Best Cities to Live

Ok, I know this is an opinion-based question, but thats the point. Just looking to see what people think for shits and gigs.

I'm planning on going into Big 4 accounting, so I can basically relocate wherever theres an office. I'm currently in Orlando, FL. Dont really plan on staying here. I'm from south Florida. So my current cities I'm thinking about are:

South Florida area, maybe Ft. Lauderdale
Atlanta, or somewhere near it in GA
Boston, or somewhere near it in MA
NYC, probably Brooklyn
Chicago, or somewhere near it in IL

What do you guys think of those places? Anyone who's lived in any of those places after college, feel free to share what you liked or didn't like about them. Factor in COL, weather, career prospects, social life, etc.

I'll start with what I'm thinking about each one: the weather here in Florida SUCKS. I can see how its nice from a tourist perspective, but sweating walking from your apartment to your car gets old real fast. However, comparatively the COL is low and I have all my family here.

Georgia seems nice because of the temperature and low costs, but I have no idea how the city is there. NYC is obviously great, but it gets very hot in summer, cold in winter. Georgia is more moderate. And the COL is obviously ridiculous, especially for a Big 4 auditor right outta school. Boston and Chicago seem to be a nice in between with the costs and the city living, but the weather in the winter is a little harsh in Chicago.

Opinions, on what you think as a Big 4 auditor fresh outta school and/or for yourself as to where you wanna live after college.

Go.

 
SirTradesaLot:
Austin: that town can party, no state income taxes, relatively cheap

Texas is stupidly hot, though.

Do you live in Austin? If so, how do you like it? I'm applying to a few schools this year for my MBA; UT-Austin keeps creeping up towards the top of my list.

 
holla_back:
SirTradesaLot:
Austin: that town can party, no state income taxes, relatively cheap

Texas is stupidly hot, though.

Do you live in Austin? If so, how do you like it? I'm applying to a few schools this year for my MBA; UT-Austin keeps creeping up towards the top of my list.

I live in NY, but I have family there. I absolutely love Austin.
 

Atlanta is cheap, and its social scene for young professionals is pretty decent. The summers though are disgusting; outside literally feels like a sauna. Also very light on interesting cultural stuff and generally not as diverse or cosmopolitan as a major city.

Chicago is probably the best all-around city in America: low cost-of-living, high quality of life, amazing restaurant and nightlife scene, laid back people. The weather though is a huge negative and could outweight the positives, given that the city is freezing cold from october until May.

NYC: awesome city but too freaking expensive and dirty. If you're a single guy making a lot of money though, it's either NYC or L.A.

 

Hey I thought Art Vandelay was in architecture?

Few questions a) how long do you plan to be there (i.e. are you thinking you want to settle in, or are you thinking grad school/new job in a few yrs) and b) what kinds of things do you like to do for fun, i.e. is the priority on nightlife/travel/golf/finding a mate etc?

Some other cities/states to consider - Portland, Seattle, San Francisco, Sacramento, Carolinas.

On your list I really like Chicago being a midwesterner myself, super fun summers and great neighborhoods to hang out in. San Diego is like paradise, I had a lot of friends who moved there after UG and they actually after a while got 'annoyed' that it was so nice all the time - it's always sunny, and warm but not too hot. They actually missed having variety.

Don't worry too much about COL unless you are looking to settle in longer term/buy a place. I've lived in London the last two years and now live in Rome (on about 2 months). There's a reason cool cities are expensive. To me at least, they're worth the experience.

if you like it then you shoulda put a banana on it
 

Great suggestions all. Keep em comin. I dont feel like quoting everyone, so I'm just picking a random one to reply to.

frgna:

Few questions a) how long do you plan to be there (i.e. are you thinking you want to settle in, or are you thinking grad school/new job in a few yrs) and b) what kinds of things do you like to do for fun, i.e. is the priority on nightlife/travel/golf/finding a mate etc?

For fun, I like sporting events (diehard NY sports fan, it would be spectacular to be able to catch a Jets/Yankees game once in a while, but its not a deal breaker), museums, nice restaurants, occasional club/bar, but not regularly, I'm not a big drinker. Definitely looking for a mate, so hoping for a place with plenty of young girls that arent ditzes solely concerned with getting trashed, which is sorta hard in college lol.

frgna:
Don't worry too much about COL unless you are looking to settle in longer term/buy a place. I've lived in London the last two years and now live in Rome (on about 2 months). There's a reason cool cities are expensive. To me at least, they're worth the experience.

I'm thinking it wouldnt be my whole life, but who knows. I'm just not too big on living in rundown apartments, so places like NYC living on a $50k salary concern me.

Seeing that its kinda in between, Chicago is in the forefront, but the cold weather there might get to me as much as the hot weather in FL has.

 
Art.Vandelay:
Great suggestions all. Keep em comin. I dont feel like quoting everyone, so I'm just picking a random one to reply to.
frgna:

Few questions a) how long do you plan to be there (i.e. are you thinking you want to settle in, or are you thinking grad school/new job in a few yrs) and b) what kinds of things do you like to do for fun, i.e. is the priority on nightlife/travel/golf/finding a mate etc?

