Where would YOU consider the nicest place in the world to live?

[Guinness Boy]

I have lived in Sydney (for a year), Tokyo (8 months) and Taipei (nearly 3 years) as well as regular trips to both India and Dublin for work in the past. Of all of those I would move to Sydney tomorrow and happily stay there. Shame my Mrs thought it was too far away really but honestly wouldn't bother me. Great climate (I don't mind a bit of heat), good food, more relaxed working culture but lots of work opportunities and loads and loads of sport.

Got a couple of mates who moved to Toronto (one of who sometimes posts on here) - last reports were they loved it there.

 

[Simster]

If these other places are so great to live in, why if any other country in the World has a problem which includes a protest. Why outside their Embassies in London, do thousands of the natives of the affected countries appear, to protest about whatever is the current beef with their country of birth?
Why do these people live here, why not in the country they seem to care so much about?

To be fair, there aren't too many people on this thread suggesting that Sierra Leone, Somalia, Haiti or Afghanistan are their dream destinations are there?

Or more simply put, people from those countries are here because it is better here than in those countries.

 

[Simster]

Corrected for you.

I won't disagree with that. Parts of Oz are certainly interesting (the rain forests, the blue mountains and so on) but it wasn't a country that I'd have wanted to settle down in. Mind you, I haven't been to Melbourne and from what I gather about the place, is probably the place I'd be best suited to. Sports mad, biggish city, and a modicum of culture.

 

[Colossal Squid]

I think the lack of culture is one of the major reasons I couldn't settle in Oz. That and its isolation on the other side of the Earth make it just too flawed to be my new home.

It's not like I'm some culture vulture spending each night at the theatre, opera, ballet and so forth, it's more that I get very bored with prefabricated things and like to know that there is plenty going on around me. The whole of Europe can boast some of the most stunning architecture on the planet but you won't find anything even close in Australia. Whilst I wouldn't consider myself someone for whom architecture is a dealbreaker, it is nice to have impressive feats of human achievement in your surroundings.

 

[Commander]

I won't disagree with that. Parts of Oz are certainly interesting (the rain forests, the blue mountains and so on) but it wasn't a country that I'd have wanted to settle down in. Mind you, I haven't been to Melbourne and from what I gather about the place, is probably the place I'd be best suited to. Sports mad, biggish city, and a modicum of culture.

If Australia was a small to medium sized country only a couple of hours flight away, then it would be a great holiday destination. Instead it's a vast desert that takes a day and a night to get to, 6 hours to fly across, and only has about 7 highlights, which is less than most countries in Europe. I just don't get the fascination with it. That Great Ocean Road- what is so great about it? Most of Cornwall has just as spectacular a coastline as Oz does. If it didn't have the fantastic Great Barrier Reef then I would say it really isn't worth the hassle involved in getting there.

 

[severnside gull]

Great fun trying to work out where you would most like to be and as so many have said, the most crucial factor is family so although I would ideally love Australia's Gold Coast, the best balance between sunshine and being able to pop back and see the grandchildren/great grandchildren (assuming funds aren't unlimited) is still the mid-west of france (La Rochelle/Ile de Re)

 

[severnside gull]

Au bord de la mer on the French / Spanish border.

I have to be near the sea
Stunning shoreline
Stunning countryside nearby
Amazing local food and wine
Not far to Barcelona
Not far to the Pyrenees

Saint Cyprien Plage and Argeles sur Mer are beautiful if you haven't already been

They are a close runner up for me in my search for sunshine and cultural difference whilst still being in touching distance of la famille

 

[Norman Potting]

If these other places are so great to live in, why if any other country in the World has a problem which includes a protest. Why outside their Embassies in London, do thousands of the natives of the affected countries appear, to protest about whatever is the current beef with their country of birth?
Why do these people live here, why not in the country they seem to care so much about?

Good point. And for those that said La Rochelle and Siena I tend to agree. If (and there is zilch chance) I had an urge to live abroad I would be quite happy with either of those, La Rochelle just shades it as I am familiar with the surrounding countryside (Ile de Re, Vendee). But remember, the grass is always greener on the other side.

Have visited the USA and have no desire to live there, and no burning desire whatsoever to travel anywhere beyond Europe.

 

[withdeanwombat]

Have to admit to liking Sydney,and I did live and work there for some time,and Perth WA with its WACA and Black Swans.Enjoyed living in Alice Springs,too.Visited loads of other decent places,and agree with the shouts for Argentina,decent folk,bloody good wines and excellent tucker.But really there are too many places to consider,and when you realise MY measuring stick is the Peoples' Republic of Somerset you can see that all these other places get left in the traps.

 

[The Large One]

Saint Cyprien Plage and Argeles sur Mer are beautiful if you haven't already been

They are a close runner up for me in my search for sunshine and cultural difference whilst still being in touching distance of la famille

I've been to those places.

As I said in my blog - did I tell you I wrote a blog? Is cookbook - one of my nicest nights out was in Collioure.

Also, Cadaques, where Dali had a summer home, and until 20 years ago only reachable by boat, is lovely too.

 

[Stat Brother]

St Girons, foothills of the Pyrenees.
or
Boulder/Denver preferably Boulder.

and for living and lounging, Barbados.

 

[Commander]

and no burning desire whatsoever to travel anywhere beyond Europe.

Why not? How do you know if you'll like it or not if you don't try it?

 

[Two Professors]

Gran Canaria does it for me.Playa del Ingles is like Brighton with decent weather & the rest of the island has every type of holiday you could ever want.

 

[W.C.]

somehow I ended up living in Japan. Which I do love, it has a lot to recommend it. Right now it's autumn and is stunning.

I've lived in Spain too and am half Spanish so have a lot of love for there too. Both of those countries beat the UK for climate and food.

But am really pining for Brighton at the moment. Possibly because of the Amex but not totally. It's a fantastic town and don't let anyone tell you it isn't.

 

[Drumstick]

South East Asia.

 

[SwedishSonna]

Anywhere in Nova Scotia.

I've heard Grozny is nice.

 

[Deleted member 18477]

California or New York.

Boston's meant to be pretty cool as well.

Personally wouldn't want to live anywhere but England or America. Places to go on holiday or travel is a different matter.

In terms of Europe I prefer the French and the Germans to the Spanish and the Italians.

 

[Drumstick]

Have visited the USA and have no desire to live there, and no burning desire whatsoever to travel anywhere beyond Europe.

How come? Miss family? The distance? There are some mind blowing places to go and see out there and usually for half the cost of Europe! I tend to do Europe in weekend breaks and long haul in my main holiday time, its not for all but a passion of mine a close second to BHA.

 

[wunt be druv]

Good old Sussex by the Sea,I love it here.

 

[Gregory2Smith1]

A great place to live is entirely different from a great place to visit or to vacation.

I have spent in total about 22 years living overseas (12 cities, 7 countries) and much as have enjoyed some of the places I can honestly say "there's no place like home", home being Sussex by the Sea.

Second choice would have to be the USA, probably California.

I would very much agree with this,Sussex and California are both wonderful places to live