Do you love where you live?
You want to know what it’s really like to live in a city, but hardly anyone has lived in enough places to compare. I’ll be providing information you can’t get anywhere else — what it’s really like to live in Toronto, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Boston, Chicago, Kingston, Raleigh, and other places I’ve gotten to (temporarily) call home.
Windsor Terrace & Kensington, Brooklyn: What it’s like to actually live there
What it’s really like to live in Windsor Terrace & Kensington, Brooklyn New York, USA Family friendly neighborhoods in the city These two neighborhoods are both literally and metaphorically half way between Park Slope and Ditmas Park. It feels less like the...
NYC’s best places to work remotely (that aren’t a coffee shop)
I’m always on the lookout for spaces that are friendly to remote workers that aren’t just another coffee shop. In New York especially, it seems like every time I’m back another coffee shop has disabled their wifi to discourage squatters. It can be...
Leaving Canada doesn’t mean you’re not still a resident
Going on a trip, however long it lasts, doesn’t mean you’re not a resident of Canada. You have to file taxes with the CRA until you prove that you’ve left Canada for good.
United Shades of North America
W. Kamau Bell visits Canada in United Shades of America. Is Canada really a utopia? What’s the story with healthcare? What about the experience of visible minorities? I help Kamau figure out if moving to Canada is even an option. You can take the quiz yourself....
Chicago’s North Side: A digital nomad’s guide
Chicago is one of those cities I’ve been to dozens of time, but didn’t feel like I really knew at all until this past trip. I’d been there for conferences and road trips, but each time it was too short to get a real feel for the city. I spent two...
Halifax: A digital nomad’s guide
Sometimes I wonder if I could love living in a small city. A smaller, less expensive city. Where I would know my neighbors. Be able to have a meaningful impact in local politics. Buy a building with a storefront downstairs, live my main street retirement dreams. Maybe...
Birmingham, Alabama: A digital nomad guide
None of my friends could quite understand why I decided to go to Birmingham, Alabama. The only thing we remembered about Birmingham from school was the civil rights movement — which hardly makes it sound like a great place for a digital nomad to land. Birmingham...
Best parks near Toronto — no car necessary
Get out of the city and visit these amazing parks near Toronto — without needing a car.
The Tesla World Tour
It’s difficult to imagine what the world would be like without Nikola Tesla. He’s one of the most famous scientists who ever lived and has over 300 patents. His inventions power our lives, yet he died penniless and alone. Living in hotels all of his adult life, he...
The story of Toronto’s St. James Town
When we first moved to Toronto, I quickly became fascinated by St. James Town. While most of Toronto’s highrises are brand new, these ones hailed from an earlier age. Clearly one that didn’t catch on. The low prices and easy subway access were pretty tempting, but...
My time with Jesus People, USA
My experience with JPUSA (Juhpoozah) started with a search on CouchSurfing. Jane had so many references, wrote a bunch of books, has gone on epic bike trips, and lives in an intentional community. Obviously, I wanted to stay with her. Sure, I may be traveling in my...
NYC’s nerdiest day trips
Want to get out of New York? Here are my favorite spots to nerd out in the tri-state area. The Edison Museum What can I add when TMBG has it covered? Although you’ll be lucky if it’s as quiet as they lead you to believe. You can even walk there from NJ...
Buying a condo in Canada
You hear it all the time: Toronto is way too expensive to buy anything! In fact, houses downtown are over a million dollars! What’s wrong with this statement? The idea that you need to live in a house right downtown. No one talks about buying houses in Manhattan or...
Renting an apartment in Toronto
You’re finally moving up! Here’s how to find your new home in Toronto, from where to look for listings to what to expect in your lease. If you’re coming from a small town, renting in Toronto is probably going to seem really unpleasant. If you’re coming...
How to find a sublet in New York City
In an era before AirBnB I was a habitual subletter. I managed to live in New York for seven years without ever signing a lease, hopping from one sublet to another and crashing with friends (or my parents) in-between. Finding a sublet in New York is more difficult than...
Setting up your apartment in Canada
Once you’ve signed a lease or bought a condo, it’s time to turn your empty place into a home. Before you move in, you’ll need light, heat, water, internet, and furniture. How to move to Canada Utilities Insurance Furnishings Utilities Unless you’re okay with...
Toronto neighborhood guide
Neighborhoods of Toronto The neighborhood you live in has a huge impact on how you experience the city. Before you rent your first apartment or buy a condo, you want to make sure you’re choosing a place that fits with your lifestyle. Toronto is a big city with...
Looking back at 2017, looking forward to 2018
Every year seems to come with big changes and 2017 was no exception. Casey and I started the year by renovating the kitchen in our condo. As soon as we finished, we found pet sitters for our two cats and left for Europe. We didn’t exactly retrace the route of my...
Canada’s Polite and Diffident Independence Celebration
By Molly Worthen The last Presidential election drove many liberals to muse about packing up and fleeing to Canada. Not many actually did so, but Cori Carl had already made good on the fantasy. She and her wife were committed New Yorkers but felt increasingly...
The best places to stay in NYC
Choosing a neighborhood to stay in for your time in New York is intimidating. New York City is huge…and expensive. If you find a great deal on a room in Midtown, by all means, book it! But be warned that if it’s cheap it’s probably microscopic,...
The toxic history of Niagara Falls, NY
Niagara Falls has millions of visitors every year, yet the cities it connects are full of poverty, crime, and desperation. Most people want to hear about the falls themselves, death defying adventures and amazing engineering. Or they want to know the best spot to eat...
Why you should stay in Jersey City when you’re in NYC
If you’re looking at that picture above and thinking it doesn’t quite look like New York, you’re right. That’s Jersey City. So many maps of New York City leave New Jersey off the map. It’s given many New Yorkers the idea that...
