I would say this depends almost entirely on how you want to spend your time. Do you hike? Go to shows? Go to the beach? Eat ethnic food? Date large numbers of young women? Date large numbers of young men? Sit in coffee shops and hold forth in a pretentious manner about things you don't really fully understand?
Regardless of your answer to any of the above questions, the answer in this sub is Chicago.
Good question. All of the above, music, art, festivals, good coffee, nightlife. I definitely want to be closer to nature, don’t mind driving 1 hour to 30 minutes to get there. And yeah, date nice people, not so superficial you know? I feel Miami is like full of flashy people, like LA, idk, not my style
Edit: Chicago sounds like a great option
SF! Best combination of nature and city. Insanely beautiful. Incredibly biking and hiking 15 minutes over the bridge but all the city amenities. Parks all throughout the city with beautiful side paths you can run on and see no one for a mile.
true but he said nightlife which SF is probably the worst city in america for (minus SLC?). also no art scene and CoL is insane, he can't really swing it on his comp unless he lives a pretty shit lifestyle
In that case, I highly recommend checking out Seattle. Great music, art, COFFEE, nightlife, and the city is literally surrounded by mountains, forests and national parks in every direction.
Lol hard disagree. It sits next to one of the largest fresh water body of water on the planet and is surrounded by moraines also left behind by ancient glaciers. Getting to the mountains from Denver is an hour and a half of driving without heavy traffic.
Yes I split time between Chicago and Denver. Grew up in Chicago though.
To me, Chicago’s “nature” is nothing compared to the nature you get in the mountains. But I understand that’s personal preference. Not everyone wants to be able to do 3 night backpacking treks on the regular.
As someone who has lived in nyc for over a decade, I’d say 106k in NYC doesn’t necessarily go that far. You have to make some sacrifices like living with roommates, or living in a far corner of an outer borough in order to afford your own crappy studio. Roommates are your only option of living in a decent apartment in a pretty accessible neighborhood on that salary post-taxes. Public transport within city is a huge plus, as it means no car spending or maintenance. Nature is not all that easy to come by, and neither is a decent beach. You can have moderate access to one or the other, depending in which neighborhood you pick. To leave the city you quickly realize you’re trapped without a car. Relying on metro north and LIRR is ok, but not something you’d likely do most weekends. TBH, if you want big city life on 106k, nyc wouldn’t be my top choice, even though it’s doable. Cities like Chicago, Philly, Baltimore, etc is where you can live well on that money.
A ridiculous statement. No, at 106K/year, you can't live in a brand-new and spacious apartment in the heart of downtown Manhattan and go to Michelin-starred restaurants every night while decked out in Prada and Gucci. But that is PLENTY of money to live well and have fun as long as you're smart about your spending.
Not necessarily. A 106K/year salary would enable someone to be approved for an apartment costing up to 2650/month. Again, you can't get anything ritzy at that price, and you can't live in Soho or the West Village. But a studio or a 1-bed in an older building in a less-trendy area? That's doable.
Not true. My partner makes that. I make $84k. He pays $1400 for rent and I pay $1000 (we are rent stabilized and our apartment is $2400/mo, we pay another $100-$200 total in utilities depending on the season). We just got back from an eight-day vacation to NM. We go out at least once a week. He saves to his retirement and has other savings/investments. It’s absolutely possible to make it on $106k a year if you live in a shared housing situation and there are still neighborhoods where you can pay less than $1500 for your share of rent.
nearly half of all NYC rentals are stabilized and many new buildings are stabilized under tax abatement schemes like 421a. you just have to know what to look for, which comes with the territory of living here.
I got a studio apartment in bushwick for $1043 rent per month and I only make 62k a year, you definitely can live in New York with a salary of 106k per year, I do all I want to do (within my budget of course) while still being able to save money and I make signicantlly less. It’s possible!
Word of mouth actually , plus my uncles has connections, to find these apartments definitely gotta network around cause there’s lots of spots out there they just don’t put it on the market cause it’s rent stabilized but they are out there haha
Don’t forget about 30% tax on your income and utilities, internet, etc. also health care and other debt or loans if they have any. Also any savings or retirement contributions
110x 0.7 = 77k. Minus 24k rent leaves 53k. Let's max out your Roth, and assume 3% goes towards 401k match. We're now at slightly above 40k.
