i think perception of novelty and 'quaintness' depends on where you grew up. As someone from the UK, Oxford and Cambridge are, yes, absolutely beautiful: but they were built for the education of, and sponsored by kings and society's elite. They're pretty good places to live, but they're not amazing at least by modern standards. They're also not the source of the UK's industries, which have historically been based in perhaps still quaint by new world standards, but much less idyllic cities like Manchester and of course London, where labor and markets are strong.
The most beautiful cities in the UK are beautiful externally, but very hard to live in unless you want to live a very specific kind of life out in the countryside or are very rich. They're either very expensive, or very quiet and usually both.
From my perspective having worked between the UK and the US for 6 years: California has amazing amenities, and housing tends to be cheaper than London, especially outside of San Francisco. The cities are much dirtier and scarier, but the weather is incredible and natural beauty when you leave the cities is amazing.
I think it's easy to have a positively skewed picture of Europe as a non-european because of how drastically different 'bad' or 'common' places look. It's similar for me when I visit the US. We have endless Victorian housing estates that were built for the very poor that look like fairytale cottages to those from across the ocean.
Ultimately, though I think industry in north california is a product of the money and workers that live there, rather than its attractiveness as a place to live as with other industrial booms.
The most beautiful cities in the UK are beautiful externally, but very hard to live in unless you want to live a very specific kind of life out in the countryside or are very rich. They're either very expensive, or very quiet and usually both.
From my perspective having worked between the UK and the US for 6 years: California has amazing amenities, and housing tends to be cheaper than London, especially outside of San Francisco. The cities are much dirtier and scarier, but the weather is incredible and natural beauty when you leave the cities is amazing.
I think it's easy to have a positively skewed picture of Europe as a non-european because of how drastically different 'bad' or 'common' places look. It's similar for me when I visit the US. We have endless Victorian housing estates that were built for the very poor that look like fairytale cottages to those from across the ocean.
Ultimately, though I think industry in north california is a product of the money and workers that live there, rather than its attractiveness as a place to live as with other industrial booms.