For fun, I like sporting events (diehard NY sports fan, it would be spectacular to be able to catch a Jets/Yankees game once in a while, but its not a deal breaker), museums, nice restaurants, occasional club/bar, but not regularly, I'm not a big drinker. Definitely looking for a mate, so hoping for a place with plenty of young girls that arent ditzes solely concerned with getting trashed, which is sorta hard in college lol.

frgna:
Don't worry too much about COL unless you are looking to settle in longer term/buy a place. I've lived in London the last two years and now live in Rome (on about 2 months). There's a reason cool cities are expensive. To me at least, they're worth the experience.

I'm thinking it wouldnt be my whole life, but who knows. I'm just not too big on living in rundown apartments, so places like NYC living on a $50k salary concern me.

Seeing that its kinda in between, Chicago is in the forefront, but the cold weather there might get to me as much as the hot weather in FL has.

Winters in midwest are volatile - sometimes not that bad at all (like last year). Based on your responses Boston and Chicago both look great, esp if you are a sports guy. Midwest girls are nice (a little rushed to get married but good values overall), and in Boston there are lots of smart girls who might just be sick of getting hit on by Ivy league former banker guys.

if you like it then you shoulda put a banana on it
 

Depends on what kind of bitties and eats and socializing you're into

Are you gluten-free marathon runner with a diabolical itch for veggie tacos? Or are you a meat and potatoes, sports bar type of guy? Are you an aspiring soccer dad with a minivan in mind? Or an urban explorer looking for a leafy bicycle commute? Do you care how big your apartment is? Do you care what other people think about how big your apartment is?

 

I'd say Chicago is my favorite city in America. NYC is severely overrated. I live in Atlanta and I like it but personally am tired of it since I've been here forever, similar to you wanting to leave Orlando. You may like it though. There is a lot to do. The only downfall is they are not easily accessible by mass transit sometimes. The city is separated into 3 parts really: Downtown, Midtown and Buckhead.

Downtown: Mostly work related. Has the Aquarium, World of Coke, GA Dome, Phillips Arena, Centennial Park. There are a few places to go though, but not much compared to other parts. Still can be fun for a slower after work crowd.

Midtown: Here is where more young professionals can be found. Atlantic Station is a mixed use development with solid nightlife where people want to be seen. Beautiful women galore at night. There is a movie theater, solid shopping and a number of restaurants. Crescent Ave is just a few blocks away (but not walkable, Atlanta blocks aren't city blocks) and it is another place young pros congregate. A few restaurants and nice clubs there. You also have Piedmont Park, which is a really good park. You've got a number of clubs in the area that are always packed Friday and Saturday. You'd probably hang out here most if you lived here. Don't know how homophobic you are though as this is where a lot of gays are as well because of it's attractiveness to the younger crowd. But one thing is, they respect you if you respect them. I've never had problems. Every holiday weekend though is gay pride weekend so just a heads up.

Buckhead: This is like Hollywood Lite. You will see celebs like it's nothing. Athletes, actors, you name it, they live here if they live in Atlanta. Buckhead has high end shopping, high end eating and high end nightlife. The nicer part of Atlanta obviously. You'd love to just come here just for the atmosphere as this is probably the most big city feeling area. It reminds me a little of Michigan Ave at times. It's got a lot of what you like in a big city here. It's a bit more expensive up this way obviously, but if you live in Midtown, this is a great getaway.

On tip though: if you choose Atlanta, learn how to take the streets. It may burn more gas initially, but it will help you save gas from burning it sitting on the highway at 3PM for no reason. That's how I learned how to drive and I plan to share this with everybody who moves to Atlanta now. Traffic is a pain for no reason but if you know how to get from Downtown to Buckhead and back taking the streets, you will never sit in traffic. Also, RE is pretty cheap here so I'd look to invest in a property in Midtown (house or condo).

Just my pitch for Atlanta.

 
veljones69:
I'd say Chicago is my favorite city in America. NYC is severely overrated. I live in Atlanta and I like it but personally am tired of it since I've been here forever, similar to you wanting to leave Orlando. You may like it though. There is a lot to do. The only downfall is they are not easily accessible by mass transit sometimes. The city is separated into 3 parts really: Downtown, Midtown and Buckhead.

Downtown: Mostly work related. Has the Aquarium, World of Coke, GA Dome, Phillips Arena, Centennial Park. There are a few places to go though, but not much compared to other parts. Still can be fun for a slower after work crowd.

Midtown: Here is where more young professionals can be found. Atlantic Station is a mixed use development with solid nightlife where people want to be seen. Beautiful women galore at night. There is a movie theater, solid shopping and a number of restaurants. Crescent Ave is just a few blocks away (but not walkable, Atlanta blocks aren't city blocks) and it is another place young pros congregate. A few restaurants and nice clubs there. You also have Piedmont Park, which is a really good park. You've got a number of clubs in the area that are always packed Friday and Saturday. You'd probably hang out here most if you lived here. Don't know how homophobic you are though as this is where a lot of gays are as well because of it's attractiveness to the younger crowd. But one thing is, they respect you if you respect them. I've never had problems. Every holiday weekend though is gay pride weekend so just a heads up.

Buckhead: This is like Hollywood Lite. You will see celebs like it's nothing. Athletes, actors, you name it, they live here if they live in Atlanta. Buckhead has high end shopping, high end eating and high end nightlife. The nicer part of Atlanta obviously. You'd love to just come here just for the atmosphere as this is probably the most big city feeling area. It reminds me a little of Michigan Ave at times. It's got a lot of what you like in a big city here. It's a bit more expensive up this way obviously, but if you live in Midtown, this is a great getaway.

