New Orleans!

I have always had a fascination with this town. I went once, as a child, and my only memory is of eating croissants in the French Quarter. New Orleans always seemed so un-American to me, much more like a European city than any other city I had been to in the states. Now that I am older, I realize that we hardly left the French Quarter on our vacation, and that the French Quarter is surely not representative of the rest of the city. Regardless, that is the memory I have, and for the time being it doesn't seem to bother me. I suppose I am also attracted to this city because of the food. I love anything spicy, but alas, the rest of my family deplores peppers and spices of any kind. I am fortunate to eat Cajun food once a year. The thought of having infinite numbers of Cajun restaurants at my very fingertips takes me away to a figurative food heaven. Mmm, I just convinced myself food will be one of the subjcets I cover tonight. Actually, it will be my first.

Food

Well, I didnt lie. If you deplore spicy food, the bad news is that this paragraph is dedicated to all things Cajun. A Google search of "Cajun food New Orleans" returns over 593,000 results. Hmm, where to start? Lacking a creative method to select a link from all these results, I chose the first one, Oliver's Creole Restaurant. A quick glance at the menu reveals many traditional Cajun delicacies such as crawfish etouffe, creole gumbo, catfish, and... Creole rabbit? Who knew? As indecisive as I am, I think the tasters platter at 21.95 is for me. It includes fish, shrimp, oysters, crab and salmon cakes, and creole gumbo; all battered and deep fried of course. The restaurant comes highly reviewed by Zagat and has even been featured on an episode of The Food Network. There's Mother Oliver to the right, whose recipes are still the foundation upon which this restaurant sits, so they claim. To the left is the main dining room. Nothing too fancy, but who wants to eat Cajun food in a pretentious atmosphere?

NASHVILLE

I have never been to Nashville, Tenessee nor have I really been interested in this city, but a friend moved there last year and has been praising the city ever since. With that in mind, I decided to do some research. There are 607,000 people living in Nashivlle, making it the second biggest city in Nashville just behind Memphis. Nashville has earned the reputation of being home to the country music indsustry and rightfully so, the four largest country music labels all have headquarters in this town. There is a lot more to the city than just country music, I was impressed by the art scene which I will go into further detail below, some have even gone so far to dub Nashville as the "Athens of the South" due to its impressive array of musems, galleries, and the like.

Recreation

I realize its cheezy and touristy, but if I ever make it to this city, I would want to tour their version of the Parthenon. This exact replication of the original sits in centennial park and is filled with replicas of famous Greek Gods and Godesses. I have always wanted to go to Greece and tour the ruins, but I think for now this building is as close as I am going to get. Now to make myself feel cooler, I think I need to profile a night club. This place is called the tin roof and looks like any bar we would find in Fort Collins. I realize the picture is small but if you look at it closely it really looks pretty similar to Tonys or Lucky Joes or any of the bars downtown in Fort Collins. Also, on certain nights they have live music. Here is a link to their myspace page: http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=41692721

Miami

It is freezing in my house right now. My roommates have a strict no-heat in the house policy to save money on our heating bill so it is no wonder that I picked Miami for this week's city. Admittedly I have only been to Miami once, on a layover before going out of the country; although it made quite an impression. We were fortunate enough to stay the night in South Beach, one of the hipper areas in town. I was amazed by the art deco buildings and the abundance of neon lights. I believe it was a weekday night, yet the atmosphere was festive, I can only imagine what it must be like on the weekends. A large group of us went to dinner on famed street Ocean Drive. I remember seeing the most animated people I had ever seen, and I hail from LA where we have our fair share of the crazies. After dinner we walked around Ocean Dr. and it seemed that at almost every block there was a performer. The performances ranged from music and dancing to magic shows and everything in between. I hope to go back soon.

Some basics.

