So, lets say you graduated and are looking for a job. Where would you want to live and why?

I've got my own Ideas, but I'm curious to what others think and look for in a place to live.



Why I'd stay in Raleigh:

Raleigh has low unemployment, so theoretically it won't be too difficult to find a decent job in the area; it's a college town, so there are people in my age group; I like the transportation infrastructure (i.e., I don't think traffic is terrible most of the time...); it's in 'the south' so people seem to be nicer; the weather is good-- hot summers with usually a 'snow' in the winter; it's not far to travel to the beach, the mountains, etc; lots of downtown nightlife (Glenwood South, First Fridays, Fayetteville St. Mall); and (important to me--) there are good churches in the area.

Some others I'm considering, but haven't researched enough yet: Atlanta, Dallas, Denver, Charleston, Savannah.

3/16/2007 11:47:10 AM

raleigh is good b/c of the jobs, but I really want to get to the mountains of nc asap, but the job outlook isn't very good out that way.

3/16/2007 11:54:49 AM

I decided to stay in Raleigh. After undergrad I moved up to Michigan and worked for a semester and realized it was too fucking cold up there for me. I also realized that I liked the people down here a bit better. Needless to say I'm staying around here when I get my graduate degree.

3/16/2007 11:54:58 AM

Dallas is nice, I spent a summer there, and it's hotter than black jesus - just be prepared for a long commute depending on where you work, cause you have to live north/west of town unless you want to be in Mexican-land or spend $texas ( ) on a place near center-city. Lots of corporate headquarters are in Dallas and there are plenty of jobs.

Savannah is awesome the few times I have been there, as is Charleston but I would imagine you would be limited as far as industry goes, you might have to know the right people to get a good job.

Raleigh is a great place to be - wish I could have lucked out and stayed there.

Charlotte (where I live) is great too - the NC region is still booming and appears to be one of the few areas avoiding the real estate market downturn.

Also, it really depends on where you are from and what your values are - I am from Raleigh originally so moving to somewhere like Denver or NYC or LA would be quite the culture shock for me.

3/16/2007 11:56:50 AM

I stayed in raleigh but I had a hard time getting any decent job, so I moved up to NYC. Its a blast and I think every young person shoudl try living here (or a big city) for just a few years. I don't plan on this being a permanent thing.

3/16/2007 12:09:06 PM

I'd go nuts in a big city.....hell, raleigh or charlotte is about the biggest i could do.

3/16/2007 12:12:23 PM

i moved to raleigh in aug 2000 to start at ncsu

graduated dec 2004 and remained living in raleigh while working the past 2 years

moving to atlanta in may because fiance is taking a job down there and work allows me to live anywhere near an airport

we looked for a city outside of raleigh with a lot of job possibilities in case either of us wanted to switch jobs (we both probably won't be in the same job for more than another 3 years) - in the end the major decision was to either move to greenville, sc or atlanta, ga if she accepted one of the offers - or to continue searching because she accepted in dec 06 when realistically she could have continued looking and it wouldn't have been a big deal

we are both extremely close to our families and atlanta puts us right in the middle of both of the immediate familiesw as far as driving distance - and we are closer now to other family

3/16/2007 12:22:00 PM

I'll be living in Huntsville, AL after I graduate. Mostly because they are completely paying for me to relocate and I don't have anything tying me down.

3/16/2007 1:17:27 PM

I highly recommend moving to somewhere along the coast after graduation.

40 hour weeks are nothing when you can go to the beach after work. There are also plenty of young people at the beach. You will never get bored.

I got a great job in Myrtle Beach after graduation and have been here for almost 2 years and plan to stay another before I had back for grad school. I don't really recommend moving to Myrtle because it isn't for everyone (however, if you like vacationing here you'll probably like living here).

Charleston is about 1.5 hours south of me and every friend I've had thats moved there has loved it so far.

3/16/2007 1:21:02 PM

Quote :

"I highly recommend moving to somewhere along the beach mountains after graduation."

but that's just me.

3/16/2007 1:27:38 PM

RTP, lots of good jobs, low cost of living, not too far from the beach and the mountians

3/16/2007 1:33:42 PM

Assuming that you're "not in a family way," I'd recommend living in a place that you'd like to live in, but couldn't imagine raising a family in...

3/16/2007 1:45:36 PM

i would have like to stay in Raleigh, had an offer at Myrtle Beach but as ^^^^ mentioned
, i didnt like the environment.
now in Tampa living on an island and enjoying it, its hot but plenty to do.

