' For real man. Come on over! There's many reasons why it has been the #1 liveable city in the world in the past (this year it is #2...fell because of traffic). Stanley Park is awesome, Ski Hills all around, the beaches are amazing, the women are fantastic, and yes, the city is very diverse. I've lived in the area for over half my life, and definately love it here.
No. I'm as computer illiterate as Dr of Dunk is old. I think computer guys have an intangible talent that ordinary Joes like me don't. That is not expensive at all. I have an apartment in Hyde Park and it is 515 square feet at 585 dollars a month. And, it should be 610, but they never raised my rent because the landlord liked me. Everyone else is paying 610. I like Hyde Park, but I found it disappointing because it was voted the best neighborhood in Austin. It's not that cool. I want to live in the heart of the city, and if that's what you're paying then it's a steal. You're in a rut and you're married; imagine the state I'm in. Hamachi, thank you for such a well written, inciteful and sincere post. Chicago is definitely a place I would want to be (apparently). I've heard that it is, in a way, a better version of NYC, even though it's known as the little apple. If I move there, I would definitely get rid of my truck. I'm leaning towards Chicago. I would prefer to find a job before i move though. Seattle was very appealing because it has a huge Asian population and is very liberal. One snag is that it gets very cold (much colder than Austin) but it rarely snows. My opinion is, if it's gonna be cold, it should snow. Also, it rains alot there, but not in a good way. Constant drizzle, and I think that makes it very hard to drive in. I think Houston gets more annual rainfall, but it's in spurts. I hate the thought of a constantly wet city. I have not heard one bad thing about Vancouver. I've heard it referred to as the best big city in the world. I would never rule out Canada, but admittedly, and this may sound very jingoistic, I want to stay in the US. Hats off to Canada though. Their large cities are better than the US's. Toronto, Montreal, Calgary and Vancouver. But, it's cold and it isn't the US. I do know that it rarely snows in Vancouver. Thank you for the invite though. Now for Austin. All things considered, quite possibly the best city in the best state in the US. But, in a way, it is overrated. All this talk about diversity, but it is filled with "lost" yuppies from Dallas and Houston as well as small town hicks from the state. For the last ten years, everyone I have met has said "Austin is great, I want to move there." Well, the influx from small Texas towns as well as Houston and Dallas has made Austin a somewhat typical Texas town. It's relatively diverse, but it's not LA, NYC or Chicago. I feel as if I'm missing something if I don't live in one of the big 3 cities. I think Austin is an oasis in the middle of a desert, at least socially. But, I think a move would be good for me. Mind you, I do think that no city can solve your problems, but a move would change my perspective, imo. Thank you all for your responses. Very appreciated.
seattle rules...i was born and raised in houston went to ut and lived in austin for 5 years...moving to seattle was one of the best things ive ever done. but the seattle job market is really bad right now. below the average in unemployment. as far as living cost? its a buyers/renters market right now so that's good. traffic blows though. seattle drivers are r****ded. beautiful part of the country. lots of outdoors stuff. hot chicks everywhere at the market place. you get to see 4 live rockets games a year. 2 in seattle and 2 in portland if you make the drive. seattle seahawks blow...but they got a new stadium. mariners are good and they got a real nice staduim. houston actually gets more yearly rainfall than seattle. seattle just gets it all from oct-apr. brought to you by your local move to seattle campaign...
Austin drivers have to be worse. They're horrible. The traffic isn't that dense, right now, but if I see another old lady in a landcruiser in the speed lane, I'm gonna run her off the road. I love how enthused they are about the Mariners. I also know they have a huge Asian population. But, is it a commuter town? Is it a bigger, wetter Austin? Also, is the city always in a constant drizzle? I love rain, but I like loud, hard rain. I don't like 5 days of light rain. How often does it snow there?
hamachi, red and others. Does moving outside of Texas make you want to root for your new hometown teams? I think I may be tempted to do so. Also, where the Denver folks? I've ehard it's a cool city, though not very diverse.
seattle drivers are worse...there is no such rule as the left lane speed rule. everyone and i mean everyone drives at their own pace in any land they want. i AM officially the fasted most impatient driver in seattle. there is a BIG asian pop here. its really not that hard to drive around in seattle. i live in south seattle about 10 min from downtown. parking is so so. lots of lots and relatively cheap. going downtown for nightlife has never been a problem. the rain... good-during the summer months from june through all of aug and most of sept it hardly ever rains. i mean ever. 3 weeks going by without a single drop is not uncommon. bad-during the winter it can drizzle for a week on and off. the winter is wet and it doesnt snow in seattle much. last year we had to snowfalls. first one was about 8 inches and rocked. took the snowboard down the hill i live on. 2nd one the snow was gone by late afternoon. year before only snowed once. the rain and short days during the summer can be a drag but once spring hits everyone in seattle leaves work early. its kinda understood that if the sun is out, get out of the office and enjoy it.
im a big astros fan so being that the mariners are in the american league i still go to their games every once in awhile. the city is happier when they win so that is good. seahawks...could care less. im a titans fan and will be until george and mcnair retire. then i dont know who i will root for. sonics...yeah right.
