City you would like to live in?

[Alpe d'Huez]

Cities:

1. Portland (my home town!).
2. Calgary, Vancouver, Ottawa, Halifax, Edmonton, Toronto (Canada is awesome!).
3. Aukland, Christchurch, and a slew of European cities I haven't visited look nice too!

Towns:

1. Bandon, Gold Beach or Yahacts, Oregon
2. Glacier, Washington
3. Durango, Colorado
4. Canmore, AB, Canada
5. George Town, Exuma, Bahamas
6. Mammoth Lakes, California
7. Victoria, BC, Canada
8. Cape Neddick, Maine
9. Gibsons, BC, Canada
10. Haena, Kauai, Hawaii (I plan on retiring here).

Mercer's Index listed the top cities for last year. (Be known, every year this list is roundly criticized, obvoiusly).
Money Magazine listed 10 great towns to live in.

 

[LugHugger]

Of those I've been lucky enough to visit:

Cities: Marrakesh / Barcelona

Towns: Ceret / Collioure / Fayence / Callian

 

[nvpacchi]

I will second Ottawa and Montreal. Two favorite cities I have visited, and I have extremely limited knowledge of the french language

Have always wanted to visit Vancouver and loads of places in Europe, (its all better than where I am now)

 

[Arnout]

Mercer's Index listed the top cities for last year. (Be known, every year this list is roundly criticized, obvoiusly).
Money Magazine listed 10 great towns to live in.

They're not taking into account the costs of living I'm afraid...

 

[Christian]

As someone who does live there, I really wouldn't recommend it, Christian.

The night scene here is worse than crap (one decent club and one good late-night boozer for a city of 1m people), you can eat and drink the same or better elsewhere in Belgium for 30% less, there's only a little bit of nice architecture and a lot of glass/concrete monstrosities.

I would however partly agree on the concert venues (though Forest National has pathetic acoustics) and the Beaux-Arts rewards several visits.

Some other (fairly generic) negatives:
Rainy microclimate, dog shti overload, dangerous drivers, crime and unemployment is high and rising, massive taxation unless you know what you're doing.

So why do I bother? There are some key reasons why I like Brussels:

- City remains stubbornly villageois, so it suits me as a former country boy.
- Not as expensive here as, say, London or Paris.
- I live in a decent part of town, in and around people having an almost unrivalled range of nationalities, languages and cultural backgrounds.
- I can walk to work in fifteen minutes with no need of any transport.
- Impressive list of airport connections.

Oh OK cool I didn't know you lived in Brussels!

As for the nightlife: I'm not that big of a club person, but I really like the nightlife around the Bourse. There are many cool bar-boîtes as they call it here in France, and they are open until six a.m. or so. Also I know this is not everyone's thing but I like the fact that you can still smoke in there. I'm sure it won't be for too much longer though. I went to a pub called "Britannica" (I think) once and an Irish Pub that had Karaoke. Right next to there is the street with all the thai restaurants and there are some cool bars as well.

Other than that I went to a cuban/latin club on the little square right beneath the Palais de Justice once (the one where you can take the elevator down), and there is a pretty good little restaurant too. My sister used to work in the European Parliament and she said they went to the Place du Luxembourg for after work parties pretty often.

Other than that I like the area around the Palais de Justice, I think it is called the Avenue de la Régence? You know the really long avenue that leads to the big park and the palace. I was there on that avenue for the national holiday and for the Tour de France recently, both times great fun. I was maybe a little bit disappointed by the Magritte museum though because they didn't have "Ceci n'est pas une pipe"! Bozar is great, even though they cramped the Frida Kahlo exhibit in the basement. Jacques Brel museum is tiny but cute.

There are also a lot of little nice shops all around with second hand stuff or creative designer stuff for your home. I also like the fact that you can never get too lost in the center.

As for the prices, the dog sh*t and the crime, you find that in most big cities I think. But I do remember a couple of quite spectacular crimes in Brussels in recent years.

And of course you're so close to Ostende and Bruges!

Other cities that have been mentioned and which I agree with:

Vancouver, BC
Vienna

Don't necessarily agree with:

Victoria, BC - lots of newly weds and nearly deads

Smaller towns I'd like to live in:

Olympia, WA (really funky place)
Port Townsend, WA

 

[Semper Fidelis]

Flagstaff Arizona. Runners paradise.

 

[Cobblestoned]

I like it unique, warm and classic, so from what I have seen so far I would/will choose Palermo one day.
It must be some old roots why I feel like in paradise or like in year 1800 when beeing there.

