BS: Good places to live and house prices

Subject: BS: Good places to live and house prices
From: GUEST,Indie
Date: 20 Aug 03 - 11:15 AM

I am hoping to change my life & I am looking for a new place to live. So, Mudcatters, where can you recommend and do you happen to know how much a two bedroomed house with a small garden costs there ? Or an apartment ? I don't mind. I just want somewhere that has a nice standard of living and where the folk are friendly. ( Oh yeah, and a folk club would be nice ! )

Subject: RE: BS: Good places to live and house prices
From: GUEST,Lanza
Date: 20 Aug 03 - 11:18 AM

Lanzarote is a good place to live; good weather all year round, nice walks, good night life.

A two bedroomed house with a garden could cost 120,000 euros.

Subject: RE: BS: Good places to live and house prices
From: greg stephens
Date: 20 Aug 03 - 11:19 AM

Could you indicate the general area(s) of the world that might suit you, to narrow it down a bit?

Subject: RE: BS: Good places to live and house prices
From: GUEST,Indie
Date: 20 Aug 03 - 11:25 AM

Em , good question, Greg. But that is my point ! I am hoping for a huge change in my life ( ok, we are talking about terminating a dud relationship ! ) and I am willing to consider anywhere, as long as there are not too many beasties !

Places that have crossed my mind; Canada, Australia, New Zealand, maybe the USA, a warm place in Europe, maybe back to the UK.

Subject: RE: BS: Good places to live and house prices
From: GUEST,Alphie
Date: 20 Aug 03 - 11:27 AM

Canada was named the best country in the world to live in, by the UN( I think ).

I don't know how much a house would cost though

Subject: RE: BS: Good places to live and house prices
From: greg stephens
Date: 20 Aug 03 - 11:29 AM

There are very beasties in Stoke on Trent, house prices are low, and there are a few folk clubs around. Some 2 bedroom houses are below £20K(though possibly not in parts of town you'ld care to live in!).

Subject: RE: BS: Good places to live and house prices
From: GUEST
Date: 20 Aug 03 - 11:32 AM

Jeez, that's cheap !

Is it a nice place and are the folk friendly ? I'll check it out on the net. Thanks !

Subject: RE: BS: Good places to live and house prices
From: GUEST,Hel
Date: 20 Aug 03 - 11:40 AM

Majorca...a nice 2 bed from 150,000 euros

beautiful scenery and a home from home.. loads of sing song bars about if you can't find a folk club

Subject: RE: BS: Good places to live and house prices
From: Allan C.
Date: 20 Aug 03 - 11:46 AM

For ideas regarding the USA I highly recommend "Places Rated Almanac". It is well worth perusal even if you are not especially considering the USA because it gives perspective to considerations that may not have crossed your mind. For instance, climate, crime rate, availability of hospitals and schools, etc.. It rates hundreds of cities using these criteria and more.

By the way, Charlottesville, Virginia (where I am living at the moment,) was rated the number one city of its size (roughly 40 thousand inhabitants) in the United States for quite a few years in a row.

Subject: RE: BS: Good places to live and house prices
From: Amos
Date: 20 Aug 03 - 11:46 AM

Guadalajara has beautiful weather year round and a pleasant ENglish-speaking community. It is the capital city of Jalisco, Mexico, a flourishing cultural center with a beautiful city center and lots of wonderful sites.

Not sure what houses cost there these days.


A

Subject: RE: BS: Good places to live and house prices
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 20 Aug 03 - 11:48 AM

The formula that applies for me, in the U.S.--the places I want to live, I can't afford. The place where I live I can afford but I'd like to leave.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Good places to live and house prices
From: greg stephens
Date: 20 Aug 03 - 11:48 AM

The folk in Stoke on Trent are extremely friendly. We dont get a lot of visitors (apart from specialist tourists who like going round the Wedgewood/Spode /Royal Doulton works and buying china). Basically we are short on cathedrals, wonderful buildings, famous art galleries etc.But we have very nice oatcakes, two canals, and loads of country all around.The locals have a pretty funny accent, but that's true anywhere,isnt it?
   There is a lot of goose shit in Hanley Park, which is bothering letter-writers to the local paper. Many of them blame the new mayor, who is gay and therefore fair game to be blamed for anything.
    We are unlikely to be chosen as European City of Culture, or a suitable venue for the Olympic Games, but we enjoy ourselves fine. And housing is certainly cheap.