Threads like these make me want to finish college as fast as possible. I know that college is supposed to be the "best four years of your life," but I wish I could to a nicer part of the country. I go to the University of Central Arkansas which is probably as cool as any college in the region, and I've made some good friends and made good grades, I just want to move out of the bible belt. I almost feel like I go to a private Babtist university instead of a public university. I've lived in Texas (Texarkana) for about 8 or 9 years, but I can definitely relate to your situation, and I'm only 18. I am so tired of being in an area where there is a Babtist or Methodist church on every street corner. I have no problems with Babtists or Methodists, but I continually yearn to live in a place with more diversity, both racially and religiously. I hope you sucessfully find a place to move that makes you happy, gr8-1, because I feel like I know what you are going through!
Congrats on realizing Austin is an overgrown cowtown, with a collegetown penumbra. All three real cities in Texas have more to offer, esp. to a grown-up. It appears you're eager to leave, and Chicago would be a great choice, but I must put in a plug for Houston. The cost of living is dirt cheap. Everything you could possibly want is here, if you look. I've travelled to many places, but I really enjoy my time off here... visiting the MFAH with friends, getting coffee at Brazil, going downtown, going salsa dancing, going to the chinese culture center, going to the vietnamese new year, art classes, music, dance, culture, architecture, parks, sports, learning, earning... it's all right here at my fingertips, with very little pretense or prerequisite. I love Houston. Also, whether you go or not, make a trip to see Mindi sing at Mini Club or Melody dance or work at Tony's Hair Salon. Very attractive, talented girl.
Austin isn't expensive at all. Unless you compare it to Houston, which I am realizing over the holidays as I've spent the past week here. As for the town itself, if you're tired of being inundated with college aged people move north. I live just south of Round Rock and north of the Arboretum. I love that area. Everything I could need is within a 5 mile radius, but my apt. complex is in a secluded area of trees and a nearby subdivision. if you really want nice places, move out to those luxury apts. by Lakeline Mall. If I ever work again that's by next move. Seriously though, I understand what you're saying. I've lived in Houston or Austin for the past 15 years now. I don't think I could move, however. I can't stand weather when it gets below 60 degrees... running is rather difficult then. I hate rain, so the northwest is out. My only other options would be AZ or FLA. Seeing as how Florida has no state income tax, that would be my only serious option. But I'm the type that is too lazy to leave my home all day after my daily run. Why the hell would I need to move anywhere? To mix up which channel number is assigned to which channel?
gr8-1, Have you thought about Nashville? I am pretty sure you can find an apartment in Nashville for less than $585 a month. And I think Nashville has gotten diverse enough in the last couple of years to satisfy your tastes. Sportswise, they are real passionate about the Titans, and of course there are no NBA or MLB teams, but maybe that will change one day. However, weatherwise, you can't beat middle Tennessee. We have maybe 2 really cold months all year and about 1 out of every 5 years do we really get a significant snow. But we do get tornadoes from now and then. Give Nashville a thought.. Good luck in whatever you choose to do.
I've been thinking about moving as well, mainly out west, somewhere with either mountains or on the coast. Portland, Seattle, or Boulder as possibilities. I've lived in the northeast and find it overrated. Too many people, too little nature.
Try Florida or anything else on the Gulf coast. Seattle is diverse, expensive and the mid-youth(18-25) are stuck in the 80's somehow. Where you decide to live may reflect the type of job you want as well. The more questions you answer, the easier the decision becomes.
gr8-1, You ever thought about Minneapolis and the Twin Cities? I've been there a few times on vacation. It's a beautiful city, with a lot of stuff to do. Whether you like to shop or not, you could spend hours and hours in the Mall of America. There's that much. Traffic didn't seem to be a major problem, and the cost of living is almost identical to Austin. It's probably the best sports town I've been to as well. I went to one Vikings game, and those fans are absolutely the loudest and most involved in the NFL, from the stadiums I've visited. It's also in a good area of the country-- about three hours from Milwaukee, and five from Chicago. Of course, the main drawback is the weather... you have to be able to withstand very, very cold stuff for three or four months. On the flipside, the summers are a lot better... the time I was there in August, the lows were about 60 and the high about 80. Also, I found this for you if you want to compare costs of living: http://houseandhome.msn.com/PickAPlace/CompareCities.aspx
Manny, I realize it's ironic that I've labeled the deep south as somewhat "backwoodsish" and racist, but I can't get rid of those thoughts in my head. I'm sure Nashville is nice though. Cat, I've thought about Minneapolis, but those winters have to be brutal. I would probably pick Colorado over Minneapolis. II think MInnesota is pretty liberal though. I think Chicago has the most of what I want. Let's hope I stay proactive in the next 6-7 months and not chicken out.
