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Haha sounds exactly where I am. One of those 8 cities I listed I was certain was going to be "it." In the last hour though, I have researched Louisville, Birmingham, and now Houston. While I ruled out Birmingham almost immediately(no offense to anyone living there), Louisville caught my eye. I can't seem to get a feel for the "bar district" though. I've seen lots of pictures of the beautiful victorian homes down there, but not much for where the entertainment is.
Houston is also now extremely interesting to me. I think I am officially adding it to my list as #9. I have been researching Rice Village and Midtown. Does anyone have any thoughts on those 2 areas? Which is better for someone such as myself?
Thanks again to everyone who has responded so far. You are all starting to overwhelm me though...I was hoping you'd make it easy and all agree on a single city, haha. Obviously that wasn't going to happen, but seriously, thanks so much for helping me out.
I was particularly interested in the music scene (which censusdata I believe has given me numerous links to). Heck, I'm sold on Abbey Road on the River alone. From what I hear, the city has lots of little artsy type festivals and 4th street is comparable to Austin's sixth, if maybe a more corporate version.
Houston is also now extremely interesting to me. I think I am officially adding it to my list as #9. I have been researching Rice Village and Midtown. Does anyone have any thoughts on those 2 areas? Which is better for someone such as myself?
Both Rice Village and Midtown are great places for young singles, and Houston is definitely making positive progress on the urban development front. I grew up in Houston and always felt stifled, and now that I've moved away I've really come to like it a lot whenever I go back. The restaurant scene is great, there are lots of young professionals, and art/music/culture are not in short supply. I suggest that you also check out the Heights/Washington Avenue area since there's a lot of development going on there and it's a very cool neighborhood with plenty of character.
Louisville's main entertainment district is along a 4 miles of Bardstown Rd (an area known as The Highlands)
Frankfort Ave, and 4th Street Downtown also offer a lot of night life
Yeah but a big difference between Denver and Minneapolis is that BITTER COLD during the winter! It rarely gets in the negatives here. At least it hasn't since I've moved here. The snow will fall, but it sure doesnt stay long.
Austin: I've seen it highly recommended many places, and I can see why. Lively area around 6th street, huge music scene, seems to be very walkable. Don't know much about the neighborhoods here, but everythign I've looked at near 6th street is out of my range. The bars do seem right up my alley though. Can someone recommend slightly more affordable neighborhoods while still being walking distance to the "action?"
Portland: I lived in Wyoming this summer and met a TON of people who had nothing but glowing things to say about Portland. Near the beach and the mountains, its very active and lots of young people are flocking there. Supposedly a nice downtown, and very walkable I hear. Is the weather really as gloomy as I've read? Don't know if I could wake up to 300 days of clouds a year. Any recommended neighborhoods here?
What I love about Austin is the "vibe" that permeates the town, despite how much different it may be now than it was when the "Keep Austin Weird" bumper stickers still applied. The music is everywhere, all of the bars and many of the restaurants have patios (with weather conducive to outside relaxation almost year-round, save for the odd cold day), the people are friendly, intelligent, and (mostly) forward-thinking, and there's a great overall charm to the city. Even in the hot summers, a float down the Guadalupe or an ice-cold Lone Star on a patio make everything seem just right. If you haven't seen it, check out Richard Linklater's Slacker, which I think captures the essence pretty well.
I'd check out the Hyde Park neighborhood, which is north of UT, but not too far. The houses are mostly older and small, but full of character and charm. The neighborhood may be a little out of your price range, though I'm sure that if you looked around you'd be able to split a 2-bedroom for less than $1600. The areas off of South Congress just south of the river are also nice, walkable, and somewhat affordable.
As far as Portland goes, I can only say that I've also heard glowing reviews (aside from the clouds), and it seems like a place that's definitely worth exploring.
Yeah but a big difference between Denver and Minneapolis is that BITTER COLD during the winter! It rarely gets in the negatives here. At least it hasn't since I've moved here. The snow will fall, but it sure doesnt stay long.
I"ve lived here 28 yrs and have rarely seen 0 degree weather. Some winters it doesn't even get down to 0 at all, and in a "normal" winter it is only a few days.
I think Portland is a very pleasant city. The weather is mild in terms of temperatures but it does get quite gloomy many parts of the year. Lots of rain in terms of frequency. However the summers are usually very good. If you're into the outdoors it's a great place. For its size the public transit is good, and there's a surprising vibrancy in the city for its size with many interesting neighborhoods (I'm in Seattle and am not extremely familiar with Portland but it is very comparable). Alot more vibrant than Tampa, which has a metro area of roughly the same size but has a completely different vibe going.
What led you to spend a summer in Wyoming? If you are big into being close to beautiful outdoor scenery, then I would second the recommendation that you consider Portland. It's a good size city, walkable, with tons of cool stuff to do for young people. It is also close to the spectacular Oregon coastline, rolling mountains, volcanic peaks, a river gorge, and the high desert in the east. Also, talk about the bad weather is overrated. What you sacrifice in sunny days, you gain in relatively mild temperatures (but is CAN get hot there at times in the summer).
I realize I won't find an exact replica, but I'm honestly not looking for the exact same thing--otherwise I'd just move back there! What I am looking for is some combination of:
-Lots of young people
-Walking Distance to nightlife
-Affordability(looking at 2BR/$1600 max...I'll have a roommate)
-Many restaurants(not chains) in the immediate area...I'll be waiting tables until I get my feet on the ground
Proximity to the beach
-Laid back vibe--What I mean by this is I'm not crazy about huge clubs with flashing lights and techno music...More into sports bars, drinking beers at restaurants with outside patios, happy hour at mexican restaurants, etc.
-Some sort of local sports scene
-A place where decent concerts come through
-While I plan on waiting tables for a bit wherever I go, eventually it'd be nice to know I'm in a place that has a decent job market for someone with a Business degree
-Minimal need for a car- I realize its convenient to have a car anywhere, but since my current car is a piece of junk, theres just no telling when it's going to give in and strand me.
-Weather: I enjoy 4 seasons, but in a give and take situation, I'd much rather do without snowy winters.
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I know you've already listed out your choice cities and said you did not want to move into a large city, but what you've described basically describes the "transplant" neighborhoods of the North Side of Chicago.
With the exception of the weather, you'll find more of what you're looking for in Lincoln Park or Lakeview than any other city on your list, in addition to better job prospects (both in the amount you can make in the interim as a server, and your long-term career).
We're currently experiencing one of the snowiest winters in the past 30 years, so if that's a dealbreaker, one of the smaller cities in the South would be a better fit. However, if it isn't I'd suggest you give those neighborhoods a look.
Omaha has tons of affordable apartments and condos if you wanted to move up. the old market has several bars and the qwest center attracts tons of concerts.
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