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Tell me about the best urban neighborhoods you've lived in
I'm relocating soon and trying to find the right spot for me. I don't want this to be an individual recommendation thread though. Instead, just tell me about your favorite urban neighborhoods — what you love about them, what isn't so great, and what makes them stand out from the rest.
Come to Brussels.
It’s the most international city in the world per capita.
It’s a capital, but human sized. You can walk through it in under two hours.
It’s multicultural in its blood, speaks four languages, three of them officially.
It has 18 mayors, in a country that holds the world record for longest time without a government.
It’s not a perfect city by any means, but you get to see it grow and improve every day.
And Jason from NotJustBikes hates it. His loss :P
I visited Brussels for a few days back in 2013 and I loved it there. Stunningly beautiful city with some absolutely amazing record stores. I would love to live in a city like that someday.
Seoul is one of my favorite major metropolitan cities in the world - some points off the top of my head:
Pros:
Cons:
I live in Canada but I visit Korea, and Seoul specifically, often as my spouse is native Korean.
I agree it's an excellent city and you've highlighted the major pros and cons.
I would only expand on "toxic work culture" because even if you're not working it affects you -- 빨리 빨리 culture. This means it's sometimes difficult to "take it slow" even if you're just out and about.
The other thing I'd say is racism is a big problem. I've been denied entry and service multiple times when I've been alone (and sometimes even with my Korean spouse..) and it sucks. I never experience that in Canada, so it makes me sad to see in a modern nation. It was really bad in the COVID days when "foreigners" had harsh rules applied even when they lived in Korea.
As much as I grumble about the place? London.
Been here six years, moved here for my girlfriend who's become my wife and I'm slowly understanding the city more.
It's pricey, it can be tough to adjust to. But if you want culture of any variety? It's here.
I miss the dance of the pavement in London. The unspoken rules. The ease with which it all occurs without you even really thinking about it. Until you move to another capital city and discover it gone. That first sharp elbow really jolts you into a new reality.
It is extremely weird. We've had a lot of said rules be disregarded post-Covid lately and it's getting on a lot of peoples wick. Let people off before you get on the public transport, walk on the left and stand on the right. Roads are more hostile as well.
The city has gone through something ('s if you count Brexit) and a lot of us are very unsure of its future.
I wonder if this is every city impacted by COVID? In the Washington DC area, people generally have seemed even less considerate after all pandemic restrictions were lifted (and let's not forget we had Trump at the same time, fanning these flames). It's as though all of this stress and fear has gotten people even more in their own heads and so less space and tolerance for others.
Believe me, Boris did a great number on so many people. It will be interesting to see the Covid inquiry reports once they're fully done.
So many people can see nothing but bad. It's a really bad place for so many of us all to be in
I'm sorry. I've heard.
Some minority folks in America say the only places more racist than America are the UK and Israel. 😦
It's funny. British people can be racist, everyone can.
But I think what gets misconstrued an awful lot for racism? Is our reservedness. My wife isn't British and she said she struggled with the cold shoulder we give sometimes... That's not personal, we're just reserved compared to many nations.
That's changing a lot now. People aren't so much like that anymore. But it's easy to understand it cna come across as rude.
That being said. There are a bunch of bastards who are xenophobic and racist here. Just like there are everywhere else. I've been around the world and the UK is welcoming compared to many Arab or Asian states.
In some ways, I think DC would be impacted in those ways more than most "normal" cities: So much of the "social code" of the city is based on "soft rules" (stand right, walk left) and the city is so transient that turning off the rules for a couple years would cause more of a social breakdown.
Having been downtown recently, it does seem to have a much more "crowded/rushed" feeling in a lot of places than it did 10 years ago, but that might just be me having lost familiarity.
It's kinda been "discovered" but Capitol Hill / Navy Yard was a great neighborhood to live in: probably not the case quite as much any more, but it had a really cool dynamic of everyone "leaving to go back home to NW" when work was over so it was super chill / easy to park / etc.
My personal pet peeve of city living. The only time I ever sharpen my own elbow without guilt.
That's a shame to hear about the change in dynamic post-Covid. Something to look forward to when I'm over again next year... 😒
Feel free to still come over, you may just find it a little more grumpy... But believe me, the dazzle is still here.
Also, I hear ya. I'm a tall and broad gent. People do not understand basic physics until they get a me flying from a door.
Oh, I'll be back. Nobody is keeping me from my sausage rolls and Percy Pigs! 🐽
You've missed the glory days of Reversey Percys
When M&S stopped those, my wife never truly recovered.
Are you sending me down a rabbit hole? It was tough enough keeping up with the Colin and Cuthbert Caterpillar debacle from another country!
My wife and I had a giant Colin for our wedding cake, believe me... The Matrix has nothing on this rabbit hole.
I googled that and came up with nothing. What’s the dance of the pavement?
