These forums have always helped inform on expat experiences, so we would love to hear about where you have lived/live in Switzerland and what you would advise for us.
About us: White, American (me) and Polish (wife), polyglots (and open to learning new languages), mid-30s, want to have kids soon, practicing Catholics (with lots of friends of many different religions), white-collar professionals, love to travel/adventurous. I'm an American citizen, and my wife is a Polish/EU citizen with a Green Card (permanent resident). I'm from Los Angeles (actually, Pasadena, which I love), and we now live in NYC, but are moving to DC suburbs next month and hopefully to Switzerland in 2010.
Our thoughts on criteria for where to live (target: 2010):
Climate: moderate weather, including Winters (some snow is OK, but we prefer shorter Winter seasons)
City/Suburbs: fairly green area, reasonably close to a large, attractive city with the amenities of a major airport, shopping, cultural attractions (museums, architecture, music)
Income-to-Cost-of-Living Ratio: we have modest living needs, but we don't want to struggle to survive--prefer a comfortable, middle class lifestyle. We both have family in Paris and London--they're nice to visit (like NYC), but tough to live, unless wealthy. The main thing is to find the right balance/proportion between cost of living and income. So, jobs should be available and pay reasonably well, relative to local costs.
Quality of Living: We've read the Mercer surveys (http://www.mercer.com/qualityofliving : Mercer's 2009 Quality of Living survey highlights), which are helpful. Housing, recreation, education and basic services are important, of course. We enjoy both the attractions of the city (esp. museums and restaurants) and nature (hiking, kayaking). We find that a university integrated with a city brings good cafes, bookstores, music scene, creativity and younger people from outside areas. We also value our sanity, hence the suburbs and not the city center/downtown.
Work visas: with my wife being an EU citizen, I think it's easier for her to get a job, even in Switzerland (I think EU citizens still require a Swiss employer to sponsor them). I would require an employer to sponsor me for a work visa, I believe. I also do some freelancing, on the side (moonlighting).
Initial thoughts: Geneva or Zurich's suburbs?
Although this topic/thread is geared towards Switzerland, we've also considered Austria (Vienna), although cost of living (esp. taxes) seems prohibitive. And possibly Malta, Luxembourg, Dublin, Brussels and Bavaria (just so you know). But I'm leaning more towards Switzerland--care to comment on the differences?
Of course, all the statistics can't measure what it feels like to live somewhere, and visiting a place as a tourist is different from living there. So, if you've lived in a Swiss city (or other European city) that you'd recommend, given our thoughts above (yes, we're willing to compromise on our wish list!), we'd love to hear about it. We will plan trips to the places you recommend, to scout them out. Thank you!
About us: White, American (me) and Polish (wife), polyglots (and open to learning new languages), mid-30s, want to have kids soon, practicing Catholics (with lots of friends of many different religions), white-collar professionals, love to travel/adventurous. I'm an American citizen, and my wife is a Polish/EU citizen with a Green Card (permanent resident). I'm from Los Angeles (actually, Pasadena, which I love), and we now live in NYC, but are moving to DC suburbs next month and hopefully to Switzerland in 2010.
Our thoughts on criteria for where to live (target: 2010):
Climate: moderate weather, including Winters (some snow is OK, but we prefer shorter Winter seasons)
City/Suburbs: fairly green area, reasonably close to a large, attractive city with the amenities of a major airport, shopping, cultural attractions (museums, architecture, music)
Income-to-Cost-of-Living Ratio: we have modest living needs, but we don't want to struggle to survive--prefer a comfortable, middle class lifestyle. We both have family in Paris and London--they're nice to visit (like NYC), but tough to live, unless wealthy. The main thing is to find the right balance/proportion between cost of living and income. So, jobs should be available and pay reasonably well, relative to local costs.
Quality of Living: We've read the Mercer surveys (http://www.mercer.com/qualityofliving : Mercer's 2009 Quality of Living survey highlights), which are helpful. Housing, recreation, education and basic services are important, of course. We enjoy both the attractions of the city (esp. museums and restaurants) and nature (hiking, kayaking). We find that a university integrated with a city brings good cafes, bookstores, music scene, creativity and younger people from outside areas. We also value our sanity, hence the suburbs and not the city center/downtown.
Work visas: with my wife being an EU citizen, I think it's easier for her to get a job, even in Switzerland (I think EU citizens still require a Swiss employer to sponsor them). I would require an employer to sponsor me for a work visa, I believe. I also do some freelancing, on the side (moonlighting).
Initial thoughts: Geneva or Zurich's suburbs?
Although this topic/thread is geared towards Switzerland, we've also considered Austria (Vienna), although cost of living (esp. taxes) seems prohibitive. And possibly Malta, Luxembourg, Dublin, Brussels and Bavaria (just so you know). But I'm leaning more towards Switzerland--care to comment on the differences?
Of course, all the statistics can't measure what it feels like to live somewhere, and visiting a place as a tourist is different from living there. So, if you've lived in a Swiss city (or other European city) that you'd recommend, given our thoughts above (yes, we're willing to compromise on our wish list!), we'd love to hear about it. We will plan trips to the places you recommend, to scout them out. Thank you!
