I am tired of hearing how great Pittsburgh is! (Denver: renting, to live in)

[Tiger Beer]

Originally Posted by ThumbingMyWay

However taking the location out of the equation, and correct me if I'm wrong, I don't see what Pittsburgh offers that is that much better than a place like Nashville (using this example bc I've been there a few times).

Since Nashville is a place you seem interested in, I'd personally say they are a wash. They are both generally mid-size cities which represent their respective areas. What you get in one, will be only slightly different than what you get in the other - in a generic sense.

It's the miniscule little things that might make a difference. Personally I'd prefer Pittsburgh as I like the way the city is built with the rivers going through, I like the old architecture, I like the Northeast meets Midwest feel, I like the mountains. I also like the multitudes of european immigrants and all the catholic churches and eastern orthodox churches, and that feeling of 'that' that it provides.

I wouldn't personally like Nashville because it seems more 'Baptist' and 'Evangelical' leaning...more southern in mindset. More commercial country music oriented. Just a completely different flavor.

However, another person might totally love the music industry in general that Nashville represents and the southern 'hospitality' or whatever else that it provides, etc.

In short, neither of them is 'better' than the other. They are simply different, and it depends on your own values and criteria to determine which is more appealing or interesting to you personally. Since, you've only lived in PA, than just on that level alone, to see how another city has so many little differences, almost anywhere might be interesting, which would include Nashville as well.

[Tiger Beer]

Originally Posted by ThumbingMyWay

On a serious note, I have never been to the west coast (furthest west was vegas) and have believed for years that's where I belong. I admit to being a little hesitant of California by the talks of cost of living and taxes and etc. although Cali seems to have everything i would want in a location. Obviously I need to get out there and check it out.

You're 27 years old and a single male. You shouldn't let a 'fear of taxes' have any effect on you whatsoever.

Taxes are hell when you're trying to support a wife and kids and mortgage a big house and commute 30-50 miles from some LA suburb to another LA suburb.

You aren't in that situation at all. Mostly likely if you went to California, you'd end up living in a little shoebox apartment with roommates who share the rent. You'd be living in some 'hip', but slightly more 'affordable' area, so that you can mingle and talk with others and such.

In short, MANY MANY MANY young people go out to California (or New York) or wherever all the time. Generally speaking, they have a great time experiencing their youth...than eventually they get married, settled down, think about raising kids and having a family AND THAN they start to panick about taxes and bills and cost of living and such.

So, to worry about it when you aren't even in the 'wife and children and looking for schools and a home', is pointless. Do the 'dream' cities first, and than you can later settle or retire in the Carolinas or the other places that are just family-friendly mundane nothingness types of places.

That's my general advice to a young single person.

[Tiger Beer]

Originally Posted by ThumbingMyWay

^^that is definitely the plan.

Not to get too off topic in this thread but I do have one question for you west coast folks:

Is it possible or just plain crazy to attempt to fly into San Diego and make my way north for a week (rental car) and fly back out of Seattle to get a full west coast experience in a week?

That is super easy to do.

Actually when I was single and in my 20s, I simply 'MOVED. I didn't have a ton of garbage or assets or toys or anything at all. I just had a few bags, I put them in the trunk of my car, and I drove out to California, and I found a roommate situation, and I set up job interviews through as many temp agencies as I could possibly schedule, for the week that I arrived.

I did this same method in Minnesota, Oregon, California and New York. I had never visited or lived in any of them before I made the move. But I was single, in my 20s, and a natural risk-taker. I also did this same method for South Korea and Brazil, although I don't recommend it, unless you got serious balls and high-functioning adapting skills. I'm in Japan now, and it's one of the first jobs that I actually secured BEFORE arriving. Granted I'm married with kids now, so I can't and won't take the same kind of risks that I did throughout my 20s and most of my 30s.

But, you are single in your 20s...make sure you have enough skills for temp agencies. If you know word processing, excel, and powerpoint, and decent typing skills, you can always find temp jobs to pay the rent and such. If you don't have those skills, you are looking at more low paid stapling papers or labor types of temp work, which is even worse. But, you won't die doing those things. You'll just develop good survival skills. Make sure you have some 'back-up plan'. If you just have chicken feet to stay in the city that you arrive, or if you decide after 6 months of doing temp work, you just want to have enough hotel and gas money to make the long drive back 'home'. However, I never personally had that experience myself. I simply made it work out no matter what.

[skilldeadly]

Originally Posted by Tiger Beer

That is super easy to do.

