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I'm looking for a city for post-grad relocation. The career field I'm in would allow me to do well in almost any major metropolitan area, so my decision isn't so job-related (although they pay grade my differ for Chicago vs Louisville, for example). Here's a little bit about me, which city would you recommend for me?
* I'm a fairly conservative Catholic. I voted for John McCain and I go to Mass every week. I don't necessarily have to be in an ultra-conservative town to be happy, but I want to be in an area where I won't be a total outcast. The East Village may not be the place for me--but that may or may not rule out NYC.
* I'm a young, single guy. So, yes, I'm interested in the dating scene. However, the whole bar scene isn't really my thing so a really hoppin' town full of singles bars may be great for some, but not for me. I'd like to meet people in other arenas.
* Culture matters. I want season tickets to the symphony, I love theatre, art, etc. I love zoos and museums and could spend all day with this stuff. If there's not a vibrant cultural scene, I will wither.
* I'm kind of crunchy. I eat organic (I would live in a tent atop Trader Joe's if the firecode allowed), am into the whole green/recycling movement, etc.
* Weather: I love autumn, snow, and crisp, cool days. I'm not sure I could do without snow and scenic, crisp falls. This time of year makes me very happy and I couldn't do without it. I don't mind hot, muggy summers as long as the fall and winter has snow and cooler temperatures.
*Region: I prefer the midwest, but I'm open to pretty much anywhere. The midwest is where I'm most at home but...bloom where you're planted, right?
* I really need a very intellectual, education-oriented culture. I don't want a bunch of snobs rolling around town, but I need a place where I can be part of a rich, thriving, engaging intellectual environment.
* This is important: I'm VERY outdoorsy. I love to hike and cross-country ski and if there's no easy escape to forested hiking spots and nature then I just can't do it. The great outdoors is where I go to unwind so it's vital. I don't necessarily need huge mountains....just a spot in the margins of the city to hike. Parks are big, too.
* Size: Big. I love big cities and I want to live in an inner-ring suburb. Young, trendy, walkable...but not right smack in the middle of absolutely everything.
I realize that you can't have your cake and eat it, too--so I probably won't be able to get all that I want out of a city. But which cities fit best? Where would I be most comfortable?
I'm sorry this is so long--I wanted to post all of this here so I wouldn't have to clarify later. Thanks for all of your help! I'm adding a poll to this just to throw out some of the cities I'm considering. But don't limit your recommendations to the poll.
I'm thinking Boston. Although it's a very liberal city, it has everything else you mentioned and is a very beautiful, historic city with plenty of walkable suburbs such as Salem, Brookline, Plymouth, Cambridge, Quincy, Lynn, etc. It's also close to great outdoor-type things such as boating, skiing, mountainbiking, fishing, etc. It's a very intellectual city and home to some of the best universities in the world such as MIT, Harvard, Boston College, UMass, etc. There are plenty of theaters and museums. Autumn, winter, spring, and summer are all beautiful seasons anywhere in the Northeast. Boston is a very physically fit city along with the rest of the Northeast. There are plenty of organic options and don't be afraid to eat a good pizza, you can walk it off around there. It's obviously a big city, so that'll fit you.
The only issue you may have is that it's not a very Republican city. I'm a Republican, also, but I never talk about it with friends anyway. I honestly don't even know who my friends support. Cost of living is also high but so are most major cities. I think the quality of life in Boston will be worth it, though.
I'm looking for a city for post-grad relocation. The career field I'm in would allow me to do well in almost any major metropolitan area, so my decision isn't so job-related (although they pay grade my differ for Chicago vs Louisville, for example). Here's a little bit about me, which city would you recommend for me?
* I'm a fairly conservative Catholic. I voted for John McCain and I go to Mass every week. I don't necessarily have to be in an ultra-conservative town to be happy, but I want to be in an area where I won't be a total outcast. The East Village may not be the place for me--but that may or may not rule out NYC.
* I'm a young, single guy. So, yes, I'm interested in the dating scene. However, the whole bar scene isn't really my thing so a really hoppin' town full of singles bars may be great for some, but not for me. I'd like to meet people in other arenas.
* Culture matters. I want season tickets to the symphony, I love theatre, art, etc. I love zoos and museums and could spend all day with this stuff. If there's not a vibrant cultural scene, I will wither.
* I'm kind of crunchy. I eat organic (I would live in a tent atop Trader Joe's if the firecode allowed), am into the whole green/recycling movement, etc.
* Weather: I love autumn, snow, and crisp, cool days. I'm not sure I could do without snow and scenic, crisp falls. This time of year makes me very happy and I couldn't do without it. I don't mind hot, muggy summers as long as the fall and winter has snow and cooler temperatures.
*Region: I prefer the midwest, but I'm open to pretty much anywhere. The midwest is where I'm most at home but...bloom where you're planted, right?
