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What US city to move to? (hexbear.net)
submitted 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) by MovingThrowaway@hexbear.net to c/askchapo@hexbear.net
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My social situation has collapsed so I'm basically gonna have to start over from scratch. I'd rather not do it in my truck-nuts anti-pedestrian small city with a ton of negative associations. I can kind of move anywhere but I don't have the energy to go somewhere random and hope for the best.

I'd love to live somewhere where I don't have to own a car. Big enough and with enough stuff to do so I can try to cast a wide net and grow some sort of social group before I die of loneliness. But also where I could afford like a studio apartment on the average entry level wage in the city.

Might be too much to ask with current housing prices.

Any suggestions?

Edit: thank you all! I'll start checking out jobs/apts in the cities mentioned. heart-sickle

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[-] YearOfTheCommieDesktop@hexbear.net 30 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Chicago: decent public transit. Not cheap by midwest standards but not ny/california expensive either

Minneapolis/St Paul: Mid transit, very good for biking, cheaper than chicago

Pittsburgh also probably should be on your list to look into

this guy is kind of annoying but he digs into the data: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ppGPCavru9s

[-] HexReplyBot@hexbear.net 3 points 2 months ago

I found a YouTube link in your comment. Here are links to the same video on alternative frontends that protect your privacy:

[-] Babs@hexbear.net 29 points 2 months ago

PDX has real good public transit and a studio runs about $1000/mo. Like most big cities it's mostly libs surrounded by rural chuds, but there are also lots of commies and anarchists here. It's expensive like most cities, but there are jobs here - a lot of my job is just helping people get employed. Min wage is like $16, but I see lots of entry level jobs closer to the $20 range.

Also maybe the best city in the US to be trans.

But also, I work with so many people who moved here without a plan and ended up homeless, so please do your research.

[-] buttwater@hexbear.net 26 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

I think Chicago is the last city with real robust public transit where rent doesn't cost $2k/mo.

I live in the West Coast, and the only cities you could get by without a car are probably sf and Seattle, but both are cost prohibitive

[-] SuperZutsuki@hexbear.net 6 points 2 months ago

Portland and LA are good, too, as long as you live and work near transit

[-] chauncey@hexbear.net 24 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Baltimore.

Its a seriously underrated city. Great art scene. Great music scene. Beautiful architecture. Loveable weird people. You can live without a car. Still affordable.

[-] Maoo@hexbear.net 19 points 2 months ago

Agree with folks about Chicago. One of two cities with a good transit system and cost of living can be made much lower than in New York.

[-] radiofreeval@hexbear.net 17 points 2 months ago

Move to Alaska, it'll solve all your problems

[-] MovingThrowaway@hexbear.net 3 points 2 months ago

Lol I don't know shit about Alaska but I'd be worried about the walkability and dying of loneliness

[-] Comp4@hexbear.net 14 points 2 months ago

I'm curious about which U.S. cities have decent or good public transport. So far, I only know about New York and Seattle. Not trying to take over the conversation, just genuinely interested.

[-] Cummunism@hexbear.net 9 points 2 months ago

Cleveland has 1 train line. Better than nothing.

[-] BakerBagel@midwest.social 5 points 2 months ago

Moving out there in a few months. RTA isn't bad, and rent is still ok compared to other cities around.

[-] MovingThrowaway@hexbear.net 9 points 2 months ago

For sure, I'd be fine with either walkable/bikeable or decent public transport.

[-] Comp4@hexbear.net 17 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

You know, one reason why I've never seriously considered living in the USA (aside from other issues like healthcare) is how car-focused a lot of cities seem to be. There are plenty of countries with solid public transportation, but the US just seems to suck in that department. Im sure other Hexbears have more valuable input on that front.

Obviously, I'd never even think about the USA if I wasn't well-off.

[-] YearOfTheCommieDesktop@hexbear.net 14 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

yeah, you are either very poor or looked at as crazy if you dont have a personal automobile in the majority of american cities. and even the poor might be catching a ride with other people, the transit is that bad/nonexistent

[-] MovingThrowaway@hexbear.net 5 points 2 months ago

You can own and drive a car for as little as ~$400 a month if your insurance is cheap, you don't drive too much, and you don't have collisions or expensive repairs. I usually buy shitboxes that cost less than $2k and hope to get a year of driving out of them before they die.

Which even at it's cheapest, driving is a wild cost compared to like a subway pass or whatever shit y'all public-transit-havers use.

