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i'm all over the place LOL. any help for my scatterbrained self would be much appreciated.
background: i'm about to turn 30. i'm a certified medical assistant & have been with a private practice for over three years. i'm originally from Mississippi. i've lived in Virginia (Lynchburg then Roanoke) for the past 10 years.
i'm looking to relocate further south. i'm way over the winters here (sometimes over a foot overnight, ice storms that knock the power out for days, etc). maybe it's the Mississippi in me, but i'm done with all that. also as a medical assistant i don't make ALL the money, so i would like somewhere affordable with a decent cost of living (where i'm at now is very good, like 84-86?).
i'm really looking at:
Huntsville, AL
Birmingham AL
Chattanooga TN
Raleigh/Durham NC
Charlotte NC
most important aspects:
good COL
mild winters
strong medical community
personality
music/concerts
animal friendly (i have a dog & two cats... more for the dog (parks, animal friendly areas)
i may also be going back to school. a good school in the area would be a perk as well.
i would be looking to rent. i currently pay $550/month for a one bedroom that includes everything but electric. so i need somewhere that offers a $550-$600 range & enough options that i can easily find somewhere that will take my 3 animals.
I'd check out Birmingham if I were you. Due to UAB's presence, it has a large medical community and ticks pretty much all of your other boxes. It's also the southernmost city on your list and has the lowest annual snowfall average.
You may want to look at Augusta, GA too which is home to the state's medical university, doesn't get much snow, has a low cost of living, personality, etc.
I would choose Huntsville, as it covers all of your checks. The city is growing, vibrant, safe, and contains the UAB School of Medicine in Huntsville. With your budget, you will also save money because the city has a low cost of living. The city is also close to other metro areas such as Chattanooga, Nashville, Birmingham, and contains many restaurant and shopping options. Several of the apartments accept pets, and are family friendly. One of my friends stays at Jackson Square Apartments. I would be more than happy to get you a referral if you like. The major con with Huntsville, however, is the lack of interstate access.
Birmingham has a strong and growing medical community in a large city that is easy to navigate and isn't overwhelmed yet. It is on the verge of a boom due to downtown investment and revitalization but hasn't yet gotten to the point where it is over crowded and over priced. But there is plenty of personality with music festivals, big parks, large lakes nearby and a diverse economy and population.
However, it has caught on enough until where I doubt you will find much for less than 650 month for rent unless you are very flexible and don't mind a longer commute.
From the sounds of your wish list, it seems that Birmingham is the best city for you. Medicine wise, Birmingham has UAB (one of the best in the nation), Brookwood, St. Vincent's, and Grandview.
Birmingham is also a big city, but has a comfortable, small city vibe. Bham has very mild winters, and they have very pet friendly parks.
Birmingham usually gets added to most concert tours, but if Birmingham isn't one of the stops of a tour; you can pretty much be sure that Atlanta or Nashville will have a date on the tour, and both of those cities are about 2-3 hours away.
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