The new forums will be named Coin Return (based on the most recent vote)! You can check on the status and timeline of the transition to the new forums here.
The Guiding Principles and New Rules document is now in effect.
Living and working in America for 6 months, but which City?
pogo mudder
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
Me and a friend are going to be living and working in the US for 6 months (starting this June), but we have no idea which city we would like to stay and work in. We're taking any suggestions, so if you could name a place you think is cool and why then that would help give us some ideas. I think we're leaning more towards East Coast rather than West and i think the Mid West is out of the question.
What are you thoughts H/A?
What are you thoughts H/A?
what a work of art is man, and the most boring choice you can make
pogo mudder on
0
Posts
Can you expand a little? Do you already have work? Will you be looking for it? What's your living expense budget like?
Do you have something lined up that lets you work anywhere? I mean, just make sure you've thought it through.
Anyway, I lived outside of Washington DC for 2 years and loved it. It's an expensive part of the country though. I also lived in MA for quite some time and also loved it.
It really comes down to what kind of weather you want to experience or outdoor activities you want to do.
New York - sort of the quintessential American City. It's got everything, somewhere. Downside is that it's expensive to live there.
Philadelphia -- Has a great art museum, and has a good bit of history. Within day-trip distance of NYC too, so you can hit NYC if you really like. The disadvantage is that the mass transit isn't as good (from when I lived there) and it's not quite as busy as New York.
Miami - Has a different vibe than the cities listed above, but it's great for nightlife and beaches. It's a bit smaller than New York, which might appeal to you.
This is just based on places that I've lived within your criteria. I personally wouldn't mind Atlanta either, but I've never lived there. Also, if you are opposed to the Midwest you might also be opposed to the traditional South.
I have left Southern cities off this list. Southern culture is certainly worth visiting and becoming aware of, but there is not a single southern city that in any way compares to those other cities.
You need to give us more info on what your budget is like and how you plan to find work before we can really give you reasonable suggestions - you could easily be looking at several thousand dollars just in rent, depending on where you're planning to stay.
In addition, I take it you have done your homework as to what visa you need to apply for in order to work in the US?
For example, as a British Citizen I can travel to the US as part of the Visa Waiver program. However if I take employment during that visit I am in breach and can be deported home instantly (Or at least was last time I travelled, this was 5 years back)
If I want to go and work abroad I have to fill in a different visa application and visit the U.S. Embassy to have this confirmed before I can travel.
And even the Visa Waiver program has new features that need to be adhered to since I travelled.
Apologies if you have this all in hand, I thought i'd mention it however as your first post didn't state one way or the other and it could be an easy way to get caught out.
I'd recommend having a thorough search of your countries foreign office travel advice website (For example for me it would be www.fco.gov.uk) and then a search of the US websites dealing with travel to get a lot of up to date information on that subject.
To end on a positive though - Way to go guys and I hope you have a fantastic trip.
bet it means whether college is in session or not as the population of Boston does something silly like quadruple when school is going on. That is due to there being something around 70 colleges in the city.
Steam
XBOX
Boston sounds interesting. I do like the idea of New York but is its size a bit of a problem? will i get lost all the time and have trouble travelling around it?
I'm also quite interested in what the night life of these cities is going to be like. I heard that Washington DC can be a bit a drab in that respect (but i could be misinformed). The last time i visited America i was like 8 so i'm not sure really sure what the night life is like at all really. Do they have pubs?
I'm not a pub person myself, but just from walking around in NYC I'm quite certain you'll be able to find something to your liking in the city.
It's pretty hard to get lost in NYC once you get the general idea of the place. It's basically just a giant grid. The public transportation system is pretty solid and can get you close enough to just about anywhere you need to go. It's not something I'd worry about too much.
If you can't find something to do in DC at all hours of the day/night you're doing something very very wrong. That being said, it's NOT as large as NYC population wise ( I think ) but still pretty amazing.
I hate you and your cheap rent.
