The College Graduate City Search, Part II: 10 Best Places for Recent Grads
By Shannon Keating
In our first installment of this article, The College Graduate City Search, Part I, we offered suggestions for the factors to consider regarding your needs and priorities in the transition from university life to post-college city. Now, we have assembled a list of our 10 favorite places for the recent college grad.
These cities are vibrant, youthful, and jam-packed with things to do for the young professional. They are doable, if not the most easily affordable, for the college-loan-burdened set, some with low costs for rentals and all with good average entry-level salaries. They are diverse, hubs of industry, cultural capitals, and the perfect places to start off fresh and launch your life.
Posted by admin on February 11th, 2013
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The College Graduate City Search, Part I: Factors to Consider for Post-Grad Living
By Shannon Keating
A few million college seniors are entering the new year with the same realization: 2013 will bring one final semester before the glory days wind to a close and the so-called Real World beckons. One of the most important things to consider for the rising college grad is where to relocate for the beginning of their twenties. Leaving college means entry level positions fetching coffee, pushing mail carts, and working long hours for little pay – but it also means living in bustling apartments overflowing with friends, splurging on a night out at that new bar downtown, and getting to experience a brand new lifestyle in a brand new city.
Choosing where to go after a stint in Mom and Dad’s basement can be one of the most simultaneously stressful and exciting decisions of post-college living. To lessen the stress and heighten the excitement, we have compiled a list of things to consider before honing in any place in particular.
How important is being close to home?
Before you go barreling out your front door, you should consider how long it will be before you’re returning next. While many college grads will have experience with time spent away from home while they’ve been at school, having the large and almost family-like support system of friends, faculty and staff is quite different from launching oneself into a new environment with a much smaller network of contacts – maybe even without knowing anyone at all. College does offer plenty of independence, but with the reliability and comforts of dining halls, laundry rooms, and dormitories full of friendly neighbors, very few recent grads have gotten a taste of life fully and completely on their own. Are you prepared to move hundreds of miles away from the comforts and familiar faces of your hometown, or would you like to be able to pop back home for the occasional weekend?
Are you following a particular industry?
If your career is your number one goal, scouting out the best cities for your industry should be near the top of your list. Those pursuing television production, for example, would do best to consider Los Angeles or New York over, say, Denver or Atlanta. Even areas not quite so obvious as Hollywood are hotspots for certain other industries. Whether you’re interested in software development, engineering, or public relations, certain cities are better for your field than others.
Who is living where?
You have probably been asking everyone already. Figuring out where your friends are going to be can help you start building your new network before you leave the old, especially if you’re a little hesitant about being far from home.Your social life and budding career could be particularly enriched if you were to consider a city or area to which alumni from your university typically flock. Meeting new people – at work, at the gym, in classes – is an exciting part of early twenties life, but it won’t be quite as fast or easy as it was in college. Determining which of your friends are thinking of the same city you are can lead to a motley crew of your past classmates piling into one very small (but doubtlessly very cheery) first apartment together, or at least having some of them close by.
What are your finances like?
Especially if you’ve decided to take the plunge, pack up a couple boxes, and haul yourself across the country, a preemptive evaluation of your financial situation is (unfortunately) necessary. Do you have enough money to float yourself for a couple months at least, particularly if you’re heading to your new place without a job already lined up?
To have a better idea of how long you can sustain yourself financially, when deciding on your city pay attention to things like cost of living, unemployment rates, average salaries for your occupation, and the average percentages of income that renters spend on housing. Being on an entry-level salary with a thousand new expenses is hard enough without being in a city that’s financially crippling toward recent grads.
Will your stay be temporary or more long-term?
There’s nothing like experiencing a different part of the country when you’re young and free. If you’re still unsure of the industry into which you’ll be entering, why not try out a place you’ve always wanted to go – a hub of nightlife, or a cultural capital? If you plan on going to graduate school in another year or two, all the more reason to experiment and enjoy life pre- (most) responsibility since you’ll be picking up and moving on soon. You could try waiting tables in San Diego or Key West while working on your novel and fellowship applications in the evenings. There is no better time to live somewhere new and unexpected.
What’s your apartment strategy?
After you’ve figured out if you’re living with friends or seeking out roommates, consider ranking your apartment priorities. Is there a certain neighborhood you are dying to live in? Is price your biggest concern? Would you like roommates to be your rowdy new best friends or the quiet type who will leave you in peace? After these considerations, you should probably decide if you’re comfortable seeing a few pictures on a room on Craigslist and putting down a deposit, or if you’d rather see your new home and neighbors face-to-face before you commit. If it’s the latter, try out a hotel or youth hostel for about a week or so when you arrive and go see listings in person, as well as scouting out old-fashioned paper postings of apartments in places like churches and community centers.
Other generalities
Cities with low average ages mean lots of other young people to befriend, and cultures and ambiances that are lively and youthful. Access to public transportation is another large plus for the fast-traveling, budget-attempting grad. And unless you’re planning on saving up some cash on tips or a temp paycheck for a year or two, it’s best to try and secure a job before graduation hits, especially if your budget is tight. Then, by the time you arrive, you have nothing to worry about besides picking out your Ikea furniture, navigating the metro, and deciding which spin class to join.
Choosing where to live on your own for the first time is a balancing act of dozens of different factors. Facts and statistics are important, but in the end you need to decide on the place that feels right for you. In the second installment of this article, The College Graduate City Search: part II, we’ll let you know some of our own 2013 top city picks for recent grads.
