Just out of sheer curiosity, if you could live anywhere in the world, and money wasn't an issue, where would it be and why? I've always fantasized about living in Sydney. I love the ocean, and the climate was perfect when I was lucky enough to visit. It was a beautiful city.... Maybe one day.
I'm curious to see what the older and wiser members have to say. Have your lifestyle dreams changed since you first started working?
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I've traveled in over 40 countries and lived in 6. Living and vacationing are two totally different things. Sydney would be a great choice, as would other places in Australia or New Zealand (I'll be on the S. Island for 2 weeks in Dec/jan). The Mediterranean is very livable: Turkey - Ayvalik or Istanbul, Italy - Favignana, Syracusa, or somewhere in the Dolomites, Croatian Coast is great, Slovenia - Julian Alps, Lake Bled are beautiful, In Asia - Chang Mai, Ubud, Bali, Galle, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Tokyo (or almost anywhere in Japan) Komodo Islands are probably my favorite get away spot. Liveaboard diving there is the best.
It would definitely be Dominican republic. Used to go as a kid every summer and still go at least once every couple of years. Amazing weather, women, and way of life as long as you have the money to support it.
Where in DR? Every time I sat up from my cabana and looked around, I was surrounded by white sand, turqoise blue water, and obese middle aged white couples. It was a new and exciting way to make my penis soft. The 9 days I spent there were terrible.
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I nominate this comment for greatest in the history of WSO.
Seoul - love that city.
It would have to be a few places for different times of the year. Spring/early summer Left Bank of Paris. St Germaine de Pres area. Summers in Portofino, a few different Tuscan villages and the Vineyard. September/early October New England. Downeast Maine, Camden and a few towns near Acadia. And Woodstock VT. As it gets cold head to the Caribbean, Antigua, St Barth's and maybe Jamaica, and Costa Rica. And a few trips to Breck to ski. A few hops down to BA to break it up and then head back to Paris when it thaws.
Somewhere in the US of A baby
Austin, TX. I like BBQ, tacos and not having to pay any state income Tax. The good school districts and University system is just gravy.
Tokyo or Berlin.
totally agree with Berlin. I currently live in New York and have lived in Atlanta, Chicago, Indianapolis, and Seoul, have visited many other cities both domestic and internationally and Berlin was by far the best city I ever lived in. I even tried to recruit there after college but my German just wasn't good enough.. I mean they give you a 100 euros in "welcome money" just for becoming a new resident (nyc on the other hand just shitted in my mouth), and the night life is totally unmatched. The party goes from Friday night to Sunday morning and the culture isn't about retarded shit like buying bottles and VIP bullshit. Music is better, girls are better, drugs are cheaper and easier to come by, and the clubs are in these massive warehouses that were abandoned by the communist regime in East Germany, not some cramped space in the LES.
Say what you want about high taxes but life there is pretty great too. University is free, medical care is free, rent is like 300 euros a month, and the art scene (if you're into that kind of thing) is fucking awesome. 10/10 highly recommend
Boston, SF, Austin or Dallas. I live in Dallas currently. I have zero limitations on where I live.
If money wasn't an issue, I wouldn't stay in one place for too long.
Double this.
This, although I'd probably keep a home base in Chicago or Dallas and a tiny spot in Hong Kong.
Kazakhstan and Turkey. Women there are beautiful.
I dunno, I thought all the women in Turkey looked like dudes
I wasn't sure if this guy was trolling. I feel like if Kazakhstan is an upgrade from where you're living now you are completely fucked.
delete
Switzerland, high above the lake (Zurich or Geneva that is)
Where I am today, having my current life and job. Who is tired of London is tired of life. That, and Paris is the suburb of London with a 2 hour train ride - the two best cities in the world for the price of one.
absolutely, London is the best city.
The US Virgin Islands. If money was an issue, St. John, not St. Thomas. Had a buddy who lived there for 5 years and can tell you that life there is as close to perfect as it gets If money isn't an issue, I'd buy Great Hans Lollik island off the coast of St. Thomas and have me 500 acres of island paradise with private beaches, helicopter pads and all that pimp shiz. In the continental US? Auburn, AL. Hands down. Golf all day, good food at night, football in the fall.
