After living abroad for several years, you spent 27 months in Minneapolis. There you really learned what you like and don't like in an America city. Now you're in Chicago and are looking at moving East later in the year...primarily DC, Philly, Boston, and NYC...but are open to other options. Based on what appeals to you in a city, what would be some of the major differences between each?
I loved living in Minneapolis. It was pretty much my ideal version of a city, but I think I ultimately outgrew it...and of course it's insanely cold! I don't really Chicago. And while the possibility certainly exists that it'll really grow on me, I'm prepared to move on sooner than later. I lived abroad in a few very large countries, but Chicago is the biggest city I've lived in here. There are a few mid-size cities that certainly appeal to me, but I suppose my only complaint about Minneapolis was that it got too small for me, and that would most likely be the case in the other mid-size cities.
For this reason, I'm really just looking at DC, Philly, Boston, and NYC. Through the job I moved to Chicago for, I have the option to potentially transfer to Boston or New York, but that requires waiting a certain amount of time and of course is not a given. But this is the highest paying job I've had, however I've always found jobs easily. For the purposes of this question, assume I'm making decision without a job being a factor at the moment.
Value:
-Walkability
-Great nightlife in multiple areas
-Well run transit system
-City with good leadership and has its shit together
-Easy to get around in
-Variety of urban residential neighborhoods
I'm a 30 year old single heterosexual male who will continue to live car-free, so the first two things are huge factors. Weather isn't really a issue since I lived in Minnesota. The only thing that I came away with not liking about Minneapolis was that it wasn't big enough to not get bored in and that there weren't a lot of transplants. For reference, I've spent 8 months total in NYC and 5 in DC...but have never been to Philly or Boston, so am flying totally blind there. I'm mainly looking to get idea about the pros and cons based on what I'm said I'm into.
I loved how compact Minneapolis is at 57 square miles. I've always appreciated that about Boston...as it seems to be the smallest major city in the US in terms of land area outside of SF. I don't necessarily need to live in a compact city, but it's something I've come to like.
I currently live in Wicker Park, and lived in the Uptown area of Minneapolis, both of which I think are similar areas. It's nice to live in a walkable, vibrant residential neighborhood that has plenty of restaurants and nightlife while not being far from Downtown. I'm not sure what those areas are in Philly and DC.
I've actually heard many good things about Philadelphia, and it's probably the most comparable to where I've lived before cost of living wise...at least in the US. And the only thing I've heard about Boston is that it's less transient and the nightlife isn't as good as these other cities...but those may or may not be true.
Let me know if there's any important details I left out. But I like to think I have a pretty good idea of what life in NYC and DC looks like...but less so clear on Philly and Boston. So if you are able to provide a good rundown on what the difference is between life in these cities, I'd really appreciate it! I was initially only looking into NYC, but obviously price does come into effect, so I'm weighing that too.
Thanks! |
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