Dallas vs Atlanta vs St. Louis (Memphis, Howe: for rent, condo, home)

[mjtinmemphis]

I have an opportunity to relocate from Memphis Tn. to Dallas, Atlanta or St. Louis. I am a single gay black male 35 looking for a city that is urban, green, clean and affordable. I will be renting for the first year to get accustomed to the area before buying a condo. My price range for rent is 700-800 per mo. I will be working from home however need a central location. I do prefer an urban lifestyle doesn’t have to be downtown but definitely urban, (walkable, transit friendly with diverse liberal population.)

I would like to hear from people that have experienced life in either of these cities to compare. It’s been 10 years since living in St. Louis. Visit Atlanta and Dallas 2 to 3 times a year but always as a visitor never thinking about relocating.

[CallMeLaura]

Dallas and Atlanta are going to be hot. St. Louis gets icky during the summer, but only for a short time. However, you'll get plenty of winter, so I'd avoid if you hate snow.

St. Louis seemed more liberal to me than Dallas (I've not lived in Atlanta, but I'd imagine it's closer to Memphis than the other two). However, it's a lot more established and to me, stagnant than Dallas. (Yes, both have new and old areas, but I'm talking about a general feeling about the area.)

I don't really have an impression of the St. Louis transit system. There are huge sections of the city I wouldn't live in, which would mean suburbs for me, and then probably only bus service. You pretty much have to have a car in Dallas, although they are expanding the light rail system. I would not count on going car-free. Dallas is also not at all pedestrian friendly. In fact, pedestrians don't have the right of way on streets.

Are you more interested in one city than the others? A lot of things can be worked around, but not the culture. If you feel more comfortable in one place, I'd go there and work around your other obstacles.