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In the Midwest I would pick Missouri, at least it's not so miserably cold. The Springfield, MO area is really nice with lots of growth going on. Chicago is dreadfully cold.
I'm currently living in TX near Houston, but my wife and I are eventually planning on moving near to where I grew up in the Midwest. The pace of life is a little to fast for me here in Houston. I grew up near the Appleton, WI area, which is where most of my family currently is. My major is the the computer science field, and I've heard that many jobs in that field are in Minneapolis. I'm also considering Indiana though because I'm a huge Colts fan and would like to go to many of their games, but also the Fox Cities in Wisconsin to be near my family. Any thoughts?
Sweetheart, to be honest, if the pace of life is too fast for you in Houston, I don't know where to tell you to go to slow it down. You could try someplace really, really small in the midwest. There's a number of very small little towns scattered about with a population of less than 500. Frankly I'd suggest Birmingham, MI, which has suburbs and a very nice city center. I guess the pace of life is slower? Although to be frank, even Birmingham is "faster" than Houston
I currently live in Chicago, love it/hate it. It is crazy expensive next to Indiana, and Chicago is considered an affordable mega-city. I would say that a decent city in Indiana to live in is Fort Wayne. I lived there for a few years, it is cheap, like dirt cheap to rent or buy there. A $1200 a month rent for an apartment in a decent area of Chicago will go for about $500 a month in Fort Wayne. Also Fort Wayne is situated about half-way between Chicago and Indy, far north so you can go to Michigan or Canada, I think it is an hour drive to Michigan and about a 4 hour drive to Canada, and about a 3.5 hour drive to Chicago, and a 2 hour drive to Indianapolis. So, you can get out of town to a more happening city when Fort Wayne gets boring. I just found Fort Wayne to be a very surprising city in what it offered and try to talk it up whenever I can.
No, I still don't understand how Houston could be "too fast" for anyone. No one is that backwards. Wouldn't it just be cheaper to move to one of the countless suburbs? And don't you already live in one? How is it "too fast", is the speed limit disturbing you?
North City is a crime infested ghetto where you can get murdered or robbed just walking by.
I've never lived in North City, but from my understanding, areas of it are getting better. North City is a large swath of land. I don't think it's fair to generalize all of it that way. If you're not familiar with the area, then don't go there. But I don't think you'll get shot walking by. Occasionally, innocent people do get shot. But it seems that usually the people who get shot are drug dealers, battered wives/husbands, prostitutes. The average person just "walking by" North St. Louis probably is going to be okay. Thousands of people live there. And they haven't all been shot yet. Sure, it's not your cup of tea, but have to personally visited every neighborhood and seen somebody get shot there?
North City has problems, but to say that you'll get shot just walking through there seems very exaggerated to me. And any city can be dangerous at night. And almost any part of any city.
There are a lot of people working to see the improvement of North City, including Old North St. Louis Restoration Group (Old North is a specific neighborhood in North City). Old North is raising funds and actually doing something to fix the problems in their city (maybe you are. I don't know). But please don't characterize nearly half the city of St. Louis that way. It is simply not fair and probably exaggerated. I've heard the horror stories, but your comment was just not fair.
It just annoys me when people in the city and suburbs, who could help the city, just sit on their butts and complain. Maybe you are volunteering, giving time, donating money, giving your skills. I'd like to help out St. Louis, though I live a few hours away, and I'm a college student with no money. But if you want to see North St. Louis improved, do something to help. I'm sure ONSL takes donations. You could volunteer to spend a Saturday with a local group cleaning up a park, or serve at a soup kitchen. I realize we are all busy, but if maybe every capable St. Louisan would do something to help their city or their community, the city wouldn't have this reputation.
Location: Cleveland, OH USA / formerly Chicago for 20 years
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If Houston is too fast-paced for you, I would definitely rule out Chicago.
I'm thinking maybe you should try Columbus or Indianapolis... the pace is moderate, and unlike most of the population centers in the Midwest, those two cities are still growing and don't have that "rust belt" image, so you might have a better chance of finding work in your field than in some other parts of the Midwest.
I've never lived in North City, but from my understanding, areas of it are getting better. North City is a large swath of land. I don't think it's fair to generalize all of it that way. If you're not familiar with the area, then don't go there. But I don't think you'll get shot walking by. Occasionally, innocent people do get shot. But it seems that usually the people who get shot are drug dealers, battered wives/husbands, prostitutes. The average person just "walking by" North St. Louis probably is going to be okay. Thousands of people live there. And they haven't all been shot yet. Sure, it's not your cup of tea, but have to personally visited every neighborhood and seen somebody get shot there?
North City has problems, but to say that you'll get shot just walking through there seems very exaggerated to me. And any city can be dangerous at night. And almost any part of any city.
There are a lot of people working to see the improvement of North City, including Old North St. Louis Restoration Group (Old North is a specific neighborhood in North City). Old North is raising funds and actually doing something to fix the problems in their city (maybe you are. I don't know). But please don't characterize nearly half the city of St. Louis that way. It is simply not fair and probably exaggerated. I've heard the horror stories, but your comment was just not fair.
It just annoys me when people in the city and suburbs, who could help the city, just sit on their butts and complain. Maybe you are volunteering, giving time, donating money, giving your skills. I'd like to help out St. Louis, though I live a few hours away, and I'm a college student with no money. But if you want to see North St. Louis improved, do something to help. I'm sure ONSL takes donations. You could volunteer to spend a Saturday with a local group cleaning up a park, or serve at a soup kitchen. I realize we are all busy, but if maybe every capable St. Louisan would do something to help their city or their community, the city wouldn't have this reputation.
You're right, I over exaggerated, a lot. But, I am pretty familiar with the area. My soccer team practices in North St. Louis. Plus, i've driven through the area many times. But, you're right.
No, I still don't understand how Houston could be "too fast" for anyone. No one is that backwards. Wouldn't it just be cheaper to move to one of the countless suburbs? And don't you already live in one? How is it "too fast", is the speed limit disturbing you?
I'm so confused
Safe to assume that you have never been to Houston
But people with families love it. It is clean and safe and educational standards are high, there are virtually no slums or major traffic congestion. Drug use and radical political activity are very low, as is the overall cost of living. There is a real winter, but it is mercifully short. And, the OP said the pace of life was too fast in Houston, so he's not looking for the same thing you are.
Let's look at your "bland" Johnson County, the largest suburb being Shawnee (pop. 40K):
2008 cost of living index in Shawnee: 78.9 (U.S. average is 100)
Crime rate Shawnee KS = 166 (US average 320)
# Bachelor's degree or higher: 39.5%
# Graduate or professional degree: 12.5%
# Unemployed: 1.9%
# Mean travel time to work: 20.6 minutes
How does your favorite city compare with that?
2008 cost of living index in Concord NH: 118.6
Crime rate in Concord NH - 163
# Bachelor's degree or higher: 30.7%
# Graduate or professional degree: 12.5%
# Unemployed: 3.7%
# Mean travel time to work: 20.5 minutes
Hmm... The rural areas outside of the Concord area have a much lower COL. It is also much harder to compare a large suburb to a small city.
In the Midwest I would pick Missouri, at least it's not so miserably cold. The Springfield, MO area is really nice with lots of growth going on. Chicago is dreadfully cold.
Annnnd Missouri is miserably hot and sticky.
And Chicago is not "dreadfully cold". There are almost 9 million people in the area who manage just fine.
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