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Actually, the Detroit metro would work. Places such as Royal Oak, Ferndale, Detroit neighborhoods like Corktown and the Villages, Farmington, Plymouth and maybe select parts of Ann Arbor(if you go by CSA) could be some to look into.
Hey folks! I just joined after lurking City Data for a while, as I'm finally approaching a move in my life, and I would like to have a nice list of options to begin traveling to and checking out, while I finish acquiring my savings! So any advice on places that fit my criteria would be awesome, I could sure use the help!
MUST HAVES:
Big City (I'm talking Metropolis or just outside of one)
Dark or Overcast and Mild type of weather (cold or rain doesn't matter, but I hate humidity and heat)
Lots of Things to do (I love music, good food, entertainment and would like to have a lot of night life options)
Reasonably Affordable (If a random cowtown in the south is "affordable", and NYC is "extremely unaffordable" then somewhere close to the middle hopefully)
Nice to have but not necessary:
Diverse
Access to Nature
Jobs (I was a web developer in the past as well as a graphic designer, however I'm looking into alternative career options. A place with a lot of openings in many fields would be great)
I've thought of places like Seattle obviously, it seems perfect but I've never been there, I've been to NYC and loved it, as well as Vancouver BC and absolutely loved it. The Northeast in general was fantastic, but Vancouver was too! I was hoping someone could give me the names of some cities that people might overlook when looking for a place like this? Thanks you guys!
Philly. Top 10 city/metro population. Winters can seem unreasonably bleak some years; some summer days are hot/humid, but nowhere near the level of DC, Atlanta, and other cities in middle/eastern US. No end of things to do: historic sites, concert venues, restaurants, etc. COL meets your generously broad "reasonable" criteria (and certainly way, way cheaper than Vancouver/NYC!). Racially/ethnically diverse, sometimes in the same 'hood. Finally, great access to nature in various forms: lots of trails, bike paths within/close to the city, and NJ shore/PA mountains are just over an hour away (and on your way to the Jersey shore, you have the Pinelands - 1/2 million acres of pines, bogs, estuaries, etc. and one of the nation's largest producers of cranberries and blueberries.)
Chicago, IL
Philadelphia, PA
Portland, OR
Seattle, WA
Chicago has a great music scene- more noticeable to me than it was in Seattle. The food is second to only NYC. And it's in a league of its own when it comes to nightlife. Truly world class. Despite some areas of high cost, Chicago is very very affordable for it's size and conveniences. There are 20+ neighborhoods, all with some distinctions of their own.. Plenty to choose from.
Philly offers a lot of what Chicago does- Good music scene, solid foodie town, milder weather. The location, being close to the coast, D.C, NYC, has a lot of perks. Great area for a weekend trip. It's not going to have as broad of shoulder as Chicago, and frankly, I don't put it in the same tier as a city. BUT, it's a good choice to look into.
Portland is going to be smaller than Philly or Chicago. I mean that in every sense of the word. But what Portland lacks as a metropolitan area, it makes up for it with it's natural beauty. Portland is like a crunchy Denver with a better music scene. The outdoor options are limitless.
Seattle is going to be the most expensive, and falls somewhere between Chicago and Portland culturally. You can feel the tech influence in Seattle, which adds a different dynamic than the rest. Obviously, like Portland, you're going to have unlimited outdoor options. Much like Chi and Philly, there are some obvious disparities between neighborhoods. Make sure to do some digging. As for nightlife, it's...Very bland. I never really found a truly exciting neighborhood in Seattle. Coming from Chicago and Boston, there was never the same kind of buzz about the city, and it spilled over into nightlife.
Chicago, IL
Philadelphia, PA
Portland, OR
Seattle, WA
Chicago has a great music scene- more noticeable to me than it was in Seattle. The food is second to only NYC. And it's in a league of its own when it comes to nightlife. Truly world class. Despite some areas of high cost, Chicago is very very affordable for it's size and conveniences. There are 20+ neighborhoods, all with some distinctions of their own.. Plenty to choose from.
Philly offers a lot of what Chicago does- Good music scene, solid foodie town, milder weather. The location, being close to the coast, D.C, NYC, has a lot of perks. Great area for a weekend trip. It's not going to have as broad of shoulder as Chicago, and frankly, I don't put it in the same tier as a city. BUT, it's a good choice to look into.
Portland is going to be smaller than Philly or Chicago. I mean that in every sense of the word. But what Portland lacks as a metropolitan area, it makes up for it with it's natural beauty. Portland is like a crunchy Denver with a better music scene. The outdoor options are limitless.
Seattle is going to be the most expensive, and falls somewhere between Chicago and Portland culturally. You can feel the tech influence in Seattle, which adds a different dynamic than the rest. Obviously, like Portland, you're going to have unlimited outdoor options. Much like Chi and Philly, there are some obvious disparities between neighborhoods. Make sure to do some digging.
I totally agree with you about the Chicago area. You get "more for your money" there than pretty much anywhere in the country.
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