gr8-1, Go to a bookstore and buy a book called Places Rated Almanac. PRA rates the different US cities on various factors: cost of living, jobs, housing costs, transportation, education, health care, crime, the arts, recreation, etc. You can decide what is most important to you and choose accordingly. In 1996, the wife and I were also in the position of looking for place where we wanted to land. We ended up chosing (in no order) La Jolla, Cincinnati, San Francisco, Denver, Austin, and Research Triangle (Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill NC) as great places to live. She unfortunately got her best job offer in Houston (professor at Rice University) and here we are At least my favorite basketball team is in town Here are some thoughts on the places I have actually lived: Houston is a very cheap places to live. Houses are very affordable, which should leave lots of fun money in your monthly budget. Traffic and weather suck hard. There are also a comparative lack of day trips from Houston. Austin is a bit (but only a bit) more expensive than Houston. Austin has the best live music scene in the US (outside of Nashville). Austin has the hill country nearby and has hundreds of interesting day trips to take. Traffic aint bad. If you have bad allergies, both Houston (mold) and Austin (cedar) are off the chart awful. Boston is a really cool town. There are something like 20+ universities in the Boston metro area. A lot of the businesses cater to the college crowd, which adds to the hipness of the town. The underground subway is fantanstic and goes to most places of interest. Living in an urban setting (like renting a flat in a 3 story brownstone in Back Bay) without a car is a distinct consideration. Capecod and Martha's Vineyard are two of the many excellent day trips. Boston does have a very long winter. And the people there are very typical North Easterners, a bit cold and stand off-ish. All in all, a great place to spend a few years in your youth, but not a place I would want to raise a family. Southern California (LA and Orange counties) has great weather (very temperate with low humidity) but still has a smog problem (which are a b**** for people with breathing disorders like allergies). Housing costs are very pricy and commutes tend to the Herculean. There are also tons of days trips to do. LA is also the most diverse places I have ever lived. There are small communities in LA representing most of the world's nationalities. If you like trying restaurant from different nationalities, LA is nirvana. The best places to live in SoCal is all along the coast, since the coastal breezes blow the smog inland. This does not go unnoticed in the housing prices. California like Mass. has state income taxes, which adds to the cost of living. Something I noticed is that the job salaries do not really compensate for the cost of living differential. You might want to take a hard look at the COL math. To make up for the ~5% state income tax, you will need to make an additional ~7.5% pretax. To make up for the $500 more a month that an apratment costs, you will need to make $750 pretax a month ($9,000 pretax a year). A $50,000/year job in Austin is equivalent to a $63,425 ($50,000*1.075 + 9000) job in LA/Boston. Thoughts on places I have visited: Seattle in the mid 80s was a much better place to live than now. Since the 80s, a lot of people have moved in (especially from California). The traffic is bad and the housing prices are approaching Californian levels. The town does sport many great restaurants and millions of coffee bars. The Seattle winter weather is the pits. They get their rain by day after day of misting, unlike Houston where we tend to get our rain in subtropical outbursts. Chicago is a very interesting city. In particular, I was impressed by Lincoln Park neighborhood, or better said the bars in Lincoln Park which are the closest I have seen in the US to duplicate the English pub feel (a very god thing). Chicago also has excellent public transportation, great museums, and Wrigley field. I don't know about the day trips. Manhattan was a great place to visit, but I don't know how anybody could actually afford to live there. If you could get a job that could cover your living expenses, Manhattan may be a great place to live for a year.
To tell you the truth, I haven't been able to have much emotional interest in Chicago sports teams -- yet. I'm still a rabid Rockets and Astros fan. I root for the Texans, but it's harder to be fanatic about them, since I was already in Chicago after the season started. (I'm ashamed and proud to say that I actually still long for the Oilers.) On the other hand, when my parents moved us to Houston in the eighties, I had little interest in their teams. Some background -- I was actually born in Chicago, and lived there a few years of my very early childhood. (I never thought I would actually move back as an adult.) So there was a time when I was a big Cubs/Bears/Bulls fan -- as much as a kid could be a fan. It took me several years to adopt Houston teams as my own. I don't expect it to take as long re-adopting the Chicago teams. I expect to adopt the Cubs (pretty easy to root for the loveable Cubbies, and nothing beats windy, sunny afternoons at Wrigley), da Bears, and maybe da Bulls (Rockets just monopolize all my hoops interest) -- in that order. Don't know about the Black Hawks, as I've never followed hockey much, living in Texas so long. As for the White Sox, I also rooted for them as a kid -- even though I think there's a rule that you're either a South-sider and root for the Sox, or a North-sider and root for the Cubs. You can't do both. I think the rivalry is uni-directional though -- traditionally, the grittier, working-class South-siders hate the Cubs a lot more. But I expect to be a Sox fan regardless. On another note, aside from the teams, I have quite a bit of fondness these days for sh*tty old H-Town in general -- I actually think it's a great, underrated town. If I had to move back to Texas -- which I really doubt I ever will -- I'd probably go back to Houston before Austin. I just don't think I can do a small city ever again. And I can't deal with having it shoved down my throat how perfect Austin is anymore. That's something you don't get much of here in Chicago.
