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My husband and I have decided to move next fall...the only problem is we have no idea where!
Right now, we live in Houston, TX, which is hometown to both of us. I have lived in NYC, London, and Swansea (in Wales). He has lived in Austin, TX and hopped freight trains all over the country for years. We want to satisfy some of our shared wanderlust before our son enters school and we have to settle down. So, we've been brainstorming, but we are open to ideas, so throw them at me! Here is our criteria:
- Big city
- Good public transport system and walkable/bikeable, but also able to have a car (hubby wants to drive, I want to take my son out w/out driving)
- Possibility of a yard/garage/some kind of "extra" space that won't cost an arm and a leg
- Good job market for commercial or industrial construction (hubby is a union ironworker)
- Multicultural/European feel
- Good for young families (we're not really the suburban, soccer-mom kind of family)
- Fair amount of international companies (I will be doing a Master's program in global affairs/international relations)
Currently, I stay home with our son and my husband works as a leadman at a fab shop. Wherever we move, my husband will need to find a job that pays enough for me to continue staying at home, so we're fine with a high cost of living, as long as jobs pay enough to keep up with it. We live relatively comfortably in Houston, TX on about $50-55K gross, if that gives anyone an idea about income requirements.
Thank you, thank you in advance for any suggestions!
I would look at the Washington DC area, as outside of NYC you're not going to find the "multicultural/European feel" anywhere else. Check out the close-in suburb of Silver Spring, Maryland which is quite international on it's own and not the typical suburb with easy Metro access, walkability/bikeability, a nice selection of housing stock with yards/garages at decent prices, relative safety and plenty to do. The Washington DC construction market is always thriving and there are loads of international companies in the immediate area, both of which seem to always be hiring given the low unemployment rate in the area.
We live relatively comfortably in Houston, TX on about $50-55K gross, if that gives anyone an idea about income requirements.
For any city that you may be considering use a cost of living tool (I think Salary Wizard has one) to compare your current cost of living/current income vs the cost of living/income required to keep up your lifestyle. I found that using that tool was helpful in the past to give me an idea of salary requirements necessary for a new city.
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