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I personally like the Providence suggestion. It's basically the most beautiful city I've been to in the US, plus you're close to Boston and it's cheaper.
Thanks for the tips so far... I have considered Providence but have never been there. Would like to visit Do you know anything specific about it. I would pursue a job in Boston most likely if not a monster commute on public transit time wise.
It's a nice historic city. Many older buildings and neighborhoods and such that are quite nice to walk through. Very New England. Obviously it's one of the oldest cities in the country. Good food scene there. Close to Cape Cod which is always fun to check out during the summer. It is roughly an hour commute to Boston and a transportation hub so easy access to NYC/Boston by bus or train.
Last edited by fluffydelusions; 05-14-2017 at 07:32 PM..
Clearly the most logical choice is Baltimore. Find an apartment within walking distance to Penn Station and you can commute to DC daily via the MARC train.
Philly & NYC? Yeah they're convenient if you want to visit DC monthly or quarterly, but not if you're serious about a career in public policy.
Baltimore is the most affordable option of the 5 major east coast cities. Check out Downtown Partnership's website for more info and to see if Baltimore is cosmopolitan enough for you:
You'll definitely want to factor commuter rail prices into your budget. They can be quite expensive. It could be around $400/month to commute to Boston from providence Monday to Friday for a month.
Also consider what public universities have public policy programs nearby. I'd imagine Baltimore would be good with that if college park or UMBC have programs. That could be good if you pursue in state tuition. There's always online programs too so maybe local universities aren't super important to your decision.
Clearly the most logical choice is Baltimore. Find an apartment within walking distance to Penn Station and you can commute to DC daily via the MARC train.
Philly & NYC? Yeah they're convenient if you want to visit DC monthly or quarterly, but not if you're serious about a career in public policy.
Baltimore is the most affordable option of the 5 major east coast cities. Check out Downtown Partnership's website for more info and to see if Baltimore is cosmopolitan enough for you:
^^Yep. This. It's gotten a lot of bad press for the police shootings and violent crime in the past few years, but it's a cool city with some very nice neighborhoods. You can live there easily, cheaply, and be nowhere around the bad stuff, just as you can in most other cities.
Philly is certainly a nice city with many nice areas but if you're trying to stay well below $1200 you'll probably have trouble finding something in those nice areas.
Leaving me with Baltimore as the best recommendation. I was very impressed with the many neighborhoods there, some already very nice, some gentrifying, and some just solid working class that care about their community. As has been pointed out, the MARC train is a quick and easy commute to Union Station. I don't actually know the rents in Bmore but it's gonna be your best bet among the large cities.
Philly is certainly a nice city with many nice areas but if you're trying to stay well below $1200 you'll probably have trouble finding something in those nice areas.
Leaving me with Baltimore as the best recommendation. I was very impressed with the many neighborhoods there, some already very nice, some gentrifying, and some just solid working class that care about their community. As has been pointed out, the MARC train is a quick and easy commute to Union Station. I don't actually know the rents in Bmore but it's gonna be your best bet among the large cities.
Baltimore is the logical choice in my opinion too. Philly is too sketchy in that price bracket and while Providence is nice it makes no sense to commute that distance to Boston unless the job market is lacking for the OP as well as advanced degree options. That price bracket is clearly doable in Baltimore with some desirable options as well.
Philly and Baltimore were the two places I immediately thought of. As others have said, both are historic cities with a reasonable cost of living. Baltimore is obviously very close to DC and Philly is reasonably close to NY and DC.
Another possibility that has not been mentioned is Richmond. It is probably not as cosmopolitan as Philly and Baltimore, but it is no slouch, it has some nice historic areas, it is close to DC, and it has a reasonable cost of living.
Last thought: usually when people say "East Coast" they mean the northeast and mid-atlantic from Boston to DC, but if you are willing to go further south, Atlanta is another option. It is in a state located on the east coast, I would argue it is just as cosmopolitan as Philly and Baltimore (possibly even more so) and it also offers a reasonable cost of living.
It's a nice historic city. Many older buildings and neighborhoods and such that are quite nice to walk through. Very New England. Obviously it's one of the oldest cities in the country. Good food scene there. Close to Cape Cod which is always fun to check out during the summer. It is roughly an hour commute to Boston and a transportation hub so easy access to NYC/Boston by bus or train.
fluffydelusions........Thanks for adding the photos. This is what I like to do also... Giving a visual is great!
Philly and Baltimore were the two places I immediately thought of. As others have said, both are historic cities with a reasonable cost of living. Baltimore is obviously very close to DC and Philly is reasonably close to NY and DC.
Another possibility that has not been mentioned is Richmond. It is probably not as cosmopolitan as Philly and Baltimore, but it is no slouch, it has some nice historic areas, it is close to DC, and it has a reasonable cost of living.
Last thought: usually when people say "East Coast" they mean the northeast and mid-atlantic from Boston to DC, but if you are willing to go further south, Atlanta is another option. It is in a state located on the east coast, I would argue it is just as cosmopolitan as Philly and Baltimore (possibly even more so) and it also offers a reasonable cost of living.
I mean the Northeast and Mid Atlantic then.... Georgia is too far south...
Baltimore could be worth looking into........ I do know the Lexington Market area is depressing. I enjoy being in an downtown setting so that may be a big turn-off
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