Australian Bill Tikos, 38, is the founder of thecoolhunter.net.With a million hits a month, the site is a prized reference point for the ultimate in “cool” – in architecture, interior design, fashion, travel, art and music. He has also written ‘The World’s Coolest Hotel Rooms’, published last year, and ‘The World’s Coolest Houses’, due to be published this year. He travels extensively and has homes in New York and Sydney.

New York is so, so big and I enjoy exploring new pockets, mainly in the West Village. It’s peaceful and it attracts a lot of creative types, both of which appeal to me. When I first started living in the US three years ago I rented a place in the East Village but I found it too busy. People were always about, even at 3am, and emergency sirens often kept me awake.

I first visited New York three-and-a-half years ago as a tourist and thought: “This is great; I love it; I’ve got to come back”. Six months later I was there. New York is buzzy and thrilling. There is always something to do. When I’m there, I’m forever on the go: attending openings, socialising and networking. New York is also very inspiring and bursting with opportunity. There are people doing so many amazing things.

I’ve changed since I started living in America. I’m far more outspoken than I used to be. Although Australians are fairly friendly and open, we’re reserved when compared with the Americans, who are more opinionated and out there. Unlike Australia, which has a habit of knocking down its tall poppies, New Yorkers, and Americans in general, love success. I feel very supported.

Although the scale is very different, New York reminds me of Melbourne, where I grew up, which might partly explain why I feel so at home. They share a culture of “cool”, they have a café and bar lifestyle, back lanes, rooftops and they’re both very friendly and accessible places to be in. Despite New York’s size, I’ve found it really easy to make friends. Partly it’s because New Yorkers are very friendly but also I have a lot of good mates from Australia, which has made networking a lot easier. In contrast to “the city that never sleeps”, Sydney is really chilled. When I’m there I lead a fairly quiet social life and avoid going to functions and opening nights as much as possible. Instead, I hang out with friends, watch a DVD, read and walk down to Bondi Beach, where I often walk along the water’s edge to clear my head.

I couldn’t really tell you what “cool” is. It’s more gut feeling than analysis. I act only as a curator of what’s already out there that to my mind is beautiful, unique and unusual. I don’t predict what’s going to be “hot”. How can anyone know what’s going to be out there 12 months from now given the constant shifts in taste and style?

My job leads me to have a fairly peripatetic life. Apart from Sydney and New York, I also travel regularly to Europe, the Middle East, Asia and other parts of the globe. I travel mainly as a design consultant, which is another arm of my Coolhunter business. Last year, for example, I went to Dubai six times to give my input into a new development. Thanks to the internet, I don’t need to travel to run the Coolhunter site. I can keep on top of the latest design developments and regularly update the site from anywhere. The flip-side to this is that I have to spend very long hours on the internet – even when I’m away. This is a shame because it means that I’m glued to my hotel room and I don’t get the chance to explore new places as much as I’d like.

Even though my blog informs the latest trends around the world, “hot” doesn’t influence how I live personally. Essentially I’m a jeans, T-shirt and thongs [flip-flops] kind of guy and I own very little. What I have fits easily into a 32kg suitcase, a smaller case for the plane and a carry bag. I also have a basic bicycle that I take with me, so I can easily get around without having a car.

My mobile lifestyle is only possible because I don’t have any commitments. I have no mortgage, no kids, no pets, no relationship and no special objects that tie me to any one place.

Life wasn’t always so pared down. Five years ago I had a regular life, a house full of things and I aspired to owning my own home. But when I decided to give it all up for the life I’ve got I handed everything in my home to my sister, who had just bought a house. It’s surprising how good it felt to give everything up. I felt so alive and free. To this day I have no desire to get any of it back.

I don’t tire of my lifestyle – ever. It has opened up the world for me; it enthuses and inspires me. And I love travel. Even before I founded Coolhunter, I used to take an annual holiday to Europe. I visited mainly Italy, England and France. I’ve also been to Greece five times. My parents were born there. I know a lot of people from a Greek background who carry their heritage with them but I don’t feel especially influenced by my roots or feel any connection to them.

I don’t miss my friends just because I’m not physically around for large chunks of time. Through Skype, Twitter, Facebook and the like, I know more about what they’re doing and I feel so much more connected to them than I ever did five years ago.