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Hello all! New poster. So, I'm currently a student, but I'm starting to look at cities to move to post college. My heart will always belong to Palm Beach County, Florida, and I WILL return one day, but, unfortunately, that is not an option for my career. While some companies have offices in Miami, not all do. Most companies are centered in Boston, New York, Chicago and LA, none of which are great options for me (I hate the cold, and don't enjoy living in Blue States in general). Three cities that do appear to be options for me are Atlanta, Dallas, and Houston. I guess I'll start by giving a background of where I have lived, what I liked or disliked about each region, and then list my impressions of the given cities, and then you all can give me more information and tell me where I should live!
Durham, NC--this is where I go to college. I absolutely HATE it. Well, I love my church, but it has all the disadvantages of a city (liberals, crime, bad roads) without any of the advantages (culture, sports teams, etc). Thankfully, I absolutely adore my university, but there is no way I would ever want to live in Durham or a city like it again in my life.
Louisville, KY--born and lived here for seven years. Not my favorite place, but not my least favorite either. There's about as much culture/entertainment as Durham, and far fewer liberals.
Boston, MA--lived here for ten years, went to high school here, and LOVE a lot of things about the city. I love the Museum of Fine Arts, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, First Night (New Years Eve), the intellectualism, the pub scene, the North End, The South Shore! (random haha, but I lived in Hingham), the RED SOX BABY! but also the Celtics, Pats and Bruins (no city has better sports than Boston), the fact that everything in Boston was so close because it's a small city, the schools were awesome, and it was pretty.
Unfortunately, I got depressed every winter from lack of sunshine/cold weather/snow (I freaking HATE snow), and saying I was in a political minority was an understatement, not to mention I had to drive a good 45 minutes to church. Ultimately, I love Boston for so many reasons, but these three negatives (weather, politics and religion) drove me away. Oh how could I forget the ROADS? That was the most frustrating part. I wanted to cry every time I got in my car because the roads make no sense and are so dangerous.
Palm Beach, FL--my mom has lived here for the ten years I was in Boston, so I would come down about once a month. Palm Beach County is perfect, in my opinion. I love the beach. I need to go to the beach and lie in the sunshine on a regular basis. There are some good churches here, and people are pretty conservative (well, the people I deal with...of course West Palm and Riviera vote for Democrats, but my congressional district is 50/50, which is fine). There is a good amount to do, and while there aren't any museums, orchestras or sports equivalent to Boston, I honestly don't mind because the roads, weather, politics and churches are pitch perfect. I am so bubbly and happy every time I'm in Palm Beach. It really is the perfect place for me. I wish my career allowed me to work here. Alas...but Miami is still a possibility (somewhat). I know, Miami isn't quite Palm Beach, but it has a lot of positives, and I'd live in Miami in a heart beat if I could, over the other potential cities.
Now....for my opinions of these three cities I'll probably have to relocate to:
Houston--this seems like the best fit for me, so, of course, it has the fewest opportunities for my career. It doesn't have any beaches worth mentioning (I'm such a beach snob haha! South Florida or bust...California and NC are pretty nice I guess, but West Florida is a joke...the whole Gulf vibe just doesn't cut it for me), but the people seem unbelievably nice, down to earth and not too into materialism. My best friend in college is from Houston. Houston also seems to have the most cultural offerings of any city in Red State America, while still being overwhelmingly conservative and evangelical. I guess I'm a little concerned about pollution, sprawl, and the lack of beaches, not to mention the unbelievably hot summers/relatively cool winters (compared to SoFlo...and please don't tell me SoFlo is hot in the summer, it is, but there is a breeze, and I can deal with 90, it's 100 that gets to me). I've been to Houston twice, and loved it immensely. I almost went to Rice because I loved Houston so much. It really seems like the perfect city for me, well...outside of Palm Beach.
