And should you need a something to listen to while reading the above, these should help...

Then if it was that bad living in Geneva?...u should have tried Pays de Gex?....

Maybe u would be happier

I doubt that Pays de Gex is more cosmopolitain, but thanks for the idea :)

Just now: check out the flee market, concerts and food stands around rue Henri-Blanvalet. 

I lived in Millvalley close to Sanfrancisco for a short time so understand that u prefer to live over there....u re young and pretty and smart so u will find ure happinesse just follow ure Intuition ......who knows maybe later u ll comeback with ure family?.....good luck

Thanks, Sari. Yes, I have deeply fallen in love with the incredible beauty of Northern California, certainly including Marin County, the vibes of San Francisco, the start-up scene, people who are coming to Califorina to live their dreams, and seeing dreams coming true, too. :-) 

Thank you for expressing so well what I am thinking too.. leaving in one month.. 

How do I respond to this... I'll speak as a Swiss who doesn't feel Swiss, as I've grown up in a diverse and multicultural environment. I've had the "bad luck" of living 21 years in Geneva being considered Swiss-German (??? Hell, I'm a Spanish Canadian who speaks Swiss-German and has a small accent. What's wrong with being Swiss-German by the way ?!), but I've travelled to many places and stayed abroad for almost six years all combined. I've stayed longest in Palo Alto, Montreal, Seoul and Tokyo.

It's true I HATE this city's weather, but I've been used from a young age to the "slow pace life". It's enjoyable for me. Now, if you're the super ambitious person who doesn't like being told ten truths you don't believe, Geneva constantly punches into the ego's stomach. That's the Calvinist way of thinking (I'll write about it lower.)

I must argue, not EVERYONE is rich in Geneva (are you serious ?). Many people even have no money to pay a hobby, but they still survive and find good sides to the city. How do they do that ?

What I despise most is the "Calvinist way of thinking." At college in the USA for example, you get an entry ceremony full of hope speeches, a vision of a promised good future (if you have the money means for it...) and people stay positive. They give a chance to most.

Here, from the moment you put foot into your college it's all "Only the best will survive. This is going to be hell. Even if you do, you're still going to be in deep s***, because you need to pass University to be considered anything over the level of industrial cattle." Ok, realistic, but speak of demotivational... Receiving any recognition is rare, because encouragement isn't part of our culture.

It's true that Geneva is demotivational, but after having lived abroad, I also found good sides to it. First, all my friends are here. Sure if you come in and know nobody, need so little time to be able to judge, it's HELL here. Most Genevois won't welcome you into their house with open arms after a drink at the pub. Then, there's a lot going on an expat would never know about. The real problem is ACCESS to information, because most interesting things are in French and not well advertised.

As a "Genevoise" I still find many ways to have fun without spending a cent, places I enjoy, and when to go there. The scene is underground and you must dig to find the right spots for your interests. I needed ten years and other outgoing friends to find my associations, clubs, pubs, restaurants...

Still, it's true the city is depressing. Nobody smiles, everyone's in a hurry, everyone looks same and wears black... A bit like Tokyo, minus the colorful fashionistas and crazy places to release steam in every way imaginable

I've left many times, but for some reason, I've missed life in Geneva every time. I've felt annoyed and more hateful every time I came back, but I was still happy to be back with my friends. Travelling alone and being an expatriate can be hard and lonely. Geneva's just not the place that will make you feel better or be welcoming, but I wouldn't call it hell.

I hoped to read something about "Survival guide", not about "Why to leave" because it would have been much funnier to read about how expats survive here, than what makes them leave...

Bye Bye Hanna... have a nice time.

All the best Hanna, would be nice to know what you are up to now :-) I saw many good points in living here like a high salary, my flat, the mountains, the lake, the easy access with transport ...

But in the end it wasn't enough as like Hanna I didn't feel any soul.. My way to "survive" here was more of an escape I guess as at some point as I was often away at weekend seeing how empty and quiet Geneva was, it was putting me down.. but I would be really interested in hearing about survival tips even though I am leaving soon! With time I think it is very much a matter of personality, age, and marital status, depending on these factors you don't necessarily feel like "surviving" here.. I personally know I need a livelier atmosphere..

A guy did a funny Man vs Wild parody in Geneva (in French), showing how to survive in Geneva...

I saw a few new posts in this survival guide of mine. So, it has been around 5 months that I left Geneva and relocated back to San Francisco. I didn't miss Geneva for a second. However, retrospectively I'm really happy that Geneva forced/allowed me to travel so much. I had so many fun weekends in Venice, Paris, Barcelona, Madrid, Vienna, London, Rome, Tel Aviv, Marrakech, Mallorca... I'm sure Geneva is the perfect place for the right people (e.g., people who like a comfortable life, families etc). And, while I didn't see it at the time, it is also great in making tons of international friends. For those who are suffering in Geneva: take a look at the bright side (the possibilities I explained in my very forst post) and again EasyJet it is. I missed going to Capri (you can take EasyJet and fly to Naples and from there take the ferry to Capri). So, enjoy the Geneva package: a good salary, little work, However, to me, Geneva - while offering many good things, is really not the place where I would want to stay any longer as I also like living in a place where I feel home and can connect with locals.   

