a place to settle after college

[951driver]

Hey all,

I'm originally from Iowa, and am now living in Jacksonville on an internship through December. I don't want to stay in Iowa when I graduate college because of the lack of population, jobs, and I don't like the cold. The 95 degree heat and 65% humidity in Florida is absolutely no problem for me. Heat is fine, the cold just sucks, I don't deal with it well.

I have been looking for the right place to move to when I graduate college. Qualities I am looking for are:

- lower crime

- metro area of at least 1 million, 2 would be nice

- warm weather

- expanding population

- sports teams

I do like Jacksonville. Like the weather, the beach, the efforts they are putting into downtown. But my favorite city, if I could stand the weather, is Minneapolis. There's lots to do and downtown is beautiful and clean.

I've been really looking into Dallas. Dallas would be nice, for me, because of the sports teams (I'm a Cowboys fan, sorry), having Texas college football and basketball teams in the area (I go to Iowa State so I'm a Big 12 guy).

What do you think of Dallas, and what other cities do you think I should look at?

Oh, one final note: I am not interested in California. Too congested, crime-ridden, and liberal for my tastes.

Thanks!

[ZachariahDaMan]

I know you said that you don't like cold but I thought I would make a suggestion anyways. You should give Metro Detroit a try. In this city I live in the only thing you wouldn't like is the temperature in the winter. I live in Canton and it isn't all that far from Detroit but Canton is the 14th safest city with a population of 75,000-100,000. It is 36 square miles and the population will keep growing with more neighborhoods being put in. When it comes to sports teams, in Detroit you have the Tigers, Lions, and Red Wings. Pistons in Auburn Hills. And Ann Arbor isn't far from Canton so you have the University of Michigan. Eastern Michigan University is very close also, being in Ypsilanti. Sorry if I couldn't be of any help.

[Tayfromcarolina]

Hmm. Phoenix is a nice city. I liked it a lot when I visited. Plus the cost of Living is Low. Charlotte, NC and Raleigh, NC are nice city's also with great job outlooks and lots to do. All of these city's have warm climates. Especially Phoenix put simply it's hot.

[Viper]

I suggest Phoenix as well.

[rbdetsport]

Detroit

[RiversideGator]

I say stay in Jacksonville. I hate the cold too but I hate the desert more, so no Phoenix for me.

[teshadoh]

Heres some advice - you're just out of college, so you need some experience. Move where the jobs are, that means you would have greater flexibility getting the right type of experience & jump to other jobs if you need to. As for the city, the more different the better - I would always advise anyone to move out of your hometown or where you have grown most at home with. Try someplace different, and if it wasn't as nice as your hometown - move back, you at least now know you had something worth staying in.

[TheGerbil]

Not sure why people are so concerned with expanding population. Why should what others do dictate what you do? Just saying

[waccamatt]

Hey all,

I'm originally from Iowa, and am now living in Jacksonville on an internship through December.