Moving back to mainland Europe... yes? Where to?
October 29, 2015 7:53 AM Subscribe
I currently live in Brighton, UK. I (mostly) love it here, but as a web-based freelancer I should probably live somewhere less ridiculously expensive. Where in the EU would you move to?
I'm deliberately leaving this vague... I've already considered and dismissed most options for a plethora of reasons (weather, political climate, red tape, remoteness, lifestyle etc)... but let's just pretend I haven't.
Quick overview of my criteria:
- I'm kinda your typical MeFite (and Brightonian!), left-liberal, queer, green... I don't mind standing out a bit, but I don't want to be the talk of the town.
- I very much love warmth & sunshine. Otherwise I'd probably move to Scotland or Scandinavia without much hesitation.
- I spend a lot of time in nature - cycling, running, walking, sunbathing. BUT
- I would like to get by without a car, so a mid-sized town with shopping amenities within cycling distance is preferred.
- Seaside would be a definite plus, but willing to sacrifice that for other natural features.
- No interest whatsoever in night life, but arts & culture more important (tho okay if a few hours away by train).
- I speak French and German, can brush up on my Italian and probably acquire Spanish fairly easily. Other languages harder. (I'm originally from Luxembourg, if it matters?)
That's all I can think of, though happy to follow up. So MeFites, tell me, where should I move to? ("Stay where you are" also a valid option. I know Brighton is pretty amazing, ha.) Thank you!!!
PS Meta-question: what is the best category for this type of question? Going through previous ones, I've seen everything from Home & Garden via Society & Culture to Grab Bag.
I'm deliberately leaving this vague... I've already considered and dismissed most options for a plethora of reasons (weather, political climate, red tape, remoteness, lifestyle etc)... but let's just pretend I haven't.
Quick overview of my criteria:
- I'm kinda your typical MeFite (and Brightonian!), left-liberal, queer, green... I don't mind standing out a bit, but I don't want to be the talk of the town.
- I very much love warmth & sunshine. Otherwise I'd probably move to Scotland or Scandinavia without much hesitation.
- I spend a lot of time in nature - cycling, running, walking, sunbathing. BUT
- I would like to get by without a car, so a mid-sized town with shopping amenities within cycling distance is preferred.
- Seaside would be a definite plus, but willing to sacrifice that for other natural features.
- No interest whatsoever in night life, but arts & culture more important (tho okay if a few hours away by train).
- I speak French and German, can brush up on my Italian and probably acquire Spanish fairly easily. Other languages harder. (I'm originally from Luxembourg, if it matters?)
That's all I can think of, though happy to follow up. So MeFites, tell me, where should I move to? ("Stay where you are" also a valid option. I know Brighton is pretty amazing, ha.) Thank you!!!
PS Meta-question: what is the best category for this type of question? Going through previous ones, I've seen everything from Home & Garden via Society & Culture to Grab Bag.
Obviously doesn't meet your sunshine requirement but I moved from Brighton to West Yorkshire 18 months ago and love it. Cost of living is alot less, loads of good restaurants, world class art galleries and nature of all kinds on the doorstep. Feel free to PM me for specific questions.
posted by chrispy108 at 8:25 AM on October 29, 2015
posted by chrispy108 at 8:25 AM on October 29, 2015
I also think Berlin is a good fit.
Berlin winters are not great but summers are long and gorgeous. Apart from that, Berlin checks all the points on your list, depending which area of the city you choose.
For more nature and a lake side (if not sea side) life, you could move away from the city center towards the West or the East. On the West check Tegeler See (dont be put off by the airport, you can hardly hear it if you live west of the lake) or further South along the Havel (that area is a bit expensive though). Or all the way to the East Köpenick and Müggelsee.
In general, I feel people have a certain picture of Berlin in their minds which doesnt do this huge city justice. Any lifestyle here can be had from classical downtown, to hipster art neighbourhoods, to ethnically mixed lively cheap neighbourhoods, to conservative old villas neighbourhoods, to green commune living, to lakes and rivers, from very cheap to very exclusive, from quirky to conservative. It all can be found here and it all very peacefully coexists.
If you have specific questions or if I can help you find your neighbourhood, let me know via PM :)
posted by Fallbala at 8:36 AM on October 29, 2015 [1 favorite]
Berlin winters are not great but summers are long and gorgeous. Apart from that, Berlin checks all the points on your list, depending which area of the city you choose.
