Relocating for School: Seattle vs. Austin vs. Chicago vs. ?? (living, cost, state)
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Hey so I see that I am definitely not the first person to bring this up on here but I would really like some insight on what people think of Seattle vs. Austin and then maybe Chicago or some other places.
My situation: I'm originally from the Chicago suburbs. I lived in LA for a while and now I'm in Chicago (Wicker Park). I'm looking into graduate schools to get my masters in social work. The location of the school means just as much, if not more to me than the quality of the school. I'm also factoring the cost of tuition and living into my decision.
So, UT Austin and University of Washington are my top contenders. Good schools in cool cities, though I have never actually visited either (yet). I absolutely LOVE Chicago but I can't handle another winter like this. I've had it with this brutal weather. However, U of Chicago is a great but expensive option. Also UIC is where I go now for my undergrad. It's super cheap and in the top 25 for social work. But the weather... ugh.
I'm worried about Austin because it's in Texas. I'm certainly more liberal than not and I am very secular. The thought of living in Texas is scary. Seattle seems cool but I have heard there aren't many jobs and the cost of living is kind of high, at least compared to Austin.
I love urban areas like Chicago and NYC. When I lived in LA I lived downtown just so I could try to have the city feel. That didn't really work... and I hated LA because of the people there. I prefer down to earth, friendly and socially liberal people (like Chicagoans). I really love Toronto too, but the weather isn't much of an improvement from Chicago. So where can I find reasonable weather, people and prices within close proximity to a decent school?
I absolutely LOVE Chicago but I can't handle another winter like this. I've had it with this brutal weather.
I'm not going to be a help, but if you are really from the suburbs of Chicago, then were you sleeping through the rest of your life? This winter is on record as one of the coldest since the 1870s. It's in no way normal and you should know this if you were paying attention for the 20 whatever previous years of your life on average.
If you have a problem with cold weather in general, then yes move. However, complaining about this winter means nothing especially when you know it's far below average.
If you've had enough of winter in general, then go to Austin. There are some urban areas there but it's nowhere near what it's like in Chicago or NYC. Seattle might have more of that, but Seattle never really gets that warm.
Austin is a extremely liberal city, the most liberal city probably in the style of Texas so your fine there. I'm currently attempting the university of Washington and love it. Competitive school on a gorgeous campus. Only had about 2 inches of snow this winter and 1 week with sub freezing temps (ironically right after the superbowl) but winter is generally fair here. Usually around 45 with light rain and sun breaks now and again. At it does get warm here unlike what marothisu states. We don't get 90 degree humid heat like Chicago but warms up nicely around 70 and 80 of an on in the spring and basically the entire summer with zero humidity (don't know if you plan on staying the summers here). So I'm alittle biased but I would go for Seattle. New adventure, great seafood, beautiful area and a great college. The U district only 5 minutes from downtown by freeway so everything is accessible.
Austin is a extremely liberal city, the most liberal city probably in the style of Texas so your fine there. I'm currently attempting the university of Washington and love it. Competitive school on a gorgeous campus. Only had about 2 inches of snow this winter and 1 week with sub freezing temps (ironically right after the superbowl) but winter is generally fair here. Usually around 45 with light rain and sun breaks now and again. At it does get warm here unlike what marothisu states. We don't get 90 degree humid heat like Chicago but warms up nicely around 70 and 80 of an on in the spring and basically the entire summer with zero humidity (don't know if you plan on staying the summers here). So I'm alittle biased but I would go for Seattle. New adventure, great seafood, beautiful area and a great college. The U district only 5 minutes from downtown by freeway so everything is accessible.
What makes you think the norm in Chicago for summer is 90 degrees and humid. We might get 5-10 days like that in the entire summer. Most days are in the mid to upper 80's with moderate humidity.
Chicago summers are glorious unless you are a wimp. If you can't handle a Chicago summer, lord help you then, you can't live in like 90% of the world then.
Of those three, Austin is obviously the warmest and Chicago is the coldest, but like marothisu said, you should know by now that this winter was way colder than average all over the country.
I would rank these three cities Chicago - Seattle - Austin. You should consider University of Toronto and University of Minnesota even if you're worried about the weather just because they're both fantastic schools in cities that will give you just as much or more than Seattle and Austin. You might also consider the Research Triangle in North Carolina or University of Denver.
LTomTom, where did you hear that Seattle doesn't have many jobs? We have one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country and from personal experience, it seems like literally every store and restaurant I walk into is hiring which is good for some part-time income while you attend college. There is also a large job market for after you graduate. Such a strange comment to make.
The cost of living, I will admit, is high. But if you want to live economically, there are many options. Hundreds of brand new micro-studios are popping all over the city and come pre-furnished for rents as low as $800 that includes all utilities, a free laundry room, Wi-Fi and parking (usually). You can also find plenty of studios near U-District for around 800-1,000. So really, living on a budget is doable in Seattle. Owning a car in Seattle, though, can be expensive and difficult. Traffic here sucks, but you're going to want to use public transit here anyway.
If you consider Austin, remember that you will probably need a car, so you'll have the added expense of maintaining a vehicle. In general, Seattle feels more "big urban city" than Austin, which really isn't urban outside of a couple walkable streets downtown. Chicago, of course, is the bigger of the three, but then you have that winter that you want to get away from.
I'm obviously biased and love Seattle to death. Grew up in Southern California, moved up here, and will never go back.
Austin might be better in the winter but probably 7-8 months a year Seattle would be better as Austin is brutal in the summer. Seattle is a more international city because it IS an international city. Austin has some of that but it is mostly transplants and doesn't seem as real. Austin works a LOT harder to achieve it's "hipness" which seems to come to Seattle much more naturally. While Austin has developed some "neighborhood" type character Seattle has it all over town and the neighborhoods have been there forever.
One thing I like about Seattle compared to Austin is that the campus is NOT in the downtown area and has it's own area and it's own commercial areas. UT is crammed next to the capital which is crammed next to downtown which is next to the entertainment district in so on. Both campuses are nice but UT's while "stately" isn't necessarily "pretty". UW is both.
Austin is a pretty town, but Seattle is one of the most spectacular places in the world. Austin has a river that that they have dammed into a couple of lakes and the "hill country", Seattle has the sound, Union Lake, Washington Lake and Mt Rainer and the Cascades as well as the Olympics, the Pacific Ocean and Vancouver close by. (Austin has Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio close by and of course the gulf of Mexico.)
Both schools are obviously top notch however it must be noted that the UT quarterback could throw the football from Darrell K Royal Memorial stadium and knock out a window in the elegant state capitol of Texas. If you need to access politics for your studies perhaps Austin would be better?
Now which do you like better, Tex-Mex or Chinese food?
Of those three, Austin is obviously the warmest and Chicago is the coldest, but like marothisu said, you should know by now that this winter was way colder than average all over the country.
I would rank these three cities Chicago - Seattle - Austin. You should consider University of Toronto and University of Minnesota even if you're worried about the weather just because they're both fantastic schools in cities that will give you just as much or more than Seattle and Austin. You might also consider the Research Triangle in North Carolina or University of Denver.
I would say Minneapolis would offer more then Seattle, maybe Austin. Toronto is good but tht also get bitter summers. University of Washington is overall a better college then U of Minnesota and U of Toronto
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