Prague. Love the architecture. It is just enchanting.
On the beach in Malibu or Laguna.
SF or NY. I currently live in one of them.
Vancouver or Monaco.
Literally polar opposites.
Some ways yes, some ways no.
The way I see it, both are a lifestyle destination for the wealthy with little to offer in terms of economic activity when compared to New York, London, Tokyo, etc. You move to either because of what you do in your spare time, instead of what you do while at work.
Denver, CO
Denver, CO
EDIT was so excited about it i clicked the "Post" button twice
I would second Vancouver, but I'm happy in London at the moment :)
South Island in New Zealand with a small farm.
Berlin, London, Paris are all great cities with so much little villages/vineyards/moutains you won't have enough of one life to see it all. I'm European ans of course biased but this is definitely 3 great cities. Australia & all is fun for 1 month or so but you've quickly see it all. Asia is wonderfull as well, incredible people, but not yet in the same league as the 3 cities above. Dont know much about America so I can't comment but nice public transportation seems harder to come by than in Europe and for me it's so convenient that it matters a lot. Racing is fun, driving everyday to work is not.
London is bloody amazing, under appreciated by the rest of the UK I find.
I'd love to spend a bit of time in Singapore/HK (worked in Kuala Lumpur but it's not the same) along with Stockholm, BA and New York.
Myself and my brother have lived in many cities in US & Europe. There really is no perfect city, and it also depends on age, but the below are my favs to live
Tier 1: London, Berlin, LA, NYC
London speaks for itself, Berlin is great for young bachelors and a vibrant city in the heart of Europe, LA is great once you've made it (weather, schools, outdoors and hot girls), and NYC is a melting pot (grew up here so slightly less appeal).
Tier 2: SF, Tokyo
SF is a dirty and extremely liberal, but tech scene is huge + (and sometimes negative because of the shit quality of girls).
Tokyo is very futuristic, great cuisine and nightlife-but asian culture can be a bit alienating at times.
Tokyo! Tokyo! Tokyo! It was once my childhood dream land and well it is still a dream land for me now!
I'd second or third Berlin. Absolutely loved it when I went. Clubs are sick although I'm more of a bar man myself.
I'd say for me it would be Iceland. Not forever, but a year or two most definitely. That place just enchanted me. The landscape is lunar and it was so clean. Plus everyone gets so fucked up. opal isn't bad either.
And Icelandic women are out of this world good looking. When I was younger in the business world my senior guy wanted to layover from the east coast to london in Iceland for a night and I couldn't figure out why. Until I saw the women. There are what 300k people there? ~150k women and 149k are good looking.
Here is a quick sample:
hmmm
no order, and off the top of my head... probably forgetting something
Rio Barcelona Amsterdam Paris Prague Cape Town Hong Kong
Wherever there are a lot of hot white girls who want to sleep with me.
Definitely a small town in somewhere like Kentucky, Nebraska, Kansas etc. I like traveling but after about a week of being outside of America I am ready to come back. What can I say, I just like what I am used to.
I agree with our general sentiment here. Although I could do a month or 2 outside the US and I'm more of a US city guy than small town.
Once you're used to the American standard of life it's hard to adjust to other countries. I know I'll get MS from all the internationals but idgaf. Sometimes you just want a 10 oz angus burger, or a cheesesteak, or NYC pizza, or Nola jambalaya/gumbo or a drink with more than one ice cube. Maybe you'd rather drive a SUV/pickup instead of a compact or easily watch a football game rather than soccer. I just think there are a million things we take for granted in the US that would not be readily available in many foreign countries.
Grew up in Sydney and currently live in Zurich, both cities regularly score top ten on various quality of life surveys. I think Sydney is pretty hard to beat in terms of combing beach culture with a financial hub, but the traffic and cost of living is a negative. Zurich is out of this world expensive (although you earn alot) and is pretty boring outside work hours but you can travel throughout Europe very easily and in winter you are within 1-2hrs train ride from some of the world's best ski resorts. I'd like to try out London or NYC, I think the vibrancy of those two cities is unmatched & perfect for banking.
