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I base these decisions on several factors. Climate, politics, quality of education, cost of living, access to ammenities.
I don't have to go to Phoenix to know it's hot and dry. I like it colder and wet. Therefore, I have no desire to live in Phoenix.
We have this wonderful tool at our fingertips to research anything we want. Of course it's not the same as being there physically but it also can't be discounted as nothing.
Like I stated before, I was just looking into Bartow, WV. When I heard WV, I was intriqued. I thought it might be a place we could live. I don't have to physically go to Bartow and see it with my own eyes when statistics I found online tell me the median household income is less than $19,000 and the meadian home value is $24,000. Unemployment was near 50% and 100% of families live in poverty. It's over 200 miles to the nearest city with a population of over 200,000. Sites like citydata forums tell me the area is extremely remote and not to expect internet or even cell service let alone find a rental.
Climate alone will eliminate a lot of areas for me. So I don't care how funky Austin, TX is, I simply don't like heat.
I agree that climate, economic and physical attributes such as you mention are fair factors on which to factor in whether or not a place is suitable for someone who has never been there which is something I have done myself. These are indisputable.
However, in my comments, I was referring to the social and stereotypical reputation people tend to pin on places in their judgments going often repeated by others who repeat only what they have heard and not seen.
I can't say there isn't really a city I wouldn't move to. I would say there are plenty of cities I wouldn't prefer, and I wouldn't be too happy if I had to move to them.
DC is by far at the top of my list. Only because I was there for awhile, and hated every nanosecond during my time there.
Another city is Boston. I've never been there, but there are a ton of things about Boston culture I don't like. Elitism, segregation, snobbery, liberalism, rudeness, you name it. Boston is more or less probably simply the East Coast version of yuppie hotspots like Seattle, San Francisco, and Portland. I feel as a black man, my time would be miserable in Boston. Every black person I knew from Boston completely despised it, called it racist, and insanely marginalized. I think Seattle and the Bay Area's saving grace in terms of race is that they ARE on the West Coast. People there are kind of conditioned to simply ignore race, especially in business. I doubt Boston is this kind of city.
So definitely Boston gets my vote. Again, I'm guessing if I got offered some fat job there, I would pack my bags and go. But I would have a lot of hysteria about moving to such a city, which just seem too segregated and marginalized.
Just out of curiosity, how many yuppies in Portland do you know?
There are far too many cities I would NOT move to under any circumstances. To be fair, I'll only list places I've been to.
New Orleans pretty much tops my list.
Monroe, Louisiana. Well, really anywhere in the state of Louisiana. Or Arkansas and Mississippi.
Let's just make this short and sweet.. Most locals in the southeastern U.S. Exceptions being the Coastal Carolinas, Western North Carolina and South Florida.
Of all the cities I've been to, there really are only a handful of places I'd live in only under extreme duress -- or if someone threw me an insane amount of money to relocate there:
Harrisburg Pa.
Dallas
Jackson Miss.
Little Rock Ark.
Fargo N.D.
I think I could even live in Detroit again before I would live in one of these five. And that's saying something.
Last edited by citylove101; 10-31-2013 at 10:50 PM..
Asheville NC. Fun to visit, but no decent jobs, bad traffic for a city its size, very presumptious liberal vibe, outrageous property prices and rents relative to area amenities.
I couldn't see myself anywhere in Texas even though I'm fairly conservative. Weather is too hot, risk of extreme drought, big cities are extremely sprawled and congested.
I couldn't see myself in Atlanta, NM, AZ, or most of the Southwest.
And particularly anywhere in California. No way would I pay so much to live somewhere with high crime and gun rights being ridin into the ground. Also just doesn't seem to have much to do.
..and yet some of the country's safest cities are in California. We are still allowed to have guns in California and there os more to do in California than any state I have ever lived in (including my native NY).
Back to the OT:
I would never live in the Saint Louis region ever again.
I really don't think I could handle much of the mid western and south eastern bible belt.
Any city with a murder rate over 25.0 per 100.000 population, violent crime rate over 1.500 per 100k, robbery rate over 550 per 100k and/or burglary rate over 1.500 per 100k.
So that´s Oakland, Stockton, Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Kansas City, St.Louis, Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Toledo, Detroit, Cleveland, Buffalo, Newark, Baltimore, Washington D.C. and New Orleans.
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