Miami is the second largest city in Florida, with a population just over 400,000. It definitely seems like a very international city. In my short stay, I remember hearing many different languages which attests to this fact. The city certainly holds many ties to Latin America. This is evident by the many Hispanic restaurants and clubs that line the city streets, which brings me to one of my favorite aspects of any city: FOOD. We ate at a Cuban restaurant on Ocean Avenue, here we are just outside the restaurant. While the name escapes me, it really is of little importance as there are hundreds of restaurants squeezed into a relatively small space. Make sure to sit outside if possible, the enjoyment of this dinner came from the people-watching almost as much as it did from the food. As we strolled the streets of South Beach after dinner, I could not help but feel like we had traveled back in time to 1950's Havana. The men wore linen pants and shirts and smoked the largest cigars I had ever seen. Also, those cool rounded cars from the 50's were out in full force that night adding to the sense of being back in time.

Residence

Miami compares favorably with other large cities in terms of rental rates. Before checking out apartments on craigslist, I assumed anything by the beach would be incredibly expensive, and well out of the reach of current college grads. Surprisingly, this is not the case. According to aparmentratings.com the average price for a 2 bedroom apartment in Miami as of 2007 was 1,274. http://www.apartmentratings.com/rate/FL-Miami-Pricing.html I included the link because this website has information on different types of apartments so if you were truly interested, you could get a more personalized perception of what it would cost to actually live here. What is so great about Miami is that there truly is somewhere you would be happy to call home at every price level. This has not held true for many of the other large cities I have profiled in the past. Here we have a 2 bed/2 bath one the ocean that rents for 1800/month.

Split evenly, that's 900/month in rent, a lot of money! But, relative to LA or SF where 900/month will ( if your lucky) barely get you into a studio in a not-so-desirable part of town, that's not too bad. Fort the sake of getting a better perspective on the Miami apartment market I decided to look for apartments in the lower range.

Below is a 2 bedroom that rents for 1175/month. This unit is about 450 sf smaller than the previous apartment, and the pool is certainly not as chic. However, I refused to sacrifice location, as this unit is blocks away from the beach. At just around 585/month, I think this apartment is a good value. Last year I paid 515/month for my apartment in Fort Collins which really puts this Miami apartment at 585/month into perspective.

Well, I am sold; I'm moving to Miami! With its affordable housing, great food and beaches, and diverse group of inhabitants, Miami definitely moves to the top of my serious consideration list for cities to move to after graduation.

Charleston, South Carolina

Sorry my last post only provided you with mere seconds of reading material, it was a hectic weekend. For this post, I decided to go outside of my comfort zone and profile a city I have never been too, Charleston. Not only have I not been to this city, but I have never been to the South, or East Coast. What this means is that you will get an incredibly objective profile of the city because I will be unable to input my own experiences/recollections like I have been able to do with the previous posts... I think thats a good thing.

When I think of Charleston, I think of the old South. I think of kind, well mannered people, large estates and weeping willows. The Charleston of 2007 holds onto its historical roots, but is still a very modern and liveable city. Charleston has won the award for "best mannered city" for the past 12 years according to Marjabelle Stewart, Americas most renowned etiquette expert. Don't get the idea that this city is full of people attending balls and being overly polite though; Charleston has a lot of appeal for young 20-something year olds as well. Take for example, The Torch Velvet Lounge http://www.torchvelvetlounge.com/about.html

Their website claims, "Torch is a cool haven for relaxing in a sexy yet subtle envirionement. Torch Pays homage to NYC and London's sexiest lounges in this casual urban chic atmospher accented with multiple semi-private rooms." This photo, which I got of their website, neither seems relaxing or subtle, I guess definitions are relative. If you do make it to the website make sure you make your way to the gallery tab, which includes many pictures similar to this one, most of which I would be nervous to publish on this blog.

Well, after a long night at the bars your going to need somewhere to retire to. Charleston has an attractive housing market that at the moment is favorable to buyers/renters. As of 2005, the median home price was 211,000, which is almost identical to Fort Collins. That means you can expect to pay rent similar to here. Of all the cities profiled on this blog, I think Charleston offers the most for the money. Here we have a newly remodeled 2 bedroom in downtown that rents for 1,500.

Tucson, Arizona

Its hot. Its the desert. There are a lot of college kids.