On tip though: if you choose Atlanta, learn how to take the streets. It may burn more gas initially, but it will help you save gas from burning it sitting on the highway at 3PM for no reason. That's how I learned how to drive and I plan to share this with everybody who moves to Atlanta now. Traffic is a pain for no reason but if you know how to get from Downtown to Buckhead and back taking the streets, you will never sit in traffic. Also, RE is pretty cheap here so I'd look to invest in a property in Midtown (house or condo).

Just my pitch for Atlanta.

That's a great pitch, I never knew too much about the city except that the one person that I know who lives there refers to it as "shit city" but I think he's just been there too long and is tired of it.... But I really enjoyed reading that.

Art - I would suggest not doing south FLA or anywhere in FLA for that matter. It seems like you're open/interested in a variety of areas so I would go with one of them.

I echo everyone who said Chicago earlier. I think it would be hard to not enjoy living there after college, and the only drawback is the winter, but honestly winters suck in NYC and Boston as well.

 

Miami (coral gables / coconut grove) or brickell if you are a douche yuppie.

or

Chicago (river north).

Atlanta is quite boring, but midtown or buckhead is where you would want to be.

 

I would personally do Chicago.

Some other cities I would definitely consider though are:

1) San Diego 2) Denver 3) DC 4) Austin

Can't go wrong with any of those 4.

 

Chicago or Austin, depending on your weather preferences. Both are going to have a ton of hot girls, low cost of living, great sports, tons of young people etc. Chicago winters suck and Austin is brutally hot so pick your poison. I know nothing about south florida but it doesn't seem like a place to build a career.

People that say NYC is the most amazing place in the world have such a huge bias and reliance on stereotypes. The COL is ridiculous unless you are a banker or buy-side, is dirty relative to DC/Chicago/Boston, and the girls are overrated. You meet a lot of girls that say they are models and in actuality they are on Pg. 33 of the fall Land End's catalog or this week's coupon book for Target. The upper upper crust is ridiculously hot but after Eastern European or Asian fuck you money. There are obviously going to be a lot of hot girls in a city of 8mm people, but its not the shangri-la people make it out to be.

I'll also throw a quick plug in for DC. Ridiculous skew for the the numbers of girls vs. guys (in a good way), really young, well educated city with great stuff to do. Cool neighborhoods to live in that aren't that expensive.

 
Gray Fox:
Chicago or Austin, depending on your weather preferences. Both are going to have a ton of hot girls, low cost of living, great sports, tons of young people etc. Chicago winters suck and Austin is brutally hot so pick your poison. I know nothing about south florida but it doesn't seem like a place to build a career.

People that say NYC is the most amazing place in the world have such a huge bias and reliance on stereotypes. The COL is ridiculous unless you are a banker or buy-side, is dirty relative to DC/Chicago/Boston, and the girls are overrated. You meet a lot of girls that say they are models and in actuality they are on Pg. 33 of the fall Land End's catalog or this week's coupon book for Target. The upper upper crust is ridiculously hot but after Eastern European or Asian fuck you money. There are obviously going to be a lot of hot girls in a city of 8mm people, but its not the shangri-la people make it out to be.

I'll also throw a quick plug in for DC. Ridiculous skew for the the numbers of girls vs. guys (in a good way), really young, well educated city with great stuff to do. Cool neighborhoods to live in that aren't that expensive.

Awesome responses by everyone. Chicago seems to be a heavy favorite by everyone. NYC would be nice, but on $50k a year starting out, it would kinda be a stretch.

I've never considered DC, but I'll definitely consider it. I was under the impression the COL there would be in the area of NYC.

Keep em comin guys.

 

Chicago is awesome to work in, tons of hardworking young people and no shortage of fun and money to be had.

I'm hoping to eventually land my career in Denver. Puts you right next to some of the best fly fishing and skiing in the world, more microbreweries per capita than anywhere I've been, rapidly expanding downtown area. Seems like the ultimate weekend playground to me. No shortage of HF / MF work either in Janus, Marsico Cap, Prop Cap, etc... Lot of oil and gas IB if you are into that, as well.

 
CaR:
Chicago is awesome to work in, tons of hardworking young people and no shortage of fun and money to be had.

I'm hoping to eventually land my career in Denver. Puts you right next to some of the best fly fishing and skiing in the world, more microbreweries per capita than anywhere I've been, rapidly expanding downtown area. Seems like the ultimate weekend playground to me. No shortage of HF / MF work either in Janus, Marsico Cap, Prop Cap, etc... Lot of oil and gas IB if you are into that, as well.

I've been to Colorado once, it was breath-taking. But I think that will be way too cold for me. Chicago/NYC/Boston is enough of a change coming from Florida. So far besides the winters I've heard nothing bad about Chicago from anyone. Boston too for that matter, although its a little more expensive than Chicago. It's just a matter of deciding if I want to make the jump and be all alone in a new city lol.

 
Art.Vandelay:
CaR:
Chicago is awesome to work in, tons of hardworking young people and no shortage of fun and money to be had.

I'm hoping to eventually land my career in Denver. Puts you right next to some of the best fly fishing and skiing in the world, more microbreweries per capita than anywhere I've been, rapidly expanding downtown area. Seems like the ultimate weekend playground to me. No shortage of HF / MF work either in Janus, Marsico Cap, Prop Cap, etc... Lot of oil and gas IB if you are into that, as well.

