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Hello All!
I am so happy to find this site...I am a 28 year old single girl and a recent University Graduate living in a small city in the south. I have a degree now in art/education and want to get out of here...I plan to move next summer (2009).
I reallly want to find a city with a really great art scene and the fantastic historic city feel. I love NYC, but the cost of living is way too high for what I will make in my field just starting out. I want something with a large creative and intelligent group of young people. I am living in a place currently where how blonde you can bleach your hair, where to get the most alcohol for your money and how cute you can look when you go to the game are the most important thing to most of the girls of my age...oh and how to be sure to find a husband before graduation....I am sick of this narrow mentality! I am from a very worldly and open minded family and I love other cultures, foods and interesting beautiful architecture.
Night life isn't especially important to me, but cost of living, the kind of people...I tend to like the northern mindset, and the artsy/intelligent and aware atmosphere and feeling of a city are the most important things to me. I have taken many online surveys and all point to different results. I am not looking for a small town feel...quite the opposite, lots of diversity and many DIFFERENT things to do are especially high on my list. I would also love a place that either snows a good amount, or is on a beach/coast.
Please if anyone out there reading this understands where I am coming from...let me know if you have been to or live in a city that you think I might like?
Right now signs are pointing to Baltimore/Atlanta/St. Louis/Dallas or Chicago....opinions please?
First thought: Chicago seems like the best bet for a city as much as possible like NYC at a lower price.
Re Dallas and Atlanta: Does it matter to you whether a city is a densely populated older city with old-style architecture or a sprawling Sun Belt kind of city? If the Sun Belt city is okay, and Dallas or Atlanta seem appealing, you might also think about Houston.
If Baltimore holds some appeal, give Philly a look as well.
Might want to give Cleveland a try. It's right on the lake, gets plenty of snow, it also has a great cost of living. It's also pretty historical and has many cultural activities to choose from.
Me again,
I don't care about he sunbelt really...I know I do like lots of atmospheric conditions...such as rain, snow, wind, fog, drizzle, sleet and whatever else nature dishes out compared to a sunny cloudless day...that is too boring....I've had it all my life. I do like he old world charm of cities like NY and Chicago. I loved Pittsburgh...but not much in the way of the arts, for some reason I can't get Baltimore out of my head, maybe because of my favorite show being filmed there. Most importantly, I want a hugely diverse cross section of people...from age, status, ethnicity, to educational background and beyond. I just really need to find people I of more than one or two types. Anymore suggestions would be highly appreciated!
You could try the Central West End/University City area of St. Louis. From my understanding both are fairly diverse, with 2 colleges nearby, and beautiful Forest Park.
Chicago is a good city for what your looking for. It is on a smaller scale than NY but cheaper. You'll find lots of what you looking for there. Might be to big if your coming from a city the size that you mentioned.Boston is expensive like NY, however if you can somehow find a cheap apartment would be a good place. Portland would be a good city for what you are looking for but if in the far north west. Buffalo is a city rich with artistic expressions. Lots of museums, and artsy areas. In the heart of Buffalo it seems very historically quaint. Beautiful neighborhoods and in the winter lots of snow. Very sunny throughout the year as well and good food. Portland Maine might be a nice area for you. Very nice little city with lots of amenities. You have the ocean. Quaint historic downtown. Nice little towns throughout. Very nice area. Believe it or not Philly has a good artsy area and many of the amenities you are looking for. Not expensive, however outside of some areas there are a lot of seedy area. But very historic architecure and quaint street styles. Lots of museums. I used to live in Pittsburgh so I understand you feeling regarding it. It looks nice but really doesnt have that much to offer for what you are looking for. I think your best bet in the East would be Buffalo, Boston, Portland ME, or Philly. In the west I would go with Portland Or, or Seattle. There are many nice cities in Colorado as well. Colorado is one of the nicest states I have ever visually seen. Its a gem. P.s. It helps to like heights in many of the western areas of Colorado or I wouldn' bother. Good luck with your decision.
Varied weather, and an American city with a bit of an Old-World look? Sounds as if you should focus your search in the Northeast and Midwest, though SlickRick's suggestions of Portland and Seattle might be good to keep in mind as possibilities. Out west, SF might fit the bill as well, except it's expensive.
I'm still thinking that Chicago sounds like the best bet for something resembling NYC but less expensive. At any rate, I hope you'll be doing some serious research, way beyond going on a feeling based on how a city looked in a television show. (By the way, was the show Homicide, or am I dating myself by even knowing about that show? It's the only show I know of that was set in Baltimore.) Regarding Baltimore, I don't know a lot about the arts scene there, but then, if it's lacking, you've got Washington nearby, which is a plus. I'll reiterate the thought that you should consider Philly as well. It's a better city than it gets credit for. It's also pretty close to NYC. Maybe in Philly you could get less expensive living while still having access to NYC.
