# Where should I move? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 22, 2008, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-should-i-move/469073 "2008-10-22T16:14:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![WormTheRed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/bbe5ce/32.png) [@WormTheRed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WormTheRed)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-should-i-move/469073/41 "2008-10-23T16:54:35Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > Manchester United rules OK! > > (My stepfather was from Manchester…) > > More Toronto info… > > […] I’m beginning to like Toronto. Quite a bit 🙂 > [@ultrafilter](#): > > If you’re thinking about the US, you should definitely look at New York City. That’s pretty much the major business hub of our country, and there is a definite demand for people with a background in international business. Crime is low as long as you stick to the safe areas, but it can be pretty expensive. I’m moving to NY when I can buy a penthouse overlooking Central Park. Which unfortunately enough means I’ll never live there ☹ Right now, the problem with NY is that it’s in the US… shucks. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-should-i-move/469073/42 "2008-10-23T16:59:40Z")
> [@WormTheRed](#): > > I’m beginning to like Toronto. Quite a bit 🙂 Which of us will break it to the Albertans? 😃 Come and visit. We’ll have a TronnaDope in your honour. > [@WormTheRed](#): > > Right now, the problem with NY is that it’s in the US… shucks. I have that same issue with San Francisco. The San Francisco Bay area is hands-down my favourite place that I’ve visited in the States. If it wasn’t for the crappy healthcare situation, I would have moved there in the eighties, as my best friend from university did. California, Washington State, and Oregon would do much better as Canadian provinces. Seriously. ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-should-i-move/469073/43 "2008-10-23T17:03:00Z")
> [@WormTheRed](#): > > And **Eva Luna** , thanks for the advice! So if I go further with the US I either need to bug our export companies… Doesn’t have to be an export company; the biggest foreign company I’ve done work for that had a U.S. operation that did a significant number of E visas was a bank. Think outside the box! Maybe some Icelandic government agency keeps lists of things like Icelandic companies with operations in the U.S.? > [@](#): > > or of course… How you doin’ 🆒 I think my boyfriend, with whom I am shacking up, might have something to say about that…he’s open-minded, but not THAT open-minded. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-should-i-move/469073/44 "2008-10-23T17:19:19Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > Which of us will break it to the Albertans? 😃 \. 😛 If you move to Toronto, you’ll have to deal with the rest of Canada hating you. Plus, you’ll be in Toronto. If you move to Canada instead of the US, you’ll be in a good place to live and work, and next door to a great place to visit for vacations. 😃 ---
**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 23, 2008, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-should-i-move/469073/45 "2008-10-23T17:20:12Z")
> [@WormTheRed](#): > > Thailand is really nice for vacation, but is a bit to “surreal” for me 😉 I just can’t handle not being able to even read the street signs. Which means that most of Asia is out. Well, how about Singapore? Toasty warm, low crime, CLEAN and you can read the street signs. I’m not up on their immigration policy, but I do know they’re concerned about their fertility rate, and they may actually be encouraging new immigrants at this time (but don’t quote me on that). Nice bar area along the river. It’s a developed country. And English widely spoken. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-should-i-move/469073/46 "2008-10-23T17:22:39Z")
Is it warm and humid, or warm and dry? Makes a big difference to some people. ---
**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 23, 2008, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-should-i-move/469073/47 "2008-10-23T17:30:12Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > Is it warm and humid, or warm and dry? Makes a big difference to some people. Oh, maybe a tad humid, hehehe. So I guess that would be “soggy-toasty warm.” ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-should-i-move/469073/48 "2008-10-23T17:34:04Z")
> [@WormTheRed](#): > > I place no restrictions on continents or countries. But I like my streets clean, crime low (having only lived in Northern Europe) and my beer cold. Denver, Colorado, USA. I don’t live there, but I used to, and I’d go back in a heartbeat. - Extremely clean. - Housing costs are starting to drop back down to affordable levels. - Very young, well-educated and outdoors-oriented population. - Fairly low crime rate, and no real slums or ghetto areas. Crime in the US is less prevalent than what most Europeans believe; there’s not much street crime (muggings, pickpockets, etc) outside of the worst neighborhoods in most cities, and property crime isn’t common. - Very easy on the eyes, for an American city: underground or alley utilities, almost no sign or billboard clutter, very strict architectural regulations in most of the suburbs, scenic landscape with towering mountains and vast prairies, and so on. - Active, vibrant downtown and urban neighborhoods. - One of the microbrewery capitals of the US (the other is Portland). - Incredible recreational opportunities, including world-class skiing close to town. - Probably the most attractive residents in the US, thanks to its outdoors-oriented culture. - Four gentle seasons. - Decent public transit system. Denver cons: - It can seem pretentious at times, as if everybody is wealthier and more athletic than you. - Temperature inversions can cause the occasional “brown cloud”, but it’s increasingly rare. - It’s relatively isolated for a US city, but if you’re in Iceland, you should be used to it. I’ll soon be moving to Austin, Texas. It’s a city that EVERYBODY seems to love, but it has its cons; visual clutter, a hot climate that may take some getting used to, and severe traffic congestion. ---
**Author:** ![Dread\_Pirate\_Jimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dread_pirate_jimbo/32/3897_2.png) [@Dread\_Pirate\_Jimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dread_Pirate_Jimbo)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-should-i-move/469073/49 "2008-10-23T17:38:21Z")
> [@featherlou](#): > > What do you do for a living? My husband’s company is always recruiting. I mean, the company he works for, not his personal company. Although we would be soooooo rich if it were his company. I would suggest Calgary as a place to move to, but we’re full. 🙂 What my esteemed wife means when she says “we’re full” is that she is a small-town girl who has become increasingly uncomfotable with the size of Calgary as our population has blown past the one million mark. 🙂 I’d take a close look at Alberta; either Calgary or Edmonton. In both cases, the streets are quite clean, the crime rates are low (although there has been some increses in gang-related violence recently in Calgary – don’t join a gang and chances are good you’ll never experience it, however), and the beer is cold and abundant. Also, the Rocky Mountains are a short drive away, with all the skiing and hiking that goes along with that. And to the est, there’s a lot of flat, flat prairie. Both are quite nice cities with plenty of job opportunities (although Edmonton is, of course, far less awesome than Calgary). And of course, the Canadian economy is pretty strong, with Alberta still fairly crash-proof due to the oil and gas sector. ---
**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 23, 2008, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-should-i-move/469073/50 "2008-10-23T17:40:41Z")
There are my old homes of Honolulu and Albuquerque. All of Hawaii is beautiful, and while I like the outer islands, I’d only want to live in Honolulu, being a real city boy. Pretty clean, crime not bad except maybe in a few certain areas. Albuquerque I loved living in. Santa Fe has it beat for picturesqueness. Albuquerque’s good enough, and cheaper than Santa Fe. But then, Santa Fe is cheaper than Honolulu. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-should-i-move/469073/51 "2008-10-23T17:47:17Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > There are my old homes of Honolulu and Albuquerque. All of Hawaii is beautiful, and while I like the outer islands, I’d only want to live in Honolulu, being a real city boy. Pretty clean, crime not bad except maybe in a few certain areas. > > Albuquerque I loved living in. Santa Fe has it beat for picturesqueness. Albuquerque’s good enough, and cheaper than Santa Fe. But then, Santa Fe is cheaper than Honolulu. Cost of living in HI is rather high and the climate is hwaaaay different than Iceland. AZ is nice, but again, it’s very hot during the summer. Dry heat, however. Both are not bad choices however. ---
**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 23, 2008, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-should-i-move/469073/52 "2008-10-23T17:55:21Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Cost of living in HI is rather high and the climate is hwaaaay different than Iceland. > > AZ is nice, but again, it’s very hot during the summer. Dry heat, however. > > Both are not bad choices however. But Albuquerque and Santa Fe are in New Mexico, and 5000-7000 feet in elevation. I recall about 10 straight days in the summer in Albuquerque where it hit 100 degrees Fahrenheit, then afterward it was not too bad at all. But yes, a very dry heat, and lots of people had moved there for their health, because of the climate. But Hawaii’s humidity is surprisingly low. The trade winds blow it all away. And I was told it had never hit 100 degrees Fahrenheit since they kept records. It certainly didn’t in my 2-1/2 years there. A perfect climate. ---
**Author:** ![WormTheRed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/bbe5ce/32.png) [@WormTheRed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WormTheRed)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-should-i-move/469073/53 "2008-10-23T19:35:44Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > Which of us will break it to the Albertans? 