Week 5: Arcata, California

For some reason I have been reluctant to leave the West Coast, and this week's entry is no different. Arcata has a population of 16,500 and is located in Humboldt County in northern California. The city is home to Humboldt State University, and is like Fort Collins and Eugene, a serious college town. As you can see from the picture, Arcata is on the Pacific coast and boasts some truly spectacular scenery. The city is quite proud of its "hippy reputation," various reggae festivals take place here every year and it seems as if one out of every two people is at least sporting some tye-die. I found a great description of the city by a group of self proclaimed hippies at: http://www.hippy.com/review-14.html. According to this website, the city in the last year passed a law that allows women to walk around the central plaza topless. The central plaza of which they speak is a grassy park-like area in the middle of town that is surrounded by shops and restaurants. So if after spending four year in college living under constant deadlines and pressure you just want to get away for a while and relax, I would certainly recommend Arcata, California to you.

Week 4: Eugene, Oregon

It occurred to me that until now I have only been profiling large cities. I realized that some of you might be interested in moving somewhere where the pace is a little bit slower. This week I'll be profiling Eugene, Oregon. I have always considered Eugene to be the "Fort Collins of the West." Eugene's population of just over 137,000 means it has almost exactly the same population as Fort Collins. Additionally, Eugene is home to the University of Oregon meaning the college town vibe is alive and well in this city. As you can see from the map, while not on the coast, Eugene lies fairly close to the Pacific Ocean. As with the rest of the Pacific Northwest, it rains a lot in this town. With an average annual rainfall of 50" Eugene receives over 14" of rain a year more than Portland.



Recreation
Due to a wealth of easily accessible hiking trails, rivers, and mountains, it should come as no surprise that Eugene is a town that is crazy about outdoor activities. Bicycle riding seems to be one of the most popular pastimes in this city. Debbie Williamson, a writer for the Lane County, where Eugene is located, magazine has this to say about Eugene's trails, " Lane County, Oregon is a cycling paradise for both road and mountain biking. Within a half hour’s ride from Eugene, cyclist’s encounter vineyard covered hills reminiscent of France and flat stretches of scenic byways resembling Holland. " With this imagery even the most hardened enemy of bicycle riding would be tempted to give it a try. Besides outdoor activities Eugene is also known for its performing and visual art scene. The Hult Center for the Performing Arts, pictured here, is home to many performances and houses a concert hall, theatre, amphitheatre, and several art galleries. Additionally, there are a large number of live theatre groups that perform here including the Willamette Repertory Theatre and the Actor's Cabaret.


Jobs
Locating a good job is probably the most important consideration of any move to a new city. In Eugene, the largest employers are the University of Oregon and The Sacred Heart Medical Center. Interestingly enough many large multinational corporations got their start in Eugene including Nike and Adobe. Following are links to job boards for the city and the university.

City of Eugene
http://www.eugene-or.gov/portal/server.pt?space=CommunityPage&control=SetCommunity&CommunityID=244&PageID=0

The University of Oregon
http://hr.uoregon.edu/jobs/classified.php
and
http://hr.uoregon.edu/jobs/unclassified.php?subtype=administrative


The abundance of art, outdoor activities and natural beauty make Eugene an appealing place for some. For those who love the small town vibe of Fort Collins but want a change of scenery Eugene should remain a serious consideration. Additionally, Eugene is a college town which means the live music and underground film culture should be alive and well. Check it out.

Week Three: Portland

Portland is an amazing city located in the North West tip of the state of Oregon. With a population almost identical to that of Denver, the city might be a nice transition for those CSU students who feel comfortable with the size of Denver but are nervous about moving to a "big city." Portland is has been nicknamed the city of roses due to the average rainfall of 36" year, making it an ideal climate for growing roses. If
living under gloomy skies and always having to carry your umbrella with you seem intolerable, I would advise a move to a city other than Portland. However, if these conditions sound tolerable or even pleasant, allow me to tell you why Portland has my vote for one of the best places to live in America.