Subject: RE: BS: Good places to live and house prices
From: GUEST,Indie
Date: 20 Aug 03 - 11:50 AM

Some good advice there. I'll order the book and check out the places !

Subject: RE: BS: Good places to live and house prices
From: Amos
Date: 20 Aug 03 - 11:50 AM

Many of them blame the new mayor, who is gay and therefore fair game to be blamed for anything

The logic escapes me!! :>) Especially the relationship between excessive goose shit and gays; I would have thought it was tradityionally the heterosexuals who slipped into buggering the sheep and geese. No? LOL!


A

Subject: RE: BS: Good places to live and house prices
From: Alice
Date: 20 Aug 03 - 12:03 PM

British Columbia is beautiful. You'd have to search the 'net for house prices. I'm sure there are some small towns there where it would be affordable.

Subject: RE: BS: Good places to live and house prices
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 20 Aug 03 - 12:14 PM

That'll be the Canada geese will it?? Or maybe the Pink Footed geese!
Giok

Subject: RE: BS: Good places to live and house prices
From: GUEST,mg`
Date: 20 Aug 03 - 03:30 PM

don't you have to worry about immigration etc.?

I live in a great place, with low prices..yhou could get a beach cottage for under $60,000..finding work is a problem..check out Long Beach Peninsula. Washingtons tate. USA

Subject: RE: BS: Good places to live and house prices
From: GUEST,Indie
Date: 20 Aug 03 - 05:00 PM

I do have to consider immigration, but I would prefer to find somewhere I like and take it from there than limit myself to the places I KNOW I can go to live.

I am European and have work skills and qualifications that are sometimes sought after abroad.

Subject: RE: BS: Good places to live and house prices
From: Padre
Date: 20 Aug 03 - 08:53 PM

Clifton Forge, Virginia - houses from $25K to about $85K and low property taxes. Plus, some of the most beautiful scenery anywhere in the eastern US. And an additional plus, a Mudcatter in nearby Botetourt County.

Padre

Subject: RE: BS: Good places to live and house prices
From: GUEST,J
Date: 20 Aug 03 - 11:21 PM

Subject: RE: BS: Good places to live and house prices
From: gnomad
Date: 21 Aug 03 - 05:05 AM

If you get a particular place in mind in the UK then a placename (or better still a postcode) inserted at this site will provide a good range of useful info re what's in the area, housing, even weather.

Good luck!

Subject: RE: BS: Good places to live and house prices
From: Watson
Date: 21 Aug 03 - 05:16 AM

Don't come to Shropshire - it's horrible and there are far too many people here already.

Subject: RE: BS: Good places to live and house prices
From: GUEST,merry
Date: 21 Aug 03 - 07:43 AM

Subject: RE: BS: Good places to live and house prices
From: Peg
Date: 21 Aug 03 - 08:07 AM

Boston is nice but the prices on housing are ridiculous throughout the entire area. I am guessing a little 2 bedroom house in West Concord would run you about $300,000.

The Finger Lakes region of New York state (where I am from) is lovely and a similar house there would run you around $75,000.

Subject: RE: BS: Good places to live and house prices
From: Ely
Date: 21 Aug 03 - 08:08 PM

Texas is cheap (except for Austin, but even Austin is better than California) but the job market is in the toilet right now, so it's a toss up. Even Houston is cheap for a big city unless you insist on living right in the middle of it; my parents live in the suburbs and they have a spacious, VERY comfortable, older 4-bedroom valued at about $150,000. Car insurance runs kind of high but food and gas prices are good. You might not care for our climate, though . . .

Subject: RE: BS: Good places to live and house prices
From: harvey andrews
Date: 22 Aug 03 - 06:20 PM

Elementary my dear Watson...that's a nice hare you've started. Tell them Shropshire is horrible and evercrowded and they won't want to come here!. Our little secret eh?

Subject: RE: BS: Good places to live and house prices
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 22 Aug 03 - 08:35 PM

You know, Shropshire Housing, is not so bad, especially for someone on a limited budget. The Govt. just gave 3million pounds to help out, if you sign a homeless form you can live in the southern part for a song, lots of shelters, and special help for youth and even care for when you become elderly....also a scheme if you need furniture.

It appears to be a working example of socialism at its best.

