Is moving to Boston realistic for me?

[notoriusRBGgroupie]

Yay, a fellow Central PAer! I was born in Carlisle and lived in Harrisburg for 4 years as a working adult.

Harrisburg is a great, super low COL place. Unfortunately, you would have to make at least double here to maintain your standard of living. My first job in Harrisburg a decade ago paid in the low to mid 30s. I had a $500 per month all utils included apartment in a lux building with a huge balcony overlooking the Susquehanna and City Island. That's not happening here for under 3K/mo. Housing costs in Boston are more insane than in NYC. You would be lucky to find a studio for $1500/mo in my experience. Utils, including water, are rarely included here. Living in Dorchester or having roommates are options that may make COL more affordable.

I'm not a lesbian but have gay friends. My impression of the LGBT scene in Boston is that of someone coming from NYC (where I lived before moving here), which is to say that it does not compare. The people I have to deal with on a daily basis at work seem homophobic but I guess your experience would depend on the circles you travel in.

In terms of stuff to do, I actually found Harrisburg great in that it's close enough to great cities but far enough away to go home to peace. Baltimore, Philly, and DC are a relatively short ride from Harrisburg. When I wanted to go to NYC, I could just walk over to the Amtrak station and take the train. I personally do not find there's much to do in Boston but, again, this is coming from someone who just moved here from NYC. The closest place with stuff that interests me is NYC and it's a 5 hour ride each way by bus or train.

HTH

[Harrisburger]

Thank you! It is nice to be able to be right here in the middle of Philadelphia, New York, and DC. Also, Lancaster, nearby, is super cute. Still, I'm already 26 and I don't want to look back and feel like I missed out on the whole big city experience. I'm thinking Chicago could be a better fit for me than Boston, but I'm not sure. If my personal life fell into place here, I'd be much happier, so it's hard to say.

[xS☺B☺s]

Go for it! I moved to Boston and started at $8.50 per hour living in a one room studio in the Fenway. Opportunities abound in Beantown and growth is a sure thing if you work hard. It's a city that recognizes, appreciates, and rewards hard work. I found a career path for myself and you can too! There's plenty of money in Boston - you can get your share if you just do your best.

[Dm84]

Originally Posted by xS☺Be

Go for it! I moved to Boston and started at $8.50 per hour living in a one room studio in the Fenway. Opportunities abound in Beantown and growth is a sure thing if you work hard. It's a city that recognizes, appreciates, and rewards hard work. I found a career path for myself and you can too! There's plenty of money in Boston - you can get your share if you just do your best.

You can't afford to live in a studio in Fenway on $8.50/hr in 2015 unless you have substantial money saved up and/or support from family (minimum wage in MA is $9/hr now but that isn't enough either).

You can't make a blanket statement saying you'll experience career growth if you work hard just because it worked out for you. Plenty of people work hard and struggle.

[mimi in boston]

I'd get a job first. Sadly, wages and salaries in Boston are pretty depressed and the competition is stiff. You might easily make less in this expensive city in a comparable job.

[EconHusky]

Originally Posted by notoriusRBGgroupie

I had a $500 per month all utils included apartment in a lux building with a huge balcony overlooking the Susquehanna and City Island. That's not happening here for under 3K/mo. Housing costs in Boston are more insane than in NYC.
HTH

No.

[rranger]

Originally Posted by bostonguy1960

Maybe come for Boston Gay Pride in June if you haven't already.

Actually, come to Boston in June, skip Pride (which has become a dreary morass of flag-waving Unitarians) and go to Providence Pride if you want to have fun!

[caligirl2345]

If I were you, I would look to Chicago before I would look to Boston. Chicago still has plenty of affordable housing [a one bedroom can be had for 1000 a month; shared situations are even cheaper [my brother pays 500 a month to share a 3 br with two other roomies in Logan Square]. Also, the people in Chicago are MUCH nicer. You said you wanted to live by the ocean but honestly, when you live here you don't really ever see it unless you drive. In Chicago the lake is RIGHT there-- there are huge beaches IN the city and in summer the water is warm.