June 28th, 2006 at 8:38 am
I can’t blame you from wanting to leave the heat of Arizona. San Diego, my home town, is a lovely place to live. It’s less expensive the San Fran and L.A. and also has much better weather. It also has a taco shop on every corner which should be on all of our travel brochures.
I’m waiting for my chance to move to Paris. But I’d also look into Seattle, Vancouver, and go for San Francisco. It’s probably the best place for you and your peeps. Don’t worry about the cost of living, you can just plan on visiting your friends at Google for free lunch, follow Tech Crunch for the free dinner launch parties, and get your wardrobe free ala startup schwag.
June 28th, 2006 at 8:44 am
@Molly. I read once how you loved Tucson because of the wide open spaces. So if you moved to a dense city, you’d be leaving this behind. (Leading to possible feelings of claustrophobia?). I guess NY’s out then…
As for Newcastle, be warned that the British weather sucks! If you love long hot summers, well I’ve had to put my central heating back on this week, as it was so chilly! It’s not right for the time of year! Sometimes it’s like winter goes on forever, with summer occuring for only a few weeks, if you’re lucky. It can even snow in April or May!
Scotland suffers from the coldest weather, with snow often forecast, so I don’t fancy that myself. Whereas London gets the sweltering heat. Did they tell you we don’t have air-conditioning in many businesses? The weather’s simply not hot long enough to warrant it! A desk fan is an essential requirement.
Can’t beat the friendliness of the people in the UK of course. Not sure all of them love Americans though? Bush is much hated over here. (But then so is Prime Minister Tony Blair LOL).
As for Newcastle, would you be able to cope with the Geordie accent? Even Brits have trouble with that sometimes! It’s dead sexy on the women though! Ahem. And it’s true - the men have a reputation for walking round in t-shirts when it’s freezing. At least so I’ve heard. Something about proving how ‘hard’ they are?
June 28th, 2006 at 4:13 pm
How bout the great Lehigh Valley in Pennsylvania, 2hrs to New York City, 1 1/2 hrs to Philly…..
June 29th, 2006 at 6:28 am
There are places in London which are cheaper than you may actually think. Don’t rule out London till you check out some places outside of Central London.
Where ever you go, remember London loves Molly.
June 29th, 2006 at 7:46 am
I bet you’d love Seattle and I bet you’d really love Vancouver BC. Van is a great city, top on my list of places I’d like to live.
Oh, and don’t let the Pacific Northwest rain stuff deter you. It can get a bit gloomy here in the winter (although lots of folks like it for the first week or so) but I’m pretty sure we actually get more sun throughout the year than SF. July-October here is really nice.
June 29th, 2006 at 8:30 am
Hey Molly
I lived in Tucson for about 3 years and then just moved back to my hometown of Louisville Kentucky a few months ago. I am going to live in Kentucky while I finish getting my degree (software engineering).
I can agree with you that Tucson has wonderful open spaces, and fresh air. I absolutely loved the mountains surrounding the city. I enjoyed some of the hiking trails in the surrounding mountains. I did find some of the social groups in Tucson to be enjoyable, but then I found them to be lacking at times. It seems that most of the people that I’ve met who have lived in Tucson all of their lives are ready to move somewhere else, even if for a little while. Most of them say they are tired of the heat, but I think it has to do with wanting a change of scenery. I think humans are naturally more nomadic than we give ourselves credit for. I think it is fear and stress that makes people want to “settle down” so often.
I did website design during the last year or two while I was living in Tucson. I didn’t get a complete understanding of the web design scene there, but my limited impression was that it was lacking. In fact, I didn’t even know that someone such as yourself, who is prominent in the industry, lived in Tucson. That surprised me. I had read about various webdesign firms and individuals in Phoenix, but didn’t think that Tucson had much of a web design/development community at all.
That being said, I also had the impression that Tucson offered a lot of opportunity for web development business. There is a lot of uncharted territory in Tucson, lots of business to be had. Phoenix is crowded, and Tucson is like Phoenix’s forgotten younger brother (in terms of business).