The 2001 census shows:
South Shropshire has 17,000 households, 5,000 are pensioners and 10% have moved to the area, growth is 5%. 80% are Christians and 12% have no religion. Flats are less the 70K, terraced are less than 100K, but the RENTALS, yes, there are the bargains because of the subsidies....you could even move near Jaques-in-Hull.

http://www.housingcorp.gov.uk/resources/register/select.htm

Sincerely,
Gargoyle

Subject: RE: BS: Good places to live and house prices
From: jimmyt
Date: 22 Aug 03 - 08:55 PM

If I were taking a shot at answering this, I might recommend anyplace on Vancouver Island in BC as well as Asheville North Carolina. Lots of folkies, generally nice areas. BOth places would be on my "I could be happpy living there"list. By the way I live in NOrth Georgia, Albiet a nice place the music opportunities here are limited. A nice 2 bedroom house here would be $130,000

Subject: RE: BS: Good places to live and house prices
From: Paul G.
Date: 22 Aug 03 - 09:20 PM

Rural north central Florida, USA -- near Gainesville (University town) Warm, friendly, folky -- there are several artist colony type communities (Cross Creek and Micanopy to name a couple). Reasonable housing cost for Florida because it's not within ten miles of the coast (where 90% of our population lives). Truly the paradise part of the Sunshine State....

Subject: RE: BS: Good places to live and house prices
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 22 Aug 03 - 09:31 PM

Each year Money Magazine publishes an article on "The Ten Best Places to Live" (USA) they also do an "also ran" list. Most people will enjoy browsing their site.

http://money.cnn.com/best/bplive/

Sincerely,
Gargoyle

Subject: RE: BS: Good places to live and house prices
From: Amos
Date: 22 Aug 03 - 10:59 PM

That's http://money.cnn.com/best/bplive. Interesting analysis of places but it seems oddly skewed somehow.

A

Subject: RE: BS: Good places to live and house prices
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 23 Aug 03 - 12:09 AM

This year's listIS terribly skewed towards the large metropolitan areas.

For myself, I might use it as a reference to find good small towns between big places; they have forgotten almost 400 miles of Northern California/Southern Oregon coastline and the best parts of Maine, Arizona, Washington and Idaho.

In the past they have included the smaller towns of Colorado.

Having crunched some of my favorite cities through...and knowing some of their past reports...this one was skewed towards the job-markets.

Sincerely,
Gargoyle

Subject: RE: BS: Good places to live and house prices
From: Alice
Date: 23 Aug 03 - 10:58 AM

Here is a web site where you can search for houses in British Columbia.

British Columbia real estate market

Alice

Subject: RE: BS: Good places to live and house prices
From: Alice
Date: 23 Aug 03 - 11:00 AM

Here is a more direct link to the British Columbia property search.

Residential Listings Search

Alice

Subject: RE: BS: Good places to live and house prices
From: nutty
Date: 23 Aug 03 - 12:23 PM

How about trying the North of England .... there is an abundance of wonderful Folk Clubs, some of the most beautiful scenery in the world and you can buy a small 2/3 bedroom Terraced House for under £40,000 (less than that if you find one that needs renovating)

Subject: RE: BS: Good places to live and house prices
From: GUEST,Indie
Date: 23 Aug 03 - 01:41 PM

Great stuff, folks !

I am going to have a good look about the places you have recommended.

Subject: RE: BS: Good places to live and house prices
From: GUEST
Date: 23 Aug 03 - 09:23 PM

In England - what does "terraced home" mean. In the USA it refers to a yard with a slope/incline/decline that is walled at different levels along the contour-lines. They can command a premium because of landscaping features - but in England they appear to be discounted at bargain prices.

Subject: RE: BS: Good places to live and house prices
From: Peg
Date: 23 Aug 03 - 09:39 PM

I saw an article last week in the NY Times about houses with sleeping porches (which seems to me a wonderful thing to have). The article had a brief description of one property that had one, though the owners had renovated it to use the space for something else. The article also had photos and listings    of various properties around the US which also featured sleeping porches. The range of prices was truly astounding! One Victorian 2 BR in Cortland, NY was $69,000; something similar in Texas was $140,000.

Cortland is very nice. I would like to think about trying t o live somewhere like that. But jobs in western NY are scarce.

I am about to take over the mortgage on a little rustic cabin on five acres in Royalston, MA. The monthly payment will be less than   a third of what I pay for rent in Boston. But it's in the middle of nowhere and prone to get snowed in.