* I really need a very intellectual, education-oriented culture. I don't want a bunch of snobs rolling around town, but I need a place where I can be part of a rich, thriving, engaging intellectual environment.
* This is important: I'm VERY outdoorsy. I love to hike and cross-country ski and if there's no easy escape to forested hiking spots and nature then I just can't do it. The great outdoors is where I go to unwind so it's vital. I don't necessarily need huge mountains....just a spot in the margins of the city to hike. Parks are big, too.
* Size: Big. I love big cities and I want to live in an inner-ring suburb. Young, trendy, walkable...but not right smack in the middle of absolutely everything.
I realize that you can't have your cake and eat it, too--so I probably won't be able to get all that I want out of a city. But which cities fit best? Where would I be most comfortable?
I'm sorry this is so long--I wanted to post all of this here so I wouldn't have to clarify later. Thanks for all of your help! I'm adding a poll to this just to throw out some of the cities I'm considering. But don't limit your recommendations to the poll.
I'd go with Denver, lots of good outdoor activity's and it's one of the best single cities in the country. Nice cool air as well, although the altitude can be a crusher sometimes.
* I'm a fairly conservative Catholic. St. Louis has quite a few nice Catholic churches. That seems to be the dominant denomination. The city itself is generally liberal, but it probably depends on the neighborhood also.
* I'm a young, single guy. I don't know a lot about the dating scene, but St. Louis has a few colleges, so there are plenty of college students and young professionals.
* Culture matters. St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, various museums, one of the best Zoos in the country. The city is also sports crazy, though you sound like sports isn't really your thing.
* I'm kind of crunchy. St. Louis has a Trader Joe's I think. There's also Soulard Farmer's Market and I think a couple Farmer's markets recently set up in the city. There's a City Grocers downtown, though I'm not sure if that's the same. But St. Louis has a lot of Greenspace, including Forest Park which is 400 acres larger than Central Park in New York.
* Weather: St. Louis can get 20 inches in a winter. It's not as much as a northern city, but it does get fairly chilly in the winter.
*Region: St. Louis is midwestern.
* I really need a very intellectual, education-oriented culture. I don't know about St. Louis Culture, but there seems to be a pretty educated culture, especially with all the colleges around.
* This is important: I'm VERY outdoorsy. Forest Park, Tower Grove Park, Carondelet Park, neighborhood parks. There are also many scenic areas within a few hours of St. Louis. Missouri is a beautiful state and there are a lot of places to hike, so I don't see this being a problem.
* Size: St. Louis is a very large city. And University City and Clayton, from my understanding, are pretty nice inner ring suburb.
I think St. Louis can certainly work. As long as you can handle the heat, you'll be just fine.
Thanks guys...St. Louis, Denver, and Boston are all great cities. But they're all very different from each other, too. I think St. Louis is definitely underestimated...yet with Chicago so close it's hard to gain a lot of attention.
I'd say Minneapolis....averages 57" of snow a year and has plenty of cool, crisp air. And there is lots of outdoor activities there in the northwoods of Wisconsin and the Iron Range of Minnesota.
Hey, Mr. Answers, what's up?
I have an idea what you're looking for, but one thing first-- just be honest here... are you the same poster as WestCoDude? and/or Rawlings?
I can think of two cities that meet your criteria: Denver (obviously) and Minneapolis/ St Paul. If you want to try something other than Denver I would seriously investigate the Twin Cities. You sound like you would fit right in.
I think Nashville would fit you best...
although the city is not huge, its pretty big, and not really much of a strong strong catholic community...you won't be the only one.
I think Nashville would fit you best...
although the city is not huge, its pretty big, and not really much of a strong strong catholic community...you won't be the only one.
Nashville is a great suggestion. Really the only thing that Nashville doesn't have that the OP is looking for is skiing and snow. Nashville usually gets a few inches of snow a year, but it's rarely on the ground for more than a day or two at a time. But there is definitely everything else the OP is looking for. It's a great city.
Nashville itself is about 60% liberal, 40% conservative, but the suburbs are overwhelmingly conservative. There are a dozen universities in Nashville including some pretty fancy ones like Vanderbilt and Belmont. Nashville has a world-class symphony hall, it's a major stop on concert tours, and it's a young city with a vibrant singles community.
While Nashville doesn't have a huge Catholic community, it does have a Catholic college, Aquinas College, and a cathedral.
The Catholic cathedral in Nashville:
Schermerhorn Symphony Center:
Vanderbilt University:
Belmont University:
Nashville Main Library:
And what the heck, here are some pics of some of the outdoorsy stuff available within Nashville's city limits.
Radnor Lake State Natural Area:
Warner Park:
Percy Priest Lake:
Old Hickory Lake:
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It's obviously a big city, so that'll fit you.
