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My partner will be graduating with a Bachelors in Computer Science next year, and we are starting to do some research of options where we might want to move once he does! Of course we know a lot of it will just be about where he gets a job, but just interesting and fun to think about the possibilities anyway.
We of course know the big cities in IT...bay area, boston, nyc, seattle, dc, austin...but how do some of the upcoming 'tech hub' type cities I often read about compare? And also how gay-friendly are they?
Some places we've read about include:
Raleigh - Maybe. NC has taken a hard right turn politically, but I think it will swing back. Supposedly good tech market.
Huntsville - Largely military oriented. Possibly less conservative than the rest of AL, but other than Nashville, not a lot to do or see here.
Lexington - KY? I don't think there would be much here. Maybe Lexmark? Nearby Toyota facility in Georgetown? Very small town compared to the rest.
Kansas City - KC has a reasonably strong IT market. Not sure about the gay scene.
Salt Lake City - Good job market, but again, not sure about the gay scene and if LDS influence would both you.
Detroit - Tech scene downtown is thriving. Downtown, midtown, and some closer in neighborhoods are coming back. I'd much rather choose Raleigh.
Richmond - Market is far less vibrant than neighboring DC or Raleigh.
Baltimore - No idea, but heavy crime - overshadowed by DC.
Any others??
And how do they all rate in terms of liveability, IT job opportunities, and gay friendliness? Thanks!!
I lived in Des Moines, IA for a year and it's got an excellent job market and gay marriage is allowed in Iowa. Atlanta has a very vibrant gay scene, but not sure about the job market. Perhaps Tampa Bay? Minneapolis is another good choice.
First and foremost, congratulations! I'd suggest you use the Human Rights Campaign's metric for gay friendly cities to see an objective look at what each offers. I've provided the link below:
Of the cities you mentioned, Kansas City and Baltimore scored perfect scores. Each offers a diverse and stable economy and the things you would expect from a big city in terms of cohesive neighborhoods, jobs, thriving arts scenes, nightlife and culture. Salt Lake City would be a close second, and is experiencing a healthy growth rate. Baltimore is the most liberal of these cities and is located in a blue state, however, with high crime and crumbling infrastructure, the city becomes less attractive. You should definitely take a look at Nashville, which is an up and coming IT city, especially in health care, call centers, distribution. Nashville is very affordable, and is one of the fastest growing cities in the nation. It offers a great quality of life, young, college educated population, easy place to live, night life, urban amenities, and attractive real estate. However, it's gay-friendliness is often overshadowed by the anti-gay politics of the state it's located in.
These aren't mid-size cities, but, I have to include Denver and St. Louis in your list of places to consider given the criteria you mentioned. They are the epitome of gay-friendly cities, and offer tons of neat things to do. I do not know enough about the other cities to give you much information on gay-friendliness.
Agreed on gay friendliness and IT, will post more later but it def. should be added to the list of cities you're checking out.
Columbus, Ohio. Underated metro of 2 million. A mix of fortune 500, small firms, capital city/ college town. Stays under the radar, but it is growing at a constant clip.
I would recommend the Raleigh/Durham area, more specifically the Durham/Chapel Hill/Carrboro side of the metro area. I lived there for several years (I'm gay as well) and found it to be the nicest/friendliest place I've ever lived (lived in South/Central Florida, DC, Philly and NYC). The IT industry is well-entrenched in the area and jobs are fairly plentiful. The gay community is very visible, rather large in comparison, very well-educated which is a perk compared to most other cities, and largely minus the attitude and affected-types found in most big city gay communities. There's plenty to do in terms of a social life and recreation, as well as surprisingly great restaurants and a food scene overall comparable to the larger cities.
I would recommend the Raleigh/Durham area, more specifically the Durham/Chapel Hill/Carrboro side of the metro area. I lived there for several years (I'm gay as well) and found it to be the nicest/friendliest place I've ever lived (lived in South/Central Florida, DC, Philly and NYC). The IT industry is well-entrenched in the area and jobs are fairly plentiful. The gay community is very visible, rather large in comparison, very well-educated which is a perk compared to most other cities, and largely minus the attitude and affected-types found in most big city gay communities. There's plenty to do in terms of a social life and recreation, as well as surprisingly great restaurants and a food scene overall comparable to the larger cities.
At the end of the day, I think that the Triangle is like most places in the country in regard to gay acceptance. The central cities (in this case Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill) are probably going to be more amenable to everything that the OP seeks and, while I don't perceive the suburbs to be hostile to gays, they probably won't be as well aligned. Of course, that all changes if the OP has a family. Then, the burbs might very well suit them.
As for Tech jobs, it may be interesting to the OP that Citrix is opening its Raleigh campus in a converted warehouse this Summer in the exact DT neighborhood that houses most of Raleigh's gay centric resources like bars and community center. http://raleighpublicrecord.wpengine....9761548108.jpg http://www.crown-companies.com/custo..._View_copy.jpg http://images.raleighskyline.com/ima...ine.com_13.jpg
RedHat, a homegrown company is also HQ'd in DT Raleigh a few blocks to the East.
Go to Denver, minneapolis or portland if you don't want to move to NYC, Seattle, DC, or San Francisco. Many of these cities are probably best avoided, especially any bible belt ones.
My partner will be graduating with a Bachelors in Computer Science next year, and we are starting to do some research of options where we might want to move once he does! Of course we know a lot of it will just be about where he gets a job, but just interesting and fun to think about the possibilities anyway.
We of course know the big cities in IT...bay area, boston, nyc, seattle, dc, austin...but how do some of the upcoming 'tech hub' type cities I often read about compare? And also how gay-friendly are they?
Some places we've read about include:
Raleigh
Huntsville
Lexington
Kansas City
Salt Lake City
Detroit
Richmond
Baltimore
Any others??
And how do they all rate in terms of liveability, IT job opportunities, and gay friendliness? Thanks!!
I'd suggest Minneapolis - St. Paul. Several Fortune 500 companies are headquartered there as well as many large private companies. One of the largest development shops in the country is also located there - The Nerdery. Your partner shouldn't have any problems finding a job there.
It's no secret that the Twin Cities are very gay friendly.
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