# If you had to move to a new city —one you haven't lived in before —where would you go? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 9, 2015, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-to-move-to-a-new-city-one-you-havent-lived-in-before-where-would-you-go/734077 "2015-10-09T21:28:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2015, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-to-move-to-a-new-city-one-you-havent-lived-in-before-where-would-you-go/734077/41 "2015-10-10T23:40:17Z")
Melbourne, Victoria. It seems sort of San Francisco-like, as compared to Sydney, which is more Los Angeles-like (in my imagination). If within the US, then Portland, Seattle or Honolulu. It has to be a place with good weather and liberal politics. That eliminates most of the rest of the US, since I’ve lived in both Northern and Southern California and therefore can’t choose those places. ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2015, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-to-move-to-a-new-city-one-you-havent-lived-in-before-where-would-you-go/734077/42 "2015-10-10T23:44:55Z")
Cape May, NJ ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2015, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-to-move-to-a-new-city-one-you-havent-lived-in-before-where-would-you-go/734077/43 "2015-10-10T23:59:27Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Is the hypothetical going to pay my rent from now on? Because that will be the deciding factor. And I seriously doubt the hypothetical can get me a comparable job _with comparable seniority._ If the hypothetical can be trusted to find comparable housing and handle all the moving logistics, I’m trusting it to find me a job that I’m comparatively competent at and allows me a comparable financial lifestyle with comparable opportunities for advancement. It’s a really resourceful hypothetical. First answer, Venice. After that, Dunedin (New Zealand) or Seoul. If I were to stay in the US, probably San Diego. ---
**Author:** ![kayT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayt/32/3633_2.png) [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2015, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-to-move-to-a-new-city-one-you-havent-lived-in-before-where-would-you-go/734077/44 "2015-10-11T00:06:31Z")
We did this; moved to Austin TX. Nobody paid our moving expenses though. Sigh. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2015, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-to-move-to-a-new-city-one-you-havent-lived-in-before-where-would-you-go/734077/45 "2015-10-11T00:25:46Z")
Let’s see… It should be a cool/cold spot with a Major League Baseball team. Some culture would be nice, too. Toronto, Boston and Seattle all appeal to me. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2015, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-to-move-to-a-new-city-one-you-havent-lived-in-before-where-would-you-go/734077/46 "2015-10-11T00:59:41Z")
Port Sanilac, MI. right on the water, and with a population of 623 I wouldn’t have to worry about being around people. > [@astorian](#): > > Some culture would be nice, too. by which you surely mean “some culture different than what I’m used to,” right? ---
**Author:** ![Mudshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Mudshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mudshark)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2015, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-to-move-to-a-new-city-one-you-havent-lived-in-before-where-would-you-go/734077/47 "2015-10-11T07:11:35Z")
Its a tough call between New Orleans, Pahrump, Nevada, or any of the small towns along the Outer Banks. New Orleans was my first pick,I’ve always liked the city. I like the Outer Banks a lot, when I’ve visited. Pahrump, because it appeals to the part of me that likes the desert, the Area 51 connection, and I saw a house (similarly sized to what I live in now, but on 600 acres for sale not long ago. OP stated comparable house…not comparable land.) ---
**Author:** ![Mudshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Mudshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mudshark)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2015, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-to-move-to-a-new-city-one-you-havent-lived-in-before-where-would-you-go/734077/48 "2015-10-11T07:21:04Z")
Its a tough call between New Orleans, Pahrump, Nevada, or any of the small towns along the Outer Banks. New Orleans was my first pick,I’ve always liked the city. I like the Outer Banks a lot, when I’ve visited. Pahrump, because it appeals to the part of me that likes the desert, the Area 51 connection, and I saw a house (similarly sized to what I live in now, but on 600 acres for sale not long ago. OP stated comparable house…not comparable land.) ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2015, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-to-move-to-a-new-city-one-you-havent-lived-in-before-where-would-you-go/734077/49 "2015-10-11T07:52:03Z")
Love New York City and Tokyo. Those would make the cut. Santa Fe, New Mexico would be another contender. I’ve lived in Albuquerque but not Santa Fe. Spent many wonderful hours in Santa Fe. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2015, 7:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-to-move-to-a-new-city-one-you-havent-lived-in-before-where-would-you-go/734077/50 "2015-10-11T07:56:39Z")
