I will start out by stating this obviously will not work for every occupation but this about it… most college towns punch way above their weight in almost all regards that improve quality of life.

The arts. Most universities have orchestras and arts programs which mean free or low cost high quality entertainment, as well as museums.

Food. The food options around universities are usually closer to that of med size to large size cities compared to towns of the similar size. Breweries, wineries, diverse foods from local restaurants. Bonus if the university has an agricultural program that could mean cheap, high quality meats, honey and fruits and vegetables.

Infrastructure. College towns usually have high proportions of bikers and walkers which means more bike lanes and sidewalk maintenance at the level or exceeding major cities. For adults easy access to continued education, for kids k-12 schooling which is often affiliated with the university.

Education. Regardless of whether it’s for you or for kids college towns usually have superior educational opportunities compared to larger cities.

*Bonus*

Medical access. A college town with a med school grants almost immediate access to top tier medical care whether it be level one trauma centers or medical specialties such as oncology or cardiology

Bonus bonus

A dental school. Need anymore be said.

Also I think it’s good for people of all ages to be around young people it keeps you young at heart. The burbs age you.

I feel like you never hear about Sac but I’ve been researching different cities and it’s definitely piquing my interest.

Mid-late 20s, gay male, big into running/hiking. I like walkability (even if it’s just decent neighborhoods), parks, greenery, unique bars/coffee shops, younger or more lively crowd with events and places to meet people. I like having changes in seasons but lean strongly toward the warmer/sunny weather for more of the year.

Idk it looks like the city has a decent downtown area with great parks and outdoor recreation, with stellar weekend trips nearby. You tell me?

I see this idea out and about talking with people about the realities of living in most major metros. Many cities are just too expensive for middle class people. And these folks make too much money for public assistance. What do you guys think? Are cities no longer feasible for just average middle income people? Is it really better to be poor in a city than elsewhere?

My wife and I are considering an East Coast move from Los Angeles by way of San Diego. I’m born and raised East Coast and she’s from SoCal, respective families on both sides.

We both work remote with well paying jobs, very lucky and we’d like to do something new with the flexibility we may not always have. We’ve also lived together before in NYC, but moved back to California after, so we’re pretty familiar with there at least. I had a job there and was let go, so we moved back.

But Boston, caught our eye, neither of us have been, but I’m a huge hockey guy, I prefer living on the East Coast and overall the places available seem to cost about the same as NYC, but are a bit larger. The supposed safety and cleanliness of the city sounds nice too. As does the smaller population.

I should also add we’re in our early 30’s and would like to settle down, at least in a few years. So how would Boston compare to NY, worth a visit?

Should also say, we’re not into nightlife, but we like to eat out here and there. She’s actually vegan, I’m not however. Hiking, anything outdoors is great too, both love the ocean too and museums.

I'm in California and the cost of living is getting to be too much. I have my family here so I don't wanna leave unless I'm absolutely forced to. Anyone here left and actually found success?

Had to move to the area for work for 3 ish years. Recently left. Never understood the hype. Originally from the DC area and nothing in Austin felt that much cheaper. Maybe gas and the groceries but it’s not like I needed to drive much in DC anyways.

Don’t even get me started on the weather. Even when the weather was cold it was miserable. It felt like there were no redeeming qualities. Scorch earth sunny or muddy cloudy wasteland.

All the fun stuff to do was outside, cost money for little gain, and was filled with weirdos and crackheads harassing people. It was just uncomfortable. The venues could never support the influx of crowds who had no other fun activities planned because there’s nothing better to do there.

I am going to miss HEB. Though that’s probably the biggest contributor to me getting fat there. They really must be putting crack in all the HEB products to keep people from moving.

I’ve done a lot of therapy and have learned the lesson of wherever you go, there you are. However I recently had to move in with family (grateful and honestly kinda nice) after getting laid off. I lived somewhere for 4 years and moved a lot before that for job opportunities (and tbh running from my problems). I feel I’ve gotten over it but the same anxiety is coming back..

I’m employed again but a consultant so it’s a bit riskier. However I’m single, mid 30s, and really want to get settled again to meet people and get back to my routine. This in between period has taught me a lot but I’m being pulled to a city that I’m currently test driving and while it’s exciting and has lots of singles I’m also overwhelmed, but I don’t know where else to go? I know the answer isn’t in a place. I do know what I like to do (a lot of things most cities have + cities near water and greenery) and I’m remote which gives me a lot of freedom. Being close to family is just too hard. I really, really dislike where they live as much as I love them. I cannot handle a brutal winter and little to do outside. It’s hard on my mental health.