I did move there because I enjoy warm weather, or that was one of the reasons. At times, the heat in late summer was difficult to take. However, one of the reasons why I left is due to the limited moisture. When I moved back to Kentucky, that is the one thing that gave me a sigh of relief. There is moisture in the air in Kentucky. People here complain about it being humid in the summer, but I have an appreciation for that. I don’t feel dehydrated here.
Oh, I also missed greenery. It was getting old looking at various shades of tan all of the time.
I won’t be living in Kentucky forever either. I’ll be scouring through the comments in your blog to get ideas about where I might want to live in a year or so, when I’m done getting my software engineering degree. A friend of mine (graphic designer) just moved to SF last year and she loves it. Sounds enjoyable, but expensive. I’ve heard good things about Canada in general, and northwest US (portland, etc). I’m not much of a cold-weather person though, so I don’t know about that. I guess if I’m making enough money, weather won’t play a huge role. I can plan visits to warmer climate. I enjoy travelling
Good luck!
June 29th, 2006 at 9:39 am
I think you should serioulsy consider Canada.
We have a more liberal society, and a much better worldwide reputation. Many foriegners love to hear that you are a “Canadian” when you travel!
Think about Vancouver BC perhaps …. and maybe taking on a protege …
Ohh and I am available if you make the intelligent choice to become a Canadian!
Corey
June 29th, 2006 at 10:48 am
(please don’t move to Santa Fe, you’re too awesome for that!)
I found you through ‘A List Apart’ - The splash page you did for ‘Kutztown University: Communication Design Department’ is just about my favorite ever. I’ve refreshed I don’t know how many times just to see the building draw in. =]
June 29th, 2006 at 11:54 am
I have to agree with Amanda - say no to Santa Fe (unless you really love the high desert). Santa Fe claims to be progressive, but when you live here, you find out its community is just as rigid and set-in-its-ways as the next place. Diversity of thought is a challenge. Plus, compared to other places on your list, it very 3rd world.
Don’t settle - go to your “favorite in the world.” San Francisco is horribly expensive, but if you love it there, you will find a way to make it work. Plus, you don’t have to live in the City to take advantage of the area’s amenities (in fact, I think many of the outlying communities are much nicer than the heart of downtown San Francisco).
June 29th, 2006 at 1:47 pm
Yeah, yeah, bias, but just remember. We have Belle and Herbs!
June 29th, 2006 at 1:54 pm
Mooly,
have enjoyed hearing you speak several times.
Please consider moving to Portland, Oregon in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. I’ve lived in San Francisco and Portland reminds me of it.
We are home to the first wiki and rapidly becoming the open source capital of the world. It’s also the silicon forest.
June 29th, 2006 at 3:48 pm
I live in Portland (OR), and I have to recommend it. We just got named as Most Chill City (ugh) for young creatives. As a middle-aged creative, it’s not a bad place to be for all the reasons already said, and the high tech economy has really picked up. My complaints about it are that it’s lily-white, perhaps too laid back, and public education is failing.
If I had to move anywhere, I’d go to Vancouver BC or Toronto. Toronto is more urban, Vancouver more laid-back, both just remarkably sweet.
Oh, and we have Good Dog/Bad Dog, as well as even better hot dog stands here!
June 29th, 2006 at 4:12 pm
Portland! I just returned from three months in my beloved New York City, and it’s great to be home. There are a *lot* of transplanted New Yorkers here, and while I appreciate Seattle, I think Portland’s overall vibe is much friendlier to East Coasters.
Plus, I live on half what I lived on in the Bay Area (ditto Brooklyn) — and get a lot more out of it. I highly recommend Northwest Portland; people will tell you it’s snooty, but the density makes it an exceptionally nice place for a habitual pedestrian, the streetcar is wonderful, and you can get a great place for much less than you’d pay for a crummy one in the Bay Area.
Then again, if I move, it’ll probably be to Helsinki, so what do I know?
June 30th, 2006 at 4:26 am
Come to London - if only for a short while!
July 1st, 2006 at 12:30 am
What about Hawaii?
