[Windswept]

If you could have homes in two (or three) places, anywhere in the world (money is not a problem in this thread ), where would your homes be, and why? What particularly appeals to you about those locations?

A brief description of the style of homes would be nice too.

I think I'd like a home in the San Diego area, overlooking the ocean. The weather there is SO nice, and the beach-community atmosphere is incredibly laid-back and easygoing. Ahhhh... such a relaxing place.

Second home would be on a hillside on the Oregon coast, also overlooking the ocean. Both ocean homes would be surrounded by tall trees, lots of flowering bushes and plants, with floor to ceiling glass for walls facing the water.

The third home would be in Hawaii, with open floorplans; and the entire wall facing the ocean would slide completely open, so that warm, softly-scented breezes would fill the house.

I guess I'd have to have a fourth home, a mountain cabin made all of wood, with wrap-around covered decks on all sides, and fantastic mountain views. The south-facing wall would be all French doors, which would be open most of the time in summer.

If I had to stick to just 'three' homes, I'd choose Hawaii over San Diego, because the SD area is pretty crowded.

So, any of you have a few places you'd like to live if you had the money to live wherever you wanted?

Thanks for any replies.

[spikeh]

Originally Posted by Windswept I think I'd like a home in the San Diego area, overlooking the ocean. The weather there is SO nice, and the beach-community atmosphere is incredibly laid-back and easygoing. Ahhhh... such a relaxing place. Second home would be on a hillside on the Oregon coast, also overlooking the ocean. Both ocean homes would be surrounded by tall trees, lots of flowering bushes and plants, with floor to ceiling glass for walls facing the water. The third home would be in Hawaii, with open floorplans; and the entire wall facing the ocean would slide completely open, so that warm, softly-scented breezes would fill the house.

Ooh, classy. And predominantly warm!

Mine:

1. Croyde bay, North Devon, England. I used to live here (back when I wasn't a student and actually had an income), and it's gorgeous, Croyde is a lovely lovely little village and very surfy, which suits me. My house was a stones throw from the beach, the pub, the post-office. Everything you could ever need. Fairly small, Victorian (IIRC) semi, but on hot days (most during the summer) we'd sit out in the back garden drinking beer and those that were so inclined could smoke. It was lovely.

2. Kampala, Uganda. I'd have a big open-plan house here, lots of arches and the only doors would be upstairs. You can actually get one of these for £14,000GBP and it's essentially a mansion: four garages, a huge garden, walls & gate. I'd let it to backpackers during the summer and just head there during the winter

3. Dublin, Atlanta, Georgia. I'd have one here 'cause I used to live there and I miss it kinda. Lovely place. Not too far from Callaway Gardens, that'd be nice. I'd have a big ole family house here, probably 3 floors. I'd leave my incubator and the children here throughout the year, returning on occasions to tell them how lovely Croyde and Kampala are without them. AHAHHA.

[murbot]

I'd let my wife make the choices. Chances are she'd choose places I'd like too, plus she'd probably make it worth my while for letting her decide. She'd think I cared about what she thought and shit like that. heh heh

[psmith2.0]

1. San Diego. A beautiful place, no doubt. Probably up in the Carlsbad/Encinitas area, where I used to live. A nice little bungalow type place with hardwood floors, funky colored walls (oranges, greens, etc.). Not far from the ocean (not because I'm a surfer or even particularly "beachy"...I just love hearing the waves, especially at night). I'd have a backyard done up really neat and fun, with a firepit, hot tub, etc. and a large "MILFs Welcome!" sign on the front yard. I'd run a select pedicure/massage business out of the spare bedroom...

Yeah, I said it.

2. Nashville. The chief export (top 40 "country" music) is lame as can be but the city - and the bars and clubs and local music scene - suits me. I lived there for a full year in 1998 (a post-divorce yearlong "lost weekend"...but I'd do it a bit better/smarter/saner this time around). Somewhere downtown, where I could just stagger from Broadway after a night of carousing up to my cool little apartment. I've always wanted this, and it's about the only "downtown" of a city I'd ever seriously consider living.

