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Cost of Living: Somewhere that wouldn't require me to have to share a small apartment with roommates. Preferably somewhere I can rent or buy a moderately sized suburban home.
Crime: Obviously I would prefer to live somewhere safe but as long as the crime is specific to certain areas rather than a city-wide issue then that's fine.
Leisure: I like watching sports and going to concerts. I like dining out sometimes (favorite cuisines are American, Italian, and Mexican). Nightlife must not be focused on clubbing as I hate clubbing. I love going to dive and sports bars, however.
People: I am pretty introverted and hate nosey neighbors. I can deal with aloofness.
Politics: I would say I am a centrist; socially liberal but fiscally conservative. E.g. pro-choice, LGBT rights, pro-2nd amendment however but skeptical of the welfare state and a proponent of free market economics.
Religion: I am agnostic but brought up in a Christian-identifying family. Would prefer to avoid areas where the Church is key to social events and life.
Transportation: Preferably has decent public transport, is walkable and NOT car-dependent.
Vibe: I hate eccentric people and living somewhere like Portland, OR where everyone is a faux-artist would drive me insane. I like normal, relaxed, laid back people who aren't cliquey and would rather spend Friday night at a sports bar than at a nightclub.
Weather: Four seasons. Hot and humid summers with white winters.
Quote:
Originally Posted by qtgrls
I'll consider it!
Indeed. Ignoring the public transportation requirements, which other cities would fit?
Cincinnati would be a good option in my opinion, if overlooking the public transit quality criteria. It's a great sports town, has the social/political aspects you're looking for and the overall friendly, laidback vibe minus the "hipster" influence.
Cincinnati would be a good option in my opinion, if overlooking the public transit quality criteria. It's a great sports town, has the social/political aspects you're looking for and the overall friendly, laidback vibe minus the "hipster" influence.
Never concerned Cincy! Sounds a good fit. I had three on my shortlist now: 1. Chicago 2. Atlanta 3. Cincinnati
Was hoping to shortlist 5, so I need two more suggestions and then it's time for my own research on each of them!
Cost of Living: Somewhere that wouldn't require me to have to share a small apartment with roommates. Preferably somewhere I can rent or buy a moderately sized suburban home.
Crime: Obviously I would prefer to live somewhere safe but as long as the crime is specific to certain areas rather than a city-wide issue then that's fine.
Leisure: I like watching sports and going to concerts. I like dining out sometimes (favorite cuisines are American, Italian, and Mexican). Nightlife must not be focused on clubbing as I hate clubbing. I love going to dive and sports bars, however.
People: I am pretty introverted and hate nosey neighbors. I can deal with aloofness.
Politics: I would say I am a centrist; socially liberal but fiscally conservative. E.g. pro-choice, LGBT rights, pro-2nd amendment however but skeptical of the welfare state and a proponent of free market economics.
Religion: I am agnostic but brought up in a Christian-identifying family. Would prefer to avoid areas where the Church is key to social events and life.
Transportation: Preferably has decent public transport, is walkable and NOT car-dependent.
Vibe: I hate eccentric people and living somewhere like Portland, OR where everyone is a faux-artist would drive me insane. I like normal, relaxed, laid back people who aren't cliquey and would rather spend Friday night at a sports bar than at a nightclub.
Weather: Four seasons. Hot and humid summers with white winters.
I agree that the Midwest has many of the cities you should be researching. One tough thing to balance is a suburban home in a walkable area that's not expensive. Suburban but still walkable usually comes with dollar signs...thinking NorCal, DMV, NYC, Boston...
But really it seems to me there are a lot of cities you could consider in addition to your top three. I'll throw out a bunch and let you narrow it down...
Philly - Comparable to Chicago in amenities, transit, walkability, and COL
Pittsburgh - Could be perfect...
Dallas - Comparable to Atlanta in many ways. Lots of nice walkable hoods and decent transit.
Minneapolis - Maybe not the best politically, but you get everything else you wanted.
Boston - COL might be challenging but I figure it deserves mention
DMV - Again, COL might be a little challenging but in parts of MD and NoVa you could get by.
Denver/SLC/Columbus/Charlotte - I don't really know these places well but many people say they have much of what you seek.
I agree that the Midwest has many of the cities you should be researching. One tough thing to balance is a suburban home in a walkable area that's not expensive. Suburban but still walkable usually comes with dollar signs...thinking NorCal, DMV, NYC, Boston...
But really it seems to me there are a lot of cities you could consider in addition to your top three. I'll throw out a bunch and let you narrow it down...
Philly - Comparable to Chicago in amenities, transit, walkability, and COL
Pittsburgh - Could be perfect...
Dallas - Comparable to Atlanta in many ways. Lots of nice walkable hoods and decent transit.
Minneapolis - Maybe not the best politically, but you get everything else you wanted.
Boston - COL might be challenging but I figure it deserves mention
DMV - Again, COL might be a little challenging but in parts of MD and NoVa you could get by.
Denver/SLC/Columbus/Charlotte - I don't really know these places well but many people say they have much of what you seek.
Thanks for the list! I'll go away and research them myself now. However, one more city I have considered but know little about is New Orleans. Would that be a good fit for me?
New Orleans could work. From your criteria, I'd say the crime is a bit of an issue although it wouldn't deter me from moving there...just would be somewhat picky on where I'd live and where I'd frequent. But I think the vibe also is quite weird and less "normal," the weather is obviously not gonna be "four seasons" and public transit is only ok. Also, it's smaller than any metro I recommended (much smaller in many instances) which just means fewer options to find the best neighborhood and crowd of people to suit you.
But it's an awesome city so sure, look into it too!
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