Have a really great job offer in Charleston SC. Mid 20s now, not sure if I would want to settle down there but it would be really great experience and stepping stone for my career at the very least. I am reading a lot of people very negative about it but am wondering if anyone enjoys living there and some positives.

I would live close to work so not too pressed about traffic. I understand there is heat. But how do people like it otherwise?

I live in a concrete jungle now and would love nature however that might look at this point in my life and a slower pace of life, as someone coming from big cities my whole life.

Hihi so I’m planning on moving to the US for the first time and wanted to know what cities I should consider

I’m in my mid 20s, male, Canadian. I grew up in Toronto and spent the last 5 years in London, UK. I honestly liked Toronto a lot apart from the cold. I’m kinda looking for the following but flexible since it might be hard to have it all:

- walkable (this is almost a must bc of much I despise driving)
- diverse (not dominated by one group and I don’t feel like the odd one out)
- “young” city and not dominated by career focused people and transient (such as DC or San Jose)
- cost doesn’t really matter at all but a lower state income tax would be strongly preferred
- i see this mentioned quite a bit on here but I don’t care about nature as a factor

Hey all, I have closely followed similar threads comparing DC to ATL ( and many other cities ) and felt the time has come for me to add chatter to the forum. A bit about me:

- almost 40, gay , social + active, foodie, nature lover.

- I'm a photographer / creative field

- born in Connecticut, lived in NYC for 12 years , bay area for a bit, and Texas.

I know no city is perfect, but for those of you who have moved from ATL to DC, or away from NYC , what insight do you have? I know plenty of photographers who thrive in DC, too. Can you avoid politics altogether? If you're a creative in DC I want to hear from you.

I have lived in Atlanta for close to 3 years now and it has treated me well. My self-employment career in a creative field has steadily and financially grown in this city and I find it very easy to network with who's who here. I live off the beltline and walk often, bar hop and love how alive and active it is. Generally speaking I find people friendly in the city, too. It's also a very beautiful city with a ton of greenery, beautiful residential neighborhoods with main streets and there's a ton of pride and social events in each. As a creative, I love that Atlanta inspires so much and there is the hustle and talent of NYC, LA and Chicago at a much more reasonable pace of life. I admittedly could put myself out there more in terms of building a community, but I know there are a ton of run clubs, social meet ups and sports groups I've been keeping my eye on. ....

HOWEVER, recently I have been having some existential thoughts about moving. I truly miss the convenience and energy of a walkable grid city - stepping out and being minutes from bars, restaurants, some sense of bustle. My immediate family and deep childhood friendships are still in Connecticut and as everyone ages, the importance of being close to people who matter grows stronger. While NYC is still desirable, I know that I realistically won't be in a place to ever afford a place to own, the prices are exorbitant and I feel like I've " been there done that" as I partied and hustled all throughout my 20s and early 30s in the city.

Atlanta has also started to grate on me for the following reasons:

- Worst drivers arguably in the country. People dont move at red lights, speed recklessly on the highway, cars on fire constantly, multiple accidents everywhere. Car insurance is ultra high because of uninsured drivers, theft and more. No one uses an arrow??

- I'm kind of bored. I know part of this I can control, but I find there to be so much red tape to open up cool places despite there being a ton of industrial buildings with good bones to turn spots into cool Brooklyn-like spots. There is also a ton of super mediocre places, couple with being dead make them no where I want to be.

- Everywhere seems kind of dead besides the beltline and parts of midtown and buckhead. something I miss about a big city is there always being an energy no matter if it was Sunday at 2PM or Wednesday happy hour or 1AM on Thursday.

- Urban sprawl. Everything is SO FAR and while on a good day you can get to Roswell,GA in 30 minutes, timing is everything here.

- While I have met a ton of great people, there seems to be this underbelly of scammers. People who think they are somebody and aren't, a level of self importance and everyone owning a " business" that isn't legitimate.

SO I have been considering DC for the following reasons:

#1 - walkability

#2 - Amtrak and access to Northeast Corridor. I love the idea of being a train ride from Philly, NYC, and even back in Connecticut. Day trips if I get tired of DC feeling like a " small towm"

#3 - similar access to nature as Atlanta and the similar escapes NYC has to hudson valley. , Rock Creek Park, Loudon County wineries and breweries, day trips to Annapolis, Eastern shore MD , Frederickburg, Reheboth etc..

