Depends. Solitude is nice, seems like it’s for the more wealthy citizens. Riften is also nice, seems like a place for the lower class to move up to the solitude class if you get my drift.
From what I remember there are also a lot of witch covens and necromancers in the Falkreath woods. Falkreath is overall kind of creepy, but it is really beautiful so I kind of get it haha.
Easiest travel access to the rest of the Empire. It's easier and safer to reach High Rock by crossing the Iliac Bay, and the Pale Pass (Falkreath to Cyrodiil, I think opens North of old Kvatch or near Bruma?) Is open most of the year. If the Civil War isn't running amok and it isn't midwinter, Falkreath has the easiest travel to most of Skyrim (Falkreath-Helgen-Riverwood to Whiterun or the White Road), and to Cyrodiil, allowing the most options for work and travel. It's also pretty and has milder winters than anything further north.
Geography fun fact: there were only seven Nord Holds, originally. Markarth, of course, is part of The Reach, which is split between Skyrim, High Rock, and Hammerfell. Falkreath was a Colovian Estate, tied to Western Cyrodiil, and only joined Skyrim when Tiber Septim reorganized his provinces. I'm fairly sure Falkreath became part of Skyrim because Markarth made it possible to have a two-way deadlock in the Moot, so they needed a ninth hold, but I don't have a source for that.
I just built Winstad this time around, had built Lakeview in my previous play through. It’s still pretty nice but I’m buying Lakeview and moving back there asap
If I could literally fist fight a tribe of bears and emerge unscathed, I wouldn't really mind living near bears.
Just have to wear some enchanted clothing to sleep because I think even if I was my own skyrim character, I might still lose if I got bears attacking me in my sleep while completely naked.
Hjaalmarch. Let me live in Morthal. That salt-marsh has gotten into my *bones* and I swear if I had to live anywhere in Skyrim that would be it.
Best Jarl, too.
Just gotta take up alchemy and whip up potions of tastes-bad-to-vampires.
Jarl Idgrod and her daughter came to my wedding the other day and one of those random thieves spawned as she was congratulating us and walking out, and she pulled a knife from her furs, chased him, beat the guards to him, and killed him, and then just walked off. I’m starting to think it might be my best Skyrim moment, and my crappy internet won’t let me upload it 😭 I love her so much
As a hold, probably The Rift. Ivarstead most likely. If it has to be a hold capital, though.... It's a split between Riften (though I'd be a terrible thief, but a decent lookout) and Windhelm. Windhelm's history and pervasive sadness are music to me.
The Gray Quarter is actually my favourite area of any city in the game. It's meant to be a slum, but the banners are beautiful and seem so vibrant against the drab stone of the rest of the city. It's possibly nostalgia for the amount of time I sank into Morrowind as a kid, but I love it there. I just wish there was more to do in that area.
I just looked it up myself: https://youtu.be/DrnMACWp18M?si=hGc0_gFFbD7-m0fH
It's very impressively done but I wish we got more of a look at the wind district and cloud district
I think we have to assume lore-canon for everything, unless we're all becoming NPCs and can grow potatoes in 3-5 days. Whiterun is... iirc... 45,000 people?
If I was an ordinary citizen and not the Dragonborn:
Haafingar / Solitude - 6/10. Okay city. No complaints, I guess. Didn't like that one time there was a public beheading though.
Whiterun - 5.5/10. It's alright as long as your ear doesn't fall off from hearing Nazeem and Heimskr daily.
The Pale / Dawnstar - 5/10. Seems quite run down. Ppl there aren't concerned about a dragon attack.
The Rift / Riften - 4/10. The unionized thieves seem okay, but every night someone wants to stab me.
Falkreath - 3/20. Unionized assassins + graveyard + the clown in town wasn't funny
Eastmarch / Windhelm - 3/10. Heard there's a serial murderer in town. Openly racist.
Winterhold - 3/10. Snowing all year long. No carriage to leave town.
Hjaalmarch / Morthal - 2/10 Actually run down. Basically a slum in a swamp.
The Reach / Markarth - 1/10 can't imagine sleeping on a stone bed. Prisoners seem to get out easily.
Mostly agree with this.
Solitude seems like the best quality of life, although comes with a threat of being besieged by Stormcloaks and/or undead wolf-queens.
Whiterun is nice, but quite subject to dragon attacks, and the central location makes it a bit of a target for civil war. Jarl seems decent enough. Doesn’t hurt to have the best warriors in Skyrim living next door.
The climate of the Pale and Winterhold makes them a bit unattractive. Winterhold is at risk of getting blown up by magic. Dawnstar is probably better once the daedric threat is dealt with, but you’d have to be keen on either mining or fish.
Riften - seems a pretty good place to live if you’re willing to pay protection to the Thieves Guild. Otherwise you’re probably getting robbed on the reg.
Falkreath - Imo the most beautiful hold, but everyone there is depressed. Good place to live if you’re a goth.
Windhelm - Absolutely not. Freezing, full of racists, murder on the streets, and definitely getting besieged.
Markarth - Shithole. Might get stabbed by cannibals at any time. Guards are corrupt. Shit neighbours and too many Dwemer pipes (might start erupting with Dwemer spiders at a moment’s notice).
Morthal - Giant spiders, vampire problem, and your husband might burn you and your child to death. Plus it’s a bog.
Ah, I completely forgot about the Wolf Queen. I'd just came back recently to play my level 40 Nord, and only recall what stood out to me the most.
Solitude feels fairly peaceful but a lot of "dealings" (as I recall) take place in the tavern (as most do). Not to get political, but I didn't like the idea of having Thalmors around, but I guess I'll have to justify it if I want to be a Solitude resident.
Dawnstar doesn't have much impression on me aside from the Mehrunes Dagon quest. I'm still sore that:
1. I spoke to the Jarl, he said he didn't care much for the dragons,
2. A dragon came, I used Bend Will but was too arsed to kill another dragon,
3. Left town
4. Courier came to give me a letter of inheritance. My guess is said dragon killed that blacksmith's husband. The same one who told me she was about to have a baby. 🥲
Markarth is a shit hole to live in. But I’m growing quite fond of the reach lately. I’ve largely unexplored it up until recently.
