HumphreyC

Yes you most definitely can, I did used to have to put up with a load of complaining from my other half though as we trudged to Brent Cross shopping centre in the pouring rain. In terms of the variables my employers taking care of most of the healthcare premium, my car is going to be utter shit and there wont be much commuting plus the town is a dump so hopefully the property taxes wont be too high; in any case i'm living with my mother in law for a year.

So cheaper yes. Higher quality of life...well, we will see.

lansbury

Very near where I was born and lived a lot of my life just across the Welsh Harp.

Sally Redux

Yes indeed, I was just pointing out that in general it's very hard to say one country is cheaper than the other as it will vary with the individual's circumstances. Good luck with your move and with the living arrangements...cue the Les Dawson jokes

boltonja1

I would add that property tax in California is high, we cannot get decent bacon (too fatty) or beans (with brown sugar??), the cost of higher education is very high and motorists can be crazy.
On the plus side, we find the people genuinely friendly, the climate is fab and there is an enthusiasm and positivity for life/work that we have not found elsewhere.

chartreuse

If you think that that's brown sugar in your beans, you're sadly mistaken.

HumphreyC

Good times living there. Moved to from Nottingham to Hendon in 2006 (via a short time living near Canon's Park Tube) up near Sunny Hill Park. Worked in an office block on Edgware High Street for five years, got married in Burnt Oak registry Office, spent weekends visiting Oriental City in Colindale/ going to Brent Cross shopping centre, getting the groceries on Brent street, drinking at the Greyhound on Church End. Fond memories.

HumphreyC

Haha, true. My mother in law is an absolute riot but the bunch of us living together is going to be interesting to say the least. I'm used to renting my own place but I figure it's going to be a bumpy ride for a while and with me homeworking and my misses working in Worcester it makes sense to live with her for a while and save.

Only Les Dawson joke I can remember is that one 'How can you tell when your wife's mother is coming to stay; the mice start throwing themselves onto the traps'.

Sally Redux

We were on the other branch of the Northern Line in Barnet. It always seemed like there were more trains to Edgware

chartreuse

The one I remember is "What's the best thing about living a stone's throw from your mother in law? Having a gravel drive."

lansbury

That's 'casue rich people lived in Barnet and had cars

Sally Redux

Master_Bulldog

Hi guys,
Having read this whole thread I'd like to offer some opinions. I'd also like to make it clear that I have never "lived" in America (that's on the way hopefully) but I have stayed in Reno Nevada and in the Tri-Cities in Washington, where I plan on moving to.

Reno and the Tri-Cities are worlds apart! As far as Reno is concerned, the Cockney rhyhming slang "septic tank" has never been more appropriate! The food was cheap, nasty and oh so plastic, there was nowhere decent to shop, all there is to do is gamble, drink, do drugs or use prostitutes. I opted for drinking...for 2 weeks solid! It was really cheap to as I was staying at a casino hotel. Rusty nail cocktails for $1 a go? Fill me up! Also everyone there made a big deal of me being English, although most thought I was Australian! Half of Reno seemed to be a trailer park and there were many suspect looking people around the place.

Tri-cities on the other hand...Fantastic places to eat, superb vineyards (called winerys), the people seemed on the whole more cultured and couldn't give a flying **** I was English (I really hate the attention). The streets are all clean, traffic was sparce and the standard of driving good by English standards (although I'm really struggling with the idea of being allowed to make a right turn at a red light). Part of the reason I like the idea of living in America is to own a big ass truck, at least for a while. I'll get environmentaly responsible once I get owning a Dodge Ram (or similar) out of my system! My girlfriend has a regular sized car and it only costs her about $30 to fill the tank...and she considers that expensive! I understand that the otherside of this argument is that Americans have to drive everywhere, but actually I reckon I could walk to the local grocery store no problem. Talking of grocery stores, they all sell a fine selection of wines and decent beers (many made locally) but you still have to go to the one store for spirits.

On a more personal note I hardly watch TV here in England as I am much more into my music, writing, reading and other artistic hobbies so I doubt I'll miss the BBC. Well, I may miss Dave! But then I can get to see stuff online if I really need to. Even my beloved Liverpool Football Club show games online. (I have a secret agenda to educate the Americans to call our beautiful game "English football". The word "soccer" urks me so bad!) The scenary around here and in Oregon is amazing!

This all leads me to think that it really does matter what particular part of America one lives in, whether one will enjoy life in the US of A or not. We all have different requirements, right?

My list of negatives, and this may surprise some of you are:

The wildlife is scarey here, it seems everything is out to kill you! In Washington you cannot just go for a nice, chilled walk in the woodlands like you can in Ole Blighty, oh no! There are Black Bears and Grizzly bears and Cougars to consider. Washington is a step desert thus this is rattlesnake country...YIKES! Also, as a fully paid up member of the Arachnophobia clan, I could do well without the news that Black Widows are common here and in many other US states. Further, something nasty called the Hobbo Spider likes to frequent peoples houses. Let us not forget the centipedes that give a nasty bite. Another issue is that I am expected to sleep through the racket that air conditioning makes, as it works through the night. It has to be on during the winter as well, as a heater to avoid freezing pipes. Have these people not heard of lagging?

At the end of the day though all I know is, is that as I stepped outside Gatwick Airport after returning from a visit to my beloved I saw dirty pavements with trodden in chewing gum, grey buildings, overcast weather, heard people swearing at the top of their voices just because they lack social manners, then I ate a very bland meal and I thought "Nah, give me Washington any day!"

*Master_Bulldog*

N1cky

Sorry, this could have been really interesting but I never got past this

Zonie

No more scary than Swindon on a Saturday night.

Sally Redux

"I came back from holiday and it looked a bit grey."