I live in the Boston area, so a little about the New England cities SlickRick suggested: From your original post, Boston sounded like a good fit, and still does after I read your followup, EXCEPT--and it's a big except--it is expensive. From the way you describe your circumstances--newly graduated young professional just starting out--I'd be surprised if you could afford Boston without a roommate. I don't know. Depending on your starting pay, you might swing living alone in a studio. It really depends on the details of your situation, but when you say you need to avoid expensive cities I'm inclined to strike Boston from the list, or at least drop it way down low on the list. Portland, ME? SlickR described it well. I'm not sure what size city you want, or more like, since you've listed large cities as possibilities, I'm not sure how small you could go, but be aware that Portland is small. Nice, but small. And Boston is about a two-hour drive away, so you could make a day trip there, but you might find Boston a long haul for an evening out.
I'm still thinking Chicago, but Philly seems like a good one to consider as well. If you've got any preferences on natural scenery, and outdoors activities, maybe that would help narrow this down.
Wow, actually I was thinking about what you said again, and I forgot to mention a gem. Providence RI. Great city. Very on the up and coming. Very good art themed city. Many artists actually go there. It is like a miniture Boston.The first time I was there I remember artists being all over the place painting, drawing, etc. Per square mile I cant remember any city so involved with their arts. Very lovely place. I only went there a couple of times but was very positively surprised at what a gem it was. Seems like a great New England city with so much charm. Not much is known about it I think. Well atleast it is not talked about much, but I truly think it is the best city for its size on the East coast. I cant believe I left this one out. Look into it for yourself if you can. When you are there it feels very much like you are in Boston.
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Originally Posted by ogre
First thought: Chicago seems like the best bet for a city as much as possible like NYC at a lower price.
Re Dallas and Atlanta: Does it matter to you whether a city is a densely populated older city with old-style architecture or a sprawling Sun Belt kind of city? If the Sun Belt city is okay, and Dallas or Atlanta seem appealing, you might also think about Houston.
If Baltimore holds some appeal, give Philly a look as well.
That was my thought, too. It certainly fills the bill on history and culture, and a lot of young people are seeking it out as a lower-cost alternative to NYC.
Hi All, Wow...all of this is great help...yeah I do want a larger city...I like the feeling of being swallowed up versus sticking out like a sore thumb as I do now, a walking city with things tightly jammed together and unending neighborhoods, shops, and areas to explore is ideal...probably the bigger and more packed the city is the better...I am not looking for a clean city, good schools or a short commute time, I don't care about if there is biking, hiking and music concerts...I mainly want to be able to attend 20 art openings a week or at least have that option...and food is really important to me as well...I love to cook gourmet meals as well as eat out at any new place...seriously, anything Andrew Zimmerman would dare eat, I would also...so size is definitely important...I have visited London, Frankfurt and Amsterdam...all larger as well and the bigger the better....I just want something different...Colorado is beautiful...but I guess I have a negative impression of it since all i saw during my 3 weeks there were variations of the same people who live all around me. I love the foreign cities the most, like London or Amsterdam, but right now with no money saved, I don't think it's feasible for me to set my sights that far. I guess you could say I just love new things...I want to see new things constantly...I don't even mind rougher or more dangerous cities....I absolutely loved the atmosphere of El Paso and Juarez Mexico....both very dangerous, but thrilling...however, not the kind of place I am looking to start out my life. More than anything I do just want to find a place with lots of options for people like me and opportunities to connect finally with people who might actually be conscious. And yes Ogre, about Baltimore, yep the show was Homicide: Life on the Street. I am not as young as I may seem since I did just graduate....I loved that show....the characters portrayed made me want to reach through my screen and say "I get you"....I guess I just don't run across what most people take for granted daily...this place I currently live in is so boring...so shallow...I know Baltimore and Philly are dangerous...and I would end up living in a cheaper area...so it would be dangerous...but for some reason that doesn't really scare me since I don't treat anyone any differently and I guess just have a view of the world that is still idealistic....that's why I loved Pittsburgh....such real hardworking people...more than that, the city itself had a life to it of honesty and realness. I want to ideally work with underprivileged young kids in a big city, maybe as a teacher or in another position where I can serve humanity. I am an artist and basically grew up in a museum...so that side of life is very appealing to me as well...I love NPR, human and animal rights, community development and aid programs and volunteering....I am sure some of the shininess of my desire to help change situations for the better will wear off as I come home alone in 3 feet of snow and eat rice and beans while I watch library dvds, but I want the chance to experience this for myself and know that the whole city is alive around me with millions of different people all going through there lives....I want to meet conscious people who realize they are alive and take the time to ponder this....I want to have 4 hour conversations at an Ethiopian restaurant about anything and everything.....I am sure some people get this....?
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