Need help getting "unstuck" (rent, crime, find a job)

[dacx]

I was born and raised in the Seattle area. Moved to Colorado in 1996 and due to family issues had to move back to the Seattle area in 2004.

Now, with the family issues resolved I am wanting to leave the Seattle area again but of course the economy has taken a "nosedive" and I'm afraid to leave unless I know I will be able to obtain a job shortly after I get to my new place.

I am in the low-paying/high turnover social service sector. In better economic times I would have very little problems with obtaining a job especially due to my education and experience but now it seems that most of these type of jobs are filled as a "stop-gap" measure until the economy improves.

Don't get me wrong . Seattle is a great city, it's just not me.

Seattle's economy is based a little more on the high paying, high-tech industry. I have very little knowledge or interest in the field therefore, my relatively low-paying job makes it a struggle to keep up with the cost of living here.

I also have more of a "blue-collar" mentality. I don't like 9-5 office work and prefer to get out and "get my hands dirty".

The other thing I don't like about the Seattle area is the "urban sprawl" which results in heavy traffic. I realize that every major metro area is going to have heavy traffic but when that heavy traffic continues for 30-40 miles in every direction, almost every day it's just too much.

I'm a single male in my 40's. I don't mind living in small "cramped" areas as long as I can get out of town and do things as I am very active and adventuresome. I don't need to get rich but would like to find a place where 1 F/T job in a relatively low-paying field still earns me enough to keep up with the Cost of Living and allows some extra $$$ to "play".

Major city or small town would be fine as long as I can get to the other in about 2 hrs of driving (not sitting in traffic) time. The small town would be better for as long as it's big enough for me to not feel like an outcast.

In summary: I'm looking for a place thatcurrently has a decent enough economy (doesn't have to be great) where I would be able to land a job that will at least pay my bills shortly after I get there. That is more of a "working-class" community overall and that is not growing too fast so that traffic and urban sprawl is kept in check.

Anyplace?

[WILWRadio]

Pittsburgh.

[ckhthankgod]

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[dacx]

Originally Posted by WILWRadio

Pittsburgh.

I actually thought about Pittsburgh but of course I would be spending most of my money just to drive across country. Once again it has to do with most of the money I earn now goes towards rent and other expenses.

So, when I arrive how long would it take for me to find a job so that I could find a place to live?

[WILWRadio]

Originally Posted by dacx

I actually thought about Pittsburgh but of course I would be spending most of my money just to drive across country. Once again it has to do with most of the money I earn now goes towards rent and other expenses.

So, when I arrive how long would it take for me to find a job so that I could find a place to live?

Dunno. I've been looking into that area myself but I am hesitant to move right now because of the state of the economy. While my current position in Kansas City is pretty secure, I am not at all happy living here. But it appears as though I am going to have to sit tight here for another three years before I can make a move anywhere else.

I do know the Pittsburgh economy is better than most metro areas in excess of one million people right now. The Cranberry Township area in the NW part of the metro area is the fastest growing and may offer some job opportunities right now.

[dacx]

So. WILWRadio-

Tell me a little about Kansas City. Outside of your personal feelings, what's it like?

Living in Denver for so many years and now having a friend who lives outside of St. Louis, KC is another place I've considered. I've never been to KC but have been to St. Joseph so I know a little about the area

Thanks

[WILWRadio]

I'd take the Denver area over KC. People are better educated and have been exposed to people from a variety of cultures from all over the world. Kansas City is still very parochial and in my eyes, an oversized back water. I come from New England and that has led to problems. Not many of us here and those that are probably are not from the same kind of culture as I.

Kansas City is very hot and humid during the summertime. The rest of the year is pretty pleasant though and if you don't like snow, they only get 20 inches a year on average. The cost of living is low and the tax bite is pretty reasonable except for some areas of Kansas. Plenty of cheap housing can be found in the metro area including the rural towns in the region. Much less expensive than Denver or anywhere along the Front Range. Zoning is very restrictive in the city and suburbs and you can't sneeze without potentially violating a code.

Crime is bad here though. The Denver area is safer than the Kansas City area especially if you live in the city. The city has a serious budget deficit and is in the process of lopping off 62 million dollars from the budget in order to balance it.

Culturally speaking it is very different from anything else I've experienced including the few months I spent in the Denver area. It's not a southern culture like some people claim but more of a hybrid of a low rent southern California yuppie culture meets the Ozarks and Midwest. When you head south towards Arkansas then the state does become a little more southern in its culture. BBQ restaurants and beef it excellent here. You can also find good Mexican chow if you know where to look. The rest of the restaurants are hit and miss in my opinion.

If you are single then this is not the place to come to. The Kansas City area consistently ranks at the bottom of major million market metro areas as a place to date or find a compatible mate. I gave up on the idea of dating any women here years ago because the experiences I've had with them through work or even on a social level outside of work has been something less than ideal to be diplomatic. This is the ONLY area of the country I've lived (lived in ten different areas) that I've had to resort to this behavior. Sorry, on this subject I do have to interject my feelings to some degree in order to illustrate my point. :-) The odds of finding someone compatible are not all that good.

St. Louis is more sophisticated than Kansas City. They share some similar traits but are still different. I don's consider St. Louis to be a cow town like KC. If you like night life then KC does have an ample amount of it. The new Power and Light District, Country Club Plaza and Westport areas of the city have a lot going on well into the night.