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I'm currently living in Williamsburg, Brooklyn in NYC. I used to live in Portland, Oregon. I miss and love Portland for it's art and music culture, but the job market and salaries aren't very good. Even out of recession times, Portland is known to not have good job creation.
As for New York, I love living in Brooklyn but dislike Manhattan. It's much too expensive, competitive and crowded for me.
I'm looking for a city with a good music and art scene along with a decent public transit system. I have a progressive mindset, I wouldn't say liberal but far from a republican. I'm well educated and I'm looking for a place with a good and stable job market.
I'm leaning towards Chicago, but does anyone have any suggestions for me? Please give me some info!
I heard denver's art and music population isn't up to par with other cities like Portland and San Fran. I'm an artist and musician as hobby but rely on this part of my revenue, most of my art is bought by hipster type people.
Is Denver's transplant and hipster population similar to Portlands?
I heard denver's art and music population isn't up to par with other cities like Portland and San Fran. I'm an artist and musician as hobby but rely on this part of my revenue, most of my art is bought by hipster type people.
Is Denver's transplant and hipster population similar to Portlands?
Denver is virtually all transplants. Tons of hipsters too, but not quite on the level of Portland.
I'm currently living in Williamsburg, Brooklyn in NYC. I used to live in Portland, Oregon. I miss and love Portland for it's art and music culture, but the job market and salaries aren't very good. Even out of recession times, Portland is known to not have good job creation.
As for New York, I love living in Brooklyn but dislike Manhattan. It's much too expensive, competitive and crowded for me.
I'm looking for a city with a good music and art scene along with a decent public transit system. I have a progressive mindset, I wouldn't say liberal but far from a republican. I'm well educated and I'm looking for a place with a good and stable job market.
I'm leaning towards Chicago, but does anyone have any suggestions for me? Please give me some info!
I guess I'm looking for a NYC/Portland hybrid?
I think Chicago would be a great fit for you and seemingly oft-overlooked by people living in the Northeast who want a similar big-city vibe without the overwhelming sense of congestion or high cost of living. The city has a great public transit system where you still won't need a car, an excellent music scene, tons of galleries and a thriving art scene, the same progressive mindset (probably closer to your ideal than Brooklyn) and a well educated population. The cost of living difference is substantial, particularly housing. The job market isn't terrific but stable, and not totally in the crapper like many cities. Chicago's unemployment rate is 9.0%, NYC's is 8.4% and the national average is 9.8%.
Check out the neighborhoods of Andersonville and Edgewater for reasonable housing with the services/amenities you're looking for. Good luck!
Chicago is currently on top of my list, I was there a few months ago for a visit. The Loop has the Manhattan feel yet neighborhoods such as Wicker Park and Edgewater have a community feel I can't find in Brooklyn.
The cost of living shocked me as well, I assumed salaries were pretty low, as they are in Portland. I did extensive research, salaries are pretty generous in Chicago as well. I'm not too concerned about finding a job in Chicago, in 2009 when I switched jobs, I got 5 offers in a month in NYC. Chicago has higher than average unemployment, even out of recession times. I've been told this is due to a low-educated poverty problem the city is facing.
I guess it may end up being Chicago.
It's actually pretty difficult to do research on cities. Portland's unemployment seems to be slightly higher than average but people on forums make it seem the unemployment is at 80% and it's impossible to find a job over 8 dollars an hour. Eh, I really wish I could find some optimism about Portland but I guess it doesn't exist.
Quote:
Originally Posted by kyle19125
I think Chicago would be a great fit for you and seemingly oft-overlooked by people living in the Northeast who want a similar big-city vibe without the overwhelming sense of congestion or high cost of living. The city has a great public transit system where you still won't need a car, an excellent music scene, tons of galleries and a thriving art scene, the same progressive mindset (probably closer to your ideal than Brooklyn) and a well educated population. The cost of living difference is substantial, particularly housing. The job market isn't terrific but stable, and not totally in the crapper like many cities. Chicago's unemployment rate is 9.0%, NYC's is 8.4% and the national average is 9.8%.
Check out the neighborhoods of Andersonville and Edgewater for reasonable housing with the services/amenities you're looking for. Good luck!
I think Portland has seen it heyday in terms of transplants falling in seamlessly with work and also in terms of affordability. The Pacific Northwest's new boom town seems to be Vancouver, Washington in terms of new development and having the ability to get in on the ground floor. It's not far from Portland so if you're really deadset on the area it could be worth exploring.
Vancouver, WA = new boom town? Hardly, it's a bedroom community of PDX and almost as depressing as PDX. Clark county (of which Vancouver is a part of) actually have the highest unemployment rate of WA.
For what the OP wants, Vancouver will certainly NOT fulfill his wish-list.
What about Philadelphia, Buffalo or Baltimore? I know with Buffalo, neighborhoods like Elmwood Village, Allentown and parts of North Buffalo would work. It's night life is pretty good too. Here's a publication you might like to check out: Artvoice: Buffalo's #1 Newsweekly
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