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I'm a single, 29 yo female who works remote and I will die if I don't escape the south.
Okay, maybe not literally, but for now, it's killing me softly.
I've lived in the south (Georgia, Texas, and now Louisiana) for my entire life. I nearly moved to Seattle after grad school to pursue an artist's diploma in early music (I used to sing and do music-- opera, choral, art song, MT, jazz, teach, compose) but didn't when I realized they wanted $20,000 more than I originally thought, lol. I'd love to move to Seattle, but the high COL is just disgusting, especially looking at it from my (rather spoiled) southern city rent eyes.
I've got a spreadsheet going with cities from everywhere but I just keep adding to it and the more choices I have the worse the decision is going to be. My current lease is up in early March 2020, so luckily I've got time to plan and travel places to test the vibe.
My desires:
1. Please oh please out of the south, I've got to get out of here. I can't take the heat anymore and I don't fit in religiously (raised Jewish) or politically. I can't move to Tennessee because my sort-of-ex-but-not-really-because-we-never-dated-according-to-him-but-idk-what-else-to-call-it is moving there to sing opera and **** that guy, honestly. Anyway, southern states are Right Out.
2. Fairly walkable. Where I currently live, right on the river, there's nice trails but it's so humid and hot and they also don't go anywhere. I can walk to the single vegan place in town for brunch on Saturdays but the cat-calling is so bad I dread it every time.
3. More vegan options. Like I said, there's one all-vegan place in town, and we're lucky to even have that, lol. I do pretty well going to restaurants (mexican) and ordering bean burritos/enchiladas without cheese, but it would be nice to have more options.
4. Not TOO much snow. Either I'll have to find a place where I won't have to worry about snow, or I'll have to live right downtown in a city I can walk places in the winter because I just don't want to have to drive in the snow. It's not my thing, thanks.
5. (hahahahaha) Similar-ish COL to where I live currently in Shreveport (hahahahaha this is where I go off the rails, everybody laugh at me). I don't do roommates. At all.
5a. I'm a pretty frugal person, so higher COL isn't verboten, but I like living alone in a one-bedroom apartment that isn't full of cockroaches on a bad side of town with loud neighbors, and I have to have a washer/dryer in my apartment. That's my one real "splurge" demand. Also I have a cat. (Yes, I am a stereotype, thanks.) My goal is to stay under $1200 a month.
Aside from that, I'd like some things to do. Shreveport is pretty awful with stuff to do. The arts scene (which made me give up music) is so stuck-up and insular. If you didn't grow up here, you're trash. If you moved here, you're also trash. They would rather cast people who were here from birth or bring in people from out of town than cast anyone who moved here. Just stab me in the eye.
There's also not many places to just "hang." I have zero friends and I've been here for nearly 4 years, and it's not for lack of trying. There's no one I could call to drive me home from the hospital if I needed it. I'd have to call a Lyft/Uber (which Shreveport DOES HAVE lol). I'd like to take some adult beginner dance classes (no one called me back, thanks, *******s), and I like BodyPump classes (they don't offer them here in town so I bought my own weight set and I do it online but I'm trying, TRYING to be less antisocial).
I like to drink beer and cider and kombucha and bake and cook and go for walks and I bought a ton of board games and invited people over for game nights but nobody comes. :/ I'm actually an extrovert! Ugh. My "silly" must have was an IKEA. I love IKEA.
In short, moving to Shreveport was a terrible decision and now I've got the nod to work remote from anywhere, I just need the location and I'm gone. Find me the right place and I'll break my damn lease and move there in August. Shreveport made me crazy and depressed and alone and I'll move or die trying.
Logan, Utah
It is one of the safest cities in the US and it is far, far from The South. Not too sure about the Mormon/Jewish relationship, but you'll figure it out.
I don't know why you moved to Shreveport, but my gosh, I love the south and I wouldn't live there if you paid me to.
But I also really hate IKEA so oh well. (I think the quality absolutely sucks.)
Moved because of job. Job is good, especially now I can remote. City, not so much. South, no more, no thanks.
Ikea's quality depends on what you buy. I have several coffee tables that have lasted 7 years, since the beginning of grad school and like 4 moves. I just think they're super cute and I love wandering the stores lol.
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Baltimore. They have a pretty good vegan scene and a sizable Jewish community in the suburbs.
The Jewish thing isn't really a priority for me. Now that I don't sing, I probably won't ever go to services or even high holy days (I used to cantor and sing in the choir). But Baltimore is already on my list.
I guess I need to visit Chicago. I'm hesitant because a lot of places don't allow pets. Philly, Pittsburgh, and Cleveland are on my list already.
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Logan, Utah
It is one of the safest cities in the US and it is far, far from The South. Not too sure about the Mormon/Jewish relationship, but you'll figure it out.
My family is pushing for me to move to SLC because my sister recently moved out there. I liked the area well enough when I visited, but the idea is for me to be the free babysitter which... I love my nephews, but no. Logan and SLC aren't exactly close though. What's there do to?
If you're okay living in a city that gets cold in winter, but is urban to live in without a car at least in a downtown area, I'd consider all of the following:
All of those cities have a Jewish presence. Some more than others. Chicago and Philly being the most Jewish. Cleveland and Pittsburgh likely just after them. They'll all get cold in winter and get snow every year. But you can easily live in an urban downtown neighborhood and take public transit. Some are better for public transit than others obviously. And some you absolutely do not need a car at all. Some it's helpful, but not for regular commuting.
I guess I need to visit Chicago. I'm hesitant because a lot of places don't allow pets. Philly, Pittsburgh, and Cleveland are on my list already.
I'd scratch Cleveland if you're not too crazy about snow. That's Lake Effect snow you'd be going into, basically from 0 zero in the south to maximum snow. I lived on the coast just 90 minutes from Cleveland, and I hated winters. How much snow have you experienced before and can handle? Unfortunately in many inland cities up north, you'll have to drive through snow. Pittsburgh gets snow as well.
Maybe look at east coast cities more- far less snow than the rust belt, generally speaking. Things are far more temperate, although we of course have an increasing trend of heavy rain (something you won't be alien too, ofc).
Chicago, Philly, and maybe Pittsburgh would be in my top tier, although Chicago winters can be really, really long (I'm including "transitional" winter-spring months when I say Winter).
You mentioned a spreadsheet. When my wife and I moved (in 2008, from Chapel Hill NC to Philly), we did the same thing, and it eventually drove us crazy - "analysis paralysis." During a recon trip to Philly, we drove along a creek that's part of a huge park, then saw streets of beautiful houses, and that was that - a sort of "you had me at hello" moment.
I'm not saying be impulsive and throw a dart at a map, but maybe take the middle ground: visit a couple of cities that do well with weather stats, COL, and be open to the idea that for some unexplained reason one of those places tugs at your heart (be open to the serendipitous and inexplicable).
And then put Shreveport in your rear-view mirror.
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