[davidw]

You could try Europe, where people have figured out that it's possible to live with lots of other people and still be pretty happy.

This "OMG! Other people! The horror!" mentality is part of the reason why places like LA (and Boulder, in Colorado) get so expensive in the first place. If you do density right, it keeps prices down, and requires less driving because you can put a lot of smaller businesses in the middle of dense areas and have them be successful, and also walk/bike to them. It requires a substantial rethink of our zoning though.

[toomuchtodo]

Working remotely in parts of Portugal and Spain is a recipe for happiness and early retirement (speaking as a US citizen). I can't imagine wasting so much take home pay on CA living costs; you'll never be able to retire or own a home outright under those conditions.

[pedrosorio]

As a young Portuguese immigrant in California, I would selfishly ask you not to share this recipe too widely ;)

[davidw]

Places like Portugal - and Italy, where I spent most of the last 15 years - would certainly be helped more than harmed by people moving there with high-paying jobs and paying into the local economy.

[pedrosorio]

That is probably true up to some extent. I just don't want to the country (Lisbon, in particular) becoming an amusement park for tourists (in the style of Barcelona).

[davidw]

He was talking about living there and working remotely. This is very different from the "let's go hang out and drink for a week" kind of person.

[mixmastamyk]

Loved visiting those places, but could never live there. Last time I went people were smoking in pairs in the grocery store. WTF?