@taiwanesetexan

I just came back after 12 years, last time I lived in SF for 3 months in 2012. Back then it was a walkable and clean and fun, pretty safe city. The only place back then that you'd avoid was the Tenderloin. There was homeless but they actually weren't aggressive. There wasn't much robberies either. San Francisco in 2024 is very different, as you've probably seen from social media. The homeless problem has grown a lot since then, and they're not just clustered in the Tenderloin, they're all over

I love Taipei, extremely underrated place—not sure why, though I'm fine with that. The cleanliness, amenities, and kindness of the people will remind you of Tokyo.

I loved my stay in Austin. I had heard a lot of people moved here during COVID and wanted to see it for myself. We stayed around Lady Bird Lake, like on the south side of the river, a very nice area. We were there in July so it was quite hot, but in the shadow it was fine to walk. It is dry heat, not like in Thailand, so while it's hot it's not sweaty which is much better. The average quality of food here is very high, like some of the best food I had in the world besides maybe Japan. Not eve

- Relaxed city to live in and incredibly safe. Nice if you want access to nature in southern Taiwan. Not so much english but locals are very friendly and will always try to help you. - Lots of cheap food available but while some is tasty, most is highly processed and full of oil/sugar . If you want decent quality food, it won't be much cheaper than back home. Many restaurants have an order card, so if you can't speak chinese you can grab the card and a pencil and use your phone to translate the

New York is cool. I’ve visited multiple times to see my family throughout my life, and recently came back from my first post-COVID trip there. Yes, it’s very expensive — but there is no city on earth that’s more captivating in my opinion. I used to think that New Yorkers were smug by claiming that NYC was better than everywhere else, but now I totally get it lol. My personal favourite neighbourhood is the Upper East Side, which is where you’ll find the coveted Museum Mile. But I also

I grew up in Chicago and still return fairly often. I love the character of the different neighborhoods, the variety of architectural styles, and as others have said, the food scene is incredible. It's easy to make friends in the suburbs, perhaps not so much in the city itself. I have never witnessed racial tension here, and have been pleasantly surprised by the interracial friendliness I have observed. There are a wonderful selection of forests and parks just about everywhere, and the museu

The Middle Ages meet industrial-age pollution: this is a grimy tropical backwater with none of Taipei's vibrancy, efficiency or even politeness. Cycle or hike in the quote-unquote national park north of the city for marshes, dengue fever, junkyards, stray dogs, and massive concrete jetties obstructing ocean views.