Where should I move?

valkyrie · #1 10-13-2002, 05:58 PM

Okay, so I've been living in the Chicago area my entire life, except for four years in Iowa. Chicago is a great city, but I've had the itch to move somewhere different for a while now, and I'm starting to really want to do something about it. The problem is that I really don't know where to go, and I'd like to hear some suggestions. My requirements are:

-I'd prefer someplace with actual seasons, and that doesn't get too outrageously hot.
-I'd like a place that has racial and economic diversity.
-It should be a mid-sized or larger city, although it doesn't have to be huge.
-Good restaurants (and by good restaurants, I mean ones that aren't part of a chain) with great ethnic food and restaurants with vegetarian options.
-Not too overcrowded or expensive (which for me probably eliminates New York and San Fran.).
-Hopefully, a place with a great house and hip hop music scene.
-Preferably, a place that is at least a little politically liberal (or at least not totally conservative).

Does such a place exist? What do you all think? Places that have been at the top of the list include Seattle, Portland and Minneapolis, but I am really looking for other options as well.

Dionysus · #2 10-13-2002, 06:17 PM

St. Louis, except for hip hop scene's (there's a few though) and can get pretty hot in July.

alphachiohmy · #3 10-13-2002, 06:42 PM

St. Louis is nice, smaller than Chicago, but you have all four seasons, a nice mix of restaurants, historic and culture-defined neighborhoods, and wineries 25 minutes away. Good shopping, the loft district, and good sports. Not too much cold/snow in the winter but some, and summers are tolerable. Fall and spring are very well defined. You are also more centralized in the U.S.

Ann Arbor, Mich., looks nice ... but I have never been

http://money.cnn.com/best/bplive/details/ANNAR_MI.html

AOIIBrandi · #4 10-13-2002, 06:45 PM

Charlotte, NC is nice. It fits some, but not all of your "wish list"

Heather · #5 10-13-2002, 06:45 PM

Not that I live there but you description sounds a lot like Atlanta. It does get pretty hot there though and not much snow.

Rio_Kohitsuji · #6 10-13-2002, 06:46 PM

Cincy

or....northern Columbus..but hey..I'm just partial to Ohio..

sororitygirl2 · #7 10-13-2002, 07:04 PM

What about somewhere in Virginia? Or maybe Denver, Seattle or Portland?

librasoul22 · #8 10-13-2002, 07:50 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Heather
Not that I live there but you description sounds a lot like Atlanta. It does get pretty hot there though and not much snow.

Atlanta might just fit every category. It does get hot, but not like Fla. (or I DEFINITELY would have recommended Miami).

It is VERY diverse, pretty liberal for the South, and it has a great hip hop scene. As far as restaurants, I will have to wait til I go back to tell you the best ones (deceased brain cells).

Munchkin03 · #9 10-13-2002, 08:15 PM

I'm a big fan of Providence, RI! I've spent most of the past 3.5 years here (I'm a senior), and I'm kinda sad to leave come August 2003. Even though it's in RI, it's got all four seasons (you'll definitely need AC in the summer, and fall is beautiful). You're close enough to the cool cities that are too expensive to live in, like Boston and New York, to take a fairly quick and inexpensive train. If you like Italian food, Prov is where it's at! Gooood cheap Italian food, and I know what Italian's all about. A city that's about to elect a gay Jewish major fits my description of "liberal". With about 200K people, I'm not sure about the club music scene here, but its pretty good for me.

Good luck!

UGAGal · #10 10-13-2002, 11:19 PM

I give a thumbs up for Seattle! I've lived here for 8 years and love it. I would like to experience living in some other cities but I just can't bring myself to leave!

However, right now we have the worst unemployment rate in the country. All of my friends, except one, have been laid off in the past two years. Some two or three times. It's bad.

And of course, it rains nine months out of the year.

How is Madison, Wisconsin? Last time I was on a plane, I read an article about it in an inflight mag. Seemed like a really cool place...college town with beautiful lakes.

DigitalAngel126 · #11 10-14-2002, 03:52 AM

On the smaller end of the big city spectrum is always Indianapolis.. It's alright I suppose, but don't take my word for it because I woudln't reccommend (sp?) Indiana to anyone (not a hoosier by heart, it's not home to me...no offense to true hoosiers

) .... It's not huge, definately has all of the seasons (full boar), alright ethnic blend...Don't know about the hip hop scene...Good food...

Might I also add...If you are looking for a bigger place (not bigger than chi-town) that isn't particularly a booming metropolis, I'd definately recommend Binghamton, Syracuse, Buffalo, or Albany NY.... All WONDERFUL places (you guessed it, a NY girl by heart)...

Louisville isn't bad...Don't listen to the stereotypes, it's not a bunch of rednecks and rolling hills just because its KY.. My best friend lived there for a couple years and I adored going to visit her...Great mentalitiy, all the seasons, alright mix of people, surprisingly good places to eat...

There are some other great places, but most of them are more expensive and/or don't have all the seasons...

1260

justamom · #12 10-14-2002, 05:57 AM

Right off the bat, I too thought Seattle was a good choice. I also would have thrown KC in the mix, but that's too simlar. Still, if you want something "different" and you won't be married to the location, why not go as "southern" as you can? What a switch THAT would be.

I've only heard great things about the beauty of N Carolina and Virginia. Atlanta is a place all its own and the history is so rich.
Arizona too would offer you a wide variety. The one thing I regret
is not taking the time to travel (and I certainly COULD have) or experience different cities. I envy you.

valkyrie · #13 10-14-2002, 11:27 AM

Thank you so much everyone for your responses!!

I was originally planning to move to Seattle, but I got a little bummed when I sent a bunch of resumes out there and NOBODY was AT ALL interested. (Part of my problem is that as an attorney, I will have to take a bar exam anywhere I move, so won't be able to practice right away and might have to find a job doing something else for a while, which is okay with me as long as I can find something). So that got me thinking that maybe there would be other places that would be good and I shouldn't limit myself right away.

So my list of potential places, as of right now, includes: Seattle, Portland, Minneapolis, Providence, Charlotte and Atlanta. Because I'm a little goofy, I was thinking about making the decision this way: write down the names of these towns on little pieces of paper, put them in a hat, and pick one. I would HAVE TO move to the one I picked. To make things interesting, I was going to add a town I wouldn't normally pick to the mix, and that's where Memphis came in, although after reading what everyone has to say about Memphis, I am probably scratching that off the list. So anyway, that's where I am now.

I have a few more questions if you all aren't really sick of this already. How southern is Charlotte? Must one excel at the finer points of being a southern belle to have a social life there? Also, how about Atlanta? I get the impression that, while Atlanta is in the south, it's not really "considered" the south? Is that true? And finally, how hot does it really get in Charlotte and Atlanta, and for how long is it hot every year? Heat might be the thing to keep me away from the south, because I don't do well with it at all (every summer in Chicago, my favorite thing to say is I'M MOVING TO ALASKA!)...

Thanks again.

IowaHawkeye · #14 10-14-2002, 11:34 AM

Tracy - youre crazy! I love Chicago and miss it when I'm away in good ole Iowa (GO HAWKS!)

Anyway - I would move to Boston - or maybe Baltimore or D.C. I like the east coast and like you I need the seasons

Dionysus · #15 10-14-2002, 11:37 AM

Girl, move to san fransisco!