3. Probably somewhere in Ireland or Scotland. A little house or apartment in a smallish quaint town. I'd wear knit sweaters, play my guitar, read all the books that I've not gotten around to, drink lots of different things, etc. A cozy, cuddly existence, full of singing, laughing and a redheaded girlfriend.

[Windswept]

Originally Posted by murbot I'd let my wife make the choices. Chances are she'd choose places I'd like too, plus she'd probably make it worth my while for letting her decide. She'd think I cared about what she thought and shit like that. heh heh

Okay, murbeau. Ask your wife where she would want to live.

[Windswept]

Originally Posted by pscates2.0 I'd have a backyard done up really neat and fun, with a firepit, hot tub, etc. and a large "MILFs Welcome!" sign on the front yard. I'd run a select pedicure/massage business out of the spare bedroom... Yeah, I said it.

3. Probably somewhere in Ireland or Scotland. A little house or apartment in a smallish quaint town. I'd wear knit sweaters, play my guitar, read all the books that I've not gotten around to, drink lots of different things, etc. A cozy, cuddly existence, full of singing, laughing and a redheaded girlfriend.

[Barto]

In order, most-want first.

1. Apartment in central Tokyo. I've visited the city and I kept thinking, "wow, this would be a fantastic place to live." There are nice parks, fascinating neighbourhoods to explore, great public transport and low crime rates.

2. Apartment in Manhattan or Brooklyn. I've never been to New York (or the USA), but from what I've read I'd like it for the same reasons.

3. Beach-front house in Hawaii. I don't think I need to explain this.

Tokyo and New York also have an indefinable "happening" factor to them.

[Windswept]

I once thought I'd like to have a place in the Caribbean, and maybe I 'still' would.

BUT... I was just in Barbados on Dec. 12, and it was 85 degrees F (!!!) at the dock... waaay too hot, imo, since December is probably one of the 'coolest' months of the year.

I'd like 65-75F for year-around temperatures; and some coastal places actually 'have' a temp. range like that.

[Windswept]

Oops!

I forgot one of my favorite places - Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.

Victoria is an amazing cool city on an island. Plus, it's in Canada (a wonderful place ), *and* chock full of all those cute Canadian guys (the world's cutest ). haha

[hiltond]

I would love to have a 21 foot-wide federal townhome in the Washington Square West neighborhood of Philadelphia. Close enough to all of the shops, places to eat and nightlife as to be convenient but a block or two removed as to be peaceful.

On weekends and in the summer I would go to my cottage with slip in Brant Beach, New Jersey. Sometimes relaxing on the sand, sometimes visiting the local shellfish dealers, sometimes setting out for a quick trip around Cape May.

Since we are all billionaires now why not pick up a penthouse at in New Brunswick. After a long night of great food, wine and friends, who really wants to take the train back to philly. Plus it would be a good pace to my more progressive decorating ideas.

Come on Powerball. Nice thoughts.

[BuonRotto]

Rome, Italy, historic center

Near the Smokey or Blue Ridge Mountains in NC or Tennessee

NYC, west side

[scratt]

Hmmm...

1. Koh Phangan, Thailand - It has The Full Moon Party, and is also a beautiful tropical island, with great diving, etc. etc. And the boutique island of Koh Samui is just across the water, with an international airport. [I actually have land there and will be building our dream villa starting this year. The land has a waterfall on it, and one of my other dreams is to have otters on the land]

2. Tokyo, probaby close to Shibuya or Harajuku - Best underground party scene in the world, fantastic food. Best tech toys shopping in the world, and very very cheap awesome sports cars, and one of the safest societies in the world. A penthouse condo. Another nice thing about Japan is you have the same seasons as Europe, except more extreme. So when it's cold it's really really cold, and when it's hot it's real hot. A nice change from the constant heat in Thailand.

3. Somewhere in Europe. Most likely Northern Spain. Great food, great people, Barcelona is not far, and the party scene is also good there... An old farm house with lots of land.

