Could really use advice on possible places to move (living, prices)

[Asseville_NC]

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!

[fluffydelusions]

How big of a city are we talking? A lot of people consider Seattle small compared to other US cities. Also you said you love NYC but summers there can be quite hot and humid (I lived there for 12 years) so are you OK with that kind of heat/humidity?

[James Bond 007]

Dark or Overcast and Mild type of weather (cold or rain doesn't matter, but I hate humidity and heat)

That's pretty much going to limit you to the northwest coastal areas and the eastern Great Lakes (Detroit, Cleveland, Buffalo, etc). Maybe New England.

[Asseville_NC]

I visited NYC in January, and then again in April, and I know their summers don't get raw until about August, so I'm unsure about the humidity there, however I was in Boston in July and even though it was humid and hot for a little bit of the day I still loved it. If the hot season doesn't last too long, and if the humidity isn't compounded by really hot temps I think I could power through a four month heat wave!

Also, I'm unsure of Seattle's size but I assumed it was a large Metropolitan area. Basically anywhere with all the amenities of a big city. The size of Atlanta or greater preferably?

Thanks for answering too!

[James Bond 007]

Seattle is pretty big these days, I think it's close to metro Atlanta's size. But it's also getting expensive (I just moved away from there myself a couple years ago).

[projectmaximus]

There are many gradations of each item on your list, and as you turn the knob on one category it may correlate to the worsening of another category. Essentially if you want an 8 or better in every category you will have to compromise instead, but if your cutoff is lower then you could get everything you want.

Just throwing out some thoughts but Seattle seems like a good place to begin. To me it's definitely a metropolis...top 15 metro by population, nearly 4 million people, and with its vibrancy/density/walkability it feels even larger in the core. It's definitely not "in the middle" of affordability though...probably in the 85th-90th percentile. Also regarding humidity, I feel like it's not something I can speak very passionately about, but using various relative humidity maps it seems like the Seattle area is the worst in the country (along with TX, LA along the Gulf). At least it gives you the overcast, rain, nature and diversity you're seeking.

The metropolises that are truly in low humidity areas are Phoenix and Denver. Obviously Phoenix gets real hot, so Denver would be the one to consider if humidity is your #1. It's probably a big enough city with lots to do and access to nature. Cost has been increasing a lot but it should be a notch below Seattle, maybe 75-80th percentile. Not super diverse either but maybe enough so...

If you're more serious about the affordable category, then lets look toward the midwest. Chicago is perhaps gonna offer you the best value for a top tier metropolis, but that may still be unnecessarily expensive. You could try Minneapolis which is a tier down but still offers a lot. Going yet another tier down imo is St Louis, KC or Indy. These are very affordable, with strong economies, but don't offer the same level of amenities as the others.

Anyway, hope that helps somewhat. Good luck!

[Iconographer]

Minneapolis, MN
Columbus, OH
Louisville,KY
Pittsburgh, PA
Philadelphia, PA

Even so, none of these may be big enough for you. Anything else I can think of presents Sunbelt heat and/or high or climbing prices. Or not enough to offer someone young and ambitious.

[Asseville_NC]

You guys are giving me great options here! Alright, so maybe if we completely threw out the heat and humidity condition, and replaced it with reasonable affordableness and job opportunities, are there any other recommendations you all might have?

I did think of Minneapolis MN, however I don't know much about the place and the people but from what I've heard I might not like the culturally passive aggressive attitude (if that's true and you can trust the internet) and the ridiculously long and intense winters?

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by Asseville_NC

Alright, so maybe if we completely threw out the heat and humidity condition, and replaced it with reasonable affordableness and job opportunities, are there any other recommendations you all might have?

Charlotte, NC
Atlanta, GA
Houston, TX
Dallas, TX
Tampa-St Petersburg, FL
Orlando, FL
Nashville, TN
Denver, CO
Austin, TX

[Jay F]

Seattle jumps out as perfect for you. The only problem is it is extremely expensive. Since you said you are willing to live just outside a big city I would recommend Olympia WA. It's not cheap, but more affordable than Seattle. I think you would enjoy living there.