July 2nd, 2006 at 10:23 pm
Molly - I lived in Tucson/Phx for over eight years. It was the weather that drove me there and in the end it was the weather that drove me out for good (during my last summer there my water bill was over $200 - goodbye). On a whim, I moved to Portland, OR and 1.5 years later I don’t miss AZ one bit. When people ask me why I came to Portland, my answer is “water, culture, and freedom”.
In Tucson, I lived near the U of A/4th Ave area, a pretty small pocket of culture and activity in a vast suburban sprawl of generic strip malls and cookie-cutter housing developments. In Portland the entire downtown area is booming and alive day and night, brewpubs galore, coffeeshops, awesome live music scene, a big creative/art community, a feisty bicycle community, and the best public transportation system I’ve ever seen. We’re also the most wired city in the US - you can pick up a free wifi signal almost anywhere.
About the weather: rain. Last January it rained for 28 straight days (can we say All Summer In A Day?) and there was one snow/ice storm. However, the winters are not extremely cold and the grass and flowers grow year round. Summers are perfect.
I’ll also add that there is a huge California migration moving here and housing prices are skyrocketing ridiculously. Homes in my neighborhood in NoPo, which ten years ago was an urban ghetto, are now literally selling for $400-500K. If you rent, like I do, you can get a nice 3br house for about $1K a month, and shared with a roommate it works out quite well.
However, if you have the opportunity and ability to move out of the country, do it. Canada and UK are both tops on my list.
July 2nd, 2006 at 11:36 pm
What about Madagascar?
July 3rd, 2006 at 5:44 am
I thought the obvious choice would be Wales?
Come on over, get out of the city and take a deep breath of fresh air.
July 3rd, 2006 at 12:23 pm
One more vote for Toronto…socialized medicine, public transit, winters are pretty mild…and the Stones practice for each tour here.
July 3rd, 2006 at 9:17 pm
I like Brisbane, Australia. I lived in Middlesbrough near Newcastle for most of my life and wouldnt go back for quids. Brisbane is like living in a city without living in a city if you know what I mean, 25-30 degrees C most of the year and is much cheaper than anywhere in the UK. Oh, and the fresh fruit & veg is actually fresh here too.
July 4th, 2006 at 4:34 am
Hi Molly,
First of all, I have looked over your list of places to live, and it is not bad for beginners. But every time, I get into a discussion where to live best, it turns into a fundamental discussion about who you are. You will have to find a place with which you can identify, where the costs of living are affordable, and where you can work. To get all three of theses things under one cover is not an easy task.
For myself, I have lived from 1994 until 2004 in the US and found many places I just plain and simply love. But that I love them not necessarily means that I want to live there and work there. Anyway, to make this short, I have found a place where I always like to come back to. I like to work there, the cost of living match the income you can make there, and I can identify with it; and most of all, that country is not even on your list.
Since I am originally from Germany and I am living there right now, I was tempted to give you a few city names in Germany, but I believe there would be a little language problem. Anyway it is not the place I was thinking about anyway.
My suggestion in this matter for you is Toronto, Canada. If you haven’t been there in the last 2 years, it is worth a trip. Spend some time there and check out the folks there. You can’t get it more colorful.
I hope you will find a place matching you, and I even hope more you will have fun searching for it.
Alex …
July 4th, 2006 at 1:52 pm
Hey, Montana isn’t such a bad place! Pros: Cheap housing (almost as cheap as Kellog, ID); no neighbors; Wildlife; No traffic. Cons: Little-to-no economy;
I live in Central Montana, outside of Great Falls, and as a student, it isn’t bad. Great Falls and the surrounding areas are fairly cheap, but Bozeman, Missoula, and Billings are more expensive (California retirees). Population Wise:
| West | Central | East|
| +++ | ++ | 0 |
Yeah, Montana has over 50 counties too, since there are few large towns in the east.
July 4th, 2006 at 2:09 pm
*SPLUTTER*
NEWCASTLE, COME TO NEWCASTLE!!!
Heck, you can live in my shed! Actually *I’LL* live in my shed! You can have my house!
Come to Newcastle! It’s lovely, and we know how to drink beer properly! London, phff!
