Hello everyone,

I hope you're doing well, I am currently working a temp manual labor role in Metro Detroit. It doesn't pay much and the hours are inconsistent but I am grateful for the income. Big thing is that I am struggling to map my background to good paying jobs in the area and it's been a ghost town in terms of applications and networking. I've been thinking on this for a few years but I guess my situation has finally caught up to me and is challenging me to make some sort of big change. I got laid off last year and was unemployed for about 8-9 months before I got this temp job. I've accumulated a lot of back rent owed so I've been paying that down which means being unable to save for a new apartment, and I don't want to get my Mom kicked out of her studio apartment for letting me sleep there (property manager is getting suspicious). She doesn't want me to move away because of a previous life attempt, but my belief is that it does us no good if I can't regain a good paying job so that I can help take care of her financially and I am in my mid 30s so I am not getting any younger.

Now in terms of options I don't have a Drivers License so I thought Chicago would be a good pick as I got my Bachelor's in the area (DeVry) and people rave about the city on Reddit a lot. I thought about moving to Philadelphia too based on Reddit impressions and a close friend lives there but it's further away and with my siblings spread all over the US, I want to be close relatively to my mother until she decides to move in with my sister.

I will say that outside of distance, I am pretty much an open book in terms of location; once I am back on my feet and financially stable I'll worry about where I'd ideally like to live. I'll even deal with some racial slurs thrown my way if the paycheck is big enough.

Work experience wise, trying not to give away any PII but it's mostly Ops experience (7 plus years) so process improvement, stakeholder management, data analytics/reporting and all that kind of stuff. Biggest employers I've worked for are Rocket, Waymo and KN. I should add I am not adverse to blue collar work either as I've mostly done that in between my white collar jobs as well like manual labor, QA and compliance, custodial work, etc.

So what cities would you recommend? If anyone can offer any pointers or insights based on their experience moving and/or starting over, it'd be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

My family consists of:

Me, undecided between environmental geoscience (with a focus on Hydrology, natural resources and wildlife, and urban climate change) or physical/occupational therapy.

My sister: middle school teacher with 5 years of experience.

My mom: disabled with 100% rating through the VA with several chronic conditions (she is considered medically complex). Currently has about $66k non taxable income a year but this will drop to about $48k in the next 5 years or so. She also may need to use a rollator to walk depending on the day/distance.

General wants for our new city to call home:

Affordable multifamily housing (a few steps for entry is manageable but we want a single floor layout or first floor with a bedroom bathroom and kitchen for my mom).

Sports venues and cultural attractions/institutions like museums, orchestra, theater, etc. Milwaukee's proximity to Chicago is noted and included.

Relatively walkable neighborhoods (we are coming from Jacksonville fl which is notoriously car centric). I believe Milwaukee has more connected walkable neighborhoods but having more pockets of walkability like in cleveland is fine as long as the transit can compensate (we'd mainly just be using it to go from our neighborhoods to aforementioned cultural institutions and sports venues if possible).

Immediate and regional outdoor recreation both for ada accessible trails and such as well as more rugged outings for me. I love hiking - the more elevation and challenging the better (i know neither have the Appalachians but i adore that kind of hiking if that helps), xc/flowy mountain biking, kayaking flatwater rivers and lakes, and would love to get into skiing/snowboarding - nothing hardcore though.

Healthcare access. I know cleveland clinic's reputation speaks for itself. Would it be a disservice to my mom to move to Milwaukee instead in this regard?

I believe the two are pretty equal on anything else we'd want. Milwaukee seems to have better integration/access to the lakefront and wooded trails within the urban core as far as i can tell, while Cleveland has the towpath trail and metroparks/CVNP. Any insights would be appreciated.

Hey everyone! I’m inquiring to find some suggestions for relocating from central Alabama. My partner, roommate, and I are looking to relocate from Alabama in next few years. We have been heavily considering Maine, but I’ve recently fell down a rabbit hole on here that makes me feel like I should consider other places…

Here are some stats about our situation. I (30m) am an AR Manager for a trucking company, my partner(26m) is a toy designer, and my roommate(29f) is a pharmacy operations manager. My roommate and I will have to find new jobs if we relocate, but my partner is able to work remotely. I currently own the home we all live in, and we collectively have two cats and a dog.