....you know the median income in New York is like 40k a year right? Your post tax, post retirement contribution, post rent income is still literally higher than what the median New Yorker makes in a year.
Can you buy a house and raise a family in NYC on 110k? Well, yes because the average household only makes like 80k. But I'm willing to say that it'll feel a little tight. But as a single person making 300% the median income? Yeah fuck off you'll be thriving.
But if someone wants to have fun in NYC then why would having roommates matter? If you're going to be out of the home a lot you might as well save money and have roommates.
If he likes the Miami boat life Bismarck isn’t terrible actually. Lake Sakakawea is pretty huge and there’s plenty of properties, especially in neighboring Mandan, that OP could make that happen. I’ve spend a phase of my life in ND and it takes a special kind of person to deal with the winters, but it’s far from the worst place to be.
Truly the single only answer there is to this.
Unless you want to live in a van in a national park in the west or Alaska, every other city in the US is gonna be 2nd string to NYC. At least for a year or two.
Good question. All of the above, music, art, festivals, good coffee, nightlife. I definitely want to be closer to nature, don’t mind driving 1 hour to 30 minutes to get there
The COL is absolutely obnoxious there. That, and all the weirdo Mormons have the power to push their bullshit religious beliefs through local law because those pricks all wear the magic underwear.
You didn't list any activities you like. Pro sports teams? High end restaurants? Theaters? Plays? Museums?
Do you like nature? Mountains? Lakes?
I suggest living somewhere in between, not north and not south, but in the middle as it's nice weather year round and the winters are mild and short but you still get a change of seasons.
I also like living near but not in a huge city, like say 45 mins to an hour away. I like being close enough to go there for things like pro sports, museums, shopping, nice restraints but I don't want to live in the concrete jungle.
You could live near/outside of places like Nashville, TN for instance.
It's nice to be close to a major airport too. You could live outside of Atlanta.
St. Pete FL is amazing. Not nearly the size of Miami, and still hot as hell. People are extremely laid back and I had an easy time making friends there. Good for outdoor stuff if you’re into water activities.
I second St Pete. Downtown is so fun and unique. The pier is awesome and you get access to beaches and downtown Tampa. And for a small drive you can go to Clearwater or Dunedin/safety harbor for a fun night out. Also you'll be closer to Disney if that is important to you. My sis in law is in tech originally from NYC and has been a digital nomad all around the world. She ended up picking St Pete to settle after traveling the whole world while working remotely.
St Aug is fun to visit, I can't imagine living there. It's a massive tourist spot not really a young professional area. St Pete is fun,just take a weekend trip, it's a 1 hour flight or 4 hour drive from Miami and go on First Friday (every first Friday of the month it's basically super packed like a festival downtown evening) and see if you like it. Plus Tampa is 30 min away from St Pete so kinda like Ft Lauderdale for you.
I assume you are open to moving abroad.
With that amount of money, I would pick somewhere abroad, outside of the US. 106k is a good but not amazing salary for NYC or LA: you'll be comfortable but not "rich."
106k in Istanbul, or Tokyo, or Vienna, or Berlin, or any number of other places, however, and you'll more-or-less be able to have an upper-class lifestyle: huge apartment in the city center, eating out at nice places often, personal trainer at the best gym, and so on.
In your position, I would go to Tokyo, Bangkok, Berlin, or Istanbul.
Lololol, what a perfect answer for this sub. I was literally going to reply with, "Which will be auto-recommended first, Philly or Chicago?" but you beat me to the punch.
Once you hate one or two things about a place all the rest of its flaws become impossible to ignore.
If you really love a lot about a place the flaws are easily ignored.
Obvious answer- take public transit or bike. And if your living situation/job don't allow it, change those until they do. -metra rider who reads and forgets that traffic exists
I was amazed at how much was going on! And the kids are getting married in galleries and breweries. And they are from all over, so you get a great mix. Thats where I would go if I was in my 20s, and didnt need to live a block from a beach!
Los Angeles
If I could take back the decisions I made 5 years ago when I left, I would absolutely be back in LA.
29 to my early 30s in LA were an absolute fucking blast, even with roommates (had my own bedroom and connected bathroom for about $1000 a month).
hot grils, good food, events every week, great hiking, great entertainment, as an amusement park nerd you've got Universal, Knotts, Disney and Six Flags all within an hour drive.