😃 > > Come and visit. We’ll have a TronnaDope in your honour.[…] Whatever happens, I do believe I have to visit Canada next summer 😃 > [@Eva\_Luna](#): > > Doesn’t have to be an export company; the biggest foreign company I’ve done work for that had a U.S. operation that did a significant number of E visas was a bank. Think outside the box! Maybe some Icelandic government agency keeps lists of things like Icelandic companies with operations in the U.S.? That’s true! Next stop, go find that list. [QUOTE=Eva Luna] I think my boyfriend, with whom I am shacking up, might have something to say about that…he’s open-minded, but not THAT open-minded. 😉 [/QUOTE] Well, shucks… just my luck 😉 Anyone else available 😃 > [@featherlou](#): > > 😛 > If you move to Toronto, you’ll have to deal with the rest of Canada hating you. Plus, you’ll be in Toronto. Hmm… I don’t like being hated ☹ [QUOTE=featherlou] If you move to Canada instead of the US, you’ll be in a good place to live and work, and next door to a great place to visit for vacations. 😃 [/QUOTE] That makes a lot of sense. And being from Scandinavia I really like nationalized healthcare and that kinda stuff. Calling Australia! What’s healthcare like there? ---
**Author:** ![WormTheRed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/bbe5ce/32.png) [@WormTheRed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WormTheRed)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-should-i-move/469073/54 "2008-10-23T19:43:27Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > Well, how about Singapore? Toasty warm, low crime, CLEAN and you can read the street signs. I’m not up on their immigration policy, but I do know they’re concerned about their fertility rate, and they may actually be encouraging new immigrants at this time (but don’t quote me on that). Nice bar area along the river. It’s a developed country. And English widely spoken. A country bothered about their fertility rate that might be ofering me to come? I need to find this Paradise. By which I mean. Apart from that humidity thingy, Singapore has always been kinda tempting. What about that Free Speach stuff? Do they do that? > [@elmwood](#): > > Denver, Colorado, USA. I don’t live there, but I used to, and I’d go back in a heartbeat. > […] > > I’ll soon be moving to Austin, Texas. It’s a city that EVERYBODY seems to love, but it has its cons; visual clutter, a hot climate that may take some getting used to, and severe traffic congestion. Both Denver and Austin look nice. I actually took one of those “in which city should you live”-tests for the US, and I ended up in Austin. They both share the same problem with NY though ☹ > [@Dread\_Pirate\_Jimbo](#): > > What my esteemed wife means when she says “we’re full” is that she is a small-town girl who has become increasingly uncomfotable with the size of Calgary as our population has blown past the one million mark. 🙂 > > […] > > And of course, the Canadian economy is pretty strong, with Alberta still fairly crash-proof due to the oil and gas sector. Don’t join a gang, check. Alberta is said to be the Texas of Canada, right? (with the oil and praries) I am definately looking into both Toronto and Calgary as far as Canada goes. I might even have sold a work-mate on my brilliant scheme 😉 ---
**Author:** ![WormTheRed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/bbe5ce/32.png) [@WormTheRed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WormTheRed)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-should-i-move/469073/55 "2008-10-23T19:47:17Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > There are my old homes of Honolulu and Albuquerque. All of Hawaii is beautiful, and while I like the outer islands, I’d only want to live in Honolulu, being a real city boy. Pretty clean, crime not bad except maybe in a few certain areas. > > Albuquerque I loved living in. Santa Fe has it beat for picturesqueness. Albuquerque’s good enough, and cheaper than Santa Fe. But then, Santa Fe is cheaper than Honolulu. > [@DrDeth](#): > > Cost of living in HI is rather high and the climate is hwaaaay different than Iceland. > > AZ is nice, but again, it’s very hot during the summer. Dry heat, however. > > Both are not bad choices however. > [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > But Albuquerque and Santa Fe are in New Mexico, and 5000-7000 feet in elevation. I recall about 10 straight days in the summer in Albuquerque where it hit 100 degrees Fahrenheit, then afterward it was not too bad at all. But yes, a very dry heat, and lots of people had moved there for their health, because of the climate. > > But Hawaii’s humidity is surprisingly low. The trade winds blow it all away. And I was told it had never hit 100 degrees Fahrenheit since they kept records. It certainly didn’t in my 2-1/2 years there. A perfect climate. And this means I’m gonna sign up for all sorts of dating-sites to find me an american lass who can sponsor me 😃 I like perfect climates. But I also like snow… hmm… This is really difficult. In any way, I am truly grateful for all your hints, tips and suggestions! I never would’ve thought I’d get this many respones from my humble request. You guys rock! ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-should-i-move/469073/56 "2008-10-23T19:53:00Z")
> [@WormTheRed](#): > > And this means I’m gonna sign up for all sorts of dating-sites to find me an american lass who can sponsor me 😃 I like perfect climates. > > But I also like snow… hmm… > > This is really difficult. [It snows in Hawai’i](http://www.hawaiisnowskiclub.com/photos.htm) > [@WormTheRed](#): > > In any way, I am truly grateful for all your hints, tips and suggestions! I never would’ve thought I’d get this many respones from my humble request. > > You guys rock! We’re just trying to get on good terms with all those Icelandic maidens. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Dread\_Pirate\_Jimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dread_pirate_jimbo/32/3897_2.png) [@Dread\_Pirate\_Jimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dread_Pirate_Jimbo)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-should-i-move/469073/57 "2008-10-23T19:53:33Z")
> [@WormTheRed](#): > > A country bothered about their fertility rate that might be ofering me to come? I need to find this Paradise. > > By which I mean. Apart from that humidity thingy, Singapore has always been kinda tempting. > > What about that Free Speach stuff? Do they do that? > > Both Denver and Austin look nice. I actually took one of those “in which city should you live”-tests for the US, and I ended up in Austin. > > They both share the same problem with NY though ☹ > > Don’t join a gang, check. > > Alberta is said to be the Texas of Canada, right? (with the oil and praries) > > I am definately looking into both Toronto and Calgary as far as Canada goes. I might even have sold a work-mate on my brilliant scheme 😉 Alberta is definitely far more right-of-centre than the rest of Canada and there is a bit of a red-neck stink to some areas, so the comparison to Texas does come up from time to time. By contrast, we have snow (usually only in the winter), universal health care and a lot fewer guns. And, of course, Canadians speak without any accent whatsoever! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-should-i-move/469073/58 "2008-10-23T20:02:41Z")
> [@WormTheRed](#): > > Whatever happens, I do believe I have to visit Canada next summer 😃 Just as long as you don’t do it when I’m in Iceland. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-should-i-move/469073/59 "2008-10-23T20:06:29Z")
> [@WormTheRed](#): > > Well, shucks… just my luck 😉 Anyone else available 😃 Sorry to disappoint you on multiple fronts, but it looks like [Iceland has no treaty of commerce and navigation](http://travel.state.gov/visa/frvi/reciprocity/reciprocity_3581.html) with the U.S., so the E visa isn’t going to work for you. But let me know if you come up with a job offer from a U.S. company, and I’ll try to give you the scoop on specific visa issues for that situation. ---
**Author:** ![WormTheRed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/bbe5ce/32.png) [@WormTheRed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WormTheRed)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-should-i-move/469073/60 "2008-10-23T20:06:45Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > [It snows in Hawai’i](http://www.hawaiisnowskiclub.com/photos.htm) > > We’re just trying to get on good terms with all those Icelandic maidens. 😃 Somebody please tell me that ain’t Hawaii. Cause skiing in the morning and a bbq on the beach in the evening is my definition of heaven. And if this works out, I promise to introduce you to some of my female cousins 😉 > [@Dread\_Pirate\_Jimbo](#): > > Alberta is definitely far more right-of-centre than the rest of Canada and there is a bit of a red-neck stink to some areas, so the comparison to Texas does come up from time to time. By contrast, we have snow (\*\*usually \*\*only in the winter), universal health care and a lot fewer guns. And, of course, Canadians speak without any accent whatsoever! 😃 Hey, waiddaminte! Usually? What is the weather like (in centigrades please)? Bah, it can’t be worse than here so no matter. Sounds like a grand ol’ place to live. Now I’m gonna klick all those links again and see what happens. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-should-i-move/469073.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-should-i-move/469073.md?page=4)