[T-Man]

1 - Off in some England. . .country-side/open-land. (Not farm-country, just non-citified.) Not too far from London. I'd want the house to be a 'glass pyramid'... All modern on the inside. Far enough from London to see the stars.

2 - Apartment high in an apartment building in mid-Manhattan, NY. That'd be my birth-state. Walk down into the lobby, seeing many people outside through the doors on the busy streets and sidewalks...

3 - A Japanese apartment on a high level, looking at the east, in one of the more modern cities. Like in that current Cisco commercial, with the girl sitting on a ledge looking at a sunrise and that strange Halo-looking tower in the background in a park.

[AWR]

Interesting choices so far - mine don't deviate too much from the pattern above.

1. Boston, USA: two-story apartment in a brownstone on Commenwealth Ave. or Newberry Street. I love Boston: the museums, the BSO [http://www.bso.org/], the parks, the food, the architecture, the Red Sox .... Also reasonably close to NYC, Vermont, and Maritime Canada.

2. Costa Brava, Spain (or Menorca): great stuff along the coast north of Barcelona, although it is less than off the beaten track these days. Same great food and sea on Menorca, the sleepiest of the big three Balearic Islands http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menorca

3. Lake Tahoe, USA: awesomeness. Nice manageable wood house among the pines with a lake view. Close enough to ride my bike into a town where they will have an excellent taqueria. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taqueria 4 beautiful seasons: great all year round. Love the skiing, the running, mountain biking, canoeing, hiking, camping. Reasonably close to 5 million other incredible places.

4. Japan. Can't make up mind where though, although it would be in the country. Kyushu? Izu? Some place in Japan is a must; fun cities, beautiful country side, hot springs http://www.ryokan.or.jp/english/onsen/index.html, Japanese inns, the food, the funkiness, easy to get around ...

5. Hawaii: Say no more.

[shatteringglass]

Originally Posted by Windswept Second home would be on a hillside on the Oregon coast, also overlooking the ocean.

That sounds like an amazing place to live.

I would love to own a home in one of the less populated areas of Iceland; it's such a beautiful country. It doesn't have to be fancy house, either. A small lodge, with this view from my window: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jaari/209375965/

A nice piece of beachfront property in Tahiti would be great, too.

I've lived in a big city for pretty much all of my life and I think I've developed an aversion towards urban life. It's just too much these days; these places would be perfect for me.

[Windswept]

There are some places I'd like to visit before deciding to have a dwelling there. I've heard good things about Melbourne, for example, but hearsay is not nearly as good as a first-hand experience of a place.

I'd like to check out New Zealand, because it seems to have such a variety of kinds of places, with different atmospheres in each; but again, I'd want to go there first and travel around. There's a beach town called Tauranga that sounds kind of like a place where artists might go, and that might be worth checking out.

It might be fun to have a houseboat somewhere, in a stunningly beautiful bay. Or, maybe even better, a splendid yacht that could go across oceans, and find gorgeous bays in all parts of the world. Be a great way to change the scenery and take the house along for the ride.

Anybody else have some thoughts for this bumped thread?


Melbourne, Australia



Tauranga, New Zealand

[Windswept]

Possible houseboat

[Dave]

Originally Posted by Windswept It might be fun to have a houseboat somewhere, in a stunningly beautiful bay. Or, maybe even better, a splendid yacht that could go across oceans, and find gorgeous bays in all parts of the world. Be a great way to change the scenery and take the house along for the ride.

I'd love to. For a while, anyway. Most of the places I'd like to visit that I can't just drive to are somewhere along the Pacific ocean, so I could probably keep myself occupied with that area of the world for quite a long time.

I hear boats are three and a half metric pains to maintain, though. And I'm not sure how I'd be able to pay for said maintenance.

[adamb]

Villefranche is the only place on my list at the moment. It has a nice combination of being on the Mediterranean for the summer and close to the Alps for the winter, not to mention being stunningly beautiful. Close to Nice, Monaco, the Italian border... I would retire there now if I could...

Somewhere is Australia and Canada will probably be on the list too when I get around to going.

