Picking the Perfect City in The Relocating Game
After an exhausting month of job interviews, apartment shopping, insurance hunting and some of the most extensive research I’ve ever completed in my adult life, I am moving out of state. Deciding where to settle was difficult considering I’ve never lived outside of my home state of New Jersey for longer than a few months and all of my options presented a balance of pros and cons.
We all have preconceived agendas when planning to relocate. We all want to be somewhere specific. When reality sets in and the job offers wither what few choices we can reasonably afford down to one (or two if you’re lucky - damn this economy), you have to do some homework. There are subtleties about a city that are often overlooked by enthusiastic, invincible youth and these often prove to be the difference between exciting changes and long-term nightmares.
Even though I was initially excited at the prospect of life in John Steinbeck’s California dream, air quality was one of the reasons I decided not to move to Bakersfield. Having the third worst air quality in the United States according to The American Lung Association, Bakersfield just didn’t seem like the right fit for someone with allergies. And for someone who tends to be attracted to the left side of politics, moving to the eighth most conservative city in the U.S. would have probably kept me indoors. Or, maybe the average maximum summer temperature of 98 degrees.
I don’t like to pounce on cities and that’s not what we do here at NAC anyway… There’s a lot of promise for Bakersfield. Schwarzenegger wants to build a high-speed rail line through California that would put Bakersfield within an hour commute of 8 major cities! The problem is, there’s no money and the project wouldn’t be completed until 2030. That’s only if everything goes according to Arnold’s plan - which it won’t.
City-data.com’s forums are a great way to gauge how locals view their city. I was a bit disheartened by a series of Bakersfield posts with subjects like - “don’t move here, for the love of God,” or “this place is a real shithole.” Considering how much Bakersfield residents actually love their God, I had to take these warnings seriously. A part of me was actually motivated by the hatespeak. I thought to myself - ‘Maybe the reason Bakersfield is in such bad shape is because their citizens are so apathetic. Maybe I can make a difference.’ My Next American City experience reminds me that negative press creates negative space and that cities like Detroit and New Orleans pay the price for quick and easy condemnations from the media. But then, thanks to the miracle of Flash technology, I noticed I would be working a few blocks away from Crip country, as one of the country’s largest most dangerous crime organizations has a stronghold in the city.
Sorry, Bakersfield. I wish you the best and even though you have some lovely parks and natural reserves, I have too many blue work shirts and NAC never taught me how to handle a pistol. To be fair, the crime rate in Bakersfield has been lowering over the last few years and a new generation of youth is trying to bring diversity out into the open. I also enjoy Paperback Writer, the Bakersfield literature, music and news blog. Hopefully, things will turn around in the next few years.
City-data.com also offers data and statistics on almost everything imaginable. If you have children, statistics on safety and education may be important or perhaps the cost of living, like food prices, sales and property tax - which brings me to bachelor number 2 in the search of my new blind-date home, Washington D.C.
A job offer on the outskirts of D.C. would potentially place me in two of the richest counties in America: Fairfax and Montgomery. A nightmare in terms of finding reasonable rent, D.C. also tops most data lists (Yes, here I am citing lists. Yes, Forbes, I am a hypocrite) when it comes to health, activities, fitness and energy. And how many free museums are there in D.C.? Will I have something to do everyday?
Another great online resource is Salary.com, where you can compare the salary you’ll earn in one location versus another. Also, use your potential state’s income tax calculator to determine how much will be taken out of your paycheck and how much you’ll be putting towards your car insurance a week. Being from a state where auto insurance rates are often just as expensive as rent per month, I was able to determine that if I were to make the same salary in Maryland as I was while living in New Jersey, my quality of living would improve thanks to the State of Maryland’s personal finance website.
I was fortunate enough to have a wild card in the bunch - an adventurous third choice, like Ross Perot in the ‘92 elections - Juneau, Alaska. First of all, the job I was offered in The Frontier State was the least exciting of the three. And what’s deal with the city only being accessible by ferry? I would get a nice little financial bonus from the state government for moving there and the demographics of the most male-populated state per female ratio has started to even out a little. That’s good, because I like balance.
While the pictures certainly do justice to Juneau’s beautiful landscape, talking to people who have been there revealed certain aspects of the climate I would’ve never guessed - torrential rainfall and lots of bugs. I though bugs hated the cold, but then again, I erroneously pegged Juneau as a winter wonderland. It’s quite moderate in temperature, resembling a slightly cooler Seattle with a slightly lower suicide rate and a little less sun. Why is the suicide rate important? Hey man, that could be you! Juneau also has no mass transit and I’m not buying a car anytime soon.
But the idea of Juneau is romantic. It’s so far away... and such a risk because of the distance. With the odds stacked against it, Juneau reinforces its role as a third party candidate, and I don’t want to risk 8 years of hell on that vote.
So after weighing all of my options and taking everything into consideration - I selected bachelor number 2, Washington D.C., as my blind date and future home. It turns out, I found a nice little place for a nice little price and discovered that I have a nice little group of co-workers and relocated friends in the area. I hope it works out and even though I’ll deeply miss South Jersey and Philadelphia, I’m looking forward to a change.
But I swear, if the Phillies win the World Series on the year I move away, I’ll turn into a Nationals fan.
Okay, maybe not.