Berlin and Tokyo. Bang!
I'd live on a 100 ft yacht with a helicopter, zodiak, and a 20ft center console in it and just hop from surf spot to surf spot and places like Nice when I need a break.
absent that, I'd live in a beach town that's close to where I live now. I prefer travelling rather than living abroad. I love America and the South, I don't want to leave forever, just for a couple of weeks at a time.
I think the best place to live is as a stowaway on Richard Branson's private plane.
Northern Italy, great cycling, great skiing, great golfing, great food... In US it's Austin,TX for the same reasons. Except the skiing. Should be relocated to Prague next year, hope it's gonna be fun.
Northern Italy, great cycling, great skiing, great golfing, great food... In US it's Austin,TX for the same reasons. Except the skiing. Should be relocated to Prague next year, hope it's gonna be fun.
Hangzhou or Bora Bora (if everything is free)
In my younger years, my annoying hipster friends and acquaintances would travel to Europe and report back how much better it was than the United States. Young people especially have trouble processing that there is a fundamental difference between 2 days in Rome on vacation and living in Rome (nothing against Rome--just an example). What's funny--even satisfying--is that none of them ever seemed to make it back to Europe for a permanent stay.
On a separate but similar note, people under 25 should be locked in cages.
This is incredibly true. All the twenty somethings that I know vacationing in Europe (my wife's first cousin is the most recent example) will go off about how more cultured people are there and how much better it would be to live in Europe. Most of them have never purchased a home, paid (major) taxes, raised kids, etc. Depending on the location, the stigma of being an American will always dog you, you will have to pay taxes to the country you are in and to the US due to your citizenship here, you could have work Visa issues... on and on. The grass isn't always greener even if the food's better and the architecture is cooler.
I would say the opposite.
I'd have to disagree about living abroad in general. Not because annoying hipsters think that there's more culture because in all honesty most people don't take advantage of whatever is defined as culture if you're in NYC, Paris, Rome or Des Moines, but living abroad gives a good perspective on the world in general. It's good to get out of the US and get a different perspective on things, and it's fun.
It also lets you appreciate the benefits of living in the States. I only did London so it was nothing too exotic but you really appreciate the little things: a full sized US fridge and oven, and a washer that's also not your dryer located in the kitchen with a dry cycle of less than half of a day.
So you don't like awesome transportation systems (from local subways to intra/international train infrastructure), grand architecture, lax liquor laws and work/life balance?
Just because none of them moved over there doesn't prove your point that it's not a great place to live. Most of Europe's major cities are way more fun and livable than any large city in the US except New York.
Tell that to the Spanish who have 25% unemployment or to the Greeks who are drowning in debt.
Americans love our cars. I would say that most heterosexual men would consider giving up their cars for a train to be the lowest form of femininity. I live in an area with an excellent subway system and the vast majority of people prefer their cars because they aren't limp wrist-ed European, murse-wearing b*tches.
If money weren't an issue, San Francisco or San Diego. Hong Kong or Singapore if we're thinking internationally.
Since money is a currently an issue, Seattle or one of the big Texas cities.
Dream Location for Work? (Originally Posted: 11/08/2011)
If you could pick your dream place to work in (whether for your current job or your dream job), where would it be?
I'd be really interested in Brazil, followed by Hong Kong (a very close second).
Despite the fact that I've never been to Hong Kong (the closest that I got is the HK Airport), I'm in love with the region. (I blame Bernie Lo's Straight Talk for that too). Hope that I can make it there someday.
Holland, MI.
Patio of my beach house in the islands. Haven't any of you heard of the interwebs.
Ibiza, Spain
Your life would be work, party, work, party, work, party.
I think my number one choice would be Kowloon Hong Kong, followed by Madrid or Mexico City (love them all equally).
I work in San Diego five minutes away from some of the best surf in Southern California, so I guess I really can't complain. Nothing like a little surf-sesh after work...