Real Estate
As you are by now familiar, with each city I profile I always like to include information on the cost of living. According to CNN Money Magazine, the median home price in Portland is 225,000. This is just slightly lower than the 212,000 median home price Money Magazine gave Fort Collins. This is roughly 1/3 the cost of the median home price in Los Angeles or Berkeley. So, from a cost of living perspective, Portland is certainly impressive. If your like me, the thought of living in the suburbs seems like a worst nightmare. Instead, perhaps you prefer a vivacious, culturally rich, and coffee house infused urban lifestyle? If so, you should consider living in the Pearl District. In a past life, the Pearl District was a home to various warehouse and light manufacturing industries. But, within the last 10 years the area has been transformed into an eclectic mix of art galleries, coffee houses, "hippie hangouts,"and residences. The abundance of of old warehouses that have just recently been transformed into condos and lofts means there is an abundance of really cool places to live. Like any hot spot, rental rates reflect desirability of the area, so rentals in the Pearl are more expensive than the the rest of the city as a whole. Below is a newly renovated warehouse that has been turned into a two bedroom condo renting for 2,000 month. As you can see from the pictures, the kitchen is top notch and there is an abundance of space, the square footage on this unit is over 1200.




So, if you find a roommate and split rent down the middle, for 1,000 dollars a month you can live in a top-of-the-line loft in the trendiest part of the city. If you don't feel the need to live in a loft or in the Pearl, you can expect to find rental rates comparable to Fort Collins.


Food/Drinks
Portland has a great restaurant scene, which plays host to every type of cuisine imaginable. The Food Network recently awarded Portland with their "Delicious Destination of the Year 2007" award. An excellent resource I found was http://www.portlandfood.org/ which includes an alphabetical index of many restaurants in Portland and then allows users to post comments on their favorites/least favorites. Nothing to go better with all that food than a great beverage. Portland has often been called the home of the microbrewery revolution in the United States. Home to 28 microbreweries, Portland has more microbreweries than any other city in the U.S. The city embraces their beer culture as is made evident by the many annual beer festivals, the biggest being the Oregon Brewers Festival held each summer. According to their website, over 60,5000 attended last years event sampling over 65 different types of microbrews. For more information visit http://www.oregonbrewfest.com/ .







Outdoors
Portland has an abundance of outdoor activities. Again winning accolades, Outside Magazine named the city "One of the Ten Best Places to Live" in 2006. Nearby Mount Hood offers ski and snowboard junkies all they could ever ask for. There is also an abundance of hiking trails in the surrounding areas. A great resource for those interested in local trails is http://portlandhikers.com/ . My favorite aspect of this site is the section called local events, which lists dates and times for hikes led by local outdoor groups that are available to all. I think this is a great way to meet people in your area that share similar interests, which is always important when you are new to an area. Given the fact that Portland is situated at the confluence of the Columbia and Willamette rivers, it should come as no surprise that water sports are popular in the city. Every weekend the rivers fill up with kayakers looking to have a good time. So, with an abundance of outdoor activities, great food and drink, and relatively low rental rates Portland is definitely a city worth checking out after graduation.

Week Two: Berkeley

This week I'll be taking you to Berkeley, California. Just across the Bay Bridge from from San Francisco, this city offers the convenience of being near the big city, but still retains its small town vibe. At a population of 102,000 Berkeley is slightly smaller than the 130,000 residents of Fort Collins. I spent some time in Berkeley this summer and absolutely loved it. Strangely enough, this city reminded me in many ways of Fort Collins. Cool college atmosphere, independent record stores and swarms of people wearing tye-dye shirts are all things your going to find in this town.




Berkeley is notorious for its opposition to chain restaurants, which is great because you can try somewhere new every night. If you like Indian food, make sure you check out Naan-N-Curry. With most dinners in the 6-9 dollar range it wont put a dent in your wallet either. My favorite dish is the yellow curry, which goes extremely well with naan bread.


Everyone knows that northern California is an expensive place to live. Unfortunately Berkeley is no exception. An average studio apartment is around 1,000 dollars a month. Again, if you can tolerate living with roommates you can do it for less. The apartment here is a 2 bedroom that rents for 1550 a month. Split evenly that's only 775 a person, which should still leave you with enough money for bills and entertainment.
