Posted by admin on January 16th, 2013
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Some of Our Favorite Gay-Friendly Cities May Surprise You
By Shannon Keating
The benefits of gay-friendly cities extend far beyond the creation and maintenance of safe, exciting spaces for the LGBT community. These cities are generally liberal, or contain many liberal pockets and enclaves. They are oftentimes centers for progressive thought and activism, have plenty of resources for LGBT individuals and their friends, are brightened by art scenes in which the gay community is active, and are generally teeming with multiple forms of diversity.
We have assembled a list of some of our favorite gay-friendly communities, all with different (more…)
Posted by admin on February 29th, 2012
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Cultural Centers: 10 of America’s Best
By Shannon Keating
Cultural capitals are such marvelous places to live because by their very definition, they have something for everyone. These cities teem with fast-paced and wild nightlife for those who like glamorous adventure. Artsy types will find solace among some of the best stationary and traveling art collections in the world. Lovers of music get a chance to experience world-class opera, jazz, rock and pop on a weekly basis. Perhaps best of all, there is always something exciting around every corner, whether it’s a guided walking tour or a continuing education class at a local school.
While the United States offers a broad, eclectic array of fascinating cultural towns, below are our top ten very favorites, best (more…)
Posted by admin on December 3rd, 2011
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Hard Times for the Nation’s Gay Retirement Communities
October 29, 2011 — It has been clear for a while that gay and lesbian retirement communities were struggling to survive. Relatively new and trying to get off the ground, their struggle is even more difficult than that faced by straight retirement communities, who have had no walk in the park in the midst of this real estate meltdown either. Now the New York Times reports in “Hard Times for Gay Retirement Havens” that 2 gay communities have filed for bankruptcy protection – RainbowVision in Santa Fe, NM, and (more…)
Posted by admin on October 29th, 2011
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10 of America’s Best Beach Towns
By Shannon Keating
Who wouldn’t love living a beach lifestyle? Swimming, surfing, sun bathing, and other exciting water diversions are aplenty along lake and ocean coasts. From boardwalk classics, to sparkling seaside nightlife, to family-friendly relaxation and recreation, there is a plethora of different options when it comes to your own personal perfect beach town.
You’ve always dreamed of waking up to the sound of waves crashing on the shore, and walking out your front door to feel sand between your toes – the good news is that the distressed real estate market means that this is as good a time than any to find a beach-centric community that’s right for you.
The following are ten of our favorite American beach towns from across the country.
1. Traverse City, Michigan
Located on the beautiful shores of Lake Michigan, Traverse City is especially popular for boating and fishing. Off the lake, activities include skiing and golf. Traverse City also has a lively, vibrant arts scene, a historic downtown, cute restaurants, and the campus of Northwestern Michigan College. Visit the Interlochen Center for the Arts for concerts, exhibits and theater productions year-round, any of 13 museums, and (more…)
Posted by admin on October 16th, 2011
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Portland, Ore. Businesses Blazing New Trails for this Bike Friendly Town
September 22, 2011 - Already a bike-friendly town, Portland, OR is blazing new trails to help its residents embrace the biking lifestyle. As outlined in a recent New York Times article, “Developers Cater to Two-Wheeled Traffic in Portland, Ore.” it is the city’s businesses that are now trying to cash in on biking’s popularity here. About 7% of Portland’s commuters travel by bike, significantly higher than the rest of the U.S. (1%).
Take for example some of the new businesses that are totally oriented towards bikers, most of which are located on incredibly busy commuter bike routes like North Williams Avenue:
- Eco Flats is a new rental apartment building with bike racks in the lobby, and bike friendly doors and entrances. But it has no parking for cars
- The Hopwoods BikeBar is on the ground floor of Eco Flats. The new brewpub has bike locks and takeout food that fits bicycle water bottle holders. It’s located on a popular bike route.
- In the same North Williams district there is the Friendly Bike Guest House, which features indoor parking for its guests’ bicycles. (more…)
Posted by admin on September 22nd, 2011
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Is a Bike Trip in Your Future?
Our sister website, Topretirements.com, just ran an interesting article about bike trips as a way to see new parts of the world. You should check it out because it references some of the major tour companies, how to prepare, what the trips are like, pros and cons. How About A Bike Trip
Posted by admin on August 18th, 2011
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Seven Small Towns that Make for a Best Place to Live
There is nothing quite like the charm, beauty, and comfort of an American small town. They exist as a contrast to the fast-life, bright-light big cities, and are often havens for young couples, old couples, singles, and families. There is more open space, more community, more tree-lined streets, and more fresh air. They are often named as best places to live in various publications. Maybe you’re drawn to the school districts, the parks, the low crime rates, or the small yet frequently active culture scenes. Whatever your reason, here’s a list (more…)
Posted by admin on July 27th, 2011
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Getting the Most out of College Town Living
May 6, 2011–Living in a college town is quite unlike living anywhere else. The benefits of these communities are plentiful, from the beautiful campuses, to exciting events – often at reduced prices for town residents – to the youthful atmosphere. This article will highlight some communities which are particularly strong in these areas.
1. Beautiful campuses
College campuses are oftentimes a lovely highlight to any community. Open campuses can offer scenic strolls or picnics. Wagner College in New York, New York is a lush, green paradise – a breath of fresh air amidst the hustle and bustle of the city. Sarasota, Florida is home to the New College of Florida; with the Gulf of Mexico as a backdrop, courtyards, and beaches, this campus is … (more…)
Posted by admin on May 7th, 2011
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