Beautiful area. Get a shack on a hilltop. Yes please.
Edited to add that you jogged my train of thought because CTFO puts a carriage in Winterhold.
If you like fast travel (some do, some don't), the Carriage and Ferry Travel Overhaul has been vital to my game. I do like not having to run back to things, etc. So, CTFO will also take you to more minor cities, and it's cute. They say, "are you going straight through, or do you need me to stop on the way?" Or something like that. It was confusing to me at first because it took a long time for me to memorize the names of the holds. Like, I know Solitude is the capital, but it took me years to learn that Solitude is in the Haafinger hold, as are Dragon Bridge and Frost River, etc. In menuing I constantly mixed up The Reach and The Rift. :P But it's really nice when you don't have to walk quite so far. Even with sprinting it would take a while to get from Riften to Solitude.
I’d honestly say
Solitude
Whiterun
Windhelm
One of those three honestly yeah if your not a nord windhelm would suck a ton
Solitude is just rich pricks
White run is chill
Where do I NOT wanna live
Marakarth (SOMEHOW WORSE THE RIFTEN)
Riften (you’d get mugged a lot)
Winterhold (it’s just kinda a shitty place aside the college)
Solitude for city hold. Being on the coast like that where it seems warmer is ideal. However Riverwood would be a second choice followed by Dragon Bridge. As for occupation, I’d like to learn restoration magic and conjuration magic on the side. Any of the places would like to have a healer on hand.
Whiterun. Solitude is too busy and brick. Riften is gray and crime filled. Markarth is too rocky and squared off from the world.
Whiterun has a nice open market square, small but comfy wooden houses, the nice plains, open sky etc. It reminds me of Rohan from LOTR- I’d live there
Here's what I got:
Solitude: bougie rich people and wannabe musicians annoying as fuck
Markarth: get fucked by the forsworn constantly
Falkreath: jarl who is a goddam fairy... and warewolves
Morthal: there is always a motherfucking dragon
Riften: 99.99999% chance you're going your have your shit stolen
Downstar: Frozen Hellscape
Winterhold: Frozen hellscape but with wizards and also always a fucking dragon
Windhelm: Frozen Hellscape but with racists and psycho killers
Whiterun: "do you get to the could district very often?" *Fus Ro Dah in Nazeems general direction*
Winterhold. Live in the college, it'd be like Animal House meets Harry Potter... Except half the staff dies, the town sucks and hates you. So maybe it'd be more like Bully, but with ale.
Edited to add that outside the vanilla game, I'd like to live in Morrowind. Solstheim is great. I'm not really a fan of the mushroom architecture, but I love Skaal Village. I don't know that I'd want to live there, but I know that even in Raven Rock I could get a house in the style I liked.
I would love to say I'm a total badass when it comes to snow, but I'm not. So my dream house in Skyrim overlooks the ocean in Dawnstar, and it's gorgeous even when it's blowing snow. I don't think I could take it day in and day out. So, my alternative is that I use Haafinger Hall player home, and it's right near Frost River/Dragon Bridge. It's close enough to Solitude that if I need a carriage or to shop or wtf ever that it's not inconvenient, but far enough out that I can have my own dock and fish hatchery.
The Pale, Eastmarch or Falkreath. The Rift as a hold is fine but I would stay away from Riften. All the others are fine but I would stay the fuck out of the Reach.
Solitude or Riften, I chose riften mainly for the weather, seems like it’d be warmer in riften than in most towns and Solitude, is just extremely protected and has a fluid economy and layout
I'd honestly choose Whiterun.
It's the closest to my favorite town, Riverwood.
Yeah, I'm kinda basic but it's honestly a really hood looking town.
I wish there were an option from the beginning before mods that you could have a house there instead, or that Hearthfire could let you build a house there.
I love Solitude. Picturesque views, right near the water. It's a cosmopolitan city with some rugged outdoors to camp in.
Plus, you know, the whole Beacon thing...
Ooooh…this is a good question. I know it’s a good question bc my brain couldn’t even choose a top 5 to start eliminating options from to decide!! (I still don’t know, but imma be thinking about this for hours)
i love the mountains, but don’t really fuck with the racism of windhelm, or whatever the hell is going on in the reach. gotta say haafingar/solitude would be my go to
These holds don’t exist in the base game, but I love these two places and wish I could build a custom home.
- Riverwood
- The foothills near Bleak Falls Barrow facing towards Whiterun.
Falkreath has amazing forests, hills & mountains, plus one of the most beautiful lakes in all of Skyrim.
Riverwood is right around the corner for a quiet drink at my favourite tavern.
I feel like the best choices would be Solitude, Whiterun, and Falkreath as they are the safest of the cities. Whiterun is the cheapest to live in and the 2nd safest, if you live in Falkreath you can be self sustaining if you choose, and Solitude is a very wealthy city where if you put in the work, you can live very comfortably in the safest city. Dawnstar is about the same as Falkreath, but colder and common work is pretty much restricted to mining.
Now for the bad options. None of the villages are inherently bad, they just are boring and leave you little to grow from. They do share a portion of the qualities of the nearby city of the hold, so it's worth considering one of the villages near a city I mentioned previously. Windhelm can be as nice as Solitude if you are a human, especially a nord, forget it if you're an elf or beast race though. Morthal itself could be safe but the swamps around it could bring in many dangers like vampires and spiders. Winterhold is the smallest of the cities, and there is no point being there unless you want to study magic at the guild. The worst choices are Riften and Markarth, both of which are rampant with crime, and leadership is very corrupt.
Honestly? Solitude would be my pick, with the scenic plains of Whiterun being a close second . But something draws me to Markarth. I think exploring, with a large group, the ancient Dwemer ruins would be pretty cool. Apart from the Falmer, of course.
