Recent college grad: No clue where to re-locate! (ski resorts, apartments)

[Grass4]

Browsing the city-data forums gets so frustrating, because obviously every city in the U.S. has its pros and cons. I read some great stuff about a city, and then there are posts describing equally bad deal-breakers that destroy the positive aspects. I have no idea how to determine what might be a viable option for me!

Some stats:

1. I currently live in Long Island, NY. I work in NYC. I hate the big city. I dislike the extremely cold weather of New York's winters, and I'm not a fan of the really humid days in the summer. However, I still like rain from time to time, and I prefer lush green over desert sand...although the desert isn't completely off limits. My dad lives in Tucson, I've visited and enjoyed it, but don't know if I could live there permanently.

2. I want to operate a home-based business, which may take awhile to get going, so I'd like a city with low cost of living. Ideally, newer apartments that are $650 or less per month.

3. I just graduated college in May, so I'd like to be around some younger people. I'm not a big fan of the bar scene and traditional "nightlife", but I would like to be able to meet people close to my age somewhere.

4. I like spending time outdoors. Hiking, camping, climbing, fishing, etc.
That's basically my story. If anybody could recommend me some more places to research, I'd appreciate it.

[Bydand]

What do you have your degree in, that might help direct some people in making a suggestion.

[Grass4]

Originally Posted by Bydand

What do you have your degree in, that might help direct some people in making a suggestion.

My degree is in English, although like I mentioned, I'll be freelancing from home with clients all over the country. I'm not overly concerned with the job market or the predominant industries where I live.

[missionhome]

Sacramento, CA might be an option you like. There are many apartments in the $600 range in the city and surrounding area. You will typically find one bedrooms and the occasional two bedroom for that price. Sacramento isn't a huge city, but big enough that it offers everything you would want. It is also close to a variety of places like the Bay Area which is an hour away by car or train and the coast. Ski resorts and Lake Tahoe aren't far either and national parks are in abundance in CA. It gets hot in Sacramento like Tucson does and is a dry heat, but is very mild the rest of the year. There is no cold weather to speak of.

I really think Sacramento is a great option because you love the outdoors. There are so many outdoor activities within an hour or even right in the city that you won't know what to do with yourself. The Sacramento and American River run through the city so there are lots of fishing spots. Camping is abundant in the Gold Country Hills and there is hiking there too. CA is full of mountains to climb also. Decent (not like amazing) nightlife scene in Sacramento too. Check out the Sacramento subforum for more specific help if you are interested.

Sacramento

[Grass4]

Originally Posted by missionhome

Sacramento, CA might be an option you like. There are many apartments in the $600 range in the city and surrounding area. You will typically find one bedrooms and the occasional two bedroom for that price. Sacramento isn't a huge city, but big enough that it offers everything you would want. It is also close to a variety of places like the Bay Area which is an hour away by car or train and the coast. Ski resorts and Lake Tahoe aren't far either and national parks are in abundance in CA. It gets hot in Sacramento like Tucson does and is a dry heat, but is very mild the rest of the year. There is no cold weather to speak of.

I really think Sacramento is a great option because you love the outdoors. There are so many outdoor activities within an hour or even right in the city that you won't know what to do with yourself.

Awesome, I haven't looked at Sacramento yet since I figured California was out of my price range. Thanks.

Keep em' comin!

[Bydand]

Winters may be about the same as you have had in the past, so I don't know how good of a fit this may be, but check out the ads here: View Our Ads - Pure Michigan Travel

Don't discount the state as a whole, on the impression dumps like Detroit & Flint give the rest of the state. Plenty to do for outdoor recreation and tons of people in their 20's as well (most in bathing suits in the Summers for an added bonus.)

[JerichoHW]

Hmmm, maybe a Texas city like midland or El Paso

[ThatTNGuy]

I try to refrain from shamelessly pimping my own city here , but your question reminded me of a study that was done a few years ago by the Economic Research Institute. The study indicated that Knoxville is the best place to live for a recent college graduate, purely from an affordability standpoint. Since you'll be freelancing from home, the lower-than-average salary figure can probably be overlooked. Here's a link: City of Knoxville

Knoxville has much more to offer than just a low cost of living, but it's certainly a nice place to start.

[Grass4]

Thanks for the responses.

Does anybody have think Albuquerque, NM would be a good choice? Desert, I know, but it seems to fit my personality type from what I've been reading.

[ogre]

If you want relatively mild winters without humid summers, your best bet is to head west, as long as a western city meets your other criteria. A few possibilities that occur to me are:

Denver, or one of the smaller cities along the Front Range. The winters are brisk and snowy, but there are more bright sunny winter days than there are in the Northeast, and the cold is less of the dank, cutting sort of cold you find in the Northeast, so you might find that winters in that part of CO don't weigh on you the way Northeastern winters can.

Albuquerque: Four seasons, but relatively mild winters. The general area has a desert landscape, but Albq. isn't too far from forested mountains, or at least from high-altitude areas that do have some greenery, not totally devoid of trees.

Inland Pacific Northwest: I'm suggesting inland areas because some cities near the coast are expensive (Seattle, for example). The winters in the inland areas of the PNW are more brisk than they are in the coastal areas, but still tend to be mild for being so far north. Also, it sounds as if you can handle life in a small city, as long as it's a city, not a tiny rural town. A city like Spokane or Boise might work well for you.

Best of luck with your search.