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Yeah, I thought his whole list was bizarre, but that was the weirdest comment. Columbus and Indy also shouldn't be near the top of a list for dense urban living comparable to NYC/San Fran like the OP asked in the first place.
You can swing metro living in most Midwestern cities at $11 an hour no problem, but you would need a roommate (or several) and you would probably want to live in a transition area. In Milwaukee, lots of people live cheaply in the Riverwest neighborhood, which is cheap and funky and whatever, but also far more dangerous than areas that are slightly more expensive. Same with 5th Ward. You can also get good deals on rent on the East Side, Bayview and 3rd Ward, but you would have to search a bit. All these neighborhoods are near-downtown or right off downtown. I know that Detroit, Cleveland and St Louis are similar in terms of all the above info.
Yes in Columbus the person making 11 an hour won't be living in the hip/nice urban neighborhoods, but they will still be a in a city offering that and a younger progressive population. Plus those areas are fairly close to the more affordable areas, and even the affordable areas aren't going to be very dangerous etc. So that's why it "can" be done.
It might sound crazy but Seattle , Seattle has several thousand apodments they average 500 a month including all utilities. The down side there small average 200 to 300 square ft. Most have a mini kitchen just a sink , fridge and a microwave. And share a community kitchen with the ones im looking at have janitors who clean the community kitchen . Im looking into moving to Capitol Hill on the Streetcar line myself . I will be puting my car in storage and move to downtown Seattle . I think Ill be very happy because it has great public transportation and my bills will only be about 600 dollars a month housing , utilities , phone and cable. My car is paid off and if its in storage I wont need Insurance. Pluss im a manager for a local restaurant chain so I'm considered middle income. And I dont need much space since im single and lived in apodments before in Belltown Seattle downtown.
Like Joe 11 dollars an hour wants to live in New York City or San Francisco but can't swing any of it... where does Joe 11 dollars an hour move for that cool, urban lifestyle he seeks? i.e. What's the broke-ass backup choice to New York City or San Francisco?
Like Joe 11 dollars an hour wants to live in New York City or San Francisco but can't swing any of it... where does Joe 11 dollars an hour move for that cool, urban lifestyle he seeks? i.e. What's the broke-ass backup choice to New York City or San Francisco?
Once upon a time people could do this easly but I think now these types of neighborhoods have been or are in the process of being gentrified. Otherwise it's going to be living in a small apartments with a whole lot of other people who want what is percieved as a "cool urban lifestyle." A more cool urban lifestyle will be expensive and there is no getting around it.
Funny, but the people who did live in the old neighborhoods in New York City or San Francisco probably never thought of themselves as "cool." I bet they just thought they were "broke-ass" and couldn't wait to get the heck out of there.
If you make only 11 dollars an hour (without any other source of wealth or income), then you can't afford to live in any cool city that is anything like NYC or San Francisco.
Make more.
Not true. I lived in SF in lower Pac Heights(albeit with roommates) and the Lower Haight on 12 dollars an hour cash only a few years back. I didn't have oodles of disposable income no, but I still went out to my favorite bars and clubs regularly, and just was smart in how I spent my green.
All this talk about "it can't be done" here or there is a lot of balderdash. It CAN be done. Always. Anywhere. It just takes a certain level of intelligence and financial responsibility.
There's a few options though if you want to incorporate decent transit into the equation I'd say check out Cleveland, in particular the Cudell/Edgewater, Coventry Village, Detroit Shoreway, Ohio City or Tremont neighborhoods. Cleveland is quite hip, trendy and has a low cost of living.
I second this. I lived in Chicago for many years before my line of work went belly up in 2010. Moved back home to northern Ohio, about 30 minutes from Cleveland. Moving back was a bit of an adjustment, but living in the area is not as bad as I remembered it to be.
Cleveland is a very affordable city, reasonably safe if you are street smart. If you like the night life and want to boogie, check out this site
In Milwaukee, lots of people live cheaply in the Riverwest neighborhood, which is cheap and funky and whatever, but also far more dangerous than areas that are slightly more expensive.
The Northside neighborhood of Cincinnati would fit the bill. Plenty of starving artists/musicians call it home and somehow scrape by. Hip, cheap, urban.
Like Joe 11 dollars an hour wants to live in New York City or San Francisco but can't swing any of it... where does Joe 11 dollars an hour move for that cool, urban lifestyle he seeks? i.e. What's the broke-ass backup choice to New York City or San Francisco?
In NYC or SF, Joe 11 Dollars shares a small apartment with Mike 12 Dollars, Jim 10 Dollars, and resident baller Pete "Big Pimpin" 15 dollars.
These are really off the radar, but sort of interesting. I was suprised by them, particularly Syracuse and Troy. Troy is pretty amazing...a rowhouse city squeezed into this river valley. Neat place...yeah, poor, but still intact and not tooo slummy. I stayes in this old hotel downtown.
Syracuse was interesting...they are really trying to make things happen there. Buffalo..wow..Allentown and other areas, too (that area north of the park..Blue Rock or something?)...who knew?
Rochester... just a taste of and I want to explore that town more. Same with Albany.
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