Creative 101: 5 Places To Live If You're Creative (Besides New York, L.A. or London)
photo credit: @meterminated
Who wouldn't want to live in New York City, sunny Los Angeles., and London? Their international airports are amongst the busiest in the world for a reason. Everyone is trying to get there. How about taking the path not taken yet by other thousands of creative people?
If you are lucky enough to have a creative career, visual stimulations, people watching, museum/gallery hopping, food, coffee and nightlife are necessary pre-requisites to finding a permanent abode while nurturing your artistic spirit. And of course, there has to be hot spots that are TikTok worthy. Dare to be an expat? The world is your creative oyster.
photo credit: Invisible Horizons by Andreas Mass
HONG KONG
The exotic city made famous by Wong Kar Wai in the 90's. In recent years, HK has been the birth of streetwear media, home to Hypebeast. Although most of streetwear roots come from Japan, it was the brainchild and sneaker obsession of Kevin Ma to give us the "New York Times" of all things streetwear. There's an emerging art district with a thriving gallery neighborhood such as Wong Chuk Hang, home to the Hong Kong Arts Development Council. Let's not forget that Art Basel takes place here.
photo: @_purple_palace
PARIS
Nowadays every girl with a TikTok account has or is planning to move to Paris. If not for a four-month stint, then the serious Francophile will dedicate time in her life to research expat relocation. Artists like Shayna Klee whose Parisian life started as an art student and has since called France her home. Paris is not just the City of Lights, but the most romantically historic, nostalgic and cinematic place for all creatives.
photo from artist in Helsinki via Tumblr
HELSINKI, FINLAND
Helsinki is well known for being a highly architectural city. (Hence the music group Architecture in Helsinki) It's old world meets modern vices, yet very in tune with nature. And almost everyone speaks English (ding ding ding). The Finns know what they like and that's excellent cuisine, an appreciation for the arts and as you've seen on Pinterest, a land of pastel architecture and amazing pastries.
photo via Departures.com
AUSTIN, TEXAS
Everyone is moving to Austin. I mean, everyone, including one of my good friends who packed up all 12 years in New York City and traded in his metro card for some really good bbq. He is also creative and ambitiously opened his own consulting firm specializing in, well creative brands. If you are an aspiring creative chef, move to Austin. If you're in a hot band, move to Austin. The city runs on live music.
TOKYO
In particular, Daikanyama has everything to offer a creative artist. Located in trendy Shibuya, it's an eye candy walk around of cool bookstores, cafes, juice shops and shopping. Tokyo is also surrounded by art hostels for travelers, some have said that hostels are the new art gallery. The artsy neighborhoods such as Daikanyama with modern-midcentury exteriors is luxe and design-worthy. Creative types with moleskine journals and super thin MacBooks needed. Must love craft coffee.
*Originally published August 12, 2016, updated January 2, 2024
MARC JACOBS