Where people manage to navigate narrow pavements with thousands of others with the minimum of fuss and some surprising elegance. The dance of the pavement.
I'm not a massive city person anyway and rents are absurd so I'd have never moved back here had I not bought the narrowboat. But what I didn't understand is how much walking, cycling, taking the bus or floating extremely slowly would change my perception of the city. I used to take the tube everywhere so never understood how everything connected together - you just pop up out the ground and you're in a brand new bubble. Taking it slow in a city not known for taking it slow means I've grown to actively enjoy living here!
A decade or so ago, someone on Reddit made that exact remark. A lot of folks just kind of ... pop up out of the tube and that's where they are. That's why you see so many Tourists go from Covent Garden > Leicester Square via the tube, when really... it's a three minute walk.
I walk the city a lot. Zone 1 can be covered in an hour or so, and the amount of cool stuff you see? It's incredible. I cycle a lot outside of Zone1&2 and generally try not to be terrified of the drivers, but it's the one area London could do so much better. Start restricting cars and get more areas for bicycles.
Dead on! It's been great to see more of the low traffic neighbourhoods pop up and there's loads more separated cycle lanes than there used to be, but would love to see more especially on the main roads. We definitely need more behavioural change too, I'm the slowest chillest cyclist you've ever seen but still get cut up all the time.
I spent a considerable amount of time (few months on and off) in Hampstead area and I'm inclined to agree. It is at once expansive and walkable, small and wide. You could go a while without travelling more than a tube stop or two from where you live and it would not feel at all restrictive.
I'm the opposite side of London in Zone 4. We're a little restricted on public transport as there's no tube. But the trains run straight into London Bridge in 15 minutes.
During lockdown, my wife and I spent a lot of time exploring our area with our pup. There are so many parks, woods and open spaces inside London, it's mad.
Minneapolis and St Paul are pretty great. I haven't really lived anywhere else, but I've visited most of the US and I just continue to love the vibe here. I'll never move unless I'm moving to another country. The main downside is that you have to endure some nasty winters (it really isn't that bad, though) and the summers can also sometimes get just as hot as southern summers, but almost everything else makes up for it.
We have friendly people, we're accepting (actually taking steps against racism, being multiculturally friendly, being fully accepting of LGBT people, etc.), rent isn't out of control, the housing market isn't [relatively] out of control, we have a good education system, good job market, we have great bike infrastructure for a US city (obviously some euro cities are miles ahead of us), pretty good walk infrastructure and public transit depending on where you are (Minneapolis uptown, for example), lots of nature, both within our cities and outside of them (we have a ton of parks and lakes right in MPLS/STP), great arts and creatives, and a great food and drink scene. We're pretty multicultural here, so we get a bit of everything in terms of foods, drinks, grocery stores, etc.
We don't have much of a night life culture here, we're definitely a bit more laid back than places like Miami, NYC, or whatever (and obviously many times smaller in size).
I guess one other downside is that we're pretty far from the rest of the US. You can't just bop over to NYC or Chicago, or LA real quick for something, it's pretty much a 6 hour drive to anywhere else notable, but there isn't much you can't find here, so it's fine (we have plenty of sports teams, concerts come here, etc.). Let me know if you have any questions about the area, specifically, but out of all the places I've visited in the US, this is still my favorite, with Chicago maybe being a close second place.
I know there's been fearmongering in the news in the last few years about how we burn our cities down, but basically none of that is true, it's a very friendly place and I never want to leave.
I'm in Minneapolis too, and I fall more in love with it the longer I'm here. We get so much bang for our buck - I was able to buy my house when I was 26 and didn't make a huge salary. I have a yard for my dog, and I'm 5 minutes from all the concerts/bars downtown.
Speaking of it being a friendly place, you always see people talk about "Minnesota ice," basically saying that Minnesotans are cold and unfriendly to newcomers. But I just personally haven't experienced that, some of my best friends are from all over the world (Vegas, Hong Kong, Texas, etc.) and they all have found it very easy to form a good social group. Also, it seems like people don't often move out of Minneapolis, so I'm able to maintain friendships for many years/decades.
Despite its quirks and flaws, it's undeniable that we generally have a high quality of life here in Minneapolis/Minnesota. The air feels clean, the water is clear, and I've grown to love the winters. It's peaceful here.
Sounds awesome! I've only ever lived places with very mild winters. What does coping with the nasty winters look like, in practical terms? Also, I don't own a car (and hope to keep it that way). Can I still walk places in the winter?
Not the original commenter but I live a few hours from Minneapolis and lived most of my life in mild climates before moving here.
