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I was born in Boston but have lived in New Mexico my whole life. I dont enjoy it all that much and the college program I'm in is not that great. Plus, the job market is pretty bad. I havent even been able to find a decent internship so nothing on my resume is even relevant.
I visited Austin once and loved it. However, I'm a little adamant because the job market is saturated with UT Austin grads. I will be continuing school wherever I go and UT Austin is pretty hard to get into as well. But I live for music. I would just move there and work full time doing whatever job I can get. The job market is so bad in so many places I do not even know that a college degree would help, especially from my school. Plus, I hear a lot of Austinites are getting sick of the transplants so that is no good.
I have always wanted to live in the Northeast my entire life. MA is my absolute dream state. Im almost 22 fyi. A lot of people on the forum have said that after 28, you start feeling old in Boston??? Any opinions on that? School in MA would be way more expensive which means lots of loans. Unless I wait a year to claim residency. I would possibly be able to work for a great aunt of mine whose company licenses music from muscians to use in commercials. I'm just not sure which route to go.
Which place has overall better job market, schools, and affordability?
Boston now is basically a very young city population wise. Definitely the 20's and 30's age set. Many older people seem to have moved out. I am originally from Mass and when I visit, I see how Boston has really changed on that level. It basically is a students and young adults town, tourist city and of course the thousands of commuters that pour in daily for their jobs. All and all its still one of my favorite cities in the country and not just because I am from Mass, it just is.
I'm not sure, as I don't think your original post said this specifically, but it sounds as if you are a musician. You do say that you also want to attend college. I'm not sure which city would be better to get started in as a musician. I do believe that Austin would be the better place to attend the state university, once you attain residency status for in-state tuition. UT Austin is generally more highly regarded a university than UMass, and I mean it's better regarded than the UMass flagship campus, while it's a smaller non-flagship campus of UMass that is located in Boston. Also, Northeastern state colleges in general are more expensive for state residents than schools in other regions of the country. It would be a good idea to check out tuition rates for the schools you're interested in, but I'd just about be willing to bet dollars to doughnuts that you'd find the combination of tuition and fees to be lower at UT than at UMass Boston.
Boston also has one of the highest costs of living in the U.S. It's not impossible to make it there with non-professional employment, but it is likely to be difficult to live even moderately well in Boston without a fairly lucrative job.
Since I don't know about the opportunities for breaking into the music business in either city, I can't comment on that. For affordable living, and high-quality education at a modest cost, I'd say go with Austin for now, and then consider Boston when you are in a better situation financially. Don't worry about feeling old in Boston if you should happen to be pushing thirty by the time you've attained those stable finances. I've lived in the Boston metro area for years, and I can tell you that this idea that you'll feel overwhelmed by college kids in Boston just is not true. People who say that must have been hanging around the neighborhoods near colleges, and spending all their time hanging out in student-oriented bars. Get involved in more adult activities in Boston, and you don't especially notice the presence of students.
I'm not sure, as I don't think your original post said this specifically, but it sounds as if you are a musician. You do say that you also want to attend college. I'm not sure which city would be better to get started in as a musician. I do believe that Austin would be the better place to attend the state university, once you attain residency status for in-state tuition. UT Austin is generally more highly regarded a university than UMass, and I mean it's better regarded than the UMass flagship campus, while it's a smaller non-flagship campus of UMass that is located in Boston. Also, Northeastern state colleges in general are more expensive for state residents than schools in other regions of the country. It would be a good idea to check out tuition rates for the schools you're interested in, but I'd just about be willing to bet dollars to doughnuts that you'd find the combination of tuition and fees to be lower at UT than at UMass Boston.
Boston also has one of the highest costs of living in the U.S. It's not impossible to make it there with non-professional employment, but it is likely to be difficult to live even moderately well in Boston without a fairly lucrative job.
Since I don't know about the opportunities for breaking into the music business in either city, I can't comment on that. For affordable living, and high-quality education at a modest cost, I'd say go with Austin for now, and then consider Boston when you are in a better situation financially. Don't worry about feeling old in Boston if you should happen to be pushing thirty by the time you've attained those stable finances. I've lived in the Boston metro area for years, and I can tell you that this idea that you'll feel overwhelmed by college kids in Boston just is not true. People who say that must have been hanging around the neighborhoods near colleges, and spending all their time hanging out in student-oriented bars. Get involved in more adult activities in Boston, and you don't especially notice the presence of students.
ive lived in both. im from MA, i am currently in austin now. i love boston i love new england. however i have money trouble. boston is sooo expensive to live in. basic cost of living is very high. its not impossible but its hard. and its coooooold.
i can live much better in austin with the same amount of money. however if i had the money id be back in boston in a flash.
people in the northeast are not as friendly as down south or in the west coast. they can be quite rude, that is just the way it is though. mostly if you move into the actual city of boston though. just be prepared for a change. im not sure how it is in nm but im thinking its more similar to austin. of course i know people will disagree but that is just my opinion as a young person (im 27) having lived in both places. there are exceptions to the rule in every situation, im just speaking in general. good luck on wherever you choose!!
Boston - larger, more cosmopolitan, colder, more expensive
Austin - smaller, warmer, more affordable
It's mostly a matter of taste. From what I've heard Austin is growing so there probably is good job oppurtinity. Boston is a major city, however and probably has a lot of jobs to offer as well. I personally like Boston more (the architecture and history)
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