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I've been here just over two months, and I feel that it is very safe if you're in the right neighborhood, aren't dealing or using drugs, and doing anything stupid at night. I've never even heard gunshots or seen anything crazy, even at closing time. The desirable, normal places to live are well monitored between cameras and police. What brings Wilmington down overall, despite having the richest/trendiest neighborhoods/suburbs in the entire state, is that there are 4-5 neighborhoods that are BAD (I'm talking boarded up windows, crackheads during the day, trash on the streets bad). Every single murder this past year (there were 26) happened in one of these neighborhoods, and most of the victims were engaging in vendettas. A few were innocent bystanders, though, which is why I wouldn't recommend those neighborhoods at all, even if you can find a 2br for 800-1000 dollars--there's a reason why it's so cheap. And if you're adamant in not having a roommate, I've found studios that go for as little as $700 a month (utilities included) in great neighborhoods--but you have to be QUICK, and be wary that as Wilmington continues to gentrify even more, rates will keep going up.
Thank you for that article; it was very eye-opening. A studio for $700/month with utilities included is a steal, in my opinion, but rent creep from further gentrification could definitely become an issue. I don't see my company handing out raises any time soon.
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Originally Posted by Mutiny77
Yeah and good luck on finding something at $800/month downtown.
The OP will probably have better luck in Wilmington.
Just to be clear, you are referring to Wilmington, NC, correct? I never realized how many Wilmingtons, Greenvilles, etc, there are until I started this hunt. Also, I have come across a few studios in/close to downtown Asheville for around $800/month. Tough to tell what the apartments are really like from Realtor pictures, though.
Just to be clear, you are referring to Wilmington, NC, correct? I never realized how many Wilmingtons, Greenvilles, etc, there are until I started this hunt. Also, I have come across a few studios in/close to downtown Asheville for around $800/month. Tough to tell what the apartments are really like from Realtor pictures, though.
Troy, New York. It's a small rust-belt city that's experience an "urban renaissance." Troy has an amazing downtown that has lots to offer. You're less than twenty minutes from Albany and Saratoga Springs. You're also within an hour from both the Adirondacks and the Berkshires. Amtrak and Greyhound both offer regular, quick service to NYC and Montreal. Also, the "Captial District" (Albany-Troy-Schenectady-Saratoga Springs) has the least suburban sprawl of any city I've visited in the US.
Syracuse, New York. Medium-sized rust belt city with a fantastic downtown that continues to improve by leaps and bounds. It's central location puts it within a reasonable drive from NYC, Philly, Montreal, and Toronto. Rochester, which has a phenomenal arts scene, is just over an hour away. You're also close to the Finger Lakes, the Adirondacks, and Lake Ontario. Syracuse has the largest shopping mall and the largest farmers market in New York State. However, in terms of negatives, outside of downtown, the city proper suffers from some pretty depressing urban decay. There's also an awkward disconnect between the city of Syracuse and Syracuse University; it's like they almost exist in two parallel universes.
Charleston, West Virginia. This city surprised me. I wasn't expecting much, but downtown is revitalizing and has some great cafes and restaurants. The climate is mild, and West Virginia has impeccable scenery with lots of outdoor recreation opportunities. On the downside, there's a bit of a drug problem. I've only been there once, so I can't really talk about it as extensively as Syracuse and Troy.
Duluth, Minnesota. While I've never been to Portland, Maine, I imagine it probably shares some similarities with Duluth. Duluth has a pretty good music scene and it's downtown is very walkable and fairly dense. It's on the bottom a large hill, right on Lake Superior. Saying winters are cold would be an understatement, but cost of living is low. I've been to Duluth several times, but not in the past ten years; I hear it's improved, but I can't really speak to that firsthand.
Last edited by Dawn.Davenport; 01-04-2016 at 03:11 PM..
Troy, New York. It's a small rust-belt city that's experience an "urban renaissance." Troy has an amazing downtown that has lots to offer. You're less than twenty minutes from Albany and Saratoga Springs. You're also within an hour from both the Adirondacks and the Berkshires. Amtrak and Greyhound both offer regular, quick service to NYC and Montreal. Also, the "Captial District" (Albany-Troy-Schenectady-Saratoga Springs) has the least suburban sprawl of any city I've visited in the US.
Syracuse, New York. Medium-sized rust belt city with a fantastic downtown that continues to improve by leaps and bounds. It's central location puts it within a reasonable drive from NYC, Philly, Montreal, and Toronto. Rochester, which has a phenomenal arts scene, is just over an hour away. You're also close to the Finger Lakes, the Adirondacks, and Lake Ontario. Syracuse has the largest shopping mall and the largest farmers market in New York State. However, in terms of negatives, outside of downtown, the city proper suffers from some pretty depressing urban decay. There's also an awkward disconnect between the city of Syracuse and Syracuse University; it's like they almost exist in two parallel universes.