Atlanta--I've been to Atlanta a couple of times. It seems like a really fun city. The Museum of High Art or whatever is a definite plus, and while there do not seem to be the same cultural options as Houston, there are some, and the nightlife is exciting. Buckhead in particular seems awesome. What worries me about Atlanta is the traffic/roads. It seems like Boston all over again, except without the Red Sox and the awesome cultural options/feel of the city (I love the Irish-American vibe and ahhh just so much about Boston!) Also, the average high in January is only like 51? That's so cold! Also, there seems to be a lot of white/black tension in Atlanta, is this true? I mean I don't really care about diversity, like people are people to me, and I find people interesting based on their minds and life experiences, not skin color, but I wouldn't want to live in a place where there's considerable racial tension. Finally, Atlanta doesn't have a beach to speak of, and it seems like so many people live in like Alpharetta, Cumming, and the other northern exurbs that are like 50 miles from the city center. I'm also concerned that Georgia isn't as conservative as Texas. True or false?
Dallas--To be honest, my impression of Dallas is extremely negative, so, of course, it has the best options for my career (well other than Boston). Here are my impressions of Dallas. Please correct them where they err! It seems like there are close to 0 cultural options in the area, like no good theaters, museums, orchestras, operas etc., at least nothing at the level of Houston/Atlanta, more similar to Durham. People also seem uber-materialistic, unlike Houston/Atlanta. The weather also seems to be a problem, as it's still pretty cold in the winter (I heard it snows at least once a year, and average January temps are still in the 50's!) and scorchingly hot in the summer. Dallas does seem to be really conservative and evangelical, which is a big plus, and the roads seem to be really good, but I'm just worried I'd feel culturally parched, and that I'd just become some football obsessed jock or something. Is there anything for Young Professionals to do in Dallas? At least I've heard the women are really awesome, and it's a good place to meet your wife and then raise a family...but I still think I'd rather be in Houston, right? Sigh...basically I'm looking for someone to sell me on Dallas so that I don't make a dumb career move haha!
Hello all! New poster. So, I'm currently a student, but I'm starting to look at cities to move to post college. My heart will always belong to Palm Beach County, Florida, and I WILL return one day, but, unfortunately, that is not an option for my career. While some companies have offices in Miami, not all do. Most companies are centered in Boston, New York, Chicago and LA, none of which are great options for me (I hate the cold, and don't enjoy living in Blue States in general). Three cities that do appear to be options for me are Atlanta, Dallas, and Houston. I guess I'll start by giving a background of where I have lived, what I liked or disliked about each region, and then list my impressions of the given cities, and then you all can give me more information and tell me where I should live!
Durham, NC--this is where I go to college. I absolutely HATE it. Well, I love my church, but it has all the disadvantages of a city (liberals, crime, bad roads) without any of the advantages (culture, sports teams, etc). Thankfully, I absolutely adore my university, but there is no way I would ever want to live in Durham or a city like it again in my life.
Louisville, KY--born and lived here for seven years. Not my favorite place, but not my least favorite either. There's about as much culture/entertainment as Durham, and far fewer liberals.
Boston, MA--lived here for ten years, went to high school here, and LOVE a lot of things about the city. I love the Museum of Fine Arts, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, First Night (New Years Eve), the intellectualism, the pub scene, the North End, The South Shore! (random haha, but I lived in Hingham), the RED SOX BABY! but also the Celtics, Pats and Bruins (no city has better sports than Boston), the fact that everything in Boston was so close because it's a small city, the schools were awesome, and it was pretty.
Unfortunately, I got depressed every winter from lack of sunshine/cold weather/snow (I freaking HATE snow), and saying I was in a political minority was an understatement, not to mention I had to drive a good 45 minutes to church. Ultimately, I love Boston for so many reasons, but these three negatives (weather, politics and religion) drove me away. Oh how could I forget the ROADS? That was the most frustrating part. I wanted to cry every time I got in my car because the roads make no sense and are so dangerous.
