Planning a move out of S FL but have no specific destination in mind. Any ideas? (University: rentals, credit)

[hagene_d]

Anyone who has lived in Fl has prob either stayed here lifelong or moved for a change. I hear many ppl comment on how they are surprised I haven't moved being that I am a Fl native but opportunity and desire havent been there. Now both are and I am in need of some place to land. I've been looking at the W coast and some spots in Cali near SF seem nice. Even the La region isn't bad but nothing stands out either. Also Portland keeps coming up but I don't know about the winters of the NW or NE and my tolerance to them.

I am looking for a place with cheap rentals and cost of living, public transportation, good people overall, entertaining city ... oh and I need to finish up 3 more classes for a bachelors degree so theres that too. Any one with ideas, info, past experiences in travel share it.

[Donna-501]

If you are looking for cheap rentals I would think that CA wouldn't even be close.

Why don't you finish school here?

[cfbs2691]

Originally Posted by hagene_d

I am looking for a place with cheap rentals and cost of living, public transportation, good people overall, entertaining city

I think everyone, especially in this economy, dreams of this.

I agree with the other poster.. why not finish you're schooling here, then move on?

[hagene_d]

I think that moving after graduating would make the most sense too but I'm just at a point where the money is right for a move and I'm anxious. There are also some negative factors around me rigt now that are only adding to the desire to get heck out. I really just need something fresh. But yeah California is prob not the way to go because of the cost of living n all that, but I do like FL climate and Cali is pretty damn close. Staying for school would mean til December. I could always take online classes somewhere since the ones I have left are pretty basic classes.

[StilltheSame]

What is most important to you and why - if weather, while California can be expensive, the wages there do somewhat correlate and some areas are more reasonable than others. If "vibe" is important - Portland is a great city - but the weather (rain and lack of sun more so than cold) may be a problem. If you are more open to ideas, and have different priorities - school, job prospects; there are a lot of great cities to consider, but more informatin is needed as to what you want.

[Swimmom32]

You should check out Raleigh or Charlotte both great places for you to land, 3 hours to the beach and the Economy is pretty good especially for Jobs or I should say it is better than some other places...

[Angeluzzo]

Frankly, your question seems pretty broad. However, it makes sense. If you've never lived outside Florida, and haven't spent a lot of time traveling, then perhaps trying to "feel out your options" on a website like this is a smart move.

First of all - if you are currently enrolled at a University and only a few classes away from completing your degree, then you should finish first. If you are reluctant to do that, one could only wonder.....why? Why do you need or want to leave so quickly? Assuming you do not absolutely have to leave right this moment, then finish school. You never know if the school in Florida (where I presume you have accumulated the majority of your credits) will accept the additional credits from elsewhere and issue you the degree you will have earned. Obviously, if the majority of your credits are from the Florida school, then you will be receiving your degree from there.

Now, assuming you leave, and have to do it before you complete your degree in Florida - then you have a lot of options, but lets examine your criteria.

"I am looking for a place with cheap rentals and cost of living, public transportation, good people overall, entertaining city".

That is a tall order. Low cost of living, public transportation, good people and viable entertainment? If that place really existed, there would be so much demand to live there, that the prices would immediately go up as a result of the demand. Also, the one thing you didn't mention, was a job market? Are you self employed? That makes a HUGE difference in where you look to go.

First things first......."low cost of living" eliminates most major cities; Chicago, New York, L.A., San Francisco, Seattle, Boston, Baltimore, San Diego............all are gone. Forget it.

"Affordable cities" - places where home costs, tax burdens, job markets, and merchant costs are reasonable are located in less "sexy" cities. That is to say, there are nice places, with good people, but they won't be post card towns. These are places like Buffalo, Cleveland, Dayton (OH), Pittsburgh, and Raleigh (NC). After that, you have the "second tier" of places where rental costs can be affordable in SOME areas, places like Dallas, Austin, Charleston (SC), Portland (OR), Kansas City, Boulder (CO), and a few Florida cities.

I think the biggest shock to Floridians who move out of the state is HOW affordable Florida is. Your dollar will not go even half as far in most cities in the Northeast (Eastern New York, NJ, and New England) or the affluent West Coast (San Francisco and Southern Cal). Plus, the tax burden in Florida is CONSIDERABLY less than places outside Florida. Unless you're going to Alabama, Mississippi, or a few other southern states, your tax burden situation is going to better in Florida than anywhere else.

Lastly, if winters are a concern of yours, you are really painting yourself into a tough spot. At that point, Raleigh (NC), Dallas, Austin, Charelston (SC), and perhaps New Orleans are your best choices. But again, job markets could affect these options.

If you could omit the winter - accept the snow, and get passed that, then I would look at Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Dayton (OH), and Buffalo. Each city is lively, has a lot going on, has a low cost of living, good-hard working people, schools you could finish up your credits in, affordable housing, and diversity. Whether you are looking for an ethnic enclave, an art scene, a music scene, good food, good bars, or just a lively atmosphere, you can get it in all those places. Buffalo winters can be brutal, but it is a very underrated city, and it is close to Niagara Falls, and right over the border from Canada where Toronto is a short drive. Cleveland and Dayton are also underrated, with Cleveland being more of a "major metro area" and Dayton being a little bit smaller, but really impressive. Pittsburgh is wildly underrated. It is a cultured city, with affordable housing, great food, hard working good people, and good colleges. The only thing you lose in all those places is the ocean. Florida is obviously on the water on all sides, you won't have that everywhere.

So I would think about what is really important to you - and evaluate what your "must have's" are. I have moved around a lot......a lot......and I can tell you that everywhere has pros and cons. So figure out what you MUST have, and then go from there........but on a budget, wanting low cost of living, especially compared to Florida, your choices will be less extensive than you might hope.

Good Luck.

[Swimmom32]

It depends where on florida you are. South florida is not inexpensive by any stretch of the means...I can tell you NC is 1/2 the cost of South Florida...There is not much of a difference between NYC cost of living and South Florida...The further north in Florida you go yes the less expensive it is

[hagene_d]

First, thanks for the replies. Angeluzzo, awesome response with alot of insight. One of my "negative surrounding factors" is I have a bro living with me who is jobless, and lacks the will to look. Can't and won't kick him to the curb (and I'm not only moving to avoid confrontation) so I feel like moving would give him no more option to depend on me. Others include the fact that Ive been wanting to leave but Ive not had the opp within the past year so now is ripe. I moved away from Lauderdale before only to come back unwillingly and have been here for a yr since.

I am very inexperienced as a traveler. Been to Seattle recently and loved it but heard residents complain about the 9 mths of grey. I do love the sunshine so maybe that would b hard to cope. but the wk I was there it was "perfect" (in September). This trip was one of my inspirations into the thought of relocating. When I came back here I realized I'm not happy here. And yes I know we create our own outlook on life, which Im not doing too well at, but I could use a little help with a fresh vibe.

[hagene_d]

... also some of the cities that were mentioned I haven't thought of so thank you. Pittsburgh sounds decent when I think of it and I could - and probably will - have to do without the beach scene. Asheville, NC looked good and I've heard alot of Raleigh through friends, also not bad. My primary preferences are low cost of living, decent job market (I'm not professional at anything yet so I can't be too selective), and somewhere with a friendly vibe. Still vague but homing in!