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There are PLENTY of cities, anywhere from large to small, that offers plenty of things to see and do. More than any other European/Asian cities. Have you been to NYC, Boston, LA, Chicago, SF and many many more big cities? They have excellent public transportation, very walkable and no need of any car at all!
Not all cities in Asia/Europe are that walkable either, and not all of them has public transportation. BTW many Americans hate using it anyway, and love having cars because we could afford them It's higher status and much better and more convinence to drive than taking the bus or train. Using public transportation outside of big US cities is only for the poor people in America.
America is unique and has it's charm of the suburbs, something that Europe/Asian almost lack off.
BTW I would NEVER ever want to live in Japan, an atheistic country that's extremely crowded on an isolated island that get hit by tsunamis frequently. The weather is bad too. Quality of life is not that great either, Japanese overwork along with high suicide rate!
LA does not have good public transportation... you need a car in LA.
I live in America and I've been to a few countries. What I noticed about other countries as opposed to America is that they are more cultured and more accepting. Europeans know like 3 different languages- Americans can barely speak English properly! Europe is very accepting of gay people... the US only now is starting to warm up to the idea of gay marriage and it is going to take a long time for all states to accept and allow it. Israel is 60 years old and it has already had a female prime minister. Only now, 236 years old, has America had a president who was not a white, protestant, male... and some people still cannot come to terms with it. Europeans are more family-centric. A lot of people in Italy get married and their wives move in with the husband's families. So many Americans are divorced- so many people here don't even speak to their parents. That is just awful! Americans work wayyy too much and we do not get paid time off to have babies. Yes our companies have to hold our jobs, but women do not get paid while we are on maternity leave. Paid maternity leave is the norm in most countries- except America. There are only 3 nations that do not offer this- and US is one of them. Norway gives women 44 days of paid time off for maternity leave. Canada is 50. Italy is 22. For a country that is so advanced and first world, America really lacks in this regard. A lot of Americans are fat too. Not to say I have never seen a fat person abroad, but most of the people are in shape and really take care of themselves- and they dress better too.
As a previous poster said, it depends on what you consider a high quality-of-life to be. Many Americans are perfectly content with living in a 3,000-square foot (about 280 m^2) spec house on a 1/4 acre lot in a suburban subdivision, driving their Ford Expedition or Chevy Tahoe to and home from work and their kids' soccer and hockey games, and going out from their comfortable air-conditioned homes with jacuzzi baths and saunas only rarely (i.e. when they have a sitter and a designated driver) to have drinks with their friends at the local Applebee's. This is the height of the good life to many Americans, who would see the Europeans as living in overcrowded terrace homes with postage stamp-sized gardens (if any), taking pub and paying out of the nose in taxes and raising their children in an environment where they have far too much freedom at far too young of an age.
I would say that the most disadvantaged people (in relation to other wealthy countries) are the working poor, who often work multiple shifts at poor-paying jobs, have minimal or no health insurance, etc., but are too "wealthy" (from the income of their jobs) to qualify for government benefits, and the most advantaged of groups is the upper middle class (doctors, lawyers, etc.), whose families make up a fair portion of the overall population (5-10%) but live a far more affluent lifestyle than their equivalents in almost any nation.
Hmm sounds like it's the location where my friend lives. I slept over at a friend's place on Sunday night, and we took a walk in the park/lake by her house and it was so peaceful and quiet. Big house everywhere, but her place isn't exactly like that but it's close enough. I would consider her as upper middle class, but she isn't spoil either. She enjoys where she live and I do too, but I would never live there forever. Too comfortable and too much for me.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chava61
I know some non-American people who don't like the fact that Americans treat their elderly as non-important and tuck them away in nursing homes rather than keep them close.
Another non-Americans think that Americans are superficial and non-community oriented (as Americans value their independence & privacy). Therefore these people think that life in the USA isn't good.
As one gets older and is not eligible for Medicare, the fact that there is no national health care system in the USA a factor that makes life in the USA harder for many people.
Yep. Culturally it is different for all of us, yet many of them want to pass judgment on those who live differently and talk about how "it's wrong for elders/parents to ask their kids to support them".
Quote:
Originally Posted by In God We Trust
Actually many Europeans are jealous of America and would LOVE to live here if they could have, especially after visiting Los Angeles/Orange County, Miami and NYC area.
I would love to visit there but to live there? Nope. Pass. I don't hate America, but I do find alot of annoying thing about Americans. I guess it's not just America but everywhere.
Rub it in, won't ya. I left a 30 dollars/hour job for a minimum wage job in the US (7.75, woohoo I could sooo live on that, right? ) and I'm about to pay a small fortune for an education I'd be getting for free in Sweden.
Yeah, I keep hearing about the "taxes are lower in the US than in socialist Sweden" - but you know, now that I own my own business and employ 2 Americans, I gotta tell you, taxes aren't that low here afterall, not considering all the extra fees and taxes here and there for this and that ...
(Oh, not to mention - when I paid taxes in Sweden, I got something back. When I pay taxes here in the US ... Well, I do get entertainment since I'm helping out paying for that joint airforce/army base I can see from my window ...)
There's no such thing as "The best country in the world". If the OP loves it so much here and it's a God given truth that this is NUMBER 1, then how come I want to move back to Sweden?
Geez, could it be that perhaps "Number 1" is up to each and every one to decide?
First of all you will in Alaska, a state far away from mainland USA. So don't tell us how "Life in America" when you live in Alaska LOL
Parts of America has nicer weather but you'll be too occuppied working to climb the greasy pole in order to buy 'lifestyle' to enjoy it very much. Far too work orientated.
If your young and very ambitious America may be your place but Germany is far from bad.
95% of the U.S. has MUCH nicer weather than anywhere in Western and Northern Europe.
I've been to Germany several times and did not like it. Weather is bad except few weeks during summer.
Cities were boring, and Germans are intolerant to immigrants.
Not all Americans work that much... so don't come tell us we work a lot.
We have 40 hours workweek too.
But, I'm going on vacation back there on Sunday for a few weeks. And my family and friends will try to talk me into staying, like always. If it wasn't for my cats not being able to move back with me (one is chronically ill) and now my business, I'd seriously consider it. One day, though, one day ...
There is still front and back gardens in those pictures and you get that in America too. You get houses of all sorts on both continents.
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It's higher status and much better and more convinence to drive than taking the bus or train. Using public transportation outside of big US cities is only for the poor people in America.
) and I'm about to pay a small fortune for an education I'd be getting for free in Sweden.
