Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Forgive me if this has already been discussed. I am new.
I'm a 23 year old single gay male and recent BFA Fine Arts graduate looking for something new. I've heard great things about Austin, TX, Albuquerque, NM, Richmond, VA, Denver, CO, and Kansas City, MO.
I currently live in Brooklyn, NYC. I really love the employment possibilities, public transit, and liberalness of the city, but I cannot stand the weather and the expensive rent anymore. I've visited Austin a few times and absolutely in love with it. Unfortunately, though, I've only visited during the SXSW music festival, so I probably have a very skewed impression of the city.
I'm originally from Gainesville, FL. I love it back home, but I definitely think it's a little too small for me. I'm really looking for a medium between the two cities (NYC and Gainesville, FL). Somewhere with about 300,000 to 5 million people, with a good amount of commercial art and media jobs, and preferably bike (and public transit) friendly, as I do not drive.
Music and art are both very important to me. I'd love to live in a city with a decent indie rock scene, and a vibrant art community. A lot of my friends ended up moving out west to Portland, Seattle, and San Francisco, but those cities seem to be too expensive with not enough job prospects. Also, SUNSHINE IS VERY IMPORTANT TO ME. I love warm weather.
Given your criteria, I think that Austin would be the best fit for you. It has most of the attributes that you are looking for. What you may have to do is look at your criteria and decide what is it that you absolutely MUST HAVE. I would say that as a young gay man, it is probably important that you live somewhere that is gay friendly. Also, because you are in your 20's, you would probably want to be around other people your age. Albuquerque and Denver might be suitable choices as well.
Denver would definitely be a good choice. Very sunny, 300 days of sunshine a year, very few overcast days. Very bike and transit friendly, with one of the most ambitious light/heavy rail systems in the US in the formative stages. I think you could find a job in your field. ABQ I'm not so familiar with.
I would actually recommend Austin. It fits the criteria you are looking for the best...plus...if you are looking for an active social life, I'm not sure that Denver is the best fit for you...
I've lived in Austin and Richmond and MUCH, MUCH prefer Austin. Weather is much better (lots more sunshine), people are friendlier, arts scene is better, food is better, and there is an overall progressive attitude that I didn't find in Richmond at all - my husband is from Richmond and even he agrees with me.
have lived in both Denver and Kansas City. They are both great places to live. Denver is easier to meet people because there are a lot of transplants there. People like to be outside and active. However, people can also be extremely negative if you are not a "native." You will hear lots of people complain about how many people are moving to Denver. They hate Californians. The weather is usually beautiful with some brief snowstorms, but the sunshine most of the time more than makes up for the inconvenience. The mountains are close by for recreation and they just look beautiful to the eye.
Kansas City is a more family oriented city. Not nearly as many people move to Kansas City from somewhere else. As a result, many people have their familes, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. here so they don't bother to get to know many people outside of their little circles. On the plus side, Kansas City is much more affordable than Denver and you can own a really nice house for the price of a piece of junk in Denver. Much of the population in Kansas City smokes and is overweight. I have also lived in St. Louis and find this to be true of St. Louis too. This is the bible belt.
I have also had the opportunity to work for 4 months in Austin, and really liked it there. 4 months was not enough time to really get an in-depth feel for Austin, but the people were extremely friendly, the weather (in the winter) was great, and it was relatively easy to get around.
Forgive me if this has already been discussed. I am new.
I'm a 23 year old single gay male and recent BFA Fine Arts graduate looking for something new. I've heard great things about Austin, TX, Albuquerque, NM, Richmond, VA, Denver, CO, and Kansas City, MO.
I currently live in Brooklyn, NYC. I really love the employment possibilities, public transit, and liberalness of the city, but I cannot stand the weather and the expensive rent anymore. I've visited Austin a few times and absolutely in love with it. Unfortunately, though, I've only visited during the SXSW music festival, so I probably have a very skewed impression of the city.
I'm originally from Gainesville, FL. I love it back home, but I definitely think it's a little too small for me. I'm really looking for a medium between the two cities (NYC and Gainesville, FL). Somewhere with about 300,000 to 5 million people, with a good amount of commercial art and media jobs, and preferably bike (and public transit) friendly, as I do not drive.
Music and art are both very important to me. I'd love to live in a city with a decent indie rock scene, and a vibrant art community. A lot of my friends ended up moving out west to Portland, Seattle, and San Francisco, but those cities seem to be too expensive with not enough job prospects. Also, SUNSHINE IS VERY IMPORTANT TO ME. I love warm weather.
Where do you think I should move?
Thanks everyone!
Nock Richmond off that list, im from Virginia. I lived in the midwest for a while and I HATE Kansas city, would never live there.
Denver is one of the most impressive cities I have ever seen. Check out Denver.
You would like KC I think. It has a decent gay community and a huge art community. KC art institute always has displays and events the Nelson art gallery is one if the best in the nation and the contemporary museum is very nice as well. Great city great people I'd suggest posting on the KC forum with questions.
I find the transplant comment funny since my sister in law is from Kenya and a couple good friends of mine here are from Saudi Arabia and Taiwan LOL. But I would say most people who move here are already from the Midwest.
Been to Denver and Austin both and like both cities too so maybe visit all of them if possible, but KC is great the only people I've ever heard of being bored here were ones who never left the burbs to see the city.
haha actually you do not have a skewed view of the city
Austin is about as open and liberal as it gets
there's bumperstickers that say "Keep Austin Weird" everywhere
on weekends, San Antonians go up to Austin to have a good time
and 6th street is rediculous
by the way Austin is [supposedly] the Live Music Capitol of the World
seriously like every other bar downtown has live music, and every genre that you can think of
not to mention on top of all that it's a BEAUTIFUL city
and you'll probably love south-central Texas weather: It's basically summer April-Oct, with lots of sunshine. (Ironically though, SC-TX is also the Flash Flood Capitol of the country [or world I can't remember] but that's a different story...)
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
go Austin
Denver v. Kansas City
