looking to love a new city as much as boston. portland, seattle, austin? (rent, crime) - General U.S. - City-Data Forum

erinelizabeth · 02-13-2013, 03:00 AM

I went to college and lived in Boston for 4 years and absolutely fell in love with it. After school I could not afford to pay rent there without college loans so my boyfriend and I relocated to Nashville to try to find jobs (we're in the music industry.) After being in Nashville for almost 5 months, I am positive that it's not for me. I miss the big city vibe of Boston, and Nashville is too suburban for me, not to mention there's too much driving. We're looking to move within the next year, and while I don't think we can afford to go back to Boston just yet, I'm trying to find the next best thing. Any cities that strike a resemblance to Boston? OR any areas surrounding Boston that may be cheaper but still near the T? I lived mostly right in the city (Back Bay) but did live in Chelsea, MA and still loved it. We have been considering Austin, Seattle, and Portland. Possibly San Francisco. Any advice?? Thanks in advance.

ja1myn · 02-13-2013, 07:17 AM

Have you looked for jobs in Boston?

po-boy · 02-13-2013, 07:46 AM

If you can't afford Boston, I don't think you would be able to afford San Fran either. I believe the cost of living there is even more than in Boston.

I like Austin, but I think it feels somewhat similar to Nashville. Austin is a little bigger/denser, but if you didn't like Nashville I'm not sure if Austin would be a big improvement. Public transportation is limited in both (they have buses, but not rail), and both are pretty car reliant. You can walk in either downtown, but getting to neighborhoods will probably require a car. If Nashville were close, but not quite right for you I'd suggest Austin, but it sounds like you are looking for something very different.

RC01 · 02-13-2013, 09:49 AM

Definitely not San Francisco if Boston is too expensive.

1Milehigh · 02-13-2013, 10:16 AM

I echo the same sentiment ... definitely not SF. I would say look at some cities like Atlanta, Denver, Minneapolis, Portland and Seattle. All five of these cities have above-average music industries with Seattle and Atlanta being top tier in the country. However, with any city, there is an associated cost that comes along. I've lived in Atlanta and I currently live in Denver. I heart Boston in every way and seriously considering a move there or SF or Seattle (or just out of the country lol). I can provide info on just about every major city because I've lived there or due to work/recreation visited it frequently.

pch1013 · 02-13-2013, 11:59 AM

Portland might be a bit on the sleepy side; there is a tiny bit of urban glitz, but it's extremely concentrated in a few blocks downtown. On the plus side, it has excellent public transit and is almost absurdly bike-friendly.

The bad news is that the employment situation there is fairly dire, from what I understand. You'll almost certainly have to work outside the music industry, if you can find a job at all.

oakparkdude · 02-13-2013, 12:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by erinelizabeth

I went to college and lived in Boston for 4 years and absolutely fell in love with it. After school I could not afford to pay rent there without college loans so my boyfriend and I relocated to Nashville to try to find jobs (we're in the music industry.) After being in Nashville for almost 5 months, I am positive that it's not for me. I miss the big city vibe of Boston, and Nashville is too suburban for me, not to mention there's too much driving. We're looking to move within the next year, and while I don't think we can afford to go back to Boston just yet, I'm trying to find the next best thing. Any cities that strike a resemblance to Boston? OR any areas surrounding Boston that may be cheaper but still near the T? I lived mostly right in the city (Back Bay) but did live in Chelsea, MA and still loved it. We have been considering Austin, Seattle, and Portland. Possibly San Francisco. Any advice?? Thanks in advance.

Maybe check out East Boston or Malden near the Orange line? Arlington is nice too, and a short bus ride to the Red Line.

As for other cities, you could try Providence, RI which is a short train/bus ride to Boston. Other possibilities include Philly and Chicago.

oregonwoodsmoke · 02-13-2013, 03:29 PM

Portland definitely does not have a big city vibe. Maybe Seattle would suit you as long as you don't mind a lot of rain?

If you like Boston, then you are an East Coast person. The west side of the country has nothing in common with Boston. So maybe look at NYC, and live in one of the suburbs and commute in for the big city activities.

PDF · 02-13-2013, 05:16 PM

I don't think Portland or Austin would give you the big city feel. I get the idea that you also want somewhere not in the northeast corridor, so Philadelphia wouldn't do either.

Seattle is a good choice. Or Denver. Have you thought about Chicago?

Jonnno · 02-13-2013, 07:41 PM

Philadelphia might be your best bet. It definitely has a big city vibe and it has many of the same cultural and historic attributes of Boston that you seem to want. It also has a good public transit system so you would not have to own a car. The cost of housing in Philly is much more reasonable than Boston, although I suspect the cost of everything else is about the same. As far as employment goes, I don't think Philly has much of a music industry but you are only 90 minutes from NYC and conceivably you could commute for work to New York, especially if you did not have to go there every day. Philly is not Boston and it has its shortcomings, for example crime is higher, but overall it could be your answer taking into account the lower cost to live in Philly.