[Edited on March 16, 2007 at 1:48 PM. Reason : ^]

3/16/2007 1:47:52 PM

I relocated to wilmington, de for a very nice figure.

however,

for young people, delaware kinda sucks if you dont know anyone.

on the other end:

20 miles from center city philly,
110 nyc
70 baltimore
110 washington, dc
80 atlantic city

cant beat that.


cost of living around these parts is decieving, as its comparable to raleigh, in all but housing and propery values. people from washington to nyc are starting to creep in and commute.

3/16/2007 1:48:24 PM

Quote :

"$texas () "

NICE



Charlotte would be good, too-- that's definitely an option.

About Atlanta, I like the idea of the MARTA, even though people still say it's outgrown it's transportation infrastructure and takes you forever to get anywhere-- I think that's just the transition into the 'big city' type of place. There also seems to be lots of nightlife in ATL as the downtown is developing a lot.

Anyone lived in CA? San Fran or San Diego? Any experience with industry out there? I know cost of living is a lot more, but hopefully the pay scale would keep up with that.

[Edited on March 16, 2007 at 2:02 PM. Reason : ps thanks for the comments on Dallas-- good to know]

3/16/2007 2:01:21 PM

^i've been going to grad school in san diego. except for housing and gas, it is not that much more expensive and the benefits of living here greatly outweigh the costs. i'm a 2 minute walk from the beach and only pay a little over $600/month for a 2 person apartment. san diego is somewhat more conservative than the rest of california i would say though. oh, and every job out here does pay significantly more than the national average (in the sciences anyway).

[Edited on March 16, 2007 at 2:34 PM. Reason : .]

3/16/2007 2:33:37 PM

Wilmington, NC


Cool ass place, big enough to have things to do, small enough to get around easily.

3/16/2007 2:37:43 PM

Carrboro/Chapel Hill is where I went after graduating last spring. It has the whole college town feel on a whole other level than what I experience in the capital city of North Carolina and has the prosperity of triangle area. I came from the mountain of North Carolina originally so it’s a slightly shorter drive to see family than when I live in Raleigh.

There are area’s in charlotte that I like and could be okay with moving to, but I think if I wanted to go to a bigger city I might go out of state and try more variety.

Quote :

" Located near Chapel Hill and the University of North Carolina, Carrboro has a reputation as one of the most liberal communities in the Southern United States. It was the first municipality in North Carolina to elect an openly gay mayor, Mike Nelson, in 1995 and the first municipality in the state to grant domestic-partner benefits to same-sex couples. In October 2002, Carrboro was among the first municipalities in the South to pass resolutions opposing the Iraq War and the USA PATRIOT Act. Carrboro is the former home of the large internet/mail order x-rated media and sex toy retailer known as Adam & Eve, as well as PHE, Inc[2]. One of Carrboro's attractions is the Carrboro Farmer's Market, which features local organic produce, locally produced cheeses, baked goods, and handmade crafts. Created in 1977, the Carrboro Farmers' Market was one of the earliest to link farmers directly with their customers. The Carrboro Farmers' Market requires that everything sold must be grown or produced within a fifty-mile radius of Carrboro."

-wiki

Carrboro is nice in that its both a small town and is open minded, it has the college town feel and still plenty to do with a decent night life/art/music scene… atleast enough to suite me anyways.

In a lot of ways, including the shared dowtown, Chapel Hill & Carrboro are the same town, and living on the east end of chapel hill it’s a short drive to the southsquare & southpoint areas of durham which have plenty of shopping.

I don’t know much about North Carolina’s costal cities as far as living there goes, although I’d like to experience it, but I imagine I’ll stay bounce around the triangle area for quite a while before moving on.

3/16/2007 7:50:21 PM

I'm in Atlanta now and was relocated here after graduation. I'll be going to NYC next.

You couldn't pay me to live in Dallas, but I'd consider SFO and San Diego. I turned down Philadelphia.

Ideally, I'd love to come back to NC, Chapel Hill specifically to raise my kids someday.

3/16/2007 9:08:57 PM

^ why?

3/16/2007 11:31:22 PM

Somewhere in the Southwest. I'm thinking Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Flagstaff, etc.

