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Location: from houstoner to bostoner to new yorker to new jerseyite ;)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ScranBarre
Hello forum!
As many of you may know I grew up on the outskirts of Scranton, PA, a city with blue-collar roots that suffered very deeply from Rust Belt decline, shedding half of its former population of 145,000 as the local economy tanked. However, Scranton's "bones" are still amongst the best in the nation with a generous stock of historic architecture, a location just two hours from New York City or Philadelphia, gorgeous natural surroundings, distinct neighborhoods, and generally friendly and hard-working people. After college graduation I decided to relocate to experience life in a whole new area---Northern Virginia (DC suburbs). While I appreciate that this area is more diverse, more forward-thinking politically, more tolerant of interracial relationships and the LGBT community, etc. it is also lacking strongly in the character, charm, or soul that Scranton had. Scranton may have throngs of blighted buildings, but some of those homes told stories about the immigrant who came here in 1890 and built that home with its natural woodwork and stained glass windows with his own bloodied hands to house his six children. What's the story here in Reston? Our "historic district" is from the mid-1960s and looks like something out of the Jetsons. The homes lining the cul-de-sacs here tell the story of a developer putting up particle-board and vinyl monstrosities in order to make a quick buck.
I can't tell you how many days I've been shedding tears since I've moved here because I quite honestly can't tell where to live where I can feel like I belong. I crave a city that has the core elements Scranton had (down-to-earth people, historic architecture, distinct neighborhoods, walkability) but also has the few things I like about NoVA (diversity, tolerance, social progression, highly literate and intelligent population). Scranton lacks those items and is very much still living in the 1950s so I won't dare return to life there. Is there any such place left in America that incorporates a healthy blend of those elements but is also affordable?
As of right now Pittsburgh continues to pop up on my radar because it is in many ways a larger version of Scranton but has a heavier emphasis upon higher education, a slightly more liberal population, and housing prices that the middle-class can still afford (for now). What other cities do others think may be a good fit? Bear in mind I'd prefer to live in the Northeast or Midwest. I was thinking Richmond might be another option.
Thank you.
Perhaps minus the affordability factor, you just described Boston.
Instead of moving hundreds of mile to entirely different state/metro area, he could move less than 40 or so and find what he's looking for. He's not in the wrong metro area, just the wrong neighborhood.
Instead of moving hundreds of mile to entirely different state/metro area, he could move less than 40 or so and find what he's looking for. He's not in the wrong metro area, just the wrong neighborhood.
Care to elaborate? If you're implying DC or Old Town I'm not going to agree that they satisfy my criteria of generally down-to-earth people and affordability.
Care to elaborate? If you're implying DC or Old Town I'm not going to agree that they satisfy my criteria of generally down-to-earth people and affordability.
You can find "generally down-to-Earth people" in any city. Every city is a mix of all kinds of people.
Care to elaborate? If you're implying DC or Old Town I'm not going to agree that they satisfy my criteria of generally down-to-earth people and affordability.
Depends on what you mean by "down-to-earth people" and what your definition for affordable is. There are all sorts of neighborhoods in DC, and I'm sure one more or less fits your criteria.
Care to elaborate? If you're implying DC or Old Town I'm not going to agree that they satisfy my criteria of generally down-to-earth people and affordability.
There's 600k people in DC. There are plenty of down-to-earth people. I'm one of them. I have a simple blue collar job as a fireman. I could care less about everyone's government jobs, but I still love living in the city. Every neighborhood is so different and there are plenty of diverse groups of people.
If your looking to own your own house then most other large cities on the East Coast aren't going to be much best as far as cost. I pay $800/month for a bedroom in a 4br row house. I LOVE the area I'm in. I live in Mount Pleasant which is within 15 minutes walking distance to probably 100 bars, restaurants, and clubs. I'm 10 minutes to the Metro and about 3 to a ton of bus lines. I have to share the house, but that's no big deal. It's a beautiful place worth over $1 million with a rooftop deck and my own private balcony. If you ask me that's not a bad deal at all. The reason I'm telling you all of that isn't to brag. It's to show that there are plenty of places like this out there. You just have to look and it wasn't that hard to find.
You can find "generally down-to-Earth people" in any city. Every city is a mix of all kinds of people.
I have to disagree with you. Every city is not same as far as the general vibe and general personality of the people there. Yeah, you can always find a couple of people that meet a certain criteria within any populous area. New York city is generally considered fast paced, materialistic, individualistic and so on, but obviously there are at least(and more) a couple people there that are the complete opposite. I love NYC, but I wouldn't suggest it to someone that's looking for generally down to earth people. I would say that when I visited Philly and Baltimore they were both more friendly and more laid back feeling than the DC area, but I've never lived in either so I can't say for sure.
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