But of course I also follow the Barcelona-trend. Beautiful, beautiful city and nice climat and area. Nice contrasts between classic and modern architecture.
Pyrenees in the back.
Camp Nou is really an argument. When I was young we had a class-trip close to somewhere around Barcelona. One day we visited city and surroundings (of course Camp Nou and room of honour etc), and later somewhere fellow and me had a chance to get some tickets for Barca game next day.
We just bought them and just thought, lets just manage it somehow to see that - teachers in mind.
Later we visited that Olympic area and stadium, where Barca was training.
What a luck again.
There was Ronaldo training there and we were told to hurry. Of course missed the bus back to city. But they returned after missing us. Cool.
We were the idiots when standing there and coming into bus, but had a big smile on face.

Next day when all others were in some disco and beach, we drove back to Barcelona by bus, saw game and of course returned much too late to hotel and of course were not even allowed to leave that city where hotel was.
Big teacher trouble, said we can go home tomorrow on own cost. But since class-trip was over 2 days later anyway, they changed their decision and we just had to stay at hotel.

So, it was worth it and everything calculated perfectly.

 

[Master50]

At the time I lived in Montreal it was the best place ever. A real honesty among the friends I had, A time of young love, great passions, and personal empowerment. Great place to be a teenager in the 1970s.
I moved to Victoria because it is the most beautiful and mildest climate in Canada. Over the years the physical environment has kept me in place and if there was just 1 thing that might make it the perfect place anywhere is a lot more sunshine. It could be warmer but if it was sunny then the temperature in winter wouldn't bee too cold and the temperate temperatures of summer would never be too cool.
It is a very hard social nut to crack. Lots of great restaurants and beautiful places to visit. The greater victoria area is almost big enough in terms of the economy but crowded into a small area and very expensive to live. A 1/4 million gets you a 1 BDRM condo in town.

 

[Boeing]

I'd like to Live In Girona Spain

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

I agree with Flagstaff for the most part. My cousin lives north of town and it's just gorgeous in there.

MIL's family is from Palermo.

I'm going to agree to take Victoria, BC off my list due to the newlyweds, and add Captain Cook, Hawaii.

 

[L'arriviste]

Oh OK cool I didn't know you lived in Brussels!

As for the nightlife: I'm not that big of a club person, but I really like the nightlife around the Bourse. There are many cool bar-boîtes as they call it here in France, and they are open until six a.m. or so. Also I know this is not everyone's thing but I like the fact that you can still smoke in there. I'm sure it won't be for too much longer though. I went to a pub called "Britannica" (I think) once and an Irish Pub that had Karaoke. Right next to there is the street with all the thai restaurants and there are some cool bars as well.

Other than that I went to a cuban/latin club on the little square right beneath the Palais de Justice once (the one where you can take the elevator down), and there is a pretty good little restaurant too. My sister used to work in the European Parliament and she said they went to the Place du Luxembourg for after work parties pretty often...

The Bourse and Place de Brouckère are long since headed down the toilet bowl. Kebab joints selling deep-fried lysteria, theme pubs and muggings are one thing but it's now also a hub for people-trafficking and there are several unregulated bars for 'arranged' women (and kids too, I'm afraid). It's sad what city corruption, bad licensing laws, extremes of rich and poor and finally the dark side of open borders can do in just a few years to a really lovely quartier.

I hang out down at the new Moeder Lambic on Place Fontainas and I go to gigs at Ancienne Belgique but I really try hard to avoid anywhere north of the gaywijk when I'm downtown. The rest of the time, I'm up in my own commune or thereabouts. That's the real city.

I think Brussels has in many ways lost its soul to organised crime, grinding poverty and EU neo-colonisation. What happened to the Kirchberg over your way, they've done that on an enormous scale here. And I'm part of that wave, I realise that.

On the one hand, Brussels absolutely depends on the EU presence, but on the other I sort of think that without it, Brussels might have maintained a better sense of direction and self-respect than it has now. The future of Brussels is in the communes and what they can do to improve themselves. The character of the city centre is already lost.

As for the Cuban/Latin place you mention, I think I know the one you mean - Barrio Café - in Place de la Chapelle. I have heard good things but I haven't been myself. If you like that sort of thing, there's another joint my other half went to with a proper five-piece son band and a whole crowd of ancient Cubans off the boat so PM me if you want details. Apart from that, there's Fuse too, but all that's a bit passé in my view. It's nothing to do with the sounds now, it's just about dropping pills and wearing labels.