3/17/2007 12:01:31 AM

Midwest, as close to Chicago as we can afford. I like the climate, topography, culture, food, people, and openess out there. My bf is from Chicago, and definitely wants to live out there. He's got lots of family there. I'd actually be closer to some of my extended maternal family out there. Finding a job, according to our director of career svcs, will actually be easier for me, because companies like Target (that's the only name that stuck in my head ) and other retailers/textile-related companies want NCSU COT grads, but have a hard time persuading most of us to go there to stay

We'd both also raise our family out there. In time, we hope to buy a lakehouse in some mountains somehwere, and one or both of us will get a pilot's license, and we'll get a plane so as to be able to actually enjoy said house. Not counting on that last, though.

He's a programmer, so he's not terribly limited by location, and I'm pretty flexible as to where I take a job - so long as it's not in the South, I'll be pretty satisfied. I'll be happy if it's in the midwest or out west. I think as long as we're within a short (i.e., not the current 18hr day) day's drive of Chicago, we'll be happy. I'd love for us to be within 30-60 minutes of a metra station.

Things like nightlife and social scene aren't too big a deal for either of us. I'm far past those days, and he's never, ever been social. As long as there are good museums/other cultural and educational facilities, I'm happy.

3/17/2007 12:15:33 AM

I went right outta NCSU to take a money job w/ DuPont in Charleston, WV.

Worse decision ever. I was born & bred an NC boy and I can't tell you how thrilled I am to be living back in Raleigh now. Far as I can tell, I'd never move away again. I just enjoy it here, plus being near family is a big plus for me.

EDIT: I just need to restate how important it is to think "what would I miss?" before you move. Money isn't everything. Like pilgrimshoes, DuPont will pay you loads of money (comparitively speaking) but you end up in the arm pits of America. Bump that. I also would recommend renting for 1-2 years if you move somewhere far away from here. I bought a home like an idiot and it could've been a disaster -- thankfully I came close to breaking even on it. If you love it here, stay here. I didn't know if I loved Raleigh until I left, it's times like tonight where your whole freakin' city is going nuts after an NIT game about a school you went to when you'll miss these time. Go like to Colorado and see who cares about the things that will always matter to you -- that was HUGE for me when trying to find friends who had similar interests.

[Edited on March 17, 2007 at 1:02 AM. Reason : .]

3/17/2007 12:55:57 AM

Huntsville, AL sucks. Only reason anyone goes there is because of all the defense shit. Only reason all the defense shit is there is because its cheap as hell.

3/17/2007 1:01:02 AM

^ Fairly sure NASA called his number, IIRC.

Still, he may enjoy it, but I've got a feeling Huntsville, AL will be similar to Charleston, WV and it'll take about 3 weeks to realize: "Wow, I'm spending the prime years of my life in a place with nothing to do, nobody I know, Rolling Tide fans, and now I'll never find a job that'll pay relocation BACK to (insert location)."

Think this stuff over before jumping in head first like I did.

3/17/2007 1:07:06 AM

Raleigh-born and I'll be here as long as possible!!!! (The only other option I'd take is Wilmington, NC/outside of Wilmington area because of family and friends there - and it's only a quick drive back home to Raleigh. I'd keep my house here in Raleigh though and buy a second in Wilmington because I'd be in both towns often enough for it to make sense.)

Raleigh is completely ideal for me and the bf - both have careers/educational backgrounds that allow us to work anywhere but we were both born here, have considerable amounts of family in the area, and LOVE it - so there's not much reason to move

3/17/2007 1:11:13 AM

I want very strongly to be able to call North Carolina my permanent, real home forever. But that said, I'm willing to work in DC, or abroad, as my career path requires.

3/17/2007 2:33:51 AM

I love NC, I love Raleigh.

But I want to get the hell out of here for at least a good 5-10 years. This place is too full of people who grew up here, settled here and are going to have kids here. Lame as hell going out and meeting "new" people only to find out everyone went to grade school together and you end up knowing everyone anyway.