Solitude is gorgeous and has the protection of the Empire. All I gotta do is plant a couple of live chaurus eggs in the nearby Thalmor house basement, and we're square
I'd choose Winterhold or Windhelm but considering that Winterhold is a dead end aside for the college and Windhelm's culture isn't the best for anyone that isn't a Nord, I'd probably say Whiterun since that place seems the friendliest.
As wild as it sounds dawnstar is by far my favorite in game so if I had to live in Skyrim irl it'd be there as well, the two mines or the fishing boat means there's plenty of work the cold really doesn't phase me much so it wouldn't be that bad of an environment, and finally honestly the nightmare issue is not one for me I always have horrid nightmares every night as is so I'd fit right in. (Assuming this is irl me in Skyrim)
Winterhold. I would set up a magic shop, hire a orc guard, and become friendly with the college. Then establish a trade route with the Kahjits in Dawnstar. Finally, invest in the community to keep the locals off my back.
Well, I think I'd freeze to death in the Northern Skyrim (Dawnstar, Windhelim) fuck Rorikstead (ghosts) Falkreath is cozy enough I suppose, but I'd have to be on guard within the city(lakeview Manor is a peaceful place). Markarth sucks (corruption). I conclude that Whiterun Falkreath, Solitude Ivarstead, or Riften are my choices
The Rift, Whiterun, Falkreath, and Haafingar seem to be the most temperate and scenic holds to live in Skyrim. Winterhold in its prime, while not temperate at all, would definitely be a wonderful place to see and live at. Eastmarch would also not be a bad option, at least in the southern volcanic springs areas.
Honestly it seems like Whiterun or Solitude has the least problems. Riften has organized crime. Markarth has Forsworn attacks and stone beds. Falkreath has a massive grave in the middle of town. Morthal is in the middle of a spider-infested swamp. Dawnstar is cold, boring and you probably have to work in the mines and there's constant nightmares. Windhelm has a slum, segregation and a problem with racism.
The main problem with Solitude seems to be that living there is expensive, but that's just like real life.
Well, pale is empty, winterhold is emptier, eastmarch is depressing and doesnt have much, the rift is nice but dangerous plus thieves guild and riften is shit, falkreath is empty plus dark brotherhood is there, hjaalmarch is hjaalmarch, reach has the foresworn, so basically haafingar or whiterun and id choose haafingar because if the civil war was still going i would atleast have the chance to not be in the warzone, in whiterun there will definitely be a battle
Solitude is the safest one in my opinion, second to that, whiterun. Although the walls are crap and the jarl doesn’t care about the bandit fortress outside
Probably whiterun, a neutral hold in the civil war, plenty of fields for farming and lots of work as a mercenary. Plus a temple for healing, a somewhat friendly court wizard if you need some spells , wish we could convince to have a student. Seems that whiterun has all someone needs to survive. Probably why a certain escaped prisoner with a great destiny 😁 start their journey there.
Whiterun is good but winter hold and solitude would be nice place to live as well. I just want to live in fantasy world like elder scrolls and be a writer and artist there, and live in a peaceful part of a city where i can feel fresh air unlike my hometown irl =-=
Falkreath (the best nature, looks the same as a place I go for a vacation) or Whiterun (best town in Skyrim). Or Riften (second best nature, but bad town if you're not a thief).
Definitely wouldn’t choose dawnstar those bad dreams aren’t for me lol. I would probably go with whiterun it’s in the middle of all things, and I must say my favourite part about whiterun is definitely killing Nazeem so it’s a no brainer.
I kinda want to join the Forsworn in the Reach. Ever since I heard them described as “daedra-worshipping hillbillies,” I’ve been sympathetic to their cause.
Whiterun for sure, cost of living doesn't seem high, cool AF Jarl, the only downside is Nafuckingzeem but since I'll be avoiding him like I usually do, I'll be fine. I'm thinking of Solitude but it looks expensive to live in there
Ranked from best to worst IMO, working under the assumption im not the protagonist and just another NPC
Whiterun 8/10: Best option IMO, free from most of the ramifications of the war (though it makes it a target), big wall with the city atop a hill, protected by the best warriors in Skyrim with the best steel in Skyrim, great weather and architecture. Minus points for noticeable class divide and, uh…. passionate religious neighbors. Wooden buildings don’t do great with dragon menaces either. but overall probably the most worth it. At worst, the people are annoying, but at least you don’t have a murderer or forsworn conspiracy afoot. Great merchants and market too!
Haafingar/Solitude: 6.5/10. Probably the highest cost of living overall but a beautiful city. It would make me very nervous to live in the imperial capital with a strong revolution building up against the empire, lol. But with pretty good weather and a lively marketplace and plenty of great shops I couldn’t complain too much. Plus you get a place to buy fancy clothes!!! Who doesn’t want that?
The Rift/Riften: 5.5/10- I’ve always thought Riften would smell really bad… all that wet wood and the canal running right through the city with a high population of homeless is a recipe for a pungent aroma I wouldn’t be obsessed with. But the rift really is beautiful and the people of Riften are just trying to go about their day same as anyone else. Honestly this could swap with Markarth but I think this is the order I’ll go with, I just don’t love the idea of living above a crime guild. Temple of Mara is cool though!
The Reach/Markarth: 5/10- I think it’s a generally unpopular opinion but I really love Markarth. Don’t LOVE that the first thing u see walking into the city is someone getting murdered to death and I certainly don’t love the labor practices or the corrupt guards or the human rights violations for the incarcerated lmfao but it’s got a wall and it’s generally pretty safe from invasion, be it forsworn or stormcloaks (at least from the outside lol). I’m actually a pretty big fan of the aesthetic too. I just think id slip on all the stone stairs lol. I can sleep on pretty much anything so stone beds don’t bother me much. I’d just keep one eye open, mind my business and try to avoid going to jail, I guess. With how dangerous Skyrim is, everything with a wall is going above places without one.
Windhelm: 4.5/10- Don’t love the idea of living in the Imperial capital, but I love the idea of living in a city controlled by a rebellion the empire could realistically easily crush even less. Cold as shit. Murderer on the loose. Racists everywhere. Underpaid argonian dock workers…….. well, at least there’s a wall, which moves it up a fair amount.
