B_M_L wrote:NZ has the same social problems as all developed countries. There is still crime and poverty and some serious problems with drug and alcohol dependency and perhaps even worse problems with domestic violence. Youth, especially male youth suicide is at world beating levels.
Housing is also as expensive as anywhere in the world and wages are quite low by comparison to other countries.
These things don’t seem as bad because the population density is very low. But it’s no paradise – despite what the tourist board will tell you.
On a side note - It’s also quite a physically violent country. I was surprised that working and living a rough part of London I didn’t see much fighting compared to home. People seemed to get on pretty well (especially cosidering the diverse cultures and huge differences in income and wealth!). Whereas people bash the crap out each other for fun where I come from – fights are really common. I think it’s because over here if you go fight someone they’re probably going to pull a knife on you or something. I dunno – but Englanders, despite their reputation internationally for being a bit rough and hooliganish, are actually really friendly. Whereas Kiwi’s who are regarded as quite nice would be quite happy to beat the living shit out of you because you glanced the wrong way across the pub late in the evening.
There are variations by region for some of these problems. Fighting wasn't evident in my neighborhood in Christchurch, save for some kids ganging up on a guy wearing a panda bear suit one evening. Domestic violence seemed to be more of a problem, about the level of what I sense in Ohio.
Depression and attendant drug use was a problem. Might have to do with all those clouds in the sky. Even the depressed people I knew seemed pretty nice.
Housing costs didn't strike me as too high, but since I used to live in the Bay Area, few housing markets shock me. My apartment was in a mixed-income neighborhood of mostly students and immigrants and cost a lot less than a similar place in San Francisco. (Or Anchorage, for that matter. And at least the South Island doesn't have the sprawl problems of Anchorage and the valley. Alaska has similar substance abuse and depression issues, but also unbelievably good salmon fishing. And the chance you'll get a moose wandering through your yard.)
I spent a year living in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Gorgeous place, but I felt more isolated from the United States than I did when I lived in New Zealand. The music scene isn't exactly hopping up there. Dirt cheap housing though.
I'll throw a plug in for Pittsburgh as a fun place to live, though since I was just given a choice between jobs in Pittsburgh and Chicago starting in the fall, I chose Chicago. Now I get to see how the real estate market has changed in the 13 years since I last lived there.
