Pitch Where You Live

[Tom Adam]

I must concur to Peter about the weather thing. 
Me living in Georgia now, I must say I really like the fact that the sun shines almost every day. It did got cold in the winter  and it can rain like I’ve never seen in Belgium (but only for an hour or so) and summer is boiling hot. But waking up with the sun shining makes you feel good.

I don’t think I wanna go back to Belgium anytime soon… and that’s mostly because of the weather and southern hospitality and nature and the friends I’ve made here (although most of them are German;-). And because I’m having so much fun at work... 


Tom Adam
tom.adam at thebigear.be
www.thebigear.be



> On Mar 3, 2024, at 7:33 PM, Peter Korsten <peter at severity-one.com> wrote:
> 
> Op 24-2-2024 om 23:12 schreef Niall Munnelly:
>> As I look to wrap up my business in rural Ireland this year, I’m training my gaze outward for my next potential home. As a single person, I reckon the best way to do quantifiable good for the environment would be to move to a densely-populated urban area with a robust public transport, walking and cycling infrastructure.
> 
> I'm not going to pitch where I live, since it doesn't match at least two of your three requirements, and possibly neither the third.
> 
> We have population density. In fact, it's the ninth most densely populated territory (country or dependency) in the world, and the third most densely populated in Europe. Number two is Gibraltar, number one is Monaco.
> 
> We also have the 11th highest number of motor vehicles per capita (more than Australia...), and the combination with the population density is not a very good one.
> 
> Public transport is free, but consists of buses, which get stuck in the same traffic. Cycling infrastructure is slowly coming about, but nowhere near Dutch standards. (OK, nothing comes close to Dutch standards.) It's still dangerous.
> 
> So, does it suck? Not really. The climate is fantastic. Summers can be very hot, and neither cycling nor walking would be recommended. Especially not for someone with a northern European skin. But having mild winters is really nice.
> 
> What's great about Malta is that it's essentially a holiday destination, so there's plenty of entertainment around. Everything is close by (except abroad; that's always an aeroplane trip or perhaps a ferry). Taxi app services, which are still relatively cheap, have three operators, so plenty of competition. It is by far the most prosperous territory in the wider area, except for the hyper-expensive places along the French Riviera.
> 
> But rather than going to one specific place, consider the weather. You don't really realise how much the weather in northern and western Europe sucks until you've lived in the south. The Mediterranean is a very pleasant region to live. Not the most liveable, not the most affluent either, but generally beautiful and pleasant.
> 
>> Getting off my high horse, of course I want access to the arts and all the benefits that cities allow. Where shall I look that’s not in the US, Éire or Great Britain? I hope to meet Jay in Vienna this year. Basque Country has great appeal. I want to check out Occitania, absolutely. Brussels seems like a smart idea. What places are walkable, cycling-friendly and punch above their weight, culturally (especially musically) that I should investigate?
> 
> When it comes to liveable cities, those that score the highest in terms of what makes a city great, you inevitably end up in Austria or Switzerland. Especially the latter, though, is not exactly cheap.
> 
> I'm wondering whether Barcelona would fit the bill. My wife and I are going there in three weeks time; I'll let you know. 🙂
> 
> - Peter
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