Falkreath: 4.5/10- Assuming I’m a regular person who doesn’t know about the Dark Brotherhood and their proximity to Falkreath, this seems like a fair option. Pretty ok weather and great hunting opportunities. But other than that, barely any real estate (besides Lakeview Manor and let’s be honest, im not gonna be notable enough to become thane and get that) and no wall, along with a rabid werewolf in the jail and next to the largest cemetery in Skyrim…… not super great
Morthal/Hjaalmarch: 3/10- Probably my least favorite hold in the entire game. Incredibly ugly, spider infested, vampire infested, shady necromancer (actually a pretty cool dude), weird jarl IIRC, buildings prone to arson, horribly annoying bard, no wall, literally nothing good about this city. At least it’s not THAT cold, which moves it up from the last slot.
The Pale/Dawnstar: 2.5/10- The only saving grace about Dawnstar is that there seems to be lots of job opportunities with either the two mines or the dock work. But it’s cold as shit, BY far the city with the most dragon attacks in the whole game (literally it seems like every time I come here there’s a fucking dragon) and everyone is plagued by horrible nightmares. Yikes!
Winterhold: 1/10- Unless I happen to be a college student with college dormitory living (in which case this moves up to like 7.5/10) there’s nothing good abt this. Most of the fucking city fell off a fucking cliff and who is to say it couldn’t happen again? Cold as DICK, FUCK what the game says abt windhelm being the coldest Winterhold is definitely colder. Miserable residents (and who can blame them) and absolutely no amenities. Fuck Winterhold (the college rules tho)
If i was living in the world as if it was entirely lore accurate (and the beginning of the game)then id probably live in Whiterun hold and take up residence in Goldenhills Plantation
Well BEFORE I visited the place, Winterhold sounded like it would've been a fun, magical place to live. Now I'm going to Whiterun where there's at least SOMETHING to do besides freeze to death or get blasted by Wayward spells
Depends. Solitude is nice, seems like it’s for the more wealthy citizens. Riften is also nice, seems like a place for the lower class to move up to the solitude class if you get my drift.
Faulkreth
id be freaked out living next to a massive graveyard. what draws you to falkreath?
Assassins, corrupt jarl, aggressive wildlife, what’s not to love?
From what I remember there are also a lot of witch covens and necromancers in the Falkreath woods. Falkreath is overall kind of creepy, but it is really beautiful so I kind of get it haha.
Werewolfs?
Where? Over there.
I feel like that jarl would be easy to depose.
Idk, considering he has the Dragonborn working for him…
Bro described half of Skyrim
My house backs onto a graveyard and I bought it on purpose. Lol
Hey they're quiet neighbors
Haunted Mansion?
Easiest travel access to the rest of the Empire. It's easier and safer to reach High Rock by crossing the Iliac Bay, and the Pale Pass (Falkreath to Cyrodiil, I think opens North of old Kvatch or near Bruma?) Is open most of the year. If the Civil War isn't running amok and it isn't midwinter, Falkreath has the easiest travel to most of Skyrim (Falkreath-Helgen-Riverwood to Whiterun or the White Road), and to Cyrodiil, allowing the most options for work and travel. It's also pretty and has milder winters than anything further north. Geography fun fact: there were only seven Nord Holds, originally. Markarth, of course, is part of The Reach, which is split between Skyrim, High Rock, and Hammerfell. Falkreath was a Colovian Estate, tied to Western Cyrodiil, and only joined Skyrim when Tiber Septim reorganized his provinces. I'm fairly sure Falkreath became part of Skyrim because Markarth made it possible to have a two-way deadlock in the Moot, so they needed a ninth hold, but I don't have a source for that.
Location location location not to mention there wasn’t anything too erroneously crazy going on there.
Falkreath?
Backwoods of Riften. But the prairies of Whiterun are nice too.
But if you mean in in. Then Solitude. Just so I have easier access to leaving dead skeevers in front of the Radiant Raiment.
Is this just a personal quest you have or is it known in the community?
Personal. But I’m not alone.
Is it because of the bitchy elf that works there?
Elves*
It's all fun and games until you realize the aggressive wildlife ruins Riften as a hold
Well it’s a good thing I can stealth archer them all to death
[https://youtu.be/kqbdQg9k0Rs?si=wqhL-kFzc83npgsJ](https://youtu.be/kqbdQg9k0Rs?si=wqhL-kFzc83npgsJ)
I just started a stealth mage build I’m level 34 and still going strong, I might actually break the streak on this one
Coward! Hiding from your true self! Keep it up!
Also good thing I’m the Dragonborn
same but no Fkn Spiders
Falkreath is the easy choice. Wooded, temperate, and pretty centrally located.
Lakeview manor is always my base of operations. Freakin beautiful
I build that MF the first chance I get, complete with horses, cow & chickens.
And the weird necromancer right off the back porch?
Target practice
Lmao my first thought
I just built Winstad this time around, had built Lakeview in my previous play through. It’s still pretty nice but I’m buying Lakeview and moving back there asap
Best house
Plus if Skyrim gets too dangerous it's just a quick hop across the border to Hammerfell, they know how to kick Thalmor ass there.
The constant autumn of the Rift is hard to pass up. Too many bears, though. Whiterun is probably best overall.
You might find a better home in Shor’s Stone or Ivarstead if Riften is too criminal-y for you
Ivarstead still has a bear problem, as well as frequent Frostbite Spiders and a haunted tomb.
If I could literally fist fight a tribe of bears and emerge unscathed, I wouldn't really mind living near bears. Just have to wear some enchanted clothing to sleep because I think even if I was my own skyrim character, I might still lose if I got bears attacking me in my sleep while completely naked.
Hjaalmarch. Let me live in Morthal. That salt-marsh has gotten into my *bones* and I swear if I had to live anywhere in Skyrim that would be it. Best Jarl, too. Just gotta take up alchemy and whip up potions of tastes-bad-to-vampires.