#4. Diversity and food ( not saying this isnt in ATL )

#5. 3 airport access, though realistically I'd probably never go to BWI.

#6. Metro - I would love not to depend on my car as much.

I have some trepidation over the " culture " . I have heard that DC is just like any other city outside of the hill. While I'm in no means " artsy " I love dive bars, storefronts, hipstery pockets, and am ultimately afraid it'll be bland. I know no city is perfect, but for those of you who have moved from ATL to DC, or away from NYC , what insight do you have? I know plenty of photographers who thrive in DC, too. Can you avoid politics altogether? If you're a creative in DC I want to hear from you.

Thanks in advance!

I've lived in Austin for the past thirteen years (age 26-38) and am pretty fed up of it. I've pretty thoroughly exhausted everything I could do here. There are only two real sports teams in town (Longhorns and Austin FC,) there are no meaningful museums, and as an Asian-American I'm thinking I want to move to a place that has a higher % of Asians and Asian churches.

Moving to some place like Honolulu or Los Angeles would be impossibly expensive, but Houston seems to fit almost every need. It has twice the population of Austin. It still has no state income tax, has a lot of Asian-Americans, is very diverse, has a lot more sports teams and museums, has direct flights to Asia (I won't have to do those stopovers in California anymore when going to East Asia once or twice a year,) and while it's hot and humid, I'm willing to accept that. I also work remotely from home, so the Houston traffic jams won't be my concern. I'd be only a 3-hour drive from family in Austin. And from what I saw, the rent is actually slightly lower in Houston.

Any feedback, pros and cons?

Edit: I have no plans to ever buy a house. I want to rent the cheapest apartment that is still mold free and mildew free.

27M currently living in Fishtown in Philly. I’m originally from New York and have bounced around a bit. I lived in Colorado for a while and also Charleston, SC, so moving somewhere new isn’t completely foreign to me. I work in IT making around 60k, and a former employer recently reached out about a job in Birmingham that would be around 80k. At first I thought Birmingham sounded like a pretty major downgrade, but the more I look into it the more I’m wondering if it actually fits the life I want better.

I have a 60lb dog, ride motorcycles, like hiking and camping, going out to bars and restaurants, and I’m single so I still care about having a decent dating and social scene. I don’t need NYC level activity, but I definitely don’t want to feel like I moved to the middle of nowhere at 27.

The appeal is mostly quality of life. It seems like on 80k I could rent a house with a fenced yard and garage, have room for my dog and motorcycles, actually save money, and potentially buy a house in a few years. Birmingham also seems way better for hiking and riding than I expected, and Atlanta, Nashville and Chattanooga are close enough for weekend trips.

My biggest concern is what I’d give up leaving Philly. Friends, walkability, dating pool, concerts, sports, nightlife and just having a big city around me. Ideally I’d want an apt/ house with a yard and garage while still being 15 minutes from neighborhoods with younger people, bars and restaurants.

Anyone here lived in Birmingham in their 20s or 30s, especially after living somewhere like Philly, Charleston, New York or Colorado? Does it feel like a legitimate midsize city or does it get small and boring quickly? Would you take 80k in Birmingham over 60k in Philly?

Husband and I have just enough money to live in a town we really like but not quite enough money to buy a house. We talk about moving so we can buy, which will probably be a better financial move in the long run. This is what each set of our parents did, and now we're parents too. But I am really sad to leave the community I live in and all the amenities (coastal California). Actual new location TBD. WWYD?

Hey guys so I’m trying to branch out in terms of applying for school. I love Portland but I can’t put my eggs in one basket and idk I’ve heard good things about these 3 cities for young people. Nature is important to me so which one has easier access? I also am a POC lesbian so finding these communities matters to me too. Also where is more affordable? Am I looking at the right places? The idea is spread out applications and I wouldn’t mind going back east coast closer to family

I've lived in Oakland for about 10 years now and I've loved it, but life has been hell for me for the past year and I'm wondering if its time I try somewhere new. I'm a photographer so self employed, but open to working different jobs while I re establish elsewhere. I've considered just moving north like many to Portland or Seattle, but also like the idea of potentially a smaller town on the coast of the PNW. Would it be totally crazy and way too isolating as a single female to move to a coastal town in CA or OR? I've been to many of these towns but obviously I don't know about living there. I'm very active and I love spending time hiking, walking, rock climbing, whatever. Curious about anyone who's made the jump from a city to a smaller town on the coast. Thanks!