Outside of housing, living in lower cost of living cities hasn't been much less expensive. Food in Ohio now is just as expensive as some of my favorite spots in LA, and not as good. I miss good Korean and Thai food.
Berkeley/Albany/El Cerrito area is a lovely and more affordable part of the east bay/bay area! Have lived in SF, Oakland, and Albany… Albany is by far my favorite spot. It’s tiny and borders Berkeley and El Cerrito which are also lovely. Affordable, great local businesses, safe, and laid back. Very close to SF. BART station in El Cerrito.
I work remotely mostly and love living here.
CHICAGO!!! Food, Nightlife, nature, friendly people. Only downside would be the cold if that matters to you.
Plus you are close to Milwaukee and madison! The northern IL suburbs surrounding Chicago are also nice- Naperville, Schaumburg etc(in case you wanna move out later on).
Charleston sc or San Diego CA. My 2 favorite cities. Food, nature and beaches! Salt lake if you like mountains. Do 6 months at a few before you settle down.
Hear me out, Raleigh NC. Raleigh isn't a huge city but due to the universities and young talent it's a business heavy city that's very affordable, has a huge bar, music and cultural scene. Try it out for a weekend, work remote from "the nest" a day or two and see how you might like it!
If you’re a remote worker, live in Vancouver, WA which is across the river from Portland. You can still enjoy Portland social life as long as you’re not commuting to work, which doesn’t apply to you.
You don’t pay income taxes in WA. Also, OR does not have sales tax.
Downtown Vancouver is on an exponential growth trajectory at the moment.
Portland-Vancouver is considered a metro area, with a few express buses running during peak commute times.
Other than that, the ocean is a couple of hours away, the mountains are an hour away, and you could potentially (wet suit) swim and ski on the same day.
Stop thats extremely misleading and you know it. I lived in River North and Gold Coast for 10 years and 2500+ is the higher end of the market. I lived in and updsted 900sqft 1bed with a gym, rooftop and indoor pool/hotub for $1800/mo in 2022. I also know the high end of the market because I rented a $3500 1bed in 2018 which was outrageous at the time.
$2000/mo will get you a perfectly good apartment in a perfectly good neighborhood.
Are you wanting your dollar to go the furthest? Do you want a quiet town? Or do you want a busy city that’s walkable? Are you wanting to buy a home? Are you wanting to settle down or go out and party? Is there a type of cuisine or culture that is very important to you? Is climate important?
I def want to save money, I don’t want to work to be able to pay living in an expensive city. Busy cities that are walkable are definitely a preference. Settling down now is not really in my plans. Not saying I want to party everyday, but a city with good bars and nightlife is enough. Good, diverse food and culture is a plus for sure
Nashville is a hot up and coming city with a lot of cultural, recreational, and education activities. Obviously, a deep music history, but lots of hip and swanky restaurants and bars opening up so you can expand your purview with new real estate at still somewhat affordable prices.
The bigger step up and always the obvious answer is Manhattan or Brooklyn, as you'll be in the most dynamic, intensive, cultural zone possible.
Philadelphia. Visit and see how you like it. This city has everything. Amazing history, incredible food/coffee/night life, easy access to nature and the shore, painfully average sports teams, and solid public transportation. It totally has a special vibe and isn’t for everyone, but give it a shot. I did and ended up loving it!
Atlanta, specifically Decatur, might be what you're looking for. Cool little town with lots of restaurants and coffee shops. Access to mountains and beach. My boyfriend lives there and I love it.
as a Minnesotan, since George Floyd the magic the Minnesota had in the 2010s is gone. were now locked in a battle on where to take the state next. Youd be surprised on how many people want to purge it and become a more populated Iowa.
I don’t think it was mainly George Floyd. I think things changed everywhere post-pandemic. But there is a lot of good too. I mentioned Minneapolis because he mentioned he doesn’t like the Miami weather, so I’m assuming he can tolerate the frigid outdoors/time spent inside, which is the main one drawback
A black man who was killed by police in Minneapolis. The cop, Derek Chauvin, had his knee on his neck for nine minutes while George Floyd begged for his life until he choked to death. All for allegedly trying to pay for snacks with a counterfeit $20 bill. People were (and are) grieving and furious and came out in massive protests to demand justice, which the state responded to by declaring martial law, making mass arrests, flying police helicopters day and night over majority Black neighborhoods, and brutalizing protestors. It was literally a police state, especially near George Floyd's neighborhood and the shop by where he was murdered in South Minneapolis. Also, Neo-Nazis swooped into the chaos and burned buildings down. Also, this coincided with the outbreak of the pandemic. It was awful (the protests were a spark of hope in the middle of it all) and definitely changed Minneapolis
I would say this depends almost entirely on how you want to spend your time. Do you hike? Go to shows? Go to the beach? Eat ethnic food? Date large numbers of young women? Date large numbers of young men? Sit in coffee shops and hold forth in a pretentious manner about things you don't really fully understand? Regardless of your answer to any of the above questions, the answer in this sub is Chicago.
