Need opinions on these cities (appointed, 2014, rent)

[Joyfulheart]

Hi,

I thought this was the best place to post since I am looking at different cities. I currently live in the DC metro area, and I am thinking of relocating. I am a divorced mom, have young kids (2) under 8 years. I am also a black female interested in dating interracially. My ex lives abroad so there is no issue there.

I am a Registered Nurse so hopefully I can get employment in most places. I am starting and finishing up a BSN program next summer, so the move is not at least until next summer (2014).

I also plan to continue my education to obtain a master's degree.

So, I am thinking:

1. Minneapolis

2.Austin

3. Seattle

4. San Francisco.

I am interested in living in a city with lots of arts and culture (I know DC has that), but I don't feel like I want to settle here.

These cities all have good children's hospitals which is very important to me.

So I would like to hear what people think, and I am open to other suggestions as well.

If it helps I will be in my early forties next year.

Thanks

[ja1myn]

Austin!

[Joyfulheart]

Thanks, I would like to hear your reasons. I know you probably live there.

[ckhthankgod]

I'd say to add Columbus OH given what you are looking for. It is growing, has a pretty strong Black middle class, but is supposedly interracial friendly. Ohio State is located there and being that it is the biggest university by enrollment in the country, it offers plenty of programs.

A sleeper may be Ann Arbor MI for similar reasons as Columbus, but it is smaller. Detroit is close by though for that big city fix. University of Michigan is there and there is a great medical school there as well.

[marothisu]

All those 4 cities are great cities. For diversity things, I think Seattle lags behind when you get outside of the Asian population. Not that they aren't open to this stuff, but you might be disappointed in that regard. The other suggestions are pretty decent IMO but none have the knock it out of the park deal.


I'd probably add cities such as Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and Chicago. I will be a homer here and say Chicago is a great city, although Philadelphia and Pittsburgh have excellent children's hospital's. Can't go wrong with the children's hospitals in each of those cities. For Chicago, Lurie Children's Hospital is ranked top 10 in many categories (top 15 in some others, top 25 in some others). The ones in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia are ranked just as highly if not higher in other regards. June of 2012 "Lurie" actually moved into a brand new building "downtown" which is also next to Northwestern Medical campus (as well as next to Michigan avenue for shopping and near a bunch of other stuff).

http://www.luriechildrens.org/en-us/...s/default.aspx

All three of these places offer a really good cost of living. Not quite as cheap as Minneapolis or Austin (great cities), but on par with Seattle and possibly even cheaper (depending on where in each city you live). Chicago offers a lot (not ALL) of what NYC does, but on a smaller scale. My uncle originally from Queens basically remarked parts of here reminded him of NYC, other parts reminded him of such places like Georgetown in DC, and others reminded him of a tiny bit of Boston, others a tiny bit of Portland, etc. Lot of arts and culture and in fact, most of the plays/musicals on broadway start in Chicago (or apparently Sacramento).

About the interracial dating thing..I can't speak for any of the cities really. Chicago is, for the most part, very liberal. One of the things against it is that some areas can be pretty "segregated" although I really don't see it as much anymore IMO. Others might, I don't know. I am in an interracial relationship, and although neither of us are black, not one person has given a ****. My last relationship was also interracial and same thing. Nobody really seems to care. I can't speak for the interracial black relationship thing (although I see it, I'm not one to specifically take note of anything like this) though.

San Francisco is pretty expensive too btw if that's a concern. Great city but not cheap at all and possibly even more expensive than DC. The other suggestions are pretty good, although outside of

[Joyfulheart]

Thanks a lot guys. You raise some good points. I thought of Chicago too, but I think I was just a bit wary of crime. For some reason PA doesn't appeal to me that's why I didn't even think about it even though I am not too far away.

SF have the highest pay for nurses in the country, but I am aware that COL is also very high. I will check my nursing forum to get more information about that.

Well like I said, I am in no rush to relocate. I plan to visit some of the cities once I can narrow down my options.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by Joyfulheart

Thanks a lot guys. You raise some good points. I thought of Chicago too, but I think I was just a bit wary of crime.

The crime here in Chicago is not what it seems. Pretty much all that violence you hear about in the media happens in only a few areas (one on the south side and one on the west side...half-ish an area on the far southside). These areas, if you are making a decent salary, you'd not have a lot of reason to ever be in (a few, but not many). They are pretty far from the areas you would want to live in if you make a decent salary. Of course, the suburbs are even safer on average.

It is in no way rampant across the city though. Since 2007, 75% of the homicides have happened in 25% of the 77 neighborhoods (community areas). So for example, downtown Chicago is pretty much 5 miles away from any of these crime centers. It doesn't normally spill to the other neighborhoods usually. The media has painted such a grim picture of everything, and well in these areas if you have enough money, you probably will not be living in or around an area like Englewood (though there's some great old architecture there, but that's another story). Maybe it's not a bad thing and maybe it's one of the reason why rent in most areas of the city is much cheaper than NYC, Los Angeles, DC, Boston, and San Francisco for a world class city. Most of the crime is also gang on gang or drug trade related. Simply if you aren't involved in drugs or gangs, you have a greater chance of being hit by a car waiting on a sidewalk than you do being randomly targeted on the street for mugging.

You'd be surprised, most of the city is actually very safe on par or better than LA and NYC outside of these areas. Chicago has the 3rd most millionaires of any city in the US (not far behind LA actually) and some billionaires living downtown. If it was the warzone the media painted it as, they would have probably moved out of the city or made a mass exodus to the burbs by now.

[Woof]

While Seattle has a low black population, it's the top place in the country for black women/white male relationships (at least that's what I read in the Seattle forum).

[Joyfulheart]

Thanks Marothisu,

I guess I heard about Chicago from the news. Recently I heard about 2 young girls or so that were shot. Something to do with Obama or so. How cold is Chicago? I appreciate you taking the time to write. You must love Chicago.

[Joyfulheart]

I will definitely check out Seattle.