new lawyer, looking to relocate to the south (neighborhoods, law school)
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Graduating from law school considering relocating to South, seeking information on Atlanta, Charlotte, Nashville, Greenville, Charleston, Birmingham, cultural events, moderately liberal beliefs
I'll graduate law school this year from a northeastern school, but am planning to move to the south b/c my fiancee is sick of the cold, and has family mostly in GA, NC, SC, TN, & AL. I'm looking for a city that is not TOO conservative (I'm a libertarian/liberal combo, and want to feel comfortable), and has some cultural things like decent art museums, orchestras, etc. It also has to have good law firms for me. Low cost of living is also a plus, but I think we'll be able to pull through.
Based on this, which of the following do you think is the best and why? Anybody lived in these towns and want to share their experiences?
Atlanta, GA (top of the market law salaries on par with NYC)
Charlotte, NC (close top of the market law salaries)
Nashville, TN (pretty good salaries)
Greenville, SC (OK salaries)
Charleston, SC (OK salaries)
Birmingham, AL (OK salaries)
I'll graduate law school this year from a northeastern school, but am planning to move to the south b/c my fiancee is sick of the cold, and has family mostly in GA, NC, SC, TN, & AL. I'm looking for a city that is not TOO conservative (I'm a libertarian/liberal combo, and want to feel comfortable), and has some cultural things like decent art museums, orchestras, etc. It also has to have good law firms for me. Low cost of living is also a plus, but I think we'll be able to pull through.
Based on this, which of the following do you think is the best and why? Anybody lived in these towns and want to share their experiences?
Atlanta, GA (top of the market law salaries on par with NYC)
Charlotte, NC (close top of the market law salaries)
Nashville, TN (pretty good salaries)
Greenville, SC (OK salaries)
Charleston, SC (OK salaries)
Birmingham, AL (OK salaries)
Atlanta and Nashville are hard to beat. Those two probably offer more nightlife than any of the other cities on your list. Nashville's a lot smaller than Atlanta, of course, but the cost of living is less, too. Also, Tennessee's over all tax burden is quite a bit lower than Georgia's (or any of the other states you mentioned).
If you want a more urban experience, obviously Atlanta offers more than the other cities on your list. It's the only city on your list with a decent public transportation system.
Nashville itself is fairly liberal. It was one of only 4-5 counties in Tennessee that went for Obama. Its suburbs are very, very conservative, but Nashville itself isn't.
Any of those cities would offer you a pretty great lifestyle. The question is, how fast do you want the Fast Lane to be?
Atlanta, of course, has it all. At the same time, the total absence of city planning makes commuting a total pain in the rear. My in-laws live in the suburbs, and their attorney neighbor has to drive 1.5 hours each way every day to his downtown office. Personally, I don't want to live in a city where I really have to time my drive to the grocery store based on rush hour patterns.
Don't know much about Charlotte, outside of the fact that people who have been there like it.
Nashville with the music biz and Vanderbilt means you have a pretty eclectic mix of people. A good bit to do there.
I moved to Birmingham from Chicago. I found it to be a quite surprising place, with an active arts/culture scene. Always something going on. And there are plenty of neighborhoods that are bohemian in character. Great restaurants, too. My wife had to forced onto the plane for my job interview. Now she refuses to leave.
Greenville and Charleston are both great places, too. Charleston is very old money, however, so you may have to really adjust to the culture there. Greenville is, relatively speaking, a lot newer, with a vibrant downtown area. It's the smallest of all the cities you've mentioned, but still has a lot going for it. My SIL and her husband live there and like it a lot.
In short, I don't think any of those cities you've listed would be a bad choice based on your criteria. While the South is more politically conservative than what you're probably used to, there's also a very strong libertarian streak, so you'll probably have some common ground with your neighbors. As long as you recognize that there are cultural differences and respect those differences rather than expect everybody to behave the way people do in New York, then you'll get along with everybody just fine.
As long as you recognize that there are cultural differences and respect those differences rather than expect everybody to behave the way people do in New York, then you'll get along with everybody just fine.
I wish I could give you rep.
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