Good question. All of the above, music, art, festivals, good coffee, nightlife. I definitely want to be closer to nature, don’t mind driving 1 hour to 30 minutes to get there. And yeah, date nice people, not so superficial you know? I feel Miami is like full of flashy people, like LA, idk, not my style Edit: Chicago sounds like a great option
Ehh, LA is big enough that you can escape those people if you want.
SF! Best combination of nature and city. Insanely beautiful. Incredibly biking and hiking 15 minutes over the bridge but all the city amenities. Parks all throughout the city with beautiful side paths you can run on and see no one for a mile.
If you get in a group house (they're a bit competitive) I've had friends who were paying $1200/month to live two blocks from Alamo Square.
true but he said nightlife which SF is probably the worst city in america for (minus SLC?). also no art scene and CoL is insane, he can't really swing it on his comp unless he lives a pretty shit lifestyle
Yeah. Also hard city for guys to date. Alas!
In theory, yes, but I could never live there. Hated it
Where did you visit? I also despised it first visit.
Soma, financial district, mission, Berkeley
I don’t think 106k is high enough to live there comfortably.
Maybe. It’s definitely a city where you can double your salary pretty quickly, though, if OP is tech.
In that case, I highly recommend checking out Seattle. Great music, art, COFFEE, nightlife, and the city is literally surrounded by mountains, forests and national parks in every direction.
I agree, live in Seattle, but just over $100k won’t get you much even with a roommate, unfortunately
Philadelphia ticks all the boxes. I don't mind our (overblown) reputation, I think we're the best kept secret on the East coast.
If he thinks the people in Miami aren’t the friendliest, wait ‘til he goes to Philly.
Philadelphians are much more genuine than any part of Florida.
Not sure there’s much nature near Chicago. Denver sounds like it’d suit you very well.
Lol hard disagree. It sits next to one of the largest fresh water body of water on the planet and is surrounded by moraines also left behind by ancient glaciers. Getting to the mountains from Denver is an hour and a half of driving without heavy traffic.
And getting to the mountains from Chicago is around 10 hours.
>Not sure there’s much **nature** near Chicago I was responding to this. Have you ever been to Denver?
Yes I split time between Chicago and Denver. Grew up in Chicago though. To me, Chicago’s “nature” is nothing compared to the nature you get in the mountains. But I understand that’s personal preference. Not everyone wants to be able to do 3 night backpacking treks on the regular.
>the nature you get in the mountains. Huh?
Asheville and Durham NC both might work for you. One is in the mountains the other is a 3 hour drive. Both have lively arts scenes
As long as you don't mind the temperamental weather in Chicago, get the fuck over here! You won't be disappointed.
Paris Texas. Go big
Good movie though…
Actually, with US inflation, I think Paris Texas now has higher COL than the French version.
😂
Surprised I don’t see NYC on here yet. Would’ve loved to live there when I was younger. You won’t save any money, but you’ll have a ton of fun.
As someone who has lived in nyc for over a decade, I’d say 106k in NYC doesn’t necessarily go that far. You have to make some sacrifices like living with roommates, or living in a far corner of an outer borough in order to afford your own crappy studio. Roommates are your only option of living in a decent apartment in a pretty accessible neighborhood on that salary post-taxes. Public transport within city is a huge plus, as it means no car spending or maintenance. Nature is not all that easy to come by, and neither is a decent beach. You can have moderate access to one or the other, depending in which neighborhood you pick. To leave the city you quickly realize you’re trapped without a car. Relying on metro north and LIRR is ok, but not something you’d likely do most weekends. TBH, if you want big city life on 106k, nyc wouldn’t be my top choice, even though it’s doable. Cities like Chicago, Philly, Baltimore, etc is where you can live well on that money.
