What makes a place attractive?

We were joking around this morning and Jochem said;
- I live in a hole but at least it’s a very beautiful hole.
At work we often discuss what makes Ulricehamn unique and why anyone should live here. People who move here makes a conscious choice. We move here because Ulricehamn offers something we are in need of. In our case it was the search for something typically Swedish, small town life in a beautiful setting but still close enough to bigger cities. Good schools, lots of sport facilities, good house prices, low crime rate etc made us feel attracted to this small town. At the same time it is not the most intellectual of places and sometimes it feels conservative, slow and little bit too static. Yet, I still believe in it. I still think that this is a great place for my kids to grow up in and we can enjoy a lifestyle that would not have been possible in the Netherlands. We have our two houses, the boat and take part in many activities. The kids have settled in really well and it sometimes feels as if we have been here much longer than a year.

I asked Jochem if he would like to live anywhere else and if so, then where? He had no answer. I guess we are both doomed to travelling in search for something else. For now though, we both feel that this is the right place but as life changes so does our needs. For potential newcomers to Ulricehamn this is important to keep in mind. It is never enough to be just a nice looking town. It is not enough to be close to some bigger cities. Today’s society is complex and we need many different things to feel at home somewhere. For a small town like Ulricehamn it is important to make sure that newcomers find their way around here and this is not only a task for the inhabitants. It is a task for the municipality. A welcoming package, arranging a day for all newcomers or addressing newcomers and asking them what they would like to see happening in this place after living here a year are simple things that can make a difference. Thinking about how the town looks like for someone who drives in for the first time and making sure that signs are correctly put up where needed are other important aspects of attracting and keeping newcomers.

Looking at some of the photos Karin Greeber took while visiting here it is easy to see what a beautiful place this is. The water, the nature surrounding the town and the wooden houses with their apple trees could come from any Astrid Lindgren story but in this case they are real.

What makes your city unique?