Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
* COST OF LIVING: Super low. Gas is under $2. Taxes are also low. 2br-2ba apartment(nice ones w/ amenities) ~$600-1000.
* CRIME: Higher than average, but not anywhere near NYC or LA bad.
* DATING SCENE: I had no problems with this town in this department. Now happily married.
* LEISURE: ABQ gets most big-name concerts due to being the only stop for hundreds of miles around but not every single US tour stops by.
* NIGHTLIFE: Downtown and Nobb Hill. Good night-scene.
* POLITICS: NM is non-partisan.
* RELIGIOUS VIEWS: As am I, No undue discrimination to report from here. Burqueños are pretty tolerant.
* TRANSPORT: We have a really good bus system and commuter rail, but are about to overhaul it and put a true BRT system. Very bicycle friendly city, with designated Bicycle Boulevards . Some farther-out neighborhoods could use more transit service.
* WEATHER: This is where ABQ shines (literally). 330 sunshine-days per year. Almost no humidity, except for those summer shower, then it can get humid for almost a whole hour. The winters can be quite cold on account of the altitude, but not exceptionally snowy.
Hyper-rich culture and mouthwatering regional cuisine are just icing on the cake.
New York City has the lowest crime rate of any city in the entire country.
Anyway, my question to the OP: what's more important safety or weather?
If the answer is safety, I think your best bet is Minneapolis.
If the answer is weather, I think your best bet is Philadelphia.
I'd recommend Chicago third. Then Portland. Then Salt Lake City.
Based on cost of living and public transit, I say you narrow down your focus to these cities and find out more about the exact job location:
Chicago, IL - great big city! Weather will be your nemesis, and maybe price but if you look long and hard you should find housing within your budget.
New Orleans, LA - may be tough without a car but possibly doable.
Boston, MA - like Chicago, weather and COL will be the negatives.
Kansas City, MO - may be tough without a car but possibly doable.
Minneapolis, MN - Weather and lack of transit, though it's doable.
St. Louis, MO - Weather and lack of transit, though it's doable.
Portland, OR - pretty well-rounded option
Philadelphia, PA - great all-around option if you can afford the nicer areas.
Salt Lake City, UT - don't know much about it but the transit is supposed to be very good in certain areas.
Richmond, VA - couple of nice walkable neighborhoods.
New York City has the lowest crime rate of any city in the entire country.
Not even close. Besides, that is rather subjective: compared to what? A city can have only 100 residents. They can't all have people blasting cops. NYC having a lower crime rate than ABQ I'd be willing to take on faith though.
But I agree, more info from the OP would be helpful.
I have been offered to the opportunity to transfer from my current regional office in Miami, Florida to another regional branch or a sister company’s regional branch in one of the following cities:
Anchorage, AK
Tucson, AZ
Los Angeles, CA
San Diego, CA
San Francisco, CA
Washington, DC
Honolulu, HI
Chicago, IL
New Orleans, LA
Boston, MA
Kansas City, MO
Minneapolis, MN
St. Louis, MO
Albuquerque, NM
New York City, NY
Oklahoma City, OK
Portland, OR
Philadelphia, PA
Salt Lake City, UT
Richmond, VA
I have no idea where to go but I have a few hints that will help you help me select a branch.
* COST OF LIVING: Not on the high end of the spectrum. I make a modest wage and I will be getting a pay increase with my promotion (which also enables me to transfer). I can’t afford NY, so ignore that if I neglected to take it from the list. Same with San Francisco.
* CRIME: Low crime rate is ideal. I like to take walks late at night (Any time between 11PM-2AM), which is not too bad in my current Miami location but I wish to continue this.
* DATING SCENE: I am single heterosexual male. I want a dating scene in favor of men (more women than men). In terms of the type of women I like. Miami seems to be full of Barbie dolls. I would like to get away from this type of dating scene. I know it’s a generalization but I am looking for a city with women who aren’t synthetic and more educated that interested in celebrities.
* LEISURE: I am not an outdoorsy type. I like concerts and the movies. The occasional hike is nice but I favour a nice area over an adventurous region.
* NIGHTLIFE: I am not a big party animal but I hate how “clubby” (if that’s a word) Miami is. I like bars, even dive bars and local neighborhood joints, and frequent late night coffee shops with pals.
* POLITICS: I am a Democrat but with SOME conservative tendencies.
* RELIGIOUS VIEWS: I am irreligious but don’t care others’ views as long as I am not judged for my lack of faith.
* TRANSPORT: I can’t drive and rely on public transport and walking. A city with good public transport is imperative.
* WEATHER: I hate the humidity in Florida and would like someone not as sweaty. I don’t mind snow but a long, harsh winter would be tough on a Floridian like myself.
I think given most (if not all) of your criteria St Louis is going to be the most well-rounded option with a cost of living (5.5% below the national average) that would allow you to live in the more desirable areas (versus most other options listed) and fulfills your personality type more closely based on your dating/social interests. St Louis has a pretty decent public transit system as well.
So basically your job is letting you move anywhere you want to any of what i consider the top cities in the country. God i would kill for that job. I would take San Diego personally
Kansas City and St. Louis are both wonderful cities to live in. Kansas City has a reputation of being a city that people refuse to leave, if they get laid off after transferring there -- they'd rather downgrade than leave.
Here's an interesting fact about St. Louis. More than twice as many former major league baseball players are buried in St. Louis than any other city. Ball players who played for St. Louis teams made it their permanent home and stayed there until they died. In fact, a single cemetery (Calvary) in St. Louis is the final resting place of more ex-ball players (95) than any other entire city.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