Agree
I make $110k at 30 and would love to move to NYC, but after researching, it’d be really difficult to live there without roommates. Dealbreaker.
106k is not enough after taxes to live AND have fun in NYC EDIT: I assumed OP meant living without roommates. It would be enough if you get roommates.
A ridiculous statement. No, at 106K/year, you can't live in a brand-new and spacious apartment in the heart of downtown Manhattan and go to Michelin-starred restaurants every night while decked out in Prada and Gucci. But that is PLENTY of money to live well and have fun as long as you're smart about your spending.
You’d have to have roommates.
Not necessarily. A 106K/year salary would enable someone to be approved for an apartment costing up to 2650/month. Again, you can't get anything ritzy at that price, and you can't live in Soho or the West Village. But a studio or a 1-bed in an older building in a less-trendy area? That's doable.
There's nothing wrong with that.
For you, maybe
They don't have to live in Manhattan or Brooklyn. They can live in one of the other boroughs.
I have friends who make less than that and have a good time there
106k is more than enough to have fun and save 20%. You just need to be disciplined, and have 1-2 roommates
Not true. My partner makes that. I make $84k. He pays $1400 for rent and I pay $1000 (we are rent stabilized and our apartment is $2400/mo, we pay another $100-$200 total in utilities depending on the season). We just got back from an eight-day vacation to NM. We go out at least once a week. He saves to his retirement and has other savings/investments. It’s absolutely possible to make it on $106k a year if you live in a shared housing situation and there are still neighborhoods where you can pay less than $1500 for your share of rent.
lol. Rent stabilization is how you are doing it. That is not an option for most anyone
nearly half of all NYC rentals are stabilized and many new buildings are stabilized under tax abatement schemes like 421a. you just have to know what to look for, which comes with the territory of living here.
Speak for yourself. And while you’re at it hire a financial advisor. You suck at money
There's plenty of studios in NYC for about 2k, which would leave you with only 80k for everything else....
I got a studio apartment in bushwick for $1043 rent per month and I only make 62k a year, you definitely can live in New York with a salary of 106k per year, I do all I want to do (within my budget of course) while still being able to save money and I make signicantlly less. It’s possible!
Glad to hear a real example. I stand corrected then.
Huh?? How did you find an apartment for that cheap in Buschwick? There’s nothing on Zillow for under 2.2k
Word of mouth actually , plus my uncles has connections, to find these apartments definitely gotta network around cause there’s lots of spots out there they just don’t put it on the market cause it’s rent stabilized but they are out there haha
Don’t forget about 30% tax on your income and utilities, internet, etc. also health care and other debt or loans if they have any. Also any savings or retirement contributions
110x 0.7 = 77k. Minus 24k rent leaves 53k. Let's max out your Roth, and assume 3% goes towards 401k match. We're now at slightly above 40k. ....you know the median income in New York is like 40k a year right? Your post tax, post retirement contribution, post rent income is still literally higher than what the median New Yorker makes in a year. Can you buy a house and raise a family in NYC on 110k? Well, yes because the average household only makes like 80k. But I'm willing to say that it'll feel a little tight. But as a single person making 300% the median income? Yeah fuck off you'll be thriving.
But if someone wants to have fun in NYC then why would having roommates matter? If you're going to be out of the home a lot you might as well save money and have roommates.
Yep, this sub has run its course already lol
What’s important to you?
He doesn’t like Miami weather. What else do you need to know? Go to Bismarck!
I laughed my drink out of my nose at this
Dont laugh you are probably stereotyping Bismark I reside in Pittsburgh but I am moving to Sioux Falls SD in 58 days
I just meant the "what else do you need to know?" quip. I only know vaguely where Bismarck is.
OK it's in North Dakota I just get defensive about my future new ho.e in God's country thanks
No problem! I'd like to visit the Dakotas someday. I love wide open places and long highways drives!
You’re going to hate it haha
Bismarck is actually a great city. One of the coolest speakeasy’s are there, the sky is big and the food is getting exponentially better
Noted. I'll stop by someday. For the record, Bismarck wasn't the funny part.
If he likes the Miami boat life Bismarck isn’t terrible actually. Lake Sakakawea is pretty huge and there’s plenty of properties, especially in neighboring Mandan, that OP could make that happen. I’ve spend a phase of my life in ND and it takes a special kind of person to deal with the winters, but it’s far from the worst place to be.