July 4th, 2006 at 7:18 pm
What about my place?
July 5th, 2006 at 3:27 am
Why not Cardiff, the capital city of Wales? Lots of history and culture. Lots of green spaces and the shiny new Cardiff Bay. Lots of ongoing investment by the Welsh Assembly Government. The civic centre is stunning. Brains (the city’s brewery) brews a decent pint (try Dark). The new Doctor Who is made here. I’d move here if I didn’t already live here.
Just don’t buy a house is Splott.
July 5th, 2006 at 4:43 am
I’m moving to New York in the next few months, so feel free to make the move with me!
July 5th, 2006 at 7:28 am
Hello Molly,
While surfing on bloggers for some answers, I came across your link, and then your site. Very intersting.
I am guessing you’re not particularly cold-hardy, but Chicago is at least worth a visit. Okay, maybe not in February. But that’s what O’Hare Airport is for — portals to everywhere…
The city is looking gorgeous these days. The new Millennium Park with its Frank Gehry bandshell and wonderful “Bean” sculpture by Anish Kapoor (http://www.millenniumpark.org/artandarchitecture/cloud_gate.html
has revitalized downtown. (the “Bean’s” real name is “Cloudscape,” but it looks like a bean, so that’s what the peaple call it… Personally, I’d like to plant it to see if we could get some more of those fine beans…)
There’s a lot of good art, good music, good theater, good people and great food here. Mostly, though, it’s Lake Michigan that makes the city stand out. There is something magical about being able to walk from the urbanist of urbans across a street onto a beach with a horizon of forever. The line between Big City and Big Nature is a few yards. It’s even wonderful in winter, when the waves stack up ice chunks to the height of little glaciers on the shoreline.
And in the lemonade out of lemons category, as the earth heats up, living next to 20% of the world’s surface freshwater has its moments…
At the very least, come out for a presentation somewhere, sometime. The School of the Art Institute, Columbia College, a trade event — there’s got to be something that would bring you this way…
btw, I never did find the answer to my question on blogger. It’s pretty simple, I think. Some of my posts are article length (I do a lot of science writing) and I’d like to be able to print a teaser paragraph on the homepage, then link to another page with the full post. Is this possible on blogger? It seems that if I don’t post the whole shebang on the home page, it won’t archive.
cheers & best,
Janet
July 5th, 2006 at 7:31 am
*laughs* I’m sorry, I just can help but gape in astonishment at $165,000 for a 500 sqft apartment being referred to as a ’steal’ in one of the posts above. I know cost of living is different around the U.S., but sometimes it’s just still surprising. I live in San Antonio, Texas (bout an hour from Austin), and that would get you… oh, about 2500 sqft and plenty of yard space.
However, as much as I love my city … I wouldn’t suggest moving to it unless you plan to be in Austin alot. San Antonio just doesn’t have much of a tech industry at all. I will be utterly jealous if you move to the U.K. though.
July 5th, 2006 at 7:58 am
Come over here! Still owe you Hello Kitty waffles and it would be great ot have you around here (selfish reasons of course)
July 6th, 2006 at 9:50 am
hi molly,
london is simultaneously fantastically exciting place to live and quite tiring and stressful. people say southerners are unfriendly, but i find that my social circle is so ridiculously multinational and multicultural that this is not an issue, generally. rent IS expensive, but you’d earn enough for a decent place, easily. I love London, but actually live in Cambridge at the moment, which is another option to consider…45 minutes on train, quiet, green and beautiful, much less knife crime.
. having said all that, given the choice, i would live in vancouver. most wonderful city on earth. a little remote from everywhere else, perhaps, but i’m never happier than when i touch down in van again (my wife is from there). you should at the very least make a trip up to see for yourself how ubercool it is! toronto is also very pleasant, lived there 7 months. gets quite cold…newcastle, meh. manchester is extremly cool, my cousin lives there and i go regularly and always have an amazing time. avoid luton. it’s a ‘crap town’ 
July 7th, 2006 at 4:14 pm
How about Oakland? Cheaper than SF and just a quick BART ride into the city. Even still, it is pretty expensive compared to most places. I moved from NY and lived in SF for 5 years and in the east bay (berkeley then oakland) for the past 11 years. There is really no place in the world I would rather be (except maybe amsterdam. or london.)