Charleston, West Virginia. This city surprised me. I wasn't expecting much, but downtown is revitalizing and has some great cafes and restaurants. The climate is mild, and West Virginia has impeccable scenery with lots of outdoor recreation opportunities. On the downside, there's a bit of a drug problem. I've only been there once, so I can't really talk about it as extensively as Syracuse and Troy.
Duluth, Minnesota. While I've never been to Portland, Maine, I imagine it probably shares some similarities with Duluth. Duluth has a pretty good music scene and it's downtown is very walkable and fairly dense. It's on the bottom a large hill, right on Lake Superior. Saying winters are cold would be an understatement, but cost of living is low. I've been to Duluth several times, but not in the past ten years; I hear it's improved, but I can't really speak to that firsthand.
I think if the OP went with Syracuse, the Tipperary Hill neighborhood would be a good fit. It is a straight shot to Downtown down West Genesee. There are bars/pubs and rentals in that neighborhood.
kyle19125, Asheville was very high on my desired places to move, but from all that I've seen online and in the NC forum, it appears that it's beginning to be overrun by transplants like myself. Still, it does look great on paper and I do keep getting pulled back to it...
Overrun by transplants? Not so much. Asheville has a population of 87,000, about 20% more than it had 15 years ago (2000 census). It's already a fairly dense city due to it's topography, with no real room to grow in it's city limits other than some infill. In terms of affordability it's not as expensive as some would lead you to believe, especially if one has lived in other highly desirable cities, though $800 in Downtown Asheville is on the low side. Check out West Asheville which has it's own downtown area and has lots going on in terms of restaurants and bars, etc and is highly walkable. You'll find a good bit more choices there in your price range too. If you can deal with taking Uber to/from a night out where driving is out of the question, check out North Asheville. At night (non-rush hour) it's around 5-7 minutes max into downtown and has more good housing options like West Asheville. Much of it is walkable too in terms of accessibility to grocery stores, some restaurants and perhaps a bar or two, but it's much more residential than the other two options and probably considered most desirable overall.
Last edited by kyle19125; 01-05-2016 at 06:23 AM..
I think the problem you're going to find is your budget will be very restrictive to find a safe, charming, walkable community within an hour of the coast. Since 2000 the country at-large has been shifting with more and more people wanting that very same "walk out the door to the coffeeshop, bar, bistro, ice cream parlor, park, etc." lifestyle, and landlords would be more than happy to rent a dated 1-BR apartment at a pricing premium to a physician or attorney rather than rent it at it's true (sub-$1,000/month) value to someone like you or me.
Try looking for a 2-BR/2-BA apartment that has a "roommate-styled" setup with the common living/dining/kitchen areas in the middle and two master suites on opposite sides of that common area. This affords you at least a semi-private living arrangement, and the pricing premium for a 2-BR over 1-BR is negligible in most markets, stretching your dollar further. For example, if you're finding a lot of listings you like for 1-BR units at $1,000/month, then most likely you'll find a lot of 2-BR listings at $1,300/month. You can struggle to pay $1,000/month on your own OR pay $650/month for a share of the rent, along with having help halving your utility obligations. There's no shame in having a roommate, even into your middle-aged years, given today's red-hot (and exorbitant) housing market.
My partner and I split a dumpy 1-BR apartment in a safe walkable neighborhood of Pittsburgh for $700/month. Improved 1-BR units near us now go for $900/month, on average, which is still reasonable. We're nowhere near the coast, though.
I can think of a ton of communities not far from either the East or West Coast that offer a safe, walkable Downtown, but your maximum budget (without a roommate's help) is going to be tough. That listing in Astoria, OR is GORGEOUS, but that seems underpriced, to me, so your rent may just go up after your first year anyways.
Overrun by transplants? Not so much. Asheville has a population of 87,000, about 20% more than it had 15 years ago (2000 census). It's already a fairly dense city due to it's topography, with no real room to grow in it's city limits other than some infill. In terms of affordability it's not as expensive as some would lead you to believe, especially if one has lived in other highly desirable cities, though $800 in Downtown Asheville is on the low side. Check out West Asheville which has it's own downtown area and has lots going on in terms of restaurants and bars, etc and is highly walkable. You'll find a good bit more choices there in your price range too. If you can deal with taking Uber to/from a night out where driving is out of the question, check out North Asheville. At night (non-rush hour) it's around 5-7 minutes max into downtown and has more good housing options like West Asheville. Much of it is walkable too in terms of accessibility to grocery stores, some restaurants and perhaps a bar or two, but it's much more residential than the other two options and probably considered most desirable overall.
That's great to hear that the city hasn't been overrun. I think as it is right now, Asheville is my number one spot. I'm looking to visit for about a week in a month or two and I'll try and check out all those areas you mentioned. I'll probably have to bump my budget up to $900+/month, but that's not the end of the world.
Thanks for everyone's suggestions!
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