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I live in a "cool" neighborhood in Minneapolis just south of downtown and pay $800 a month for a 850 sq ft 1 bedroom. It is a 1920s era building so it doesn't have a dishwasher or a large kitchen but it does have hardwood floors and quality craftsman style woodwork. It is good that Minneapolis is cold enough that people don't want to move here.
I too am wondering why the OP started this thread since he found a place that suits him after MUCH searching. Yes there are plenty of affordable areas with hip amenities if one takes the time to search for them. Louisville KY comes to mind.
I think what is happening is a psychology/sociology question - are millenials able to think for themselves or are they just accustomed to getting direction from outside. If it is the latter then they will be drawn to whatever facebook says is the hip new place. Supply and demand will cause rents to rise. Nashville is a prime example of this.
Millennials vote for liberals and then are surprised by the consequences of liberal policies. Amazing.
"Liberal policies"? Expensive neighborhoods are simply the result of supply and demand, whether that's a liberal urban neighborhood or a conservative suburban neighborhood. This has very little to do with political ideology.
I don't know, in the "old" days people moved where the best job opportunities for them were. Forget what's hip and focus on your career. Wherever you go there you are.
Many people talk about places like NYC, LA and Seattle being very expensive. Then, they go on to suggest that there are alternative, affordable "cool" millennial cities. I have not found that to be the case, really.
Austin TX, Charlotte NC, and Columbus OH are often cited as affordable and "cool" places for millennials to live in. However, there is one dynamic that I have become very aware of. That is, that the only areas within these cities/metros that are actually considered "cool," almost always happen to be in the central urban core (i.e. downtown, uptown, etc.), covering no more than a few square miles. If you live more than 5 miles outside of the central urban core, it's considered not "cool." Furthermore, the rents in these central urban cores, EVEN in "affordable" places like Columbus or Charlotte, are NOT affordable at all, unless you have roommates or make a very high income. For example, in downtown Columbus, a decent 1 bd apartment goes for a minimum of $1,300 or even as high as $1,700, which is too expensive considering one would be earning an Ohio salary, which isn't particularly high.
Now, I live in the city of Columbus, about 9 miles from downtown and really like the area. It's quiet, and I have a very nice 2 br condo for just $989 a month (1,000 sq ft).
Austin, TX is no longer considered affordable, by any means. A decent 1 bd apartment goes for at least $1,500 in the inner city, which is outrageous. Same with Charlotte....at least $1,400.
So then, why do millennials and Forbes keep suggesting that these cities are the best cities for millennials and that they are affordable? It's total baloney. To have the true urban, millennial experience, you must live in or near the central urban core, and pay very high rent. And those who live in the central urban core typically have no interest in venturing out to the outer parts of the city and making friends and doing activities there. It's like they want to live their whole lives in a 4-square mile BUBBLE!
Not to mention, many of these new apartment buildings are atrociously built. You can hear EVERYTHING through the walls and ceilings.
This whole millennial/urban living movement has got to be the biggest sham in American history, with regard to housing.
Smh.
Not in Louisville....for now. Awesome amenities at a fraction of the price of any of those cities.
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