I've been to Colorado once, it was breath-taking. But I think that will be way too cold for me. Chicago/NYC/Boston is enough of a change coming from Florida. So far besides the winters I've heard nothing bad about Chicago from anyone. Boston too for that matter, although its a little more expensive than Chicago. It's just a matter of deciding if I want to make the jump and be all alone in a new city lol.

You may want to read my bittie thread. "Hotter Girls: Chicago or Boston"

 

Art.Vandelay, I'm kind of late since you seem to have made your decision but hopefully this will help you confirm your choice. I lived in Chicago for one year and in NYC for three (few months in Boston out of a hotel). In my opinion: Chicago>New York>Boston.

Chicago was a blast, great sports city, amazing girls, affordable. I'm going to b-school and post b-school I intend on settling in Chicago. So much that I'm a cubs season ticket holder so PM me if you need tickets, have some cubs/cards tickets available.

Boston was alright but it felt like a giant suburb -- it would be a hard city for your first job out of college. Bar scene is very limited but girls are hot and very easy going.

New York is great but it is too expensive and too overrated. It is pretty damn dirty and you would not live comfortably on that salary. Girls: NYC has higher quantity but feel Chicago had more consistent quality.

"I never said that you are not good at what you do...it's just that what you do is not worth doing!"
 
bud_fox1933:
Art.Vandelay, I'm kind of late since you seem to have made your decision but hopefully this will help you confirm your choice. I lived in Chicago for one year and in NYC for three (few months in Boston out of a hotel). In my opinion: Chicago>New York>Boston.

Chicago was a blast, great sports city, amazing girls, affordable. I'm going to b-school and post b-school I intend on settling in Chicago. So much that I'm a cubs season ticket holder so PM me if you need tickets, have some cubs/cards tickets available.

Boston was alright but it felt like a giant suburb -- it would be a hard city for your first job out of college. Bar scene is very limited but girls are hot and very easy going.

New York is great but it is too expensive and too overrated. It is pretty damn dirty and you would not live comfortably on that salary. Girls: NYC has higher quantity but feel Chicago had more consistent quality.

thanks for your input bud_fox.

Chicago sounds great. I'm really liking the sound of living there, with the only things possibly getting in the way being leaving friends/family in FL, those winters, and the possibility of not getting into Big 4 office there.

 
Tommy Too-toned:
Plenty of Michigan / ND girls working in that city :) U of M girls are awesome

This is very enticing! lol.

Right now, its looking like Chicago>So.Fla>>>Boston>>>>>Atlanta>>>>>>>San Diego, but its mainly between the first three.

 
above_and_beyond:
You know, you are not the first person moving to another city or country (I'm on the West Coast of the US but lived all my life in Europe), so stop bitching around please. You will make new friends and it is still possible to keep in contact with your old friends and families and visit them back home.

Bitching around? Didn't know I was bitching around. It was more like gathering opinions in my book. Terribly sorry to have offended you.

 

Lol, yeah, after you edited your post and cut the stuff about "uh ah, I don't wanna be so far away from my friends and my family", it doesn't look like bitching anymore.

But anyway, that's not the message I wanted to give you (and no, I didn't want to offend you in any way as well). What I wanted to say is that if Chicago is your favorite, then please go for it. Like I said, you're not the first person to move to a new city/country. It may take some time, but after some weeks you will enjoy the experience and have plenty of new friends over there. And by the way, it's not that the Big4 job won't allow you to take vacations at home or fly over for a (long) weekend to Florida.

 
above_and_beyond:
Lol, yeah, after you edited your post and cut the stuff about "uh ah, I don't wanna be so far away from my friends and my family", it doesn't look like bitching anymore.

But anyway, that's not the message I wanted to give you (and no, I didn't want to offend you in any way as well). What I wanted to say is that if Chicago is your favorite, then please go for it. Like I said, you're not the first person to move to a new city/country. It may take some time, but after some weeks you will enjoy the experience and have plenty of new friends over there. And by the way, it's not that the Big4 job won't allow you to take vacations at home or fly over for a (long) weekend to Florida.

I removed it once, because it was redundant, but left it all the other times I said it. I have no shame in saying I would miss my friends and family.

The point is, I dont have a "favorite city", because I've only lived in a few for an extended period of time.That was the point of making the thread. To gather opinions and see what everyone thinks. And so far, Chicago is looking good if I can get over the weather. San Diego's weather sounds much better, but the post-Big 4 career prospects dont sound all that great. Bostons in the running as well.

 

It sounds like all that can be said has been said, but a quick word about the weather, since that seems to be what's keeping you from loving Chicago. If you've spent all your days basking in the warm tropical sun of South Florida and have never felt a chill, you're going to hate Chicago with a vengeance. The winter is brutal, mostly because of the wind. I've visited Chicago in the winter/late fall many times and just was not a happy bunny if I wasn't in a car or a building. And I live on the east coast, so it's not like I'm unfamiliar with snowy weather.

I really hope Austin is an option for you, because it would be a great choice. The weather is not as humid as South Florida, so the heat is more tolerable and can even be pleasant. The city's population is very, very young and yuppie. The live music scene is great. There are a lot of transplants, you can find a lot more diversity of culture and lifestyle than anywhere else in the South, except maybe Atlanta. (Not counting Florida as the South here). Occasionally Austin has a Bay-Area-for-half-the-price kind of feel to it. You would like it.

