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Years ago, when I was an undergraduate, I studied abroad in Swansea, Wales and fell in love with the city. It is my favorite city in the world! But I'm in the USA. I currently live in the midwest and plan on living there for several more years, but I would like to visit places in the US that I have not yet been to. What US cities are most similar to Swansea, Wales? For me, this also includes the milder, rainy climate. I like rain! I want good public transit, friendly people, etc. All the things that make Swansea great, including a university. A Mumble's Mile wouldn't hurt either
Years ago, when I was an undergraduate, I studied abroad in Swansea, Wales and fell in love with the city. It is my favorite city in the world! But I'm in the USA. I currently live in the midwest and plan on living there for several more years, but I would like to visit places in the US that I have not yet been to. What US cities are most similar to Swansea, Wales? For me, this also includes the milder, rainy climate. I like rain! I want good public transit, friendly people, etc. All the things that make Swansea great, including a university. A Mumble's Mile wouldn't hurt either
Wow, tough question, but here we go (in cities i've personally visited):
Duluth, MN-While not on the ocean, it's completely influenced by the water. It's a small city (90,000 people est.) and in my opinion has above average public transit for a city of it's size. U of M Duluth is located there as are two or three other small colleges. Also with having a much more harsh continental climate makes Duluth much colder on average than Swansea.
Bangor, ME-Also not on the ocean, but it's sits on the Penobscot river and the most beautiful stretches of the Atlantic ocean are only an hour away. Bangor is just a large town or very small city (31,000 people) it has that quinessential New England vibe and the quirkiness that accompanies towns like it. I loved it there, if I were to ever leave Wyoming, I would head to Maine. There is nothing mild about Bangor (or the rest of Maine) in winter, so one would have to be tolerable of a LOT of snow. Also the university of Maine (the flagship school) is 15 mins. away in Orono.
Portland, ME-Beautiful city. Sits on a small peninsula in the middle of Casco bay. Twice the size of Bangor but the cities are comparable in area which makes Portland rather crowded but ideal for walkability and for public transportation.
Other (mostly smaller) cities you might also check into:
Port Angeles, WA
Coos Bay, OR
Eureka, CA (Sits in Humboldt bay on the Pacific and has a couple of colleges)
Marquette, MI (pretty remote, but such a beautiful town. Plus northern Michigan university is there)
Annapolis, MD
Portsmouth, NH
Hmm... tough question. Nothing in the US really jumps out at me as being just like Swansea. I think Portland, Maine is a decent suggestion, although winters are colder and snowier than in Swansea. You might find a more similar climate in the Pacific Northwest, but I'm not sure about cities there.
Hmm... tough question. Nothing in the US really jumps out at me as being just like Swansea. I think Portland, Maine is a decent suggestion, although winters are colder and snowier than in Swansea. You might find a more similar climate in the Pacific Northwest, but I'm not sure about cities there.
I was going to say cities like Seattle, Eugene OR, Portland OR and Spokane WA.
I would say Massachusetts which is somewhat similiar to the UK. There is even a Swansea in Mass, which is a suburb of Providence RI. Really to find a place similiar to any place in the UK it would have to be in the New England states. Portsmouth NH, Portland Me. Unfortunately the climate is much colder than the UK. Forget Portland, Oregon, its got the damp wet weather, but a ton of severe social problems in your face everyday.
What about Tacoma, WA? Similar population (200,000 for tacoma, 220,000 for swansea), and both are coastal cities. I was also gonna say Spokane, though it's not coastal...but it does have a river.
Or what about Providence, Rhode Island (pop. 170,000)? Another coastal city with similar population. Providence would also have a more similar feel, seeing as it's in New England.
Providence has a more extreme temperature range, and 46 inches of rain per year compared to Swansea's temps and it's 68 inches of rain a year, but Tacoma is pretty similar (just a little bit colder and warmer) , though with even less rain than providence (38 inches).
Swansea? Wow..... never seen such "love" for the capital of Welsh car crime - but it is a fairly good night out.
Seattle is about as close to Swansea as Tangiers is to Phoenix. Ditto Portland, Oregon. The Pacific Northwest is NOTHING like Southwest Wales. If you want that post-WWII, depressed Welsh mining town "feel", you are probably better off looking at a Great Lakes town or something in Maine.
Climatologically, the only part of the US that is the same is the immediate Pacific Coast north of about 45 deg north latitude. Astoria OR would be borderline. Gray's Harbor may fit the bill. There are places on the Puget Sound (Seattle et al) but they have a more inland influenced climate than anything on the Western coasts of the UK. Ambiance wise I doubt there is anything that's a match. There's a reason the UK is the mother land and we are merely a child.
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