Some folk come to Geneva, stay a while, then move on.

Others come just for the night (dixit Jean Calvin) and stay on and on and on.

Either way, Geneva continues to survive their comings,  goings and stayings.  Indeed, has been ever thus for the past couple of millennia or so.

R.

We sometimes visit places expecting to get good vibes, fun, happiness and what not, but sometimes we forget that when we go to these places we take ourselves with us, we will not leave it/her/him behind, and this I /Ego creates lots of problems. Sees all the wrong stuff which is actually the mirror of the soul. 

I know when I leave my environment my Ego will always accompany me, till the end.

Good luck whereever you go.

You left Geneva 5 months ago, and you're still taking your precieus time to complain about this city???? I believe you're secretly in love with Geneva, but you're not willing to  admit...

Thank you so much Hanna for your feedback and for giving news , I completely relate to your feelings and wish you all the best in San fransisco!

A few people added comments to this thread (previous comments have been deleted) and I got email notifications which reminded me of this thread. I personally just hope this thread helps people in making their decision whether (or not) to move to Geneva or whether (or not) to leave Geneva. Obviously, there is no right answer to this question and people have different opinions, which is fine. I just always realize that those people who tend to defend Geneva have some sort of passive-aggressive assumptions in their messages.

Sounds to me like the pot calling the kettle black. R.

I'm not a Geneva defender and my message was far away from being aggressive. I just think your way of writing about Geneva is a bit over the top, nothing more nothing less.  

I thought it was pretty clear that Geneva isn't london, but boring is a reflection of the person. There is a ridiculous amount of things to do, so boring it is not. It is just inconvenient and makes you work for everything. So people tend to have an issue with it not being as easy. I felt the same, it took me a full year to settle to an ok level. But you make good points, but far too liberal with the word boring, as at the very least, it is just your opinion. 

I really hope your message does not influence peoples choices of a city. Most of your points starts off with a negative spin against Geneva, instead of just pushing the positives.

You say:  I don't need an amazing 'night life', in fact, I prefer sometimes just cooking with friends, visiting concerts, having a good conversation over a red wine in a comfy wine bar etc. Also, I love nature and being outside, but at the same time I just love the excitement of a 'living' city and being challenged by smart people around me.


All of these are attainable and consistently so, especially the fact that this city probably has more higher educated people averagely than most major citiesm which means, you shouldn't really struggle to find intellectual conversation.

I grumbled and moaned when I arrived, but then I started to fight for my own entertainment and I adjusted my ambitions and free time choices to fit in with Geneva. 

Oh and I grew up in London, then lived in Exeter (small small city), then Oxford, so I know about small town syndrome.

I would imagine that if going out and alcohol were cheap, this city would be buzzing at night.

Funny, not very funny at all!! 

Would agree with you Oonah. That video's about as funny as a kick in the balls! 

Anyway, we all know Geneva isn't London, etc, etc. Can't we all just celebrate the fact that Hanna is now 9,356km away from us, thereby allowing us to have a great Chrstmas?

Rich - you prove the point I was making. Thanks for that. I'm glad though that it makes you happy that a person you don't even know spends the holidays somewhere else... ;-)

Farzam: of course, I am expressing a personal opinion. I personally found Geneva uninspiring. Sure, there are things to do (if that is what you describe as boring), but I didn't find Geneva particularly vibrant or dynamic (and I know many people who feel the same, and I also know people who like Geneva). It is also true though that Geneva turns into a ghost city during the weekends of the winter months. That's why Lake Geneva is known as a place for retirement by the way. 

Anyhow, the reason I was writing this post is that I'd like to provide my experience to people who consider moving here.These people will also read about other experiences and then hopefully make an informed choice. The 'problem' with Geneva is that when hearing about it people might expect a bigger city or a more vibrant place which it clearly is not. Geneva is a very tiny city in Switzerland with several expats who come and go. It does not have big city vibes despite hosting many international organizations and companies. And that might be perfectly fine for some people (for others, especially younger folks who prefer bigger cities, it might not be).

See I agree with most of your points, it was just the way you expressed it. I wouldn't consider it a bias-free survival guide :)

I completely agree that there are many misconception about this place. My favourite being the sheer surprise that there are homeless/gypsies people here...

May I ask why, if the lady’s present abode is so vibrant, she isn’t out vibrating instead of rabbiting on and on about a city whose surface she barely scratched.

And when, please, did vibrancy and the frenzy of a city that never sleeps become the be-all and end-all of urban attributes?  Whatever happened to the quality of time to stop, to stand, to stare and  to reflect, followed by a restful night’s sleep?

R.

As always Ritchie you are spot on. I have read her first post numerous times now trying to fathom out exactly what the point was...I do not know the lady in question but I am not sure she will ever be happy mores the pity. Merry xmas from Geneva!!

She doth protest too much and thereby spins her silly tale.

R.