Might as well also add that if you're getting 50k in any of those cities, Austin is the one it'll go furthest in. No state income tax, cheap cost of living. I wish I could live in Austin for a couple years and save up some serious money. It makes me almost physically ill when I think of what happens to my money in New York, and what I could do with that exact same salary in Austin.

 
biglawgirlfriend:
It sounds like all that can be said has been said, but a quick word about the weather, since that seems to be what's keeping you from loving Chicago. If you've spent all your days basking in the warm tropical sun of South Florida and have never felt a chill, you're going to hate Chicago with a vengeance. The winter is brutal, mostly because of the wind. I've visited Chicago in the winter/late fall many times and just was not a happy bunny if I wasn't in a car or a building. And I live on the east coast, so it's not like I'm unfamiliar with snowy weather.

I really hope Austin is an option for you, because it would be a great choice. The weather is not as humid as South Florida, so the heat is more tolerable and can even be pleasant. The city's population is very, very young and yuppie. The live music scene is great. There are a lot of transplants, you can find a lot more diversity of culture and lifestyle than anywhere else in the South, except maybe Atlanta. (Not counting Florida as the South here). Occasionally Austin has a Bay-Area-for-half-the-price kind of feel to it. You would like it.

Might as well also add that if you're getting 50k in any of those cities, Austin is the one it'll go furthest in. No state income tax, cheap cost of living. I wish I could live in Austin for a couple years and save up some serious money. It makes me almost physically ill when I think of what happens to my money in New York, and what I could do with that exact same salary in Austin.

I know Chicago will be cold, but I think I want a change like that. Sweating all day just from walking to car, to school, to apartment, etc., gets really annoying as well.

Austin is a consideration, but I just am not sure if I can bring myself to move to Texas lol

 

I would say Chicago or the bay area. Chicago - You get the big city feel without getting overwhelmed. Bay Area - You get the mild weather, opportunitites and great culture.

 

Austin TX, Charlotte NC, Denver CO, Seattle WA

I'd say San Diego, but all my experiences in Cali/with Californians have left me wondering why the fuck people want to live around them.

"You stop being an asshole when it sucks to be you." -IlliniProgrammer "Your grammar made me wish I'd been aborted." -happypantsmcgee
 

This might sound kind of ridiculous, but take it from a guy who has lived all over the United States--the best place to live will be the place where you have the most friends and family where you can also thrive professionally. I'm lucky to have grown up in the D.C. area where my family remains, and attended a college that feeds a great deal of its alumni back into the area. I've got many friends and family in my area. Since the D.C. area has my industry in spades, for me it's the best place to hang my hat.

But there are nicer cities/metros with cheaper costs of living, but they don't have my friends or family or my sports teams (college or professional). So while [name the city] might be best for a Martian who has no friends and family in America and no roots anywhere, that may not be the case for many other people.

 

Since I'm about to graduate I've been noticing what you're talking about. Making friends outside of an institution proactive for making friends (high school, college, grad school) is a good amount more difficult. Unfortunately I live in the Ohio/Indiana/Kentucky area... So there's not much going on here :\ If I were you I'd probably stay in the DC area too.

 
DCDepository:

This might sound kind of ridiculous, but take it from a guy who has lived all over the United States--the best place to live will be the place where you have the most friends and family where you can also thrive professionally. I'm lucky to have grown up in the D.C. area where my family remains, and attended a college that feeds a great deal of its alumni back into the area. I've got many friends and family in my area. Since the D.C. area has my industry in spades, for me it's the best place to hang my hat.

But there are nicer cities/metros with cheaper costs of living, but they don't have my friends or family or my sports teams (college or professional). So while [name the city] might be best for a Martian who has no friends and family in America and no roots anywhere, that may not be the case for many other people.

You can always meet new people and make new friends. I'd much rather pick the best city to live based on my lifestyle and meet new people and put roots down there versus moving back to some miserable town because friends I went to college with live there. That doesn't apply to you because DC is a cool place, but what if your friends and family lived in some small, run down Midwest town?

 

Austin > Houston for a young working professional

Disclaimer for the Kids: Any forward-looking statements are solely for informational purposes and cannot be taken as investment advice. Consult your moms before deciding where to invest.
 

Haha, wow, what a delusional clown poster. Did you go to Temple or something and live in North Philly? I have a feeling you've based this off something lame like not liking the sports teams.

Philly is an awesome city to live in, 5th largest market, reasonable cost of living, great city neighborhoods, proximity to NYC, Bal, Wash DC. Philly makes Boston look like a little college town.

 
TNA:

Philly has very shitty parts, but if you make any money you literally never deal with them. You must have lived in the northeast or something.

Lived at Logan Circle in a corporate apartment my company paid for.

 
DCDepository:
TNA:

Philly has very shitty parts, but if you make any money you literally never deal with them. You must have lived in the northeast or something.

Lived at Logan Circle in a corporate apartment my company paid for.

Literally the same exact situation as you and I LOVED Philly. I must be a plebe or something.

This to all my hatin' folks seeing me getting guac right now..
 
Best Response
Cruncharoo:
DCDepository:
TNA:

Philly has very shitty parts, but if you make any money you literally never deal with them. You must have lived in the northeast or something.

Lived at Logan Circle in a corporate apartment my company paid for.

Literally the same exact situation as you and I LOVED Philly. I must be a plebe or something.