Subject: RE: BS: Good places to live and house prices
From: Naemanson
Date: 23 Aug 03 - 10:11 PM

What an interesting thread! I'll have to check out some of those links when I get an Internet connection at home.

Indie, I have recently done exactly what you are talking about. I just moved from the state of Maine in the USA to the island of Guam in the southwest Pacific Ocean. I am available to offer pointers and suggestions as you consider what you want to do.

If you are interested in seeing what I have been through check out my thread "News From Guam". If you join the Mudcat you can PM your email address to me and I can send you a copy with a few pictures.

Subject: RE: BS: Good places to live and house prices
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 23 Aug 03 - 10:16 PM

That "Best Places to Live" article had a form that would supposedly give comparable values so you can estimate your home's value. It's worthless--all it does is give sales within the last three years in a circumference from your location. None of them approached the value of any of the houses in this area (I bought this house last year so am conversant with the comparable values in the area).

If you enjoy poking around houses in other cities, visit Realtor.com and plug in the name or zip code of the area you're interested in looking at (in the United States). Not only do you see the prices, there are often panoramic photos of the houses, but be warned--these programs eat up a lot of memory and can take a while to download on a modem.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Good places to live and house prices
From: Naemanson
Date: 23 Aug 03 - 10:52 PM

Housing prices are low on Guam right now because the economy is in the dumps. The people are very friendly and eager to share their culture and heritage if you are interested. However, if there can be remote corners on a globe, this has got to be one of them. Flight time from New Jersey was 21 straight hours in the plane. The cost of living here is high and choices in the stores are limited. Mail to and from back home takes two weeks to get here.

But you can't beat the scenery.

Subject: RE: BS: Good places to live and house prices
From: Sorcha
Date: 23 Aug 03 - 11:17 PM

Wyoming, US. Housing and costs are cheap, but jobs limited and the Folk scene is nearly non existant. 3 BR house here will run %30,000-$80,000, and utilities about $200/mo. BUT as I said, jobs are nearly non existant except for food service and crap like that. Music is mostly Kuntry and Bluegrass.

Subject: RE: BS: Good places to live and house prices
From: Gurney
Date: 24 Aug 03 - 03:11 AM

Guest, an English terraced house is one of a row of houses joined together, like Coronation St (Have you seen that?) Semi-detatched are joined in pairs.

I'm from the English midlands, I live in New Zealand, and I like it.
Do a holiday tour to Oz and NZ, both nice places.

Subject: RE: BS: Good places to live and house prices
From: Amos
Date: 24 Aug 03 - 12:19 PM

San Diego is a great place to live. It is renowned for its clement weather and has a rich cultural life, major train and airport and a good freeway system. It has miles of nice beaches and easy access to mountains and deserts. It has all mod cons, but is naturally divided by canyons and hills so it doesnt become a giagntic flat city like LA. It is very expensive. A home will cost anything from 200,000 to 650,000 for a normal two or three bedrrom, depending on neighborhood, and a prestrigous location or a luxury hom may run in to the millions.

It is also attracting more and more and more people witht he natural result that it is getting to be quite crowded.

A

Subject: RE: BS: Good places to live and house prices
From: GUEST
Date: 24 Aug 03 - 01:58 PM

San Diego is cool too because a weekly gardner is $50/month. A livein nanny or maid can be as low as 300/month if you are willing to train them and you do the shopping.

Subject: RE: BS: Good places to live and house prices
From: GUEST,Indie
Date: 24 Aug 03 - 02:48 PM

Great stuff ! I have been looking about but haven't quite decided yet !

Naemanson, I am surprised that the cost of living is high in Guam. I will check out your thread.

Amos / Guest
How do gardeners in San Diego manage to pay their rent, if wages are so low and house prices are so high ?

I am off to look around all the things you have all suggested.

Thnaks

Ciao

Subject: RE: BS: Good places to live and house prices
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 24 Aug 03 - 03:06 PM

That live-in nanny or maid is getting slave wages, and is often victimized by her employers. People should be ashamed of themselves for hiring these women at such low wages and under such conditions. EVEN IF they're off the books and don't have green cards and everyone knows it and looks the other way, these wages still stink.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Good places to live and house prices
From: Amos
Date: 24 Aug 03 - 03:19 PM

Indie,

San DIego has low-rent areas where the living is cheaper like any city does. I don't know about the costs Guest cited. IF you'd like to track various costs in town, the San Diego Union classifieds can be found at this page.

