I’ve been to San Francisco. IIRC, I was born there. Personally, I have no desire to ever live there, and if I wanted to live in the Bay Area, my first choice would be Oakland.
But comparing it to a favela is pretty ludicrous. I’ve been in slums (I don’t think they’re called favelas in Spanish-speaking countries) in Colombia that looked like pictures I’ve seen of favelas in Brazil and there really is no comparison.
This would never work for me. I would inch up on them until they GTFO of my goddamn way. Or I’d call the cops and have a fucking battle of wills and hopefully get him arrested for loitering or intoxication or some shit.
ETA: Kolga, that’s definitely true. Most places don’t outlaw a member of my family, though.
Well, good luck with that, but I don’t think any SF cops are going to come running because mr homeless dude won’t get out of your parking place. Although they will roll if you run him over.
Seriously, at some point you have to get out of the car and walk past him and his pals. How pissed off do you want to make him before you 1. face him in person and 2. leave your car on the street with him?
As far as I’m concerned it’s $2 well spent: Hey Jimmy, keep and eye on it for me eh? Heh, yeah boss, no problem. And we’re all a happy little urban neighborhood.
It is funny, and maybe just because I lived there, but I actually consider Atlanta the opposite of this. It is a nice place to live (especially the downtown or midtown area), but I wouldn’t want to go there a tourist, there aren’t a whole lot of non-tacky attractions.
The short version, cultural clash, but one which affects not only me, not only foreigners in Switzerland, but even Swiss moving from one part of the country to another (and this doesn’t apply only to the location where I was, from what I heard the “you’re not from around here, you can never understand” was the default pretty much anywhere except Zurich and Geneva). In the words of a German coworker who was leaving in a huge huff, “these Swiss are more German than us Germans!”
Turning anything into a game of 20 questions until the answer can be given as “
yes! :)”, a dread of anything which smacks of “questioning authority”, general unhelpfulness… the amounts and quality vary by linguistic group and location. My mother and brother spent a couple of days in Zurich before I joined them there: they were on a guided tour and when the guide heard which town I was working in, she knew who for. People from that particular location are nice as all get-go to tourists but if you’ve moved in to work… oy vey 
I’d have to say that any large city I’ve ever visited qualifies as “nice to visit, but wouldn’t want to live there.” Toronto, Detroit, San Diego, San Francisco, Mexico City, Chicago, Cologne, Paris, Frankfurt and so on. Heck, I’d not want to live in any ubranized area of any city regardless of its size.
But enough with the city bashing. There are lots of non-city places that I’ve visited and loved that I’d not choose live at, but very few that I’d refuse to live at. I think I’d refuse Las Vegas and the surrounding area, and I’d refuse anything in northern Mexico right now.
Moe, I’ve got no beef with this way of life. but I have no desire to lead it. I have several friends who love San Francisco, and they’re all great people, but on this point we differ. Nice place to visit, but I wouldn’t put up with the above every day.
I hear you. It must be kind of nice not to have to put up with that kind of thing on a regular basis. I think living in the burbs would make me crazy though, any burbs.
Mediocre food? There’s more Michelin starred restaurants in London than in any other city barring Paris and Tokyo!
The EU’s bigger than the US :dubious:
Oh, I understand that. When I visit my brother out in his subdivision, I don’t understand how he can live. Nothing’s in walking distance, there’s no organic sense to the place, no neighborhood. No interest in living there.
Now, there are some *older *communities around here that have basically been swallowed by the city and turned into suburbs, and they can be pretty cool.
I don’t doubt that for a minute - however, I am not a member of the Royal Family and do not have the budget to go to those fine establishments. Just my opinion, but normal “pub food” is disgusting. Yes, some inexpensive Indian food, but otherwise - London is anything but a culinary treat for the average person who does not have gold bars tucked away in a safe somewhere.
Someone to “keep an eye on it”? Sounds like a modern-day mafia to me. Paying someone for protection…
There are plenty of urban neighborhoods in the country where this doesn’t happen. Such as mine, the Best City to Move to. I’ve started to worry that I won’t buy a house before prices are driven up by all these awards.
This. Many family members have been in London for a year or two at a time, and all reported the same thing: the food is deeeesgusting save for some inexpensive Indian food.
Word. I’m in #3 on that list. We have a homeless population, but the only time I’ve ever been even marginally inconvenienced has been waiting for a dude to stop bathing in the sink at the library.
London is huge - if you know where to look there are fantastic places to eat.
Near the tourist spots it’s pretty dire, but there’s a lot more to London that Oxford St.
Within 5 mins walk of my brother’s place in Hampstead there are artisan delis, wonderful pubs, high-end restaurants, and mom ‘n’ pop outfits.
You guys have 4.7% unemployment!?! I didn’t think that was possible pre-recession!
There’s a hell of a lot in between pub food (which is the moral equivalent of fast food most of the time, advertised as such, and priced as such), especially in London, of all places, and paying top whack in a three starred Michelin restaurant.
Believe it. Omaha has always had one of the lowest unemployment rates in the US. The economic base is very broad, with lots of insurance companies (very hard to outsource) and call centers. The call centers add an air of unreality to the unemployment rate–almost anyone who is literate can get a meager ($10/hour) job in Omaha.
The other thing we have going for us, honestly, is our reputation as a boring little berg. No one moves to Omaha unless they already have a job.
Hey, I’d go to Omaha for the steaks 
And to stalk Warren Buffett, of course.
Pittsburgh has such a bad reputation to shake off, but I’ve been meeting a lot of people in their 20’s who have moved here after college because of the ratings and such and LIKE it. One of my newest friends (I think we’re officially “good friends”, since we’re going pole dancing in the coming weeks) came from freaking Florida. She’s amazed to have a fully equipped, spacious apartment in the nicest neighborhood for $700/month. She thinks the theaters and restaurants are great (and AFFORDABLE). It’s surprising to me, since our reputation still is that of dirty coal, but hey, I hope more people move here.
So, uh, come on down to Pittsburgh everyone! We’re still losing population, so we need you
That’s right folks, move along. Go about your business, nothing to see here. Keep moving.
That’s me, except in Ark.