@"DCDepository" is a classic hater and sounds like a total bitch. The guys on WSO who complain that xyz huge city has no hot women are usually part of the virgin army. There are smokes everywhere around center city phila and every big city for that matter. He's afraid of homeless people which I see more of in NYC and it's no big deal anyway. He hates the dirty streets, which are no worse than any major city,... ever been to New Orleans?

What kind of guy gets to spend the summer right after college in a major city and has a terrible time and complains about all these non-issues?! A complete nerd that's who.

 

Lol. Hey, everyone has their own opinion. Mine differs wildly. City has an amazing food scene. Good mix of woman (you have Penn, Temple and Drexel right in the city, plus tons of hospitals and professional firms). Major sports and tons of different areas to live (, nolibs, old city, Rittenhouse, midtown, etc.).

Not to mention the building spree going on.

That building you lived in is so so. You need to go in a couple blocks to really get into the city. Where you were at is mainly museums and stuff.

 
TNA:

Lol. Hey, everyone has their own opinion. Mine differs wildly. City has an amazing food scene. Good mix of woman (you have Penn, Temple and Drexel right in the city, plus tons of hospitals and professional firms). Major sports and tons of different areas to live (, nolibs, old city, Rittenhouse, midtown, etc.).

Not to mention the building spree going on.

That building you lived in is so so. You need to go in a couple blocks to really get into the city. Where you were at is mainly museums and stuff.

You're right. I spent an entire summer in Logan Circle looking at museums...

 

Did I ever say you spent a whole weekend looking at museums? Just that part of town is more quiet.

I'm not going to argue with you since I don't care about your opinion. Nor am I Phillys bodyguard. I just think it's comical when someone makes a broad statement like that about a major city with tons of great things to do.

And Philly has less homeless than DC or NYC. Not sure why ignoring a panhandler is that hard. As for woman being ugly, that is just silly.

 

Honestly, you should have spent the whole summer looking at museums. The art museum has the largest collection of Duchamp in the world. Couple that with the Barnes and Rodin and you have a lot of culture.

 

Philly is awesome. Affordable, diverse neighborhoods (architecturally, demographically), great food - I agree with everything TNA said. DC is nice too in a completely different way, but there's nothing like Fishtown or Northern Liberties, for example, in DC. Someone told me that H Street is a comparable, but all the spots are filled with the same yuppie crowd as the rest of DC.

Array
 

I absolutely LOVE DC, but the place is fully of homeless people. Like walk around the capital buildings and you'll see homeless nests. It's nuts.

DC is great, but different. Philly has some NYC flavor, some Boston flavor and some of its own. Amazing history, different neighborhoods and you're close to everything.

I just don't get the hate. Check out the real estate scene. Literally a dozen cranes in CC alone.

 

Haha, interesting that you singled out Miami as well. That would suck to be stuck in a nice part of Miami in your early twenties. Amazing weather most of the year, scantily clad model women everywhere, beautiful beaches/ocean, easy flight access to South America, etc. Is Coral Gables too dirty for you too your highness?

 

Center city has specific people cleaning all week. The city isn't any more or less dirty than any other city. Just absurd.

I feel like old men have taken over this topic. What next, talking about how dirty Pittsburgh is because of the steel Mills? Maybe we can talk about how San Francisco only has rice roni.

Shits comical.

 
<span class=keyword_link><a href=/company/trilantic-north-america>TNA</a></span>:

Center city has specific people cleaning all week. The city isn't any more or less dirty than any other city. Just absurd.

I feel like old men have taken over this topic. What next, talking about how dirty Pittsburgh is because of the steel Mills? Maybe we can talk about how San Francisco only has rice roni.

Shits comical.

Wait you can get something besides rice to eat in SF... Mind blown.
Follow the shit your fellow monkeys say @shitWSOsays Life is hard, it's even harder when you're stupid - John Wayne
 

I really never understand strong opinions like this. Like I'd get someone saying I don't like the cold and think Houston is better than xyz. Or I really like a small city, historic feeling, hence why I prefer Boston to xyz. But to say Philly sucks cause it's dirty is absurd. Vegas is dirty. Nyc is dirty. All cities are dirty. It isn't like Philly has a garbage strike for the past six months.

I've been all over and pretty much like most or something about every city. Cause I enjoy urban living.

I get a poor person in a bad area hating a city, but hard to hate a place that has high end apartments, a major airport and amazing fine dining, art, history and culture.

 
TNA:

I really never understand strong opinions like this. Like I'd get someone saying I don't like the cold and think Houston is better than xyz. Or I really like a small city, historic feeling, hence why I prefer Boston to xyz. But to say Philly sucks cause it's dirty is absurd. Vegas is dirty. Nyc is dirty. All cities are dirty. It isn't like Philly has a garbage strike for the past six months.

Vegas and NYC are definitely dirty too, however saying that all cities are is simply false. There are plenty of cities (try the South) that are not by any stretch. Now as for Philly, one of my best friends lives there for dental schools and adores it. My time spent there though has consisted of rude people with grating accents (way worse than NYC. on par with Boston), a population that may as well be segregated because black people and white people definitely don't hang out, it IS dirty, the weather is poor, etc.
Commercial Real Estate Developer
 

After being born and raised in NYC, it has definitely gotten a little old for me. Boston seems like a great place to raise a family (safe & good schools), but there is a bit of a sacrifice in terms of social life for adults. Hated Nashville and Milwaukee (seemed like there wasn't much going on in either). Florida outside of Miami was alright I guess--too humid for me though. DC wasn't bad, just as long as you live in the suburbs. My end goal is the west coast (SF preferably), as I visited and absolutely loved it..but real estate out there is just crazy expensive. I was a huge fan of Charleston, SC--first place I visited in "the south" and it had a great vibe, good people, etc. If Charlotte is anything like Charleston, then I would enjoy living there.

