Self employed, recent college grad- where should I live?? (rent, credit)
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I've literally been researching for months now but every article I find concerning "Best Places to Live in USA" doesn't seem to address my needs. Hopefully I can get some first hand accounts as I intend to be moving out of Ohio to literally anywhere within the next month. Here are my most important concerns:
-Good weather: I've lived in Ohio for too long. I want a place with lots of sun shine and low humidity.
-Near major airport: I'm a travel blogger so I need access to an airport.
-Low housing costs: Initially I'll be renting so somewhere with rent below $700 a month would be ideal.
-Access to natural spaces: I don't necessarily need to be in the woods but I like to have the option of outdoor activities such as hiking and snowboarding.
-Relatively safe: I'm a young single female so I need a place where I can feel safe.
-Nice college nearby: I like attending lectures and concerts so a good university would be a plus.
-Lively scene: Not necessarily for dating but I'd like to be able to meet/ befriend people my age and have entertainment available.
So those are my main criteria. Other things like commute aren't important since I work over the internet and I'm not worried about schools either since I have no kids. I'm also not particularly interested in big cities (mostly because I cannot afford them). Any advice at all concerning an affordable city where a 22 year-old who wants good weather should move, please share!
Agree, these are out of my price range right now. I would absolutely love to move to San Fran but I don't have the credit history yet to prove I could afford such a place.
Quote:
So are you hoping to go carless since you work from home? What is "near" a major airport. Within an hour's drive?
I will have a car but getting in and out of the city ever day wont be an issue, only the occasional trip to the airport so yeah, I think an hour would be reasonable.
The Phoenix area specifically Tempe is really your best option if you want affordability, low humidity, and close to outdoor recreation. Hiking you can do right in the city with mountains literally on all 4 sides of you. Snowboarding and forest/woods is just a couple hours north of Phoenix in the higher elevations.
I will have a car but getting in and out of the city ever day wont be an issue, only the occasional trip to the airport so yeah, I think an hour would be reasonable.
Ah, so an hour away from an airport is acceptable and you're not reliant on public transportation...darn, that makes it very hard to narrow down. LOL I feel like you've got way more options than I know about.
Anyway I'll give you some of my thoughts, with the obvious caveat that there must be hundreds of smaller cities across the country that could be just what you're seeking.
Atlanta comes to mind first. Mild winters and mild summers. There are lots of really nice walkable neighborhoods where you wouldn't even need your car if you're not commuting anywhere. The airport is easily accessible from the city, especially if it's convenient for you to get to a MARTA station, and you'd have a plethora of universities, activities, and hiking options available.
Nashville and Charlotte are similar to Atlanta, but perhaps with fewer carless neighborhoods and less "major" airports. Texas and Florida have plenty of options although I'm not sure you'd enjoy the heat in the summer. I'm also thinking major college towns could fit the bill. The one I'm most familiar with is Gainesville, FL, and it is definitely vibrant, safe, cheap and centrally located approx 90 min away from Orlando, Tampa, and Jacksonville International Airports.
I've literally been researching for months now but every article I find concerning "Best Places to Live in USA" doesn't seem to address my needs. Hopefully I can get some first hand accounts as I intend to be moving out of Ohio to literally anywhere within the next month. Here are my most important concerns:
-Good weather: I've lived in Ohio for too long. I want a place with lots of sun shine and low humidity.
-Near major airport: I'm a travel blogger so I need access to an airport.
-Low housing costs: Initially I'll be renting so somewhere with rent below $700 a month would be ideal.
-Access to natural spaces: I don't necessarily need to be in the woods but I like to have the option of outdoor activities such as hiking and snowboarding.
-Relatively safe: I'm a young single female so I need a place where I can feel safe.
-Nice college nearby: I like attending lectures and concerts so a good university would be a plus.
-Lively scene: Not necessarily for dating but I'd like to be able to meet/ befriend people my age and have entertainment available.
So those are my main criteria. Other things like commute aren't important since I work over the internet and I'm not worried about schools either since I have no kids. I'm also not particularly interested in big cities (mostly because I cannot afford them). Any advice at all concerning an affordable city where a 22 year-old who wants good weather should move, please share!
Oddly enough, I think Sacramento would satisfy your requirements. Low humidity and lots of sunshine, decent flight coverage, close enough to mountains (Lake Tahoe) to satisfy your hiking and snowboarding rituals. UC Davis would be fairly close enough for lectures/concerts. The only thing I'm not sure of is the night scene in Sactown, maybe others can comment here?
Another possibility is Denver. Close to DIA and Rocky Mountains nearby, but I can't think of a very good university in the area (at least not like the UC system). The night life (I hear) is decent in Denver.
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