Aosta is pretty close to Boulder. Less prestigious university and slightly light on on the start-up scene but growing.

If you where considering Berlin, you might want to look into Leipzig. It’s not too far from Berlin (about 1-2 hours south) and has a similar vibe, but is smaller and more affordable. Climate will be roughly the same of course. But lots of lakes around, very bike friendly and very good kayaking in and around the city. No mountains though…

I definitely recommend Brighton, it’s got a great alternative scene, lots of decent beer and burger joints, and very closer to the south downs.

The weather probably matches Portland closely, it’s pretty miserable in the winter but the summer is glorious.

I wouldn’t say the tech scene is thriving but better than average.

Sounds like Brighton, UK.

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/jan/12/brighton-leading-tech-startups
http://www.nationaltrail.co.uk/south-downs-way
http://northlaine.co.uk/

Grenoble ?

• Big university campus
• Scientific Hub
• Wonderful nature (Alps and prealps called Vercors and Chartreuse)
• Startup ? I’m not sure but start it
• Weather is not bad

Geneva ? (ok not affordable )
Maybe Lyon, Nice (expensive), Montpellier ?…

Cambridge in the UK is the closest town to Boulder that I’ve seen thus far, but it fails rather miserably when it comes to outdoor adventure opportunities. Other than that, all boxes checked–good startups, progressive + smart community built around a university, laid back, and about as affordable as Boulder or Portland (which is to say not very unless you live in a nearby village. Again, just like Boulder or Portland). It even has a large metropolis 40m away.

I can second Freiburg. It’s one of my favorite places. I used to live there for three years and this summer returned to do some nomading. Can even suggest some cafés to work from. In Summer you should absolutely hang out at Jos Fritz Café. They have a quiet shady beergarden with free wifi, and nobody cares if you don’t order something for hours.

But I’d have to add that it’s not a great place for IT/nomading if you care to meet other people with similar interests. Apart from the small IT faculty, there is barely any IT industry to talk of. People generally are a little anti-computer and all about being outdoorsy, political and sustainable. Don’t expect them to be super excited when you tell them what you do Maybe some people will even scowl.

Nonetheless, the vibes are awesome there and I’m sure they will broaden your horizon when you get to know them. Moving there was one of my best decisions so far.

Freiburg Im Breisgau Germany. http://www.freiburg.de

1. The Black forest is beautiful and natural area with lakes nearby as well. Well located near France and Switzerland. Warmest region in Germany I think.
2. Large green energy research and implementation from the universities there. Great public transportation and connections via bus, rail, light rail and airports.
3. Vaubahn community might be Portlandesque. They even have a few food trucks. University towns are more diverse and alive, IMO.
4. Germany isn’t inexpensive though, but might work if you are a frugal person on a budget.
5. Vibrant university town, might be good for startups and talent or even flat sharing.

I’d love to be in this area, it’s in the so called blue banana zone. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Banana

Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland, hits your first three (fails miserably on the affordable requirement, but is great if you have the money).

Ljubljana, Slovenia might be a good bet. I don’t know about the startup culture, but there’s at least one cool co-working space and it’s definitely affordable, close to nature (30 minutes by train and you’re in some of the prettiest landscapes in Europe).

I think Tallinn in Estonia may fit this description.

Check out Bonn. Siebengebirge just around the corner is beautiful, Bonn is progressive with a good mix of nationalities (DPDHL, Telekom and NGOs means many Expats), smaller and less hectic than Berlin, more affordable than Munich and better weather than Hamburg.
Drawbacks include rising cost of living and the next startup community (small but growing) being in Cologne (30min by train).

Some people use Grind Spaces: grindspaces.com. I have never used them myself, though an agency I worked for in the past built their website, so I know they are tech-centric. NYC has so much to offer in this regard, its a huge technology hub, so there are going to be tons of technology-positive / developer-oriented coworking joints around the 5 boroughs. Well actually, I bet they’re all just in Manhattan and Brooklyn heh.

Something tells me DUMBO, Brooklyn, would have a lot of web devs in coworking spaces. Its just a hunch tho.

I live down the street from this place: bathaus.com. I’ve never used it myself (my home office kicks ass), but I can tell you its a very artsy and safe neighborhood (Bushwick), and its about 2 blocks from a subway station. There are too many cafes to list in my neighborhood (and bars), but there are a lot of bohemian/nomad types here. You could probably bump into some interesting people at a place called Kave, in a building named The Loom, that is sort of near this coworking space I listed above. Also its street art galore.

Since you’re here after the 10th, I highly recommend you quickly join the NYC.rb meetup.com group, and attend the meetup on Tuesday, Oct 13th, @ Pivotal Labs (on 6th ave). I am too new of a user to put links in posts, so check meetup’s website. Free pizza and beer, Pivotal Labs has a great venue for talks, and these events are always informative and social.

There is a meetup group called “Bots and Brains” that is meeting for a happy hour on Wednesday of that week, they do anything from AI in Python and Ruby to robotics. I’ve never gone, but there is a group named “Android NYC” that meets every Sunday.

I’d recommend just browsing meetup.com for technology topics you’re interested in, and see whats going on the week you are here. You just missed Couchbase NYC, a free, huge ‘NoSQL’ convention that served three free meals and had a plethora of interesting talks, in a historical Wall St building. There is always something happening technology-wise in this city.

(Again, I cant post links…) Do a web search for “techweek.com new york city” - there is quite a lot happening at that conf. Eventbrite is also a decent source for these things. I just found a website called events.alleywatch.com that has a few things.

Also the “Horizons” conference is this week! Not really tech, but its, well, science-y! I’ve gone prior years and heard some fascinating talks.

Hi Litanin -

Not sure where in the city you will be staying but check out this website: http://www.onthegrid.city/new-york/

It was created by the design firm, hyperakt and is a curated guide to the city by designers and makers.

Moab in September should be pretty perfect weather…any sooner and its way too hot IMO. SLC has been having milder winters lately so you’ll be in for perfect weather and great fall colors in September.

You can find some information on the trend of activity, but that’s about it. There’s no real rhyme or reason. It may happen every day for 2 weeks or go 2 weeks without seeing it. Generally, though, you’re in a downward cycle, so they will likely be less intense and few of them overall.

Your best bet it to rent a car and cross over into the far north Finnish border in the Kilpisjärvi area. Because of its location, the climate is clear and dry. You won’t have to contend with the same issues as far north Norway. If you have access to cabins in the northern fjords, that would be great as well.

Let me know if you want a connection - I know a number of people with cabins about 3 hours north of Tromso and I know they sometimes rent them out.

https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/aurora-30-minute-forecast