Palm Beach, FL--my mom has lived here for the ten years I was in Boston, so I would come down about once a month. Palm Beach County is perfect, in my opinion. I love the beach. I need to go to the beach and lie in the sunshine on a regular basis. There are some good churches here, and people are pretty conservative (well, the people I deal with...of course West Palm and Riviera vote for Democrats, but my congressional district is 50/50, which is fine). There is a good amount to do, and while there aren't any museums, orchestras or sports equivalent to Boston, I honestly don't mind because the roads, weather, politics and churches are pitch perfect. I am so bubbly and happy every time I'm in Palm Beach. It really is the perfect place for me. I wish my career allowed me to work here. Alas...but Miami is still a possibility (somewhat). I know, Miami isn't quite Palm Beach, but it has a lot of positives, and I'd live in Miami in a heart beat if I could, over the other potential cities.
Now....for my opinions of these three cities I'll probably have to relocate to:
Houston--this seems like the best fit for me, so, of course, it has the fewest opportunities for my career. It doesn't have any beaches worth mentioning (I'm such a beach snob haha! South Florida or bust...California and NC are pretty nice I guess, but West Florida is a joke...the whole Gulf vibe just doesn't cut it for me), but the people seem unbelievably nice, down to earth and not too into materialism. My best friend in college is from Houston. Houston also seems to have the most cultural offerings of any city in Red State America, while still being overwhelmingly conservative and evangelical. I guess I'm a little concerned about pollution, sprawl, and the lack of beaches, not to mention the unbelievably hot summers/relatively cool winters (compared to SoFlo...and please don't tell me SoFlo is hot in the summer, it is, but there is a breeze, and I can deal with 90, it's 100 that gets to me). I've been to Houston twice, and loved it immensely. I almost went to Rice because I loved Houston so much. It really seems like the perfect city for me, well...outside of Palm Beach.
Atlanta--I've been to Atlanta a couple of times. It seems like a really fun city. The Museum of High Art or whatever is a definite plus, and while there do not seem to be the same cultural options as Houston, there are some, and the nightlife is exciting. Buckhead in particular seems awesome. What worries me about Atlanta is the traffic/roads. It seems like Boston all over again, except without the Red Sox and the awesome cultural options/feel of the city (I love the Irish-American vibe and ahhh just so much about Boston!) Also, the average high in January is only like 51? That's so cold! Also, there seems to be a lot of white/black tension in Atlanta, is this true? I mean I don't really care about diversity, like people are people to me, and I find people interesting based on their minds and life experiences, not skin color, but I wouldn't want to live in a place where there's considerable racial tension. Finally, Atlanta doesn't have a beach to speak of, and it seems like so many people live in like Alpharetta, Cumming, and the other northern exurbs that are like 50 miles from the city center. I'm also concerned that Georgia isn't as conservative as Texas. True or false?
Dallas--To be honest, my impression of Dallas is extremely negative, so, of course, it has the best options for my career (well other than Boston). Here are my impressions of Dallas. Please correct them where they err! It seems like there are close to 0 cultural options in the area, like no good theaters, museums, orchestras, operas etc., at least nothing at the level of Houston/Atlanta, more similar to Durham. People also seem uber-materialistic, unlike Houston/Atlanta. The weather also seems to be a problem, as it's still pretty cold in the winter (I heard it snows at least once a year, and average January temps are still in the 50's!) and scorchingly hot in the summer. Dallas does seem to be really conservative and evangelical, which is a big plus, and the roads seem to be really good, but I'm just worried I'd feel culturally parched, and that I'd just become some football obsessed jock or something. Is there anything for Young Professionals to do in Dallas? At least I've heard the women are really awesome, and it's a good place to meet your wife and then raise a family...but I still think I'd rather be in Houston, right? Sigh...basically I'm looking for someone to sell me on Dallas so that I don't make a dumb career move haha!
Hello all! New poster. So, I'm currently a student, but I'm starting to look at cities to move to post college. My heart will always belong to Palm Beach County, Florida, and I WILL return one day, but, unfortunately, that is not an option for my career. While some companies have offices in Miami, not all do. Most companies are centered in Boston, New York, Chicago and LA, none of which are great options for me (I hate the cold, and don't enjoy living in Blue States in general). Three cities that do appear to be options for me are Atlanta, Dallas, and Houston. I guess I'll start by giving a background of where I have lived, what I liked or disliked about each region, and then list my impressions of the given cities, and then you all can give me more information and tell me where I should live!
