a good place to live?

[nfs 0]

I'm still waiting on my NOA2, but I'm considering relocating as soon as October. I notice there's a big difference between different local offices on how long it takes to process AOS. Also I need a good job and where I am now is not great for that.

I'm considering Chicago or Minneapolis/St.Paul or Denver area.

Reasonable housing and/or well-paid employment, good public transportation, music, and maybe even a nice looking place or international community, those are my priorities.

At this point I could go just about anywhere.

Does anyone have any other ideas? Or any comments about those places?

[gugu24 0]

Yea UNO headoffice is the only option to get all what you want.

[nfs 0]

Yea UNO headoffice is the only option to get all what you want.

hmmm. UNO headoffice?

[moondancer627 0]

Chicago is a nice place. I have a friend that lives there. She has a wicked commute though due to the traffic and of course lots of wind/snow and winter!

Tucson isn't half bad, small local INS office.

You would be eating sunshine if you move here.

Good Luck

[babybunny 2]

how about dallas...

we dont have wicked snow..

[nfs 0]

Chicago is a nice place. I have a friend that lives there. She has a wicked commute though due to the traffic and of course lots of wind/snow and winter!

Tucson isn't half bad, small local INS office.

You would be eating sunshine if you move here.

Good Luck

I like Chicago too. I have friends there. But haven't thought about Tucson yet so thanks for the suggestion!

how about dallas...

we dont have wicked snow..

I don't mind snow, but warm would be good. Thanks!

[Alex+R 0]

For what you described, I'd choose Chicago. MSP is a GREAT area, but the city character is gentler and a bit quieter, with fewer conspicuous international communities (although we do have our share). We also have bad public transport. We're about equally cold. I don't know much about Denver though.

[ChristinaM 0]

MAINE!!! WE NEED MORE PEOPLE IN MAINE!!!

Never mind the fact that we have the highest tax burden in the US, limited job opportunities, wicked cold winters and that we have nothing to offer you but trees (lots and lots of them) - come to Maine!!!

[nfs 0]

MAINE!!! WE NEED MORE PEOPLE IN MAINE!!!

Never mind the fact that we have the highest tax burden in the US, limited job opportunities, wicked cold winters and that we have nothing to offer you but trees (lots and lots of them) - come to Maine!!!

well I've been to Maine and liked it...but I need a job!

For what you described, I'd choose Chicago. MSP is a GREAT area, but the city character is gentler and a bit quieter, with fewer conspicuous international communities (although we do have our share). We also have bad public transport. We're about equally cold. I don't know much about Denver though.

Thanks, Alex+R! I did hear that there was a Russian/American community in MSP, but I don't like the bad public transport, if that's true. I'd really like to ditch my car. I've heard it's a cool city, something on the order of Boston.

[KarenCee 3]

MAINE!!! WE NEED MORE PEOPLE IN MAINE!!!

Never mind the fact that we have the highest tax burden in the US, limited job opportunities, wicked cold winters and that we have nothing to offer you but trees (lots and lots of them) - come to Maine!!!

My husband's grandméré wants us to move closer to Nova Scotia. She mentioned Boston or even Maine. I've researched schools in Maine...if we were to ever move that way of course...so I could know where to apply for a job. What's the housing like up there, say, in the suburban or rural areas near Portland or Bar Harbour?

Just curious...no plans to move anywhere just yet.

[AnaAndDaniel 0]

Sacramento California.

It is one of the most diverse cities. Marketers and demographers love this place.

Big Russian community.

Good number of decent salary jobs.

Housing is reasonable for California.

Oh, did i mention that it is in California?

No wicked snow.

Lots of sunshine.

The lone minus would be an abysmal public transportation system.

Daniel

:energetic:

[sparkofcreation 0]

I'm still waiting on my NOA2, but I'm considering relocating as soon as October. I notice there's a big difference between different local offices on how long it takes to process AOS. Also I need a good job and where I am now is not great for that.

I'm considering Chicago or Minneapolis/St.Paul or Denver area.

Reasonable housing and/or well-paid employment, good public transportation, music, and maybe even a nice looking place or international community, those are my priorities.

At this point I could go just about anywhere.

Does anyone have any other ideas? Or any comments about those places?

What do you do? Albuquerque is pretty fast on most applications (for AOS, currently processing mid-January), cheap housing, employment is okay if you work in the right fields (high tech, medical, office work--especially medical), public transportation is decent depending on where you live and where you work, and I think it's gorgeous out here—very exotic. I don't know if I'd say it's really "international" but there are a lot of different cultures within New Mexico—Anglo, Hispanic, Navajo, the various Pueblos, etc.—so it's extremely diverse (some international community also, of course). It's not New York City, but it's not Cameron Park, Texas, either.

Not being a music fan, I can't speak to that (I get the impression that folk music is huge, I know there's a festival this weekend), but I know there's a lot of theater here and a lot of random cultural stuff. Especially wine tastings. Oh and there are a lot of casinos in the area so we get a lot of big name musicians, we just went to a Melissa Etheridge concert on Sunday night.

The pay isn't great at most jobs but the cost of living is a lot lower. Our current apartment is half again as big as our old one and costs $250/month less. You can get a decent house in a nice neighborhood for under $200K easily. So I guess it depends where you're coming from.

Also, no hurricanes, no earthquakes, no blizzards. We do have volcanoes but they're extinct. We do have a monsoon in the summer though so it can rain really hard.

Edited August 31, 2006 by sparkofcreation

[Ban Hammer 13,334]

Sacramento California.

It is one of the most diverse cities. Marketers and demographers love this place.

Big Russian community.

Good number of decent salary jobs.

Housing is reasonable for California.

Oh, did i mention that it is in California?

No wicked snow.

Lots of sunshine.

The lone minus would be an abysmal public transportation system.

Daniel

:energetic:

i see you left out the minus of EARTHQUAKES!

[AnaAndDaniel 0]

Sacramento California.

It is one of the most diverse cities. Marketers and demographers love this place.

Big Russian community.

Good number of decent salary jobs.

Housing is reasonable for California.

Oh, did i mention that it is in California?

No wicked snow.

Lots of sunshine.

The lone minus would be an abysmal public transportation system.

Daniel

:energetic:

i see you left out the minus of EARTHQUAKES!

oh yeah. hmmm when was the last time sacramento had a signifcant earthquake? I've lived here all me wee life and yet to experience any earthquake of any significance. Now, SF and LA, definitely.

more plusses: no tornadoes. no huricanes. no flash floods. no oppresive humidity.

Daniel

:energetic:

[Ban Hammer 13,334]

Sacramento California.

It is one of the most diverse cities. Marketers and demographers love this place.

Big Russian community.

Good number of decent salary jobs.

Housing is reasonable for California.

Oh, did i mention that it is in California?

No wicked snow.

Lots of sunshine.

The lone minus would be an abysmal public transportation system.

Daniel

:energetic:

i see you left out the minus of EARTHQUAKES!

oh yeah. hmmm when was the last time sacramento had a signifcant earthquake? I've lived here all me wee life and yet to experience any earthquake of any significance. Now, SF and LA, definitely.

more plusses: no tornadoes. no huricanes. no flash floods. no oppresive humidity.

Daniel

:energetic:

oh yeah wildfires, mudslides......