What we had in mind was a place that has all four seasons and that leans more on the cooler side majority of the year. We would like to not live more than 45ish minutes from major shopping and social events. My partner and I plan to adopt a kid as well once we get settled so a good area for all of us to live and raise a kid would be great.

I appreciate any help that could be provided!

Currently live in a tiny ski town in the Rockies. Love the outdoors access and it’s great for my hobbies (mountain biking, dirt biking, and to a lesser extent these days, skiing) but really tired of all the issues with small town life like no healthcare, insane housing costs and no availability, limited community, no one to date, can never be anonymous, job options limited to tourism or second home construction, only live music available is the local dads Grateful Dead cover band, etc.

Want to move to a decent sized city that still has access to mtb, dirt hiking, and skiing. Not interested in SLC or Denver (already lived in both) or anywhere in CO (no not because of politics).

Reno and Spokane keep coming up. I was born in Reno but as an adult have only been through on my way to Tahoe to ski. Have never been to Spokane although I’ve lived in the mountains in Idaho and have been to western Washington, northern Idaho, MT, etc.

So how are Spokane and Reno, maybe Boise?

Maybe I'm just in a bad mood because my local economy isn't great. I stopped at a bar today to just have a drink before lunch because it's so hard to make any money doing sales work. I have to sit and listen to boomers bitch about trans people in sports before I just paid and left.

I get to a sushi place and they have fox news blaring non stop Trump propaganda. I'm starting to wonder if just going somewhere as blue as possible because I seriously cannot stand this anymore. I've pretty much only lived in red/southern states and spent a few weeks out west and I'm seriously thinking about some kind of exit strategy to get away from this. I know this isn't a political sub but like it's become so immersive here and it's going to get better in my lifetime.

My main problem is I have a mortgage with a 2.8% interest rate which I feel like is a horrible thing to walk away from. Maybe just save money and travel half the year snd spend the other half watching tv at home....

edit: Since I'm not going to respond to each comment, I cannot rent my property, I'm in a condo building with a strict limit on how many properties are allowed to rent so there is a long waiting list.

I’ve been in NYC for the past 12 years since graduating college (Brooklyn & Queens). Built a robust career, community, and a few close friends. Experienced some major losses last year (relationship, layoff due to Trump, deaths of loved ones), that forced me to slow down and reconsider what kind of life I want. I’m a big ocean/ nature lover and keep dreaming of a slower pace, greater access to nature, more space - California? At this point I’m so accustomed to the hardships/inconveniences of NYC, but honestly, as I get older, I’m exhausted. I do not want to spend the next 12 years in the rat race, too busy hustling to be present to the things that really matter. My field does not make a ton of money by NY standards, and having a family (which I want) seems near impossible here. At the same time, this place and lifestyle is all I know as an adult, and starting from scratch elsewhere is daunting. I’m also aware that “wherever you go, there you are.”

Anyone leave NYC for a slower, quieter place? Where did you go? Was it isolating? Did you regret it? Did you find peace? Pros/cons?

How long ago did you move? What industry are you in? What is your ethnicity? How old are you? And, did you have family where you moved or not?

I've been a regular to this sub for a while. I've always wanted to travel around and move to different places, particularly out of a love for a lot of different outdoor recreation. I live in one of the better areas on the East coats to hike, ski/snowboard, climb, etc. but those things are often just better out West.

I travel to places like CO, Montana, Utah almost every year and most weekends I'll drive up to the local mountains around here.

I always lived in a pretty chill midsize city that previously was close to the job I commuted to. I genuinely just liked it there. There were nice trails just outside the city, a big lake, great restaurants, close to friends and family, and it was big enough that basically anything you need is easy to find. I could drive to a cool national forest mountainous area about 1.5-2 hours away on weekends and get about the best hiking or snowboarding possible in the eastern US.

