Best Cities New Yorkers Should Move To
Being a New Yorker often isn’t for life. New York is a strange, high-energy place that often sends people fleeing all over the country. Similarly, that same nature attracts people from all over the world. Some of these people settle for life, but many others will stay for a few years before moving on to a possibly less hectic environment. So if you are a New Yorker, where are some of the best places you should think about relocating to when the city wears you out?
(more…)Can you replace your car with a scooter?
Scooter is an imprecise word. It can refer to the mobility scooters for the disabled and elderly, kick scooters used by kids, or motorcycle-like scooters that can achieve high speeds on open roadways. Here we will discuss the usefulness of the electric folding variety of scooter as a primary mode of transportation, as well as a way to supplement mass transit use. Can this sort of scooter really replace a car? In some situations, yes. Let’s start by comparing these two rather different vehicles.
(more…)Rustbelt Renaissance: A guide to relocating to the cities of the post-pandemic Midwest
So why would anyone consider moving to Buffalo, Detroit, Cleveland, or Toledo in 2021? It’s not for the weather, unless you really enjoy cold winters. It’s not for the sense of security, as rust belt cities have some of the highest crime rates in the country. And it’s certainly not for the attractions and atmosphere, as most rust belt cities have few big tourist attractions and are less visually attractive than many cities on the coasts. The biggest reason to move to the rust belt is financial.
(more…)Surprisingly nice west coast cities with cheap rent
The west coast is home to some of the most expensive cities in the US. San Francisco is of course infamous for its high rents, but Los Angeles and Seattle have become increasingly unaffordable for working class people as well. If you are on a budget and want to rent a one bedroom apartment for under $1000 a month, where can you look in Washington, Oregon, and California? Note that we are defining cities here as location with at least 100,000 people, so some places like Bend, Oregon and Redding, California just missed the cut. Bigger cities have larger housing markets and job markets, not to mention public transit, making them much easier to move to.
(more…)The Best Cities in Florida You Should Move To Now
Florida Man jokes and presidential election blaming aside, there is a lot to like about Florida. It has warm, sunny weather almost year-round. It has a variety of biomes to enjoy, including the everglades and miles and miles of white sand beaches. There are rural areas and big cities here, and the state’s lack of income tax is a big draw for many. On top of that, you have world-class amusement parks and cruise lines in your backyard. Of course, Florida is a huge state. If you want to move to a city (generally recommended, as moving to a small town makes it harder to locate housing and find work), what is the best fit for you?
(more…)Remote Work Skilled Trades That Are In Demand Now
Remote work is a huge conversation starter right now in career development and education circles. There are thousands of blog posts, forum threads, and YouTube videos about entry-level jobs, freelancing opportunities, and small businesses that are friendly to remote work. But what about skilled trades, jobs that require significant training but that can be the basis for a decades-long career? The very idea of a career has become something of a dirty word with some millennials who have been burned by the shifting (and in many cases, weakening) economy. But there are many opportunities out there for those willing to put in the time to train in an in-demand area.
(more…)Best American Cities for Foreign Workers
American wages, especially in major cities, can be much higher than what a person might make for equivalent work in a developing nation like India or Nigeria. It is often a prudent decision for a young person fresh out of college or a parent trying to save money for their family to move temporarily to the US on a work visa and send some money back home. But America is huge, complicated, and the variety of tax laws in different states can be overwhelming to consider. Here are a few of the best cities in America that have low income taxes, competitive wages, and have jobs in industries like technology, healthcare, manufacturing, and accommodation that are popular with foreign born workers.
(more…)Eight Interesting Boy Scout Camping Tricks
In the late 90s and early 2000s I was a boy scout. I learned how to tie knots, build lean-tos, cook over an open fire, and dress like a total goober. Some of those lessons have stuck with me and even come in handy once in a while as I’m camping as an adult. A couple of these may seem obvious, others may seem bizarre, but all of them are to some degree useful.
(more…)Six American Cities Where You Can Buy a $50,000 house.
Cities are sturdy things. They tend to outlast the nations they are part of, and it is not historically uncommon for them to last for thousands of years. During their long lifespans, however, many will have periods of population growth and contraction in response to economic conditions. Across America’s Rust Belt, for example, are a number of cities that once were home to major manufacturing sectors, but which have now lost many of their factories, and the people that worked in them. This has had positive and negative effects on the community. The downsides have been general economic decline, joblessness, and an increase in crime rates. The population declines also eat away at the tax base of the city, making it harder for local government to maintain infrastructure and social programs. There are some positives, however, including reduced traffic congestion and lower housing costs. Here are five US cities where you can become a home owner even if you have only a modest income, in order of the number of homes available.
(more…)Smallest Cities with Light Rail
Public transportation is great, but who wants to take the bus everywhere? In many smaller cities (and a few big ones like Tampa and Columbus), buses are the only public transit infrastructure. Why? They’re cheap and easy. Unlike streetcars, subways, and other forms of light rail, you don’t have to actually move stuff around and build stations and tracks all over the place to let the system function. But trains are faster, don’t add to traffic congestion during rush hour, have lower operating costs per passenger, offer more comfortable rides, and are usually electric vehicles, meaning they are greener than most buses. Here are a few cities with fewer than 300,000 citizens who have put up the cash for a light rail system. Note that this list does not include suburban cities that are connected to the light rail system of a larger neighbor (like Beaverton, Oregon). This list also does not count cities with seasonal tourist trolley systems (like Kenosha, Wisconsin) or systems that are less than 1.5 miles in length (like Savannah, Georgia).
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