Where is Paris, France in the USA? (rent, low crime)

[greencardwinner]

I've won the green card visa lottery!! It’s always been a bit of a dream to live in the USA and now I can, but there are quite a few questions which I hope you good people can help me with.

One problem is I live in Sydney, which beats all your cities hands down on the ‘best places to live in the world’ index. We have good working conditions, free health care, warm climate, low crime. If I was a disillusioned Californian like so many on these boards I’d say move here!!

So why on earth would I want to move to America? Well, I’m 46, I've worked hard to raise my daughter on my own, and I’m ready for a change. Why give up such an opportunity? America is so diverse, with such energy and contradictions. I think it would be a fascinating place to live. Also, its an opportunity for my daughter (15) to have the option to live and work here.

We love art and we'd love to live in New York but clearly you have to be very rich, on subsidized rent or prepared to do a long commute. So – sadly, that’s out. California is much closer to home but everything I read seems to say crime, smog, urban sprawl plus super expensive houses, unless you live in the desert.

I need to find a job (writing/editing/web work), and I’d love to be able to walk to it, or very short commute.

I like trains – hate having to get around by car everywhere. A good train system is very desirable.

We’re used to fresh real food too. We were shocked by the plastic food in downtown New York.

A good university, especially for the arts (we can’t possibly afford private)

I’m worried about being able to cope with your climate. I’d choose culture over climate but I think long, bitter winters would be a bit hard to take.

Somewhere that’s cultured, liberal, walkable, on a good train line, diverse cultures, lots of choice, great food, near water (ocean, river, lake), low crime, reasonable rents, has jobs, with a good State university, OK climate.

That’s all I’m asking for….

So – any suggestions, after you’ve stopped laughing?

[HBJohn]

Maybe San Francisco if you can afford it.

[MoMark]

Check out the Crime Survey of 17 Industrialized Countries published by the Dutch Ministry of Justice and UN international crime comparisons data and you'll see that Australia is Number One for crime, including violent crime. The methodology used to collect and equilize the data is standardized and is explained in the survey. It treats each country with the same standards. Australia is number one for crime with Britain (England/Wales) next, The Netherlands, Sweden, Canada, and the U.S. comes in at 13th just behind France.
Americans are safer than Europeans and other westerners outside inner city zones and most of our murders (where we continue to lead by statistics) are committed (52%) in inner city gang-related violence. The vast majority of Americans are unaffected.
While I love Australia, like the people too, there's no way I'd trade living in the U.S. for it. There's simply no comparison and less reason for you to feel smug for it.

[j33]

With a smug attitude like that, please stay home. Nobody wants to be subject to your insufferable whining over the inferiority of their city, which if they met you, I'm sure they would be.

...and don't, whatever you do, move to Chicago, least I run into you on the street and have to hear about our 'plastic food' and 'lack of culture' while you peer down your nose at me.

I'm a fairly well traveled individual and would never dream of stepping foot into another country with that attitude and expect any sort of hospitality.

[HBJohn]

GreenCardWinner, makin' friends

[ontheroad]

You might want to start over, as clearly some of the fine readers and contributors here found your post tasteless.

Frankly, I read through your post and thought I'd get back to it later and later brought these responses.

As I have a fair number of Australian friends, I'll write it off as tongue in cheek humour--without prejudice--and on the internet.

[greencardwinner]

Hi, thanx ontheroad - you picked up the Aussie sense of irony.. but I realise it sounds like a big smug whinge and I didn't really intend to come across that way! Sorry - how do I take this post off and start again?

[ontheroad]

Goodo, lassie - Look to your right, you'll see a little boxie triangle thing (hit it) and send a message to have the post deleted. Just a brief request!

Originally Posted by greencardwinner

Hi, thanx ontheroad - you picked up the Aussie sense of irony.. but I realise it sounds like a big smug whinge and I didn't really intend to come across that way! Sorry - how do I take this post off and start again?

[j33]

If it is in jest, then good luck to you. I'm sure you'll find a place you'll enjoy. Just disregard my previous post as just some yank who didn't get it ... I realize that sometimes the internet doesn't quite convey the spirit of a post (and lord knows I've had my tongue in cheek moments of my own that were lost on other people).

[dweller]

The paris of the north is Montreal, Quebec. Go to skyscraperpage forum or urbanplanet.org for pics.