Best place to elope?

Phemar · Mon 18/04/2011 10:26:36

So I'm wanting to elope. By myself

Haha but seriously I want to emmigrate to some other country. Been wanting to do this for ages, so I was just wondering if you guys could help me out.
I'm looking for someplace preferably western, where they speak English. I'm thinking either America, Britain or Canada or something, but I need advice on the best states/cities etc. A warm climate would also be a plus!

Thanks!

Btw, I'm from Cape Town, South Africa if anyone's interested.

Calin Leafshade · Mon 18/04/2011 10:54:17

New Zealand!

That's where i want to emigrate to once my girlfriend has finished her education.

Emigrating to NZ is not all that easy though unless you are skilled or have family there.

zabnat · Mon 18/04/2011 11:07:09

Choose from these.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World's_most_livable_cities

InCreator · Mon 18/04/2011 11:41:06

Quote from: zabnat on Mon 18/04/2011 11:07:09
Choose from these.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World's_most_livable_cities

Not considering taxation and COST of living they're not

ThreeOhFour · Mon 18/04/2011 12:00:42

Australia!

*beats off wild snakes and arachnids that are trying to inject him with toxic venom*

It's the place to be

zabnat · Mon 18/04/2011 12:05:56

Quote from: InCreator on Mon 18/04/2011 11:41:06
Not considering taxation and COST of living they're not

But everyone has a job with six figure salary?

Then maybe cross reference with this list?: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_most_expensive_cities_for_expatriate_employees

Canada is pretty nice place to live in, but the climate isn't too warm.

arj0n · Mon 18/04/2011 12:38:43

The Netherlands should be where to go.

mode7 · Mon 18/04/2011 13:20:50

Quote from: zabnat on Mon 18/04/2011 11:07:09
Choose from these.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World's_most_livable_cities

Vienna? Zurich?
The most livable cities? No way! A lot of German cities on mercers list. But why isn't Berlin on there?

Munich on place 1 at monocles list? I'd rather die than live there.

Seriously these are all nice and secure cities - but I have seldom seen such unpolite and arrogant people as in Munich (I live very near and been there often). Zurich is rather unspectacular and insanely expensive.

Well I see that you're from cape town? That would be a city to choose for me. I really loved it. Sure as a tourist and all. But I know quite a few people who live there or lived there and they all love it - if it wasnt for the crime of course.

New Zealand would probably be my first choice too. I'd actually like to go there for half a year or something if I find work.

@Arj0n: Meh I don't know - they kind of restricted the selling of weed to foreigners

Well seriously its a really nice country - but a little to flat for my taste and a little too expensive.

Phemar · Mon 18/04/2011 14:21:37

To be honest it's not that where I live is a bad place - Cape Town is beautiful and if I weren't here already I'd probably want to be here. I just need to make a fresh start somewhere, live my own life you know - Just get away from everything familiar. I'm the kind of guy who can't settle down and do the same thing all the time. I like my scene to change, new environments, new people etc.
The thing about Cape Town is everyone pretty much knows everyone else. You could play the 2 degrees of Cape Town haha

So I need to spread my eagle wings and soar. I have a decent amount of money saved up to get me started once I get wherever I'm going. I just know that if I stay in this damn city any longer I'll probably an hero (kidding

).

I need to taste a new culture and interact with different people if you know what I mean!

arj0n · Mon 18/04/2011 15:43:44

Quote from: Phemar on Mon 18/04/2011 14:21:37
To be honest it's not that where I live is a bad place - Cape Town is beautiful and if I weren't here already I'd probably want to be here. I just need to make a fresh start somewhere, live my own life you know - Just get away from everything familiar. I'm the kind of guy who can't settle down and do the same thing all the time. I like my scene to change, new environments, new people etc.
The thing about Cape Town is everyone pretty much knows everyone else. You could play the 2 degrees of Cape Town haha

So I need to spread my eagle wings and soar. I have a decent amount of money saved up to get me started once I get wherever I'm going. I just know that if I stay in this damn city any longer I'll probably an hero (kidding ).

I need to taste a new culture and interact with different people if you know what I mean!

Like I said, Holland would do, you'll love it :-)
And you can taste nice fresh cultures here. This weekend for example I (together with my girlfriend) went to the Wasteland Party near Amsterdam, tasted very good

hehheh....

arj0n · Mon 18/04/2011 15:46:50

Quote from: mode7 on Mon 18/04/2011 13:20:50
Quote from: zabnat on Mon 18/04/2011 11:07:09
Choose from these.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World's_most_livable_cities

Vienna? Zurich?
The most livable cities? No way! A lot of German cities on mercers list. But why isn't Berlin on there?

Munich on place 1 at monocles list? I'd rather die than live there.

Seriously these are all nice and secure cities - but I have seldom seen such unpolite and arrogant people as in Munich (I live very near and been there often). Zurich is rather unspectacular and insanely expensive.

Well I see that you're from cape town? That would be a city to choose for me. I really loved it. Sure as a tourist and all. But I know quite a few people who live there or lived there and they all love it - if it wasnt for the crime of course.

New Zealand would probably be my first choice too. I'd actually like to go there for half a year or something if I find work.

@Arj0n: Meh I don't know - they kind of restricted the selling of weed to foreigners
Well seriously its a really nice country - but a little to flat for my taste and a little too expensive.

