As the Grand Poo-bah of this thread, I declared myself above the fray.
However, as long as you asked:
I have pretty much run out of places here in the States as you might note from my location. Other than my small hometown in Illinois, I actually liked every place I have ever lived, so that makes it even more difficult. But if I had to leave Las Vegas, and stay in the States, I think I would like to return to NYC. But I would be Mr. Grumpy during the winters there…
As far as leaving the US, again - I loved Berlin and could move back there in a minute with no hesitation (other than those damned winters again.) But for sheer adventure in going where I have never gone, I think I might like to try Thailand or Indonesia…they both seem to be beautiful (and warm) countries.
Don’t ever bring up that issue of (Oakland and San Fran being the same metro area) while drinking in a bar anywhere in the Oakland city limits. There are many citizens of Oakland who tend to mightily resent what they consider conflation of the two cities.
Besides, {having lived in Oakland for several years once) – anyone can see that they’re two different burgs. Look on a map. Different counties, different area codes, different sides of the bay, different ends of the bridge, different baseball teams…
Somewhere warm, hot even, not prone to great weather or geologic calamity. New Mexico, Arizona come to mind. Not far from a major city though.
A small island somewhere in the middle of a big ocean. Of course, there will be hurricane/earthquake/tsunami protection on my imaginary island. If I HAVE to pick a real place, I’d be somewhere in Central America - Costa Rica most likely.
In country: San Luis Obispo, CA. I went to college there, and probably would have stayed if there had been any decent jobs (a large number of the students want to stay around–it’s that nice a place).
Out of country: England. Probably somewhere around Salisbury. Wales is nice too, but just a tad too remote for me to want to live in the parts I’ve been to.
I think I could be happy in a lot of places that are reasonably pretty, not too urban/densely populated, and well connected to the internet.
I currently live in Santa Fe, though I grew up right outside of Philadelphia.
Phoenix. I haven’t ever even been there, but I like really big cities, and Phoenix is one of the most affordable big cities in the country. Bonus: Desert! I love the southwest.
London, in a heartbeat. I hope to go to grad school there and eventually, given the right luck and alignment of the planets and properly-placed bribes, settle there. I lived there for six months and it felt like home. I love that it has such a rich history, I love how busy it is but that it’s still clean, I love that there is always, always something to do, even if it’s 11 PM on a Sunday night and you’re broke. I love the big open parks and the impossibly busy streets and the little tucked-away hidden places. I love the mix of people and colors and languages. It’s one of the most expensive cities in the world, but it’s worth every single penny.
A word of warning about that. You’e right as far as tropical Australia goes, but if you want to head to the south or south-east (where most of the population is), we do have crappy winters. Yes, I realise this sounds like a presumptuous thing to tell a Canadian! Sure, you won’t be digging your car out of the snow or anything, but our winters are crappy in a different way. It’s not an extreme temperature, but more a matter of bleakness. We don’t do “cosy” very well. For some reason, Australians are in denial that it gets cool here, and we have the flimsy buildings and poor heating to show for it. Ten degrees Centigrade (yes, tht’s plus not minus) can be downright miserable in Sydney or Melbourne, if you’re trying to get the kids off to school, catching public transport to work when the rain is horizontal, etc, especially if you live in a fibreboard house with gaps in the windows and maybe a $20 heater from K mart as your only heating. No basements, double glazing, or furnaces here - and we arguably need the things sometimes.
given the overseas, the Amalfi Coast in Italy. Have not been there in over 25 years, but have the faith that if the previous few centuries haven’t changed it much…
1. Where would you move to in your home country? Somewhere I haven’t lived yet. I like new places. 2. Which country would you move to if you had to leave your own? Someplace not hot, and preferably not “developing” or whatever the Third World is called now, but I’d find something to like about almost anywhere.
For just a while, though. I’m not ready to settle down yet.
I like my rural corner of New Jersey and my house and tracts of land. Like many Jerseyites I have resigned myself to the fact that I will not be able to live here after I retire due to the high cost of living. I’ll probably have to move somewhere south.
Ignoring that first part about the money, if I had to live in another country it would either be somewhere near London or in Germany. Probably Heidelberg.
Jackson, Wyoming, and Missoula, Montana, were my alternate foreign picks. Jackson for the skiing (although paddling that short bit of the Snake between the parks in the spring when it is closed to rafts is a blast), Missoula for the paddling (and the après-paddle hot springs), and both close to nature. Thus my pick ended up Ketchum, Idaho, from which both are more or less accessible. I wanna go-go-go to Idaho-ho-ho, but with Montana and Wyoming on the way, getting there is half the fun!
