Which of THESE cities are friendliest, least friendly? (sales, apartment)

[EclecticEars]

I currently live in Kentucky and could live in Louisville or Cincinnati and stay close to home. I don't really like the first, but love the latter.

That said, there are some other cities I'm considering to "spread my wings" when I receive my Bachelor's degree in May and have to enter the real world. The cities are: Charlotte, Nashville, Austin, Houston, San Antonio, Fort Worth, Atlanta, Indianapolis, St. Louis, and Denver.

Every city I've listed here has something great to offer for young people be it cultural activities, live music, great nightlife...something. But, what means so much more to me than anything is how easy it is to make friends someplace. Sure, I know the saying "you reap what you sow," that I have to be a friend to have a friend. But, I found it much easier to make friends when I lived in Cincy than when I lived in Louisville . So, rank these cities in terms of friendliness, or at least vote for the top five friendly cities in the poll.

Muchas gracias! I look forward to starting a new chapter in my life, and as a 22-year-old, single male, now's the time to do it! (By the way, my top two prospective homes are Houston and Austin.)

[WestCoDude]

Houston and Austin are very different.

If you're looking for a very friendly place that isn't too much unlike home, check out St. Louis. It is a lot like Louisville but, dare I say, with much more character and much more going on (after all, it is nearly double the size of Louisville).

[CMDallas]

Austin, San Antonio, Fort Worth, and Denver...
Cities like Houston and Atlanta feel to big and there isn't any our of the ordinary friendliness...
Fort Worth is odd, is has a mid-small city sized feel. It is more 'friendly' then its larger more Cosmopolitan neighbor Dallas ...but the two feel different yet the same...
Dallas feels big, Fort Worth...not so much...just in my opinion...the attitude of people can really differ from city to city actually...Dallas in this sense is not much different then Atlanta or Houston.
Denver has a small-mid city sized feel to it...much like fort worth except without the huge metro...and more mountains...
Austin...I don't know, it's filled with younger people who tend to be either Ambitious or Friendly...sometimes both...a 23 year old (male or Female, ugly or attractive...seems more friendly then the 53 year old hag who has been working at the same place for 20 years...sometimes...although the service can be bad but thats not the issue)
San Antonio, as big as it is...feels very small...it is a touristy town...sort of Like Fort Worth and Denver....but it feels smaller...

[STLCardsBlues1989]

St. Louis is friendly, and probably pretty affordable compared to some of those cities. Texas sounds friendly as well.

[northbound74]

I'd pick St. Louis or Cincy... maybe Indianapolis. It takes a good level of tolerance to live in Texas. I lasted there for ten months, then I just couldn't take it anymore.

[EclecticEars]

Originally Posted by WestCoDude

Houston and Austin are very different.

If you're looking for a very friendly place that isn't too much unlike home, check out St. Louis. It is a lot like Louisville but, dare I say, with much more character and much more going on (after all, it is nearly double the size of Louisville).

I might have to just check St. Louis out!

[EclecticEars]

Originally Posted by CMDallas

Austin, San Antonio, Fort Worth, and Denver...
Cities like Houston and Atlanta feel to big and there isn't any our of the ordinary friendliness...
Fort Worth is odd, is has a mid-small city sized feel. It is more 'friendly' then its larger more Cosmopolitan neighbor Dallas ...but the two feel different yet the same...
Dallas feels big, Fort Worth...not so much...just in my opinion...the attitude of people can really differ from city to city actually...Dallas in this sense is not much different then Atlanta or Houston.
Denver has a small-mid city sized feel to it...much like fort worth except without the huge metro...and more mountains...
Austin...I don't know, it's filled with younger people who tend to be either Ambitious or Friendly...sometimes both...a 23 year old (male or Female, ugly or attractive...seems more friendly then the 53 year old hag who has been working at the same place for 20 years...sometimes...although the service can be bad but thats not the issue)
San Antonio, as big as it is...feels very small...it is a touristy town...sort of Like Fort Worth and Denver....but it feels smaller...

Interesting analysis.

I've also been considering Chicago, but it just gets to daggone cold up there in the winter (for some stretches, anyway,) and the cost of living is pretty high. I would pay less in state income taxes up there than I would here in Kentucky, oddly enough, but factor in additional city and county taxes levied (i.e.: Chicago and Cook County,) a high sales tax, and "decent" studios that run $1000/mo. or more, it might be more reasonable to live in a place like Houston, Austin, or Atlanta for now. In these cities, the cost of living is much more reasonable and the "urban attitude" isn't quite as in-your-face, for a lack of better words, as it would be in a place like Chicago. A good stepping stone from a small town in a small state to more "worldly" places!

I've lived in Louisville and near Cincy before and know I can handle cities with no problem. I currently live in a small town of 10,000 people, but I can get back in the hang of "metropolitan life" pretty quickly.

[STLCardsBlues1989]

I've heard that St. Louis is similar to Louisville. Actually both are named after French Kinds named Louis (not the same king, though). St. Louis is generally a little warmer than Chicago and you can get a decent 1 BR apartment/house in St. Louis usually for $600-$700/month. St. Louis doesn't have as much to do as Chicago, but St. Louis is a good city in its own right.

I went to rural western Kentucky for a wedding. It was nice, though kind of remote (although this area is too).

[neonwattagelimit]

Originally Posted by jcm1986

Interesting analysis.

I've also been considering Chicago, but it just gets to daggone cold up there in the winter (for some stretches, anyway,) and the cost of living is pretty high. I would pay less in state income taxes up there than I would here in Kentucky, oddly enough, but factor in additional city and county taxes levied (i.e.: Chicago and Cook County,) a high sales tax, and "decent" studios that run $1000/mo. or more, it might be more reasonable to live in a place like Houston, Austin, or Atlanta for now. In these cities, the cost of living is much more reasonable and the "urban attitude" isn't quite as in-your-face, for a lack of better words, as it would be in a place like Chicago. A good stepping stone from a small town in a small state to more "worldly" places!

I've lived in Louisville and near Cincy before and know I can handle cities with no problem. I currently live in a small town of 10,000 people, but I can get back in the hang of "metropolitan life" pretty quickly.

Just so you know, you can get a decent studio for a whole lot less than $1000 a month in Chicago. It varies quite a bit depending on the neighborhood, but for that much you can get a very nice 1BR in a nice area. However, if you have difficulty with the cold or are unaccustomed to very large cities, Chicago may not be for you. It's also more expensive than any of the places you mentioned, though its not on the same level as NYC or SF.

I really don't know much about any of the cities you are considering, but I was struck by the friendliness of the people in St. Louis during my very brief trip there last month. It didn't seem like there was much going on, but I was there on business and didn't really have time to go anywhere. Plus, I've spent my entire life in New York and Chicago, so I may be a bit biased.

[STLCardsBlues1989]

Most people I've met in St. Louis were pretty friendly.