Where to live
In thinking about where I would like to be, I have put a lot of work into researching various locales. I have visited many cities in the past year in several countries, thinking about what I like and what I need. Places I have traveled to in the last two years include:
Toronto and Peterborough, Ontario; Morgantown, WV; Lexington, KY; Outer Banks, NC; Pheonix/Mesa, AZ; San Francisco/Palo Alto, CA; Marseilles, France; Barcelona, Spain; Pittsburgh, PA; Burlington, VT; Brattleboro, NH; Washington, DC; Quebec City, Quebec; Provo, UT; etc.
Most recently, while relaxing in Morgantown--a lovely place to do nothing at almost no cost--, I put together a spreadsheet of U.S.cities of which I had heard good things or where there was a girl I had thought about dating. The findings of that research are documented in the following link: Loc loc loc
Now, after this perusing, I went back to New York to take account of my finances and honestly assess what were my chief criteria in looking for a place to live. New York is a favorite because it is a place thriving with culture, both in terms of the arts and diverse ethnic influences. This aspect has always been important to me. Unfortunately, in New York, it has had to come at the cost of sacrificing my interest in the outdoors. When going about this search, I have worked to find a place that encompasses both of these aspects, melded into one liberal, progressive environment. There are many places that fit the bill. I am especially a fan of the towns that promote such a culture; however, another chief criterion is participating within an LDS singles population--I want people I can flirt with.
From that spreadsheet, I narrowed down my field of interest to just a few cities: Portland, New York, the Bay Area, Salt Lake City, Austin, and, I added Boulder.
Portland and San Francisco/Oakland seem to fit this bill well enough, save for the fact that they are not small towns, nor anything like unto it. These places take pride in their nature as urban centers. They are neat and clean as far as mannerisms and expectations. I like that you can get a little rowdy in a place like Austin. People appreciate rawness in Austin more than in these two centers of green-yuppie culture.
New York is the kind of place I only want to be if I have something serious to get done here. It's not a place where people go to get to know people and enjoy life. Yes, they come to indulge in life and meet people, but these are different things. So, Salt Lake makes it to the list, eh? Yes, I have some good, rather liberal friends there, and I am confident that they could show me the ropes about how to transition from NYC to SLC. There are tons of Mormons there, but I am confident that the culture is not as oppressively Mormon as it is elsewhere in the state. I documented some of the research highlighting locations of interest on a Google Map. I still feel like it could be a good place for me: lots of people to date, lots of access to the outdoors, and a liberal vibe. I've also heard that people are pretty welcoming there. You can enter different scenes without great pain or anxiety. At the same time, Salt Lake City does not have any special draw, any claim to my heart. It is a pleasant but not necessarily thriving mid-sized American city.
Austin, on the other hand, is exactly that: a up and coming region with a vibrant cultural life. I have prepared a data sheet on Austin, outlining the positives that I have gleaned regarding the city. See the published Google Doc in the link below.
Toronto and Peterborough, Ontario; Morgantown, WV; Lexington, KY; Outer Banks, NC; Pheonix/Mesa, AZ; San Francisco/Palo Alto, CA; Marseilles, France; Barcelona, Spain; Pittsburgh, PA; Burlington, VT; Brattleboro, NH; Washington, DC; Quebec City, Quebec; Provo, UT; etc.
Most recently, while relaxing in Morgantown--a lovely place to do nothing at almost no cost--, I put together a spreadsheet of U.S.cities of which I had heard good things or where there was a girl I had thought about dating. The findings of that research are documented in the following link: Loc loc loc
Now, after this perusing, I went back to New York to take account of my finances and honestly assess what were my chief criteria in looking for a place to live. New York is a favorite because it is a place thriving with culture, both in terms of the arts and diverse ethnic influences. This aspect has always been important to me. Unfortunately, in New York, it has had to come at the cost of sacrificing my interest in the outdoors. When going about this search, I have worked to find a place that encompasses both of these aspects, melded into one liberal, progressive environment. There are many places that fit the bill. I am especially a fan of the towns that promote such a culture; however, another chief criterion is participating within an LDS singles population--I want people I can flirt with.
From that spreadsheet, I narrowed down my field of interest to just a few cities: Portland, New York, the Bay Area, Salt Lake City, Austin, and, I added Boulder.
Portland and San Francisco/Oakland seem to fit this bill well enough, save for the fact that they are not small towns, nor anything like unto it. These places take pride in their nature as urban centers. They are neat and clean as far as mannerisms and expectations. I like that you can get a little rowdy in a place like Austin. People appreciate rawness in Austin more than in these two centers of green-yuppie culture.
New York is the kind of place I only want to be if I have something serious to get done here. It's not a place where people go to get to know people and enjoy life. Yes, they come to indulge in life and meet people, but these are different things. So, Salt Lake makes it to the list, eh? Yes, I have some good, rather liberal friends there, and I am confident that they could show me the ropes about how to transition from NYC to SLC. There are tons of Mormons there, but I am confident that the culture is not as oppressively Mormon as it is elsewhere in the state. I documented some of the research highlighting locations of interest on a Google Map. I still feel like it could be a good place for me: lots of people to date, lots of access to the outdoors, and a liberal vibe. I've also heard that people are pretty welcoming there. You can enter different scenes without great pain or anxiety. At the same time, Salt Lake City does not have any special draw, any claim to my heart. It is a pleasant but not necessarily thriving mid-sized American city.
Austin, on the other hand, is exactly that: a up and coming region with a vibrant cultural life. I have prepared a data sheet on Austin, outlining the positives that I have gleaned regarding the city. See the published Google Doc in the link below.
Comments
And don't forget the city's slogan: Keep Austin Weird.
I wonder what Austin has in terms of *outdoor recreation*. Are there forests or mountains, lakes or rivers nearby? I'll have to look into that.
Have you been to Austin yet? If not, it seems like that might be a next step. I am interested to hear about what you discover.
I have lots of friends from Austin who went to St. John's, so they must like the LIBERAL arts?
I once had a dream which featured Austin, TX. It was a very nice dream, a very nice dream.
Also, remember that Texan band that stole my heart under the Smithsonian tent on the Mall two summers ago? I can dig Texas.
D: Whoever you are, thanks for writing, and, yes, I am looking forward to the live music and the outdoor recreation.
Nate: When I say liberal, I mean it is a place open to initiatives like the ones I list in "Institutions of Personal Interest" on the data sheet, a place where I can contribute to the weirdness, watch independent feature films, and have ideas that diverge from some conventional, socially expected norm (e.g., people who appreciate people who think differently).
Ellen: Yeah, you can totally dig on the music scene down there.