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Old 10-04-2009, 11:16 PM
 
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I grew up in Boston went out to school in Northern California, moved back briefly then spent a year in Seattle. I've been back since then, quite a few years now. Also, I am married and have one child. My wife and I are thinking about having another child soon.

For me, Northern California really has the perfect climate. Very little rain. No snow. Mild temperatures. It's almost TOO nice. It's very difficult to hear Californians ***** and moan after 20 minutes of overcast skies and light mist. I also love the food - the produce is so fresh and delicious. But unfortunately, California is a paradise lost. It's way too expensive. The cost of living is part of the reason I'm leaving Boston.

I liked Seattle. A lot cheaper than the Bay Area, but the gloom is awful. I don't know if my wife could handle it. I don't know if I can handle it again either.

At this point, we are completely sick of Boston. The weather is a big part of it. But also as I mentioned, so is the cost of living. I remember back in the mid-90's when the COL in Boston basically doubled. Don't get me wrong, I will always love Boston and it will always feel like home for me to a certain extent but the near-Manhattan prices are just ridiculous. The whole area, especially Cambridge, has really lost a lot of character with all the gentrification/yuppification over the last 20 years.

I must add that I'm kind of a yuppie myself now so I do feel slightly torn about the way Boston has changed.

Anyway, my wife and I are thinking about relocating to the following cities:
Austin
Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill
Portland (Oregon that is, Maine is WAY too cold)

Has anyone here lived in Boston and one of these cities? If so, could you describe the positive and negative differences?
I know that I could just post this identical question to the forums for these three cities but I thought I'd try this reverse approach first - plus, I'm feeling lazy.

I kind of think Portland is not going to make the cut because it has essentially the same climate as Seattle. However, I have been there a few times and I really like the vibe of the place.

I'd love to hear any suggestions for other US cities that might fit the bill. We've spent hours and hours scanning maps of the US and it really feels like there aren't that many cool places to live in. I'm looking for a place that is not too cold and not too rainy, is liberal and reasonably hip. Also, it should have decent restaurants and be welcoming to families. Really, what I'd like is a cheap San Francisco or a cheap and sane New York.

Last edited by matty_big_daddy; 10-04-2009 at 11:26 PM..
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Old 10-05-2009, 08:51 AM
 
Location: Boston
1,126 posts, read 4,547,449 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by matty_big_daddy View Post
I grew up in Boston went out to school in Northern California, moved back briefly then spent a year in Seattle. I've been back since then, quite a few years now. Also, I am married and have one child. My wife and I are thinking about having another child soon.

For me, Northern California really has the perfect climate. Very little rain. No snow. Mild temperatures. It's almost TOO nice. It's very difficult to hear Californians ***** and moan after 20 minutes of overcast skies and light mist. I also love the food - the produce is so fresh and delicious. But unfortunately, California is a paradise lost. It's way too expensive. The cost of living is part of the reason I'm leaving Boston.

I liked Seattle. A lot cheaper than the Bay Area, but the gloom is awful. I don't know if my wife could handle it. I don't know if I can handle it again either.

At this point, we are completely sick of Boston. The weather is a big part of it. But also as I mentioned, so is the cost of living. I remember back in the mid-90's when the COL in Boston basically doubled. Don't get me wrong, I will always love Boston and it will always feel like home for me to a certain extent but the near-Manhattan prices are just ridiculous. The whole area, especially Cambridge, has really lost a lot of character with all the gentrification/yuppification over the last 20 years.

I must add that I'm kind of a yuppie myself now so I do feel slightly torn about the way Boston has changed.

Anyway, my wife and I are thinking about relocating to the following cities:
Austin
Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill
Portland (Oregon that is, Maine is WAY too cold)

Has anyone here lived in Boston and one of these cities? If so, could you describe the positive and negative differences?
I know that I could just post this identical question to the forums for these three cities but I thought I'd try this reverse approach first - plus, I'm feeling lazy.

I kind of think Portland is not going to make the cut because it has essentially the same climate as Seattle. However, I have been there a few times and I really like the vibe of the place.

