Obviously a generalization, but according to WSO users, every major city (NYC, SF, Chicago, Boston, LA, etc) is a horrible place to live. You can easily find a discussion on how each of the mentioned cities sucks.
Title says it all, are there any cities that don't suck?
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I guess the etc must be Seattle. Well, what do they all have in common? neink will have some valuable insight for you on this topic, even though he does not live in the US.
According to libtards, Kabul is a paradise. The only way you could possibly disagree is if you live there right now.
Did some skinny Jean wearing hipster take your girl bro?
Since when do liberals think this?
Or are religious fundamentalist terrorists “liberals”? I think I saw you make that claim on another thread.
Tbh you're probably safer walking around in much of Afghanistan than you are in Baltimore.
Every city has its pros and cons. You need to find what you value most then go from there.
Most users aren’t saying NYC sucks, this is only a small minority.
WSO actually generally likes Chicago and Dallas since they're somewhat affordable vs the others and have a good amount of things going on. You're going to have to compromise on some things if you want to live somewhere, but I'm sure you'll find something. America is a big place.
Chicago politics are so backwards these days. I’ve said it before but Chicagoans need to do something about Kim Fox, Lori Lightfoot, and the other idiots running the city.
oh yeah that's definitely true. I was more just thinking less about the politics and generally living there, although I personally haven't been in a while so it's probably changed since I was last there.
Completely agree. I lived in Chicago for 5 years and moved away this summer.
No one lives in Chicago because they strongly align with political leadership. Similar to the homelessness problem in San Fran, it is something you tolerate for the other benefits (e.g., quite a bit to do for a relatively LCOL city).
Chicago's politics have notoriously been horrendous since I can remember. However, I would recommend you look at NYCs or Seattles as well to at least realize it is equally as bad in other major cities.
I was going to say do most of these politics really effect someone's everyday life?
Not in the slightest :)
Like Im not saying you can not be annoyed by them, but generally alot of these people sound like parrots rather than independent thinkers.
I used to agree with you, but with this COVID stuff, it's honestly starting to factor into my calculus a lot more into my decision on where to settle (I'm a remote worker, so I can pretty much live in any US city). I'm pretty Libertarian to maybe center right on the political spectrum, but would have normally put up with living in a more blue state and paying slightly more in taxes/overall COL because there were other benefits that warranted the trade-off (i.e. to your point, yeah I disagree with the pervading politics of the place, but I figured it doesn't matter THAT much, so I can live with it). Post-COVID, this matters a lot more because of the extent of restrictions/lockdowns that can be imposed on us day-to-day based on city or state-wide mandates.
For example, living in Miami/Dallas is a VASTLY different experience from the average blue city nowadays and unfortunately, that's largely dictated by politics in today's world where in the days of yore, it was mostly driven by the culture of the city and the COL there.
Pre-covid, not really. The past 18+ months, most definitely.
Normally, I would say not really. But in the case of SF, Chicago, and NYC the answer is with out a doubt yes. Specifically surrounding crime.
If you have children in pubic school yes
Yeah I was going to say, history books are filled with Chicago's political past, a hundred years ago and probably more. It's one of those "political machine" places like Philadelphia, etc.
Great read I just found for those interested as it relates to Chicago specifically: http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/774.html
They're the reason I'm leaving and going to Texas...and Pritzker, he's really shown his true colors with Covid.
Not a lot of jobs here but I like living in Denver.
How was the move from a major metro?
Have lived in SF and LA for a while and really like the lifestyle Denver has to provide (avid skier, like spending majority of time outside)
I have spent a lot of time in Denver traveling but am curious if the lifestyle allure fades once you start living there.
Esp. working in finance do you feel like your career has taken a step back moving to a non-major market?
Really trying to move in the next year or two and Denver has seemed like an ideal location but worried about pigeonholing myself but moving to a small market.
If any of those are your worries then I would not move here.
