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.
I'm Irish and currently doing a Bsc in Computer Science, and upon completition of it, I would love to emigrate to the United States (My uncle lives in Boston, and I visited once, and the instant I stepped back in Ireland I wanted to go back, I love the states, and would love to work there etc)
Now I'm wondering which of the following would be the most affordable, and least crime ridden cities:
Boston
Seattle
DC
San Fran
Philly
Chicago
Long Beach Area
NYC
I'm just in the thinking/planning stages as I don't graduate for a while, but I'd like to get some input on this.
I'm Irish and currently doing a Bsc in Computer Science, and upon completition of it, I would love to emigrate to the United States (My uncle lives in Boston, and I visited once, and the instant I stepped back in Ireland I wanted to go back, I love the states, and would love to work there etc)
Now I'm wondering which of the following would be the most affordable, and least crime ridden cities:
Boston
Seattle
DC
San Fran
Philly
Chicago
Long Beach Area
NYC
I'm just in the thinking/planning stages as I don't graduate for a while, but I'd like to get some input on this.
You also need to be careful when examining which cities are safest. Even generally safe cities have bad neighborhoods, and sometimes even generally unsafe cities have very good and vibrant neighborhoods. Sometimes the neighborhood is very important.
Some more criteria would be nice, though.
What kind of climate do you want?
Monthly budget for rental?
Would you consider cities not on your list?
Size of the city and metro area?
Do you want a city with a large Irish population, or Irish neighborhoods?
Things like that might help narrow it down.
And the general consensus seems to be that New York and Boston do not belong in the same paragraph as "affordable". Chicago will be a bit more affordable probably, but again it depends on the neighborhood. And generally any urban area of California will be ridiculously expensive (including Long Beach and San Francisco), even with the economy down. I'm not sure about Seattle, DC, or Philly.
Of course there are nice cities that are not on your list. Milwaukee, Minneapolis, St. Louis, Cincinnati, Kansas City, and those are just in the Midwest. Or what about Pittsburgh? Denver? Baltimore? Atlanta?
I realize this is a very big country, and looking at all the cities in this country can be mind boggling. Still, if you want "affordable," you might have to widen your scope a bit.
If affordabilty is an issue then forget about SF, unless you can (in advance) line up a great job.
STLCards's advice is very good. Your parameters are way too broad for posters to be of any real use, so some more details would greatly help get you some more targeted suggestions. (I realize that you probably have your own reasons for selecting those particular cities, but given that they're all so very different it's tough for those of us who don't know you to figure out if there's a certain "type" of city you're looking for.)
I also agree that there are many nice cities not on your list, cities that would possibly be cheaper (and yet still interesting, safe, and worth at least considering). Of the list above, Minneapoolis and Pittsburgh would be two of my favorites.
I've had my share visiting various large cities in the states, and my opinion would be that of Seattle...not to be bias, but you would love it....it has alitte of everything and definately has the computer industry as a bonus with your education goals... Good Luck on your decision...all the cities you mentioned definately have their own beauty and nice ppl, but also most large cities have their good sides of city and "not so good" sides of the city....
Thanks lads for the replies, OK so yeah re-reading the post, its a bit vague.
Basically what I'm looking for is:
- Big City - lots of people, but not very spread out, as driving won't be an option (why I didn't put LA down)
- Irish communities would be nice, but I don't really want to live with them, as I don't want to be isolated, I like America for its diversity, and want to mix with everyone!
-Great transport, if ever I get stranded at 3 or 4am I know I'll be able to go somewhere.
-Good social scene, nightlife, but has some areas that are quiet.
-Good on the jobs front.
-Somewhere safe, I know Irish people have an awful reputation over there, so somewhere diverse and welcoming, where people wont judge you by some idiots who share the same heritage of you.
-Lots of stuff to do, like good sports teams etc.
-Climate doesn't matter to much to me, but maybe cold in the winter, and sunny in the summer? I like the sun, but I don't think my skin could take it all year round, the max it gets where I am is about 20C and thats rare, but having said that I stayed in Greece for a while and it was mid 40C so i can probably handle it!
I really like Boston, as its a very historical city, and has the celtics :P but I'm thinking its VERY expensive to live there.
I'd like to thank everyone who replied, its very nice of you
I'm thinking, if I get the money in order, I would do a MSc in the states, so I can further my education, and possibly get a nice job upon graduation.
Thanks lads for the replies, OK so yeah re-reading the post, its a bit vague.
Basically what I'm looking for is:
- Big City - lots of people, but not very spread out, as driving won't be an option (why I didn't put LA down)
- Irish communities would be nice, but I don't really want to live with them, as I don't want to be isolated, I like America for its diversity, and want to mix with everyone!
-Great transport, if ever I get stranded at 3 or 4am I know I'll be able to go somewhere.
-Good social scene, nightlife, but has some areas that are quiet.
-Good on the jobs front.
-Somewhere safe, I know Irish people have an awful reputation over there, so somewhere diverse and welcoming, where people wont judge you by some idiots who share the same heritage of you.
-Lots of stuff to do, like good sports teams etc.
-Climate doesn't matter to much to me, but maybe cold in the winter, and sunny in the summer? I like the sun, but I don't think my skin could take it all year round, the max it gets where I am is about 20C and thats rare, but having said that I stayed in Greece for a while and it was mid 40C so i can probably handle it!
I really like Boston, as its a very historical city, and has the celtics :P but I'm thinking its VERY expensive to live there.
I'd like to thank everyone who replied, its very nice of you
I'm thinking, if I get the money in order, I would do a MSc in the states, so I can further my education, and possibly get a nice job upon graduation.
Cheers,
Tim
While I think Boston would fit you, I think you missed the hint---the places you named are hardly affordable. I mean, compared to the other cities you listed, Boston could easily be middle of the pack in terms of affordability. (It's definitely behind NYC and SF.)
Realistically you might have to go with wherever you get the job - I don't know your exact situation, but I'm assuming that you don't currently have the legal right to work in the USA. That means you'll want to get a job lined up in advance for the visa, which might be tough (although maybe you could look for a program like BUNAC or something to at least get you over here legally so you can check it out and make some contacts?), especially given the current job climate. With luck that will change soon, but you can't count on it. You may also want to look into some of the computer/tech companies; my brother has a friend from Scotland who is working at a computer-related company in the Silicon Valley (near SF) for a one-year internship. A paid internship might also be a way to get your foot in the door.
I agree that Boston is in the middle of the cities you've listed, price-wise. It's not cheap, certainly, but far more so than NYC or SF. Depending on job you might be able to make it work - I know people who live there without a huge salary - so don't discount it as a possibility, especially if your uncle already lives there.
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.
