Ask HN: What do you wish you did when you moved to a new city?

I'm planning this at the moment. I reached out to people I knew who live in the city or have lived there and asked about where to live, where to eat, what to avoid, etc.

I also asked if they'd be willing to introduce me to 1-3 people whom I can ask same question(s).

Lastly, I plan on spending a couple of weeks living out of an AirBnB and working, as if I already moved there.

Check out the various tourism forums, e.g. TripAdvisor - as they are great for telling you what some of the highlights are. I have found playing tourist in a city is a great way to get your bearings, figure out where you do and don't want to spend time, etc. And lastly, it can tell you how easy it is to get around town with various modes of transport. E.g. San Diego / LA - you need a car but Portland you can walk/bus/bike anywhere.

Apart from finding a good coffee shop and activities-on-offer because of geo-location. I would look at potential employers around and see what (tech based) jobs they offer. And how I fit into place if I have to stay long. To write this: I have been living in relatively small town for few years and only in last year I have paid attention to employers around.

Be wise to choose a place to live. If you are moving after work, try living in a hotel/hostel at least couple of first weeks to figure out which part of the city would be best for commute to work. Don't sign lease on apartment prematurely.

My friend's friend moved to a new city. He invited 6 of his new coworkers over and asked them to bring a medium pizza from their favorite pizza place. This let him quickly find out which would be to his "go to" pizza joint without having to order pizza 6+ times.

Avoid pleasure at the beginning, observe, be open and simple, talk to people and ask question about everything.

figure out the best place to be in terms of commute and eating out.

Safe Cycle tracks