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We are empty nesters in Texas (The Woodlands near Houston) now and miss the diversity we had living closer into the city. We don't miss the gang activity, though. We are looking for a change of pace and are open to thoughts/feedback on these cities. Here is what is important to us:
Public transportation
Community and neighborhood
Music scene, especially rock and jazz
Pro basketball
Outdoor activities, animal friendly
Great restaurants, especially seafood
We come from the belief that we find great people everywhere. We love waterfront, and can are looking for around 1600 sq feet or smaller. We totally understand the higher costs in other areas, but feel this is a trade-off at this time.
Out of those 3, I'd say Boston. But also consider Washington, which is a similar cost. And if you can deal with Boston COL, then you could probably due well in an outer borough neighbourhood close to Manhattan. It's definitely something I'd stay open minded about.
To rank, I'd say on public transportation:
NY
Chicago
DC
Boston
Philadelphia
SF
Community and neighbourhood:
Boston- strong sense of community in many parts.
Chicago- Same as Boston.
NY- Mostly in the outer boroughs.
Philadelphia
Mainly larger more established cities in the East have the strongest sense of community.
As far as music, it's becoming more accessible wherever you are but the areas with the greatest local scenes will be the larger cities. NY especially, San Francisco has a great selection of independent and underground bands. Chicago would be best for Jazz I imagine.
Denver would be best for the outdoor activities among the aforementioned. Though Seattle and Portland would be best for this. And they each are very walkable and Portland has good transportation. Both have high quality seafood, being on the coast.
Yes, I guess cost is of critical importance; thanks! The problem is elimination of choices right now since we are fairly flexible.
Ideally, 250 - 300K, but lower is absolutely fine too, and close to public transportation.
Jobs - not a factor. I work remotely from home, and travel is a significant part of life, so if I am within an hour of an airport it is doable. After driving in Houston and visiting other cities I am only intimidated by driving in New York City. Oh, and Mexico City but it is not in the running.
Views are important. The area here is very green, which we enjoy, with lots of water views, which we adore.
We are not ready for an 'active adult community' but don't need to be in the heart of the nightlife, either.
Thanks for your comments. I agree but we have little public transportation, so that is hard for me to compare. I have ridden the subway in NYC, trains in Chicago, the T in Boston, but not the Denver train. I feel safe in all those if I exercise good judgment about where to travel.
Boston has felt enormously warm and friendly each time we have gone (4).
New York (2 trips) is exciting, since you can feel the pulse of the city. I love the shows, the restaurants, but it seems so much more rushed.
Chicago (1 trip) had a dynamic feel, but friends there say budget shortfall this year is affecting everything.
Denver (many trips) has great views and outdoor activities, with 300 sunny days a year, the climate looks good. However not a lot of lake views there.
Seattle (4 trips) we love, however it has gotten very pricey lately and crowded. We would consider that, though.
Washington (1 trip), never considered. Good thought.
I really think Boston has everything on your wishlist. The walkability, architecture/history, restaurants (the seafood!) and overall vibe make it a pretty great place to live.
We are empty nesters in Texas (The Woodlands near Houston) now and miss the diversity we had living closer into the city. We don't miss the gang activity, though. We are looking for a change of pace and are open to thoughts/feedback on these cities. Here is what is important to us:
Public transportation
Boston has great public transportation options. Whether it be the subway, bus, commuter rail, or commuter boats.
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Community and neighborhood
The city of Boston itself has awesome neighborhoods throughout the city (which you probably know). However, the suburbs also are often very unique since they're so old. Most of the suburbs have well-established town centers (and they're not the faux town centers which have been popping up in new mega-developments).
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Music scene, especially rock and jazz
Rock is huge here...not too sure about jazz.
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Pro basketball
Celtics are the best team in the NBA
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Outdoor activities, animal friendly
Lots to do in the mountains up in Vermont and New Hampshire. Also tons of state parks surrounding the city. For the beach, head down to Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, or Nantucket!
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Great restaurants, especially seafood
Between Boston, Chicago, and Denver I don't think it's much of a question who has the best seafood
I agree in that Boston meets all of your requirements. The 2 things to consider though are the COL and the cold winters. If you can handle that, then go for it.
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We are looking for a change of pace and are open to thoughts/feedback on these cities. Here is what is important to us:
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