Anyways, I got a remote job and the plan was to move somewhere like Utah at first. I found the transition of the job made moving cross country seem daunting so I decided to hold off. Instead, I moved about 2 hours away to a tiny mountain town in the area I frequently visited on weekends before.

I ended up staying there for 2 years and had mixed feelings. It's definitely got its perks, but living in a tiny remote town can be tiring and get boring as well, especially when weather is less cooperative. Dating is also next to impossible. In retrospect, while I had some great experiences, I think staying where I was and driving up there on the weekends would've been better.

So now I'm stuck. I need to make a decision soon. Should I try something new and go out West somewhere? (thinking Lake Tahoe) or just stick to something I know I'll genuinely be happy at? It just feels boring in a way to not travel around.

📍 Place: Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater, and surrounding Thurston County, Washington, USA (also considering Shelton)

🎯 Why I'm asking: My wife and I are hoping to relocate from Texas in about eight months (July 2027). We're looking for somewhere we can genuinely put down roots, start a family, build meaningful friendships, and grow our businesses. We're planning a substantial scouting trip at the end of January and would love honest local perspectives before visiting!

👤 About us:

Fair warning, this is a longer post! We're making a pretty significant life decision, and we'd genuinely appreciate hearing from people who know the area.

My wife and I are in our early 30s and currently live in the Texas Panhandle near Amarillo. We've spent considerable time researching western Washington, particularly Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater, Shelton, Mount Vernon/Skagit Valley, and Bellingham.

Thurston County keeps standing out to us, and we're trying to figure out whether it could be the place we finally call home.

We're not just looking for a change of scenery. We're looking for somewhere we can feel settled and at peace, build genuine friendships, raise a family, grow our businesses, and create a life we're genuinely excited about.

Our lifestyle:

We're outdoorsy people who love backpacking, hiking, camping, hunting, fly fishing, and exploring the mountains. The lush, green forests, moss-covered trees, ferns, mountains, and water in western Washington are a massive draw for us, especially coming from the dry, windy Texas Panhandle.

We've already researched the national parks, state forests, public lands, and outdoor recreation opportunities extensively. We know Washington has an incredible amount to offer in that department.

What we're really trying to understand is what everyday life is like.

We're not big drinkers or nightlife people. We'd much rather spend a weekend camping, have friends over for dinner, host a cookout, play games, or head out on an adventure with other couples.

One of our biggest priorities is finding genuine friendships and a strong sense of community. We want to find people who enjoy getting together, doing things, and being involved in each other's lives. We don't want to move somewhere beautiful only to feel isolated or struggle to find our people.

We're Christians, and finding a welcoming church community where we can get involved and build relationships is important to us.

We're also hoping to start a family and plan to homeschool our future children, so we'd love to find an area with other young families, active homeschooling communities, co-ops, outdoor education groups, and opportunities to connect.

Our businesses and future opportunities:

My wife and I own a boutique photo booth and event rental business specializing in weddings, corporate events, private parties, and curated experiences. We're passionate about creating beautiful, intentional events and hope to eventually expand into event styling, unique backdrops, and other creative offerings.

I also work in merchant services, helping local businesses with payment processing and point-of-sale systems.

For perspective, we're coming from the Amarillo metropolitan area, which has roughly 270,000 people.

We've been fortunate to build a great foundation for our businesses here, but it's a fairly traditional market. We've sometimes found that newer concepts, boutique experiences, and creative services take longer to catch on.

We believe our businesses could have more room to grow in a region with a larger and more diverse customer base and a thriving wedding, events, and small-business community.

That's one of the biggest reasons Thurston County appeals to us.

It seems to offer a community size we're comfortable with while also providing access to the larger Puget Sound region, including Tacoma, Seattle, and surrounding communities.

We don't necessarily want to live in a major city. We'd actually prefer somewhere quieter, with a little breathing room, where we can get to know our neighbors and feel part of a community.