Durham, NC--this is where I go to college. I absolutely HATE it. Well, I love my church, but it has all the disadvantages of a city (liberals, crime, bad roads) without any of the advantages (culture, sports teams, etc). Thankfully, I absolutely adore my university, but there is no way I would ever want to live in Durham or a city like it again in my life.
Louisville, KY--born and lived here for seven years. Not my favorite place, but not my least favorite either. There's about as much culture/entertainment as Durham, and far fewer liberals.
Boston, MA--lived here for ten years, went to high school here, and LOVE a lot of things about the city. I love the Museum of Fine Arts, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, First Night (New Years Eve), the intellectualism, the pub scene, the North End, The South Shore! (random haha, but I lived in Hingham), the RED SOX BABY! but also the Celtics, Pats and Bruins (no city has better sports than Boston), the fact that everything in Boston was so close because it's a small city, the schools were awesome, and it was pretty.
Unfortunately, I got depressed every winter from lack of sunshine/cold weather/snow (I freaking HATE snow), and saying I was in a political minority was an understatement, not to mention I had to drive a good 45 minutes to church. Ultimately, I love Boston for so many reasons, but these three negatives (weather, politics and religion) drove me away. Oh how could I forget the ROADS? That was the most frustrating part. I wanted to cry every time I got in my car because the roads make no sense and are so dangerous.
Palm Beach, FL--my mom has lived here for the ten years I was in Boston, so I would come down about once a month. Palm Beach County is perfect, in my opinion. I love the beach. I need to go to the beach and lie in the sunshine on a regular basis. There are some good churches here, and people are pretty conservative (well, the people I deal with...of course West Palm and Riviera vote for Democrats, but my congressional district is 50/50, which is fine). There is a good amount to do, and while there aren't any museums, orchestras or sports equivalent to Boston, I honestly don't mind because the roads, weather, politics and churches are pitch perfect. I am so bubbly and happy every time I'm in Palm Beach. It really is the perfect place for me. I wish my career allowed me to work here. Alas...but Miami is still a possibility (somewhat). I know, Miami isn't quite Palm Beach, but it has a lot of positives, and I'd live in Miami in a heart beat if I could, over the other potential cities.
Now....for my opinions of these three cities I'll probably have to relocate to:
Houston--this seems like the best fit for me, so, of course, it has the fewest opportunities for my career. It doesn't have any beaches worth mentioning (I'm such a beach snob haha! South Florida or bust...California and NC are pretty nice I guess, but West Florida is a joke...the whole Gulf vibe just doesn't cut it for me), but the people seem unbelievably nice, down to earth and not too into materialism. My best friend in college is from Houston. Houston also seems to have the most cultural offerings of any city in Red State America, while still being overwhelmingly conservative and evangelical. I guess I'm a little concerned about pollution, sprawl, and the lack of beaches, not to mention the unbelievably hot summers/relatively cool winters (compared to SoFlo...and please don't tell me SoFlo is hot in the summer, it is, but there is a breeze, and I can deal with 90, it's 100 that gets to me). I've been to Houston twice, and loved it immensely. I almost went to Rice because I loved Houston so much. It really seems like the perfect city for me, well...outside of Palm Beach.
Atlanta--I've been to Atlanta a couple of times. It seems like a really fun city. The Museum of High Art or whatever is a definite plus, and while there do not seem to be the same cultural options as Houston, there are some, and the nightlife is exciting. Buckhead in particular seems awesome. What worries me about Atlanta is the traffic/roads. It seems like Boston all over again, except without the Red Sox and the awesome cultural options/feel of the city (I love the Irish-American vibe and ahhh just so much about Boston!) Also, the average high in January is only like 51? That's so cold! Also, there seems to be a lot of white/black tension in Atlanta, is this true? I mean I don't really care about diversity, like people are people to me, and I find people interesting based on their minds and life experiences, not skin color, but I wouldn't want to live in a place where there's considerable racial tension. Finally, Atlanta doesn't have a beach to speak of, and it seems like so many people live in like Alpharetta, Cumming, and the other northern exurbs that are like 50 miles from the city center. I'm also concerned that Georgia isn't as conservative as Texas. True or false?