It's just my opinion I guess but I find Place Lux completely soulless. Hotels that charge by the hour. So-called "Irish" bars, going for maximum profit and all serving the same flat and fizzy to the worst of the EU yah-yahs. Your sister probably had a nice group she hung out with. That tends to make everything (quite rightly) better!

So yeah, maybe I should have posted this in the "Cities you wouldn't live in" thread but I still really like Brussels, the villageois Brussels. I just avoid the city centre most of the time.

 

[L'arriviste]

I'd like to Live In Girona Spain

+1. Beautiful city, as I've mentioned before on here. The cyclist's viewpoint of it tends to be skewed because of all the doping on the one hand and the British beachfilth of the nearby Costas on the other. Ditto for Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

Tant mieux, say I, because it's much better if people leave Girona alone to be the great, peaceful and proudly Catalonian city that it is.

 

[oldborn]

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Probably never have to choose outside of Croatia cos sea.
One thought is Korčula, island near Dubrovnik and Mljet, wife s family had a house there, sold it

Nice place, with those small talks about who has better boat, or weather, or tomatoes growing, or politics.
Boring in winter, and you must get used to people, they are not fast and agile as main land folks.
What else, foooooood, and nice chicks from all over the planet in summer, and there is always a ferry if you want to ride more hills.

Almost forgot, Royal Air Force droped some bombes on tha old tower (suspected Germans) in II WW, and Marko Polo was aparently born in Korčula, there is his house. Italians do not agree in fact, but who cares.

 

[JeffreyPerry]

City to live

1. Colorado Springs, Colorado-for the cycling/skiing
2. Jackson,Wyoming-for the cycling/skiing
3. (fill in the blank), Italy-for the wine!!!

 

[pmcg76]

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Probably never have to choose outside of Croatia cos sea.
One thought is Korčula, island near Dubrovnik and Mljet, wife s family had a house there, sold it

Nice place, with those small talks about who has better boat, or weather, or tomatoes growing, or politics.
Boring in winter, and you must get used to people, they are not fast and agile as main land folks.
What else, foooooood, and nice chicks from all over the planet in summer, and there is always a ferry if you want to ride more hills.

Almost forgot, Royal Air Force droped some bombes on tha old tower (suspected Germans) in II WW, and Marko Polo was aparently born in Korčula, there is his house. Italians do not agree in fact, but who cares.

I have been to Korcula but only the oldtown part, really beautiful, like a mini Dubrovnik but I can understand how it could be boring in winter. One or two walks around the oldtown and that was it.

Still, for the climate I am sure its a fantastic place to live.

 

[Anonymous]

#2 Salzburg Austria
#4 Sprindgale Utah (town outside of Zion National Park)
The Subway, outside of Zion National Park UT

The single greatest day hike in America IMO. The Narrows, Zion National Park UT (you hike in the river with shear cliffs on either side.) AMAZING.

 

[craig1985]

Some quality photos TFF

 

[Buffalo Soldier]

Brussels is great indeed.
Will live in Istanbul for 6 months soon. Can't wait!

 

[craig1985]

Why are you going to Istanbul and how good is your Turkish?

 

[Buffalo Soldier]

Why are you going to Istanbul and how good is your Turkish?

Zero knowledge of Turkish, and don't find a place to take lessons in my neigbourhood. So i'll have to take lessons when I'm there...

It's an Erasmus exchange. Going to study at Bogazici University. (Classes are in English)

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

Never been through the Subway at Zion, but walked deep into Paria Canyon once, which was similarly spectacular.

Vermillion Cliffs was amazing as well. The Coyote Buttes area is crowded and permit only, but along the cliffs there are miles and miles of open wilderness that's just spectacular. Really, all of Northern Arizona/Southern Utah is just amazing. There's nothing in the actual town of Page for example, but five minutes outside of town in any direction is just awe inspiring for the next 100 miles.

 

[fatandfast]

http://www.richterpark.com. Anybody who lives around here should play this place. They could charge triple and it's still a good value.

 

[Anonymous]

Never been through the Subway at Zion, but walked deep into Paria Canyon once, which was similarly spectacular.

Vermillion Cliffs was amazing as well. The Coyote Buttes area is crowded and permit only, but along the cliffs there are miles and miles of open wilderness that's just spectacular. Really, all of Northern Arizona/Southern Utah is just amazing. There's nothing in the actual town of Page for example, but five minutes outside of town in any direction is just awe inspiring for the next 100 miles.

Probably my favorite part of the US. I have been out 3 times, and I love it.

 

[Moondance]

Munich for me... Lovely city.

 

[Anonymous]

Some quality photos TFF

Those aren't mine, but they are quite nice. That place is amazing.