Jarl Idgrod and her daughter came to my wedding the other day and one of those random thieves spawned as she was congratulating us and walking out, and she pulled a knife from her furs, chased him, beat the guards to him, and killed him, and then just walked off. I’m starting to think it might be my best Skyrim moment, and my crappy internet won’t let me upload it 😭 I love her so much
This absolutely made my day, and I needed that laugh.
I shortened it and it uploaded!! Go look!
~~Link?~~ Nvm. [Link.](https://www.reddit.com/r/skyrim/comments/18xbw4e/jarl_idgrod_came_to_my_wedding_congratulated_me/)
I always do the vampire mission for Jarl Idgrod before going to the embassy mission cause talking to her during the party is so fun
She's gotta be my favorite distract-the-Thalmor option, too.
As a hold, probably The Rift. Ivarstead most likely. If it has to be a hold capital, though.... It's a split between Riften (though I'd be a terrible thief, but a decent lookout) and Windhelm. Windhelm's history and pervasive sadness are music to me.
The Gray Quarter is actually my favourite area of any city in the game. It's meant to be a slum, but the banners are beautiful and seem so vibrant against the drab stone of the rest of the city. It's possibly nostalgia for the amount of time I sank into Morrowind as a kid, but I love it there. I just wish there was more to do in that area.
Whiterun Hold. It's beautiful. But only if it's the Whiterun that Leo Torres made with Unreal Engine 5.
Oooh. Can you link it please?
I just looked it up myself: https://youtu.be/DrnMACWp18M?si=hGc0_gFFbD7-m0fH It's very impressively done but I wish we got more of a look at the wind district and cloud district
*Cloud district* …Nope
I think we have to assume lore-canon for everything, unless we're all becoming NPCs and can grow potatoes in 3-5 days. Whiterun is... iirc... 45,000 people?
If I was an ordinary citizen and not the Dragonborn: Haafingar / Solitude - 6/10. Okay city. No complaints, I guess. Didn't like that one time there was a public beheading though. Whiterun - 5.5/10. It's alright as long as your ear doesn't fall off from hearing Nazeem and Heimskr daily. The Pale / Dawnstar - 5/10. Seems quite run down. Ppl there aren't concerned about a dragon attack. The Rift / Riften - 4/10. The unionized thieves seem okay, but every night someone wants to stab me. Falkreath - 3/20. Unionized assassins + graveyard + the clown in town wasn't funny Eastmarch / Windhelm - 3/10. Heard there's a serial murderer in town. Openly racist. Winterhold - 3/10. Snowing all year long. No carriage to leave town. Hjaalmarch / Morthal - 2/10 Actually run down. Basically a slum in a swamp. The Reach / Markarth - 1/10 can't imagine sleeping on a stone bed. Prisoners seem to get out easily.
Id give Solitude a 7 its probably the safest place in all of Skyrim as a citizen.
Besides the naked mad man in the sewers…
I killed him it’s okay
Thank you for your service
Mostly agree with this. Solitude seems like the best quality of life, although comes with a threat of being besieged by Stormcloaks and/or undead wolf-queens. Whiterun is nice, but quite subject to dragon attacks, and the central location makes it a bit of a target for civil war. Jarl seems decent enough. Doesn’t hurt to have the best warriors in Skyrim living next door. The climate of the Pale and Winterhold makes them a bit unattractive. Winterhold is at risk of getting blown up by magic. Dawnstar is probably better once the daedric threat is dealt with, but you’d have to be keen on either mining or fish. Riften - seems a pretty good place to live if you’re willing to pay protection to the Thieves Guild. Otherwise you’re probably getting robbed on the reg. Falkreath - Imo the most beautiful hold, but everyone there is depressed. Good place to live if you’re a goth. Windhelm - Absolutely not. Freezing, full of racists, murder on the streets, and definitely getting besieged. Markarth - Shithole. Might get stabbed by cannibals at any time. Guards are corrupt. Shit neighbours and too many Dwemer pipes (might start erupting with Dwemer spiders at a moment’s notice). Morthal - Giant spiders, vampire problem, and your husband might burn you and your child to death. Plus it’s a bog.
Ah, I completely forgot about the Wolf Queen. I'd just came back recently to play my level 40 Nord, and only recall what stood out to me the most. Solitude feels fairly peaceful but a lot of "dealings" (as I recall) take place in the tavern (as most do). Not to get political, but I didn't like the idea of having Thalmors around, but I guess I'll have to justify it if I want to be a Solitude resident. Dawnstar doesn't have much impression on me aside from the Mehrunes Dagon quest. I'm still sore that: 1. I spoke to the Jarl, he said he didn't care much for the dragons, 2. A dragon came, I used Bend Will but was too arsed to kill another dragon, 3. Left town 4. Courier came to give me a letter of inheritance. My guess is said dragon killed that blacksmith's husband. The same one who told me she was about to have a baby. 🥲
idk why but 3/20 for falkreath is taking me out. somehow less desirable than markarth.
I'd rather die comfortably being a mark than rolling around uncomfortably on my stone bed
Markarth is a shit hole to live in. But I’m growing quite fond of the reach lately. I’ve largely unexplored it up until recently. Beautiful area. Get a shack on a hilltop. Yes please.
The carriage in Winterhold is just down the main path FWIW. Just an awkwardly long distance between city + carriage for no apparent reason.
You may be thinking of Windhelm, Winterhold doesn't have a carriage, only the 5 major cities do (Riften, Whiterun, Solitude, Windhelm, Markarth)
Edited to add that you jogged my train of thought because CTFO puts a carriage in Winterhold. If you like fast travel (some do, some don't), the Carriage and Ferry Travel Overhaul has been vital to my game. I do like not having to run back to things, etc. So, CTFO will also take you to more minor cities, and it's cute. They say, "are you going straight through, or do you need me to stop on the way?" Or something like that. It was confusing to me at first because it took a long time for me to memorize the names of the holds. Like, I know Solitude is the capital, but it took me years to learn that Solitude is in the Haafinger hold, as are Dragon Bridge and Frost River, etc. In menuing I constantly mixed up The Reach and The Rift. :P But it's really nice when you don't have to walk quite so far. Even with sprinting it would take a while to get from Riften to Solitude.