July 8th, 2006 at 7:54 am
I’ll second Cindy’s nomination, we’d love to have you here in the nation’s capitol! There’s plenty of things going on here and lots of work. And apparently Hello Kitty waffles!
July 9th, 2006 at 1:55 am
Did you ever think of Barcelona? Really nice weather, and there’s also sunlight in the winter -something you would miss in Northern Europe-. For working, there’s a growing web scene -a Yahoo research Center, lots of companies…-, and passion for design and architecture. and social benefits. And since you have to travel a lot, Barcelona has good connections to the world. Now I’m living in Madrid, chaotic and expensive city but I’m sure it will get better or, I’ll get back to Barcelona.
Molly, I suggest you consider seriously Barcelona.
July 10th, 2006 at 7:57 am
Come and live in Newcastle. I’ll buy you a pint!
July 10th, 2006 at 10:55 am
Hey Ya, Molly, ya’ all right?
From SE Wisconsin, who lived in the UK from 2000 - 2002.
Chester (Cheshire) is the cat’s ass. In the NW, near and accessable to everything. Fine mix of posh and country. The people are great, the weather is great, the food is great, the beer is great.
My advise is wherever you end up, be a local. So if you move to Britain, be a Brit; not an American living in Britain.
Cheers!
July 10th, 2006 at 11:50 pm
Another vote for Ottawa.
Yes, the winters are harsh sometimes but it’s just a great city. Great museums, great architecture, great little cafes, great hockey team. Oh, and the great Rideau canal.
July 11th, 2006 at 2:21 pm
[…] I was over at molly.com reading about how she’s looking for a new city to live in. I’ve been having similar thoughts lately. I’ve thought about Calgary, Toronto, Portland and New York. I haven’t been to any of these cities, other than a few layovers in the Toronto airport. […]
July 12th, 2006 at 6:14 pm
I’d like to suggest the beautiful Nova Scotia on the Canadian Atlantic coast. Winter tends to be “short” in terms of cold and snow (January-March) and summer can be very warm in July and August (90F’s) providing a range of pleasing climate conditions. The people are friend;y and the cost of living modest.
July 13th, 2006 at 3:35 pm
Molly,
Sorry for being a little late to the party, but my computer died and I had to replace it with a new MacBook.
ERNesbitt said above that the North Coast (Northeast Ohio) was a nice area. How true, how true. And you’ve been here, you know some of the folks here (like Eric and myself, as well as a few others — so you know you have friends here), and this area is probably the least expensive area in the US in which to live.
For what you do, I can’t believe that you actually left us off the list…
July 24th, 2006 at 8:57 am
What? No CT in the East Coast line-up? We’d love to have you closer Molly.
July 28th, 2006 at 8:09 am
I’d say, “Molly… go to Singapore.” You will never be cold… the temperatures there are hot, hotter, and grab-a-pitchfork. The island is beautiful and the culture revolves around eating good food. I was being paid US dollars while there which about tripled at the time.
Another choice is Bali. A friend owns a software company there… and on my last visit, $100 US money became over a quarter-million in Rupiah. My only qualm is the possibility that al-Quaeda might blow something up over there… but hey, I can retire there and even if all I use is my social security money… assuming it will still exist by then… I will be a multi-millionaire in the local economy.
July 28th, 2006 at 8:10 am
I’d recommend Singapore. You will never be cold… the temperatures there are hot, hotter, and grab-a-pitchfork. The island is beautiful and the culture revolves around eating good food. I was being paid US dollars while there which about tripled at the time. Another choice is Bali. A friend owns a software company there… and on my last visit, $100 US money became over a quarter-million in Rupiah. My only qualm is the possibility that al-Quaeda might blow something up over there… but hey, I can retire there and even if all I use is my social security money… assuming it will still exist by then… I will be a multi-millionaire in the local economy.