Anyways, if you had a hard time figuring out your place for years, I’d love to know your story.

Hey all - trying to make a final decision between staying in LA or moving to OC/SD. Recently started fully remote role, $90K. I (Black, 29F) have been in LA 2.5 years - small community, 1 close friend 40 mins away no traffic, boyfriend in South OC. Bit about me: Vegetarian, work in media/entertainment (don't need to be adjacent rn), love fitness - pilates/running, visit East coast family 3-4x/year, have a senior cat.

Housing options (all have W/D):

1. 500 sq. ft. studio in Hollywood Hills - center of the action for better or worst at a great price (~$1750 all in) but traditional box layout and street parking only
2. 600 sq. ft. two-level in Hunting Beach - best proximity to boyfriend and most peaceful location but older unit at higher price (~$2,600 all in) and potentially a culture clash
3. 300 sq. ft efficient unit in downtown SD - lively, walkable area; not the most practical but would be the easiest move (don't need to buy furniture; $1,900 all in)
4. 600 sq. ft 1 bedroom in Golden Hill SD - true one bedroom in a calmer part of SD near Balboa Park but street parking only ($2,100 all in)

Choices:

1. Stay LA to save (∼$1750) but small community + 60-90 min drive to OC
2. Pay HB for convenience all around (∼$2600) but not save much
3. Move SD for fresh start as remote worker (∼$1900-2100) but be removed from LA + OC

I'm very indecisive so any advice would help!

I work remotely and have flexibility, and am considering moving to one of these two places for various reasons. I'm weighing my personal preferences on other things separately, but for this thread I'm curious which one you think has a brighter future

Both cities are approaching 1 million people within the city limits, but they seem to be taking very different paths.

For purposes of the discussion, let's define “brighter future” as where each metro is likely to be 15–20 years from now, based on:

• Population growth — attracting and retaining residents
• Job growth — especially high-paying professional jobs
• Economic diversification — not being overly dependent on one industry
• Corporate investment — headquarters, expansions and major projects
• Income & wealth growth — whether prosperity is actually increasing
• Talent pipeline — universities, educated workforce and ability to attract young professionals
• Housing & affordability — whether growth remains sustainable
• Infrastructure & connectivity — airport, transit, roads and ability to handle growth
• National relevance — whether the city is gaining importance relative to peer metros

I just broke my lease in NYC and am staying with my mom in NJ temporarily while I figure out where to move. I moved back after working in the midwest and cost of living, nonstop energy, etc. is just way too much for me at this point. I like having access to my car and more space and care more about saving at this point in my life. I definitely don't want to live where I currently am (central NJ) because its dead suburbs with nothing going on. I was initially thinking Hoboken but am also considering Philly. I know they're two different vibes; I've spent a lot of time in Philly when my sister was there for school and think it may be a better option for someone my age (34F). I'm an attorney building out my own practice so I've done the NYC biglaw grind and don't have any reason to physically be there (nor did I find I fit in with the white collar crowd, which is why I'm considering Philly instead). Would appreciate anyones thoughts! thanks in advance :)

For someone that hasn’t lived or visited either place, would they seem similar?

What’s the main draw from each of these states?

Me, my husband, and our three kids are about to be homeless. Our eviction hearing is in the morning and we will likely lose, unless a miracle appears. We have no family or friends, no support, my husband’s job is unpredictable and unsustainable, but it’s all we have. If we lose we don’t know where we will go or what to do. It feels like a sign to get out of Houston but we don’t have anywhere else to go. With three young kids everything feels so risky but we have to figure something out fast. Should we stay or go? What are some cheap housing/lodging options?

My spouse and I are both in our early 30s and don’t feel “at home” in our current city of Minneapolis (typical transplant experience here, imo). My spouse is a Canadian so that opens up the whole country to us, which is exciting! I’m an American attorney but open to leaving the legal field and doing adjacent work instead. She works in finance and also has a graduate degree. Our families live in Arizona and we are not interested in the south, so we will be far away from our family regardless of where we go.