College Culture
When your in Berkeley you definitely know your in a college town. According to the UC website, Cal has 33,000 students. Take this into consideration if you consider moving here. While most of us enjoy the college culture in Fort Collins, some of us probably want to leave it behind after graduation. The annual Telegraph Avenue Stree Fair draws hoards of college students and residents and is definately worht checking out.

Week One: Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California. Perpetual sunshine. Beautiful beaches. Occasional celebrity sightings. Mountains a few hours away in nearby Big Sur. What's not to love? Exorbitant rental rates, perpetual traffic, and pushy people. Still, you have to take the good with the bad if you want to live in this city.

Lets start with the basics.

Neighborhoods
Los Angeles is full of rich and diverse neighborhoods, each with its own particular vibe. The most expenisve neighborhoods are certainly those that comprise the West side of Los Angeles, commonly known as West LA or the Westside. Santa Monica, Brentwood, Pacific Palisades and Westwood are some of the most common neighborhoods associated as being West LA. While it would be nice to live here, most of us living on an entry level salary need to turn our attention to the neighborhoods to the East.

My personal favorite is Silver Lake. Located 21 miles from the beach, Silver Lake has earned the reputation of being a creative enclave, home to musicians and artists. It gets its name from
the Silver Lake Reservoir, which if your lucky
enought to live close to, will surround you in
a microclimate keeping you about 10 degrees
cooler than neighboring areas. Doing some preliminary research on Craigslist, I found several 2 bedroom apartments in the 1,600-2,000/month range. So, if you are willing to live with a roomate, you an expect to pay as little as 800.00 a month to live in one of the most vibrant cities in the world. If you do happen to find yourself in Silver Lake, make sure not to miss the Sunset Junction, a neighborhood within Silver Lake that bosts a weekly Farmers Market and an annual street fair. For more information on Sunset Junction visist http://www.sunsetjunction.org/index.html


No report on Los Angeles would be complete without atleast some mention of the current traffic situation. Simply put, traffic is an integral part of every Los Angeles citizens life. Trips that should seemingly take 10 minutes will take an hour. There is no escaping this. With that in mind, if sitting in traffic seems like cruel punishment, then perhaps Los Angeles is not for you.
There are, however, ways to help ease the pain. A good cd mix, ipod car adapter or even a book on a tape are all helpful. It is also good to know that for the most part peoples attitudes towards punctuality are seemingly relaxed in this city. At my internship at Warner Bros. last summer, as long as employees could come within 30 minutes of there start time, the managers were happy.



Entertainment




If you are living in Los Angeles you will probably be spending a good portion of your free time at the beach. If a large crowd is what you crave, navigate your way to the Santa Monica Pier. Not only will you find a beautiful beach, but the pier has been transformed into a mini-amusement park, boasting a roller coaster, ferris wheel, bumper cars and much more. If a more relaxed and decidedly less touristy beach experience is more your style, try going to to the southern part of the city, where you will find Hermosa, Manhattan and Redondo Beach. If you crave a more intelectually stimulating experience, perhaps a trip to one of many Los Angeles' museums is in order. Of course there arethe obvious, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Museum of Contemporary Art, but my personal favorite is the Getty Center. Just of the 405 freeway in Sanat Monica, the Getty Center is home to numerous art exhibits ranging from photography to modern art. For more information or to see what the current exhibits are, visit their website: http://www.getty.edu/







Well thats it for this week. Hopefully this broad overview of the city was of some help to you. So remember, if you can deal with the traffic and find a way to circumvent the real estate market, LA may be the city for you!

Welcome!

Welcome indeed. I am glad your here. With this being my first post I thought it might be nice if I shared a little about myself. I'm 21, male and an LA native. I am a Communication major at Colorado State University and anticipate my graduation in a little more than a year. With graduation looming in the not-so-distant future, I have been spending considerable time online researching potential cities I would like to move to after graduation. I realize that many of us probably want to get out of Fort Collins after school, but may be hesitant or reluctant because the thought of moving to a new city we know nothing about can be daunting. This is the idea behind my blog. Each week I will be bringing you information on a new city. Nothing too serious, just pertininet information that you can use to decide whether a particucal city is a good match for you.