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NYC-
Pros- The most young professionals out of the 3, the best mass transit, the better nightlife, the more job opportunities.
Cons- Costs the most, rent only no chance of buying, jobs are very competitive
Chicago-
Pros- Cheaper cost of living then the 3, areas of many young professionals, good mass transit, good nightlife
Cons- Bad winters, not as good nightlife/things to do, still competitive job wise but not as bad as NYC
Miami-
Pros- Weather, nighlife is the best out of the 3
Cons- Very far, hard to come back to Michigan to visit family, job chances may be slim
So thats my dilemma.. I still cant decide between the 3. I guess I should just apply in each area, try to build some connections in each area and then see if I can get hired first without quitting my current job first and that may be the deciding factor... but then again I could just relocate to one of them and try to make it work since probably none of them will hire me over the phone, so I have no idea
I think it all depends on who you are. Every city has its strengths and weaknesses but not every city is right for every single person. There are people who hate NYC but love say Denver, for example. It's all personal preference in the end and what you want. NYC over Chicago overall (Chicago is solid still, but NYC is...NYC) and Miami is different than both.
It's all personal preference in the end and what you want. NYC over Chicago overall (Chicago is solid still, but NYC is...NYC) and Miami is different than both.
I would say Miami's vibe is closer to that of NYC than Chicago, but agree they are all different.
Miami has the heavy East Coast/Latin American vibe like you get in Metro NYC, and feels very global, like NYC. Chicago has a different, more All-American vibe compared to NYC and Miami.
Yeah personally I like NYC much more then Chicago.. just seems like a better city with more to offer, I just need to get hired there I guess to be happy, I dont know where young professionals live in NYC I think alot of the people there are wealthy and Im wondering if I would fit in there, I know Chicago has young professionals, to me NYC seems very wealthy.. Miami would be fun but honestly its very far from family and I think it would be a very hard time getting adjusted to living there since im from Michigan. Just getting a job in NYC is so competitive I dont know where to start.
Miami would be fun but honestly its very far from family and I think it would be a very hard time getting adjusted to living there since im from Michigan. Just getting a job in NYC is so competitive I dont know where to start.
If you're from Michigan, I would try NYC. Illinois has the same basic feel as Michigan, so NYC would be something different, but not super-far.
I assume getting a job in NYC is somewhat easier than in Miami or Chicago, because the economy is better, but who knows.
Chicago is most similar to NYC of the cities in the US although it's more like Toronto if you extend to Canada. Not 100% like either, but I have had numerous family members (half of my family is from NYC) and friends comment on how they felt like they were in NYC in certain areas of Chicago. My girlfriend's friends from Manhattan/Brooklyn were in town the other day and one of them started spacing out and just said "Weird, for a minute I thought I was in Midtown." Just depends on where you are. Other areas feel absolutely nothing like it and of course Chicago is drastically different from the rest of the state (but you can say the same mostly about NYC versus NY State).
I think the important thing is to learn about each city. For example, in any city most tourists only stay in one area where in any large city it's so much more than that. Chances are that if you've visited, you stayed in about one of three neighborhoods, which doesn't give you a feel at all about things in most cities. I can't stand it when people come here and think Chicago is just a bunch of skyscrapers with medium to expensive food. It's obvious they only stay in a few areas.
I will say this. I grew up in Minnesota mostly to parents/family 100% from NYC and Los Angeles. Looking back on it, I admit I knew jack **** about Chicago until I got a job here and started researching, even though I lived maybe a 6 hour drive away. It pretty much shocked me the amount of food, nightlife, theater, music, wealth, shopping, etc that was here. I always disregarded it and while it's not "right" for everyone (like any given city and any given person) it's basically a smaller, cheaper, less stressful version of NYC in areas with a ton to offer. You can't beat NYC within the US, but I think it depends on what you're looking for. Most people will tell you NYC is more of a rat race than anywhere else in the US and you are a hell of a lot more married to your job. In other cities, there is a much better work-life balance. People work hard but they don't work themselves to death to accomplish great things/earn tons of money.
If I were you, I would visit each city again (NYC and Chicago in the summer of course) and make it a point to actually get out of the tourist areas. Get to Brooklyn or Queens in NYC. Get to Wicker Park, Ukrainian Village, Albany Park, Lakeview (not Wrigleyville), etc in Chicago. Get out of South Beach in Miami. Chances are as a real resident of an area, you are going to be doing a lot more than just staying in areas you might only stay in during a vacation.
Last edited by marothisu; 03-05-2013 at 12:06 PM..
Chicago is most similar to NYC of the cities in the US although it's more like Toronto if you extend to Canada. Not 100% like either, but I have had numerous family members (half of my family is from NYC) and friends comment on how they felt like they were in NYC in certain areas of Chicago.
I disagree. I grew up near Philly, and, to me, Philly feels VERY close to NYC, and Chicago feels totally different. Chicago looks and feels like Detroit, Cleveland, Milwaukee, etc. I do agree with you that Chicago feels semi-similar to Toronto.
I went to college in Michigan (UofM in Ann Arbor) and the first time I saw Detroit I thought it was like a bizzaro crappier version of Chicago, with the huge arterials extending out forever, the massive bungalow belt, the flat, featureless landscape, the nasal accents, similar architecture, etc.
Miami, to me, feels closer to NYC than any other city in the U.S. excepting the Northeast cities, of course. Miami has a ton of New Yorkers and Carribean ethnics, just like in NYC.
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