[-] FanonFan@hexbear.net 14 points 2 months ago

I've seen people mention Chicago, Milwaukee, Philly in previous posts. Never been myself so my comment isn't super helpful lol

But I'm also interested so bumping

[-] YearOfTheCommieDesktop@hexbear.net 12 points 2 months ago

I think milwaukee transit is pretty bad but its cool in some ways. proximity to chicago is neat. wisconsin is pretty republican tho so not good on womens or lgbt rights on the state level

[-] MovingThrowaway@hexbear.net 3 points 2 months ago

Lol I'm from the Midwest/Rockies and I didn't even think about how large cities might just be a bus/train ride away.

[-] YearOfTheCommieDesktop@hexbear.net 5 points 2 months ago

yeah milwaukee to chicago is 90 mins by train and it runs a bunch of times per day. very reasonable

[-] SpiderFarmer@hexbear.net 5 points 2 months ago

Milwaukee's transit is bad, even if it's better than the national average. If you're a drinker, prepare to Uber, since the lines are reduced or stop early some nights. Many parts are walkable. I want to say bikable, but the drivers got way more aggressive after Covid. Also account for some the most obscene levels of segregation, with the quality of the lead pipes being tied to those poorer zip codes.

Some good aspects are the water itself is great (one of the largest sources of fresh water anywhere), some fun festivals, a great music scene, and okayish rents.

I can't tell how things will look in a while, since it's a swing state and the people leaving seems to equal to the people moving here. The socialist scene is at least kicking off there, especially considering Milwaukee's socialist history. Madison supposedly has some good public transport, but the city itself is a bit far off compared to how Milwaukee is closer to cities like Chicago.

[-] MovingThrowaway@hexbear.net 3 points 2 months ago

So I understand segregation in theory, but my experience of it in the Rockies/Midwest is probably quite a bit different. What does it entail for someone moving to a new city? Is it mostly a matter of affordable apts being in poor, segregated areas?

[-] SpiderFarmer@hexbear.net 3 points 2 months ago

Yeah. There's of course the standard gentrification and the decades of redlining through both government and mafia actions. It's kind of crazy how there's points where if you walk 10 blocks in the wrong direction, you can from ritzy stuff to getting mugged. Granted, it really just requires awareness of your surroundings and finding that sweet spot on properties where it's kinda meh, but not openly dangerous in the morning. The poorer neighborhoods also deal with some corroded lead pipes and a higher police presence in sections, creating a self-perpetuating cycle until enough business pops off in the adjoining areas. Sorry if I'm less than coherent on this.

[-] bobs_guns@lemmygrad.ml 13 points 2 months ago

I'd like to know if such a place exists as well. Philadelphia and Chicago might work, but it depends on what work you can get.

[-] anonochronomus@hexbear.net 12 points 2 months ago

Philadelphia.

[-] Poison_Ivy@hexbear.net 12 points 2 months ago

Long Beach ive been living without a car for a while despite being in the LA metro area. Its big enough to have big city stuff, small enough to have a local community and close enough to LA to fuck off there and do big city stuff.

Its the cheapest beach city in LA County and I can get to my job in DTLA in 30 min with one train ride and a 15 min walk.

[-] WashedAnus@hexbear.net 12 points 2 months ago

If I was single, I would have moved back to Chicago already. Where I'm at now sucks shit.

[-] MovingThrowaway@hexbear.net 4 points 2 months ago

Sorry to hear that! I'll look around in Chicago. Seeing some mildly affordable studios at least

[-] corgiwithalaptop@hexbear.net 8 points 2 months ago

Another vote for Chicago

[-] MovingThrowaway@hexbear.net 3 points 2 months ago

Definitely seems to be a common recommendation, I'll check out Chicago first. Thanks!

[-] corgiwithalaptop@hexbear.net 4 points 2 months ago

If you make it here, holler at your corgi!

[-] MovingThrowaway@hexbear.net 1 points 1 month ago

Are there any leftist orgs in Chicago that you'd recommend?

[-] corgiwithalaptop@hexbear.net 2 points 1 month ago

Not offhand, unfortunately. Our PSL branch does solid work but their internal stuff is a mess.

[-] MovingThrowaway@hexbear.net 1 points 1 month ago

internal stuff is a mess

Oh that's too bad lol. Guess I'll check out the dsa since I already pay dues (my last chapter was mostly ML but I know that's not true most places)

[-] corgiwithalaptop@hexbear.net 2 points 1 month ago

Yeah, I don't have much good to say about PSL here. Both another user here and I individually wasted about a year of our time trying to become official members, but nothing came of it

this post was submitted on 23 Apr 2024
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