Things that are important to us: parental leave/benefits (hope to have kids in the next five years), public school quality, diversity, safety, four seasons, nature, food, walkability. Ideally we move to a bigger city.

Things we don’t care about: cost of living, nightlife.

It seems like Canada is a slam dunk due to the parental leave alone but I’m curious what the internet thinks!

looking to move in a few months and still pondering on where to go. Moving from South FL after 15 years of living here.

- True 4 distinct seasons, access to mountains, dense forests, and high natural scenery.

- Great local coffee shops and shop sin general, good dining, good walkability/downtown charm.

- high energy dog needs (access to trails, open space, dog-friendly community).

- $1,800-$2,200 rent range

- decent people

- overall good QOL

- decent sense of community and culture compared to FL

Which under-the-radar towns or mid-sized cities fit the bill and I'm open to any suggestions and any advice. Just want change and want to live somewhere else that will bring more joy to me and my wife. Any hard truths about where your living and the positives and negatives would be appreciated, thanks.

36F. I moved from New York City to East Tennessee August 2023. Less than a year into my move, within 4-6 months, I couldn't help but think and ask if I made my life harder by moving here, and if this was a mistake.

I vacationed in Tennessee for about 8 times within the span of two years before moving. I did fall in love with it. It became my home away from home. It made me happy. I thought 8 times was enough, along with experiencing all four seasons here. I ended up buying a house and moved my teenager with me. I've always rented/lived with family in NYC, so buying seemed best at the time, instead of giving an owner/landlord my money monthly. This is also my first time ever, at the age of 35, 33 when I moved, that I ever lived in a safe & quiet home and neighborhood. I'm happy I was able to give my son this too. His own room that a teen would love. I've decorated our home into a colorful, fun, unique place.

I just feel stuck and not exactly happy. I went from always walking or taking the trains in NYC to barely walking here, having to buy a car and drive. My neighborhood doesn't even have sidewalks. I would have to drive 10-15 minutes to walk in a loop at a park and it gets boring. It's been hard to make friends here for both of us. It feels like a lot of adults are cliquish. Even googling this and searching on reddit, I see a lot of other movers say the same thing about this place, even after living here for 6 plus years.

I hate having to pay for car insurance, home insurance, garbage pickup monthly and a lawn mower every two weeks from April-Oct. I have trouble finding a close doctor that takes my insurance. I did not think it would have been such a big issue. I still don't have a general provider for my son or I. I miss walking. I find myself homesick often. I spent 3 months this past summer in NY, from mid May to mid August, and I did the same in October of last year to January. I loved spending time with my friends there and just being somewhere I felt like I belonged in again. I loved not having to drive.

It's weird, I moved because I didn't feel I belonged in NY anymore. I wanted a better life for my son and I. I feel I got us away from toxic family and bad areas/neighborhoods in NY but I feel maybe I moved WAYYY too far away. I feel bad because my son loves his room, our home and he's happy for the most part. I'm just not. I feel stuck. I want to move back within two years but it seems so hard to do now, which is crazy because I planned my move out of state for two years. I moved with barely anything, and now we have so much new furniture I would want to bring with us. I feel bad because I thought maybe we would live here, if not forever, than for 10 years at least. I feel bad taking my son away from here. Although I feel maybe he'll be okay with the idea because all his things will come with him too. He's 14 now & homeschooled.

I just don't know. I'm sad and feel lonely. I have an amazing home and I love hosting and having people over but we don't know anyone really and no one from back home comes to visit either. I feel all of this is a love hate feeling. I love visiting NY, but when I spend 2-3 months there, I need a break and come back home to Tennessee, and it feels quiet like a break/vacation but then I get sad and lonely and miss NY. I also worry if I'll regret it if we do move back in the future. I just don't know what to do. I feel terribly stuck. I've been considering the Hudson Valley area of NY, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Providence Rhode Island, Boston or New Hamphire. I just don't know if I'll ever feel happy moving anywhere again. I feel I failed as a mom. Wanting to give my son a better life and a safe home but not feeling happy with my decision or how much I've traveled to take a vacation from living in Tennessee. I used to do the same taking vacations living in NYC.

I was born and raised in the Hudson Valley area of NY, in Orange County. Mostly farmland areas that had nothing much going on and were incredibly boring, and I grew up hating it as a gay man.

I met my now-husband in 2017. He grew up in Bridgewater, NJ.

