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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
I would choose cities where the cost of living allows you to live and experience a work/life balance versus the live-to-work scenario of many cities. Cities like Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Minneapolis have sizable young professional populations minus the overt "married at thirty with two kids" expectations of some medium-sized cities.
At 1-3 million MSA, I'd say the biggest things are affordability + nightlife + arts/culture/sports ("fun") + universities (lots of people your age). So that would be for me:
Cincinnati
Columbus
Kansas City
Pittsburgh
Providence
Richmond
I think you can Austin/Nashville for cheap at the cities above.
^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.
University grads often move to the cities with better jobs...including the expensive ones. These often have larger-than-normal percentages of 20-somethings.
Even non-grads who value higher-level urbanity often move to the top cities, scratching their way economically.
The ability to live without a car would be essential for me. That would suggest an expensive city or Chicago/Philly.
Which are the best medium-big cities to live in your 20s? As an aspiring young professional
an aspiring young professional... what? What profession are you pursuing. Are you still needing an education or apprenticeship to meet your profession goals, or just looking for a city with a job in your field? What type of non-work activities do you want to pursue? Give us some more info, and you'll get better answers.
With nothing else from OP: The NW suburbs of Denver: Westminster, Broomfield or out to Boulder. Portland or Eugene, OR, Boise, ID, Albuquerque, NM, to name a few of the many nice mid/large cities that have good attributes for 20somethings.
an aspiring young professional... what? What profession are you pursuing. Are you still needing an education or apprenticeship to meet your profession goals, or just looking for a city with a job in your field? What type of non-work activities do you want to pursue? Give us some more info, and you'll get better answers.
Yeah, it's hard to give a solid answer without knowing job or profession, educational achievement, and weather and entertainment preferences. But in general, I'll say the one that might fit the bill is Stamford Ct., which has a good economy, nightlife and restaurants, plenty of Yups, and not far at all from beaches or New York City. Also might consider Providence RI, as has been said before.
It depends on what you're looking for. Portland has an incredible array of great restaurants, bars, breweries and music venues for a city its size, which is what a lot of people in their 20s are interested in. But it's pretty lackluster in more formal arts institutions like museums, symphony, ballet, etc. Overall, though, I'd put Portland up there for sure, along with Austin, Providence, and San Diego.
Last edited by PolarSeltzer; 01-04-2023 at 04:38 PM..
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