If you had to pick one of these cities...

[Dogdragoness]

Austin is awesome...so not like the rest of Texas. It is on my short list of cities I would consider moving to except for it does stay hot for a lot longer than I like (I am a seasons girl and like some winter. But the city itself is just awesome, we visit ILs usually once a year and DH went to school there)

Houston and Dallas - ick

San Fran I am sure would be awesome but yeah, its san fran and whoa cost of living.

Toronto would also be super awesome.

I'm sorry but I find that mildly offensive :/

I wish San Antonio (my home town) was on the list, Austin is awesome but it's a little too metro for me, I am not a big city person, having grown up in a quiet suburb, big cities scare the crap out of me.

But I will agree with you about the ick factor of Dallas and Houston ... They are nice places to visit, but the smog and the pollution gets to me if I stay too long.

 

[FransterDoo]

God San Fran's weather seems like it would be my PERFECT weather. I love 60's and 70's. Does it ever get much colder than, say, 40 ish? Because if not, that would be my perfect climate LOL.

Right now it's 54 and raining in Oakland. I will say that on Monday I was wearing a sleeveless dress with a cardigan sweater and flats to work!

The wind right off the bay and/or ocean in San FranCISCO and the fog in the western part of the city can be a little cold and dreary. But it's a big freaking deal if the low gets to about freezing.


Here's the Craigslist link: https://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/apa/

ETA: and here's shared rooms! https://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/roo/

(Bayview and Tenderloin are more dangerous parts of town. The Sunset and Richmond districts are the Western-most areas of town)

 

[Greenmagick]

I'm sorry but I find that mildly offensive :/

I wish San Antonio (my home town) was on the list, Austin is awesome but it's a little too metro for me, I am not a big city person, having grown up in a quiet suburb, big cities scare the crap out of me.

But I will agree with you about the ick factor of Dallas and Houston ... They are nice places to visit, but the smog and the pollution gets to me if I stay too long.

What's offensive about saying Austin is not like the rest of Texas? "Keep Austin weird". If you like the typical Texas life that's fine but Austin really isn't that. I would say the same about ST. Louis. It is quite different from the rest of Missouri. I didn't say anything was wrong with the rest of Texas, just it's not for me.

Yes I find Dallas and Houston ick.

San Antonio is very nice as well but yes not a possibility for Fran.

 

[DJEtzel]

I'd pick Houston.

I have a friend down there, and we're planning a trip in May with one or both of the dogs - SO much dog friendly stuff there from the looks of it, we're actually thinking of moving!

Also, my friend said the nightlife rocks. And we're into the bar/club scene.

 

[Dogdragoness]

England is a back-up plan at this point. I love the idea, I love London... but the job itself gives me reservations and frankly, being that far away from my family (realistically I'd be able to visit at most once a year with my work load) is a little too much.

Right now the top contenders are..
- Toronto
- San Fran
- Austin

As for city size, bigger the better. I HATE the country, suburbs and small towns with equal amounts of vigor.

Toronto reservations at this point are really just freezing my butt off.

Austin I just worry about it being Texas and you know...Texas.......
(I can say that because I'm from Florida and am equally as cynical about it lol)

and San Fran is just getting a lay of the land and finding a place to live and commuting within the budget.

Houston and Dallas are way too polluted with too much crime IMO.
Austin is a nice city with an awesome music scene, not sure what you mean by "I worry about it being Texas" and with the OOS influx there really isn't much conservative right winged-ness anymore. That and you know, younger generations, changing views and all that.

@greenmagick sorry about that ... I quoted the wrong person

 

[stardogs]

I like Charlotte, but I suspect that the public transportation is going to be far under what you're used to currently. I do love NC, though, and I know Charlotte has lots going on, but it's going to be very different from most of the metros on your list. Lots of dog events in that area, too.

San Fran would be awesome, but omg the COL is insaaaaane. If you can make the costs work, I'd go there in a heartbeat though. Such a great city!

 

[Dogdragoness]

I like Charlotte, but I suspect that the public transportation is going to be far under what you're used to currently. I do love NC, though, and I know Charlotte has lots going on, but it's going to be very different from most of the metros on your list. Lots of dog events in that area, too.

San Fran would be awesome, but omg the COL is insaaaaane. If you can make the costs work, I'd go there in a heartbeat though. Such a great city!

Me too ... If the COL wasn't so high I would go there in an instant it sucks because the horse racing industry is really good there too but not good enough to offset the COL

 

[FransterDoo]

San Fran would be awesome, but omg the COL is insaaaaane. If you can make the costs work, I'd go there in a heartbeat though. Such a great city!

We're going through yet another tech boom and it's driving rents up and up and up.

Especially in the City where all the transplants want to live. Well, and the San Jose/San Mateo county area where Google and Apple, etc are located.

 

[Fran101]

Thanks so much for all your help guys!
I have some other cities...
- St. Louis
- D.C
- Chicago
- Sacramento

and it's a paid fellowship!
Right now the top 3 is looking like...
- Austin
- Toronto
- San Fran

but I think San Fran might be getting kicked to the curb Boston real estate is bad enough would rather not sell a kidney for an even smaller place

 

[Greenmagick]

Thanks so much for all your help guys!
I have some other cities...
- St. Louis
- D.C
- Chicago
- Sacramento

e

Ok, I have to put a huge plug in for St. Louis. It can be a bit tricky to find your niche as with urban sprawl there are some areas that are just, well, IMO plasticky and not really the best place to be but overall, St. Louis is my favorite city I know with talking to people who moved here from other cities, some felt like it took a bit of time to find their groove here and their "people" for lack of a better term. But once they do, they love it. (and that usually is more of an issue when its people moving here and going out to the far suburbs - in the city itself and the inner ring its a lot different IMO) It is kind of an underdog and flies a bit under the radar but there is SO much cool stuff here.