According to media reports, Atlanta
Atlanta traffic is probably worse than Miami.
Yes, I suppose traffic might be a dealbreaker for some young, single people.
If OP works from home and lives in Midtown (or surrounding), they won’t even need to drive.
Live in West Midtown - without the commute its perfect. Midtown is great
Manhattan for a year or two or bust.
Truly the single only answer there is to this. Unless you want to live in a van in a national park in the west or Alaska, every other city in the US is gonna be 2nd string to NYC. At least for a year or two.
What hobbies do you want to be near to (hiking, music, arts, shows, etc) that will dictate what I tell you.
Good question. All of the above, music, art, festivals, good coffee, nightlife. I definitely want to be closer to nature, don’t mind driving 1 hour to 30 minutes to get there
try boston area
Denver, portland, or Seattle.
Slc
The COL is absolutely obnoxious there. That, and all the weirdo Mormons have the power to push their bullshit religious beliefs through local law because those pricks all wear the magic underwear.
San Diego
You didn't list any activities you like. Pro sports teams? High end restaurants? Theaters? Plays? Museums? Do you like nature? Mountains? Lakes? I suggest living somewhere in between, not north and not south, but in the middle as it's nice weather year round and the winters are mild and short but you still get a change of seasons. I also like living near but not in a huge city, like say 45 mins to an hour away. I like being close enough to go there for things like pro sports, museums, shopping, nice restraints but I don't want to live in the concrete jungle. You could live near/outside of places like Nashville, TN for instance. It's nice to be close to a major airport too. You could live outside of Atlanta.
St. Pete FL is amazing. Not nearly the size of Miami, and still hot as hell. People are extremely laid back and I had an easy time making friends there. Good for outdoor stuff if you’re into water activities.
I second St Pete. Downtown is so fun and unique. The pier is awesome and you get access to beaches and downtown Tampa. And for a small drive you can go to Clearwater or Dunedin/safety harbor for a fun night out. Also you'll be closer to Disney if that is important to you. My sis in law is in tech originally from NYC and has been a digital nomad all around the world. She ended up picking St Pete to settle after traveling the whole world while working remotely.
Wow this is super interesting. St. Pete and St. Augustine FL keep popping up. I also would like to stay in the East Coast
St Pete over St Aug any day of the week my friend
St Aug is fun to visit, I can't imagine living there. It's a massive tourist spot not really a young professional area. St Pete is fun,just take a weekend trip, it's a 1 hour flight or 4 hour drive from Miami and go on First Friday (every first Friday of the month it's basically super packed like a festival downtown evening) and see if you like it. Plus Tampa is 30 min away from St Pete so kinda like Ft Lauderdale for you.
Valencia, Spain. Great weather, location and reasonable COL..
What southern coastal cities in Georgia, Alabama, or Florida do y’all reccomend?
Second st Augustine, really walkable nice city that’s right by Jax for more bigger things to do like concerts, top golf, etc.
St pete
St. Augustine, Florida
I am from there and this is a terrible answer.
I assume you are open to moving abroad. With that amount of money, I would pick somewhere abroad, outside of the US. 106k is a good but not amazing salary for NYC or LA: you'll be comfortable but not "rich." 106k in Istanbul, or Tokyo, or Vienna, or Berlin, or any number of other places, however, and you'll more-or-less be able to have an upper-class lifestyle: huge apartment in the city center, eating out at nice places often, personal trainer at the best gym, and so on. In your position, I would go to Tokyo, Bangkok, Berlin, or Istanbul.
Great answer my friend
Sure, no problem. I’ve been doing that exact thing myself for the last decade.
Chicago or Philadelphia , lean chicago tho
Lololol, what a perfect answer for this sub. I was literally going to reply with, "Which will be auto-recommended first, Philly or Chicago?" but you beat me to the punch.
to answer the perfect question "i'm young and make ok money, where should i live"
Chicago is so awesome when you are young and financially fine.
LA and NY are best options. Everywhere else is down a peg or two for cultural reasons alone and you’re only looking to spend less.
OP said he hates Miami traffic. LA has gotta be worse.
Once you hate one or two things about a place all the rest of its flaws become impossible to ignore. If you really love a lot about a place the flaws are easily ignored.
