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I've lived my entire life in Newark, NJ. It's a 20m train ride into Manhattan from where I live, so I've been into NYC quite often. Having lived my life until now here, I'm not sure that this is where I want to stay. I have been going back an forth with the cost of picking up an moving, and I think that if I don't do it, I'll regret it forever. I'm fairly young (27), and I'm looking to transfer from my current field of work, graphic design, to what I actually studied in college; History & Political Science. Other than family, and I'm not much of a family person, I have no ties to NJ.
I can get a job as an archivist or in a museum in just about any state, as can I find government employment. What I can't decide is what state I should be focusing on. I've made countless trips to Philadelphia and really do like it there. This past year, I've been heavily considering Washington DC (Northern Virginia), because there's a ton of work in my chosen field. I've actually made 3 trips down to DC this fall and love it there too. Other cities I'm considering but haven't traveled to yet are Seattle, Grand Rapids (Detroit is pretty bad so no?), Milwaukee, and perhaps New Orleans (traveled there and loved it too).
Things that are important to me are:
- Seasons. I like the snow, I actually snow plow on the side during the winter, it's the one bad thing about New Orleans to me.
- Attractions. I need to have a variety of things to do. I don't like always going to the same bar or museum.
- Coastal. Being near a major body of water is important to me. Perhaps I'm jaded from being a metro ride away from the Hudson and a 30m drive from the beach.
- Decent firearms laws. I own a few guns, and since they're legal in NJ, they're probably legal in every other state except California or NY. I want to be able to take these with me wherever I move.
- Public Transport. I'm not opposed to driving, but I do prefer a good metro system.
- Diversity. To an extent. Where I currently live, whites are actually the minority. Newark has become a metropolis for Ecuadorian and other Southern American people. While I enjoy diversity, I don't like feeling like I'm in a foreign country in my own city.
Other than that, I really don't have many specifics. I'm quite friendly and outgoing, but I don't have that fast paced New York mentality. Perhaps there's some other cities I'm not thinking of. I can expect a salary of 40-50k a year if that helps with the suggestions.
Given your criteria, I think Philadelphia would be a good option. There's just as much there to do as pretty much any city in country, it has four seasons, very international/multiethnic, with well-established public transit. You can also have a CCW permit in PA, unlike NJ. And their museums are excellent, especially the art museums. Not sure you'd consider the Delaware River "coast", but it's still drivable to beaches in NJ or MD.
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