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I should point out that if you're considering the Boston metro area, Salem is one of the cheapest places to live. And, it has a commuter rail stop right next to the downtown area, so geting to work in the city won't be difficult.
Okay...lol I apologize for not giving more details! I can do that. I guess I was just wanting some opinions of those who have experienced living/visiting either!
What I don't like about Joplin...It's too small and there is nothing to do here. I have lived in Missouri my whole life and just want to experience something different...more exciting more beautiful.
I like the idea of a big city. I am aware of boston being expensive...very expensive. I would love to live downtown where everything is going on..even if it's charleston; which is also expensive to live downtown.
I have picked charleston and boston/salem because of the history and the fact that they are near the water. I want to live in a place where I dont necessarily need a car. I would love to be able to walk or ride a bike everywhere or take public transit.
I am currently a case worker so I do drive a lot with that job. So, if I get another similar job elsewhere, I know I would need a car. But I don't necessarily want a similar job.
I prefer more mild winters...we actually get some pretty cold winters here..so charleston would be good for the mild ones. But I hate to rule out Boston or Salem because of the colder weather. I never been to SC..been to boston a long time ago, so I remember nothing about it. I am about to visit SC for a few days to just check it out. Maybe at that point I can make a better decision. Though, it would be nice to visit Boston as well.
Boston definitely wins out on mass transit (Charleston only has a typical bus system), Charleston wins out on winters. DT Charleston is expensive, but probably less so than Boston/Salem.
Yeah, I was guessing that you had picked these two cities for something like the reasons you've told us you did--both being historic old coastal cities.
Based on the preferences you've specified, you've got a mix of pros and cons for each city. As Akhenaton06 says, Charleston wins on mild winters, while Boston works better for mass transit. Boston also gets the nod if you want to live in a big city, though I've heard that Charleston has a lot happening for a city its size. I'm sure that cost of housing in any city depends on the particular places within a city, but overall Charleston, even if it's more expensive than some might expect, wins this one on cost of housing. Boston is one of the top few cities in the U.S. for average housing costs.
I live in the Boston area, so I can give you the kinds of details about Boston that I can't about Charleston. A couple of advantages Boston has, based on your criteria, are that it has an extensive mass transit system, and it has some very urban inner suburbs extending beyond the city limits. Boston's public transit system includes bus and subway service in the inner suburbs as well as the city proper, along with commuter rail service well out into the suburbs. The extensive public transit system makes it possible to live outside the city, where housing, though not cheap, is often a bit less expensive than it is in the central city, and be able to reach the city without a car from many areas. The urban inner suburbs give you options for city living beyond the city limits themselves, increasing the possibility that you can find some workable situation, including housing you can afford, even if no housing in the Boston area is truly cheap.
So it looks as if Charleston has the edge on the typical cost of living and mild winters, while Boston wins on public transit and big city living.
One more note: I'm personally unfamiliar with Savannah, but from everything I've heard about it, this is another city you may want to closely investigate if Charleston looks good to you. As I hear it, Charleston and Savannah are similar cities.
You may want to consider Providence RI. It's 45 minutes from Boston with direct train access. It is a major metro area with an improving artsy downtown that is far more affordable than Boston. IT is filled with colleges and young people. You would be close to most of New England , surrounded by ocean almost everywhere and a big bonus is that the climate in RI is the mildest in New England
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