We both had dreams of leaving home, and he was going off to college. He ended up going to college in Los Angeles and left in the summer of 2017. We did long distance for a whole year, because we both knew we wanted to leave and after his first year, he could get an apartment and no longer require to live on site at the dorms.

In 2018, I moved to Los Angeles. For the first 2 years, it was really fun. We went out a lot, did a lot, explored a lot. Then Covid happened and everything changed.

We have never been more miserable. We absolutely hate California now and realize we took the lifestyle back in NYC for granted, but we have felt stuck here because his parents and his sister also moved across the country.

Well, we learned that his sister is miserable here too, but she's a successful author now, along with her partner, who are now both publishing and making good money. So now that they have money and no longer feel that they have to live here for work, they are moving back to Boston.

My husband's parents then established that they are willing to sell their house to fund their move back east as well.

This has my husband and I both incredibly excited. My parents offered to let us stay in the trailer behind their house for as long as we want until we get back on our feet, so our temporary living situation couldn't be any better.

We're pretty open to ideas of exploring anywhere along the transit corridor into NYC so long as the trainride is really only about an hour or so.

What would be your suggestions to look into for someone who is a gay man? I only stress that because I obviously don't want to move to an area where I'll hate my neighbors because they're overzealous religious fanatics, but I also don't need the area to be an LGBT haven either. I keep to myself and just want to have a neighbor who won't care, but I don't need it to be a gay mecca. I love Massachussets for this idea but I don't think that would be doable for work.

My wife (38f) and I (39f) are currently in Florida and have been trying to figure out where to relocate since election night 🙄 We have visited various places in CT, MA, RI, and MD, and are checking out DE next month.

We are targeting the northern Wilmington area and potentially Newark. Any areas we are missing? We would need a single family home, so unfortunately the more walkable areas like Trolley Square are out. We currently work remotely and that likely will not change, but we would like to be close to Philadelphia in the event we find future jobs that required a hybrid schedule.

We plan to have kids, so the most important factor for us is an area where we wouldn’t be the only two mom family.

Thank you in advance!

Specifically Irvine, Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, Dana Point, and La Jolla. In my humble opinion, there’s nowhere better in America.

The coastline alone is ridiculous. The cliffs, coves, mountains, beaches, and neighborhoods overlooking the ocean. You can take an ordinary evening walk and feel like you’re on vacation. Add the weather, landscaping, good food, and how clean and well-maintained so much of it feels, and it’s hard to beat.

Irvine obviously isn’t a beach town, but I love how master planned it is and how put-together it feels while still being close to all of this. Laguna and La Jolla are probably my favorites for scenery, and Newport and Dana Point are places where I could happily spend every weekend just walking around by the water.

The housing prices are the obvious catch. But putting affordability aside, I genuinely don’t know where else in the country I’d rather live.

I’m working on a report to help agents research neighborhoods and share that information with movers.

But I'm also wondering if maybe this might be better as a consumer tool, rather than just an agent tool.

Sample report: https://each.place/report/build/california/south-pasadena/1414-mission-st

Website: https://each.place/

Would this be useful in your search? Is there something we should include that would improve the experience as a mover rather than an agent?

Where would you move, I want to be able to visit NYC, but I don't want to live in that chaos, looking for greenery, space, peace with no budget in mind, I am renting, but I love NYC but only for a day at a time, I want to be able to leave it and go to some peace. I have heard upsate NY is great, but do people live in MA or CT and do this, or even down to Raleigh.

Husband, myself, and our three kids (ages 6, 4, and 2) currently live in Denver, CO and we moved here 6 years ago from Charleston, SC. My husband and I are both originally from California.

The current dilemma is my husband does not like Denver whatsoever and wants to move back to Charleston, SC. I’m having a hard time wanting to uproot our family when we have such wonderful community here. We got into our top choice charter elementary school and our oldest is thriving. I have best friends who I can call to do a last minute school pickup anytime and we often do play dates and girls nights throughout the week. We live on a thriving cul de sac where the kids play in the front yard and one of my neighbors has become a best friend I hang out with frequently and all us ladies are in a neighborhood book club together. Do I think Denver is the most exciting place? No. However, I hesitate to think the beach is worth giving all of this beautiful mundane stability up for.

I’m ready for all your thoughts and harsh truths! Am I selfish for wanting this stability for my kids vs the allure of Charleston life?