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I am planning on moving out of Boston and am looking for suggestions.
What I like about Boston is the number of smart people, access to cultural activities, music (lots of top-notch music schools with free student performances), and all the things to do that come with a big city. Crime is not super high although there are dangerous areas.
What I don't like (and the reason I am moving) is cost of living and inefficiencies. If I live outside of the city, I spend way too much time stuck in traffic or stuck on the public transit. If I live in the city in a safe area it costs a minimum of $2400/month for a studio with parking.
So what other places should I consider? NYC appeals to me but I believe it has the same issue with cost of living vs. spending too much time commuting.
I am planning on moving out of Boston and am looking for suggestions.
What I like about Boston is the number of smart people, access to cultural activities, music (lots of top-notch music schools with free student performances), and all the things to do that come with a big city. Crime is not super high although there are dangerous areas.
What I don't like (and the reason I am moving) is cost of living and inefficiencies. If I live outside of the city, I spend way too much time stuck in traffic or stuck on the public transit. If I live in the city in a safe area it costs a minimum of $2400/month for a studio with parking.
So what other places should I consider? NYC appeals to me but I believe it has the same issue with cost of living vs. spending too much time commuting.
Thanks!
DC is typically cheaper for a studio ($1400-$2000) in a safe area, pretty much on par with Boston for most things. It's still expensive though, but not as expensive as Boston to rent (oddly enough more expensive to buy).
We have the smart people, cultural activities, etc. The music it depends what you like...for jazz and classical it's great, for electronic dance music/club stuff or country, not so much.
Seattle, Portland, and Chicago might also be worth looking into. Depending on what you are going after. Portland if you want the most chill place possible. Decent public transit, good biking, and not horrible traffic. Also lots of music and an artsy vibe. Portland was not for me, but I get it's appeal. It was a little desolate for me.
A sleeper may be Rochester NY with its Eastman School of Music, music festivals and average COL. It also has an educational attainment above the national percentage of 30% in regards to those 25 and older with at least a Bachelor's degree(33%) within the metro area. Commutes are pretty short as well. In terms of city neighborhoods, look in this section of town: Southeast Quadrant - Rochester Wiki You may like this very nice first ring suburb if you want something outside of the city, but is close to the section of the city previously mentioned: Brighton - Rochester Wiki
I am planning on moving out of Boston and am looking for suggestions.
What I like about Boston is the number of smart people, access to cultural activities, music (lots of top-notch music schools with free student performances), and all the things to do that come with a big city. Crime is not super high although there are dangerous areas.
What I don't like (and the reason I am moving) is cost of living and inefficiencies. If I live outside of the city, I spend way too much time stuck in traffic or stuck on the public transit. If I live in the city in a safe area it costs a minimum of $2400/month for a studio with parking.
So what other places should I consider? NYC appeals to me but I believe it has the same issue with cost of living vs. spending too much time commuting.
Thanks!
I would also second DC which has the qualities you like/appreciate about Boston. Check out the north side of Arlington VA which offers very easy access to Downtown DC via MetroRail (around 10 minutes), good walkability with lots of restaurants/shops/nightlife nearby, and is a pretty safe area to live in. Desirable one bedroom apartments with parking (often free in the older garden-style apartment complexes) are easily found in the $1500-$1600 a month range. Something to consider if planning to keep your car is the northern end of the Lee Highway corridor which sounds busy/congested by name but is actually rather quiet and super convenient to DC if driving in/out as it doesn't rely on the traffic-clogged "main arteries" for but a mile or two of the trip. You can also walk/bike or short hop on a MetroBus to the nearest Metro station.
Minneapolis and Seattle. Both are higher-ed, big-medicine cities with lower crime, lots of amenities and arts, and other mentionables similar to Boston. Seattle has higher traffic and cost of living though, and Minneapolis is (obviously) colder than Boston.
To put it another way, Boston, Minneapolis and Seattle are all places we'd consider living in for the same reasons you mentioned already, as well as DC, Chicago, and a couple others.
I am planning on moving out of Boston and am looking for suggestions.
What I like about Boston is the number of smart people, access to cultural activities, music (lots of top-notch music schools with free student performances), and all the things to do that come with a big city. Crime is not super high although there are dangerous areas.
What I don't like (and the reason I am moving) is cost of living and inefficiencies. If I live outside of the city, I spend way too much time stuck in traffic or stuck on the public transit. If I live in the city in a safe area it costs a minimum of $2400/month for a studio with parking.
So what other places should I consider? NYC appeals to me but I believe it has the same issue with cost of living vs. spending too much time commuting.
Thanks!
Maybe also check out Philly as is generally less expensive and great cultural amenities and the Curtis Institute, which is potentially the second ranked music school in the country
For sure your top choices should be Chicago, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, and Seattle. Minneapolis and Seattle are more similar to Boston; Philadelphia and Chicago are more similar to New York. Seattle is the most expensive of these four and Minneapolis is the least expensive; however none of them are nearly as expensive as Boston.
If you made $50k in Boston, the amount you would need to be paid to live a comparable life in each city would be...
$46k in Seattle
$43k in Philadelphia
$42k in Chicago
$39k in Minneapolis
(x)
If you made $50k in Boston, the amount you would need to be paid to live a comparable life in each city would be...
$46k in Seattle
$43k in Philadelphia
$42k in Chicago
$39k in Minneapolis
(x)
LOL, no. You need to be paid the same in all these cities. These cities are all under the U.S. dollar. No one is moving from Seattle to Minneapolis and then getting some 7k "bonus" if they have the same salary.
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