[jtown,man]

Originally Posted by Crawford

I don't know about Japan, but average middle class households definitely don't live in European city centers, which are extremely expensive. They live in the burbs and small towns, just like in the U.S.

Vienna, Amsterdam, Munich, Milan, Copenhagen, etc. are basically pricier than any U.S. city centers not named NYC and SF, yet professional salaries are generally much lower. Berlin used to be cheap but no longer, and salaries are a joke.

I should have been more precise. In Europe and in Japan "average" families can and do live in urban environments that are safe and where they feel comfortable sending their kids to the schools, not necessarily in city centers.