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OP, why do you consider LA 'suburban'? Car centric maybe, but I don't find most of the core suburban.
How comfortable are you with driving everywhere? If you are then Houston is a good option. It's similar to Dallas and close enough to your parents for regular visits, but not so close that they're stopping by all the time. You probably already know about the strong South Asian population there.
DC has excellent public transit! And it's probably as cosmopolitan a place as you'll find in the U.S. (except for NYC),
though I don't know how substantial the South Asian community there is.
OTOH, it has a warmer climate than Chicago, so probably more insects.
Atlanta's West Midtown, Midtown, and Buckhead will fit. You don't need a car if you're near transit in those neighborhoods. There are also a lot of Indians in the northern burbs (some neighborhoods in Cumming are entirely Indian) but of course you'll need a car.
Would echo Jersey City. Substantially better value than NYC, and access to both NYC and suburban NJ dating pools. New Jersey alone has the country's 3rd largest South Asian population, after NY and CA; about 1/4 live in Hudson & Bergen counties (the two adjacent to NYC) and about 1/3 live in Middlesex County, about 20 miles south.
The largest South Asian populations around DC are in distant parts of northern Virginia, not in the Metro-accessible areas closer in.
NYC - Next, the whole issue of crime. I don't know if it's overblown in the media - but defunding the police, strict gun laws (can I even have a registered glock in my apartment), decriminalizing certain offenses, and prosecuting people who defend themselves has me shook. Finally, seems like so many people have left, and that I'm paying a premium for a former shell of a city.
"shell of a city"
If the plan is to live in an urban neighborhood, it won't get much safer than Manhattan.
I'm heavily leaning towards NYC, but after looking at my finances, it is really difficult to save there compared to Chicago.. this is my breakdown right now.
$108,000 Salary
-$19,500 401k (18% of income) - My current 401k balance is $90k.. so I'm catching up.
-$30,624 Taxes (geez..)
------------------
$4823/month to spend
-$2,500 Rent + Utilities
-$635 Student Loan (3% interest rate)
-$500 Food (I cook most days)
-$125 Transit Pass
-$75 Phone + Spotify + Netflix
------------------
$988/month savings
This doesn't take into account buying clothes, going on vacation, entertainment costs, etc..
The only two things that might save me here are the stock market (I made $50k the past 4 months, but lost over half that in the recent crash), and potentially reducing my 401k match. If I made my 401k match at 9% of income I would be able to save an additional $531.. but that seems like a terrible financial decision. There's no way I'd consider a roommate at this point either..
In a single year I'd be putting away $15,000 more living in Chicago.. but at the expense of not living in NYC!
On another unrelated note; is anyone familiar with the electrical power industry in NYC? I'm wondering if maybe I could search for a higher paying job that pays bonus.. my current employer doesn't do a bonus, and I've been with them for 9 years. Wouldn't be a bad idea to move, but from what I've heard, engineering doesn't really scale it's salaries for cost of living like tech, finance, or medicine.
I was thinking in terms of NJ, go in between NYC and Philadelphia with a place like New Brunswick. Very big South Asian population in the area(especially in nearby Edison) and you can take NJ Transit to either area for work. New Brunswick is of course a smaller city, but is quite urban.
Also, look into positions at ConEdison in terms of a NYC electrical power provider.
NYC - This is my #1 choice. A lot of negatives to this. First off, the taxes are the highest of any city I'm interested in - I would only have $4200/month for all my expenses. Next, the apartments are the most expensive - $2500 would still be a downgrade for something I would get for $1800 in Chicago right now. I'm a very light sleeper and terrified of bugs so the prospect of those two issues in an apartment in Manhattan is daunting. Next, the whole issue of crime. I don't know if it's overblown in the media - but defunding the police, strict gun laws (can I even have a registered glock in my apartment), decriminalizing certain offenses, and prosecuting people who defend themselves has me shook. Finally, seems like so many people have left, and that I'm paying a premium for a former shell of a city.
If COVID hadn't happened I wouldn't even think twice, it would be NYC, but then again if COVID hadn't happened there's no way I could afford the rent there on my income.
Any suggestions/insight? Appreciate it!
My suggestion is to change wherever you’re getting your information. NYC is a great city, still one of the safest large cities in the country. Tourism is down. Office workers from the burbs are working from home in the burbs. New Yorkers have their city to themselves in a way they haven’t in decades.
And rents are pretty low (relatively speaking) now. If trying out NYC is your dream I can’t think of why this wouldn’t be the right time to do it.
Others have mentioned Jersey City, which is a more affordable alternative. PATH trains from JC to WTC in 10 minutes, 20 minutes to 33rd street. And they run every 4 minutes at rush hour. Better access to midtown and lower Manhattan than from much of the city, cheaper than a monthly NYC subway fare, and no NYC income tax.
Of the ones on your list, Chicago is the obvious choice to me. Much more affordable than any of the others and has so much to offer. Way more bang for your buck. It has a large Indian population as well.
I'd throw in Dallas and Houston too (as someone else said). Their costs of living are lower, noticeably better buying power, have a good Indian population, and have strong economies.
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