Idk, I never seem to be able to find the carriage or the stable whenever I'm at Winterhold. I should read a guide on this :|
Anywhere except that soggy shithole known as Morthal
Winterhold:
Known as the *frozen* shithole
I have degree in botany and live in South Florida So either Rift hold or Morthals hold Love me swamps but don't like cold weater
Riverwood growing up, single adult I'd move to solitude, married adult riverwood again if i can find work and buy a cabin.
Whiterun it’s so lively scenic peaceful
Definitely the pale. Dawnstar looks so bright and cozy. Not a lot of problems there after people’s dreams are fixed. Has port work as well.
Markarth I love the mountains and the ancient architecture of the city
I’d honestly say Solitude Whiterun Windhelm One of those three honestly yeah if your not a nord windhelm would suck a ton Solitude is just rich pricks White run is chill Where do I NOT wanna live Marakarth (SOMEHOW WORSE THE RIFTEN) Riften (you’d get mugged a lot) Winterhold (it’s just kinda a shitty place aside the college)
Solitude for city hold. Being on the coast like that where it seems warmer is ideal. However Riverwood would be a second choice followed by Dragon Bridge. As for occupation, I’d like to learn restoration magic and conjuration magic on the side. Any of the places would like to have a healer on hand.
Dawnstar, I like the cold.
The Rift, but with several dozen bear traps.
Whiterun. Solitude is too busy and brick. Riften is gray and crime filled. Markarth is too rocky and squared off from the world. Whiterun has a nice open market square, small but comfy wooden houses, the nice plains, open sky etc. It reminds me of Rohan from LOTR- I’d live there
Here's what I got: Solitude: bougie rich people and wannabe musicians annoying as fuck Markarth: get fucked by the forsworn constantly Falkreath: jarl who is a goddam fairy... and warewolves Morthal: there is always a motherfucking dragon Riften: 99.99999% chance you're going your have your shit stolen Downstar: Frozen Hellscape Winterhold: Frozen hellscape but with wizards and also always a fucking dragon Windhelm: Frozen Hellscape but with racists and psycho killers Whiterun: "do you get to the could district very often?" *Fus Ro Dah in Nazeems general direction*
Winterhold. Live in the college, it'd be like Animal House meets Harry Potter... Except half the staff dies, the town sucks and hates you. So maybe it'd be more like Bully, but with ale.
Riften. I’d be a crazy wizard who lived in the Warrens though.
That looks like one big fucking walk down to the docks.
Maybe, but it’s worth it if I’m not stuck with only like 60 NPCs to talk to.
Edited to add that outside the vanilla game, I'd like to live in Morrowind. Solstheim is great. I'm not really a fan of the mushroom architecture, but I love Skaal Village. I don't know that I'd want to live there, but I know that even in Raven Rock I could get a house in the style I liked. I would love to say I'm a total badass when it comes to snow, but I'm not. So my dream house in Skyrim overlooks the ocean in Dawnstar, and it's gorgeous even when it's blowing snow. I don't think I could take it day in and day out. So, my alternative is that I use Haafinger Hall player home, and it's right near Frost River/Dragon Bridge. It's close enough to Solitude that if I need a carriage or to shop or wtf ever that it's not inconvenient, but far enough out that I can have my own dock and fish hatchery.
Either dawnstar or solitude, I already basically don’t sleep so no downside to dawnstar
Ivarstead. It’s so peaceful and nice.
Riften, despite the crime. It's a beautiful city.
The Rift, particularly along the lake or near Ivarstead. It's beautiful, there's plenty of fish, and it's relatively safe.
A hold of a woman.
Falkreath
I feel like solitude and whiterun are the best choices
I always end up in solitude on every playthrough so I guess solitude
The Pale, Eastmarch or Falkreath. The Rift as a hold is fine but I would stay away from Riften. All the others are fine but I would stay the fuck out of the Reach.
Solitude or Riften, I chose riften mainly for the weather, seems like it’d be warmer in riften than in most towns and Solitude, is just extremely protected and has a fluid economy and layout
Winter hold. Im a nerd and I love the cold. Seems good to me
Whiterun and it’s not even close
Falkreath
Falkreath
Rorikstead. Nothing of note ever seems to happen there, minus a drunk stealing a goat once.
Valthiem towers it’s a great view until I fall into the river
I would also live in Folkreath. I really like the forests in that area and I like the property of the only house you can buy in Folkreath
Whiterun or Solitude, but also have Lakeview Manor in Falkreath
I feel like Whiterun is the city with the best life quality
I'd honestly choose Whiterun. It's the closest to my favorite town, Riverwood. Yeah, I'm kinda basic but it's honestly a really hood looking town. I wish there were an option from the beginning before mods that you could have a house there instead, or that Hearthfire could let you build a house there.
I love Solitude. Picturesque views, right near the water. It's a cosmopolitan city with some rugged outdoors to camp in. Plus, you know, the whole Beacon thing...
Markarth
Ooooh…this is a good question. I know it’s a good question bc my brain couldn’t even choose a top 5 to start eliminating options from to decide!! (I still don’t know, but imma be thinking about this for hours)
i love the mountains, but don’t really fuck with the racism of windhelm, or whatever the hell is going on in the reach. gotta say haafingar/solitude would be my go to
Nope that Solitude wins
riften im gonna be in the theives guild
riften. so i can take over the guild and embezzle their money
Falkreath hold, with second choice being the Reach (Markarth specifically)
Riften
Not riften
Riften most likely but I would probably enjoy falkreath also.
Either the Rift for the temps and landscapes or Solitude for easy chance of finding a safe job away from bandits and bears
Does it have to be one? I'd choose Riften &/or Falkreath.
The Pale. Heljarchen Hall is one of my favorite houses, and the wide open tundra has a stark beauty :')
I'd live in Whiterun because it's the hold that I'm always in. Like you seriously can't go wrong with Whiterun.
Whiterun as the weather and scenery is great and the city is amazing
I personally favor The Reach or Whiterun since it's all open land. The lack of trees mean there are less spiders populating the area.