Which islands? In a 2009 study, Holland Michigan was considered one of the best places to live in the country. Between the 40 hour work-weeks, Lake Michigan, tulip fest, and average volunteering time of 2 hours per week per capita, and numerous calvinist churches, who would want to live anywhere else?
The thrifty dutch calvinists have got the system worked out pretty darned well.
My last high school driver's ed assignment was to drive to Holland, MI and back.
Buenos Aires.
Tahiti
I'm a huge fan of Southern California. My ideal locations would be santa monica, newport beach, san diego.
The Chicago weather is driving me insane. Can't last here that much longer.
Not to be a total dick, but you are screwed. It's still pretty nice out for this time of year. It is going to get WAY worse.
Believe me there will be a day in February where you're walking over the river to get to/from work and you'll consider jumping.
Singapore, minus the absurd laws.
Firenze, Italy ... up there on my top locations.
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
EM Credit research one time? (or AM)
Funny no one said New York, despite its incredible nightlife, museums, music scene, sports, close access to Jersey/LI beaches & VT mountains, shopping, food, and people.
-Chicago/Milwaukee/Cleveland has a lake you can swim in after work; try that with the Hudson River and you'll get arrested and/or pick up cancer.
-Chicago has only 2/3 the bums that New York has. We have numerous homeless shelters/salvation armies/etc so they get more showers.
-Cost of living in NYC is 30% higher than anywhere else in the country.
-30% more open space in any other city in the country. Chicago has grass around the buildings in its downtown area and affords as much open space as Hoboken or Jersey City.
-NYC is the only city I am aware of where the combined sanitary/storm sewers routinely back up and form tannish-gray pools at the corner.
-Chicago, San Fran, Boston, Philly have 80% of the night life NYC does.
-You can rent a place in Chicago, San Fran, Boston, and Philly for less than $1500/month.
-You get Leinenkugel's east of Pittsburgh.
British virgin islands
Sydney, australia
+1
Sydney or Melbourne without a doubt. Might just happen for me in fact.
Don't want to be a total dbag, but i can assure people that Hong Kong is not a good place to live. It's good for a few weeks/months maximum, after that is bloody unpleasant, apart from the metro, which is freaking awesome.
My dream place (home doesnt count, so London is off the page) - Caribbean Island. Once the season dips, bugger off to the mainland.
I would say london, paris, San Diego, Zurich, I might even consider Chi-town, or LA
Austin, Texas.
New York City, any where else is busch leauge.
1.Austin, Texas 2. DR 3. San Diego 4. Barca 5. Lake Como
props for the barca pick. that'd be my top choice. then again, there's a million places in this world I haven't experienced yet
Austin Texas. Fuck justin this is the second or third time In the past week you've posted what I was gonna say.
Or brazil. Nickinbrazil.com
Haha, dude I love Austin. Mark my words, I WILL find a way to move there, hopefully, within the next 5-10 years. I already have a little something working with my dad business wise so it may be sooner than later.
Somewhere in the mountain west or northwest, I need mountains and 4 seasons.
This is going to sound kind of gay, but my "dream" place to work is wherever my family, friends and soul mate are--with a 10 minute or less commute to work.
I've been all over the United States. The most beautiful city in America is nothing without your loved ones.
That actually makes sense. If I get technical I would say I want to try a new city when I'm in my early 20s (in my case Hong Kong would be a dream city) but in the long run, home, and dream city for that matter, is where the family is :)
I actually have this now and it's amazing. Still looking over the fence though, would love California or Miami for the weather if only I had a few friends there.
Isn't this what we all do now anyway? I'm pretty sure in Ibiza it would be: work, party, party, party, party, fired, party, overdose.
Rome, Italy.
Speaking of which. Does anyone know any effective ways of networking to oversea locations? Preferably from an American firm with a location abroad.
on the list for the next 5 years:
buenos aires (now) medellin colombia bali indonesia thailand perth shanghai barcelona southern france istanbul croatia budapest berlin moscow london montreal whistler back home to seattle for a bit do it again :)
I'm not sure if the Bogota, Colombia message above is a troll post, but it is actually really nice. I have family from there.
