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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I am a US-European dual citizen and have spent many, many years in both, not to mention every other continent also. I’ve been to every European country in fact, both in and out of the EU. Both the US and Europe are deeply flawed, but in very different ways. It’s uncanny. [b]The things I hate about America are great in Europe, and vice versa. I will say that American money in Europe is terrific,[/b] and we have benefitted from that a lot. But honestly, [b]Europe was a lot better 15 years ago[/b], and even that isn’t as fun as it used to be. [b]European cities have declined significantly and quickly, and in many countries, they are no better than American cities[/b]. France, Sweden, Germany and even Ireland are all prime examples. The rest of Europe is well on its way. Rural Europe is still charming in many cases, especially if you don’t need to work, but the weather is terrible for much of the year in even the warmest countries. And forget about Northern Europe, just gray, cold and dark for the majority of the year. Australia and NZ are great, but the economies are very, very weak, which is why so many young people flee. And they are far. These days, we alternate between the American West, rural Europe and NZ, and try to enjoy the best of each. [/quote]

I think I have very different preferences to you but agree on much of what you say here, especially the bolded. Sadly.

I think many Americans would be surprised to learn that much of what is making us unhappy in the US has simply been exported to Europe and they are dealing with similar issues. Except the guns. That is truly a uniquely American problem and no one has to deal with it like we do. It's really an intractable difficulty and it impacts so many other issues. It is very unfortunate. If the US could solve its gun problem and figure out some kind of better solution for healthcare, it would unquestionably be the most desirable country to live in the entire world. It's very frustrating we can't seem to resolve these problems in a pragmatic way.

However unlike you I don't care about the cold, gray weather of Northern Europe and think Scandinavia remains a decent upgrade over the US. I would be fine with Scandinavian winters, I grew in a place with long, gray winters in the US and actually miss it. I hate DC summers and the warm, wet winters. My dream destination is a midsize city in Northern Europe like Malmo in Sweden, Ghent in Belgium, or Lille in France. You get good value for your money, it's cosmopolitan enough for me even though it's not a major city, and you are so close to the major cities that you really don't miss out on much. I also prefer the midsize cities in the US, and would rather live in Minneapolis or Richmond or Portland Maine than NY or DC or SF. But in the US, it's incredibly hard to travel to major cities if you live elsewhere -- just extremely expensive and inconvenient. It's a major issue and I think why there is such a division between rural and urban in the US. It's so much easier in Europe which I think promotes a greater feeling of camaraderie and understanding. It is surprising how hard it is to move around the US. Driving is easiest yet everything is so far apart and in the cities it is hard to drive and park. It just makes no sense. Why would you set it up this way?[/quote]

PP here. Unless you have EU citizenship, France is probably the best bet of the countries you mentioned as they give out extendable one year visas fairly easily, although the bureaucracy is onerous. I have been in Malmo and Lille recently, and would urge you to reconsider, or at least spend significant time there before moving. They have both changed majorly in recent years. Sweden now has major gang issues as incredible as that is to believe, and yes, even gun issues. Plus of all the European countries, they have done the most to relocate migrants throughout the entire country to the extent that even small Swedish towns are now greatly burdened. I haven’t been to Ghent, but Brussels is terrible now, and the country is very small. If you are set on an urban area of a Nordic country, I would recommend Aarhus or Aalborg in Denmark, or Oulu in Finland, although that is very far north. Tartu in Estonia is also great, but the winters are long![/quote]

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