3/17/2007 6:51:43 AM

no matter where you go in this country you're gonna find tons of people "from there" - that said, i'm not opposed to many places in the country that i've seen - except for:

anything in new mexico outside of albuquerque
anything in texas outside of houston/dallas-ftworth (and houston is too hot)
anything in idaho
anything in oklahoma outside the city (probably not tulsa)
no arkansas
virginia is doubtful
rather not do the northeast (cold)
louisiana/alabama
cleveland ohio
kansas city (either)

places that seem cool (independent of cost of living)

western california
portland, seattle/suburbs
phoenix arizona
tucson is beautiful but expensive
maybe chicago if it were a little warmer
memphis
DC/maryland
south/east nevada

of course, ultimately, there will be more than just me making that decision so im sure compromise will be a big part of it. hell i might end up in hell on earth kansas city if i end up with a wonderful lady who wants me to go there with her

but i am glad i got to spend a little time outside the area i am from, because it made me a lot more motivated to do well. it's hard to explain... as long as i'm doing well enough to be able to visit wherever i want then i'm happy where i live. to me its more about the services offered by the city and whether or not they are raping you on property taxes and general utilities.

ps, it doesnt matter where you are, anyone who hangs out with more than "a few" high school friends after age 25 or so is a weirdo

[Edited on March 17, 2007 at 7:14 AM. Reason : /]

3/17/2007 7:14:10 AM

^gotta disagree there. There are some cities that are overwhelmingly transplants/new blood. Generally the more hippy liberal places in my experience.

Definitely agree with your exceptions. But I will add that Austin Texas is the best damn city in the state, with Houston 2nd and Dallas Ft. Worth a distant, but still cool 3rd.

Mobile Alabama is actually a cool town, but outside of it, bama is a loss.

Portland is great, all of coastal california is great, Seattle if you can deal with the cold, nothern Idaho was actually pretty damn cool, but I dont know about the job prospects up there.

Minneapolis/St. Paul, Chicago, Ann Arbor/Detroit, NYC and Boston are all great if you can deal with the winters. Pretty much all of Colorado is good times, but I liked Boulder and Colorado Springs the best.

3/17/2007 7:28:13 AM

Quote :

"Ann Arbor/Detroit"

let me go on record as saying detroit is a shit hole that should be avoided at all costs. ann arbor isn't that bad though

3/17/2007 9:52:13 AM

i haven't graduated yet but if everything goes as plans I'll be somewhere in Brooklyn.

3/17/2007 10:06:46 AM

dont anyone come to Seattle okay.

it sucks and it rains a lot.

and the wimminz are ugly.

3/17/2007 4:51:11 PM

jackleg, why the hate for KC. I love that place. As a matter of fact, several of your hated places are places I like.

3/17/2007 5:48:45 PM

Chicago in June 2007.

3/17/2007 5:52:09 PM

I loved Seattle while I was there.

I would love to live there for awhile.

3/17/2007 5:56:36 PM

^ im lying. really i love it. its just too crowded and housign prices are insane. and east coasters tend to fuck shit up. so now that ive arrived, i wanna lock the door behind me.

^^^ man i fuckin hated KC. that place was a sprawling suburban shithole. if I had to live in Misery, I'd at least go live in St. Louis.

3/17/2007 7:50:40 PM

Let me hear about some SAN FRANCISCO. I think with [user]Kay Yow[/user]'s advice, I might like to live there; not for the reputation it has with the alternative lifestyles, but for the scenery, the town, the location, the weather, the history, etc. Not far from Skiing, not far from Sonoma/Napa Wineries, and I think in general there'd be a lot to do and see.

I'm not specifically looking to downtown SF, but something in the 60mile radius from there. (i.e. NOT LA)

Cost of living is high, yes, but pending a job opportunity, I wouldnt mind living alone and modestly for a few years while I see the area....

Anyone spent time out that far?

3/19/2007 10:29:49 AM

i live in san diego, but spent a few months in the bay area last year

i was working out in livermore (40mi east of SF) and subletting a place just east of oakland (was a block away from a BART station so i could get into the city easily, yet my commute east wasn't too terrible)

i really like SF but am not crazy about the sprawling 'bay area' (granted i was stuck in livermore most of the time which really sucks) -- you'll want to take where you'll actually be working very much into consideration when deciding where to live; i was going against the standard commute by heading east in the mornings but man did it look awful heading towards the city on 580 every morning, i personally couldn't handle all that traffic on a daily basis (obviously BART is a good alternative, just keep these things in mind when looking for a place)

living in the city would be awesome, though obviously expensive -- i think in/around berkeley or palo alto/south bay might also be cool

in general, the further you get away from the coast in CA the more it sucks -- and overall, i say go for it as far as branching out to a new city after graduation, sure you'll miss stuff from NC (bbq, bojangles, sweet tea) but it's worth it if you go somewhere awesome (like san diego )

3/19/2007 12:36:25 PM

NICE, exactly what I was looking for!

