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View Poll Results: Which city would be best to relocate to?
Washington DC 20 29.85%
Atlanta 12 17.91%
Houston 30 44.78%
Other? Please le me know and why 5 7.46%
Voters: 67. You may not vote on this poll

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Old 04-23-2012, 08:39 PM
 
Location: Relocating to DC or ATL or ??
46 posts, read 140,361 times
Reputation: 35

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Quote:
Originally Posted by TrueDat View Post
Ha! I love Montreal, wanna trade places? Though I've never spent a winter there. The last time I was there, it snowed in May.
LOL
You are so funny
Montreal is perfect to visit in June, July or August
Well, guess what, it snowed last night but it melted really early in the morning. Seeing snow falling from the sky last night was so disturbing. I mean we are at the end of April, come on!

Yes, I would love to change places
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Old 04-23-2012, 08:55 PM
 
Location: Relocating to DC or ATL or ??
46 posts, read 140,361 times
Reputation: 35
Quote:
Originally Posted by Overcooked_Oatmeal View Post
I agree with Blkgirraffe ( ) that Houston is far too diverse and cosmopolitan of a city to labeled as the "next Atlanta." Most of the people who say that are usually folks just looking for the next big thing or looking to party or thinking that a job is just going to fall out of the sky for them.

To the OP, I'd say DC would be your best option, Houston 2nd, and Atlanta a DISTANT 3rd. DC is super stressful, super competitive, and it takes a certain type of person to hack it here depending on the circles you're in. I've been accused of being arrogant, patronizing, or condescending, but these folks here can take it up to the ELEVEN. Lots of highly-educated, type-A workaholics who live to look their nose down on others they deem "lesser-than." You'll be judged on your GS-level, what school you went to, etc. It can be very draining and taxing depending on your temperment. However, the nonprofit world tends to be a lot more sane and humble. It has the most similar urban environment to Montreal, and while it's winters are way milder, the most similar climate. Great access to the Northeast Corridor, great access to the mountains and the ocean, and the Chesapeake bay is in your backyard.

Atlanta - Overrated, oversaturated, tired, through, and delayed. Also, the economy there is crappy (SUPER competitive because there have always been more people than actual jobs there) and it's booming heydays of the late 90's/early 2000's have been over. Terrible traffic congestion (DC is the worst between the three), and it's status as a supposed black mecca is quite overstated, especially nowadays. It has got quite ratchet and hood as hell in many parts of town lately, and I'm too old for all of that. Too many people with no marketable job skills still moving down there trying to chase something that isn't there. Lots of wannabes looking to break into the music industry, babymamas looking to stretch their section 8 vouchers (Atlanta has a low COL), or "models" looking for a shift at Magic City or Onyx. Also, I got love for gay men, but I don't want one as a husband! Not only that, you have to look out for the scores of thirsty, desperate, women eyeballing your man there. While downlow men is a nationwide issue, it seems to be quite prevalant in Atlanta in spite of it being gay friendly. I once knew of a guy who bought a car and paid some of his student loans by blackmailing married men who were DL. I'm surprised that fool didn't get killed the way he carried on. Anyway, Atlanta has the best weather of the three cities to me (mild winters and it doesn't get as humid or hot as Houston as often or as long in the summer), and it's location is hard to beat as you're within a days drive or quick flight to the Northeast, Midwest, Florida, and the Southeast. Great towns like Charleston, Asheville, and Savannah are nearby. There is also great access to some of the best Gulf and Atlantic beaches from there too.

Anyway, Houston doesn't have many walkable, dense neighborhoods like you're used to in Montreal. They are there, but you'd have to drive to them or live right in the midst of them. For transportaion, you better have a car! There is an extensive bus system, and one light rail line for now. The freeways are pretty damn fun to drive when there's no traffic.

