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If you were single, making $80k / year, where would you live?
To add a little more detail, I'm seriously considering leaving the DC area around the end of summer. In general, I like the area, but I'm sick of the traffic, high cost of living, cold weather, and rat-race / workaholic attitude that also leads to a wide-spread focus on power, material goods, and a sense of snobbishness.
I'm single and will be 30 by the time I move. I also have a job that I can take with me (work from home + some travel) that currently pays about $80k / year, so I don't have to worry about a thriving job market (though options are always nice). FWIW, I'm in the IT software business (mostly Microsoft - .NET, SQL Server) with some additional experience related to CRM, associations, business processes, PM, training, mentoring, and methodology improvements.
Despite being single and relatively young, I'm not really into the hardcore partying, clubbing / nightlife scene.
Some things that are very important / critical to me Warm Weather Year Round - humidity / non-humidity isn't really important to me. Cold weather, and especially snow makes my joints hurt. Sports Participation - What I'm looking for are opportunities to participate in team sports at an organized, recreational level; notably baseball, flag football, and softball. Nature - it doesn't necessarily have to be green, but I like grass, trees, water, and open space. I've been to the SW a few times and could possibly get used to the more desert-like motif. I want to avoid a concrete jungle. Airport - due to my job, and also having family in the Mid-Atlantic region I need to be near an airport of reasonable size, and preferably international. It would also be nice for my occasional trip to Panama or other vacation destinations.
Some things that are important to me but I could bend on a couple of them COL Decrease - While I can afford it, I'm sick of paying over $1000 / month to split a 2-bedroom apartment. I would also like somewhere with SFHs that are cheap enough for me to consider buying one if I like the area enough to settle there. This is borderline critical to me. Near A Major College - I really like the culture (sports, music, plays, lectures, etc.), opportunities, energy, and community that major colleges bring. I may also go for a masters degree or two in the near future. While this isn't necessarily critical, it would help a lot with most of my desired items. Near A Beach / Major Body Of Water - I love the beach, but have never lived close enough to one to just head there for part of a day. Good Local Restaurants - I love food Local Bars with Live Music - I enjoy live music and hanging out at low-key bars with friendly people and decent drink specials (no, the $3 bottle of Bud drink specials of DC don't count!) Active Single Young Professionals (especially girls) - What can I say, I'm a single guy and would eventually like to find a GF Relaxed Lifestyle - I'd like an improved work/life balance and less stressful lifestyle than is found in much of the NE. My days of working 60 hour weeks and rushing from place to place trying to beat the clock are hopefully behind me for the most part. Diversity - or at the least, a lack of bigotry. There are few things in this world that anger me easily. Blatant racism and bigotry is one of them. I also tend to be more attracted to women of color - with mixed and Latin girls coming out on top. Low Taxes - goes with the cost of living Architecture - I enjoy visually interesting buildings. As long as it's got a sense of style and isn't cookie-cutter I should be good
Areas that I'm currently considering (in alphabetical order) include:
Austin TX
Charlestown SC
Charlotte NC
Phoenix AZ (and surrounding area)
Raleigh/Durham NC
San Diego CA (expensive though, and job wouldn't like my being on the west coast)
Savannah GA
Tampa FL
Austin, Tampa, Orlando, Raleigh.....I'm not sure how open people might be to your choice in women, but I don't think it is as tight as it was in the past.
If you didn't mind weather, other places like: Columbus OH, Minneapolis, Louisville, Buffalo, Ann Arbor MI and Syracuse would work.
Greensboro and Winston-Salem might be other cities to consider. Maybe look at major college towns in the Southeast too.
Last edited by ckhthankgod; 03-03-2010 at 11:08 AM..
thanks for the response Don't really worry about "my choice in women" that was just a side-note. In the little bit of traveling I've done and people I've talked with I've also noticed that most places of reasonable size are at least somewhat tolerant of mixed couples (assuming that's the relationship I'd be in).
Unfortunately, I do mind weather, very much. Somewhere like Milwaukee or even Chicago could work as well, but I'd only enjoy the weather there for a couple months out of the year. I'm not really a fan of anything below about 65 degrees, and enjoy when it's in the 80s to mid-90s. If it wasn't for my roommate, I'd keep our apartment at 80 degrees year round... I did that in my hotel room in Oshkosh. I don't think they were very happy about it because they kept turning it down when I was at my client's site lol
I've kind of considered LV, but I really don't know much about it as far as a place to live. I've only been there once, and that was for work, so I didn't get to see much of it. I also know that while the nightlife/casinos etc. there aren't a negative for me, they aren't much of a positive either. I did like the weather (of course I was out there in April, not July), the palm trees, and the food options. It seemed fairly clean, and there were lots of things to see (obviously), but I only spent time on the strip which is probably not representative of the city as a whole.
Las Vegas isn't really THAT close to the beach, but I would recommend it. Southern CA maybe.
Any suggestions in SoCA for me? I might be able to convince my job to let me live there, but I know that the cost of living in a place like San Diego is just as bad as that in DC. Keep in mind that I'd need to be near a reasonably large airport because I'd be flying to places such as DC and Chicago (among others) up to 2 weeks a month for a while.
Location: Concrete jungle where dreams are made of.
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I don't know any specific places in SoCal to recommend since I don't know it THAT well. There are a lot of residents on here that can give recommendations though. I just know it fits you criteria. I guess as long as you stay further away from LA, you won't have the traffic/snobby attitude that people in LA can have.