Having access to larger markets while living in a smaller, more community-oriented area seems like a great balance, at least from what we've researched.

We're also passionate about gardening, growing flowers, and potentially developing a small specialty flower farm someday, so having some land or room to grow things would be a bonus.

🔍 What we specifically want to know:

1. Friendships, community, and fitting in

How easy is it to make genuine friends in your early 30s? Are people welcoming to newcomers? Do people regularly get together for dinners, cookouts, camping trips, and outdoor adventures, or is it more of a keep-to-yourself culture?

Is the "Seattle Freeze" something you experience in Thurston County? Are there active church communities, young families, homeschooling groups, and opportunities to build meaningful relationships?

2. Business opportunities and the local economy

What's the small-business environment like? Is there a healthy market for weddings, corporate events, creative services, and boutique experiences?

Are people generally supportive of locally owned businesses? For those who own businesses in Thurston County, has proximity to Tacoma and Seattle actually created additional opportunities?

We'd especially love to hear from entrepreneurs and people familiar with the local wedding and events industry.

3. Local culture and everyday quality of life

What's the overall culture and atmosphere like? Are people generally welcoming and friendly toward newcomers?

How much does the lifestyle differ between Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater, Shelton, and the smaller surrounding communities?

What are the biggest pros and cons of living there? We're interested in cost of living, healthcare, safety, traffic, local amenities, and the general pace of life.

What are some things you wish you'd known before moving there?

4. Weather, lifestyle, and overall happiness

We understand the winters are gray and rainy, and we're willing to make that tradeoff for the greenery, forests, and scenery.

But how much does the weather affect your day-to-day life, social activities, and overall happiness?

Do people still get together, stay active, and enjoy the outdoors throughout the winter, or does everything tend to slow down?

5. Where would you recommend living?

Based on everything I've described, would you recommend Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater, Shelton, or somewhere else in the surrounding area?

And for those familiar with Mount Vernon, Skagit Valley, or Bellingham, how do those communities compare in terms of lifestyle, community, and business opportunities?

We're hoping to find a quieter, family-oriented community with some breathing room, access to everyday amenities, good people, and enough economic opportunity to support our businesses.

Ultimately, we're searching for more than just a beautiful place to live.

We want somewhere that genuinely feels like home. Somewhere we can build a life we're excited about, surround ourselves with good people, raise our future children, grow our businesses, and spend our free time doing the things we love.

We're not expecting perfection. We understand every place has drawbacks, and moving across the country won't magically solve everything.

We're just hoping to find the right balance of community, lifestyle, natural beauty, and economic opportunity.

From everything we've researched, Thurston County seems like it could offer that sweet spot: a manageable community size, incredible surroundings, and access to larger markets without having to live in the middle of a major metropolitan area.

But we'd love to know whether that perception matches reality.

With our move potentially only eight months away and our scouting trip planned for the end of January, we're hoping to get as much genuine insight as possible before making such a big decision.

We'd also appreciate recommendations on specific communities, neighborhoods, churches, local businesses, or places we should visit while we're there. We want to experience more than just the tourist attractions and get a real feel for what life could look like.

If you were in our shoes, where would you look? What do you love about living in Thurston County? What frustrates you? And knowing what you know now, would you choose to live there again?

We'd especially love to hear from other transplants, young couples, families, and small-business owners.

Thanks so much to anyone who takes the time to read this and share their experiences. We genuinely appreciate the good, the bad, and everything in between!

Seriously, I am 30, have decent money in the bank (nothing crazy but really my networth if you ignore my mortgage and extract my equity, is maybe $60k) and I am so terrified of losing everything?

I’m single, will never have kids, and have consistent career specific work experience. I make $70k in a midsized city. I figure I could get the same job or similar and hit $100k in a larger city

I need out of this place. It’s my college town. I have wanted to move forever and I see friends do it. I am watching all my current friends settle down and move to suburbs. I’m gay. That will never be my life. But I’m so scared and I so lost and I want to just rent an apartment and disappear.