Subject: RE: BS: Good places to live and house prices
From: GUEST,Loach fan
Date: 24 Aug 03 - 03:19 PM

The last bit about low wages reminds me of the Ken Loach film, "Bread and Roses". Have you seen it ? About Mexican immigrants working for less than what they would have earned 20 years ago.

And the thing about Loach's films is that they don't give you a nice way out at the end. They just leave you thinking about it for days.

Here's to Loach ! If there were more like him houses would be cheaper in San Diego AND nannies would earn a decent wage !

Subject: RE: BS: Good places to live and house prices
From: Naemanson
Date: 24 Aug 03 - 05:34 PM

I'm not going to try to fathom the leap of logic in that last post.

Indie, this is a remote island. EVERYTHING has to be shipped in. Electricity comes from diesel powered generators. Water is abundant but the delivery systems are questionable. The local Government is inept and in deep trouble with the citizenry and the economy is going down the drain. The whole system is totally dependent on tourists from Japan and Korea and on the military bases. With the current economic slump that's hit Asia there are few tourists to pump money into the system. Added to that is the devastation from the typhoon last December.

It all adds up to an expensive place to live, but houses are cheap. It's a buyer's market here. I am renting a four bedroom home with three full bathrooms in the hills of Santa Rita. The owner wanted $1400 a month for rent but I talked him down to $900 and he pays for water (that's a big expense too). But that is how the market works over here. I expect my electric bill (haven't seen one yet) will run between $200 and $300 a month. You cannot live comfortable without air conditioning. There are five air conditioners in the house but I am trying to get by with only two of them running. It works well so far.

But there are compensations. This morning I came into work following a rain shower. As I topped the ridge I looked down into a green valley and my eyes followed a rainbow down into the valley to it's end among the trees. I squashed an urge to go running off insearch of the pot of gold and headed down towards the water. The other end of the rainbow ran down into the harbor, making me think of aquatic leprechauns. It was a gorgeous morning with the sun behind me and the island waking, fresh washed, from a long night.

Subject: RE: BS: Good places to live and house prices
From: Jimmy C
Date: 25 Aug 03 - 02:29 PM

Canada is probably the best place in the world at the present time, everything from mountains, prairies, Atlantic Islands. The Durham region east of Toronto is great, places like Oshawa, Whitby, Ajax. A 2 bedroom house with garden will run around $150,000 to # 180,000 ( Canadian Dollars) approx $110,000 to $135,000 u.s. Houses can be much more expensive in the greater Toronto area. Wee ENJOY 4 DEFINITE SEASONS, VERY WARM SUMMERS And VERY BRISK WINTERS with moderate Fall and Spring. The Province of Ontario has over 1 million lakes, lots of fishing, hunting, camping, nature trails etc. Cities are very clean and relatively safe compared to other places. citizens are friendly and display lots of tolerance towards all etnic groups and cultures. The annual St. Patrick's Day parade is one of the largest in the world, so also the annual Caribana Festival. Work can be found if you are willing to do anything (legal). Professional sports teams like the NHL's Toronto Maple Leafs, NBA's Toronto Raptors, The American League's Toronto Blue Jays and The Argonauts of the Canadian Football League.We do have some problems but overall it is a great place. I am glad I emigrated here some 37 years ago. Lots of mudcatters as well.

Subject: RE: BS: Good places to live and house prices
From: Amos
Date: 25 Aug 03 - 03:14 PM

Calling a Toronto winter brisk is like calling a professional street walker "outgoing".

A

Subject: RE: BS: Good places to live and house prices
From: Bardford
Date: 25 Aug 03 - 05:46 PM

Click Here to find listings and prices on Canadian Real Estate.
Good luck,
Bardford

Subject: RE: BS: Good places to live and house prices
From: katlaughing
Date: 25 Aug 03 - 06:04 PM

Here are a couple of fun links to search through:

Unique properties mostly in the UK, and

land, etc. in the US and elsewhere.

The fun thing about some of their listings is there are some real bargains for some very unique properties.

Another good way to find about possible places is to subscribe to the Caretaker's Gazette. Well worth it, imo.

Have fun!