So far the move has been great. I moved about 6 months ago from Chicago. Previous to living in Chicago I spent some time in Houston (do not recommend). The lifestyle here is much more active compared to Chi/HOU on the weekends. People still go out and drink, but generally this would be after a hike/vball type of activity. I haven't been skiing yet and am excited to finally try it here in the next couple months.
I don't work in finance I work in accounting (non public) and have a completely remote role. I would imagine your career in finance would definitely be hindered moving here, though I am obviously no expert. Based on my own research for accounting jobs the Denver market had less opportunities compared to Chicago & the jobs also paid less. I would have to imagine it would be much worse too for finance.
Most of this site is made up of midwest state school prospects who are pre-disposed to conservative viewpoints - of course they hate the major cities.
You need to figure out what you want and like - which from the context of your question sounds like a less-dense city, most likely in western or southern US. Prob should just move to charlotte, meet that blond, marry her after 2 years of brunches and football saturdays, move to your farm house chic house in the suburbs, brew your own beer, grow a beard in your 30s and become a reliable republican voter who works in regional finance.
The Southern/Midwestern worship of football players is sad. At Baylor, a southern Baptist university, every new football player had to drug a girl and let the team gang rape her while being filmed. The admin knew this was going on but hey, tOuChDoWnS!!!
https://www.thedailybeast.com/baylor-athletes-used-gang-rapes-as-bondin…
I have no passionate hatred for any city, but I have to ask, is that supposed to be a knock on living in Charlotte? That sounds pretty nice to me.
Maybe you're one of those people who loves NYC for the nightlife / unparalleled food scene / constant action, but the older I get the more appealing your Charlotte scenario sounds.
Nothing wrong with Charlotte. It just will appeal to more people than others. The point is to find a city you like.
This type of condescending post is exactly why R's label all Dems as coastal elites. If you don't work in LA, SF, or NYC then you're automatically labeled a lesser despite having probably a better WLB and much more take home pay after taxes. All of you genuinely believe the only place to do finance is essentially NYC and if you didn't go to Wharton before signing at GS you're a plebe. In spite of this, you also wonder why people call you an indisputable douchebag in every social setting, assuming you have any form of EQ and didn't spend 4 years of undergrad grinding DCF's every Friday and Saturday night.
How is this topic condescending when there are many topics dedicated to how big cities suck and almost none dedicated to praising these cities. The OP is venting by stating the obvious.
These are arguments nearly every WSO user makes and the site is overwhelmingly Republican :)
No one said that - I literally described a pretty nice life a lot of people - myself included - enjoy. You let your self get so spun up about...what you think someone else is saying about you? Newsflash, they don't think about you at all.
Here's the thing man, you're echoing this trope that has sold conservative news for 3 decades now, where they tap into some weird inferiority complex telling you that northeastern liberals are looking down their noses at you, when you JUST SAID that you make more money than them. It doesn't make any sense - why do you give a shit what anyone thinks? You just said you make more money and have a nicer life, and yet you apply this stupid high school attitude that THEY look down on us.
What do you want from them? You know what I see in the Atlantic and the New Yorker and NYTimes? JDVance, Hillbilly Elegy, the forgotten man, economic anxiety and all kinds of articles trying to understand those outside the northeast/west coast. Ask yourself - have you ever seen fox news do a spot on the struggles of a minority single mother in the Bronx? You and I both know the answer.
Get a grip, you're being taken for a ride.
Charlotte is actually pretty liberal - ~75% of the city voted for Biden.
A better example is OKC trustmeimanengineer , Kansas City, Jacksonvillle, etc.
Memphis????? Are you for real? Memphis is far left. look at the demographics and the voting patterns in Memphis. Also, Memphis has struggled for years to get its crime problem under control...
This sounds pretty great to a lot of people.
...what's wrong with growing a beard in your 30s?
Nothing - it's just a little basic lol. That applies to guys living in both Park Slope and Buckhead btw.
Honestly that list sounds pretty appealing. "Basic" and "simple" sounds pretty good as you get older.
