Oh and Portland has this apparently: http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2015/07/sex_toys_hanging_from_portland_1.html
If you're into that sort of thing....
Oh and Portland has this apparently: http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2015/07/sex_toys_hanging_from_portland_1.html
If you're into that sort of thing....
Definitely take the likes of Baltimore off the list of decent mass transit. It ain't.
Been some years since I've been there, but Ft Collins Colorado had an excellent bus system.
I'm still not really sure what "great transportation infrastructure" means.
NYC has a system that can get you anywhere, anytime. It can also get you killed, anywhere, anytime.
ATL has an efficient, safe, clean system which is very reliable. But it has only 2 lines (N/S, and E/W). It doesn't go many places without bus transfers, which are time consuming. The lines connect some of the most expensive neighborhoods to the city, so I don't think it helps your budget. It is a truly E36 M3ty place to drive.
When I lived in the Northeast (PA and NJ), it seemed similar. Train lines seemed built to suburban places where people want to live, which makes the cost of living in those places higher.
The Towns I know that rely on a functional bus system (like Miami) seem to do a little better.
This is why I live in a small rural community. The lower income levels are offset by the lower expenses and stress- net win.
Salt Lake has a good light rail system. I don't know about the job situation through. Fort Worth has no real transit system. Dallas Park and ride is in its infancy and expansions are infrequent and poorly planned. But if you live and work near one of the stations it's good. Chances are you probably won't get murdered on Dallas rail or bus but....
Pittsburgh has the T (aka Trolley, aka light rail) but it's pretty limited considering how much Pittsburgh is geographically divided.
I suspect to get to a market where I have plenty of opportunities I'm just going to have to deal with the fact it's not going to be like Tulsa where most 15 mile commutes are less than a 20 minute affair.
SVreX wrote: This is why I live in a small rural community. The lower income levels are offset by the lower expenses and stress- net win.
Big city stress > nothing to do
In reply to z31maniac:
Over nothing to do? If you're within 40 miles, there is always stuff to do. Plus you actually can tell the difference in lack of smog.
Dude is a 33 year old recent divorcee. I really don't think that he wants to be far from a good nightlife. And far means more than 20 minutes by uber or 24 hour service train.
40 miles? I live 40 miles from Chicago. 36 miles door to door to some of the best nightlife for young folks in the country. The ONLY reason I'm there is that I'm saving money on rent and living with the parents. Because since January, I've been out in Chicago having a good time--more than a happy hour--exactly 2 times. And the suburbs? No thanks. A bunch of guys and gals who are living with their parents, usually because they have to, or else folks who are already hitched and boring. I'm about to be hitched, I live with my parents. I'm moving to the city no later than September 1, because the suburbs are too boring.
And unless it is LA, no you can't tell the difference in smog. I actually could tell the difference from downtown Chicago to the Upper Peninsula. Air quality was worse in the UP, due to the Canadian forest fires.
(BTW, what are your reasons for no Chicago? Seems like it may be a great fit)
ProDarwin wrote:914Driver wrote: DC's Metro system works well.IF you live close enough to a stop and IF your job is close enough to a stop. Unfortunately there are no tech writer positions open at my company right now or I'd recommend it. The salary vs. cost of living is excellent, and commuting is short and very low stress compared to any of the cities mentioned in this thread.
I ride it every day for work.
Figure on $5.10 to park at the metro garage every day (if you have to) and about $5.90 each way in fare. (if you work anything like normal business hours)
The system is not maintained very well, so breakdowns are common. You have about a 1/5 chance that you will be delayed or face congestion as a result of delay. In riding for a few years now I have been stranded on trains in a tunnel for over a half an hour without moving on about five occasions. On a number of occasions I have been over an hour late to work due to metro problems (thankfully my work is flexable on this) If you face rush hour, it is unlikely you will find sitting room on at least one of your trips. I ride over an hour each way and frequently have to stand the whole way.
That said, it might beat actually driving in. I keep thinking I need to give it another try, but with parking running $8-$12 a day near my work I am not so sure its any better. (Plus I live north of DC and work is SE DC)
edit: mtn nailed it
yamaha wrote: In reply to z31maniac: Over nothing to do? If you're within 40 miles, there is always stuff to do. Plus you actually can tell the difference in lack of smog.
Move out of the sticks, 40 miles? I'm 15 minutes from downtown where there is a ton of stuff to do (concerts at many venues, ball game, soccer, TONS of bars and restaurants, etc) and at the end of the night I can crash at a friends place or take an Uber home.
Not only do I have absolutely no desire to live in a small city, I wan't to be somewhere there are opportunities for my job. Hell I currently live in a metro area of 1 million people with lots of Oil and Gas, and manufacturing and there are still almost no opportunities here.
It's none of my business but I'm also curious why the no Chicago rule exists. I totally understand wanting to be in a larger metro area with basic services like public transportation that's actually useful.
I'm just really not interested in a place that has "real" winters. The odd year when we have snow/ice on the ground for a week it's annoying as hell. Add 8n my vehicle is a slammed BRZ on big, meaty Star Specs, it get much worse.
I'd love the Bay Area, but way too damn expensive, rents are insane.
Guys feel free to ask any questions about my thoughts/motivations and possibly upsides to markets I haven't considered.
You don't know what you don't know.
