living in europe

I’ve followed this US versus Europe discussion with some interest, as I get asked a similar version of the question occasionally (substitute US for Canada).  Having read the comments here and here, I agree with some of the more measured comments made.  There is no short, one-size-fit-all answer to the question.  Because it depends on so many factors: why you are there, who you are with, what you do and what you really, really believe in.  Self-anointed cultural gurus that jump in those debates with unwavering points of views and sweeping generalizations rub me the wrong way: a few months, or even years of living in any place does not make anybody an expert in comparative politics or sociology . Therefore, with the utmost humbleness, I submit a few observations.

1. Positive externalities come at a dear price and minute size.

When it comes to Europe’s real or perceived beauty, there are usually two camps.  One group is full of adoration – oh to live within such loveliness, cultural diversity and respect for history and culture. The other group is dismayed by the implications of (sometimes lack of) infrastructural spending needed to keep them running, and more importantly, and the day-to-day realities of living in centuries-old towns.

It is not easy.  I have been to some old Amsterdam houses.  The ones built back in the day when property tax was levied based on the horizontal width of a house.  To maximize living space, stairs were made as narrow as humanly possible, to the point where going up certain ones requires crawling on all fours.  Most constructions prior to the 70s have no elevators.  Property developers stopped just short of 4 stories to avoid having to put one in, as per regulation.  You can then appreciate the difficulties of getting heavy furniture up the stairs.  To alleviate that problem, many canal houses were built slightly slanted to allow for a hook-and-rope lever system to haul things up through the front balcony.  Comfortable and convenient it’s not, but tolerable and pragmatic? Most of the time.

It’s not all that bad though. In the city I live in (pop 300,000), housing in the centre of cities or towns are very expensive, both in terms of unit price and ongoing upkeep. Most people, regardless of their attitudes towards historical homes, are simply priced out of the market. Therefore, most live in outer rings that are not quite urban, yet not suburban, by American standards.  A handful of neighbourhoods just outside of city centre can all be reached within 5 to 10 minutes by train or bus. Or, if weather allows, which it does most of time, I can make it on my bike in 15 to 20 minutes. And rest assured, dwellings in those mid-burbs tend to be much newer and spacious than the older constructions.

2. The service-oriented mindset is something you will miss greatly. But only to a point.  Read more...