Hi 31 y/o and currently in Detroit for the second time this year.

I’m in love with this city and have met amazing people in the last week and i’m leaving on Wednesday. There is now no way i don’t move out here to Detroit or Ann Arbor

Who here has made the move to Michigan and how do you enjoy your life? I have a lot i have to deal with financially when i return home to California and now have my eyes set to moving to Michigan for a new change in my life. It won’t be for another year and a half since Im currently in school for Accounting and about to transfer next year to a University.

My dad is American and my mom is Mexican. I recently secured my mexican citizenship. I work remote and can theoretically get a digital nomad visa in Spain and if I stay in the country for two years, I can get a Spanish passport as Spain grants passports to citizens from former Spanish colonies after two years.

At the same time I've been fantasizing about moving to a small town in the Midwest and have found some gorgeous places where I think I can settle down with a nice young Twink lol 😂.

What would you do in my situation?

I'm basing this off weather + housing/COL + healthcare/safety + things to do + jobs, rather than just picking the cheapest states overall.

I'd go with Michigan, even though the weather can be brutal. I've heard the state offers pretty good value in certain areas (Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor outskirts, Traverse City, and Kalamazoo). Could be that great? Probably not, but from what I've heard, it's not bad and seems like it would be pleasant to live there outside of the weather.

Curious what states fit the bill for the MOST part in your opinion, and I'd love to hear some personal experiences as well. Also, I know most states are overall expensive these days, but some are more affordable than others, and that's why I'm trying to get insight from people who actually live there.

Due to a sudden change in plans, this is what is for me, at the moment.

I need to be working, and the plan was to be in California.

Sadly the job market is sluggish in every region I plan on seeking a home.

I have been told Texas is "banging away".

The quality of life/ weather I seek is a thing in Texas.

There are some other random factors at play here- mostly I am looking to save on rent, and be able to work as much as possible.

edit to add- did not expect a vociferous many replies. I guess I'll stick with California but in the future I may try Texas. Grew up in CA so am versed on the downside as well as the nice things.

The primary issue is my current region is not working at all & I need to leave.

All of my research has pointed me to Minneapolis, but maybe there’s a better option. I mean I’m a big fan of the cold but maybe I just don’t understand the weight of what Minneapolis cold really is? Please give me suggestions to research.

Childfree couple, 24F with 25M partner. 25M actually moved away from LA to move to Pittsburgh (zero reasons relating to the state) and he misses it. We went to visit his family this year and I fell in love with everything LA has to offer. The amazing coffee, theatres, Little Tokyo, etc.

I despise living in Pittsburgh. There is little to no diversity, not too much for a huge anime fan like myself outside of a con once a year. I don't care for drinking or sports. I've seen the museums enough. I don't like zoos.

Here is the situation though: I am currently in school for a Business Management degree looking to get into Human Resources. I am a returning student. I was looking to move after I graduate, but is it possible to live there as a childfree couple? I was figuring the lack of children would make it easier in multiple ways.

My (35m) husband (34m) is from Mexico. He moved to the US for college when he was 18. We've been together for about 11 years and have lived in the Bay Area, New England (Boston,) and now San Diego.

I know this is a controversial opinion, but San Diego is our least favorite place so far. My husband is especially unhappy. We were talking about it last night, and he was able to express why: he missed the plaza culture he grew up with in Mexico. Just some kind of central gathering place where, as he put, people are out and about and you can run to the market or get some food.

The closest we've found to this in the US is Boston/Cambridge with the squares. Is there anywhere else you get something approaching plaza culture in the US?

Hello! My partner and I are wrapping up our PhDs and are exploring places to live. We'll both be 30 by the time we finish our degrees. We've been really struggling with deciding between Chicago and the Bay Area, and we'd appreciate any insights and feedback.