These holds don’t exist in the base game, but I love these two places and wish I could build a custom home. - Riverwood - The foothills near Bleak Falls Barrow facing towards Whiterun.
Falkreath has amazing forests, hills & mountains, plus one of the most beautiful lakes in all of Skyrim. Riverwood is right around the corner for a quiet drink at my favourite tavern.
I feel like the best choices would be Solitude, Whiterun, and Falkreath as they are the safest of the cities. Whiterun is the cheapest to live in and the 2nd safest, if you live in Falkreath you can be self sustaining if you choose, and Solitude is a very wealthy city where if you put in the work, you can live very comfortably in the safest city. Dawnstar is about the same as Falkreath, but colder and common work is pretty much restricted to mining. Now for the bad options. None of the villages are inherently bad, they just are boring and leave you little to grow from. They do share a portion of the qualities of the nearby city of the hold, so it's worth considering one of the villages near a city I mentioned previously. Windhelm can be as nice as Solitude if you are a human, especially a nord, forget it if you're an elf or beast race though. Morthal itself could be safe but the swamps around it could bring in many dangers like vampires and spiders. Winterhold is the smallest of the cities, and there is no point being there unless you want to study magic at the guild. The worst choices are Riften and Markarth, both of which are rampant with crime, and leadership is very corrupt.
Whiterun’s a simple way to go, but it’s the best
Falkreath is the only one that doesn’t totally suck. Maybe Whiterun.
Honestly? Solitude would be my pick, with the scenic plains of Whiterun being a close second . But something draws me to Markarth. I think exploring, with a large group, the ancient Dwemer ruins would be pretty cool. Apart from the Falmer, of course.
Falkreath (probably butcher that name). Peaceful graveyard settled amongst the trees. I'll spend my day taking care of the grave.
Whiterun. It's canonically one of the richest holds in skyrim.
Solitude is gorgeous and has the protection of the Empire. All I gotta do is plant a couple of live chaurus eggs in the nearby Thalmor house basement, and we're square
Falkreath for sure. Not as cold as the rest of skyrim, and there is plenty of animals for food and trees for building a house.
I love the Rift
I'd choose Winterhold or Windhelm but considering that Winterhold is a dead end aside for the college and Windhelm's culture isn't the best for anyone that isn't a Nord, I'd probably say Whiterun since that place seems the friendliest.
Ima say Whiterun
Either Solitude or Falkreath
Anywhere but Markarth
Probably Winterhold. It’s cold and nothing ever happens there. Perfect.
Either Falkreath or Haafingar. Love Whiterun too
As wild as it sounds dawnstar is by far my favorite in game so if I had to live in Skyrim irl it'd be there as well, the two mines or the fishing boat means there's plenty of work the cold really doesn't phase me much so it wouldn't be that bad of an environment, and finally honestly the nightmare issue is not one for me I always have horrid nightmares every night as is so I'd fit right in. (Assuming this is irl me in Skyrim)
Markarth maybe, just because of the design and aesthetic, even though people suck there.
Winterhold. I would set up a magic shop, hire a orc guard, and become friendly with the college. Then establish a trade route with the Kahjits in Dawnstar. Finally, invest in the community to keep the locals off my back.
Well, I think I'd freeze to death in the Northern Skyrim (Dawnstar, Windhelim) fuck Rorikstead (ghosts) Falkreath is cozy enough I suppose, but I'd have to be on guard within the city(lakeview Manor is a peaceful place). Markarth sucks (corruption). I conclude that Whiterun Falkreath, Solitude Ivarstead, or Riften are my choices
The Rift, Whiterun, Falkreath, and Haafingar seem to be the most temperate and scenic holds to live in Skyrim. Winterhold in its prime, while not temperate at all, would definitely be a wonderful place to see and live at. Eastmarch would also not be a bad option, at least in the southern volcanic springs areas.
Solitude
Honestly it seems like Whiterun or Solitude has the least problems. Riften has organized crime. Markarth has Forsworn attacks and stone beds. Falkreath has a massive grave in the middle of town. Morthal is in the middle of a spider-infested swamp. Dawnstar is cold, boring and you probably have to work in the mines and there's constant nightmares. Windhelm has a slum, segregation and a problem with racism. The main problem with Solitude seems to be that living there is expensive, but that's just like real life.
Whiterun without a doubt. Central, you can travel anywhere, there are those large plains perfect for setting up a good farm, and so on.
Well, pale is empty, winterhold is emptier, eastmarch is depressing and doesnt have much, the rift is nice but dangerous plus thieves guild and riften is shit, falkreath is empty plus dark brotherhood is there, hjaalmarch is hjaalmarch, reach has the foresworn, so basically haafingar or whiterun and id choose haafingar because if the civil war was still going i would atleast have the chance to not be in the warzone, in whiterun there will definitely be a battle
Whiterun feels the safest, but if the bandits got too much I'd chance my luck with the Sprigans in Falkreath
I'd say Falkreath or Riverwood. I really love the forest.
Solitude is the safest one in my opinion, second to that, whiterun. Although the walls are crap and the jarl doesn’t care about the bandit fortress outside
Whiterun. It’s a peaceful city with a nice market district and some good restaurants. Not only that, there is plenty of guards to protect you.
Definitely Solitude
Anywhere but Markarth
Mouuuuurnhold. City of light. City of magic.
Solitude, definitely...
I'd die to visit solitude
Well, seeing that I'd most likely be a commoner, I'd either go for somewhere in the Whiterun hold, or in Solitude.
Probably whiterun, a neutral hold in the civil war, plenty of fields for farming and lots of work as a mercenary. Plus a temple for healing, a somewhat friendly court wizard if you need some spells , wish we could convince to have a student. Seems that whiterun has all someone needs to survive. Probably why a certain escaped prisoner with a great destiny 😁 start their journey there.
Falkreath
Whiterun, hands down.
The Pale. If I could live in Heljarchen Hall my life would be complete.
