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So heres a thought that I have pondered. Can you really make an informed opinion on a city without living there?
My thought is you would have to live somewhere a minimum of two years before you can really get used to the city and state. You can't learn the taxes or get to know and neighbors without being there for some time. And then there are seasons to get used to, districts or neighborhoods, tax codes, etc.
Absolutely not- You must live in a city a year before you can comment on them. You need that time to understand traffic/schools/ retail and day to day life. I've lived in 6 states and I really hate it when someone who has never lived in a place or "Visited for a couple of weeks" think they know how a city runs. And it's sooo easy for me to pick out one of those poseurs in a city I've lived in when I read their posts.
It depends. For the most part, no. You can visit a place several times and only spend your time around a certain type of person or a certain area so your view on a place might be skewed. Or you could have a friend in a city that will give you their opinion on the place before coming, and they can be completely off base. But you may still have the idea of the city your friend put in your head. There are too many "well my friend is from city x and he says" stories.
On the other hand there are certain jobs that send you to cities multiple times in a year and have you deal with multiple businesses and neighborhoods directly, so you may get a good idea of what the city is like.
Absolutely not- You must live in a city a year before you can comment on them. You need that time to understand traffic/schools/ retail and day to day life. I've lived in 6 states and I really hate it when someone who has never lived in a place or "Visited for a couple of weeks" think they know how a city runs. And it's sooo easy for me to pick out one of those poseurs in a city I've lived in when I read their posts.
So someone needs to live in Anchorage Alaska for a year to comment that its cold there? WTF??
So someone needs to live in Anchorage Alaska for a year to comment that its cold there? WTF??
Well some things you can infer. But take Miami for example, if you go by the media that says crime and illegal immigration is terrible, nobody would go there. But in reality there are probably a dozen good neighborhoods and would probably be a great place to live.
There is really no way to get a feel for culture without at least visiting the place either. You can't take in Washington or NYC without actually being there.
So someone needs to live in Anchorage Alaska for a year to comment that its cold there? WTF??
Simple stats can tell you that but I think for more unquantifiable things such as what the people are like, culture, vibe, etc.. then living there is necessary.
That is what causes a lot of arguments on here, people who have never lived in certain cities thinking they know what it's like b/c they have visited, which many have not even done that, or what they "hear" or read. You can say some general things w/o living somewhere but when going into depth about certain aspects then you need to live there imo. W/o living in a certain place you just cannot be as informed of those who have in general.
Generally I'd say no even though I've mostly been speaking of cities I never visited. Basically I think you can learn some from statistics, but whether a place is right for you takes some experience. The stuff I do with stats is just a starter thing, partly for myself because I want to leave "my" little town someday, not the basis of an informed decision. I'd say even the stories of people who lived in "City X" are not really giving an informed opinion as they may like/dislike different things.
So at the very least I think you'd need to hear experiences of people similar to you to make an informed opinion. This would be difficult for me as wheelchair-using practicing Catholics under four-foot tall are not just real common.
Hmmm I'd say a good few weeks is actually good assuming you are actually looking at housing locations the whole time, exploring the city, and know a few locals to show you around. I am one to thoroughly explore an area, have lived in many places, and find often I actually know more about the area after a month or so than long term residents. There are plenty of people in LA NYC Chicago for instance that just go about their day to day lives, never really go into the downtown areas, have never been to the museums, never use public transit, don't know bus routes,. etc. etc.
After 2 years in Chicago I was giving architectural walking tours I knew the downtown history so well. I thoroughly read up and explore any new area I find myself in. I.E. if I am planning a week trip to Boston for instance, I might read a few books on the history of the area plus an entire fodors, lonely planet or not for tourists before going.
I also use couchsurfing when I travel, so I make sure I am staying with somebody local who knows the area and hidden gems, and not staying in a hotel somewhere.
Mileage may be different, and I am just an example but I know other "city and travel junkies" who do the same thing.
I've lived in San Antonio for 30+ years and would be at a loss to tell you 'what it's all about'.
Still, I could probably tell you more than someone who'd only heard about it through City Data.
'Informed opinion' is a vague ad loosely defined term that will plague this poll I'm afraid.
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