Help Relocating out of Chicago (home, job market, neighborhoods)

[The Cold CHI]

Hey I was looking for some opinions and advice on relocating out of Chicago for many reason but mainly the weather... I also have lived here my whole life, being in the trendy city neighborhoods for the last 6 years and have done everything ive ever wanted to do in this city. I want to try something new and wouldnt mind a smaller city.

With that said i am very open and only have a few demands from a city i would relocate to -

Warmer is the number one issue - so most likely somewhere in the south or westcoast, in the winter nothing colder then low of 30

Medium to large city, need a downtown area with the basics, preferably a sports team or big university, nightlife, some trendy areas/ culture, would prefer somewhere on the rise opposed to on the decline

Cost of Living and Job Markets are also variables i need some insight on.

Cities Id like some opinions on - Austin, Raleigh, Charlotte, San Diego, cities in Florida, cities in Cali such as Berkeley, Santa Barbara

Any help is appreciated, thank you!

[city_data91]

If cost of living is important, go to Austin or somewhere in Florida.

[watchoverme]

I just returned home from a 2 week long road trip looking at similar cities as you. Here is my Charlotte review:

//www.city-data.com/forum/charl...own-metro.html

Here is my Raleigh review:

//www.city-data.com/forum/ralei...rdc-visit.html

We loved both, but in the end we chose Austin. It is such a young vibrant city. Unfortunately we didn't do a review on Austin after we chose it, we probably should!

[sav858]

San Diego fits all your criteria but the cost of living is high although its cheaper than other CA coastal cities. It's not as expensive as some people think though, you can get a 1 bedroom for $1,000/month or less in a good area depending on location and how nice it is. Economy is bad like it is everywhere, so your chances of getting a good job depends on what you do.