COL is really low and there are also a TON of free and awesome activities and such that are always going on.

I should add, a big negative is for most areas the public transport system really sucks. Its not a city where its at all practical to not drive. I mean people do it but its a big issue. If you are right by one of the universities its better.

 

[Jules]

Thanks so much for all your help guys!
I have some other cities...
- St. Louis
- D.C
- Chicago
- Sacramento

and it's a paid fellowship!
Right now the top 3 is looking like...
- Austin
- Toronto
- San Fran

but I think San Fran might be getting kicked to the curb Boston real estate is bad enough would rather not sell a kidney for an even smaller place

I LOVE the DC area. Sure, it's expensive but they have a pretty decent metro system, so you have areas to choose from where rent shouldn't be too bad. Certainly not worse than your current area. Can you say diversity?

I am sorry, maybe that's because I've lived here too long, but run, don't walk from the thought of moving to the Midwest.

 

[Dogdragoness]

Thanks so much for all your help guys!
I have some other cities...
- St. Louis
- D.C
- Chicago
- Sacramento

and it's a paid fellowship!
Right now the top 3 is looking like...
- Austin
- Toronto
- San Fran

but I think San Fran might be getting kicked to the curb Boston real estate is bad enough would rather not sell a kidney for an even smaller place

I think (tho I will admit to being bias lol) that Austin would be your best bet since San Fran would be too expensive for you and you fear Toronto would be too cold in winter.

In Austin you could get outside and do doggy things or whatever in the middle or winter (today it's supposed to be sunny and about 60 degrees )

 

[FransterDoo]

Thanks so much for all your help guys!
I have some other cities...
- St. Louis
- D.C
- Chicago
- Sacramento

and it's a paid fellowship!
Right now the top 3 is looking like...
- Austin
- Toronto
- San Fran

but I think San Fran might be getting kicked to the curb Boston real estate is bad enough would rather not sell a kidney for an even smaller place

If you want to keep the SF position in the mix - there's always the East Bay. Anything along the BART lines would be an easy commute into the city. And Berkeley/Oakland is very similar Boston/Cambridge (but with avocados and citrus practically year round).

Sacramento is about 90 minutes northeast of SF. There is regular Amtrak service for weekend trips It's much warmer in the summer but the winters remain temperate. Decent PT but lots of sub-urban sprawl. Lots of fun things to do though and a very high-energy place when you are young and working for government agencies.

Just make sure you are in Sacramento and not one of the outlying bedroom-esque communities.

AND I have a handful of Aussie friends around here! Lots of booty wagging and barking!!

 

[JacksonsMom]

COME TO DC because... ummm... Jackson and I are here!! LOL... no but really you would fit in nicely in DC honestly though, I could see you totally living in DC, but it does get cold (of course not any colder than Boston) and summers are humid. I'm pretty sure it's similar to Boston weather. It's not my fav place, as I of course want to move, but I've been here all my life, and never spend time in actual DC, but most people that do love it. Public transportation is awesome, very dog friendly, lots of things to do and you're close to so many different things, very diverse. I'm almost positive you'd be able to find a decent priced place to rent as well.

 

[Beanie]

After being in Boston, I think you would adjust fairly easily to Chicago. Public transport is better in Chicago (I really don't think there's anywhere that beats Chicago for public transport), COL is lower. Temps are about the same, Chicago can definitely get more snow though. And it didn't get the nickname The Windy City for no reason. Disregard if you won't be there during the winter.
The biggest downside to Chicago is obviously the crime. Much higher levels of crime than Boston. Definite places you don't want to go and you just have to be careful. Chicago does not really "scare" me exactly, I just feel like I'm on high alert at times when I'm in the city proper. If you're just in the suburbs, though, it's really not a big deal. Like Schaumburg is not a scary city LOL. It has an IKEA. How can any city with an IKEA be scary? Exactly. It can't.

 

[Linds]

Thanks so much for all your help guys!
I have some other cities...
- St. Louis
- D.C
- Chicago
- Sacramento

CHICAGO!!! Because you'll live by me and I want to cuddle with Merlin. There you go, all the reason you need.

ETA: And Beanie's reasons since they are good. I like Chicago, or at least I like around it. I like that we have SO many choices for pretty much everything in and around Chicago.

And if you have trouble finding a place you could stay with my family till you found one.

Oh, and I know of this really awesome dog park in one of the suburbs......

 

[JessLough]

For the record, if COL is a concern, I'd stay away from Toronto. Rent is going to be more than Boston.

Though, that said, minimum here is $10.25, going up to $11 in June. So that would make a difference too.

 

[Sit Stay]

I only know Toronto, but it sounds like a good fit. The Beaches especially are SUPER doggy (but expensive).

 

[milos_mommy]

For the record, if COL is a concern, I'd stay away from Toronto. Rent is going to be more than Boston.

Though, that said, minimum here is $10.25, going up to $11 in June. So that would make a difference too.

Fellowships typically (if not always) pay a stipend, and any I've heard of pay the same no matter what city you're placed in.

 

[stardogs]

I interned in the DC/NoVA area two summers in a row and loved it! I don't think I'd want to live there long term, but omg there is soooo much to do, public transit is great, lots of great things just a short drive away, etc. COL is high but prob not all that different from Boston and I was able to find a basement room to rent in Arlington for $600/6 weeks through friends of friends.