Weatherwise, you don't have to shovel heat, and I'm sure after years of dealing with the cold, grey misery of Quebec, the sunny weather in Houston will be a pleasant surprise. Almost everything is air-conditioned there, but if you like jogging, it'll take a minute to get acclimated to the heat and humidity. Besides, it's only like that in Houston from April to October. The rest of the year is pretty nice. There is a beach in Galveston, which is about an hour down the road. It's kind of gross (murky water, dirty beach) but the town itself is charming. Foodwise, I find Houston to be the best out of the three cities you're asking about. You won't get any poutine there, but lots of great Mexican, Vietnamese, Central American, Cajun/Creole, Chinese, and Southern food. You're close to San Antonio, Austin, and a decent drive from New Orleans. Scenically, I don't find Houston attractive, but there are lots of oaks, magnolias, and even palm trees. If you are looking to date and eventually get married, I'd say Houston would be your bes cot to get "wifed-up" in. Culturally, Houston is the least superficial of the three. Yes, you can find flashiness and new-money tackiness there, but nowhere near the amount you'd have in ATL or DC (DC is more old money than Atl, but the keeping up with the jonses mentality is very much there). Great museums, opera, ballet, and theater options are in Houston - it's not a stereotypical cowtown as so many Canadians would lead you to believe.

Also, what do you do for a living? Because that would be a factor in determining what city would be best. Houston and DC's economies are the better ones in the country at the moment. Houston is huge in the energy and healthcare industries. DC is best if you're a lawyer or in IT.

Hi Overcooked_Oatmeal,

I absolutely loved reading your post. You seem to know a lot about those 3 cities. I smiled when you said that I wouldn't find poutine in Houston (like how do you know about poutine?). Jokes aside, I believe that DC is my first choice, Houston second and Atlanta last.

DC: Since it's well located and I really loved the city when I visited it. I'm not the competitive type of person but I believe that you make your own "rules" when you work and surround yourself with people similar to you. Hopefully that won't be too hard. I'm a strong worker and have nothing to prove to people but only to myself. The challenge will also be to find a nice not over-expansive apartment.

Houston: I'll apply on jobs if I see any but do not plan to visit very soon unless I would get an interesting job offer.

Atlanta: Well, you have mentioned what I disliked of Atl. Besides the weather, airport and COL; it doesn't beat the other cities as it seems not to offer anything significant.

I have a bachelor degree in actuarial mathematics and 6 years of experience. I'm looking to head back in the Consulting world (that I left 2 years ago for an opportunity in the private sector). My strategy will be to target consulting firms, hopefully I'll found one who will sponsor me as I'm Canadian.
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Old 04-23-2012, 09:21 PM
 
2,223 posts, read 5,492,139 times
Reputation: 2081
3 threads with the same question. What do you think you're gonna get when you ask should I move to city xy in the xy forum? Yeah...
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Old 04-23-2012, 09:24 PM
 
Location: Relocating to DC or ATL or ??
46 posts, read 140,361 times
Reputation: 35
Quote:
Originally Posted by Glucorious View Post
3 threads with the same question. What do you think you're gonna get when you ask should I move to city xy in the xy forum? Yeah...
Well it's the only way for me to get true feedback from people that actually leave in the city. The poll is one thing, but reading what everyone has to say about the cities is priceless. Therefore I might add up more cities and post it on other forums. At this point, I will take all the information I can get.
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Old 04-23-2012, 09:40 PM
 
2 posts, read 5,223 times
Reputation: 10
I married an Atl man. We met as soon as I got here. It's been 17yrs. since. I'm interested in relocating to the other places u've mentioned. Atl is very beautiful, as far as the enviornment. The people tend to be very pretentious. People here are from everywhere. Most have no manners, are very rude. DC is pretty much the same, added to the high cost of living & bad traffic. Houston is Bush country. I stayed there for several mos., but was back in the '80 s. very country. Some slave mentality still was evident, however. I am facing the same dilema w/the exact same cities in mind. Btw, I'm from the midwest, USA. Nothing going on there, the "rustbelt". Good luck, keep me posted...God Bless..Looking to be single again, hubby not willing to leave his hometown... life continues...
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Old 04-23-2012, 10:38 PM
 
