[stickydink]

I moved here with my wife from the UK on a H1-B a few years ago now.

Three weeks ago we drove (less than 1hr) to Stinson Beach, spent all day hiking the hills, spectacular views of the Bay, the City and the Farallon Islands in the distance.

Two weeks ago we drove to Monterey, took a Whale Watching boat ride for a few quid. We spent an hour watching a group of Orca hunt Sea Lion a couple hundred feet away.

Last weekend, we drove to Tahoe. Spent two days learning to ski, hung out with friends in our cabin.

This is all in February, the weather has been great. I don't know what we're doing next weekend, but it's probably not something that was in driving distance back home.

It's obviously a personal preference thing, but for me, the lifestyle matters far more than the job. Both me and my wife couldn't stand London any more. It's great for a visit, but that's my fill.

[drcongo]

I live in London, three weeks ago I drove (more than 1hr) 4 miles into the town centre.

[roymurdock]

Thank you for this well-placed gem of British humour. Although it begets the question - with the excellent bus and tube system, why drive?

[dboreham]

London buses are really not something you want to try to use. I spent a couple of years working in Chelsea, which was deliberately omitted from the tube system (the rich inhabitants did not want the great unwashed to have an easy way to get there, I suspect). So walking or bus, or if you had more money than I had at the time, taxi was the only option. Walking was far faster than any bus.

[laurencerowe]

Blame Boris for cancelling the extension of the congestion charge to west London. Through central London they're not too bad anymore, at least that was my impression living in London a few years back.

[lmm]

Bikes are faster for those circumstances, though obv. have their downside.

[rawTruthHurts]

"with the excellent bus and tube system"

Let's just say "reasonably good"

[dipthegeezer]

I'd say it was very good compared to just about any country that is not in North Europe. And I really don't have an issue with busses anymore in London. TFL have a fantastic API which tells you when the bus you want is arriving at a stop amoungst many other things.

[notlefthanded]

I quite enjoy using Hong Kong and Tokyo's transit systems - subway, train, and esp. hk's minibuses - though as a visitor, i.e. not during rush hour.

[ghaff]

There are probably exceptions but I'm guessing that there are very few people who love their city's mass transit system if they have to use it daily at rush hour in all kinds of weather.

[rawTruthHurts]

Are you ok with UK currency not being accepted on buses?

[bjfletcher]

I like buses that move fast, that means optimising the time it takes for people to get on and off. That is especially so in London where buses stop every 200 yards or so and at each stop there are people getting on and off - at some popular stops there can be 30 people getting on and off.

Riders using cash slow the bus down considerably. Do you have suggestions on how to make it as fast as just tapping your Apple Watch or Oyster card on the yellow pad? :-)

You can still be anonymous using an Oyster card that's pre-loaded with cash.

[arethuza]

Edinburgh here - we've got the hiking, spectacular views (and then some), islands, aquatic beasties, skiing 2 hours away. Even some nice big bridges.

You may have a point about the weather though! ;-)

[NB Obviously I forgot to mention the history, culture, the festivals, an ancient castle on the plug of an extinct volcano, glorious architecture....]

Weather can be a bit grim though.... (and has been particularly miserable this winter).

[david-given]

Edinburgh is one of the Great Cities of the world.

I apologise for the BuzzFeed, but the pictures are worth it: http://www.buzzfeed.com/hilarywardle/edinburgh-is-the-best

[arethuza]

”This profusion of eccentricities, this dream in masonry and living rock is not a drop scene in a theatre, but a city in the world of reality.”

Robert Louis Stevenson

[m1sta_]

2hrs to skiing where?

[arethuza]

There are 5 ski areas in Scotland - most fairly handy for Edinburgh (OK - not the Lecht):

http://www.winterhighland.info/

OK not the 3 Valleys but on a good day they can be great fun. My personal favourite is Nevis Range:

https://vimeo.com/10797924

[cmdkeen]

Glencoe 15cm of snow on the ground today according to Google.

I live in Edinburgh and have always been able to live less than a 15 minute walk from work, often in my own flat, for very reasonable sums. Everyone I know in tech has been able to afford their own property within 6 years of starting work.

I'd choose here over London any day of the week. You sort of get used to the weather eventually...

[arethuza]

One of my colleagues, who is from Spain, was struck by the speed of the clouds when he moved here.... :-)

[lmm]

I'm not sure I follow? There are plenty of fascinating things to see or do within an hour's drive of London - it's not like cars go faster in the US, and if anything there's more variety in a small area in dense England.

[laurencerowe]

Getting out of London into proper countryside does take some time. One of the things I missed when I moved to London from Manchester was being able to take a train to the edge of town and walk out into the Peak District. Now that I live in San Francisco I can easily drive out somewhere nice, but still miss being able to take the train and enjoy a couple of pints at the end of my hike!

[bjfletcher]

A direct train to Preston from London Euston takes 2h08m. Hire a car and you can get to places in Lakes District within the hour. :-)

[100timesthis]

I think they are talking about beautiful natural places where you can spend sometimes alone. It's my biased interpretation, living in London I don't care about musicals, museums (just because they are always full of people) or anything with concrete in it or crowded, I just want a beautiful place where I can spend some time alone.

[lukesheard]

I have to complete agree with this. I was lucky enough to live in the Bay until September last year and the variety is just unparalleled. There's something about having the moderate whether where you live and then being able to travel in at most 5 hours between a desert or a ski resort that is unrivaled.

[caoilte]

Good call. It would have to be Munich for a similar Euro experience.