Actually when I was single and in my 20s, I simply 'MOVED. I didn't have a ton of garbage or assets or toys or anything at all. I just had a few bags, I put them in the trunk of my car, and I drove out to California, and I found a roommate situation, and I set up job interviews through as many temp agencies as I could possibly schedule, for the week that I arrived.

I did this same method in Minnesota, Oregon, California and New York. I had never visited or lived in any of them before I made the move. But I was single, in my 20s, and a natural risk-taker. I also did this same method for South Korea and Brazil, although I don't recommend it, unless you got serious balls and high-functioning adapting skills. I'm in Japan now, and it's one of the first jobs that I actually secured BEFORE arriving. Granted I'm married with kids now, so I can't and won't take the same kind of risks that I did throughout my 20s and most of my 30s.

But, you are single in your 20s...make sure you have enough skills for temp agencies. If you know word processing, excel, and powerpoint, and decent typing skills, you can always find temp jobs to pay the rent and such. If you don't have those skills, you are looking at more low paid stapling papers or labor types of temp work, which is even worse. But, you won't die doing those things. You'll just develop good survival skills. Make sure you have some 'back-up plan'. If you just have chicken feet to stay in the city that you arrive, or if you decide after 6 months of doing temp work, you just want to have enough hotel and gas money to make the long drive back 'home'. However, I never personally had that experience myself. I simply made it work out no matter what.

Man, I wish I could hear the stories you could tell.

Just a quick comment to the people that say you can always settle down in some mundane place, I disagree. I want my family in an area that is vibrant and engaging. It doesn't have to be NYC but it has to be a place where it's engaging. Cookie cutter boring suburbs just aren't attractive to me. That's a decision you get to when you see what your child needs. Right now for me it's a backyard. Kids are raised in NYC all the time never having a backyard. Our landlords of which we sublease their co-op, their child spent his whole life in a very very very tiny room of the living room which is now our 2 year old daughters room. It can fit a large crib, two bins of toys and not much else. You can always live in an area and still love it despite not having what you THINK A family place should be.

[Caladium]

Originally Posted by jay5835

Maybe, relatively speaking, places like Redondo and Manhattan Beaches,

LOL, that was 30 years ago. All beach cities in southern California are now pricey pricey pricey. Every once in a while I look up the condos in my old building and am amazed to see them going for $650-750,000. You could try Gardena or East Torrance, maybe. Those towns aren't that interesting in and of themselves, but are very close to some fun places. And there are lots of young people there.

On the east coast, you're going to have a tough time finding a cool town that is also near the mountains and fairly near the ocean. Brattleboro, VT, maybe. A lot of young people like Charleston, but it's not near the mountains. Likewise many young people like Charlottesville but it's not near the beach.

[ex-burgher]

I think Charlotte or Raleigh are much nicer than Nashville - unless you are really into the live music scene there.

[Mtl-Cns]

Originally Posted by ThumbingMyWay

I do agree with you that almost all of my issues have to do with Pittsburgh's location. And while I say I'm tired of hearing how great it is here, maybe I'm being a little harsh and taking for granted what Pittsburgh does have to offer.
However taking the location out of the equation, and correct me if I'm wrong, I don't see what Pittsburgh offers that is that much better than a place like Nashville (using this example bc I've been there a few times).

As for my location search, I would prob be happier looking outside of urban areas, unfortunately that's where the jobs tend to be.

For starters Pittsburgh isn't in the south, so culturally the cities offer very different things. Also looking at population stats, Nashville is about 5 times less dense than Pittsburgh, and the metro area has around a million less inhabitants than the Pittsburgh metro, so by that alone, I'd say the cities are very different and appeal to very different types of people.

[gortonator]

Originally Posted by ThumbingMyWay

Hey you got me there. Unfortunately there aren't many east coast cities I can think of that also have nearby hiking + job opportunities.

I do like Nashville but its obviously still far from the beach (which is probably why I haven't moved there by now).

Anyone have any East coast ideas?
I plan to visit Richmond, Va and NC this summer. Anywhere else worth looking before I look out west?

Boston would seem a pretty obvious candidate. It's a great city, and withing striking distance of beaches and half decent skiing. I could live there easily.

[Copanut]

Originally Posted by gortonator

Boston would seem a pretty obvious candidate. It's a great city, and withing striking distance of beaches and half decent skiing. I could live there easily.

So could I, but it ain't cheap.

[greg42]

Originally Posted by gortonator

Boston would seem a pretty obvious candidate. It's a great city, and withing striking distance of beaches and half decent skiing. I could live there easily.

I visit the area regularly. Like it. Housing cost for like to like properties would be a lot higher, perhaps double and in some cases even more than that.