DC is not a boring city by any stretch. It isn't NYC or Vegas, but it's still got a great night life.
No, not a single pub in a metro area of 5,000,000. The issue with DC is that it is always pretty douchey and will get even douchier with a republican house. Wading through democratic congressional aides and lobbyists was annoying, but at least they were better looking, more interesting and more female than their counterparts across the aisle. Bars close at 1:30 or 2, in contrast to NYC, where bars close at 4 AM or never. DC is a dense, walkable city, probably the most "european" of american cities. Lots of nice parks, and everything is zoned low so you're not oppressed by skyscrapers and the buildings are generally old in the core of NW.
DC Food is good, plenty of free museums, biking trails, etc.. NYC is just a whole nother order of magnitude. It's obviously far more urban and you have to go further to escape. Drinks in manhattan are going to run you twice what they will in adams morgan or wherever. Food is better, especially with more options at the high end of things. NYC has a clear edge in music, clubbing and partying in general. DC is lots of bars and little else.
Rent in DC is going to be a lot more affordable though i'm not sure that's an issue for you.
If you want east coast, you'd want to decide between DC and NYC. I would sooner do San Francisco over Boston, though.
Sure many of the cities mentioned have their own unique charm or whatever, but nothing compares to New York.
Don't worry, you won't get lost. Google maps gives you directions by subway now.
I'd put SF as a second perhaps... but NYC.
Well, assuming the money and job thing is taken care of.
This is completely true. Our "dance clubs" barely qualify under any meaning of the words.
Anyway, for 6 months? New York.
Smaller than NY, but an incredible variety of things to do/eat/see. Public transit within the city and surrounding neighborhoods is good but outside that, non-existent.
If I were you I'd go to Chicago. That place is crawling with history and is pretty much awesome all around.
I have a friend originally from Tampa who went to MIT and it sounds like he enjoyed the Boston area, but he hasn't particularly keen on going back to visit or seeking job opportunities there. For whatever that's worth.
I know I care more about outdoors activities than most people but you might look into a city like Boulder or Denver. Flagstaff is a pretty cool town too.
and really there no extensively vacant unskilled labor positions anywhere in this country, much less ones that will deal with potential red tape involved in hiring non-citizens and if thats your plan then prepare to starve
we also talk about other random shit and clown upon each other
Having lived in all of those places, I would have to second this post. Flagstaff is kinda small, but I lived there for 5 years and really enjoyed it :^:. Great atmosphere.
Otherwise, if you want to stay in a city (not venture out into surrounding mountains and what not), I'd take NYC or Chicago over Denver any day. As others have said, if living expenses/etc are taken care of, and if you are particularly fond of amazing food, go to NYC.
The nice thing about NYC is you can also visit Boston, DC, Philadelphia, etc on long weekends. San Francisco, though, is a nice alternative.
In that case, you need to limit yourself to cities with decent public transportation. That comes down to NYC, DC, Chicago at the top, with Boston and Seattle and a few other places in the second tier. Most American cities have very few public transit options.
Also, depending on the time of year you'll be here, give weather some thought. Winters in NYC, Boston and Chicago are really cold by European standards. On the flipside, summers in NYC and DC are pretty awful.
A lot of people are suggesting NYC, but even if you have housing taken care of, you're going to have to be prepared for really high cost of living. Though, DC isn't much better.
NYC, DC and Boston are all full of young people. Someone upthread posted about how DC is a little weird because of all the Capitol Hill staffers everywhere, but that's really a pretty small part of the city these days. We have a number of universities, a large international community because of the embassies and international agencies and a number of other industries that attract young people (high tech, consulting, the military).
If you can afford it, I would probably suggest NYC, with DC a close second. Boston is okay, but I don't think it compares to the other two.
Rigorous Scholarship
Cheers!
Rigorous Scholarship
Venture into the hinterlands! We have cute wildlife;
NYC is a good safe choice. It does have the bonus of being within a train ride to Boston, so there is that. Enjoy!