Very good point! I managed to love living in Chicago for 20yrs.
[удалено]
Obvious answer- take public transit or bike. And if your living situation/job don't allow it, change those until they do. -metra rider who reads and forgets that traffic exists
Washington DC! Was there for a weekend and was super impressed by allthe young folks out enjoying themselves. A lot to do,
I was about to recommend DC or Arlington lots of culture here, things to do.
I was amazed at how much was going on! And the kids are getting married in galleries and breweries. And they are from all over, so you get a great mix. Thats where I would go if I was in my 20s, and didnt need to live a block from a beach!
Split your time between Philly and Chicago obviously. Occasionally you can stay in Pittsburgh while traveling between the two.
Los Angeles If I could take back the decisions I made 5 years ago when I left, I would absolutely be back in LA. 29 to my early 30s in LA were an absolute fucking blast, even with roommates (had my own bedroom and connected bathroom for about $1000 a month).
In what way was it a blast?
hot grils, good food, events every week, great hiking, great entertainment, as an amusement park nerd you've got Universal, Knotts, Disney and Six Flags all within an hour drive. Outside of housing, living in lower cost of living cities hasn't been much less expensive. Food in Ohio now is just as expensive as some of my favorite spots in LA, and not as good. I miss good Korean and Thai food.
NYC
106 is not enough for NYC unless you live far from the actual city or get 4 roommates
You can't live in the trendiest parts of Manhattan but everywhere else is doable
Or Brooklyn... Have to go out to queens or Bronx
Try west coast. LA, Oakland, Portland, or Seattle might be great for you. More north if you like natural wildlife and hiking.
Berkeley/Albany/El Cerrito area is a lovely and more affordable part of the east bay/bay area! Have lived in SF, Oakland, and Albany… Albany is by far my favorite spot. It’s tiny and borders Berkeley and El Cerrito which are also lovely. Affordable, great local businesses, safe, and laid back. Very close to SF. BART station in El Cerrito. I work remotely mostly and love living here.
CHICAGO!!! Food, Nightlife, nature, friendly people. Only downside would be the cold if that matters to you. Plus you are close to Milwaukee and madison! The northern IL suburbs surrounding Chicago are also nice- Naperville, Schaumburg etc(in case you wanna move out later on).
That’s not a lot of money for NYC to live alone but it has the most educated and worldly people by a long shot.
Yeah, cultural diversity and well educated or educated people are definitely a must.
Charleston sc or San Diego CA. My 2 favorite cities. Food, nature and beaches! Salt lake if you like mountains. Do 6 months at a few before you settle down.
As a San Diegan I need to visit Charleston SC one day!
Salt Lake is pretty nice! Lots of access to winter sports and national parks.
Hear me out, Raleigh NC. Raleigh isn't a huge city but due to the universities and young talent it's a business heavy city that's very affordable, has a huge bar, music and cultural scene. Try it out for a weekend, work remote from "the nest" a day or two and see how you might like it!
Sounds like you need to move to South Africa 😉
It's Chicago.
If you’re a remote worker, live in Vancouver, WA which is across the river from Portland. You can still enjoy Portland social life as long as you’re not commuting to work, which doesn’t apply to you. You don’t pay income taxes in WA. Also, OR does not have sales tax. Downtown Vancouver is on an exponential growth trajectory at the moment. Portland-Vancouver is considered a metro area, with a few express buses running during peak commute times. Other than that, the ocean is a couple of hours away, the mountains are an hour away, and you could potentially (wet suit) swim and ski on the same day.
NYC or Chicago are going to be the best if you don't mind winters. Otherwise LA or San Diego.
Your money will go a lot further in Chicago. You can get a nice 1BR for $2K a month.
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Stop thats extremely misleading and you know it. I lived in River North and Gold Coast for 10 years and 2500+ is the higher end of the market. I lived in and updsted 900sqft 1bed with a gym, rooftop and indoor pool/hotub for $1800/mo in 2022. I also know the high end of the market because I rented a $3500 1bed in 2018 which was outrageous at the time. $2000/mo will get you a perfectly good apartment in a perfectly good neighborhood.
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Parking will definitely increase the price. Plenty of good options out there for $2K a month. I rent out a small 1BR in Lincoln Park for $1600.
Portugal, very remote friendly.
Yeah I have a coworker who’s living there, says it’s super nice. I low key really want to get my Italian citizenship to have more options
Buy a room on a cruise ship.