I don’t want to live in a city, so I guess I would try to choose the most un-city-like city I could find. Any suggestions? ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2015, 9:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-to-move-to-a-new-city-one-you-havent-lived-in-before-where-would-you-go/734077/51 "2015-10-11T09:21:09Z")
London. somewhere the equivalent of where I live now would be a 5 bed semi-detached house within 3 miles of the city centre, easy access to trains and close to the Uni, with a bohemian kind of flavour. ---
**Author:** ![epbrown01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ba0ec/32.png) [@epbrown01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown01)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2015, 9:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-to-move-to-a-new-city-one-you-havent-lived-in-before-where-would-you-go/734077/52 "2015-10-11T09:35:08Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > I don’t want to live in a city, so I guess I would try to choose the most un-city-like city I could find. Any suggestions? I haven’t been yet, but L.A. is often described as just sprawl with no city at its core. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2015, 9:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-to-move-to-a-new-city-one-you-havent-lived-in-before-where-would-you-go/734077/53 "2015-10-11T09:53:17Z")
That’s kinda how i moved to Seattle. i had visited for business, my family had never visited Seattle nor ever lived in the US before ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2015, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-to-move-to-a-new-city-one-you-havent-lived-in-before-where-would-you-go/734077/54 "2015-10-11T11:07:17Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > Love New York City and Tokyo. Those would make the cut. > > Santa Fe, New Mexico would be another contender. I’ve lived in Albuquerque but not Santa Fe. Spent many wonderful hours in Santa Fe. Tokyo makes me think of Kyoto. That would be a pleasant choice too. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2015, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-to-move-to-a-new-city-one-you-havent-lived-in-before-where-would-you-go/734077/55 "2015-10-11T11:12:02Z")
OK. Stockholm, I think ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2015, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-to-move-to-a-new-city-one-you-havent-lived-in-before-where-would-you-go/734077/56 "2015-10-11T11:43:15Z")
If this happened in my real life, I expect we’d pick the Tampa MSA. For the past 17 years, we’ve lived in the DC exurbs, up near my folks, and part of the deal was that anytime she wanted to jump on a plane and visit her family, she could. So I figure that if the gods forced us to move out of the DC area, she’d say it’s her turn, and we’d move near her folks in eastern Hillsborough County, and I’d be the one with carte blanche to hop on a plane and visit my folks. The main reason we’ve never considered it is that we’d have a tough time finding comparable jobs down there, and the schools aren’t nearly as good, so we’d have to pay for private schooling for the Firebug. But since the OP assumes the former, we could handle the latter. ---
**Author:** ![Kenm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2015, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-to-move-to-a-new-city-one-you-havent-lived-in-before-where-would-you-go/734077/57 "2015-10-11T15:20:39Z")
> [@amarinth](#): > > If the hypothetical can be trusted to find comparable housing and handle all the moving logistics, I’m trusting it to find me a job that I’m comparatively competent at and allows me a comparable financial lifestyle with comparable opportunities for advancement. It’s a really resourceful hypothetical. The hypothetical could skip all the annoying red tape and simply give me $5 million. What the hell. Make it $10 million. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2015, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-to-move-to-a-new-city-one-you-havent-lived-in-before-where-would-you-go/734077/58 "2015-10-11T15:36:10Z")
How far up the coast from San Diego do I have to go before I’m outside of the metropolitan statistical area? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![GrumpyBunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bc8723/32.png) [@GrumpyBunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrumpyBunny)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2015, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-to-move-to-a-new-city-one-you-havent-lived-in-before-where-would-you-go/734077/59 "2015-10-11T15:40:39Z")
One of the towns in Surrey, England, will do nicely. (Hey, I have to meet my well-to-do husband-to-be somewhere.) I need a condo with washer/dryer, please. Also lots of sunny windows. And covered parking/garage for my car. Bonus: just move my job to my employer’s London Office. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2015, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-to-move-to-a-new-city-one-you-havent-lived-in-before-where-would-you-go/734077/60 "2015-10-11T15:44:00Z")
> [@epbrown01](#): > > I haven’t been yet, but L.A. is often described as just sprawl with no city at its core. Ugh. Thanks, but not the kind of un-city-ness I really meant. I really want something that has the feel of a leafy village, so, yeah, I think I’m going to say Stockholm, or something like that. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-to-move-to-a-new-city-one-you-havent-lived-in-before-where-would-you-go/734077.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-to-move-to-a-new-city-one-you-havent-lived-in-before-where-would-you-go/734077.md?page=4)