I'd love to hear any suggestions for other US cities that might fit the bill. We've spent hours and hours scanning maps of the US and it really feels like there aren't that many cool places to live in. I'm looking for a place that is not too cold and not too rainy, is liberal and reasonably hip. Also, it should have decent restaurants and be welcoming to families. Really, what I'd like is a cheap San Francisco or a cheap and sane New York.
a cheaper NY is Chicago. Chicago is cheaper than Boston. And basically every city in the south.
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Old 10-05-2009, 10:12 AM
 
Location: The land of sugar... previously Houston and Austin
5,429 posts, read 14,777,212 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by matty_big_daddy View Post
Anyway, my wife and I are thinking about relocating to the following cities:
Austin
Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill
Portland (Oregon that is, Maine is WAY too cold)

... I'd love to hear any suggestions for other US cities that might fit the bill. We've spent hours and hours scanning maps of the US and it really feels like there aren't that many cool places to live in. I'm looking for a place that is not too cold and not too rainy, is liberal and reasonably hip. Also, it should have decent restaurants and be welcoming to families. Really, what I'd like is a cheap San Francisco or a cheap and sane New York.
Well, I've never lived in Portland or Seattle, but can tell you Austin is nothing like San Francisco or New York. I lived in Austin for several years, and have visited San Francisco and New York (and still have family just outside of Boston.)
The only advantages you'd find with Austin would probably be that it's cheaper and newer (as far as the housing.) Mild winters, but extremely hot summers.
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Old 10-05-2009, 10:34 AM
 
Location: Back in the gym...Yo Adrian!
10,163 posts, read 20,702,778 times
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How do you feel about the heat? Texas is HOT, and lot's of people don't realize just how hot it gets in places like Texas, Florida, Vegas etc., until they live there and realize they spend most of their time in air conditioning. It all looks nice on paper or in postcards, but living there is a different reality if you are accustomed to 80 degree summers that only last three months. Not knocking Texas or any of those other places, just saying I think lot's of people underestimate the climate because they are sick of long northern winters but then jump right into another extreme altogether.

NC might be worth a look. Milder winters but much hotter and humid summers than Boston. Have you considered some of the less expensive places in California? The central coast has a beautiful climate and lower cost of living than the Bay area or SoCal, but work will be harder to find. If you can land a job somewhere between Lompoc and Atascadero you might find what you're looking for out west.
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Old 10-05-2009, 11:01 AM
 
Location: Atlanta, GA
927 posts, read 2,216,470 times
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Definitely don't sleep on the southern cities. Dallas, Houston, and Atlanta, have long been hip places for professionals, are less conservative than their state (Atlanta is pretty much a liberal island and virtually the opposite of GA), and, because they are still growing, are much less expensive than West Coast and northern cities, so don't let their southern geography prevent you from exploring something valuable.

Since weather is a concern, for Dallas, I've never been in the summer, but their winters are cold. The city is hip, has a young professional vibe, and the metro is super affordable. Houston I know is uncomfortably hot and humid in the summer, so that may be a bigger extreme, however it's the most urban of the southern cities (I've visited the Houston metro but not the city proper, but that's what I hear) and it offers the most culture.

For Atlanta, intown living is GREAT for families, hip, and more affordable than NYC and San Fran. The summers aren't too bad to me and it does get cold in the fall and winter. Atlanta doesn't have the uber-urbanity of northern cities in the sense of having rowhomes and world-class transit, but the nightlife, restaurant scene, warmth and natural beauty, and uniqueness of the city's residential neighborhoods make up for it. And, IMO, public transpo does its job pretty well within the city. The appealing aesthetic of rowhomes comes last to me if I can get urban conveniences while still having space, a yard, and some comfort. With that, I would definitely look into Atlanta.

For hipness and raising a family, I would suggest the east Atlanta neighborhoods of Inman Park, Candler Park, and Edgewood as well as Virginia Highlands which is slightly further north. Midtown is the best for nightlife and cultural activity, but more expensive, and less of a community feel as the aforementioned neighborhoods. If you stay between a general core area of Atlanta, I think you would find what you want at half the price.

Here's a few links for the aforementioned neighborhoods:
http://www.virginiahighland.com/
http://www.candlerpark.org/
http://www.inmanpark.org/
http://www.edgewoodatl.com/
This website is great for checking out intown real estate. The following link is what you'd pull up for the Virginia Highland neighborhood:
http://www.idxre.com/idx/listings.cf...=51&sb=pd&st=0

Last edited by bizchick86; 10-05-2009 at 11:27 AM..
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Old 10-05-2009, 11:48 AM
Bo Bo won $500 in our forum's Most Engaging Poster Contest - Tenth Edition (Apr-May 2014). 

