Who’s YOUR City? Blog

Dear Gang,

I love Mr. Florida’s site! I just bought his recent book and am still trying to decide where to live. I have lived in over 7 other cities in 5 countries and traveled to 20 others. I also have lived in over 11 cities in the United States. I am an instructor, motivational and teacher trainer, musician, songwriter, traveler, and adventurer. I have also assisted personal motivators through a friend of mine who runs a seminar company in Detroit. I am leaning towards Toronto, San Francisco Area (where I lived), L.A. (never lived), San Diego (my parents live there currently), or Miami/ Ft. Lauderdale. My current employment with several universities dictates that I reside within the U.S. Where would you go if you wanted great beaches, easy access to major attractions, lots of bars, clubs, and venues to play in a band, wonderful multicultural communities, artsy communities, coffeehouses, etc.? I also love Holland’s Interest Inventory because using it can help in addition to r reading Mr. Florida’s work I love Cincinnati because it has a low cost-of-living. It is not very ethnically-diverse and the music scene is not very vibrant. I am hearing from a lot of people that it okay to live wherever and post your music on the internet, but maybe I’m old-fashioned, I want it all! Any advice? I see that Mr. Florida loves Toronto and I hear that there was a new man-made beach that was created on one of the lakeshores recently… San Francisco is gorgeous but does it have a major music scene? Also, isn’t the high-cost of living and real-estate astronomical? Any advice? Just let me know!!! I would love to hear from you! Thanks, S. Paul

Sent in by Paul S. from Cincinnati

Hello! Very interesting concept here. I am an entrepreneur in Cheyenne, Wyoming and I find it difficult to grow a business and prosper primarily due to the low population. However, the city and areas of Wyoming seem to be the best place to raise a family and purchase a home (no state income tax either). Any thoughts?

Sent by Pamela Girt from Cheyenne, Wyoming

Duluth, MN is a relatively unknown gem of a small city located in Northern, MN. Though having a population less than 100,000 resisdents, Duluth is the largest city on the largest freshwater lake in the world.Duluth is a popular place to attend college as there are more schools here than most cities of its size. Many older peole chooose to retire in Duluth since there are many hospitals and care giving facilities.Duluth is te eming with hipsters and intellectuals of all types. The Duluth Homegrown festival happens each spring where over 150 local bands play original music. Oddly, almost all of the most active promoters and well known musical acts came from another region or state and became successful in Duluth. The uploaded picture included here is a ‘zine published by local record collectors showcasing the lesser known, but regionally popular acts from the 1950’s and 1960’s. Along with Bob Dylan, the region has been and is still home to many talented acts that have become known around the world through sales of private pressing LPs and CDs and/or major label releases.Only a couple hours North of the Twin Cities, Dulth is often blessed with a visit from bands such as The Hold Steady or Jonathan Richman of The Modern Lovers only to name a couple. The DECC accomodates more major acts like Aerosmith. The small clubs, bars and coffee shops feature live music throughout the entire week. Duluth has be c ome a great place for expressive people and thinkers. The tough job market is saturated with students lined up just to be lucky enough to find a job at a gas station. Duluth is economically challenging and many creative people have been forced to make their own place in the market by going into business Low wages are balanced out by low cost of living. The region is full of politically active people from all over the spectrum, many who are members of the local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). Abundant with cooperatives, one being a worker-owned/worker-run bakery, Duluth is a haven for hipsters of the social and political orientation.

Sent by Patrick from Duluth, MN

Get a map of the USA and find Columbus, Ohio. Look at its location and the intersecting interstate roads. You soon see that Columbus, the 15th largest city in America, is in the middle of a massive part of the USA. After 911 a lot of NY City firms saw that and relocated here.

Columbus with a one day drive is within 42% of America’s population. A four distinct seasons climate with no real extremes and a very varied surrounding landscape is an attra ctive location to live in.

Central Ohio is an educational center as is all of Ohio. Beginning with the incredible Ohio State University main campus there are many various universities, colleges and trade schools and the cost of education here is very reasonable.

The life style is very salt of the earth midwestern. Lots of fairs and festivals, theme parks surrounding, lakes and streams, national forests, caves and rolling hills to amazing farms including the Amish. The cost of living is moderate. New Yorkers have written articles about being very concerned about relocating here until they found that under ,000 a month leases a beautiful condo and nice new homes are 140 to 300 thousand and 0,000 will buy an entry level mansion. Figure your costs at 1/3 that of New York City, or less. And yes, family run pizza shops and restaurants are just moments away from any residential area, Columbus is a center of warehousing because of its location and as a result warehouse outlet st o res surround us. The population is diverse, well educated and the people are friendly. Because of this middle of the roads location something else flows through Columbus. Traveling bands, artists, exhibitions and artist presentations of all kinds by default at some point find their tour bus or trucks of equipment driving through Columbus and so lots of concert venues exist here with reasonable priced tickets.

