Setting your sights on the big city
 

When you were in school, did any of you dream of moving to the big city after graduation to try your luck there? Those of you still in school; do you plan to do this?

By "big city", I guess I mean NYC, Chicago, LA and maybe a few others. But those are the ones that stick out in my mind as places people go to "make it"

And, unfortunately, Russ, Peaches-n-Cream and Rudy can't answer because they are New York natives so there's really no place bigger they could have gone!

Bright lights, big city...
 

I set my sights on L.A. when I was - oh, I don't know, five or so. I thought I would move there my entire life but somehow, when the opportunity really presented itself, I realized that home wasn't such a bad place afterall and I stayed (well, not in my parents' home, but the same city).

I'm still young though... give me a few years and I just may go for it!

Re: Setting your sights on the big city
 

LOL I'm a native of well-to-do Teheran suburbs and western Europe if we really want to get into it. But anyway I wanted to get away from the city. I like grass, I like sand...I want to be connected to a city but to keep my distance too ya know?

-Rudey

Well I still have a year and a half left here at Mizzou...but as soon as I am done I am moving to BOSTON, job or no job I really don't care. I know it's not a HUGGGGGE city like NYC or something, but I have always always always wanted to live there and compared to Omaha and COMO it's definitely huge to me. :D

At one time, I thought I might move south of the border into Texas. Maybe Dallas, etc.. However, I later realized that OKC is just about the right size. There's plenty to do here, houses are WAY cheaper and I have better prospects after I finally finish my education.

I've known a lot of people from here to move to Atlanta when they graduate. But many come back to more suburban/rural areas just a few months/years later.

Re: Setting your sights on the big city
 

Yeah, when I've visited Chicago, I've thought, "this a nice small town."

that is exactly why i love it here... it's a big city but not huge.... and so easy to get around the whole place in one day.

I'm still tossing up the idea of either NYC or Chicago but NYC is really winning. I just have to grow the nuts and actually do it.

I have my sights on Baltimore.. or maybe DC for next June. I've always wanted to move to a city, or just outside of a city. I love Maryland/VA, ever since I was little. now I have a good "excuse" to move to that area (boyfriend...)
I've lived in Southern New Hampshire my whole life.. I'm not from a small town.. but its not huge. I kind of like it.. but then again, I need more adventure. (I'm going somewhere other than here though.)

We'll see what next summer brings though!

I've wanted to live in LA since I was a kid, and now in a week, I'll be living there! I'm getting very excited (and scared-no job yet). Everyone's been like I'm so proud of you since I've been talking about it for so long and now I'm actually doing it.

Since I grew up in the Chicago suburbs, it seemed logical to want to move to Chicago after college, which I did. It was nice to still be by family but not in the suburbs.

I moved to LA about 6 months after graduating from my school in Florida. I'm roadtripping it back to FL now, after 2+ years out here. I have my sights set on NYC or DC next, and I plan to take a trip to Chicago soon. I don't consider myself a city girl, but I'm still drawn to the bright lights... which is strange. I'll take a beach suburb any day over loud traffic and skyscrapers...

Basically, if I want to get into the live theater circuit, I have to go to NYC or Chicago. I've wanted to live in NYC since I was a little kid, so my sights are set there for now.

well I already live in a big city... although since it isn't QUITE as big as the afore mentioned cities (at least for what I want to do) I've set my sights on LA.. I've lived in LA for a school year already and have family down there... so I really don't thin kti's goin gto be too much of a shock... however I am going there for the same reason everyone else pretty much goes there (entertainment) so we'll see. There is also I company I'd LOOVE to work for that is mainly based in NYC... so if I possibly get myself in there somehow I may end up there... but really New York isn't my cup of tea... LOVVE visiting.. but really don't want to live there.

Very similar thing with me. I grew up on Long Island and loved NYC. Even after my family moved away and I went to college elsewhere I know NYC is a great place for me right now! I love everything about it and wouldn't want to live anywhere else right now.