The Las Vegas suburbs are really nice and quite different than the city. I have family friends there and for half of my visit I stayed in Henderson. It resembles southern California in some ways. It's beautiful out there. I went in the dead of summer, and the heat wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Still hot for me, but I expected worse. Seven Hills is a more upscale suburb if you want to look into there. I found a site that lists the different neighborhoods around LV:
Tempe has Arizona State and lots of people your age and a never-ending list of fun things to do. The airport is right there as are excellent restaurants and fun bars, clubs and pubs. You can research some apartments or houses for rent in the area to get a picture of what housing prices cost. I don't think it is close to what you pay in DC. I'd say Tempe, being a college town, is very liberal.
Scottsdale is right next to Tempe and may afford a more upscale version of things. Housing and dining will be a little more expensive than Tempe. Scottsdale has great clubs, restaurants and shopping. I'd say Scottsdale may be more snobbish than Tempe since a lot of wealthy individuals live there.
One thing to note about either place is the summer heat. It can be miserable. Rent a place with a pool and you've solved half the problem. Much like people stay inside during snowy, cold winters, people in Phoenix and surrounding areas stay inside in summers and just enjoy the AC. I think you'd get used to it. I know I did.
What this part of AZ does lack, IMHO, is greenery. Although with our recent rains, we're getting greener with each passing day. The mountain preserves in the city are awesome. Check out Dreamy Draw, Piestewa Peak, Papago Park, and South Mountain for hiking and biking. Mountains and cooler climates are a short drive away. Unfortunately, the ocean is about 6 hours away to Cali (may be shorter to Mexico but I refuse to go there). We do have some small lakes.
Arizona welcomes many baseball teams for spring training each year. And we are the golf capital of the U.S.
I'd recommend a visit here sometime between July and September. I think the winter makes up for the sweltering, miserable summers. Today it is supposed to be 70 degrees out. Come for a visit and enjoy some amazing Mexican food including the margaritas. They make the heat more bearable.
If you're wanting info on SoCal, am originally from SoCal and would recommend you check out Fullerton. It is in Orange County and has a Cal State and junior college, a quaint downtown and historic homes. The restaurants and bars are great and there is a diverse population. John Wayne airport isn't far away. Cost of living would be slightly cheaper than a beach community like San Diego, but you'd still be about 15 miles from the ocean.
If you were single, making $80k / year, where would you live?
To add a little more detail, I'm seriously considering leaving the DC area around the end of summer. In general, I like the area, but I'm sick of the traffic, high cost of living, cold weather, and rat-race / workaholic attitude that also leads to a wide-spread focus on power, material goods, and a sense of snobbishness.
I'm single and will be 30 by the time I move. I also have a job that I can take with me (work from home + some travel) that currently pays about $80k / year, so I don't have to worry about a thriving job market (though options are always nice). FWIW, I'm in the IT software business (mostly Microsoft - .NET, SQL Server) with some additional experience related to CRM, associations, business processes, PM, training, mentoring, and methodology improvements.
Despite being single and relatively young, I'm not really into the hardcore partying, clubbing / nightlife scene.
Some things that are very important / critical to me Warm Weather Year Round - humidity / non-humidity isn't really important to me. Cold weather, and especially snow makes my joints hurt. Sports Participation - What I'm looking for are opportunities to participate in team sports at an organized, recreational level; notably baseball, flag football, and softball. Nature - it doesn't necessarily have to be green, but I like grass, trees, water, and open space. I've been to the SW a few times and could possibly get used to the more desert-like motif. I want to avoid a concrete jungle. Airport - due to my job, and also having family in the Mid-Atlantic region I need to be near an airport of reasonable size, and preferably international. It would also be nice for my occasional trip to Panama or other vacation destinations.
Some things that are important to me but I could bend on a couple of them COL Decrease - While I can afford it, I'm sick of paying over $1000 / month to split a 2-bedroom apartment. I would also like somewhere with SFHs that are cheap enough for me to consider buying one if I like the area enough to settle there. This is borderline critical to me. Near A Major College - I really like the culture (sports, music, plays, lectures, etc.), opportunities, energy, and community that major colleges bring. I may also go for a masters degree or two in the near future. While this isn't necessarily critical, it would help a lot with most of my desired items. Near A Beach / Major Body Of Water - I love the beach, but have never lived close enough to one to just head there for part of a day. Good Local Restaurants - I love food Local Bars with Live Music - I enjoy live music and hanging out at low-key bars with friendly people and decent drink specials (no, the $3 bottle of Bud drink specials of DC don't count!) Active Single Young Professionals (especially girls) - What can I say, I'm a single guy and would eventually like to find a GF Relaxed Lifestyle - I'd like an improved work/life balance and less stressful lifestyle than is found in much of the NE. My days of working 60 hour weeks and rushing from place to place trying to beat the clock are hopefully behind me for the most part. Diversity - or at the least, a lack of bigotry. There are few things in this world that anger me easily. Blatant racism and bigotry is one of them. I also tend to be more attracted to women of color - with mixed and Latin girls coming out on top. Low Taxes - goes with the cost of living Architecture - I enjoy visually interesting buildings. As long as it's got a sense of style and isn't cookie-cutter I should be good
Areas that I'm currently considering (in alphabetical order) include:
Austin TX
Charlestown SC
Charlotte NC
Phoenix AZ (and surrounding area)
Raleigh/Durham NC
San Diego CA (expensive though, and job wouldn't like my being on the west coast)
Savannah GA
Tampa FL
Any thoughts, opinions, pros/cons?
Austin sounds like your best option (from the list).
Nice opportunities for outdoor recreation nearby
A good University (University of Texas -Austin)
Lots of recreational sports
Beautiful friendly women everywhere
Great economy with educated populace
Great music scene (check out 6th street )
Not far from the ocean
Raleigh is also good from your list
I love San Diego (favorite city on the West coast) but the COL will be about the same as where you are plus you said your job would not like it.
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