zurich_econ

If it still helps: So I grew up in Zurich, now I know Palo Alto pretty well. When I came to Palo Alto, I found a lot of things pretty cheap, in particular food (about half as expensive as in Zurich) and transportation (about 2/3 as expensive as in Zurich). I found housing to be quite expensive, though, it might actually be about 1.2 as expensive as in Zurich. Quality of life is extremely high in Zurich, safety is never an issue. You find everything you could ask for, lots of green spaces, lots of different kinds of food, a vibrant party scene, international artists visiting... and particular for Americans, for whom I suppose 1.5 hours is a quick drive, about half of Switzerland is close by. Really the only two things that could potentially make you unhappy is the hight prices and the lack of sunshine in the winter. But for the latter there's always the mountains where the sun shines much more often.

Thanks a lot That's probably been the most useful information about earthquakes in California I've come across so far!

Thanks a lot! Do you know, by any chance: If you look for an apartment to rent, how can you know whether the building has been built well? Is it just the date it has been built, or are there other methods? (Being an economist, I'd rather not rely on asking the owner...)

I just received my admission to Berkeley. I'd love to go there, but we, in particular my girlfriend, are a bit worried about earthquakes. How do you Californians deal with the possibility of earthquakes? Would anyone consider attending an equally good east-coast school instead of Berkeley to avoid the danger of earthquakes?