563 posts, read 911,350 times
Reputation: 674
Quote:
Originally Posted by lovehangover2 View Post
I married an Atl man. We met as soon as I got here. It's been 17yrs. since. I'm interested in relocating to the other places u've mentioned. Atl is very beautiful, as far as the enviornment. The people tend to be very pretentious. People here are from everywhere. Most have no manners, are very rude. DC is pretty much the same, added to the high cost of living & bad traffic. Houston is Bush country. I stayed there for several mos., but was back in the '80 s. very country. Some slave mentality still was evident, however. I am facing the same dilema w/the exact same cities in mind. Btw, I'm from the midwest, USA. Nothing going on there, the "rustbelt". Good luck, keep me posted...God Bless..Looking to be single again, hubby not willing to leave his hometown... life continues...
And here is what the NYT thinks of Houston 30 years later...

"Houston is as cosmopolitan and traffic-snarled as Los Angeles and as diverse as Queens, with parts as wealthy as the Upper East Side. It is the fourth-largest city in the country, with a world-class symphony orchestra and opera. Its voters in 2009 made Houston the largest city in the United States to elect an openly gay mayor, Annise D. Parker, a Democrat who has since been re-elected. You can go days without seeing anyone in a cowboy hat, but not a minute without seeing a BMW or a Starbucks. As Don B. Graham, a former president of the Texas Institute of Letters and a longtime observer of Texas culture, put it in a recent essay, “Here’s a rule of thumb: Any time you read a novel set in Houston and there are tumbleweeds tumbling through the city, you know you’re in faux Texasville.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/25/us...-the-part.html
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Old 04-24-2012, 07:22 PM
 
Location: Underneath the Pecan Tree
15,982 posts, read 35,255,650 times
Reputation: 7428
Quote:
Originally Posted by Overcooked_Oatmeal View Post
I agree with Blkgirraffe ( ) that Houston is far too diverse and cosmopolitan of a city to labeled as the "next Atlanta." Most of the people who say that are usually folks just looking for the next big thing or looking to party or thinking that a job is just going to fall out of the sky for them.
I'm always right; you just was afraid to admit it!
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Old 04-24-2012, 07:25 PM
 
1,632 posts, read 3,331,436 times
Reputation: 2074
Houston if cost of living is important to you. Washington DC if it's not. I don't think there's any set of circumstances that would make me ever choose Atlanta.
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Old 04-24-2012, 10:01 PM
 
Location: Relocating to DC or ATL or ??
46 posts, read 140,361 times
Reputation: 35
Quote:
Originally Posted by Texascrude View Post
Houston if cost of living is important to you. Washington DC if it's not. I don't think there's any set of circumstances that would make me ever choose Atlanta.
Yes, cost of living is important. I truly have trouble seeing myself in a crappy apartment. I did look for jobs in Houston but didn't find much, there were more job in Dallas I believe.
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Old 04-25-2012, 05:32 AM
 
345 posts, read 804,468 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MissTorn View Post
Yes, cost of living is important. I truly have trouble seeing myself in a crappy apartment. I did look for jobs in Houston but didn't find much, there were more job in Dallas I believe.
Your moving to Dallas then. From your options, DC first, Houston then Atlanta. I pick DC over Houston because Montreal is closer in style to DC than Htown. Big metro city with great public transportations something we lack, if we get our commute rail and rail going to all points, we'd be top echelon. IMO, Houston is probaly too laid back for you and you'll probaly have hard time adjusting from city life, to small town city life. We are more family-oriented town then a singles-type town, we offer more fun for kiddies than grown kiddies. I put Htown over Atl because I believe we have good manners despite our big population of illegal immigrants. Couple years ago, I heard a loud brake screeching sound, I saw a car from my office on the freeway flip over on 45 near downtown. Most, if not every single car behind it stop and walk to check on the welfare on that flipped car. I saw nearly 2 dozen people try to help, it was a sight to see, I wished I filmed it. One reason, I love Houston a lot more than other cities. Sorry, for going the other way on this, but I just love it here. If Dallas is giving your work, a very happy and well like job, go for Big D. Good Luck on your choices!!!
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