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I am a 27 year old medical student about to graduate.
I am going to be interviewing this Oct, Nov, and Dec for residencies. All three cities have residencies that will train me well.
I will be a busy intern/resident the next three years and I foresee myself wanting to do the following on my day off: study, do research, go to the park/movies/museum, swim, play tennis. I don't think I will want to drive a few hours on my ONE day off.
I am also looking to meet someone from India to settle down with at some point. So I suppose diversity/college campus might help with that issue.
I have visited Tucson a few times, Tampa a few times...more like the St. Pete area, and have never visited Austin
These are the things I am looking for:
- Good weather - To me, that is anything that is not below 40 degrees or so. I could handle San Fran (never been) but I can't/don't want to deal with winters like my current midwest winters. I want to be able to play tennis all year around. All three cities seem to be equal in this category. Austin might even be a little brisk in the winter? I would like a little crisp weather now and again. But then again Tucson has dry heat which I value and some Tucson posters talk about how nice it is to sit outside after the sun has gone down.
- Nature/Water/Outdoorss - To me, this means some hiking, beaches, rivers, oceans, mountains, running, swimming, tennis, nice walks, bbq, parks, outdoor sports/canoeing/kayaking, etc. It seems like Tucson doesn't have much access to water sports/rivers, beaches, etc. Tampa has the incredible ocean and all the water sports associated. Austin, though flat (minus hill country) has Zilker Park, Barton Springs, River to canoe, hiking etc. Does Austin win this category? Would it be the "greenest" of them all in sense of vegetation?
- Culture/Nightlife/Diversity - I would like to have some intellectual/recreational pursuits outside my career to be a well rounded person. I am kinda over the club/college bar scene but still appreciate a martini, wine, etc. I love good restaurants! That would be a plus. I would like a few museums, whether they be art/science/history/etc. All three have a major state college and would therefore interest a wide diverse student base. However it is obvious that Tucson and Austin are a lot more "college centric" than Tampa. I am thinking Austin eeeeks this one out with SXSW, Austin City Limits, Lady Bird Lake, etc? How is the theater scene in Austin?
- Future Plans/Travel - I have had a fascination with California* (the incredible cities, culture, weather, money, diversity) and am not moving there as my educational requisites/COL are not met at this point. From Tucson ---> Phoenix, Flagstaff, Vegas, *San Diego*, Puerto Penasco. It might be more fun to take my family around from Tucson than it is to take them around in Florida? From Tampa ---> Miami, tropical islands/Caribbean, Orland, Everglades National Park, etc. From Austin ---> Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, South Padre Island, Mexico, Big Bend National Park. I am thinking Tucson would be the best spot to explore the west coast...would love to go to San Fran/Oregon Coast/Wine Country/Yosemite/etc. But Austin would have more access to cultural events in Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio
I would also like to start building wealth and perhaps purchase a condo/house in one of these cities near the universities. I would hopefully rent this out to other future students/residents and pay the mortgage that way. Haven't read about the housing market a lot, but Texas might have the best investments right now?
I vote Austin, which for its' size is a diverse, progressive and vibrant city with a decidedly Californian vibe and a great music scene. You also have the nearby Lakes Austin and Travis and the beautiful Hill Country, which IMO bears a remarkable resemblance to the south of France...so you have some great recreational opportunities.
My first visit to Austin years ago was one of the great pleasant surprises of my life.
I voted for Tucson. I think it has the best weather. It's not as hot as Phoenix. If you want to beat the heat, you can drive into the mountains to cool off. I lived in SWFla, and the afternoon rain regularly ruined by outdoor racketball in the summers. Austin is 2nd.
Tucson has the best scenary and recreation available. Thousands of more hiking trails than Austin and tampa and has 9000ft+ mountains to boot. There are a couple of lakes near-bye and Patagonia Lake about 1hr away has water skiing etc.
I would think Tampa would have more nature with the Bay, and the Hillsborough and Alafia Rivers, and more vegetation and wildlife than Tucson.
You might think that, but you would be wrong. The ocean is wild for people with boats but otherwise not accessible for everyday and FL is crowded with civilization. Drive 20 from downtown Tucson and you're on the edge of wilderness stretching for hundreds of miles. It's not as green as back East but it's the most lush desert in the world. Some maps show the area as sub-tropical desert, instead of arid desert.
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