Fishing, racing, boating, college sports, and with the Golden Bear living here you know there are golf courses everywhere. Oh, Clapton lives here for a reason too. Live music of all kinds surrounds you in Columbus.

I have lived in LA, and Tampa, and have been in every state. I will take Columbus, and Ohio any day as the place in America to live for me.

Sent by Ronnie C. from Columbus, Ohio

I moved to Cincinnati about 2 years ago (yes, for a love….but now that’s done). I am interested in a new chapter of my life. I am young, single, and fairly outgoing. I enjoy going out to the bars, but am not much of a “clubber”. Anyone have any good ideas for a new city? I keep resorting back to home (also midwest), and I just don’t know if I am ready to move back quite yet. Cincinnati is great, if you have a significant other. There are a lot of fun things to do and cool neighborhoods to check out. It has a lot more than I ever thought it could offer, but without a “significant other”, you are an outsider. Its hard to meet people here without having a close set of friends that are Cincinnati-homegrown.

Any suggestions for new cities for young people like me?

Sent by A from Cincinnati

I live in Denver, a lovely city with lots to offer. Lots of young people, parks, amazing mountains and climate, great variety of restaurants, culture, etc. What I can’t figure out is why the media voice in Denver is constantly berating the city. I wish I had a dollar for every time Denver gets called a Cowtown. It’s been a very long time since we resembled anything close to a cowtown, and yet the name remains, and it’s never used fondly.

On the creative side, there’s a site for local “creatives” called The Denver Egotist. Their tagline: Attempting to Help Denver Suck Less Daily. I hear the same kinds of sentiments from people who go snowboarding here all winter, go to tons of great shows in the spring, camp and hike all summer, interspersed with a vibrant downtown, awesome restaurants, lots of counter culture, I could go on and on.

So Denver is cool, at least for now. Its success may end up being its downfall. The city has changed so fast you can barely get a handle on it. Skyrocketing rents have altered the fabric of our coolest neighborhoods, pushing out the mom and pops and forcing out lower income folks, mostly hispanic and asian. The great little breakfast place you could walk to from my house got the boot after 30 years in the same location, told they had to move because the new landlord could now get 3x the rent. Too bad the new guys had terrible food and closed in less than a year. Also pushed out have been the convenience store, the mini grocers, the plant store, the cheap but awesome pizza place, the really great mexican place. Now we have a chocolatier, a parfumier, a mini spa, an exotic tea shop, and cutesy gift shops galore. Gone is the diversity of age and race and income. Now nearly everyone you see walking down the street is white, 25 to 35, and pushing a stroller. Of course all these folks will move to the burbs as soon as the kids are school age, the newest form of transience. Some call it white flight. Is it misguided to also see it, while they’re here, as white blight? Every time I hear of someone wanting to leave Denver, they seem to have the same issues. Can’t say I blame them, either.

Sent by Rigby from Denver

I currently live in Huntington, WV, a college town, but still on the small side.

I had lived in New York city for almost 9 years, but moved back when I had my son. I am finishing up school, and am wanting to move to another city. My two choices are Austin, TX or St. Petersburg, FL.

I am looking for employment as a medical coder/health information management. Also, I am into healthy living - organic foods, yoga, holistic medicine, and am environmentally conscious. I want to live in an environment that is diverse on all levels. I need somewhere that is affordable. And finally, I want to live in a place that has good schools for my son. Does Austin or St. Petersburg live up to this?, or should i look elsewhere?

Sent by Jill from Huntington, WV

My wife met in Cincinnati, OH and have lived here for too long. We have some family here and a lot of friends but we are still very unhappy in this city. The climate is bad and I have horrible allergies to almost every tree in the Mid-West.

I am a social worker and my wife is finishing up graduate school soon. We are hoping to move somewhere in Colorado in the next year or two, but we are not quite sure where. We have been there three times and enjoy the open space, green technology, historic downtowns, and clean/dry air.

My wife will soon have her Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy and I would like to open my own vintage shop at some point. Are there any suggestions (especially from those of you in Colorado) where we should look further into? Even if it is not Colorado, we just need some advice… and we NEED to leave the Mid-West!

Sent by Jim from Cincinnati

I am a young female, married for two years and in love with the west more specifically Colorado.

My husband and I are outdoor adventurers and have taken yearly trips out to Colorado (Boulder area, Durango, Fort Collins) and we are in love with it. I currently reside in Syracuse,NY where my husband and I moved to further his career. My question to all who reside in Colorado, is am I giving Colorado too much credit? Is it really as wonderful as I imagine it to be?

Sent by Katie from Syracuse, NY