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I cant find a better forum to put it on, it has more to do with finances.
anyways I have lived in 4 cities before, from a very expensive area (boston) to a cheaper area (spokane area, WA). and i have lived in an area where the city population is 1.5 million. the way i see it, I liked to be in a city, theres more to do, things to see, and people around you to distract you so time goes by quicker. and of course, there is a basketball/football/baseball team to root for so one feels like they are a part of that city.
the folks who lives in small cities or towns, its gets boring, unless they like the outdoors. there is not much to do, and some dont have good jobs.
but the biggest things that i see is that in big cities, lots of folks have to struggle to live in a small place, and some have to live in an bad area. and the folks there still want to be there since there is lots to do, but without money, most of the time they are just window shopping when they go to their downtowns. you just have to be making good money to have a good life, whereas in a small city or town, its better off for folks who dont make much money, but they get bored.
how do you view it? im stuck in a situation where i want to live in boston, and i have friends that was born and raised in Hawaii, nyc, but cant go back because its too costly there. we know once we go there we have to struggle, and our kids, grandkids will struggle. its only getting worse, even if a person has a house that they bought for cheap, then got lucky and the house now is worth a million dollars, they still cant live a good life if their kids or grand-kids are living in a tiny studio or is homeless, as some of my friends told me in Hawaii, they know people who sold their homes and left there, and most jobs there dont pay enough to support a good life, hence all the homelessness.
Civic, do you need a real passion of some sort? Seems to me that you're kind of footloose.
Another thing: Look at the kind of work you do. Doesn't it pay more in the city? Or is really all the same in your field? I followed the money and went where it led me (I'm a lot older than you) and I am glad I did. I took new assignments, promotions, opportunities - whatever presented itself. BY the time I retired I had visited 49 states and 18 foreign countries.
Large cities often have cheaper groceries and dining options. The expense comes in when you factor housing/rent. It depends on your career also. I know a lot of people making $100k to $400k, which they wouldn't make in a small town.
Bottom line, do what makes you happy. I would much rather spend $1,000 to rent a room in a shared apartment in Boston than pay $1,000 to rent a McMansion in rural Kansas. That's me though. If I were to start a family, it would be a different story. Why not settle for somewhere in between such as Houston or Orlando.
You can live cheap in the city if you shop around and research. Only suckers and out of towners pay full price
And you don't have to live in the ghetto to find affordable housing. Living close enough however will help you stretch your dollar. Again, research...
I've lived in the city, in the suburbs, and in the middle of nowhere. I prefer the city, especially when I found out how to live there affordably. More money left over to actually enjoy the amenities.
There are definitely affordable cities out there- particularly the old Rust Belt cities which still offer a tonne of amenities while not breaking the bank!
For instance, the predominant reason DH & I moved back to St. Louis after he got out of the military was the super low cost of living coupled with the wonderful array of things to do from professional sporting events (Cardinals, Rams, Blues) to Museums, Galleries, Unique Restaurants and Shopping Experiences, Architecture and History. It's not on the scale of Boston or New York City, of course, but still offers a sample of 'everything' at a fraction of the price.
DH & I spent 4+ years in a small-ish military town in North Carolina and there is no way in the world I could do that again, or raise a family in a place like that. Like you, I'm not an 'outdoors' person and was bored half to death in 'podunktown', North Carolina! The cost of living wasn't actually lower, either. Groceries, gas and housing were actually more expensive there than they were in parts of larger cities throughout the state (mainly due to being a military town). Plus, the lifestyle was so subpar, in my personal opinion, that even if it was cheaper than living in a larger city, any cost advantage wouldn't be worth it due to the lack of cultural amenities.
My advice is to start looking at affordable city options- St. Louis, Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Kansas City, Pittsburgh, among others offer lower prices than the North East while not being small-town-boring!
My advice is to start looking at affordable city options- St. Louis, Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Kansas City, Pittsburgh, among others offer lower prices than the North East while not being small-town-boring!
Good post
I thought I'd add a few more moderate cost cities to your already good list:
Cleveland, Columbus, Atlanta, Dallas, Houston.
I was skeptical about Cleveland but my bf insists that it's a lot nicer than its reputation and the COL there is quite cheap.
If you can live in an affordable place in the city and your vocation pays a lot more in the city, then you are better off, no? I mean, you can invest that extra money and have a lot more at retirement and upon retirement move to a less populated area, if you like, which will be less expensive, and live well.
If you can live in an affordable place in the city and your vocation pays a lot more in the city, then you are better off, no? I mean, you can invest that extra money and have a lot more at retirement and upon retirement move to a less populated area, if you like, which will be less expensive, and live well.
yes, a person is better off making way more money in a expensive city if the city offers that job at a high rate of pay. and yes, that person can move to a less populated area upon retirement. but my point in the whole thread that i started is that, that person's kid, and grandkid, might stay at the city and you move, or you stay and they move. that creates lots of issues if your kids and grandkids are scattered all across the country. If you can work on wall street and live in new york, but one of your kids are not smart enough to finish college, only to struggle in new york, of course they are going to move.
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