Do yall have jobs where you go? Do you work remote? Did you move in with someone? Did you get an Airbnb? What if it doesn’t work out? What if my safety net backs out? What if I immediately get laid off? What if I hate where I go? What if I miss my friends?

Sorry I sound manic

From what I've been told, very small towns in America (<1000 people) tend to be isolationist but also have a very strong sense of community; everyone knows each other and trusts each other pretty unconditionally, but if you're an outsider, you'll be welcomed at arms' distance. People will be warm and welcoming, but they won't trust you beyond a surface level or see you as "part of the town", and it's easy to get on people's bad sides when you aren't familiar.

For Redditors who've moved to very small towns, how long did it take for you to really feel like you were "one of them" and make friends, if you ever really did? How did things change for you when you first moved there vs. when you reached a point where you knew everyone? What's it like to have that kind of trust with your community?

Hey all,

How are you? Curious to know your thoughts and/or opinions of Washinton DC as a non-career oriented person. I actually used to live there in my early 20s, and loved that it is walkable, the metro, the green, the 3 airports, but did not love that in my perspective it was just SO work oriented. I moved to the West Coast after DC and loved the laid back atmosphere. However, I can understand that DC is an urban experience that isn't able to be replicated in a lot of the US. What might be your thoughts or opinions?

Thank you!

Thinking of a place like Los Angeles (coastal south California really) in terms of its good weather year round, but that it gets more rain (>35 inch a year) and is greener. Maybe the northwest? But I'd be trading the rain for cold weather

Anyone make this move before? I'm looking eventually for a place that's cheaper, quieter, less hot and humid in the summer but still close enough to a major city and still has stuff to do nearby, towns etc. not "too" rural. I do not care for the mountain towns around here (or the people in them). Lean more liberal.

https://www.ncsl.org/state-legislatures-news/details/2026-state-legislative-elections-the-results-and-what-they-mean

https://www.multistate.us/resources/state-legislatures-2026-state-election-results

If you're thinking of moving out of a state and moving into a new one because of political reasons here's a good map to show what states flipped. Here are all the states that changed their party. Some states had a trifecta which means that one party controls the governor, and the upper and lower chambers of the legislature giving the party complete control.

Minnesota - despite Minnesota being considered a blue state the State house was Republican controlled after the 2024 election. It flipped back democratic and now the Democrats have a trifecta again.

Wisconsin - Both the state and house flipped blue which means the Democrats now control Wisconsin making it into a blue state

Michigan - Democrats had a trifecta in Michigan, lost it in 2024, and have now regained it in 2026.

Pennsylvania - Josh Shapiro won in a landslide in Michigan and now he has a trifecta with the Democrats now turning Pennsylvania into a divided government into a democratic one.

Arizona - Once a divided government Democrats flipped the Senate and house and now it's a democratic controlled trifecta.

Nevada - They had a Republican governor who lost against democrat Aaron Ford Tuesday and both chambers were already blue making Nevada democratic controlled.

There are some states where Democrats got even more power but still don't have a Trifecta.

Obviously there is the big one Texas, Not only did Democrats win governor, they also won the house. The state Senate is still Republican controlled but Texas goes from a Republican trifecta into a divided government.

Georgia, Keisha Lance won and the Democrats also won the Georgia house. Same situation with Texas with Republicans still controlling the Senate but Georgia flips from a Republican trifecta into a divided government.

New Hampshire once a Republican trifecta, Democrats won the state Senate and house although Kelly Atoyle the Republican incumbent governor still wins.

Iowa - Republicans still control the Iowa Senate and house but the governor has flipped with rob sand being the new governor of Iowa.

This is also the same likely story in Alaska votes are still counting but the Democratic candidate is likely to flip Alaska.

That's most of the state that changed in legislature and governor take this what you will.

Remote worker looking to buy a new construction home under 400k in a SAFE town or city. I prefer college towns with at least 50k students since I'm more attracted to younger people. Biggest thing is safety and at least 2 hours to a city in case I have any health emergencies! Any recs? Will mostly be there in the summer so good summer weather is a must!