For more nature and a lake side (if not sea side) life, you could move away from the city center towards the West or the East. On the West check Tegeler See (dont be put off by the airport, you can hardly hear it if you live west of the lake) or further South along the Havel (that area is a bit expensive though). Or all the way to the East Köpenick and Müggelsee.
In general, I feel people have a certain picture of Berlin in their minds which doesnt do this huge city justice. Any lifestyle here can be had from classical downtown, to hipster art neighbourhoods, to ethnically mixed lively cheap neighbourhoods, to conservative old villas neighbourhoods, to green commune living, to lakes and rivers, from very cheap to very exclusive, from quirky to conservative. It all can be found here and it all very peacefully coexists.
If you have specific questions or if I can help you find your neighbourhood, let me know via PM :)
posted by Fallbala at 8:36 AM on October 29, 2015 [1 favorite]
Praia da Areia Branca in Portugal. It's on the coast, a small town but an easy bus trip to Lisbon; a bit farther to Evora. You can walk / bike pretty much anywhere, and there are other towns right up the coast (Peniche is a few easy kilometers, for instance).
People are friendly and pretty open-minded IME - once the initial novelty of you has 'worn off', you'll just be a member of the community.
posted by PlantGoddess at 8:39 AM on October 29, 2015
People are friendly and pretty open-minded IME - once the initial novelty of you has 'worn off', you'll just be a member of the community.
posted by PlantGoddess at 8:39 AM on October 29, 2015
- Ljubljana - Slovenia is tiny and gorgeous, with every desirable climate
- Istanbul - definitely Turkey's most liberal place to live; perhaps pricy in the best neighbourhoods (look in Fener-Balat or Çukurcuma); not sure about red tape/non-EU-ness; avoid if Erdogan wins the next election perhaps
- Porto - radical reinvention of the urban core is happening; small but punches above its weight
- Vienna - no language issues, cheaper and less congested than many other big German cities
- Trieste - old-world charm but the hub of the region; within arm's reach of Venice
- San Sebastian - coming out of Bilbao's shadow; European Capital of Culture next year; no direct budget flights from the UK (perhaps a blessing)
- wild card: Sarajevo - energy and tragedy, difficult language but probably incredible opportunities of a big fish/small pond nature
- wilder card: Guadeloupe/Martinique - France's Hawaii.
- wildest card: Tbilisi - hugely ambitious city looking to make its mark, incredible food and hospitable people
posted by mdonley at 9:04 AM on October 29, 2015 [10 favorites]
- Istanbul - definitely Turkey's most liberal place to live; perhaps pricy in the best neighbourhoods (look in Fener-Balat or Çukurcuma); not sure about red tape/non-EU-ness; avoid if Erdogan wins the next election perhaps
- Porto - radical reinvention of the urban core is happening; small but punches above its weight
- Vienna - no language issues, cheaper and less congested than many other big German cities
- Trieste - old-world charm but the hub of the region; within arm's reach of Venice
- San Sebastian - coming out of Bilbao's shadow; European Capital of Culture next year; no direct budget flights from the UK (perhaps a blessing)
- wild card: Sarajevo - energy and tragedy, difficult language but probably incredible opportunities of a big fish/small pond nature
- wilder card: Guadeloupe/Martinique - France's Hawaii.
- wildest card: Tbilisi - hugely ambitious city looking to make its mark, incredible food and hospitable people
posted by mdonley at 9:04 AM on October 29, 2015 [10 favorites]
Malta, fairly remote but also fairly liberal and modern.
posted by Poldo at 9:08 AM on October 29, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Poldo at 9:08 AM on October 29, 2015 [1 favorite]
Not mid-sized but surely Barcelona has to be mentioned.
posted by Segundus at 9:27 AM on October 29, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by Segundus at 9:27 AM on October 29, 2015 [3 favorites]
Response by poster: Thanks all for your suggestions. Some stuff to think about (definitely some of those are options I'd already dismissed... but I can look at them again!). Berlin and Barcelona had crossed my mind, tho Berlin may be too big, now, for my taste.
posted by ClarissaWAM at 10:47 AM on October 29, 2015
posted by ClarissaWAM at 10:47 AM on October 29, 2015
Croatia.