Big European cities don't suck (if you have lots of money). Big U.S. cities are kind of trash. Each big U.S. city is lacking in a unique and noticeable way.
I’m long Paris, London, Rome, & Madrid
What's your thesis on Paris? Personally I like French culture and Paris the times I've been, but a lot of people I've spoken to and some here also don't like it cuz it's dirty, they think the French are pretentious, cigarettes, work ethic, unrestrained control of immigrants, etc. It'll be interesting to see how that whole 15 min city thing works out though from an urban planning perspective.
Paris: sorry but just no. There's a decently popular recent French movie, The fabulous destiny of Amelie: the director said that what he could film in Paris 15/20 years ago simply can't be done anymore. The city is a rat-hole. You either live in the tourist areas or don't go there.
Madrid: comfy and smooth. Spanish culture might take a while to adapt but nice overall.
Rome: ancient city with lots of problems, but culturally speaking has no equals.
Rome and Madrid are cool. But, I’m not a huge fan of England or France.
How about Barcelona? I mean, have you seen those women in Barcelona? Man.
NYC isn’t lacking shiiiiiiiiit.
NYC is tired.
Lol, don't you live in Detroit or Milwaukee or something?
no where sucks if you have money ;)
Hilton Head is where you want to be... golf everyday.
How much do you enjoy it
If I could live there, I would.
Hilton Head is very nice place to visit.
One of the best places in the country
I like to golf just as much as the next guy and I can tell you that there are A LOT of places you can golf every day and they are, IMO, better than Hilton Head. Book a trip to Palm Springs CA and thank me later.
No top 100 courses in Palm Springs. Hilton Head has Harbor Town plus South Carolina punches way above its weight in golf. You've got Kiawah just up the road in Charleston and May River in Bluffton which ranks in the top 100 you can play.
There are pros and cons to literally anywhere you’ll ever live. Figure out which factors are important to you and which downsides you can live with and choose accordingly
Baltimore City is a great place to work at, and Baltimore County is a great place to live in, and I speak from experience.
Baltimore County is a great place to live in....Baltimore City is a great place to die in...
Baltimore is insane trash, what do you like about it? Maybe beers a dollar cheaper than DC, but you only got like 2 neighborhoods you can actually walk around in. Pretty good metal scene though, been to some shows with friends at Soundstage which was fun, and Moonrise is sick, but the second you walk a quarter block in any direction, good luck.
I’m a born and raised Baltimore native… and this is just not true anymore. Baltimore was great, once upon a time, but both the city and county have gotten worse every year that I’ve been alive, and that process has only accelerated with COVID. I can never see myself moving back there, and I’m from the county.
This question is like red meat to the folks who allow politics to live rent free in their heads and for those who think democrats are evil! like literally evil!. There is often no nuance with folks on here. I live in a city (guess you can call it a city? Population is 300K so not a small town but not a large city as well) which is per the FBI is the safest city for it's size in the entire country for the past decade, Violent crime and homelessness is essentially non existent. You have to be from around here to know that this is not hyperbole lol. There are plenty of high paying jobs in tech (Google & Amazon have offices in the city for example), finance, pharma, etc. A top public university in the city adds to the talent pipeline. The city was master planned in a way that almost all residents are within a 10 minute walk to a park. I have a 10 minute commute to work and I rarely even ever get on the freeways so all my driving is on surface streets. I live in a safe and clean area, the city has diverse cuisines (population is nearly 45% Asian), excellent public schools, high paying jobs, convenient access to the ocean, several beaches, etc. My quality of life is very good and I cannot complain. The city is also one of the top 10 fastest growing cities (min pop:50K) in the last decade per the census so I am not the only one that likes it here. And guess what? There is a democratic mayor (and the county went blue for the first time in a presidential election since 1936 few years ago and the trendlines are absolutely not reversing any time soon) but my quality of life will also be fine with a republican mayor. That's my privilege. You can read between the lines and figure out what the common denominator is amongst most residents who live here, that is what allows us to demand certain things that allows us to live a good life here and we will get that regardless of who the mayor is. So I dont allow politics to live rent free in my head as there is a better use of my time.
lol i know exactly which city this is. its nice for families but extremely boring for someone in their 20s unless they grew up there/went to college there. i.e. there is no social scene
Agreed. I went to school here, travelled the world and ended up back here lol. I now love it and it has exactly what I am looking for and expect at this stage of my life. One thing I have learnt is that we are all not a monolith and value different things in life. There is no necessarily a right or wrong answer here.
