Which are the best medium-big cities to live in your 20s?
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It depends what you like and dislike and what kind of job you want. As was mentioned Stamford, CT is a great city to consider. Stamford and Fairfield County is a very prosperous and affluent area and has one of the highest concentrations of corporate offices in the country. There’s lots to do there or very nearby. You are under an hour train ride to Grand Central Terminal in the heart of Midtown Manhattan. It’s great because you have access to all New York has to offer but none of the hassles and expense of a large city.
You might also consider two other Connecticut cities, Hartford and New Haven. Both are wonderful places to live with a lot to offer anyone. New Haven is home to Yale University, has a great nightlife and dining scene and is home to a growing bioscience industry. New Haven is under 2 hours from New York and about two and a half hours from Boston. Plus New Haven arguably has the best pizza in the country being home to No. 1 pizza restaurant, Frank Pepe’s. It’s really good.
Hartford is known as the Insurance Capital of the World because it and it’s suburbs are home to many top insurance companies like Travelers, Aetna, The Hartford, Cigna and Hartford Steam Boiler. It also is home to great tech and aerospace companies like Pratt & Whitney Aircraft, Collins Aerospace, Barnes Aerospace as well as nearby ESPN. There’s great dining and entertainment in Hartford, plus you are under two hours from Boston and three hours from New York.
The great thing about Connecticut is that is near so much. If you want city, you have its own great small cities but also aren’t far from Boston or New York. You want country, drive 10 to 15 minutes outside the cities and you are in the beautiful New England countryside. You want beaches, there’s our own beaches on Long Island Sound. If not, a short drive are great beaches in Rhode Island or Cape Cod. You want mountains, Connecticut has its own Berkshires. If not, the Green Mountains of Vermont or the White Mountains are a short drive.
Connecticut is also known for having among the very best schools in the country as well as the best healthcare. It is among the Top 5 for per capita Gross Domestic Product and is tops for Family and Household Incomes. More importantly it is No. 1 for Disposable Income which means jobs here generally pay very well, leaving you money to do as you wish. It’s a great place to live, work and play. Jay
It depends what you like and dislike and what kind of job you want. As was mentioned Stamford, CT is a great city to consider. Stamford and Fairfield County is a very prosperous and affluent area and has one of the highest concentrations of corporate offices in the country. There’s lots to do there or very nearby. You are under an hour train ride to Grand Central Terminal in the heart of Midtown Manhattan. It’s great because you have access to all New York has to offer but none of the hassles and expense of a large city.
You might also consider two other Connecticut cities, Hartford and New Haven. Both are wonderful places to live with a lot to offer anyone. New Haven is home to Yale University, has a great nightlife and dining scene and is home to a growing bioscience industry. New Haven is under 2 hours from New York and about two and a half hours from Boston. Plus New Haven arguably has the best pizza in the country being home to No. 1 pizza restaurant, Frank Pepe’s. It’s really good.
Hartford is known as the Insurance Capital of the World because it and it’s suburbs are home to many top insurance companies like Travelers, Aetna, The Hartford, Cigna and Hartford Steam Boiler. It also is home to great tech and aerospace companies like Pratt & Whitney Aircraft, Collins Aerospace, Barnes Aerospace as well as nearby ESPN. There’s great dining and entertainment in Hartford, plus you are under two hours from Boston and three hours from New York.
The great thing about Connecticut is that is near so much. If you want city, you have its own great small cities but also aren’t far from Boston or New York. You want country, drive 10 to 15 minutes outside the cities and you are in the beautiful New England countryside. You want beaches, there’s our own beaches on Long Island Sound. If not, a short drive are great beaches in Rhode Island or Cape Cod. You want mountains, Connecticut has its own Berkshires. If not, the Green Mountains of Vermont or the White Mountains are a short drive.
Connecticut is also known for having among the very best schools in the country as well as the best healthcare. It is among the Top 5 for per capita Gross Domestic Product and is tops for Family and Household Incomes. More importantly it is No. 1 for Disposable Income which means jobs here generally pay very well, leaving you money to do as you wish. It’s a great place to live, work and play. Jay
Yeah this. I know 4 people who live in the New Haven area and go to Boston every two weeks on the Acela. No lie... they take advantage of their location and where they are. They don't pay high rent. New Haven has exceptional food. Just a win win. CT is really underrated.
^I'd add Buffalo due to still being big enough, while having close proximity to a high population concentration on the other side of the Canadian border for more as well.
Here are a few that I really like, but it is super subjective, of course, depending on what your likes/goals/needs are in a city:
west coast:
Portland, OR (2.5 million) - trendy vibes, tons of good bars/restaurants, tons of outdoor activities close by
San Diego, CA (3.3 million) - fabulous weather, tons of outdoor activities, big city amenities, laid back lifestyle
midwest:
Kansas City, MO (2.2 million) - lots to do and good neighborhoods for its size
Minneapolis, MN (3.7 million) - great neighborhoods and a good place for young professionals
south:
Austin, TX (2.4 million) - getting pricey, but just about THE #1 destination for a tech young professional who wants an incredible variety of bars, restaurants and things to do that are hip and in
Nashville, TN (2.1 million) - also getting pricey, but a close 2nd place spot for young professionals seeking a good place to work and also have a blast on the weekends. Growing city that is continuously getting better
northeast:
Pittsburgh, PA (2.4 million) - incredible neighborhoods, lots of tech jobs, cheap cost of living, many things to do for young professionals
Providence, RI (1.6 million) - super good location right on the coast, mid range cost of living, lots to do, close proximity to Boston and NYC for wknd trips
This is pretty good. I would say though, that Austin is now just for the elite people - you can't go there unless you are making bank now.
There are still a lot of 20-somethings making $40-70K that are looking for options. They'd be priced out of many of these - I LOVE that you included Pittsburgh. Fantastic option for this group.
This is way too vague of an original post for me. And my definition of medium sized big city/metro is clearly much different than some in this thread.
It appears the original poster only posts vague questions like this without follow up or interaction.
Would need to know interests, geography, all kinds of things to give a better answer.
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