[Ryan]

1) Villa in the Ötztal Valley in Austria.



2) Beach bungalow on Thong Nai Pan Noi, Koh Phagnan in the Gulf of Thailand.



3) Luxury high-rise apartment in Tokyo, either Shibuya or Shinjuku.



Three places I've visited and utterly fallen in love with. Photos taken by me.

[addison]

Originally Posted by AWR Interesting choices so far - mine don't deviate too much from the pattern above. 1. Boston, USA: two-story apartment in a brownstone on Commenwealth Ave. or Newberry Street. I love Boston: the museums, the BSO [http://www.bso.org/], the parks, the food, the architecture, the Red Sox .... Also reasonably close to NYC, Vermont, and Maritime Canada.

That would be on my list too. We just spent a three day weekend there and we love it for a lot of the reasons you mentioned. There is an incredible old mansion on Commonwealth Ave that was converted into four condos. It would be perfect. Beautiful gardens on the side and it even has a little underground parking area.

[Windswept]

Here is a mid-size luxury yacht, rather low-slung, nifty and sleek, don'tcha think?



And here is the inside of a luxury yacht. Yikes! What a spectacular place to kick back and cruise the world.

I covered it up to increase the amazement factor upon first viewing this gorgeous playroom. I can almost taste my first sip of the most fresh and most delectable pina colada ever made - using pineapple and coconut from one of the islands just visited by this magnificent yacht.

[Windswept]

Originally Posted by Dave I'd love to. For a while, anyway. Most of the places I'd like to visit that I can't just drive to are somewhere along the Pacific ocean, so I could probably keep myself occupied with that area of the world for quite a long time. I hear boats are three and a half metric pains to maintain, though. And I'm not sure how I'd be able to pay for said maintenance.

Well, the thing is, this thread is kind of a dream thread, where realism needn't make a pain of itself. So dream away, and don't worry about the expense. *That* is what this thread is all about. One look at that yacht living room might convey the general idea.

[thegeriatric]

Having not travelled much it's difficult to say, but Hawaii would be on the short list, along with somewhere in Australia, and maybe somewhere in the USA, got to have access to loads of Apple stores!!

Love the look of that yacht Windswept. Care to join me for a Pina Colada?

[Windswept]

Originally Posted by adamb Villefranche is the only place on my list at the moment. It has a nice combination of being on the Mediterranean for the summer and close to the Alps for the winter, not to mention being stunningly beautiful. Close to Nice, Monaco, the Italian border... I would retire there now if I could... Somewhere in Australia and Canada will probably be on the list too when I get around to going.

Does this photo look anything like what you picture in your mind about Villefranche?



It is gorgeous. That villa in the right foreground is pretty amazing. The view from the top floor must be just incredible! The whole area is breathtaking, and I can see why you'd want to live there if given half a chance.

[Windswept]

Originally Posted by Ryan 1) Villa in the Ötztal Valley in Austria.

The place in this photo, is it a ranch or lodging of some kind? The area is so spectacular that it seems like it should be a national park. Is the ranch a privately-owned place? Their view is just stunning. When did you do all this traveling? I must have missed when you told people about this trip. And all the places are so very different.

[Graculus]

Originally Posted by adamb Villefranche is the only place on my list at the moment.

It might be on mine too, but if you could have anywhere, why not one of the biggies on Cap Ferrat?


Others...

Reykjavik, something humble with a view of ocean and volcanos



Rural Japan (near Kyoto and Fuji) for tranquil contemplation. There is WIFI right?



Fisherman's cottage in Applecross, with the best sunsets in the world in late spring.



Polzeath - simply for the surf, but in an ultra modern minimalist cube to shock the natives ;-)



Good cross section there :-)

What do you mean I can only have three.

[Ryan]

Originally Posted by Windswept The place in this photo, is it a ranch or lodging of some kind? The area is so spectacular that it seems like it should be a national park. Is the ranch a privately-owned place? Their view is just stunning. When did you do all this traveling? I must have missed when you told people about this trip. And all the places are so very different.