My gut feeling is going with Anaheim on this one.
So all those other cities got bad by accident? Didn't have anything to do with mayors or policies?
Look, if you're happy to stick your head in the sand, go for it. Ignorance is bliss! But to suggest that the politics and policies in your city don't matter is just dumb. Might not matter in a single administration but have a few decades of bad administrations and your city will look like shit before you know it. Almost every bad city in the US was a very nice place to live 50+ years ago.
what you might consider as bad might not be bad for others. We are all not a monolith. Shocking I know. And those dumb idiots living in those cities right, they are dumb sheep, they dont know any better to keep voting for the same people, we are the ones to have it all figured out, why cant they be like us, we are right and they are all wrong. It's one or the other!
Depends actually. If the politicians or corporations have skin in the game, they won't be putting silly policies down like defund the police.
Look at Beverly Hills, or Vegas for that matter. Reliably democratic cities in democratic states, but still not failures by any objective measure.
Well considering that Republicans tend to think Democrats are wrong and it is the Democrats who think the Republicans are evil....
Right and in the city where I live in, I usually find people are pretty chill, not the terminally online types looking to be outraged about something constantly and with the mentality that you mentioned- it is black and white with absolutely no nuance. Maybe this is another reason why I like it here :)
The cities that always come up at the top of best cities rankings and surveys are Australian and New Zealand cities and tbh its not hard to see why. There isn't really anywhere else in the world that compares to Brisbane, Sydney, Perth, Auckland etc. Can't think of any other city which has western culture, english speakers, warm sunny weather, next to nice beaches, large enough to feel like you are living in a big city but not too large where it is insanely expensive, looks beautiful, is clean, loads of things to do etc.
Sadly nothing in Europe or the US compares.
You forgot the biggest perk, they're run by Dictators. Everyone knows the government always knows what is best and New Zealand and Australia have done a bang up job ensuring that citizens of those countries don't have to waste precious time thinking for themselves and being bothered by annoying little things like personal freedom. A true paradise.
What do you mean run by dictators? Pardon my ignorance but thought both NZ / Australia where democracies
As an Australian living in Australia, what the fuck are you talking about?????
You sound deranged mate
Aussie here living in Germany. Lived in both Brisbane and Melbourne. Generally agree that the quality of life is fantastic. But there is still some room for personal preference. I really like having four seasons and cold winters, and prefer the old world cultural feeling of being EU based.
And please don't feed the troll trying to talk about Australia being authoritarian lmao
Not trying to be a troll. I'm just going off what my colleagues who live in country have relayed.
I personally think australia is run by a dictator. Beautiful country but it was mind blowing going to a festival a few years ago in Sydney and seeing police strip search random people and make them get naked, saw arrests, and seeing 20 dogs and secret police all over a simple festival / concert with Flume. Been to coachella 6 times and never had my bag checked or issues and I have never seen police at an event like that. The australians I was with told me it was normal.. Also couldn't have shots past midnight or reenter bars / lockout laws at least in Sydney
Philly is the best city. Not too small and affordable and it’s also close to NYC (1:10 min train). Main line is one of the best places to raise a family.
But you have to deal with people from Philly
Best people in the world
lmao you know philly isn't it when one of your selling points is leaving the city to go to nyc
I don’t think so. NYC is a great place but it can be too much for some people. Philly is in a good spot where it’s accessible when you want it.
Dating scene in Philly is not worth the COL imo...
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