 

Philly is the 2nd largest city on the east coast, yeah it's going to be dirtier than Richmond or Atlanta.

Accents, maybe if you kick it in South Philly. CC is diverse.

As for segregation issue, can't speak on that. The city is nice and shitty, with the shitty parts being segregated to an extent. Side effects of gentrification I suppose.

Weather is great. It's a northeast city so you have to compare it to that. Less snow, nice summers, an hour away from the beach. Smaller than NYC so you don't get that concrete heat impact.

 

I havn't been to too many major cities, but i'm going to go with Boston since I live in the area. Great schools, employment, sports,culture, and amazing suburbs. Right on the ocean, easy access to the the vinyard and nantucket, and close enough to the mountains for a daytrip.

 

Regarding southern cities being "cleaner", which I don't know if that's true... I was in Charlotte recently and the place seemed pristine. It's like all new, though. My friend from college lives there and says everything is constantly being torn down for the land and something else being built. It seemed like suburbia heaven. And apparently very family friendly. Not really what I'm looking for tho

 

You should not live in NYC unless you meet at least one of the following criteria:

  1. You are consistently making $500K+/year.
  2. Your social life is so INSANELY OFF THE HOOK (tons of friends, cool parties and events, constantly banging an endless supply of hot chicks) that you cannot fathom replicating it elsewhere.
  3. You are in a very niche industry (fashion, media, advertising, broadway, opera, etc.,) that requires you to be in NYC. Finance doesn't count here since there are tons of great finance jobs elsewhere.

Having said that, Chicago is the best U.S. city to live in because it combines the best of both worlds: a large cosmopolitan city with all the amenities you can as for along with the low cost of living, high quality of life, cleanliness, aesthetic beauty, and down-to-earth people that are more typical of a smaller city.

 

You sound like one miserable SOB who is extremely insecure (and please don't deny it). Very sad.

Go get laid or something and stop thinking about NYC. Surprises me how many people have hatred towards certain cities. NYC is for some and not all. Same with Philly and Chicago.

 

I agree, I think Chicago is the optimal city. Very large finance scene, cheap to live, tons of culture. It's cold as fuck in the winter, but North East cities are also cold. The incremental misery of Chicago cold winters is far offset by the incremental awesomeness of Chicago summers.

 

Chicago winters suck, but having lived in both Chicago and the Northeast, I don't see a big difference. There are some stretches where Chicago with wind chill will go below 0, but that is not characteristic of most winter days. I think Chicago summers are so vastly superior to NYC's (NYC is so horrendous during the summer that it reminds me of Calcutta) that it more than makes up for the slightly colder winters.

 

Well the nice thing about Chicago is the lake is right there. I've been in the spring and in the winter and enjoyed it fine. Chicago is one of the few outside NYC cities with a finance scene big enough to have a career. It's isolation benefits it.

SF is another great city, but it gets hurt with the high cost of living.

 

The lake is awesome. Going jogging along lake shore drive when it's warm is amazing.

I think for Asset Management and hedge funds, being away from NYC can be quite helpful. Multiple people have told me this as well. It's also better being a big ALPHA dog in Chicago than being a small fish in NYC.

 

Chicago would be my top city to live in. I'll hopefully be in one of them depending on how offers.

I just keep thinking about how much better I'll be able to live in Chicago compared to NYC... I'd actually be able to have a nice apartment in a nice high rise, disposable income... The $2,000 /month studios in NYC I'm looking at are terrifying me. They look third world. Whereas in Chicago $2,000 /month gets you in the most upscale/new high rises in Chicago (which are awesome), almost gets you into the Trump Tower.

 

Yup. NYC is a giant scam. It really is ridiculous.

A classmate of mine who is originally from Michigan will be moving to Chicago after school for a consulting gig. His girlfriend will also be doing consulting in Chicago. Since she is a lifelong New Yorker, she was initially very hesitant about moving out there. But after I talked to her about the drastic difference in cost of living and quality of life, she is now absolutely pumped up about moving there.

In Chicago, you can get a 600 square feet studio in a luxury highrise building in a great area with great amenities (24/7 doorman, laundry room, full-service gym, swimming pool, and more) for about $1600-$1700/month, even a bit cheaper. To get a comparable place in NYC without a roommate, we are talking about $3500/month. Aside from rent, NY state has higher state tax, and NYC has a 4% city tax, while Chicago does not have a city tax at all. Food, drinks, entertainment, services, are all about 25% more expensive than Chicago. And despite the higher costs, the quality is no better than what you get in Chicago.

 

Agree with above. I'm a quality of life guy myself. I'd do NYC, but I'd have to spend close to 4k a month to replicate my apt standards here. Whenever I speak to companies in NYC about positions I add another 21k in living expense to the calculus.

Chicago is tops on my list though. Always loved being there.

 

Bro, you down for a summer trip to Chicago? You down for rolling into Chicago bars and acting like total bros, just slaying cute Midwestern blondes who are right at the cusp of being overweight but still have banging bodies?

 

Wow, you sure sound like a wise Buddha! Can I rub your belly for more words of wisdom?

