Unemployment...

[KrazyHorse]

Your moving to suburbia? Uggghhh...

Unfortunately.

On the plus side, it's suburbia populated by very rich, well-educated people who largely work in the financial sector, so hopefully it will have similar amenities to the city. I plan to live within biking distance of work...

[Hauldren Collider]

Suburbia

[KrazyHorse]

**** suburbia. I like the convenience and lifestyle afforded me by the most urban settings possible.

[Jon Miller]

What in particular?

I could have a relaxed bike ride across Uppsala in less than 30 minutes. Uppsala had museums, libraries, cafes, many different types of stores (including nerdy ones), good public transport, bars, clubs, and nice restaurants. Yet I know of people complaining about it. Of course, it being Sweden, during the non-holiday times of the year (week nights not in summer or holidays) it got very quiet after 11pm or so. And when it wasn't summer holidays, finding restaurants open after 10pm was difficult.

I live in a super urban area right now (not quite New York or London, but almost the exact center of Brussels), and I am not sure what I have gained.

If anything, transportation after midnight is more difficult.

JM

[MRT144]

What in particular?

I could have a relaxed bike ride across Uppsala in less than 30 minutes. Uppsala had museums, libraries, cafes, many different types of stores (including nerdy ones), good public transport, bars, clubs, and nice restaurants. Yet I know of people complaining about it. Of course, it being Sweden, during the non-holiday times of the year (week nights not in summer or holidays) it got very quiet after 11pm or so. And when it wasn't summer holidays, finding restaurants open after 10pm was difficult.

I live in a super urban area right now (not quite New York or London, but almost the exact center of Brussels), and I am not sure what I have gained.

If anything, transportation after midnight is more difficult.

JM

For one, I doubt he will have access to the variety and quality of food within the same time-distance of where he currently lives. He will have to drive to some places for amenities like dry-cleaning and grocery.

I live near downtown Seattle (15 minutes walking) and although we are a podunk fishing village, I have a great variety of food and amenities within 2 minutes walking. Manhattan is like 10 times better than Seattle.

[DanS]

How about interesting and varied people? Uppsala v. Brussels.

[Jon Miller]

For one, I doubt he will have access to the variety and quality of food within the same time-distance of where he currently lives. He will have to drive to some places for amenities like dry-cleaning and grocery.

I live near downtown Seattle (15 minutes walking) and although we are a podunk fishing village, I have a great variety of food and amenities within 2 minutes walking. Manhattan is like 10 times better than Seattle.

Uppsala is small, only about 200k people.

There was quite a bit of variety in food and amnemities. It is true that for a few things you needed to go to Stockholm. Most were things I was uninterested in. I think I went to Stockholm once (for the vibrams, because I didn't want to wait for them to come back to the Uppsala stores).

[Jon Miller]

How about interesting and varied people? Uppsala v. Brussels.

There were plenty of nerds and so on in Uppsala.

I guess there was less Opera/etc. But I am OK with travelling for something like that.

Actually, Uppsala had Sweden's version of Evangelicals/Charismatics, but it is true that for international Christians (those who would worship in English, every spoke it but people generally worship in their native language) Stockholm was the place to go. I go to an international (english speaking) church in Brussels. I think that Belgium has more Christians than Sweden, but then this is pretty easy...

There was a broader international spectrum in Stockholm.

Note that Brussels is very international, even if there are less english speakers here. So I guess that would be a 'pro-Brussels' piece.

But my friends in Uppsala included a Romanian, an Austrian, Swedes, a Spaniard, and a Russian (and my girlfriend, who I met there, is South African).

Maybe it is just me.

JM

[MRT144]

There were plenty of nerds and so on in Uppsala.

I guess there was less Opera/etc. But I am OK with travelling for something like that.

Actually, Uppsala had Sweden's version of Evangelicals/Charismatics, but it is true that for international Christians (those who would worship in English, every spoke it but people generally worship in their native language) Stockholm was the place to go. I go to an international (english speaking) church in Brussels. I think that Belgium has more Christians than Sweden, but then this is pretty easy...

There was a broader international spectrum in Stockholm.

Note that Brussels is very international, even if there are less english speakers here. So I guess that would be a 'pro-Brussels' piece.

But my friends in Uppsala included a Romanian, an Austrian, Swedes, a Spaniard, and a Russian (and my girlfriend, who I met there, is South African).

Maybe it is just me.

JM

It is just you.

[MikeH]

You're in Brussels? I missed that somehow.

[Jon Miller]

Yeah, I got offered a job in Brussels shortly after my position in Sweden ended (before I left Sweden).

It was a long process to get my Visa (long on the US end, not the Belgium end), but I arrived here about a month ago.

Trying to live very cheaply, but would love to have another CG meet.

JM
(Brussels is much nicer to go out in than Sweden, but that is mostly due to good beer being so much cheaper.)

[MikeH]

Well it's only a short train ride away!

K_G's sister lives in Brussels too.

[Jon Miller]

Yeah, Sweden is still in Europe but Brussels feels so much closer.

Brussels is cheaper for alcohol than London?

I still need to learn all the nice places, will take a while.

JM

[MikeH]

I don't know. I've never been out in Brussels.

[Jon Miller]

In a pub, the usual beer is under 2 euros, and nice beer is under 4.

Recently I have mostly gone out in Sweden, where a nice beer (normal night, normal place) is ~8 euros.

I know some nice places to sit outside and have a coffee and a beer, at least, I did when I visited over a year ago.

It looks about to be 80-100 euros to go to London and back.

JM
(on a normal night)