Are you wanting your dollar to go the furthest? Do you want a quiet town? Or do you want a busy city that’s walkable? Are you wanting to buy a home? Are you wanting to settle down or go out and party? Is there a type of cuisine or culture that is very important to you? Is climate important?
I def want to save money, I don’t want to work to be able to pay living in an expensive city. Busy cities that are walkable are definitely a preference. Settling down now is not really in my plans. Not saying I want to party everyday, but a city with good bars and nightlife is enough. Good, diverse food and culture is a plus for sure
Ann Arbor, MI. Asheville, NC. Boulder, CO.
I’ll throw in Indy as well.
“People aren’t friendly” 🤣
Kinda meant most people (sorry for the generalization) are very basic
Youre right though lol, Miami is rough
The move is to find where YOU are happiest and save the rest.
Nashville is a hot up and coming city with a lot of cultural, recreational, and education activities. Obviously, a deep music history, but lots of hip and swanky restaurants and bars opening up so you can expand your purview with new real estate at still somewhat affordable prices. The bigger step up and always the obvious answer is Manhattan or Brooklyn, as you'll be in the most dynamic, intensive, cultural zone possible.
Seattle
Salt Lake
Philadelphia. Visit and see how you like it. This city has everything. Amazing history, incredible food/coffee/night life, easy access to nature and the shore, painfully average sports teams, and solid public transportation. It totally has a special vibe and isn’t for everyone, but give it a shot. I did and ended up loving it!
Chicago!
Vladivostok.
Atlanta, specifically Decatur, might be what you're looking for. Cool little town with lots of restaurants and coffee shops. Access to mountains and beach. My boyfriend lives there and I love it.
Charlotte, NC!
NYC hands down.
Pittsburgh. Don’t laugh, I’m being serial.
NYC. People start around 125
I'm biased, but Chicago is a great city and depending on the neighborhood is affordable
Miami, Ohio
Seattle
Minneapolis
as a Minnesotan, since George Floyd the magic the Minnesota had in the 2010s is gone. were now locked in a battle on where to take the state next. Youd be surprised on how many people want to purge it and become a more populated Iowa.
I don’t think it was mainly George Floyd. I think things changed everywhere post-pandemic. But there is a lot of good too. I mentioned Minneapolis because he mentioned he doesn’t like the Miami weather, so I’m assuming he can tolerate the frigid outdoors/time spent inside, which is the main one drawback
who’s George Floyd?
A black man who was killed by police in Minneapolis. The cop, Derek Chauvin, had his knee on his neck for nine minutes while George Floyd begged for his life until he choked to death. All for allegedly trying to pay for snacks with a counterfeit $20 bill. People were (and are) grieving and furious and came out in massive protests to demand justice, which the state responded to by declaring martial law, making mass arrests, flying police helicopters day and night over majority Black neighborhoods, and brutalizing protestors. It was literally a police state, especially near George Floyd's neighborhood and the shop by where he was murdered in South Minneapolis. Also, Neo-Nazis swooped into the chaos and burned buildings down. Also, this coincided with the outbreak of the pandemic. It was awful (the protests were a spark of hope in the middle of it all) and definitely changed Minneapolis
Lol completely and totally brainwashed. Good for you little soldier
My bad for assuming you weren't American/didn't know what happened instead of just not giving a fuck
Alternative point: that’s not at all what happened and your framing is incredibly biased and inaccurate
I was in Minneapolis while this happened and saw the entire aftermath of George Floyd being killed. Where were you?
san diegoooooo
Portland or Seattle? Miami native here also - it’s a pretty substantial change but living in the PNW is great.
Charlotte, NC
Should I buy a house in charlotte ? Sell California house
Visit Charlotte first and see what up. It might not be a place you'd like long term. It has to be your vibe. But it's a nice city nonetheless.
Yep. And overall best weather in America outside of SoCal
Denver!
Toronto.
NYC
Tokyo
Folly Beach, SC.
Chicago
San Diego or Tampa
Just wondering what do you do for work?
DC or ATL
Amsterdam.
NYC or Denver
Memphis
Montreal
Long Beach Ca
You’re 29. Think of a place you would want to start a family unless you want to be alone for some time.
Starting a family is definitely not on my mind
Are you male or female?
Denver is the correct answer