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I'm looking to move later this year, and one of my main criteria is being in a fairly large city, but in a neighborhood that is green and open. What do I mean by this? Here are two examples:
Madison, WI, within a couple miles of capitol building: [url]http://bit.ly/1avFRo4[/url]
New Haven, CT, East Rock neighborhood, within a couple miles of downtown: [url=http://bit.ly/JA0Gbr]Google[/url]
I'm looking for cities in PA (eastern), NJ, CT, MA, and RI, and I'm quite a walker so I'm fine with walking 2-3 miles each way.
As far as I'm aware, Philly and Boston do not have neighborhoods of this type, correct? (At least with a cost of living that isn't very high; I'll be living on about ~25-30k.) I am considering some of their suburbs with short train rides, but I'd like to pick your brains specifically for cities with open neighborhoods within walking distance of one of the its hubs.
I know that you didn't include NY State, but Syracuse and other cities in the state have such areas with green space. Here are some that come to mind: http://goo.gl/maps/8vzrk
Given your salary I would recommend another option where you can afford to live comfortably and not too far out of your geographic range. Check out Columbus, Ohio and central neighborhoods such as Grandview Heights, Old North Columbus, Victorian Village and Schumacher Place which have the aesthetic you're looking for near downtown and around Ohio State's campus.
For Philadelphia, you may want to look at West Philadelphia, around the universities (assuming you're okay with living near a fairly high student population). Neighborhoods like Cedar Park and Walnut Hill are very green, more spacious neighborhoods compared to many other much tighter/urbanized areas of the city.
You'd be within a 1-2 mile walking distance of Center City, or also have the option of taking the trolley. Here is an example of a neighborhood that sounds very close to what you're looking for:
Cost-of-living is higher in this area, but I don't think finding a decent apartment would be extremely difficult on that salary, especially if you're open to roommates.
Thanks for all the input! I definitely know how to stretch my money and I always live with roommates. Just to clarify: I'm not dead-set on Philly or Boston--I'd love to hear about all the cities you can think of--but I am looking for somewhere with a decent 20-something population.
Thanks for all the input! I definitely know how to stretch my money and I always live with roommates. Just to clarify: I'm not dead-set on Philly or Boston--I'd love to hear about all the cities you can think of--but I am looking for somewhere with a decent 20-something population.
I wouldn't write off Philadelphia altogether. The Northwest portion of Philadelphia is worth a look. Mount Airy and Chestnut Hill in particular have lots of trees and parks as well. Those areas might be a bit pricey for your budget, unless you stick toward the part of Mt Airy that borders Germantown. The Roxborough neighborhood (between Wissahickon Valley Park and the cliff over Manayunk) might be worth looking into as well.
Also, smaller cities might have a better combination of in-city space on a tight budget. Rochester, NY comes to mind as a good option. Real estate and rents are cheap, there are lots of trees, and there's more and more life coming back to downtown.
In Rochester, the Southeastern Quadrant is the most vibrant part of the city and neighborhoods around Highland and Cobbs Hill Parks in that side of town would work.
In Buffalo, around Delaware Park would work, as that would be near the Elmwood Village and North Buffalo.
In Albany, near Washington Park would fit and Lark Street in the Center Square neighborhood is close by.
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