Phoenix, Cali, or NYC?

[Tailofdogma]

I've lived in all three. Although "Cali' is a big place, so I'll just go with what I know.

NYC- awesome, but intense. This could be number one if I knew the neighborhoods you were considering. I saw midtown west mentioned, which would be fine. Frankly, I prefer the Bronx (certain hoods) and Brooklyn to Manhattan. Although Inwood north of Dykeman isn't bad.

Cali- Well, San Francisco is cool. Avoid Hunter's Point, the Tenderloin, and some parts of the Mission. Unfortunately, for a decent summary of the San Francisco attitude, check out the South Park episode "Smug Alert!"

AZ- well, yeah. I haven't been here long enough.

I'd probably go in that order.

[Design7]

As a former New Yorker. let me make this observation: It is a cold town when you're broke. You will probably be spending 2500 or more per year for basic insurance on your car. Oh, wait a minute . . . You won't have a car in New York--you can't afford it. Unless you're willing to share rent in a cardboard box with at least three other roommates expect to pay $1600 or more for a studio apartment. be sure to budget at least that amount for a security deposit as well. Even with higher salaries in New York City, expect to spend 50% of your net income just to keep a roof over your head. New York is a place to move to when you have marketable skills and a market for them. It is exciting, but only if you can afford it!

[gsheridan]

Doesn't look like the OP has checked in for a while on this thread - I wonder how he's liking it. I would agree that NYC wouldn't be much fun without money, and you definitely spend a ridiculous percentage of your income on rent. Then again, you can take all the money you would have spent on a car payment and car insurance and use it to pay for your apartment. It's still crazy expensive, but that helps a little.

It's so hard to tell whether someone would like it there. I love it, but I can see where someone could easily hate it. I'm a lifelong resident of the suburbs of NY, and I really wanted to live in the city for a few years after getting married, and before having kids. My wife didn't want to, so we ended up never doing it, but it's something I've always kind of regretted.

If you like quiet, peacuful living, you'll want to kill yourself in NY, obviously, but if you feed off the energy of a place where there's always something going on, you'll love it. That's what I've always loved about it. I worked there for years, and still take classes there. I love the fact that I can come out of class at 10 PM on a Tues night, and there are people everywhere and tons of things going on. There's just something about the energy of the place that I actually find comforting in some weird way. But if you're the type of person who likes being a million miles from everything, with nothing but open space around you, the place will probably drive you insane.