The more I read of this thread, the more I think you should really consider the Research Triangle Park, NC. I haven't driven Raleigh/Durham rush hour but figure it can't be anywhere close to as bad as the big cities. Lots of technology companies possibly looking for technical writers, and if your employer was on the Chapel Hill side of the triangle and you wanted super-cheap housing, Burlington isn't far out of the Triangle at all.
z31maniac wrote: I'm just really not interested in a place that has "real" winters. The odd year when we have snow/ice on the ground for a week it's annoying as hell. Add 8n my vehicle is a slammed BRZ on big, meaty Star Specs, it get much worse. I'd love the Bay Area, but way too damn expensive, rents are insane. Guys feel free to ask any questions about my thoughts/motivations and possibly upsides to markets I haven't considered. You don't know what you don't know.
Ok, I'll try to sell you on Chicago, because I heart Chicago.
First of all, we know how to remove snow here. It happens every year. So that week that you have? 99% of cases, it is a day here. (The salt sticks around though).
Let's assume that you work in the Loop or near it. Live within walking distance of a train station on the Metra or CTA, and you have a lot of options that are affordable, depending on how you determine that, and you don't have to worry about driving in the snow. If it weren't my hobby and I was single, I wouldn't have a car at all (parents have cars I can borrow). As it is, SWMBO and I will have one car between us, and that is only because she can't take public transit to her job in the suburbs.
Ok, so you need the car, huh? Well, then you have 2 options: Get snow tires for the BRZ, or get a winter beater. For $1500 you can have a perfectly capable vehicle. Live in a suburb and you can park both easily, garage for one. Live in the city, street park the beater. I drove a slammed Miata on snow tires for years in the suburbs and rural Illinois, no problem. I wouldn't drive it in the winter in Chicago proper because of the road conditions; but in the summer you just have to be aware of the road.
Now, the other cool thing about Chicago is that we have some parts of the city that you can't tell aren't suburbs, and suburbs that you can't really tell aren't the city. Oak Park and Evanston for example are suburbs that are on the L. If you didn't know you weren't in the city, there isn't much discernable difference between them and some Chicago neighborhoods. Evanston has Northwestern too, so a lot of young folks. Then you have Jefferson Park and Edison Park. If you didn't know, you'd think they were suburbs--although both are on the L and Metra.
I wouldn't rule Chicago out because of the snow from the vehicle perspective. Rule it out for the cold, or because you don't like snow and ice, I get that.
If that has convinced you that maybe you should consider it, I'd start looking for jobs in Chicago and looking at their locations. Using google maps, if it is within a (insert time here) walk from any Metra station (241 on 11 lines) or L stop (146 stations on 7.5 lines), then apply. You would only be in the car for one-off errands and for fun.
Oh, and the best locations for a job are in this order, within a [your time limit] walk of a stop on
1: the Blue or Red line
2: Brown and Purple lines
3: Ogilvy or Union Station.
Seconding the suggestion of The Triangle in NC. I don't personally have the hangup over winters but I understand not wanting to be there for them.
mndsm wrote: Mpls/St. Paul has greatly expanded the LRT and bus system, and we have the best biking trails in the country. Plus, I'm here!
Wait... I thought you worked for Troegs in Pennsylvania. Which brewery do you work for?
In reply to mtn:
There's the difference, to me, a night of getting plastered looking for a floozie to take home isn't exactly appealing.
And I can tell the difference between Chicago, Indianapolis, Detroit, etc versus where I live, or perhaps that is just due to being more keen about it due to mild asthma.
I'll recommend Detroit. There is no mass transit*, so imagine the possibilities! We do have great stuff to do and traffic isn't that bad.
yamaha wrote: In reply to mtn: There's the difference, to me, a night of getting plastered looking for a floozie to take home isn't exactly appealing.
Who said anything about any of that?
Oh, and I forgot - from the Triangle, 1.5 hours to VIR.
In reply to mtn:
I guess stating "33yo recently divorced" kinda lead my mind towards that.
I travel to Indy for night time activities, but our ideas of fun don't involve bars, concerts, or overpriced restaurants.
In reply to Beer Baron:
Flat earth in St Paul.
In reply to z31maniac:
There is only one place to go for a good, 24 hour a day public transportation system but I wouldn't move here on purpose because of the winter. While snow removal isn't really a problem in any northern city there isn't much to do about the cold. I think Trump would get more votes if he promised to build a wall on the Canadian border and kept the cold air out.
In reply to SVreX:
I understand you concerns. I won't camp in Georgia because I don't want to be raped.
Personally I think you should ditch the public transportation idea and focus more on "average commute time" and avoid any place with a long commute.
Again, my wife and I moved to a small city where meeting people is really easy, people are friendly, lots of stuff to do (because of the natural surroundings) and now that's got a job we're beating the ever-living-crap out of previous income/rent ratio. Now, if she didn't get said job we would've been a bit in the red, but nothing major. Certainly not enough to give up this life experience of living someplace awesome.
My opinion is this, I'd use any connection you have to get yourself out of Tulsa. Get yourself away from the old job, the old network, the old ex-wife, the old life. Look for cities with a young population and quick rebound from the recession. Check out this map I made and go to any green dot on that map.
Me? I'd be looking at Charleston SC, Nashville TN, Burlington NC, Tampa FL
z31maniac wrote: Not only do I have absolutely no desire to live in a small city, I wan't to be somewhere there are opportunities for my job. Hell I currently live in a metro area of 1 million people with lots of Oil and Gas, and manufacturing and there are still almost no opportunities here.
If you move to a small city (< 500k in my book), WITH a job, I don't see that much of an issue. You can always just move the next time you want to change jobs.
Yes, the night life & things to do would be an issue.
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