Subject: RE: BS: Good places to live and house prices
From: LadyJean
Date: 26 Aug 03 - 12:14 AM

Here in Pittsburgh, you can get a nice house, in a good neighborhood for $60,000. You can spend less if you don't mind a fixer upper. Jobs are scarce in this town. The steel industry is gone. We were doing all right in the high tech line until the dot com bomb. People here can be clannish, which is a difficulty. The winters aren't much to write home about. But there are folk clubs. There's plenty of Celtic music, and bluegrass. There aren't a lot of Hispanics in Pittsburgh. I don't know why. To the best of my knowledge, no one dislikes them. There just aren't a lot of Hispanics in Pittsburgh.

Subject: RE: BS: Good places to live and house prices
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Aug 03 - 01:19 AM

Too cold for Hispanics

They generally, like the weather that is closer to the Equator (as a general rule the darker skin the closer to the Equator.

Subject: RE: BS: Good places to live and house prices
From: GUEST,Skipjack K8
Date: 26 Aug 03 - 12:39 PM

If I can steal my partner's sage words from the prettiest villages thread, South Ferriby is well worth considering...

'Little Hawk wanted to point out that South Ferriby is one of the prettiest villages in the north of England if you ignore the A1077 trunk road, the low quality buildings and the enormous Benson's tripe works. Oh, and the awful smell'

Subject: RE: BS: Good places to live and house prices
From: katlaughing
Date: 26 Aug 03 - 02:20 PM

Gee, that sure explains all of the Hispanics I grew up with and live among, now, in Colorado...I'll have to tell my girlfriend whose ancestors settled here way back in the 1600's. Maybe it was tropical back then...

Subject: RE: BS: Good places to live and house prices
From: Peg
Date: 26 Aug 03 - 04:37 PM

Plenty    of Hispanics   in Boston where I live, and in New York City; the   winters get cold here. GUEST, you    have not   thought this   through.

Ethnic diversity is certainly a factor when   considering where one wants to move; generally neighborhoods   are more interesting, not to mention   restaurant choices, in more diverse cities.

Subject: RE: BS: Good places to live and house prices
From: GUEST,pdq
Date: 26 Aug 03 - 09:07 PM

With all due respect, both of you know that guest makes asinine coments as if he were one of the conservative boogie men you liberals think exist. Also, LadyJean was off base with her racial comments which got things off track.

As for most of rural America, it is the greatest place to live. Things that are important still look important, but much of the trappings of city life begin to look trivial. The folk club scene is a problem if you expect political folk. If you like Old-time, country folk, Bluegrass and others, you will be quite happy in many areas. Look before you move, and try to live at least one year (rent) before you make it permanent.

Subject: RE: BS: Good places to live and house prices
From: Rt Revd Sir jOhn from Hull
Date: 26 Aug 03 - 09:30 PM

heloo , wahts a his panic?
anyway- hull is the best place in the world, and evereywere else is rubbish.john

Subject: RE: BS: Good places to live and house prices
From: Naemanson
Date: 26 Aug 03 - 10:54 PM

There are no conservative boogie men? Whew! I was just starting to panic.

Maine is a wonderful place to live, cultural opportunites abound with live music, theater, and museums. However it is a very homogenous society. Ethnic groups are starting to make their appearance in the big cities but there are very few faces that aren't pasty white.

There was a big brouhaha when the mayor of Lewiston uninvited a group of Somalis from the city because he was worried about the impact on the welfare system. The conservative boogie men jumped on that cause and agreed with him and the liberal heroes rallied to protect the downtrodden.

Oops, I have strayed into politics here. Be that as it may the issue was resolved without too much more than nasty letters in the paper and a recall motion against the mayor.

Subject: RE: BS: Good places to live and house prices
From: GUEST
Date: 27 Aug 03 - 01:29 AM

I see a lot of people recommend the USA.

To a European our main concern in the states would possibly be the level of danger. Would the fact that so many of you recommend the USA maybe reflect that it's not as scary as place as we think ?

Subject: RE: BS: Good places to live and house prices
From: Allan C.
Date: 27 Aug 03 - 01:37 AM

Scary? Gosh, are we supposed to be afraid of something? Nobody tells me anything anymore!

Subject: RE: BS: Good places to live and house prices
From: GUEST
Date: 27 Aug 03 - 02:27 AM

Oh dear, it did cross my mind that someone might take offence !

I think I made a fair comment about our PERCEPTION of the USA. I come from a tough part of the Uk and I am sure that it is a lot more dangerous there than in most of the USA. And believe me, I wouldn't wish it on anyone, because people (especially mudcatters ! ) shouldn't have to live in fear. My fellow city dwellers do. That's sad.

