Is Nashville next??? (tech jobs, salaries, living)

[st3350]

I want to give you a quick background on myself before asking for advice...

I moved out to LA about 3 years ago from a small Midwestern town. While it is true that LA has grown my career by leaps and bounds and is full of culture that I love-- it is also true that the big city is very isolating and meeting genuine, honest, loyal people (that stick around LA and live nearby) has not been my experience here.

Now I know nothing other than LA and the small town that I grew up in.

Here's my question...
where can I move next that will be large enough to have diversity and culture of it's own, provide a job in the data industry, include people that are easy to get along with (midwest values and openness), cost of living is affordable, and has mild weather?

Do these things exist in Nashville?

[BirdieBelle]

Austin, TX

[Anony-Momma]

Originally Posted by Wmsn4Life

Austin, TX

agree

[Hey_Hey]

What kind of data job? I would be willing to bet Nashville would work. It is a very diverse economy. The tech industry is growing and there's a need for tech workers. I'm sure Austin would work too, but they don't have the mildest weather in the summer months which was one of your criteria.

[st3350]

i should clarify that by 'mild' weather I'm referring to winter. I don't want to be hibernating for 6-9 months as I would growing up in Ohio. I don't mind seasons or winter, just not harsh below zero, several feet of snow winters.

I work as a data analyst so I could work for pretty much any major corporation- just as long as the city I move to has major corporations to supply jobs.

[nashvols]

Originally Posted by st3350

i should clarify that by 'mild' weather I'm referring to winter. I don't want to be hibernating for 6-9 months as I would growing up in Ohio. I don't mind seasons or winter, just not harsh below zero, several feet of snow winters.

I work as a data analyst so I could work for pretty much any major corporation- just as long as the city I move to has major corporations to supply jobs.

Our winters are usually mild...this year has been especially cold, with several days with lows in the single digits and windchills at or below zero, with several more on the way. Not much snow to speak of, though.

This type of weather does occur here, but rarely. Probably once every 5-10 years (this year's weather...probably once every 25-30).

Typically it gets down in the 20s and teens several times, but most days are mild with highs in the high 30s to low 50s (and some 60-70 degree days sprinkled in from November to February). It does snow, but usually just a dusting and up to 2 inches. Rarely we'll get a 6" snow, but again, that's about every 5-10 years.

This isn't the Deep South or Gulf Coast, though. While temps are mild, usually the weather is pretty gloomy and wet. Rather than snow, we usually get a lot of rain and overcast skies.



The city does have a lot of openings for tech jobs...I don't think that will be a huge issue. You might find that the salaries are a bit lower than comparable jobs in more established tech cities, but generally the cost of living is lower as well.

I would research tech companies here and call a few of them. If you have the opportunity, perhaps take a week to visit and meet with/interview with some of them...see if this would be a good fit for you.

Based on your preferences, I think Nashville could certainly work -- but it may not be the best fit. I like the Austin suggestion...but only you can decide what city fits you best.

[st3350]

thanks nashvols, that's really great feedback. I have been researching Nashville for some time now and several other areas. The hard part is really knowing whether you will love an area that you relocate to.

I thought i would really get along well in LA, even visited several times before taking the plunge.
Turns out I was very sheltered to how cold people can actually be. Since I hadn't experienced that growing up in Ohio, it was quite a shock and as a result I can see that I'm becoming introverted myself. I want to be surrounded with normal, friendly people again. That's mainly what i miss.

[N.Cal]

Another vote for Austin.

[sunnyurbanite]

Austin is a great city, for sure, but I'd strongly encourage you to visit before picking it over Nashville.

I am also from the midwest and currently live in Dallas...and it's really not what I expected. Granted, it's Dallas and not Austin, but I thought there would be friendly people here. There are some, but the overall vibe is much more upscale and elitist than I anticipated. I have only visited Nashville, but my experience is that most people there are extremely friendly and way more down to earth, the latter of which really appeals to me being a midwesterner.

There is a lot of "diversity" here by way of people on H1B visas for all the Fortune 500 companies, but rather than having a lot of cultural diversity, they have assimilated to the American way of life, or, isolate themselves in small cliques. There is not a lot of diversity of thought. Most of the state is very red, while Austin is very blue, but both are quite polarized - there's not a lot of objective or impartial debate.

Another thing to consider is traffic. Dallas traffic is HORRIBLE and Austin is supposed to be worse - not that far off from LA. Granted, lots of traffic is to be expected in any large city, but the drivers here are the most impatient I've encountered anywhere - and I grew up driving in Michigan, Detroit, Chicago, etc. They will literally honk at you for not going through a red light and I've been cut off as punishment for this multiple times. I drove to Austin for a work event one time and it literally took me 2.5 hours to get from the outskirts to downtown.

If I was in the type of field where I could move to either place, I'd probably try Austin first honestly - but because I like HOT weather. You never catch me complaining when we get the months-long streaks of 90+ degree days in summer, or even when we had 100+ days over 100 degrees in 2012. But as I don't and have a few other things to consider, I'm more strongly considering Nashville.

[BirdieBelle]

Originally Posted by sunnyurbanite

Another thing to consider is traffic. Dallas traffic is HORRIBLE and Austin is supposed to be worse - not that far off from LA. Granted, lots of traffic is to be expected in any large city, but the drivers here are the most impatient I've encountered anywhere -.

Give us a week. We'll top your list!