Where would YOU want to live?

[ColDayMan]

If I spoke French, Paris. I don't, so New York or London.

[jd3189]

This is pretty hard. My list would be too long since I would either live in many places of the most famous cities but would also live in a farm or something.

[Nomayoplease]

Originally Posted by MonkeyRonin

A state of mind that is heavily dependent on your environment.

...Having seen first hand extremely horrible places, this "Happiness is a state of mind, not a place or a city"is utterly bullcrap

[Quixote]

Originally Posted by ColDayMan

If I spoke French, Paris. I don't, so New York or London.

This is pretty much the exact explanation I give every time I say why I wouldn't want to live in Montreal or Paris, as amazing as those cities are. Yes I could learn the language (I took 4 years of French in high school, but don't remember 95% of it), but why bother? I'll stick to being an Anglophile.

[10023]

If money were no object, I would certainly live in more than one place at a time (between the week/weekend and seasonally).

Most of these places would be "rural" rather than city locations in that case as well (cities have abundant hotels and therefore can be visited and enjoyed whenever one so desires). I certainly plan to have a city home and a country (not suburban) house to escape to wherever I'm living.

I tend to get new ideas about where I'd want to buy a house on most holidays. What you realize is that while not every place is nice (there are plenty of places, especially cities/suburbs, where I would never willingly live), there are a lot of nice places in the world.

[atlantaguy]

If I ever decide to leave Atlanta it would be Brisbane, L.A., San Diego, Seattle or Vashon Island, WA.

[plinko]

I love cities and all, but ideally I would love to live in an old farmhouse with about an acre of avocados somewhere nearby where I live now.

That being said, I can think of a few places I've been where I would absolutely love to live:

Praiano, Italy
Haliewa, HI
Panama City, Panama
Copenhagen
Savannah, GA
San Francisco
Seattle, WA
Singapore
Somewhere in Northern New Mexico

Places that I haven't been but seem like I would enjoy spending a great deal of time in:
Lakes District, Scotland
Santiago, Chile
Mykonos, Greece
Santa Cruz, Gran Canaria
Lisbon

There are many many more...

[10023]

^ the Lake District is in England. It is stunning, though (but a bit too far from London for the weekends):

[plinko]

^I knew that (my wife used to live in London) but my brain isn't functioning too well this evening...

[ue]

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

Meh.

Environment counts for something, but I find that it's the people in my life that have the most profound impact on my happiness by far. Perhaps the equation is different for others?

I agree with this, which is why I have no immediate plans to leave Edmonton.

But for the fun of this thread, my top 10 would be (if I don't factor in personal things, which would drive nearer cities like Calgary or Vancouver to the top)...

1. Toronto
2. Montreal
3. New York City
4. London
5. Amsterdam
6. Berlin
7. Portland
8. Melbourne
9. Los Angeles
10. Wellington

[Quixote]

I see a good amount of admiration for New Mexico. While I've never been to the state, I've absolutely fallen in love with Santa Fe through what I've seen in photos and on Google Maps Street View. Where else will you find endless amounts of adobe cottages set against a mountain backdrop? Just gorgeous.

Add Copenhagen to my list as well.

[goodthings]

Employment and other realities aside, I would live beside a national park or somewhere where there is spectacular scenery...

1. Banff/Canmore, AB (Banff NP)
2. Yellowknife, NT (northern lights central, only city in my Top 10 far away from any national parks)
3. Jasper / Hinton, AB (Jasper NP)
4. Tusayan, AZ (Grand Canyon NP)
5. Moab, UT (Arches and Canyonlands NPs)
6. Seward, AK (lots of nearby glaciers, fiords, and NPs)
7. West Yellowstone, MT (Yellowstone NP)
8. Mariposa area, CA (Yosemite NP)
9. Norris Point area, NL (Gros Morne NP, only area in eastern part of the continent)
10. Healy, AK (Denali NP)

some honourable mentions:
- St. George, UT (Zion and Bryce Canyon NPs)
- Wall, SD (Badlands NP)
- Kayenta, AZ (Monument Valley)
- Juneau, AK (Glacier Bay NP)
- Churchill, MB (polar bear central)

[johnnypd]

Just got back from a few weeks in and around Seattle - the city has everything and the nearby scenery just stunning. I'm thinking a nice craftsman house on the top of a hill in West Seattle with views of the Sound and Downtown.

[isaidso]

Toronto, Melbourne, New York

[TarHeelJ]

Exactly where I live right now...that's where I've chosen to live and nothing on this list would place above it. Why would anyone want to live in a city because some list says you should want to live there??

[isaidso]

Originally Posted by TarHeelJ

Why would anyone want to live in a city because some list says you should want to live there??

You'd be surprised how many people can't make these decisions for themselves. They need people to tell them what to wear, what colour, what meal to order off a menu, what car to buy, what's hot/what's not, what show to watch, etc. A good 70% of the population are sheep. It's as if they have no opinion of their own. It's truly bizarre but you see it every day.

[Insoluble]

Originally Posted by Quixote

This is pretty much the exact explanation I give every time I say why I wouldn't want to live in Montreal or Paris, as amazing as those cities are. Yes I could learn the language (I took 4 years of French in high school, but don't remember 95% of it), but why bother? I'll stick to being an Anglophile.

I can't speak for Paris, but Montreal is very much a bilingual city. I lived there (admittedly in the more anglophone west side of town) and I got by just fine without more than a few basic French phrases. ("Sorry, but I don't speak French", and so on.)

[Centropolis]

Originally Posted by chrisvfr800i

Yeah. I spent a lot of time in northwest Arkansas a few years ago on a project. Drove to and from home in Chicago many times and never once veered off to Branson...but I really liked the small town feel of the region.

this is what i go there for...sort of like our northern wisconsin but with more hills and less water.

[Centropolis]

Originally Posted by 10023

If money were no object, I would certainly live in more than one place at a time (between the week/weekend and seasonally).

Most of these places would be "rural" rather than city locations in that case as well (cities have abundant hotels and therefore can be visited and enjoyed whenever one so desires). I certainly plan to have a city home and a country (not suburban) house to escape to wherever I'm living.

I tend to get new ideas about where I'd want to buy a house on most holidays. What you realize is that while not every place is nice (there are plenty of places, especially cities/suburbs, where I would never willingly live), there are a lot of nice places in the world.

i'm the same way. i already do a sort of midwestern american "poor mans" version of this with rural family properties. i appreciate the contrasting environments of urbanity and complete quiet. preparing an outdoor meal in a forest on a saturday type thing. bonfires. love it.

any adjustment i would make with additional financial resources would be an augmentation/upgrade to my current lifestyle and geographies, instead of a rapture. you can do much with a lot more time and a little more money.

edit: with lots of swiss hiking trips.

[10023]

Originally Posted by ColDayMan

If I spoke French, Paris. I don't, so New York or London.

1) You don't need to speak French to live in Paris.

2) You would learn serviceable French in like 6 months.