Now, I would say that it is a fact that most people would consider safety before visting the USA. Maybe we watch too much television , maybe we read too much dramatic journalism, or whatever... but I am pretty sure it is a consideration for most people. For example, lots of Europeans have heard that New York is now much safer ( as far as street crime is concerned ) and that would encourage them to go there on holiday. I am sure you can see that point of view ? Well, please don't get upset when someone expresses the opposite.

Subject: RE: BS: Good places to live and house prices
From: Metchosin
Date: 27 Aug 03 - 03:04 AM

Don't come to BC, the southern half is in the middle of a drought and has rattle snakes and fires and the northern half, which isn't in a drought, is too wet and has big mosquitoes, black flies and bears. And the people are really wierd, because they were all born someplace else but kept coming west, looking for new frontiers, but now they are all stuck up against an ocean with no place else to go.

Subject: RE: BS: Good places to live and house prices
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 27 Aug 03 - 05:16 AM

I thought no-one from 9hull had psoted but then saw jOhns comment:-)

North of England in general has good scenery, lots of folkers and low price housing. I am from Manchester which is great but I believe Hull has cheaper housing. And judging by the postings here most mudcatters!

Cheers

Dave the Gnome.

Subject: RE: BS: Good places to live and house prices
From: GUEST,pdq
Date: 27 Aug 03 - 12:44 PM

Metchosin: Are you sure you are talking about B.C. and not California? The only thing different seems to be Gray Davis!

Subject: RE: BS: Good places to live and house prices
From: Metchosin
Date: 27 Aug 03 - 11:01 PM

Since when has a border ever stopped stopped loons from entering politics? *BG*

Subject: RE: BS: Good places to live and house prices
From: Allan C.
Date: 28 Aug 03 - 01:30 AM

GUEST, TV really does taint the thinking of many people in odd ways. When I lived in Rio de Janeiro, some of the people I met there very much beleived that while we, in the USA, had all of the thousands of murders in the streets of THE NAKED CITY, we also had the cowboys and Indians, claim jumpers and saddle tramps of BONANZA.

By the way I read recently that a typical police detective in New York City might quite possibly retire without ever having fired his weapon at anything other than a paper target. That certainly differs from what we see on television, right?

In fairness, I should tell you that I saw a feature on TV about pickpockets in London. It most certainly effected my deportment while I was there recently. Strangely enough, not a single pickpocket accosted me during my entire visit!

Subject: RE: BS: Good places to live and house prices
From: Naemanson
Date: 28 Aug 03 - 01:53 AM

I noticed a mention of mosquitoes. Last night, while at the laundromat here on Guam, I stepped out the back door to watch a thunderstom off across the bay. And I actually saw one. It whined up to my shirt front and I waved my hand at it in a purely reflexive way. The poor thing dropped to the pavemanet and lay there for a few seconds panting before dragged itself back into the air and wobbled off in search of easier prey.

Nothing like the mosquitoes back in Maine. We lose one or two tourists a year to them. The tourist steps out without any repellant and disappears in a cloud of bloodthirsty insects. Before he can even call out he is drained to an empty husk which blows away on the wind.

Subject: RE: BS: Good places to live and house prices
From: LadyJean
Date: 28 Aug 03 - 11:45 PM

Sorry if anyone was offended by my remarks about Hispanics. People who have lived in other cities have said that Pittsburgh is unusual because of the small Hispanic community. It's apparently odd in an urban area.
There are many Hispanics in my sister's Chicago neighborhood, and Chicago winters are worse than Pittsburgh winters, which is saying a great deal.
We have lots of other ethnic groups. I get my pizzas from a place that's run by Turks, and I've bought cherry juice for Hollowfox from the Turkish grocery in Squirrel Hill. There are plenty of Asians. There's a large Indian community, there's even a Hindu temple in Monroeville. I've seen Muslim women, in hijab, going into the Squirrel Hill Library. (Squirrel Hill is Pittsburgh's Jewish neighborhood.)
I worked for the 1990 Census, in Oakland, near the Universities. They gave me forms for non English speakers, in Spanish. I met several Spanish speakers, and people with Spanish surnames. They all spoke perfect Engilsh. The non English speakers were Arabic, Indian, Turkish, Korean, Greek, and Chinese. They didn't speak Spanish either. Those forms weren't a whole lot of use. The 2000 Census offered multilingual forms for assorted non English speakers.