Choosing a place to live

Temperature: Not extremely cold, but "damp chill”. Summers are mostly mild.

Air Quality: While Greenwich is "leafier" than central London and benefits from the park, it is still within the London orbital pollution belt. PM2.5 levels frequently exceed WHO pristine standards, though the ULEZ (Ultra Low Emission Zone) has mitigated diesel fumes.

Fluoridated water.

At sea level, so fails altitude criterion in #2294.

At sea level, so fails altitude criterion in #2294.

Very little sunlight except for a fairly brief period in summer. About 1,600 hours per year.

A place to live: Greenwich, London, United Kingdom

Social Trust / Safety: Urban awareness required. While historically very safe, recent trends in property crime and "ram raids" indicate a degrading security environment. It is no longer a "doors unlocked" culture.

Freedom of expression is generally upheld by common law, but recent legislative trends and the Harmful Digital Communications Act introduce mechanisms for state censorship regarding "hate speech."

No right to self-defense: Self-defense laws rely on "reasonable force" proportionality which often favours the aggressor in court. Pepper spray is classified as a restricted weapon and is illegal for civilians to carry for self-defense.

Taxation: No comprehensive capital gains tax and no inheritance tax suggest a favorable environment. However, the Foreign Investment Fund (FIF) rules tax unrealized gains on foreign assets, and trust tax rates are high (39%), creating friction for global capital allocators.

People are not fully free to do what they want with the land. The Resource Management Act (RMA) and local council unitary plans create extreme friction. Modifications to land, heritage overlays, and tree protection laws severely restrict the "Right to Build."

If children are not sent to school, there is a lot of bureaucratic work that the parents need to go through. It requires an exemption application and the Ministry of Education retains the right to review the educational philosophy and curriculum.

Auckland tap water is drinkable, but fluoride is added.

Reduced sun exposure: Auckland experiences a lot of cloud cover and rainfall, particularly during the winter months. Summer months are quite good though. Auckland gets about 2,000 - 2,120 hours of sunshine per year according to Google.

Auckland is at sea level, so the health benefits of being at altitude are not available here.

A place to live: North Shore, Auckland, New Zealand

I would like to have kids one day. I should find places that allow kids to pursue their interests with minimal or no legally required education standards infringing in that.

If America is an option (you mention Austin), the non-coastal Western US could work.

A lot of those states get good water from the Sierra Nevada or the Rocky Mountains.

Those states have either no or low state income tax and largely leave residents alone. (For example, the difference between CA and NV during Covid was night and day.)

Southern NV gets a lot of sun throughout the year. NV has no state income tax.

I’ve heard good things about the area surrounding Las Vegas, though I haven’t been myself.

New Mexico could be good for high altitude (I think).

Switzerland near the Italian border might work.