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Hello! Ever wanted to help a stranger determine where to live? Here is your chance!
Here's the deal: my husband and I are both graduating in August with degrees in Library Science. We will be looking to relocate to an area where we can both get entry-level jobs (we have solid work histories in our respective areas).
I've travelled a fair bit, but am curious to get some insider info, if anyone would care to share.
Necessary qualities for our future city:
1. Culture. Museums, several universities (we will likely be working in academic libraries/archives), galleries, concert venues, parks.
2. Location. I can't live somewhere that is consistently hot. I love snow, cold weather, the changing leaves of autumn.
3. Size. Kind of on the large size, for variety's sake.
4. Transit system. Neither of us have cars. But we do have bikes.
Immaterial:
1. Quality of schools. We are not ever having children.
Cities we're especially eyeing: Chicago, Denver, D.C....? We like Pittsburgh, but wish that it were a teensy bit larger.
Wanna throw in your two cents? We'd really appreciate it. Thank you!
You have just described NEW YORK CITY! It has the best transportation system in the world. Culture and museums from all over the world. Colleges, universities, best of food, over 2,000 restaurants and libraries (the main library on seventh avenue, has books from every country! Markets: There is a flower market that has every fresh flower from any part of the world. The list is exhausting. It is expensive, but lots of peole live here, from all income brackets. There is a saying that goes: "If you cannot find it here, it does not exist." Languages spoken: over 200 hundred, and the list goes on and on and on...............I have lived here most of my life, and have travelled extensively inland and abroad.
You have just described NEW YORK CITY! It has the best transportation system in the world. Culture and museums from all over the world. Colleges, universities, best of food, over 2,000 restaurants and libraries (the main library on seventh avenue, has books from every country! Markets: There is a flower market that has every fresh flower from any part of the world. The list is exhausting. It is expensive, but lots of peole live here, from all income brackets. There is a saying that goes: "If you cannot find it here, it does not exist." Languages spoken: over 200 hundred, and the list goes on and on and on...............I have lived here most of my life, and have travelled extensively inland and abroad.
the OP said she liked cold and snow, and NYC don't get much snow in the winter, and it doesnt really get THAT cold.
Chicago has lots of culture, musueums, hundreds upon hundreds of ethnic restaurants, great nightlife, music venues, opera houses, libraries, attractions in the suburbs, etc.
It also has great public transportation systems (some that run 24 hours), and is very walkable, and bike-able. It is very affordable in many areas as well (compared to many other large cities in the states)
Minneapolis, same as Chicago. Great everything. Eye those two.
New York, Boston, and Chicago are the ones that stick out in my mind.
Big, cultured, changing seasons, transit-dependence is not a loss of independence (esp in NYC). NYC gets less snow than the other two (especially this year... while Boston was way above average in snowfall, NYC was well below average). It's not THAT cold relative to the upper midwest or plains, but to this guy from VA it's plenty cold!
the OP said she liked cold and snow, and NYC don't get much snow in the winter, and it doesnt really get THAT cold.
i agree with everyone else who said Minneapolis.
IF SHE WANTS lots of snow, she can take a trip to BUFFALO, NY, and get all she wants. We do get snow, some years more than others, however, not like Canada, Alaska, or some of those other states in the North. And cold weather, in the winter is mostly anywhere from 32 degrees to 45, to me: THAT IS COLD ENOUGH!
Omaha fits all of the criteria except for its not huge but more of a high medium but it does have a larger city feel. We have 3 universities and several colleges.
Wow, those are enormously different cities. Are you really going to do much biking in Chicago or D.C? Neither are very bike friendly from what I have seen, unless you are way out in the burbs. The congestion around D.C. is horrible, whether you drive or not, I find it to be a bit depressing.
Chicago is a cool city. Actually it's a very COLD city in the winter, the winters there can be terrible. If you like foliage in the fall, you are not going to see much in Chicago, it's asphalted and concreted almost everywhere near downtown (if you were at Northwestern for example). You have to travel quite a way for outdoor recreation (MI UP is the closest, WI has the Dells but very commercialized) unless you are into water sports (Lake MI).
Don't know too much about Denver, been in the area a few times, I would think Boulder would be a better choice. Isn't air pollution in Denver a big problem?
Remember, Pittsburgh is essentially an Appalachian city. West Virginia and SW Ohio are immediate neighbors, and it has a deep underlying Appalachian culture. Not sure if that's a problem for you, but it is the reality. An advantage is that you are near some great outdoor recreation in WV and PA, which is nonexistent in the central and Western parts of the Midwest.
Number One, I would recommend Madison, Wisconsin. P
Number Two, I would recommend Iowa City, Iowa.
I agree with number one, these folks said they liked the change of the seasons, there is a lot of foliage in WI, and it's bike-friendly.
Iowa City? No way, for me. In the middle of the flatlands with very little outdoor recreation. You have to travel a long way to get to a reasonably large city. Could you really get around that city on bikes?
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