What do you like about San Diego so much? Better traffic than SF, and generally the same type of stuff to do?

------ add:

I just realized that Dr. David Jeremiah's church (Shadow Mountain Community Church) is in El Cajon, CA-- a suburb of SDiego? Which is a plus, for me, anyhow, as I really enjoy his teaching and would love to serve at a church like that.

[Edited on March 19, 2007 at 2:15 PM. Reason : more]

3/19/2007 1:53:15 PM

In just under a year I'm headed to Coronado, CA. I've lived up and down the east coast and in the midwest, but this will be my first time living on the west coast.

3/19/2007 6:59:37 PM

I graduated and moved down to Edenton, NC which is a really small town. I then proceeded to move to Lake Placid, FL and am starting to like it here. Its a small town with three stoplights but I am 2 hours away from Orlando, St. Pete, Tampa, Ft. Lauderdale, and a little further to Miami and the glades. I moved to trap bears but really want to go back home to NC. I tell you, there is no other place like home...atleast for me there isnt.

3/19/2007 8:30:38 PM

I stayed in Raleigh after graduating in 2004. I like Raleigh, but the rapid growth is starting to bother me. I'm not sure if I'd totally regret leaving this area or not. I'd love to live either at the beach or the mountains, but job prospects aren't great in either place. A friend of mine lives in Boise and absolutely loves it so I've been considering that area (Idaho, Montana, Washington, etc).. would also live in certain parts of Cali if I could afford it. Hell, I think I'd live anywhere that wasn't horribly hot, crowded, and dirty.

3/19/2007 9:06:19 PM

san diego has its share of traffic, though i can usually avoid it on a daily basis since i live 5min from where i work/go to school

san diego basically has one season -- 70 and sunny -- and to me, that's perfect; i understand that some people love changing seasons and cold weather, but i don't so i'm happy with 300+ days of sunshine

and while the water is generally too cold for me to get in, i love being by the ocean (jog on the beach several times a week, catch the sunset nearly every evening, etc)

plus there's good beer there and excellent burritos and in-n-out

i don't know much about el cajon as i rarely venture east of the 15, but it's certainly part of the greater san diego area so you're just a short freeway drive away from everything (though keep in mind that just a few miles inland from the coast it becomes quite desert-like)

(i realize i sound like i work for the SD tourism board or something, it's probably because i've been working in germany for the past 4 months and am a little 'homesick' for san diego -- but still, it really is awesome)

3/20/2007 3:59:20 AM

prague

3/20/2007 4:56:07 AM

i grew up in asheville, moved to raleigh to attend nc state, worked in raleigh a year after graduation, and last august took a new job in tampa bay. i guess you could say i have migrated from the mountains to the beach and from a small town to a big city.

so far i really like the novelty of living in florida (beach 5 min away, tons of nightlife, instantly becoming a destination for friends/family), but i think i will always have a home in nc. i kept my home in raleigh when i moved and my parents still live in asheville.

i guess my ideal situation would be to maintain a home in NC and a second/vacation home in florida.

3/20/2007 7:26:34 AM

Quote :

"I tell you, there is no other place like home...atleast for me there isnt."

If you hear nothing else in this thread, listen to this. Whether or not it applies to you will only be really apparent once you peace out.

3/20/2007 8:27:10 AM

i liked Raleigh, and had i found the right job, i might have stayed there....but i dont regret leaving at all. i love the experience of moving to a new place....exploring new areas, meeting new people, trying new things, etc. thats why i went to ncsu (im from sc) and its why i had no problem moving to baltimore for a job.

i think its important to see different views and ways of life. staying in the same place your whole life can give you a false sense of reality.

however, i didnt want to move away from the east coast. too much of the stuff i love the most is based on this side of the country (sports, music, family). i may do it at some point in my life, but im not quite ready yet.

3/20/2007 9:22:39 AM

i am not originally from NC.... but I have spent the majority of my life in Hickory, NC (thumbs down).... now I'm back in the Triangle and I couldn't be happier. i LOVE raleigh-durham. though last year I spent a lot of time in washington dc and I would live there if i weren't in the Triangle.

the great thing about Raleigh-Durham is that it has the diversity, culture, and universities of a big city but without the subways, skyscrapers, and vastness of a huge city.

3/20/2007 9:24:11 AM

I like subways in big cities. They mean I don't have to wrestle with traffic.

3/20/2007 9:38:58 AM