August 4th, 2006 at 8:36 am
So Molly, have you decided yet? Or was this all a cunning ploy to get people to say “come and live here, it’s great, I’ll live in the shed etc”? If by some bizarre reason you make the wrong decision and aren’t coming to Newcastle, then I’ll still wish you all the best etc, but I’ll not be able to show you round the many many bars.
Yeah, ok, so sometimes it’s cold. But sometimes it’s hot too. We get actual weather, variable throughout the year, rather than a single climate all year round. And you know what, I like that…
Plus we’re loud, sometimes brash, and talk a lot, and like spending time in pubs. Do you think you’d fit in?
August 14th, 2006 at 9:44 am
Hey Molly, dont know if you got the chance to check out Durham City on your travels. Its just south of Newcastle, (great big catherdrale, lovely castle etc). Historic place, friendly people, great nightlife…Ah, Im going to move home.
November 7th, 2006 at 5:01 am
Would love to hear more about living in Cambridge, UK from Rik Abel or anyone else who has lived there. Molly, I lived in London for 4 years when I was younger and am heading back that way next year. Now that I have a family, I’m considering Cambridge but working in London or alternatively living and working in York. London is expensive but usually the wages are higher than in other parts and as long as you live like a local (for example don’t eat beef steak so often, but rather chicken or pork) then you might find that it is quite affordable. It’s very diverse and if you like the vibe then you can probably find somewhere that you like to settle in London - it has something for everyone. As Samuel Johnson said to Boswell when Boswell was considering moving to London from Scotland “Why, Sir, you find no man, at all intellectual, who is willing to leave London. No, Sir, when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford”!
December 24th, 2006 at 1:45 pm
Molly:
I moved to Santa Fe from Los Angeles, also thinking it was “medium expensive”. Here’s what I found: Cost of living about the same in LA, real estate a little bit lower (but not necessarily reasonable), salaries drastically lower. If you’re going to make your money somewhere other than Santa Fe, it might work!
Albuquerque has ended up being a better place for me, both financially and socially — it’s an open, friendly place that’s growing in interesting ways.
Sophie
April 8th, 2007 at 3:13 pm
i suggest you Nottingham.a perfect city and very easy to live.
April 9th, 2007 at 6:30 am
i think dublin is the best city to live.
April 12th, 2007 at 3:32 pm
hi molly ; have you ever been in Barcelona ? i am sure you like barcelona. give a chance to live in barcelona
June 25th, 2007 at 2:41 am
I’d have to say that I’m moving to Vancouver for my new job and I’m really looking forward to it! I found a site that I really liked and gave me a bunch of pretty good info that the company and friends didn’t/couldn’t whatever…
Just as long as they don’t expect me to say “eh” every second word, they and I should be all right!
Have a look at the sit www.whyvancouver.com
Will
August 8th, 2007 at 12:08 pm
I couldn’t understand some parts of this article Where to Live Next, but I guess I just need to check some more resources regarding this, because it sounds interesting.
August 17th, 2007 at 6:45 pm
As a child moved every year or two, to Alaska, Virginia, New Jersey, Ohio, California, back and forth to Kansas several times….later as a young adult lived in Boston, New York, a lovely single year in London…and geography is everything. Everything. It contains all chance, all magic, all possibility. There is no move I have regretted. Only having stayed too long in places. Would give anything to live again in U.K. with my husband and sons…don’t know how one goes around the Home Office regulations and limitation….those rules sent me home once when I wanted terribly to never leave. Now live in New York….finding it dank and unhappy. Go where people have poetry in their voices and their thoughts. London, they do…and in mountainous places.
September 22nd, 2007 at 5:57 pm
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September 22nd, 2007 at 5:57 pm
dinle
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October 23rd, 2007 at 7:34 pm
Molly, tell, when are you going to decide where to live? We are all checking back now and then to see where fate or whim or luck has taken you.
October 30th, 2007 at 4:16 am
hi
great post
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ui was ein blog
besucht auch mal http://www.weltbekannt.org/links/
Danke
December 6th, 2007 at 10:41 am
Molly? Molly? Molly?
January 29th, 2008 at 12:56 pm
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