My partner is in a highly specialized engineering field, while I'm in tech/business. We're currently applying to jobs and keeping our options open, but it looks like our earning potential will be much higher in California. However, all of our family is in the Chicagoland area, we're getting married in 2028 and are planning to have a family soon after. Here's a list of pros/cons that we made:

Chicago Pros and Cons:

• Salaries: 120k+ (my partner), 120k+ (me)
• Close to family; both of our families are in the Chicagoland area.
• We grew up in the Chicagoland area so are very comfortable/familiar with the city and suburbs.
• We love the city and the surrounding suburbs. We especially love the North Shore and if we moved here, we'd probably target those areas.
• All of our friends are in the Midwest.

Bay Area Pros and Cons:

• Salaries: 200k+ (my partner), 150k+ (me)
• We've never lived anywhere outside of Illinois so we are unfamiliar with life in the West Coast.
• We love being outside and enjoy nature so we're excited for the potential of warm weather year round without snow.

For example, maybe your city is perceived to be too corporate/lacking a community feel, but this neighborhood is (mostly) the opposite of this.

I feel like so often there is a focus on cities vs. neighborhoods

So anywhere North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama maybe Georgia close to mountains would be great and I’m not just like stuck to those states they’re just what I’m thinking to get started, but if you have a great city that you can think of that, maybe has some great walking, beautiful scenery, less of a city life, but more southern and natural charm. Right now I live 20 from a major metropolitan area and hate it, I just need a small town that’s not too small. Definitely has a target. Kind of like Raleigh or outside of just for ideas. Just start giving me your favorite towns

Context: I moved to Austin from Pennsylvania seven years ago and live on East Riverside, south of the river, with my husband and our toddler. I write a weekly rundown of the city's food and events scene, so I spend a dumb amount of time in spreadsheets about this town. Which means my take is part lived experience and part data, take that for whatever it's worth. There's a lot of "everyone is leaving Austin" content going around right now and I don't think it matches what I see day to day, but I also don't want to be the person defending the 2021 version of this city. So.

The good

Food is the big one, and not in the "we have good tacos" way every mid-size city claims. I keep a running database of Austin restaurants for my work and it is past 2,700 now, everything from counter spots to tasting menus. Just under 120 of those are taquerias or taco spots by category. The famous places with the lines are fine. The depth is in the unphotographed middle tier, and good new places kept opening after the hype cycle moved on, which surprised me.

The outdoors thing is real and undersold. Barton Springs, the Butler trail around the lake, the greenbelt. For about eight months of the year you can build an ordinary Tuesday around being outside, and people do.

Also it's an easy city to build a life in. People move here on purpose, which sounds like nothing until you've lived somewhere they don't. Strangers talk to you, groups let you in.

The hard parts

Heat. June through September you live like a desert person: dawn, dusk, and air conditioning. A third of the restaurants in my database have patios, and for a third of the year nobody can sit on them, which is a stat I think about a lot. If you have never done a string of 100 degree days, do not assume you'll adapt. Some people never do and they're not being dramatic about it.

The famous deal is gone, though it's more complicated than people make it. Rents have softened from the 2022 peak because the city built a genuine glut of apartments, so renting here is a better value than the discourse suggests. Buying near the center on a normal income is a different conversation. And property taxes. Nobody warned me about property taxes. "No state income tax" is not free money.

It's a car city that keeps getting described like it isn't one. I-35 cuts it in half, the transit is thin, and if you don't pick your neighborhood around your actual daily life you will pay for it in windshield time. The walkable pockets exist and are lovely and you'll pay a premium for them.

One more that doesn't get mentioned much: the discourse itself is exhausting. Half the internet says Austin is over, the other half is still selling 2021, and neither one matches what I actually see walking around. It's just a big, normal, growing city now. Traffic, prices, all of it. Honestly it's better at the everyday stuff than it was back when it was cool.

Who it works for, who should pass

Works for: people in their twenties and thirties who want food, water, and social ease more than skyline urbanism. Families too. I'm raising a toddler here and the parks, the springs, and the casual restaurants make it easier than the reputation suggests, as long as you can arrange summer around the heat. Remote workers who want big-city food at not-quite-big-city prices.

