Why Not Sète?

When we first moved here, I wrote this post, giving all the (positive) reasons to choose Sète - "Why Sète?" Now, to be fair, I felt that I should give the (other) side - "why not?"

I like big cities, that's for sure! Sète has only 45k population, so it's the smallest town I've lived in. Over the 5 (almost 6) years I've lived here, I've noticed a few drawbacks, almost all due to size (I believe). 

1) While there's a huge artist population, there is no art supply store - you have to go online or go to Montpellier for that. 

2) All your immigration and integration tasks have to be done in Montpellier. Sometimes that meant leaving my place by dawn just to make sure I was at the préfecture in time for an early afternoon appointment.

3) The bus system is great, but it stops at about 8pm. It runs later in Summer (that's defined as mid-July through August). I've had quite a walk home at times! In Summer, the schedule just goes out the window - you catch whatever bus comes, when it comes.

4) It's very crowded in Summer, which isn't all bad, but it means you can't drive anywhere or count on finding a parking space once you arrive. Once, we drove to the beach on a Saturday in August - after 45 minutes of stop and go, we gave up and went back home.

5) The rental situation is just awful! It's a lot of work to find something, and you have to have a good (according to the French rules) dossier. I saw an ad for a great apartment, and it was gone the next day.

6) Currently, TGV trains go through Sète, but that will change in a few years. They're running a new TGV line from Montpellier to Perpignan. This means we will have to take a TER to one of the TGV stations and switch.

7) The approach of city government seems to be to support more cars instead of alternatives. In just the last year, they have completed 2 new parking structures, expanded an existing lot, and started another structure. They've begun a new residential neighborhood by the port, with no expanded bus plan.

8) There is no good way to get to the local airport - you can drive, or you can take a bus, train, tram, then shuttle. Getting home late means you need a taxi or you stay overnight in the airport hotel.

9) The noise and air pollution is getting worse - it's difficult to walk anywhere around our place without encountering a lot of unpleasant car fumes.

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As far as the tourist season goes - I actually like it! Walking along the streets, hearing multiple languages, being asked for directions... Heaven! I don't live right in the center, where the festivals go late and loud; I'm close enough (now) that I can walk home. Most of my friends use a car in winter, but switch to the bus in summer. I've been late for appointments (pure horror for me), but everyone is very laid back here - 15 minutes is not late.

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So, would you like to live in Sète? We still do enjoy it, given all the positives, and even the negatives 🙂.