Jeffrey Hill is News Editor for Access Intelligence, a business and technology information firm, web editor for Next American City and a freelance writer based in Washington D.C.
CL on Tue, Jun 24, 2008 at 8:29am
I’m sorry, I usually enjoy this blog, reading with no comments. But your choices were terrible, not much up for discussion really
Jeffrey Hill in Washington, D.C. on Tue, Jun 24, 2008 at 9:22am
My choices were limited by a lackluster job market and offers I actually received. I’m sorry I talked about ‘terrible’ cities, but that was the point - I didn’t get to choose. I would have loved to either stay in Philly, or move to somewhere like Madison, WI or even Boise… The point of this post was to give people, especially young people, some insight on how much research is necessary when planning a move, especially with limited choices. Is there something I missed, or perhaps misunderstood? Am I wrong with some of my evaluations? Please share! There’s plenty up for discussion.
Simmons Buntin in Tucson, Ariz. on Tue, Jun 24, 2008 at 1:21pm
Well Jeff, I was hoping you’d make it out West, maybe even here in Tucson. But the job—and especially the housing—market stink right now, so I understand your limitations.
But despite the statistics and current administration, Washington, D.C. is a great town. We lived in Germantown, Maryland for a year, where I alternated between a federal megaoffice in Germantown and D.C. and my wife worked in Bethesda, and we loved it. The Metro is great, all the free stuff is free (and usually overcrowded with the exception of some gems here and there).
If you live in Montgomery County beware that there’s an additional Montgomery County income tax, or at least there was when we lived there.
I suspect I’ll be out that way again before too long; I’ll buy you a brew at the Capital Brewery at Union Station next time I’m there, eh?
Jeffrey Hill in Washington, D.C. on Tue, Jun 24, 2008 at 1:40pm
Sounds good, Simmons!
Larry Martin on Tue, Jun 24, 2008 at 2:14pm
You’ll be in good company here in the DC metro area, and I for one look forward to your immediate involvement in local affairs - wherever your locality may be. You can be sure that Washington, DC is very very far away from anything that you’re accustomed to from a cultural standpoint. Welcome.
Jeff Royce in Fairfax, VA on Thu, Jun 26, 2008 at 2:58pm
The great thing about living in the DC area is the variety of experiences around us. You’ve got plenty of sports teams (pro and college), great museums that are free, plenty of cultural events and nightlife, lots of places to enjoy nature and even isolation, and obviously lots of political institutions and events.
The downside of the DC area is that the pace can be pretty quick. But it’s sure hard for me to imagine a better place to live.
BradyDale in Philadelphia, PA on Tue, Jul 01, 2008 at 9:57am
I had the best years of my life in Washington. It’s dominated by one or two personality types and artistic types are hard to find, but… if you’re not too into kids and old people (I’m not), DC has the fast pace of a place dominated by the young and ambitious.
No place is perfect, but I really miss DC.
Margo in Raleigh NC on Tue, Jul 08, 2008 at 10:55pm
You didn’t pick up on the m/f ratio for DC. Probably one of the best places to be a guy. The last time I went out on the town there, there were SO MANY other females at the bar. I think at least 1/3 of the guys in the city are gay, which further improves the ratio for the hetero male.
Blutorg on Thu, Jul 31, 2008 at 6:35pm
Hmmm. I’ve lived in Montgomery County/DC area way past the shelf life for such (FYI: no County tax has ever appeared on my W-2). Given your three choices, I would’ve taken Juneau without giving it a second thought, but then I love that town and dearly regret having ever left Seattle…
Objectively, much to do here in DC, and indeed solitude (even nature!) can be found relatively quickly/nearby, but two great secrets no one ever mentions to outsiders about our wonderful nation’s capital that only experience will nonetheless quickly reveal:
1) Washington DC is very much like a third-world city, distinct from the rest of the U.S. both in literal physical infrastructure and how it is run from a civic standpoint. Draconian laws, for example, corrupt police (sure, everywhere, I know), and potholes the size of meteor craters. Etc., etc. Remember, this is the city that reelected Marion Barry AFTER he’d been caught in the hotel room smoking crack with the (prostitute) (When I used to work downtown, I joked that I needed my passport just to get into the city and then back home in the evening).
2) Which brings me to my next point, and must certainly be responsible for the Barry fact: Metro DC has to be THE single most “race”-obsessed region in the entire country, from a white-black perspective. I’m a native of the real U.S. South, and I’ve lived around the country and traveled abroad, but nowhere else have I witnessed the sorts of backwards racism, particularly “black” on “white”, like I have encountered here, not to mention the obsession with skin color, particularly in the city itself and PG County to the east and south in MD. Truly disgusting, and eye-opening. I can only hope your experiences, regardless of your melanin content, are different.
As for me, I will be leaving this area as soon as the opportunity arises. Between the local predilections toward “race”-obsession, arrogance, and mindless adherence to arbitrary schedules and tradition, I just don’t understand the locals and those who eagerly choose this area as their home (just ask them—there’s no better place to live on Earth!). Thinking for oneself and creativity, for example, are definitely NOT valued traits hereabouts.
Best of luck to you in this black/white, elephant/donkey, binary town. I know that my own world is much richer and, dare I use this co-opted word, “diverse”, than this place allows.