I grew up in the suburbs of Boston and as mu_agd said, its always nice to have a city big but not too big that it takes more than one day to see the sights. After 4 years in the middle of nowhere PA (I'm talking Amish people 10 miles off campus), it was time to go back to civilization. I thought I'd give LA a try during grad school and I'm very happy with my decision. I'm not sure I'll stay out here permanently but the experince has been a good one. With LA, or any other big city, you just have to learn to dedicate more time to traveling, it takes longer to get from point A to point B. That's still something I have to get use to.

Rudey I didnt know you lived in Teheran...some of my family is there...

I definitely went through my "big city stage"! I lucked into a White House job, so lived in DC for a while, and then in NYC for some training. It was only for a year, but I will always be thankful that I did it!!

I still volunteer in DC a few times a year, and visit NYC as often as I can afford it - only I've added Chicago to my list, since mr. honeychile lives there! What's really nice is when you do live in a big city, and go back to visit, you're not really a tourist, since you know your way around.

I highly recommend it to anyone who has never tried it!

I kind of fell into living in NYC...my best offer for grad school just happened to be in Manhattan. I was hoping to live either in Boston or San Francisco after graduation. It's worked out really well, because I have a lot of friends, relatives, and sorority sisters living in the city--so I'm never bored or lonely!

The East Coast is getting a teensy bit old, though. When I'm finished with school---God only knows when!--I'm going to try another city.

I go to college in a city, but I don't plan on staying here after graduation - I've wanted to go to DC for as long as I can remember, so hopefully 365 days from now I will be posting about packing up and moving! :D

As long as I can remember, I've wanted to live ANYWHERE other than the little spot in the road I've lived all my life. When I was about 12, I decided that Atlanta was where I wanted to move. Unfortunately, I think it might be awhile before I have the necessary funds. :p

Hey, that's pretty darn close to my neck of the woods! I'll take you out to lunch when you get here! :)

i don't want to live in those cities, but i'd love to visit them. i would want to be at each one for a few weeks so that i can see as much as i could. i love architecture, and when i go to san francisco, i love looking at the old buildings. and in ny, i'm sure there are a ton more that are older. i would also love to go SHOPPING in those cities!!!!

I always thought of myself as more of a big-city girl, but I fell into this job in a tiny little town after graduation and I love it here. I do like to visit cities, though--especially to go shopping.

I am moving to NYC in early fall/September(?). I cannot wait. I really don't want to wait that long but it can't be halped.

Everyone in my line of work is supposed to want to go to NY or LA. So, I wanted to go to Denver and ski.

So, I'm in Denver, and now that the kids are grown, but 2/3 still here, it's tough to leave.

So, now I'd like to work in NY or LA. Maybe commute weekly. Was up for a job in NY, but I don't think it was ever filled. Also was "offered" a job directing an NBC News weekend show -- but that job went up in smoke when another show was cancelled and that director became available.

On the other hand, I'm still in Denver and there are a whole lot worse places.

I grew up across the river on the Jersey side of Manhattan, and I actually always had my sights set on the Jersey side. I always thought about commuting to Manhattan (and when I was going to my dr in Manhattan every other week at 8am, I was in my glory with all the commuters) but I've never actually seen myself living in Manhattan.

::shrugs::
Guess I'm just a Jersey Girl at heart.

Can you have Mr. KR send us some of his younger fellow servicemen for me to have for dessert? ;)

For the field I want to go into, DC is the only place for me to be - and luckily I love it!

When I decided on dance as a career I was a senior in high school. I went to NYC that year on a dance trip and decided it was too gross and I didn't want to live there. So during college I decided on Chicago after graduation (still a good dance scene). I moved in with Mom after graduation to save $ for the move and found a great summer program in NYC to study dance. So I made a second trip to NYC. Well, NYC in the summer is a blast with tons to do. And it was such a different town since I'd been in 1993 (due to Guiliani who "real" New Yorkers will tell you was the downfall of the city! ;) ). I decided I was tough enough to live here and that if I really wanted to dance, NYC is where I should go. I knew one person when I got here and it was awful lonely at times, but I'll always be proud that I came out here and made it on my own.