Winters here require you to dress warm, which really means getting a good quality coat and some long underwear. Be prepared to not have outdoor activities for a good chunk of the year, unless you like skiing or snowshoeing. Your shoes will be covered in salt by the end of the season, so don't wear your dress shoes out during that time of year. It's very white and drab for a good portion of the year and days get really short, or at least it feels worse than down south so be prepared to feel that seasonal depression. Unless it's Christmas time then the lights sparkle in the snow and it's so cozy and joyful feeling, to me at least.
I'm not sure about Minneapolis but in my big Midwest city nearby cars are required. Public transport only gets you so many places, and you'll find yourself locked in without a car. I often find areas with no sidewalk or crosswalk making walking impossible unless you walk along major busy streets.
Walking in the winter as someone who isn't used to winter weather is interesting. My second year here I confidentially walked out onto a clear looking sidewalk in after a warmer day and found that ice can form from melting snow refreezing, and can form perfectly clear layers of flat slippery ice. My tailbone hurt so bad. There are cleats you can get that slip over the bottom of your shoes to help you walk on ice though. Also, sidewalks tend to get piled with plowed snow blocking them off and making them inaccessible. So not the best for walking during the winter.
With the winters, it really just means having a nice jacket, hat, gloves, scarf, boots, and maybe long underwear. Because we have winter, we're prepared for it, so everything is still running in winter, we clear our roads and sidewalks efficiently, etc. You just have to focus on staying warm, basically, but it isn't like we go into lockdown in the winters or anything and areas that are generally walkable or bikeable in other seasons should still be walkable or bikeable in winter.
Without a car, you'd certainly have some areas that are walkable, like uptown (anywhere near Lake and Hennepin, near lake Bde Maka Ska), downtown, some parts of south Minneapolis, like 50th and France, St Anthony (just northeast of downtown) and some areas of St Paul along Snelling Ave, 7th St, and downtown (though I'm not super familiar with STP, myself). The other commenter is right that our city isn't 100% walkable, so areas like Roseville, Richfield, and Minnetonka probably require a car to live comfortably, but anything within a few miles of downtown is pretty dense and can allow for a no-car lifestyle, whether walking or biking. We do have busses and a lightrail system, though it doesn't get everywhere. For example, I live 10-ish miles from downtown and my option is a once every 30 minutes bus to take me downtown, but I do have one. However, some place like uptown have a billion bus routes.
SF - the weather is nice, and that makes it in a way more walkable than other areas. Always room temperature weather. The public transit is OK - sure, it's good by US standards, but the difference between driving and public transit in terms of transit time and reliability is quite dire. But there's also a bit of a catch 22 when it does suck driving, parking is limited, and you get your car broken into a lot, but the public transit isn't great either. There's bike lanes, but it's incredibly hilly, and e-bikes get stolen.
It infamously smells pretty badly. Public order wasn't great, and I heard it got worse. You have to learn to avoid specific areas like the plague (e.g tenderloin). Things don't close that early, but still kinda early.
Seattle - the downtown area is incredibly dead. The target in downtown closes at 5pm. I'm not even sure how they have customers. People hang out at cap hill, which is the uwash is. Really way too many tech workers. I honestly don't think SF is that inundated with them, it's mostly in south bay, but every other person you meet in seattle works at either amazon or microsoft.
Public transit is mid. Weather is really good in the summer, and really bad every other part of the year.
NYC - the most urban of anywhere in the US. I generally felt safe in Manhattan, at any point in the night. Public transit is dirty, but availability is the best in the US and it's not close. Lots of things to do, lots of people (most other cities in the US feel pretty dead). The facilities aren't really up to snuff with the big Asian cities, but things are there at least.
Very multicultural, you have neighborhoods like flushings where it's practically like you're in China. Great food, even if it's expensive. Biking is OK, you kinda feel like you might die from the drivers but at least the roads are flat.
Boston - it's very small, a lot smaller than you think. Public transit is decent, I'd say it's better than SF as the rail goes more places and rail > buses. Walkable because it's small. I didn't spend that much time there in the end, so I don't have of an impression. Being incredibly cold helps somewhat with the filth and public safety parts. Cambridge is practically part of the city, which I didn't know before going.
Chicago - The downtown area is honestly maybe the most "city-ish" area in the US, the difference from NYC being that they have more lax zoning. That being said, it's kinda ghost townish at times, especially during the brutal winters. It's not called the city of wind for nothing, and it's wind when it's -20F. I wasn't there for long either, it's apparently pretty divided between the "good" parts and the rougher parts. Public transit is good, and although it's loud I do think the raised subway looks cool. I have a certain affinity towards Chicago because it looks cyberpunk-ish in the winter.
SF is insanely expensive, the income inequality is terrible, and the city government seems feckless due to all of the NIMBYism of the wealthier resident.
Voters reap what they sowed.
Cap hill is fine, but it is a more lowkey area, and the vibes were a little weird. It's like mostly populated by college students who hang out there and amazon employees. Like if you go to any bar after a workday you'll see people with laptops in backpacks because they're on call for either microsoft or amazon. In the end, it's subjective, I suppose.
