image via aaron huey
my husband and i currently live in new york city (queens to be precise). we definitely have a love/hate relationship with the city (love the subway, the diversity, the art, the energy . . . hate the subway, the crowds, the inconsiderate attitude, the cost of living) and have decided that we don't want to live here forever -- although we'll likely still be here for a few more years. while i'm not sure that any other city can compare to NYC for me, i think we both need a slightly smaller city with a slightly slower pace.
image via hula seventy
so, i figured, why not ask the internet? where should we move to?
considerations:
- we still want to be in a city . . . maybe just not a city of over 8 million
- we would love to be able to rent or buy a small house with a yard
- my husband is a massage therapist, so a place that has a good market for massage therapy is needed
- i suffer from rheumatoid arthritis, so extreme cold or damp weather is not favorable
- public transportation is very important to us
- as is an environmentally friendly community
- a good arts scene beats a good sports scene for us
- needs to be dog friendly
- close to water of some sort
. . . or maybe we'll just move to brooklyn.
11 comments:
From what it seems, Chicago can offer a lot of those things, but I'm reluctant to even say so, given I want you both in Brooklyn!
And I think Singapore is the most perfect place to live, but is likely too damp for you. Sad!
PORTLAND!
If you don't mind the heat and humidity during the summer, Austin nails every one of your considerations except for the public transportation. But our public transportation has gotten a bit better with the opening of the Metrorail that runs from Leander to downtown Austin. Y'all need to come visit us. I can just about guarantee you'd fall in love with Austin... :-)
@minty: i do like chicago, especially since it isn't too far from our families, but i am not a fan of the extreme weather.
@abby: i love portland, but i'm worried about the damp weather aggravating my RA.
@cole: yes, yes, i know!! we really, really, really need to come visit. =)
I adore Santa Fe - though it's not close to water.
i haven't ever been to the southwest, so it's not really on my radar. i'll have to add santa fe to my list of places to research. thanks!
easy peasy.
PHILLY!
it already loves you.
MELBOURNE!
Pros:
- Australia is a pretty easy city to immigrate to for Americans (easy is a relative term in the world of immigration, but still) and Melbs is AWESOME.
- Great mass transit, art, design, food, culture etc.
- Four seasons except winter doesn't really reach freezing.
- Very inexpensive to buy/rent in and most places have yards or at least a small terrace out front.
- Tons of jobs and even crap ones pay great. Example: the average Australian barista makes $18ish an hour and health care is free!
- Fiji and Bali and all of SE Asia are short, cheap plane rides away.
Cons:
- It costs a thousand dollars to fly home to the US.
- If you can't get your family to get with the technology/skype program, it costs a lot to talk to the people you love.
- International moving is a pain in the ass.
@shilo: wow, melbourne sounds amazing! i know my husband is interested in australia . . . maybe we'll have to keep that in mind!
I was reading your list of considerations, and almost had a perfect score with my current hometown of Portland, Or.:
* 1/2 million in the city; 2 million in the metropolitan area
*lovely houses in the burbs or lofts in the Pearl District
*everyone is pretty relaxed here, but I'm sure we'd still enjoy some good massages
*MAX - it's our friendly light-rail system (above ground!) that goes just about everywhere in the city
*Portland has been referred to as the most environmentally friendly or "green" city in the United States and the second most in the world ~ we're crazy mad recyclers here
*Look closely . . . there's A-R-T in Portland! galleries, festivals, The Pearl District, First Thursday gallery open houses, Portland Art Museum.
*And I quote . . . Dog Fancy magazine (October 2006 issue) gave the top ranking to Portland as the best all-around city for dogs in America. According to Dog Fancy, there are 136,332 dogs living in Portland, which the Census Bureau says has a human population of 554,130. With Forest Park and 33 city-maintained parks with off-leash areas, Portland is "one giant dog paradise."
"Other top cities for dogs include Sanford, Florida; Albuquerque, New Mexico; San Diego, California; Bellingham, Washington; Palo Alto, California; and New York City, which is home to 1.5 million dogs."
My westie Kirby loves it here . . . he says "woof woof."
* water and mountains abound ~ ocean 2 hours to the west (think surfing), the Columbia River Gorge to the east (think windsurfing!), Columbia River (think salmon fishing!), Willamette River (think boating and jet skiing) and the mountains - well, best skiing and hiking hands down.
Sorry about the rheumatoid arthritis. It's very rainy here, so that's the one check mark in the con column. Although, you could always high-tail it to Bend, during the rainy season (that's high desert).
Anyway, that's my input from the Left Coast.
thanks for the great feedback kim!
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