@Mode7: They do restrict the selling of weed to foreigners.
But once you elope and become an official person from Holland/The Netherlands, you are not a foreigner anymore...

Tuomas · Mon 18/04/2011 16:00:35

You might want to consider Helsinki in Finland, if you don't mind cold and if you're rich. It's a nice little town with gloomy people and some history

cat · Mon 18/04/2011 16:09:11

Quote from: zabnat on Mon 18/04/2011 11:07:09
Choose from these.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World's_most_livable_cities

Vienna is world's most livable city? I should go there some day

mode7 · Mon 18/04/2011 16:13:08

Quote from: Arj0n on Mon 18/04/2011 15:46:50
Quote from: mode7 on Mon 18/04/2011 13:20:50
Quote from: zabnat on Mon 18/04/2011 11:07:09
Choose from these.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World's_most_livable_cities

Vienna? Zurich?
The most livable cities? No way! A lot of German cities on mercers list. But why isn't Berlin on there?

Munich on place 1 at monocles list? I'd rather die than live there.

Seriously these are all nice and secure cities - but I have seldom seen such unpolite and arrogant people as in Munich (I live very near and been there often). Zurich is rather unspectacular and insanely expensive.

Well I see that you're from cape town? That would be a city to choose for me. I really loved it. Sure as a tourist and all. But I know quite a few people who live there or lived there and they all love it - if it wasnt for the crime of course.

New Zealand would probably be my first choice too. I'd actually like to go there for half a year or something if I find work.

@Arj0n: Meh I don't know - they kind of restricted the selling of weed to foreigners
Well seriously its a really nice country - but a little to flat for my taste and a little too expensive.
@Mode7: They do restrict the selling of weed to foreigners.
But once you elope and become an official person from Holland/The Netherlands, you are not a foreigner anymore...

sweeeeeet

Baron · Tue 19/04/2011 03:29:23

Reading through the thread I kept looking for mention of your future spouse, but a little research reveals the broader definition. So where to go?

As I read it your primary criteria are warm, English speaking and big city anonymity. Los Angeles is an obvious magnet for people with artistic tendencies or who just crave excitement. The crime won't even seem so bad if you are from Cape Town, although the air is definitely disgusting. I find northern California or even Oregon more culturally appealing: San Francisco has its charm. Further north it gets quite a bit rainier (especially in winter), but even Vancouver (Canada) rarely drops below 0 degrees centigrade, and is a pretty happening place.

If climate is only of secondary importance than there's obviously New York. Toronto is very multicultural and more affordable than New York (and the climate is quite nice 6 months a year), but Montreal (which is at least half English) is arguably more exciting and probably cheaper. I'm less familiar with the big league "international" cities of Europe, but London is obvious if speaking something resembling English is important. If you think Capetown is small-time I don't think New Zealand is in the cards for you, but perhaps Sydney or maybe Melbourne. More exotic but still some English would bring in Hong Kong, Mumbai, Singapore....

If you give more criteria it would be easier to narrow it down. If it is to be a permanent move your best bets are probably Canada or USA due to somewhat more open immigration policies.

Anian · Tue 19/04/2011 10:24:47

Birmingham, it's english speaking and the climate is moderate and it's a rather large city and it's close to the west and east coast of UK and it's pretty good (cheap) according to that wikipeadia list.

Btw Munich is absolutley brilliant, beautiful, clean, modern, interesting city. They have airport, underground, buses, trams and a lot (and I do mean a lot) of people drive a bicycle there so transportation is really no problem. Also it's where Oktoberfest is held (although it's not that cheap, but in the city in general there's lots of pubs with 1st class beers and traditional food, if you like meat that is), there's lots of concerts all year around (went to two U2 concerts there myself, but there's like 2-3 weekly there). Also has lots of parks, museums and even specialized movie theater where the movies are only subtitled to german (and not voiced over). If you like football, then you're in luck, because it hosts one of the best clubs in Europe - Bayern Munchen, you can't get tickets for the matches because they're mostly sold for the whole year, but you can be proud of your team.
Further more it's in the richest region in Germany (Bavaria), lots of castles and history are just a 15-20min drive away.
And apparently, prostitution has been legalized so if you have money, you can have fun, I think the street is called Schiller strase.

Oh, and there's the headquaters of BMW, they have a brilliant museum and showroom there, right next to a giant Olympic park.

Khris · Tue 19/04/2011 15:11:07

Quote from: mode7 on Mon 18/04/2011 13:20:50
Seriously these are all nice and secure cities - but I have seldom seen such unpolite and arrogant people as in Munich (I live very near and been there often).

That's like saying all Polish are thieves or all Italians are lazy.
Granted, there are lots of rich, arrogant kiddies in Munich, but there's also lots of other young folk there who are neither impolite nor arrogant.
Should you visit Munich, make sure to go to the Glockenbachviertel, not some of the rich-bitch-snob-clubs.

Phemar · Wed 20/04/2011 10:01:20

Thanks for the replies everyone!

I've been thinking and I like the idea of going to New York for a while. Not to settle down, but maybe stay there for a few years. If I ever wantr to settle down, Canada is sounding quite attractive

It would be awesome to visit Greenwich Village, where Bob Dylan and a whole bunch of other famous people got their start.

Baron · Thu 21/04/2011 04:06:31

Ah, North America..... "Send me your huddled masses, yearning to be free!" etc. etc.

Welcome to the team!