I mean, I don't think SF public transit is good. It is better than like, St. Louis or Denver or something. But I don't think it's meaningful to grade it on a curve. My metric for public transit is, when I flip between the "car" and "public transit" tabs on google maps for a route I'm actually going to go on, how bad is the delta?
In both Seattle and SF, it's pretty bad most of the time. When I was there, and did not have a car, I had to do a lot of Uber-ing. Really, that's what's most important - how burdensome is it not to have a car. It is better than random-midwestern-city-in-the-US. But you're going to be burdened, and I lived there for longer I would've bought a car.
If you're not taking a Uber, you really have to plan your route to make sure transfers don't screw you, and head out hours in advance for a non-trivial distance. And delays in service can screw you.
Kyoto is the best place I’ve ever lived. It seems like it’s gotten a lot busier with tourism since I lived there, but when I’ve visited again it’s still completely enchanting to me. It’s such a perfect size. You can walk everywhere in the main city if you want to. You can bike everywhere through small streets with no hills in the city. You are surrounded by hills on all sides giving you a strong sense of direction and belonging. I have so many dear dear memories of sitting on the bank of Kamogawa with friends, dates, or just myself. It felt like every time I went on a walk and turned somewhere I hadn’t been I would find some new shop or a cute street or shrine or something special. Walking through higashiyama or gion at night when it’s quiet is like going to another time period. Nature is always close by and so lovely and peaceful. The seasons are so dynamic. Summer is a little hot but winters are mild and if you get snow it’s magical. I don’t need to say more about how good food is in Japan, but Kyoto has particularly great bakeries and the cafe culture is also great.
I could go on and on about Kyoto. I’ve never loved a place half as much, and I think about how I decided to leave constantly.
Midtown Sacramento. Lots of great restaurants, bars, cafes, and other social spaces. Plenty of trees for shade during the hot months. Lots of interesting people. Art collectives and live music everywhere. Super walkable and relatively safe. Some of the best bike paths nearby that will take you to either Folsom Lake or even all the way out to Davis.
I'll put these in a second post, because it's not really that relevant in practical terms, and I never stayed there as a working adult, only as a child and then a visitor. But I did spend some time in Beijing and Shanghai and they're both great cities in many aspects.
Infrastracture is new and shiny (which makes sense, much was built in the last few decades). Public transit is fantastic. The bustle and density of the city is completely unmatched in the US. Public order is fantastic - I never felt particularly unsafe at any point anywhere, and most people there I knew went out with an abandon that would be shocking in a US city.
The pollution is worse in Beijing than Shanghai, and Shanghai also has an ocean, and, well, oceans are nice to look at. That being said, ever since 2008, the CCP just started moving production out of Beijing because the smog looked bad during the olympics and that's stuck.
Of course, you do have to live under the CCP's thumb, and while that probably doesn't make that much of a difference to most people's lives, it is a thing. Of course, it's a bit doomed if you don't speak chinese, and there'll be discrimination if you don't look like an ethnic han.
But city wise I think all of the East Asian cities are unmatched in the US for their, well, city-ness. New York has its own grimy charm, though.
The slums of San Francisco will always be my favorite place I've lived. The rents were cheap, the locals were (ahem) interesting, and everything you could want in the world was within two blocks — good, affordable restaurants, movie theaters, coffee shops, bookstores, and dirt cheap housing.
This was 30 years ago, so I imagine the cheap housing has faded away.
I used to live in Observatory, Cape Town. Loads of bars, restaurants, and coffee shops at walking distance. Student vibe with lots of people from all parts of Africa and the rest of the world, but also plenty of non-students (like me).
There's a train station which gets you to the city centre if you head north, or you can go south and head to the beach. Go far enough and you'll get here.
The not so good parts: crime, few economic opportunities, abhorrent inequality, frequent blackouts... all the "standard" South African problems. Would still happily live there though, it's a special place.
Someone else had already mentioned it, but I'm currently living in Seoul and it's definitely what I envision a city should be like.
Pros:
Cons
I lived in the UIC/Tri-Taylor area in Chicago during college (at UIC). On campus and off-campus. For the latter, I could walk outside my apartment and get food. The grocery store wasn’t a terrible walk (or bus ride) away. Some buses stopped literally outside my apartment. An L (rapid transit) train stop was like 2-3 blocks away.
Though in terms of prox to the L, my next place in Pilsen takes the cake. Pink line stop literally outside my apt. Just had to cross the street.
Singapore gets Le Corbusier style urban planning right- massive complexes of high rise, public housing with ground floor retail meant to serve immediate needs, clustered around neighborhood centres with wet markets and supermarkets, connected by bus to town centres with another level of amenities, connected to other town centres and the city by bus and metro.