Azerbaijan
Miami.
Split my time between the two:
May - November: San Diego, CA December - April: Steamboat Springs, CO
If I have to choose one though, Steamboat all the way.
New Zealand brah
Buenos Aires as a single, twenty-something. As a place to settle down, I'd say there are some nice places in South Carolina that would be good candidates.
San Diego, CA
In Rio de Janeiro as close to Copacabana as possible. Or Porto Alegre. If not Brazil then maybe Santa Barbara. I do love Chicago summers though.
vail or aspen
old amsterdam
San Diego, CA. I should have taken that offer from Qualcomm
May - December: Newport Beach, CA January - April: Jackson Hole, WY
Austin-tatious all the way!
Surprised so few people saying Barca--easily the best city in the world.
For me right now, I would love to live in HK (assuming I had a lucrative job). Early thirties S'pore. Then onto Barca. Finally northwestern Spain for retirement.
Cartagena, Colombia Rio, Brazil San Cristobal, Mexico Sydney, Australia Gilli Islands, Indonesia Nadi, Fiji
Just as long as it's hot and sunny - London weather is shiiitttte
Buzios in Brazil
why live in Buzios if you can hitch a 20 minute helicopter ride from Rio?
Rockport, Massachusetts.
I don't care much for the heat and I love the ocean.
"In Rio de Janeiro as close to Copacabana as possible."
Dude Copa is not that nice at all. I never went when I lived there
I would live in an apartment in Altos de Leblon or beach front in Ipanema/Leblon, and drinks after work in Lapa, weekend partying in leblon/ipanema/lagoa/gavea, beach every weekend....
fuck I wanna go now
Antonio Caballero. And yeah I would live in Bogota too
San Fran for me
This is a great question: 1) Airplane (mobile office ftw) 2) Denver 3) Melbourne 4) Switzerland (probably Geneva)
I would pick London - extremely diverse, close to all the fun places in Europe
I cant believe anyone would put LA on their list. Too much traffic, taxes are insane and people can be dicks . . . laid back, but still dicks. I left LA for Palm Springs and love it except for the hot summers. Still, great weather for 9 months, world class golf and good people. Next move will be out of state - CA just plain sucks with taxes and all that.
I live in Newport Beach, CA but to be honest southern Cali does get old. If I could I would honestly want to pull a Richard Branson and buy an Island somewhere in the Caribbean. It doesn't have to be as exquisite as his real estate but I want to be away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Then jump on a boat to the mainland and plane to whatever city I want to go.
2 things from someone who knows both very well:
Avoid London like the plague: It's really not the myth you believe it is.
Australia is ridiculously expensive. Brother lives there, just came back from visiting him in Melbourne.
Looking at £20-30 for breakfast/lunch at an average cafe. Dinner at nothing special was north of that.
Plus you're stuck in the middle of nowhere in a useless timezone for international communication.
Hard one... I like the Colombia ideas... Cartagena maybe, but you'd have to put a Breakers Hotel down there, Then you have the beach issue... I'd like a place that has Fishing like in the Keys, Argentine bird hunting, Venezuelan beaches, Colorado hiking, Montana Fly fishing, and I'd like people to speak Spanish, but without the dysfunction of living internationally.... Since that isn't going to happen....
Palm Beach County will have to work.
-Monaco with a huge mansion, 150 cars of my choice, a eurocopter, a G650, and KR5 (Alwaleed's yacht). Damn.
-NYC with a place in 740 Park Avenue. I don't care what you guys say :D
Wherever mountain and ocean meet. So, anywhere in the PNW.
i would like to work on uranus
Auckland, New Zealand
hell
Barcelone or Miami for sure.
anywhere warm, that has good looking women where i can pay zero taxes.....
Northern New England.
Southern Calif, for the weather.
Manhattan.......................................Manhattan Beach, CA
Tokyo, Japan or Shanghai, China but I have an Asian fetish.
^lol
so you didn't mean Tokyo, Arkansas or Shanghai, Iowa?
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