I never did live in Manhattan - on my income I would have had to share my room with another person, not to mention rats and roaches! I spent 4 years in Queens and now live in the suburbs just north of the city. I'm super happy up there because it gives me the suburbia I grew up with so close to the amazing (and crazy) place that is NYC.

Re: Re: Setting your sights on the big city
 

I thought that about DC and Boston. I really thought those cities were big until I visited.

NOT TRUE!!! I'm as real as they come, and I love living in what is now the safest big city in America. The only thing that sort of changed for the worse is Time Square. It used to have lots of porn and crime, which was bad. Now it is sterile, and its redevelopment has been called the "Disneyfication of Times Square" which is also bad. But this was being planned since the 1970s.

One of the reasons that real estate in Manhattan (and Brooklyn) has gotten so expensive is that people aren't leaving. The best and brightest in America come to Manhattan. They used to start there careers here, and then move back to be near their families. Now that it is so safe here, leaving all that NYC has to offer is like moving to a living death. Everyone that I know who has moved back to their hometowns, only did so to raise their children by their family, or because their career never enabled them to afford living here while raising a family. Some planned on moving back, but can no longer bring themselves to do so.

Milwaukee is the biggest city I've lived in, and even that's too big for me. I'm a small town girl :)

I can't even imagine what New York, Boston, Chicago must be like!

I agree w/ Russ. I've rarely felt safer anywhere else. NYC is safe and pretty nice.
Since I was 5 I've set my sights a little further. I want to move abroad. Not that I don't love it here but a change of pace for 10 or 20 years would be awesome.

San Diego got annexed by Los Angeles, ummmm about say 10-20 years ago...

AND YES, on paper they are 2 different cities and there have slight differences in culture--simply because Orange County sits between the two--but really, folks that live in San Diego, commute to work in LA every day--up the 5 freeway.

As far as big cities go. I like the ammenities. But it is DAYUM expensive!!! HAYLE, living in the Eastside of Seattle cost so dayum much. And forget housing!!! And the driving laws out here--are stoopid!!

I'd rather live in Dallas anyday with the drunk drivers!!!

Atlanta way nice when one was able to get out of city. But that was 15 years ago when I lived there.

Chicago is a nice place to visit--if it is not the dead of winter--too cold for a SoCalinian--the weather is air conditioned.

I haven't been to NYC. Saw it in the air. But never visited it.

DC was buck wild back in the day... All I gotta say is "Chocolate City".

And Cleveland still Rocks... But I couldn't do the Cinncinati thing--sorry...

Frisco will always have much love from me. But Sacramento--yuk. It's like Tijuana sniffin' glue... And I was born in Fairfield...

And there are several small cities with a big hearts: Phoenix, Orlando, Baltimore and Vegas...

Houston is waay cooler than Dallas anyday...

I'm from upstate NY and had actually never been to NYC until I'd lived in IN for 5-6 years!

I do love the city though, and would LOVE to live there. If I had my choice, it'd be between Boston, DC (maryland) area, NYC, and Baltimore (Not as big, I know, but I like the area).

Boston is great, but I've found that DC and Baltimore are very similar, but a LOT cleaner.

:)

I never planned on leaving the Nashville area, but when I was engaged, we were going to move for his job. We looked at Boston, Chicago, and DC. However, we split, he went to DC and I stayed here, which is just fine with me since I'd rather stay near my family. My job prospects also don't require me to be somewhere larger. Would I like to live somewhere like that? Possibly. But it's not worth the trade off to me right now.

**That may not have been a real answer to the original question, but that's what I thought of!

I love being in Boston; when I was choosing colleges, being in Boston was a big plus and a big reason why I chose my school over others. It's been a good experience and I've had a lot of fun being in the "big city."

However I'd like to try DC sometime in the near future...I'm not a big fan of LA from when I've been there, but San Diego or San Francisco could also be possibilities.

I survived my second day living in a big city, although it was a weird feeling running at the sidewalk on my way to the nearest park, since I was running next to the traffic. And it was not fun to carry a map, since you are not familiar with the area yet.

I missed Iowa :(