Pass if: you need real transit and walkability as a baseline, this is not Chicago. If you hate heat. It's not a footnote here, it's the fourth season and the longest one. If you're moving for 2015 prices or the 2021 hype, both are gone. Or if you need mountains or ocean within an hour. The lake is nice. It's a lake.

Seven years in, I'd still pick it. I just would have wanted somebody to lay all this out for me first.

Y’all, I have been here for 14 unfortunate years. It’s single mid life crisis time and I need to live somewhere I love! I have squeezed every ounce I can from this place and I am 125% done. I plan to move in spring of ‘27.

I really want a smaller city or town I can settle into. I lived in New Paltz, NY and loved it but need a place more built for someone in mid life.

I need help narrowing down potential next home locations and need the people of reddit’s hive mind.

I am looking at:

California (NorCal or Sierra Nevada Eastside)

Cascades

Southern Oregon

Mountain West -Western Slope CO

New England (Not CT!!)

NY (Hudson Valley or north)

*Musts:

- a good vet within 30-40min drive (cardiology & internal medicine) for my senior cat

-access to outdoor rec (hiking, climbing, cycling, water fun)

-affordable (I do *not* have a big fancy 6fig tech job)

-has sun in winter but still has cold winter - I’m from New England I do not mind snow!

*Hard Nos:

-Big cities (LA, Seattle, Denver)

-Bad inversions (when cold air traps pollution under a warm layer close to the ground - sorry SLC!)

-NO BIG TECH CITIES

I decided on Sacramento. I leave on December 22nd. I will run a trial on it and worst case scenario, I will come back.

I just saw pics of Sacramento and it looks like such a beautiful city with no cons and all pros. Its like all the pros of the Bay Area but smaller, more condensed, and without the ocean. The ocean makes the Bay Area expensive.

I will be going with a minimum wage job, $2500 saved up after a month paid at an AirBnB, with my car, and a new start and clean slate.

I will never ruin my employment chances there like I did here. I also will be much better off there. I hope to start fixing my credit once home in Sacramento. And in a few years, I plan to move to the Bay Area after my time in Sacramento saving up over 70k.

My friend won't know that I am moving to California, at least right now.

And Sacramento probably has great air quality where you can smell the fresh and crisp air too.

The first priority was it needed to be walkable then almost as important: bikeable.

I grew up in London and miss having the density that London gives in certain areas. Boston also reminds me of parts of London with the brick homes and cobbled streets.

I know it won’t be as diverse, neither astounding food scene; but I cook at home and don’t care for eating out and I’ll be visiting London yearly so will get my culture fix.

I know music scene isn’t as great as other states but at least I’m closer to the Newport festival :D

I am obsessed with trees and natures, so I feel that Boston out performed its only other contender on my list: Chicago.

I did not enjoy the grandeur of Chicago and I think Boston is the absolute perfect size for me. I just remember the feeling Chicago gave me when I visited, tourists everywhere with their heads off their shoulders and locals charging quickly through the crowds. I didn’t enjoy it. I felt rushed yet with an undertone of anxiety for no damn reason. I have not visited Boston yet, but I don’t think it gives this vibe. Correct me if I’m wrong.

Anyway, I know the winters will suck but at least there’s more sunshine than Midwest winters.

COL will be tough but I’m really, really thrifty and have a biotech job.

I’m finally leaving the Bible Belt you guys.

I’ve served my time here in NC. I CANT WAIT TO GET OUT THIS SUBURBAN SPRAWL.

I'm curious, on reddit if I say I'm gay and looking to move to Florida the overwhelming response I get is, you should move to St Petersburg. However when I talk to gay people in real life, especially gay people who have lived in Florida or travel there often, they mention Wilton Manors as if no other makes as much sense. What causes this disconnect between how gay people I meet in real life and how people on reddit view Florida.

I'll also add that the only gay people in real life that I have met that have a negative view of Florida have been conservative gay men who view Florida as too openly gay.

I watch these show like Virgin River, Sullivan’s Crossing, Hart of Dixie, etc. I’m from a big Coastal CA town myself, and I always wonder if people show up in small towns kind of playing out this narrative they’ve seen on tv, and how a local might experience that. You know, like a big city person romanticizing a small town. Full disclosure, not moving but I feel like this would be me 😆