The Zurich Platinum Coast is the place to be these days.
the GHETTO?
2 1/2 with the fast train (it used to be 3).
Tom
This is Switzerland, not the USA, the UK, or Australia, there are no ghettos here. The only ghettos you might find are those of rich retirees.
Sincerely, it's pretty much useless trying to find "a great area" in Lugano, it will simply come down to the real estate you want to rent/buy. If it's a $7k/month rent, rest assured that the neighborhood will be great with 99% of certainty.
Again, I'm not a Lugano specialist, but the only area I would avoid, just for the sake of a bit of pollution, is that end of the highway that goes into the city (I don't remember the name now)
Frontalieri are thousands of fooking Italians who work in Lugano but live in Italy and thus create an everyday traffic jam.
Zug is a fantastic place, except for the weather. Can stay cloudy and grey for days.
2h09m to be exact.
Thanks everyone!
Rest assured, I'm not a troll! Yes, I have done the math and yes that is our budget. We would prefer to buy, however you need to have a visa for 5 or 7 years I believe?
If we were living in Lugano, we wouldn't be flying out of Zurich, we would fly out of Milan - we crossed the border very easily when we were in Italy coming to visit Lugano for the day(this was about 18 months ago, has the border tightened up dramatically since then?).
Tax isn't too big an issue, our company is based in HK and only 1 or 2 cantons have better tax rates than HK, so we wouldn't move the head quarters.
Lifestyle and weather are pretty big factors for us. We don't want to be living somewhere that is raining most of the year(I lived in London and don't want to have to deal with the grey weather again )
We don't necessarily want an international school for our daughter, we would love for her to make Swiss friends so she can learn to speak the language of the canton. My husband and I also want to integrate, learn the language and experience Swiss culture - possibly not the typical expat experience?
Where we live, everyone drives everywhere - I see everyone here mentioning trains etc, would most people catch public transport rather than drive in Switzerland?
Does anyone have any information on Lausanne, Montreux or Geneva? I think Zurich is too big a city for what we are wanting.
Thank you to everyone for all of your advice.
Seriously. With that kind of the budget, why don’t you hire a dedicated advisor that will be happy to drive you to any possible luxury location in the country?
By US or UK standards, Zurich is not a big city. Ditto the other cities in Switzerland. For example I work in a fairly industrial part of Zurich but my lunchtime jog takes me through a forest and farmer's fields.
Basel, Luzern and Bern are nice towns with plenty of green and Zurich airport is just over an hour by train from the respective main rail stations.
A lot of your questions are already covered by previous posts on the forum and you are really better off trying to use the search then coming back with questions where you feel there are gaps.
There is also the book "Living And Working In Switzerland" which gives a lot of useful insights.
In Zurich, a budget of around 3 to 3.5k will find you a decent apartment to live in for you and your family. Further away you can get more bangs for your bucks.
In general, Switzerland has an efficient public transport system and it is possible especially in more urban areas to manage without ever owning a car. We have not owned a car since we left the UK in 2001. If you live in more remote places then you are more likely to need a car.
HTH.
Nick
It's far larger than any city that I ever lived in in the US.
Tom
So fuking what?
The best place is definitely CASSARATE. Near to the city center, near the lake, shops, banks, etc.
Don’t mind Tom. He goes on holiday to Elevenerife
As may other already pointed out, with your planned budget you can live pretty much anywhere in Switzerland.
Geneva obviously has the advantage of its own airport but it can also be very boring on Sundays when everyone seems to disappear from the city. Otherwise it has a lot to offer in terms of cultural activities and the nature around (though mostly in France).
In Lausanne you can get something like this https://en.comparis.ch/immobilien/ma.../show/18576201 for under CHF 4500/month just a 100m from the lake and still be within a 45-minute train ride of Geneva airport. Vevey and Montreux add another 20-30 minutes further away but should have a decent choice of properties to select from in the 5K range.
On another note, you mention your own HKG-based company being the employer - what kind of residence permit do you expect to get (or already have in your hands)?
What??? Ticino is not the ghetto of Switzerland full of people who can't afford Zurich???
The only times I see ghetto style places is in the swiss french side or zurich.
Here, you can take a look at some of the apartment offerings in Besso area. We love this area. Very safe and lively. It is very close to the station. One can take the buses to Milan Malpensa from the station. There is Mobility car sharing as well.
On via Besso, the Bus#3 can take one to Centro.
Also nearby is a Migros as well as the motorway.
The english speaking college (Franklin College) is nearby as well.
Now Franklin University.
Until recently, Besso was the ghetto and drug infested area!
Tom
Not a nice place to live anymore, however.
My wife lived there as a child in the mid '60s, where the Migros is now, but then moved to Gentillino.
Castagnola is a better choice.
Tom
Sure, if you speak german and willing to meddle with all the stuck-up people who live there....
That's Ascona.
Tom