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Location: Ohio
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You might like Pittsburgh. It's not just a former steel town, there are 10 universities there.

I would have suggested Madison or the Twin Cities, but it sounds like you are averse to upper-Midwest winters.
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Old 10-05-2009, 08:44 PM
 
6,041 posts, read 11,433,859 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bowie View Post
You might like Pittsburgh. It's not just a former steel town, there are 10 universities there.

I would have suggested Madison or the Twin Cities, but it sounds like you are averse to upper-Midwest winters.
Pittsburgh has basically the same climate as Boston, something he's trying to get away from.
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Old 10-05-2009, 10:10 PM
 
Location: Massachusetts
9,487 posts, read 16,377,694 times
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I am from the Boston area and live in Portland. This is my 2 cents and maybe that is all it is worth but anyway. I am not in your age group but I have definitely been around in life. Im not really affected by the economy in areas you mentioned but you would be. You have a growing family.

I don't know if distance from New England is important to you. I don't know if the economic health of an area is high on your list of importance, I would think it is. I know all to many people seem to focus on climate, and although I think that is very important. I don't think it should become the main focus that people allow it to become. Unless one is retired, then a person needs to work or they must be independently wealthy.

Portland has a terrible economy 2nd highest unemplyment in this country. What is worse it is always higher than much of the country even in good times. It is accepted here and has been for so long, its really rather pitiful. I have never in my life seen so many people under age 35 with BA's and advanced degrees that seem satisfied working at Starbucks. People that are satisfied with minimum wage employment, yet do not even have the motivation to work 40 hours a week. I guess in alternative type cities such as Portland many can live like that. No wonder it is not really a draw for a family person that needs to make a living. This is not all the residents here, it is just a huge segment of the population and it is very obvious. As obvious as the ridiculous amount of homeless and Meth Heads that wander the streets here. This sure is hell is not Boston where many have a long commute and a huge cost of living to deal with. I know I had it for many years, and still have nightmares of 95 and 128 in a snowstorm trying to make my way to work or home.

You may find you will do as many in Mass end up doing, including what I will end up doing. Looking to North Carolina and those regions. With me though I will be retired that is not your case. Reasons. It is on the east coast. The climate is much more attractive. The cost of living less than New England. In good times the economies are generally very strong. Its also a beautiful area of the country. Its now more Mid Atlantic in its politics and personality than the deep south.

Calif as far as many are concerned including me, is as mentioned a Lost Paradise. Its a shame such a beautiful place but now completely cost prohibitive for many.

Do your research well and never depend on visits to guide you as to the best place to relocate. A visit is just that a visit, being a resident is an entirely different ball game.

Best of Luck.
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Old 10-05-2009, 11:35 PM
Bo Bo won $500 in our forum's Most Engaging Poster Contest - Tenth Edition (Apr-May 2014). 

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Location: Ohio
17,107 posts, read 37,949,967 times
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Originally Posted by city_data91 View Post
Pittsburgh has basically the same climate as Boston, something he's trying to get away from.
Good point. I've never been to Pittsburgh in the winter, so I didn't think of that.

If you settle on Austin, OP, I would suggest posting in the Austin forum to get a better sense of which parts of Austin have what you're looking for. I have heard in the Texas forum that there are parts of Austin which are as red as other Texas cities.
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Old 10-06-2009, 12:49 AM
 
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Originally Posted by city_data91 View Post
Pittsburgh has basically the same climate as Boston, something he's trying to get away from.
Ditto for Chicago. Unfortunately, because Chicago and Pittsburgh might both be good choices otherwise.

I'm not sure how small a city you want to live in, but I wonder whether Richmond might be a good fit. Sometimes I think that if you were to move Boston inland fifty miles, make it smaller, and give it a Southern vibe, you'd have Richmond. It depends on what kind of neighborhood you'd like to live in, and whether you would prefer living in the suburbs or right in the city. Some of the old central city neighborhoods in Richmond resemble Boston architecturally. Then there are neighborhoods a bit farther out which might remind you, in appearance, of some of Boston's more affluent inner suburbs, like Newton and Brookline. On the other hand, the outer residential sections are very suburban. I'm not so sure that these sections of the city or the actual suburbs would be a good fit for you attitude-wise, so Richmond is probably a better choice if central city living is what you're looking for.

If that works, another plus is that you're an hour and a half from Washington, another city I think could fit you well as a place to live, if not for that cost of living issue.
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