I will be graduating from college in the spring and am desperately craving a change of scenery and new opportunities. I am a 21 year old single male and currently live just outside of Madison, where I go to a media arts school for music recording and production. Here are some things I am looking for in a new city. This is in no particular order; these are all kind of my top tier of criteria.
Also, I have job prospects in Minneapolis and Denver right now so they kind of have a head start, but I’m still pretty open because I have plenty of time to decide.
Overall – I would like to be in a city that is of manageable size (ie probably not NYC, LA, or Chicago), but still has a vibrant downtown area with a true urban vibe. Skyline, lots going on, nightlife, good/unique food and shopping, walkable- that kind of thing. Museums and theater are maybe not quite as important to me, but would still be very cool to have around. I love the idea of a city having “everything you could want”, but have never really experienced that. I dream of being in a city where the whole day could be spent out and about, without feeling the need stop at home between doing things or get in the car to drive somewhere.
Music Scene – I am going into the music industry, so I find it pretty necessary to be somewhere with a lot of clubs/venues and record stores as well as the presence of recording studios and record labels. It is VERY important to me to be able to get involved in a strong local indie music community; people making music and supporting the scene in general. I don't need anything world-class, but would like the city to be on the national radar (or at least the national underground radar) for producing music and a main stop for touring alt/indie bands.
Natural Setting/Outdoor Recreation – I’m not a die-hard outdoorsman, but I would love to live somewhere with access to great outdoor opportunities. It would be nice to be able to be out of the city and into the wilderness pretty quickly and easily. Mountains, ocean, lakes/rivers, woods…I wouldn’t say I have a preference towards one thing or another, but give me
something!
Weather – I feel like I need to be somewhere that experiences all four seasons, but would like to have winters that are a little more tolerable than the upper Midwest. It isn’t the coldness itself that really bothers me, but how long it lasts without relenting.
People – This is probably a slightly lower priority than the rest, because I feel like in a big enough city you can find just about every type of person. However, I mainly would like the community to be active and as eager as I am to take advantage of the city’s amenities. It would be nice to have a college campus nearby, just to bring the city that college sense of community and youthfulness. I would like the overall vibe of the people to be more laid back rather than rat-racey. Cultural/Ethnic diversity is nice but I don't think it's a make-or-break thing for me. It also wouldn't hurt if the people are friendly overall (and the women are easy on the eyes
)
Thanks for reading and let me know if you have any ideas or if anything needs clarification.
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