I have no idea what that structure is, that was just the best photo I had of the valley. I stayed at a guesthouse run by this family. It's the Ötztal Valley, about an hour by train west of Innsbruck. It runs north-south almost to the Italian border. I spent a few days there in November 2010 during my semester in France. It also features the Aqua Dome, a utopia if you like saunas and steam rooms. That photo was taken just down the road.

The Ötztal Valley *is* magnificent. I was there during the shoulder season so it was almost devoid of tourists. I would spend my days hiking and my evenings relaxing in the Aqua Dome.

I was in Tokyo during March 2011 when the Sendai quake hit. That photo is a street market called Ameyokocho. Wound up cutting my trip short when the quake hit.

The beach photo is from my Southeast Asia trip last summer. I spent a little over five weeks in Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore with stopovers in Hong Kong and Doha on the way in and out. I also spent five weeks in Mumbai last fall. No desire to live there though.

That specific beach is called Thong Nai Pan Noi, on the north side of Koh Phagnan, home of the infamous Full Moon Party. The north side is tough to get to, requiring a long ride in the back of a pickup truck over a washed-out road through a mountainous jungle. Result is the beaches are much less crowded than those on the other side of the island where the ferries dock.

[Windswept]

Originally Posted by thegeriatric Having not travelled much it's difficult to say, but Hawaii would be on the short list, along with somewhere in Australia, and maybe somewhere in the USA, got to have access to loads of Apple stores!! Love the look of that yacht Windswept. Care to join me for a Pina Colada?

Sounds good to me! But now that I keep thinking about how yummy they are when fresh, I'm dying for a pina colada right now! But if I go out somewhere to get one, it would probably be made using a dehydrated mix of some sort. Ick!

The last pina coladas I had - made perfectly fresh - were on a cruise ship when I went to Barbados, St. Martin, St. Lucia, and a few other places I can't remember right now. I'll have to look up the names and add them in a few minutes.

[Windswept]

Originally Posted by Ryan I have no idea what that structure is, that was just the best photo I had of the valley. I stayed at a guesthouse run by this family. It's the Ötztal Valley, about an hour by train west of Innsbruck. It runs north-south almost to the Italian border. I spent a few days there in November 2010 during my semester in France. It also features the Aqua Dome, a utopia if you like saunas and steam rooms. That photo was taken just down the road. The Ötztal Valley *is* magnificent. I was there during the shoulder season so it was almost devoid of tourists. I would spend my days hiking and my evenings relaxing in the Aqua Dome. I was in Tokyo during March 2011 when the Sendai quake hit. That photo is a street market called Ameyokocho. Wound up cutting my trip short when the quake hit. The beach photo is from my Southeast Asia trip last summer. I spent a little over five weeks in Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore with stopovers in Hong Kong and Doha on the way in and out. I also spent five weeks in Mumbai last fall. No desire to live there though. That specific beach is called Thong Nai Pan Noi, on the north side of Koh Phagnan, home of the infamous Full Moon Party. The north side is tough to get to, requiring a long ride in the back of a pickup truck over a washed-out road through a mountainous jungle. Result is the beaches are much less crowded than those on the other side of the island where the ferries dock.

So, for all these five-week trips, are you traveling with a backpack and staying in youth hostels primarily? If you could pick only *one* of the three places you mentioned, which would that be, I'm wondering? Hate to pin you down, but I'm just curious. Also, that's great that you're spending five weeks on these journeys. Much less frantic of a way to see and absorb every place that you do go.

I only went to Europe, and as far as Greece, for one four-week trip, so I'd very much like to get back there for some lengthier stays. I did take a freighter to South America once and spent two months traveling around down there on my own, but Europe has so much I'd love to see. It's so great that you're doing all this traveling now while you can do the five-week stints. I'm sure you're loving every minute of it.

The time in Mumbai, did you get around some of the rest of the country? I think I'd want to see the mountainous areas, places where I envision a cool climate, cleanliness, and sparse population, as opposed to hot cities crammed with... well, just way too much of everything. What in particular about Mumbai did you like, if you don't mind my asking and taking up more of your time?