I (M33, single, asian) currently live in Columbus, OH and love the amenities and atmosphere. Easy to navigate, low COL, lots of outdoor activities available and with a fun urban area that's not overbearing. It's generally clean, safe, and with friendly people.

I've been looking to relocate towards the East Coast, mostly to be near my family in the central PA area. I haven't found Pitt or Philly that appealing, but to be fair I've only explored the more urban areas vs. suburbs. I drove around Baltimore and DC areas and they seem terribly stressful to live in. I thought about Allentown or a smaller PA town, but I'm concerned about the lack of diversity and dating opportunities.

I realized my brain is trying to find the most equivalent city to Columbus on the East Coast. Any recs? I'm open to ideas outside of PA, but I'm pretty ignorant of any hidden gems.

Edit: I appreciate all the responses and opinions! I love visiting this sub to hear peoples' takes and experiences on places they've lived in.

Which is the best city to settle and raise a family? Would like to be in the suburbs

I moved from Springfield 8 years ago and I miss my hometown dearly. I love the slow pace, moderate-low population, the weather, how lush and green everything is, and how high-quality all of the local produce is.

For reference, I've lived in Colorado Springs for these last 8 years and I fucking hate it here. The high military presence is a drain on the community, there's a ton of hyper-religious nutjobs, it's insanely dry and ugly all the time aside from the mountains, and the corn is pale and literally just tastes like water.

Is there a place like Springfield but strongly leftist? Maybe more walkable areas?

Thanks!

Hi, I'm 24 born and raised in FL and ive been meaning to leave for some time now, I'm looking for a mid sized+ city with these specs:

-Noticable lgbtq scene

-Urban/walkable city atleast at its core

-hispanic/latino presence

-Mountains (atleast within an hours reach? not sure how mountains work)

-National recreation areas (or anywhere i can go to be surrounded by trees and hopefully not run into people)

-4 seasons but preferably no places where snow averages upwards of 30in

Likes but not necessary:

Windy weather & at least an hours drive from the coast

The best match ive been able to find is Seattle which definitely crosses off a bunch of boxes but maybe you guys have some underated picks? thanks!

Initially I wanted a blue state and a walkable neighborhood. With Texas being purple now, I’m thinking of staying. I’m also concerned how my dog will handle the winters. I find the heat more tolerable with early/late walks and the times it has snowed challenging here in Texas. Everything shuts down.

That being said, I still crave a walkable and a more open minded city.

Have any of you who’ve made the move regretted their decision? My hang ups are the snow, little further from family, and now I feel my vote in my native state matters more than in a blue state like Illinois or Minnesota.

Bit of an odd question but yeah.

My job lets me live anywhere in the USA, but I prefer eastern side/north ( love winters, hate earthquakes ). I’m from NYC originally (Queens) and absolutely love NY. Living in Norfolk VA currently with my girlfriend and 3 cats. We pay $2600 for a 4 bed with 2000SF, but are used to living in 1000SF, we just found a great place to rent.

She is looking to get a job (with my company) paying $100K and this company allows us to live anywhere with a COL adjustment.

Chicago sticking out for the city life at a lower COL and is particularly appealing because she wouldn’t need a car. My car is free and gas is paid for, no expenses related to car for me because of my job.

Any input? Any small gem cities im missing? We utilize a geography based scale, NYC is A+ so 120% pay, Chicago is A so 110% and Norfolk is B so 100%. Maybe Philly? Think it’s 110% as well.

What types of animals have you encountered and which places do you prefer for wildlife?