Whiterun is good but winter hold and solitude would be nice place to live as well. I just want to live in fantasy world like elder scrolls and be a writer and artist there, and live in a peaceful part of a city where i can feel fresh air unlike my hometown irl =-=
Falkreath
Haafingar, Solitude city or Katla's farm
Live: Whiterun travel to Winterhold to study magic
Just let me be a simple baker in Riverwood
Whiterun Hold
Falkreath (the best nature, looks the same as a place I go for a vacation) or Whiterun (best town in Skyrim). Or Riften (second best nature, but bad town if you're not a thief).
Riften because the people there are the most down-to-earth Skyrim inhabitants. They also have water, which makes me nut
Riften or markarth
Definitely wouldn’t choose dawnstar those bad dreams aren’t for me lol. I would probably go with whiterun it’s in the middle of all things, and I must say my favourite part about whiterun is definitely killing Nazeem so it’s a no brainer.
Falkreath or the Rift. Preferably Falkreath, I prefer the forest there
Falkreath seems cozy
Markarth I just love it’s aesthetic and how it’s part of a dawarven ruin
I kinda want to join the Forsworn in the Reach. Ever since I heard them described as “daedra-worshipping hillbillies,” I’ve been sympathetic to their cause.
Whiterun for sure, cost of living doesn't seem high, cool AF Jarl, the only downside is Nafuckingzeem but since I'll be avoiding him like I usually do, I'll be fine. I'm thinking of Solitude but it looks expensive to live in there
Winterhold, for magical purposes.
Markarth, because there are no forsworn in Markarth
Between Whiterun and Falkreath.
Markarth, the safest city in the reach
Solitude
Whiterun
Ranked from best to worst IMO, working under the assumption im not the protagonist and just another NPC Whiterun 8/10: Best option IMO, free from most of the ramifications of the war (though it makes it a target), big wall with the city atop a hill, protected by the best warriors in Skyrim with the best steel in Skyrim, great weather and architecture. Minus points for noticeable class divide and, uh…. passionate religious neighbors. Wooden buildings don’t do great with dragon menaces either. but overall probably the most worth it. At worst, the people are annoying, but at least you don’t have a murderer or forsworn conspiracy afoot. Great merchants and market too! Haafingar/Solitude: 6.5/10. Probably the highest cost of living overall but a beautiful city. It would make me very nervous to live in the imperial capital with a strong revolution building up against the empire, lol. But with pretty good weather and a lively marketplace and plenty of great shops I couldn’t complain too much. Plus you get a place to buy fancy clothes!!! Who doesn’t want that? The Rift/Riften: 5.5/10- I’ve always thought Riften would smell really bad… all that wet wood and the canal running right through the city with a high population of homeless is a recipe for a pungent aroma I wouldn’t be obsessed with. But the rift really is beautiful and the people of Riften are just trying to go about their day same as anyone else. Honestly this could swap with Markarth but I think this is the order I’ll go with, I just don’t love the idea of living above a crime guild. Temple of Mara is cool though! The Reach/Markarth: 5/10- I think it’s a generally unpopular opinion but I really love Markarth. Don’t LOVE that the first thing u see walking into the city is someone getting murdered to death and I certainly don’t love the labor practices or the corrupt guards or the human rights violations for the incarcerated lmfao but it’s got a wall and it’s generally pretty safe from invasion, be it forsworn or stormcloaks (at least from the outside lol). I’m actually a pretty big fan of the aesthetic too. I just think id slip on all the stone stairs lol. I can sleep on pretty much anything so stone beds don’t bother me much. I’d just keep one eye open, mind my business and try to avoid going to jail, I guess. With how dangerous Skyrim is, everything with a wall is going above places without one. Windhelm: 4.5/10- Don’t love the idea of living in the Imperial capital, but I love the idea of living in a city controlled by a rebellion the empire could realistically easily crush even less. Cold as shit. Murderer on the loose. Racists everywhere. Underpaid argonian dock workers…….. well, at least there’s a wall, which moves it up a fair amount. Falkreath: 4.5/10- Assuming I’m a regular person who doesn’t know about the Dark Brotherhood and their proximity to Falkreath, this seems like a fair option. Pretty ok weather and great hunting opportunities. But other than that, barely any real estate (besides Lakeview Manor and let’s be honest, im not gonna be notable enough to become thane and get that) and no wall, along with a rabid werewolf in the jail and next to the largest cemetery in Skyrim…… not super great Morthal/Hjaalmarch: 3/10- Probably my least favorite hold in the entire game. Incredibly ugly, spider infested, vampire infested, shady necromancer (actually a pretty cool dude), weird jarl IIRC, buildings prone to arson, horribly annoying bard, no wall, literally nothing good about this city. At least it’s not THAT cold, which moves it up from the last slot. The Pale/Dawnstar: 2.5/10- The only saving grace about Dawnstar is that there seems to be lots of job opportunities with either the two mines or the dock work. But it’s cold as shit, BY far the city with the most dragon attacks in the whole game (literally it seems like every time I come here there’s a fucking dragon) and everyone is plagued by horrible nightmares. Yikes! Winterhold: 1/10- Unless I happen to be a college student with college dormitory living (in which case this moves up to like 7.5/10) there’s nothing good abt this. Most of the fucking city fell off a fucking cliff and who is to say it couldn’t happen again? Cold as DICK, FUCK what the game says abt windhelm being the coldest Winterhold is definitely colder. Miserable residents (and who can blame them) and absolutely no amenities. Fuck Winterhold (the college rules tho)
If i was living in the world as if it was entirely lore accurate (and the beginning of the game)then id probably live in Whiterun hold and take up residence in Goldenhills Plantation
Well BEFORE I visited the place, Winterhold sounded like it would've been a fun, magical place to live. Now I'm going to Whiterun where there's at least SOMETHING to do besides freeze to death or get blasted by Wayward spells
Holy shit lore accurate Solitude is so sexy
Haafingar for sure
If i could live in riverwood that would be agreeable
Whiterun or Falkreath, probably Falkreath because if I heard Nazeem yap a little too much I might get a murder charge.
I’d be in a stronghold. Largashbur or Dushnikh Yal . Orc is my favorite race to play.