Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
While Philly on the surface seems similar the people are generally are quite different and lack that creativity, intellect and pride in community seen in Brooklyn. If you can look past the inability to utilize trash containers, the common concept that trees/shrubs are "dirty"/less favorable to poured concrete and a generally less friendly vibe I would say it fits otherwise. If looking for some semblance of class, community pride and more apparent intellect check out neighborhoods like Federal Hill, Canton or Mt Vernon in Baltimore where you can find beautiful, historic rowhomes for 350K-400K.
While Philly on the surface seems similar the people are generally are quite different and lack that creativity, intellect and pride in community seen in Brooklyn. If you can look past the inability to utilize trash containers, the common concept that trees/shrubs are "dirty"/less favorable to poured concrete and a generally less friendly vibe I would say it fits otherwise. If looking for some semblance of class, community pride and more apparent intellect check out neighborhoods like Federal Hill, Canton or Mt Vernon in Baltimore where you can find beautiful, historic rowhomes for 350K-400K.
Large chunks of Brooklyn are ghetto and filled with litter, so I'm not sure what you're talking about. Not all of Brooklyn is prestigious and not all of Philly is run down
I would look at Cincinnati areas such as OTR/Pendleton, MT. Adams and even Covington and Newport on the Kentucky side. They all have great architecture, nice homes with always some sort of events going on. OTR is right next to downtown Cincinnati and has a plethora of bars and is close to multiple museums and has even stood In as New York for movies.
Yeah, OTR and some of those areas have the most NYC architecture off the East Coast (along with St. Louis or Pittsburgh). At ground level, though, while the housing won't look like it as much, but the demographic/racial similarities of Brooklyn would be more like the westside of Cleveland ... or parts of Buffalo or Chicago, at least off the EC.
Wife and I (early 30's) are looking to make a move from Brooklyn to another city in the U.S. Looking for somewhere that we'll be able to live a comfortable life on an income of about ~$70k combined with our savings (~$1M). We love Brooklyn (Park Slope, Brooklyn Heights, etc.) but view it as unaffordable unless I want to continue at my very high stress job.
So we're hoping the community here can help us find some other cities that have a lot in common. Looking for:
1) Relatively dense (aka, no sprawling suburban areas like Texan cities) and part of a large city (nothing under at least a few hundred thousand).
2) Similar architecture (love victorian homes, rowhouses, colonial era, etc.). The more of it, the better. Even better if there isn't a lot of modern stuff thrown in.
3) At least somewhat safe
4) Fun things to do (street festivals, cool bars, museums, etc).
5) More affordable than Brooklyn.
Don't care about schools, political leaning, weather (well, if Hawaii is cheap with gorgeous architecture I'll take it..)
A lot of areas in Boston (Beacon Hill, North End, Back Bay) meet all the criteria, but I think we're about 20 years too late for those being affordable. I'm not that familiar with DC/Baltimore/Philly, but those seem promising. Maybe something a little further south? I'm also not familiar at all with cities like Savannah, Alexandria, or Charleston but maybe there is something interesting there?
Do those have a similar vibe? Anyone make the move out of Brooklyn seeking affordability (we can't be the first..). Where'd you go and how'd you like it?
Thanks for the recommendations!
You could try certain parts of Dorchester in Boston, Malden, Everett or Chelsea as well.
Also, a lot of people that leave Brooklyn and looking for that look/feel actually go to Hudson Valley communities like the Rivertowns of Westchester County(Tarrytown, Ossining, Peekskill, Irvington, Dobbs Ferry, Hastings, Croton, etc), Beacon, Kingston, Hudson, and even Catskill, Saugerties, Nyack and Cold Spring, among others. Those places generally allow for access to NYC via train.
Also, if you are open to smaller cities like those mentioned in the latter portion of the original post, then neighborhoods like South Wedge, Park Avenue, Neighborhood of the Arts and even Monroe Village in this section of Rochester: https://rocwiki.org/Southeast_Quadrant
Chicago and Philly are going to be your best bet. DC and to a lesser extent Boston are cheaper, but not enough to justify the move.
In Chicago, I would look to the north side areas: Lincoln Park is somewhat like Park Slope in that it is a yuppie area with quiet residential side streets and strong commercial corridors. Wicker Park, former hipster area turned affluent, is closer to Williamsburg. Logan Square is like Bushwick. Lakeview is another popular northside area.
In Philly, I would recommend Center City or any of the adjoining rowhouse neighborhoods, especially: Fairmont, Northern Liberties, or Passyunk Sq.
Chicago's advantages have to do with size. It is nowhere near NYC's scale, but it is the 2nd city when it comes to offering the feel amenities of a big urban city. Philly is smaller, but it is arguably more familiar in terms of culture and architecture. So it may superficially remind you more of Brooklyn. It also has the advantage of being super closer to NYC, so you can go back to visit literally any weekend.
LA, and SF are also alternatives. But, LA is sprawling and not that much cheaper. SF is cost prohibitive if you are looking for somewhere cheaper.
Beyond that there are lots of other cities out there that offer trendy urban neighborhoods. But, I think they would be so different in scale that it would be hard to compare them to Brooklyn living.
Status:
"Pickleball-Free American"
(set 1 day ago)
Location: St Simons Island, GA
23,460 posts, read 44,074,708 times
Reputation: 16840
Quote:
Originally Posted by leavingnyc1
Maybe something a little further south? I'm also not familiar at all with cities like Savannah, Alexandria, or Charleston but maybe there is something interesting there?
I think that you could find what you're looking for in the historic areas of these cities, as they would fit the bill for many of your requirements.
Other turn of the (20th) century neighborhoods to consider in the South:
The Fan District, Richmond
Inman Park, Grant Park, West End, Atlanta
Hyde Park, Tampa
Uptown, Garden District, New Orleans
Downtown, Germantown, West End, Nashville
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mosep
I'd like to know how the OP has a million dollars in savings in their early 30's with a combined income of 70K.
Inheritance, shrewd inventing, "shadow businesses". Maybe $70K is reported income.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
