Looking to move, what other cities should I look into? (transplants, apartments)
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I’m looking to hopefully move within the next year, preferably before this time next summer. I have a couple trips lined up to Chicago, Dallas, Philadelphia, and maybe Boston to check them out and get a general feel for them. I’d like to get some other suggestions on where I should consider.
- I’m 23, single, and will most likely not know anyone in whichever city I move to. Having a large transplant population and active social scene is pretty important to me. If I can walk to a couple bars or restaurants, grab a coffee and check out local shops, or catch some live music easily that’d be awesome.
- Not as important, but I’d like to get rid of my car. Having good public transit or being easily walkable would be a huge plus.
- Job market is important to me. I currently work in finance in the healthcare industry. I’d like to stay in it, or move to Biotechnology or Pharmaceuticals. I know this is fairly niche so it’s not as important, but a large job market overall is.
- I’m not really looking to pay NYC or San Francisco prices.
- Weather isn’t too much of a factor for me. I grew up in the Northeast so I’m used to harsh winters. As long as summers aren’t like Arizona I’m good.
- Outdoorsy would be nice. It doesn’t have to be anything specific, but being either near mountains to hike or a beach, or an abundance of parks is a plus.
I think for the most parts that’s it. Hopefully it’s not too picky but I’m open to suggestions.
Dallas is the odd one out, and should probably be eliminated from consideration for the following reasons:
Car-free living. While it's easier than it was a decade ago, it's nowhere near as practical as it is in a truly dense, walkable city like, say, Chicago. Dallas-Fort Worth is a sprawly, decentralized mess the size of the state of Connecticut. The public transportation is substandard compared to the northeast, and Dallas's walkable neighborhoods are fairly small and disconnected from each other.
Climate. Dallas's summers are closer to Arizona hot than the others on your list. Average daytime highs are 90 or above from the middle of June 'til the middle of September, and DFW averages 17-18 days at or above 100 degrees per year. On top of that, it's just humid enough that temperatures don't cool off much at night. In late July and August it's common for the thermometer to still be at or slightly above 90 degrees at 10pm.
Outdoorsiness. This is Dallas's kryptonite. No real mountains within hundreds of miles. There are some hilly spots on the south and west side of DFW, but overall it's more-or-less Kansas with more trees. DFW has lakes, but they're crowded with idiots and the water is murky and not a lot of fun to swim in. DFW has parks, but so do all the other cities you've listed - they just have much better weather from May-October.
Some other suggestions based on your wants - Minneapolis/St. Paul, Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and Denver.
Last edited by bluescreen73; 06-07-2019 at 01:54 PM..
It's kinda expensive, but if you're good with a small apartment and no car you'll do well.
That's really who's moving here...lots of young professionals live in apartments within walking distance of work, and most new buildings have far fewer parking spaces than housing units.
Some specific urban neighborhoods of Atlanta could work. Transplants from elsewhere make up a very large share of the population, and there is a large health care industry presence with the Centers for Disease Control and various information services companies being based locally. The weather and outdoors scene tend to be more inviting than Dallas, and it is more affordable than most major cities.
I never even thought of Minneapolis, I didn’t realize it was a pretty popular city. After looking into it a little I might scrap my Dallas trip and head there.
I never even thought of Minneapolis, I didn’t realize it was a pretty popular city. After looking into it a little I might scrap my Dallas trip and head there.
Someone else mentioned Pittsburgh. I hear way more people bring it up than Minneapolis and it's weather is much milder. Back to your original cities your taking trips to. Although Bostons not as expensive as San Fran or NY, it's still quite expensive.
I love Philly and I hear more and more people talking about it all the time. With University City booming with new activity, and being on the east coast, it's an extremely diverse city that gets a lot of transplants from New York looking for a less costly lifestyle.
Chicago isn't much more expensive than Philly but it's definitely noticeable. Ironic since Chicago's actually losing people. Also because it's in the interior, foreigners aren't flocking there as much as they are the west coast and east coast.
Rather than Dallas I personally would go with Houston because of the coastline, beaches, and milder weather. Houston's more cosmopolitan.
Some specific urban neighborhoods of Atlanta could work. Transplants from elsewhere make up a very large share of the population, and there is a large health care industry presence with the Centers for Disease Control and various information services companies being based locally. The weather and outdoors scene tend to be more inviting than Dallas, and it is more affordable than most major cities.
That was going to be my suggestion as well. Neighborhoods like East Atlanta, Little Five Points, Virginia Highland, Inman Park and Atlantic Station along with the urban suburb of Decatur are exactly the type of areas the OP seems to be looking for, and as you said at a more affordable cost.
I'd say Atlanta. It has, IMO, the best balance of a good economy, COL/Buying Power, good outdoor assets, good climate, and good public transit. Some of the other metros mentioned like Seattle and Denver may not have NYC or Bay Area price tags, but they're heading in that direction fast. They're no longer affordable and it's only going to get worse. I'd go with Atlanta.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