Dallas--To be honest, my impression of Dallas is extremely negative, so, of course, it has the best options for my career (well other than Boston). Here are my impressions of Dallas. Please correct them where they err! It seems like there are close to 0 cultural options in the area, like no good theaters, museums, orchestras, operas etc., at least nothing at the level of Houston/Atlanta, more similar to Durham. People also seem uber-materialistic, unlike Houston/Atlanta. The weather also seems to be a problem, as it's still pretty cold in the winter (I heard it snows at least once a year, and average January temps are still in the 50's!) and scorchingly hot in the summer. Dallas does seem to be really conservative and evangelical, which is a big plus, and the roads seem to be really good, but I'm just worried I'd feel culturally parched, and that I'd just become some football obsessed jock or something. Is there anything for Young Professionals to do in Dallas? At least I've heard the women are really awesome, and it's a good place to meet your wife and then raise a family...but I still think I'd rather be in Houston, right? Sigh...basically I'm looking for someone to sell me on Dallas so that I don't make a dumb career move haha!
Thanks guys!
You've been misinformed. HOU/dal/atl are all blue cities in red states.
Evidently you'll be looking in the suburbs if you want conservative people because you'll barely find them in the city.
You've been misinformed. HOU/dal/atl are all blue cities in red states.
Evidently you'll be looking in the suburbs if you want conservative people because you'll barely find them in the city.
There is a difference between voting for Democrats for cultural, racial or economic reasons and voting for Democrats because of philosophical reasons. I don't mind people who vote for Democrats at all. I mind Liberals. Why I mind them is my business, but the point is, I don't want to have to deal with them ever again in my life if I don't have to. The industry I plan to work in is dominated by conservatives (like most industries), so I'd also like to live in as conservative a place as possible that still has the trappings of a city.
Price/cost of living really isn't an issue. The area's cost of living is taken into account for your salary/bonuses. But I would be renting, hopefully living close to downtown (well, Buckhead in the case of Atlanta, I guess Uptown for Dallas?) I guess $1500-$2000 a month for rent would probably be the ceiling outside of Manhattan.
Again, I'm really interested in the cultural offerings and the feel of the three cities. Rather than focusing on politics, could we please just talk about the cities themselves, and which would be best suited for someone who loves South Florida?
There is a difference between voting for Democrats for cultural, racial or economic reasons and voting for Democrats because of philosophical reasons. I don't mind people who vote for Democrats at all. I mind Liberals. Why I mind them is my business, but the point is, I don't want to have to deal with them ever again in my life if I don't have to. The industry I plan to work in is dominated by conservatives (like most industries), so I'd also like to live in as conservative a place as possible that still has the trappings of a city.
Price/cost of living really isn't an issue. The area's cost of living is taken into account for your salary/bonuses. But I would be renting, hopefully living close to downtown (well, Buckhead in the case of Atlanta, I guess Uptown for Dallas?) I guess $1500-$2000 a month for rent would probably be the ceiling outside of Manhattan.
Again, I'm really interested in the cultural offerings and the feel of the three cities. Rather than focusing on politics, could we please just talk about the cities themselves, and which would be best suited for someone who loves South Florida?
Houston would probably be the most similar to South Florida. Lots of different styles of housing here ,lots of culture, great food, amazing museums,etc
Dallas would be the most conservative (Not the city itself, but area) out of the three imo, considering it's location. However, Atlanta has a large black population which influences it's voting results. Blacks tend to be the most conservative people, especially when it comes to being religious.
Houston has tons of diversity, and sits just outside the bible belt. However, the weather here will be more annoying because we sit farther back from the coast.
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If you can go with Houston