My personal bias, your criteria notwithstanding, is Prague.
posted by vignettist at 10:53 AM on October 29, 2015 [1 favorite]
My personal bias, your criteria notwithstanding, is Prague.
posted by vignettist at 10:53 AM on October 29, 2015 [1 favorite]
Greece.
posted by parmanparman at 11:03 AM on October 29, 2015
posted by parmanparman at 11:03 AM on October 29, 2015
I know a number of freelance types who live in Stuttgart. I've only been once, but it was quite a nice place and I can understand the attraction (known for being a bit warmer than surroundings, nice hills, trollinger!, wonderful transit, good arts scene, relatively thriving industry, etc.). Cost of living wasn't cheap, per se, but manageable. My friends talk about the place being a livable, enjoyable compromise.
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 11:43 AM on October 29, 2015
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 11:43 AM on October 29, 2015
Freiburg im Breisgau! I think it ticks off all of your boxes, although I'm not sure about the cost of living.
posted by un petit cadeau at 12:23 PM on October 29, 2015
posted by un petit cadeau at 12:23 PM on October 29, 2015
Aachen, good museum, on the Dutch border, very near Amsterdam. Wiesbaden a beautiful city, on the edge of the Taunus Mts., near Frankfurt for ease of flights.
posted by Oyéah at 1:56 PM on October 29, 2015
posted by Oyéah at 1:56 PM on October 29, 2015
Coastal cities or towns in Languedoc. Here are some rental prices within Languedoc, here is the average (purchase) price per m^2 of surface in France.
Languedoc has sun, a people who are considerably warmer than those of the north, a mild climate to match the people, and a lifestyle that combines a bunch of good French things like fast Internet and excellent food with a friendly and pleasant environment.
Check the following: Montpellier, Narbonne, Cassis (ok, Cassis is not exactly in Languedoc but it's pretty), Carcassonne. If you don't mind a smaller village within 10 km of a city they are available to you, there are all kinds of little settlements around the larger cities.
Montpellier is pretty queer and I love it, but wouldn't want to live there because of its density. The cities of Avignon and Orange are conservative, not recommended, and the maire of Béziers is apparently a far-right eccentric.
posted by jet_silver at 7:36 PM on October 29, 2015
Languedoc has sun, a people who are considerably warmer than those of the north, a mild climate to match the people, and a lifestyle that combines a bunch of good French things like fast Internet and excellent food with a friendly and pleasant environment.
Check the following: Montpellier, Narbonne, Cassis (ok, Cassis is not exactly in Languedoc but it's pretty), Carcassonne. If you don't mind a smaller village within 10 km of a city they are available to you, there are all kinds of little settlements around the larger cities.
Montpellier is pretty queer and I love it, but wouldn't want to live there because of its density. The cities of Avignon and Orange are conservative, not recommended, and the maire of Béziers is apparently a far-right eccentric.
posted by jet_silver at 7:36 PM on October 29, 2015
Just some food for thought on Berlin: I always said I'd never move to Berlin because it was too big and too rough around the edges and I am not a big city girl. Well, it turns out I did move here (for various reasons) and I really like it.
The thing is that Berlin is basically a conglomeration of small cities. There is not one big city center but each quarter ("Kiez") is a little city in itself. Most Berliners find their Kiez and then basically never leave. Same for me. I feel like I live in a very lively, vibrant small town which happens to be part of bigger metropolitan area.
posted by Fallbala at 2:57 AM on October 30, 2015
The thing is that Berlin is basically a conglomeration of small cities. There is not one big city center but each quarter ("Kiez") is a little city in itself. Most Berliners find their Kiez and then basically never leave. Same for me. I feel like I live in a very lively, vibrant small town which happens to be part of bigger metropolitan area.
posted by Fallbala at 2:57 AM on October 30, 2015
Aside from the "warmth & sunshine", which wouldn't be any different to the UK, I would suggest the Netherlands, it fits most of your criteria. Depending on your desire to trade off between the beach, culture and transport options etc, I would suggest Den Haag at the metropolitan end and Noordwijk at the smaller end, with Delft, Leiden etc as happy mediums.
posted by SpacemanRed at 3:59 AM on October 30, 2015
posted by SpacemanRed at 3:59 AM on October 30, 2015
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by DarlingBri at 8:13 AM on October 29, 2015 [2 favorites]