Lifestyle

Palmerston North is a relaxed place, great for families, small enough to be friendly, big enough to have everything you need in easy reach. Most of us enjoy a 5 minute commute to work, or walk or cycle in light traffic. The rush hour only lasts an hour here. It's too easy to get used to leaving for a meeting across town 10 minutes before it starts, finding a park almost right outside, and still being a few minutes early. There are many web sites singing the virtues of living here: they do it better than we can, so here is a list:

• ManawatuNZ: Find out what its like to live and work here; our welcoming and friendly communities, work-life balance, education opportunities, suburbs and housing, central location, natural wonders, sports and recreation and more.
• Palmerston North City Council: actively supports a ton of community events and initiatives. Check out the Palmy Proud magazine
• CEDA: works to support the economic growth of the region
• The Factory: is fostering startups, running hackathons, mentoring the next generation. So your side-gig will have plenty of support to grow.

There are plenty of opportunities for professional development here: Massey and UCol for formal academic training, a range of local meetups, IT Professionals has a branch here, and much more.

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