@john

I really enjoyed my first week here, but as I got to know more locals and heard their stories, I was disturbed at the security situation. Almost everyone I met has horror stories about being robbed at gunpoint, robbed by the police, and in one case even drugged and robbed by a taxi driver. It's not even safe to walk a short distance at night (locals told me to just take Uber). Beyond the security issues, scams also abound, and the covid policy is wacky, with hand sanitizer being forced on you ev

I've been to ~70 countries. Porto is my favorite city in the world. The people, the people, the people! It's the perfect size, well connected airport, vibrant and happening, amazing blend of locals and expats, and much cheaper than Lisbon. Looking to call this place home.

Istanbul was a terrible experience for me, and in more ways than one. 99% of people do not speak a single word of English, which makes every interaction exhausting. It does not help that Turkish people are short-tempered and get frustrated pretty quickly. Ubers are annoying, they keep canceling on you and it makes going somewhere such a hassle. Regular taxis are notorious for being scammers. Even an Uber driver tried to scam me by asking me to pay by cash even though I was already paying by

I visited Prague on more than one occasion and tried something new each time. I really wanted to enjoy it, but unfortunately it turned out to be one of my least favourite cities. Perhaps it was just me, but there was an overwhelming sense of distrust and dislike towards foreigners, you have to try pretty hard to blend in if you want to experience the life of a local & avoid the tourism. I met some wonderful people and and there’s some cool communities to be part of, but another extended stay

Hanoi feels more like a "large village" than a proper city. It's also what I call "unapologetically Vietnamese" given the way most places and shops are occupied and used by locals. English penetration isn't bad, but maybe because I speak Vietnamese I never had much of a problem in Hanoi. Prices for coffee, juice, smoothies, and food are insanely affordable. I wouldn't say the locals are "friendly to a fault" and mostly have left me alone. Yes, the old town city center is dirty, garbage on the

I was in Munich for 9 months and couldn't get used to the city. It's actually a small town for old and rich people. The flair is not international, but terribly German-conservative. There is neither an interesting start-up nor a tech community. Many people are unfriendly when you speak English. The leisure activities outside Munich (nature) are nice, unfortunately there is not much going on in the city compared to London, Berlin or Barcelona. In Germany, everyone seems to want to go to Berlin, s

I am a Greek living abroad just the last couple of years. I accidentally discovered this page and noticed the comments below. What I can recommend to people considering living in Athens is to explore places a bit outside of the city center. I agree with people that there are many areas very close to the city center that are dirty and perhaps not very safe to walk around at night. Explore areas like Glyfada, Voula, Kifisia, Marousi, Psychiko, Marousi and you will be amazed with how different it i

Tokyo has so much to offer and so much to do. It is easily overwhelming. Whereas I usually take my first week to explore a place Tokyo’s sights just kept on going. I remember ending up in a hidden cocktail bar, a mexican rooftop party with 1 meter margaritas, spending a whole day going only to French places(?), visiting a store that only imported 2nd hand hiphop apparel, and throughout it all the best michelin star ramen. It just seemed endless, completely unrelated and incredibly fun. Six wee

All in, Austin is a good city. We live in Hill Country now so we're a bit removed. But it's beautiful area once you get away from the highways. A good tech scene. Not too expensive (~$2100 for a nice 2 bedroom apt) for the U.S. Has wineries and breweries galore. Not a great place if you are a recovering alcoholic (!). Cons: extremely hot in the summer; reaches 110 F (43.3 C) in summer afternoons from June - September. Not very diverse. Highways are loud and obnoxious.

I have grown up in Tampa Bay and can give some quick insight. If you want to genuinely experience the overall area or its history you'll want to visit both Ybor City and St Petersburg (First two areas that were initially settled). Clearwater is a tourist trap but has a beautiful manufactured beach (the sand as imported to make this beach what it is today). Saint Petersburg, FL: St Petersburg offers a few co-working spaces and at one time boasted the largest number of Kava Bars in a given ci

Did the previous reviewer say world class art and culture? Where would this be because after 2 years there, I was craving art and culture. Like, my experience is the polar opposite so unless art includes street statues that happen a month of each year and if by culture meaning you run into a single black guy on the street, I don't get it. It's really white, very few Hispanics, almost no blacks and few Asians. No museums (outside of historical ones). Most of the Mormons live in Provo if that

Overall, a pretty great place. Good restaurants and many breweries. Solid entertainment. It has all four seasons and lots of sunshine. Some homelessness issues downtown, like most cities.

I guess if you're a nomad this doesn't matter much, but the long-term job pickings here are slim and among the most underpaid for a US city. There seems to be a tacit rent floor that means you won't find a good deal on housing. A lot of people don't seem very invested in their interpersonal relationships here since their ties to the area are often transient.