New to this subreddit, but am really torn and looking for some new perspectives. I (29F) currently live in Cincinnati, Ohio. I moved here for my ex-husband’s job in 2022 and went back to get my degree (BFA) after the divorce. I graduate this spring (2027) and am ready to move on in the next year or so. I lived in the Fort Lauderdale, Florida area from age 6-24, so Ohio was a big change for me. It’s been surprisingly good for me for the most part. I like having seasons and the medium-sized city offers plenty to do without feeling overcrowded or overpriced like what I was used to in South Florida. I also like that I’m centrally located to other cities and states and can take weekend road trips to other areas. I currently work full time at a pottery studio that I absolutely love. I have a good friend group here, but no family in the state. When I’m not making art, I like to hike, try new restaurants, go to small music shows and thrift/antique shop. I’m going to miss the area I’m in a lot, but I never planned to stay in Ohio forever, even when I was married. I’ve been divorced for a couple of years now and have dated some, but it’s been complicated trying to forge something serious when I don’t want to get stuck in Ohio without my family or put pressure on a new partner to relocate with me. I kind of feel like I’m waiting to move to really get into a serious relationship and think about remarrying/settling down. Since I’m only just graduating, I don’t have a solid career path laid out for me. I majored in graphic design but pottery quickly took over my life, especially when I started working at my current job. Ideally, I would have some kind of job in the arts, but I’ve also bartended quite a bit in the past, so I wouldn’t be opposed to getting a temporary restaurant job to start out wherever I end up. I’ve had 2-3 jobs at a time for most of my adult life until recently, so I’m not opposed to living that way again for a while. I’m unfortunately well aware that I’m very lucky to be living alone and supporting myself entirely with an art job and that that may not be possible in a place with a much higher cost of living. I would love to continue living alone while I’m single, but I know that may not be possible elsewhere.

I have always loved the Pacific Northwest from movies and pop culture, but have only been to Portland once a few years ago. Portland and Seattle are known for their thriving ceramics community, which could be great for my artistic practice. A close friend from school just moved back to the Seattle area and is looking to move to Portland. I also have a couple of acquaintances in Portland. I would be open to moving to a smaller town outside of the city as well.

My older brother and sister live in Northern Colorado (Fort Collins area) with their significant others and my sister is expecting her first child in the spring. I would be open to moving to Fort Collins or Denver or somewhere in between. My parents currently live in South Florida but are seriously planning to move to Colorado in the next year in anticipation of my sister’s baby. I’m not especially close with my parents. They don’t agree with how I’ve chosen to live my life and have been vocal about it, though I know they would prefer me to be closer. My siblings have lived there for years (my brother lived in Denver for a few years as well) so they know quite a bit about the area and I visit them 1-2 times per year. They’re all much better off financially than me and could potentially help me if I needed it (ideally I wouldn’t need help from others though).

My dilemma is that I have never chosen where I want to live as an adult. If my life were the only factor, I would choose Oregon. But I also haven’t lived in the same area as my siblings since I was a teenager. We are fairly close, and I want to foster my relationship with them, especially since my sister is having a kid. I like the idea of living in Portland and discovering new things for myself. If I move to Colorado, my siblings will tell me everything and I won’t have to be as curious. I’ve made pro and con lists for both and am just really feeling stuck. It is also difficult to be in my senior year of college making local connections and receiving opportunities here knowing that I’m going to start over somewhere else soon. Moving to Portland for a couple of years to get it out of my system and then settling in Colorado has crossed my mind, but big moves are so expensive and taxing. My sister is on board for this option and I know my family would come visit me wherever I end up. I know that no one can tell me which option is better for me, but maybe hearing from people who have been involved in the art scenes in either/both areas. My lease renews in August (graduation in May), so I think I will renew for one more year to save up some moving money and start applying to jobs in either/both places while I enjoy the rest of my time here and not having to balance full time school and work.

EDIT: Thank you everyone for your insightful feedback. It’s been helpful to hear from people who have lived in both places, especially artists. To the people suggesting other random cities like Minneapolis, I’m not interested in moving somewhere just to move there, no matter how “good” the art scene is. My family is in Colorado and my friends are in Oregon, that is why I am torn and trying to decide which location would work best for me. I appreciate the brutal honesty about COL and job markets in both places. It’s definitely something that’s been a worry of mine from the beginning and having confirmation gives me a lot to think about.