In all seriousness, the topic of NYC vs. Chicago is not an amusing topic because the differences in COL and QOL are so drastic. And for many of the young posters on WSO who are debating between those cities, this is an extremely important topic, and I felt the the need to offer my personal take.

 

if i had to move back to the states, here'd be my top locales if cost of living nor work wasn't a factor

in no order

Central CA coast, San Luis Obispo "the happiest place in America" Boulder Austin New Orleans Manhattan San Diego / La Jolla Santa Monica Santa Barbara Tahoe Just outside the states but close enough to mom/family/friends - Vancouver

Cant do NE winters, so NYC would be a 1-2year max Need 4 seasons, but will make an exception if i'm in the south or CA Need culture Need to be near the water, exception Boulder, Austin seems close enough to the Gulf Need shit to do

Seattle I love... but can't be there for more than 6mo's, it's my city of my youth

Any place I missed?

WSO Content & Social Media. Follow us: Linkedin, IG, Facebook, Twitter.
 

I've always thought Vancouver was gorgeous. Seattle seems a ton like it, which makes sense since they're extremely close to each other. I'd be more than down to live in either. Canadian cities also carry a good amount of appeal for me. Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver... All gorgeous cities. Where I really want to be is Australia, though geez.

 

Philly is so underrated. The restaurant scene there is awesome, and Rittenhouse Square is gorgeous. Cost of living is so low that you can live like a king there while that same person would be a pauper in NYC.

 

@CRE : As a Florida alternative to Miami, what do you think about the Tampa Bay area? Seems like a cool, more low-key place to live. Plus I dig Cigar City beer and cigars themselves.

Metal. Music. Life. www.headofmetal.com
 
In The Flesh:

@CRE : As a Florida alternative to Miami, what do you think about the Tampa Bay area? Seems like a cool, more low-key place to live. Plus I dig Cigar City beer and cigars themselves.

Tampa would be the most ideal place in Florida IMHO. I live in Jax, and it's ok, but Tampa has a lot more to offer. It doesn't have the Finance job availability that Miami does, but it isn't bad. Nightlife is good, beaches are nice, sports, etc. Plus the women mostly speak English.
"Decide what to be and go be it." - The Avett Brothers
 

Philly is an awesome city. Unique neighborhoods, awesome sports scene, more laid back than NYC, and an absolutely killer restaurant scene that I'd put up against almost any other city. There are terrible parts of Philly, but North Philly is no different than Brownsville. Just don't go there.

Also, anyone complaining about the lack of girls in Philly (or any major city for that matter) is a fucking dork that should be ignored.

 

This^. BTW I love Philly bus drivers. They are quick to tell a kid, "you betta pull yo pants up before you ride my bus!" I've heard it several times when I was in Philly. It's easy to get to other places, lots to do, etc.

Greed is Good!
 
qbison:

Philly is an awesome city. Unique neighborhoods, awesome sports scene, more laid back than NYC, and an absolutely killer restaurant scene that I'd put up against almost any other city. There are terrible parts of Philly, but North Philly is no different than Brownsville. Just don't go there.

Also, anyone complaining about the lack of girls in Philly (or any major city for that matter) is a fucking dork that should be ignored.

Not the "lack" of girls, genius. The QUALITY of girls. Girls in Philadelphia are among the ugliest girls in America.

 

I feel like DC is a hard sell unless you have family/grew up there. Summer is pretty brutal, public transportation is miserable, traffic is out of control.... Then you've got the whole Capitol Hill/K Street crowd that should give any sane person the heebie jeebies...

Don't get me started on McMansion country in VA and MD.

Only other place I've lived in the US is Boston which I like very much although the winter is excruciating and lasts a good 5 months and public transportation is only very marginally better than in DC. A bit small of a city I guess too.

From my experiences of NYC, seems like the place to be.

 

LA, and specifically Manhattan Beach. Grew up there, currently living up in SF but I can't wait to move back down there. I can't imagine living somewhere without the ocean a few steps from my door, mountains only a few hours away, and perfect weather 350 days of the year... Fuck seasons, I'll take that any day.

 
Sealberg:

LA, and specifically Manhattan Beach. Grew up there, currently living up in SF but I can't wait to move back down there. I can't imagine living somewhere without the ocean a few steps from my door, mountains only a few hours away, and perfect weather 350 days of the year... Fuck seasons, I'll take that any day.

Sounds like Boston except for perfect weather. Definitely a huge part of the reason why I'm interested in moving over there.

 

Don't sleep on Charlotte. North Carolina is a great place to live, very affordable too. I saw someone mention Charleston as well, and that is one of my favorite cities in the world. Nice people in both places as well.

 
E.BIT.DA:

Don't sleep on Charlotte. North Carolina is a great place to live, very affordable too. I saw someone mention Charleston as well, and that is one of my favorite cities in the world. Nice people in both places as well.

Charleston and Savannah are amazing places, but the finance jobs aren't too prevalent. Love both places and wish I could visit more.
"Decide what to be and go be it." - The Avett Brothers
 

Charleston, SC is a great one that always seems to go unmentioned in these type of posts. Professionally its not that viable but it's got great weather, great nearby beaches, great food and a lot of really cool, unique architecture and it routinely gets ranked as the nicest city in America. The culture is very relaxed, sort of a mix of traditional southern culture and beach culture. Plus it's a relatively wealthy city so the population tends to be pretty refined. As a lifelong tri-state resident I've never felt too out of place when I'm down there.

 

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