I want to move to the U.S.

I'd like to move to the States, only I don't know where to move!

I grew up close to Toronto so I am used to a bigger city with nightlife, theatres, shopping, etc. I would also prefer warmer weather! This year's lack of winter made me realize how much I didn't miss the snow.

I was thinking Charlotte, N.C. but I am worried that it may be too small.

So, anyone have any tips? Thanks very much in advance!

Austin, TX!!!

A very nice (warm) city: Austin, TX. Great nightlife, amazing music scene. It is where all the interesting people in Texas flee too, which makes it unique. It is a big city, but still has a lot of 'small town' feel... lots of local businesses too.

Plus there is a large local university (UT) to keep the town young and fresh.

Also there are tons of parks and greenery for the Spring and Fall when you can bear to be outdoors.

Do the "Coming to America" method. get a map, close your eyes and with a pin in your hand hit the map and there you go.

I've heard a lot of great things about Texas. My only bias with that state is my atheist aunt moved there a few years back - and now she is a Reverend helping the infirm in hospices!

Can I avoid bible-thumpers if I go that far down south? I know this sounds so ignorant, but I am just asking!

It isn't ignorant... things really are 'that bad' down there (I lived in TX for 3 years, and at the end found out nearly all my friends thought Evolution was a big lie and conspiracy).

However, that's why Austin is a great place. It is kind of like an oasis for liberal/intelligent people in Texas. So it is a lttle island of cool in conservative TX

So yes, you'll run into them there, especially if you leave the city limits... but really Austin is a great place.

The bible beating aspect of Texas shouldn't be a problem; it's there, but it's avoidable. I lived in Houston for 5 years which is far "worse" than Austin when it comes to evangelicals. The most obvious thing you're likely to see are bumper stickers that say something like, "At the Rapture this car will be empty" and crap like that. It's more amusing than annoying. The overwhelming majority of people you'll come in contact with are laid back and cool regardless of their religious or political beliefs.

Food in Texas is fucking amazing BTW.

Agreed! Tex-Mex, BBQ, even great sushi for some reason.

Get a gym membership if you move there

Las Vegas, baby...

Looked as boring (dusty) as hell from 35000ft early February on way to LAX...

Las Vegas might be fun to visit, but you DO NOT want to live there, trust me. If you want a place with a real downtown, stick to the eastern side of the States -- cities get more spread out the further west you go. Then again, San Diego and San Francisco are quite nice -- San Diego is very warm, and close to the Mexican border.

My first thought was Florida -- east coast, warm weather, but then you'd have to deal with the hurricanes. How about Atlanta?

San D. was where I was on my way to when I took that photo of Las V...

But I was only there for a week (work...)

Please don't move to Atlanta. It seriously sucks (sorry Ruthie). Horrible crime, terrible traffic, long commutes from the suburbs, no decent public transport... it's just generally crap. I like visiting but you couldn't pay me to actually live there.

Advising someone on where to move to in the U.S. is such a tricky thing because it is so incredibly subjective. America is huge, there's a little bit of everything, and it just depends on what you're looking for. Big-city excitement? New York City. Small-town Southern charm? Savannah, GA. Sun, surf and silicone? Los Angeles. Rocking nightlife and salsa clubs? Miami. Hippies and gorgeous scenery? Burlington, VT.

What is a 'small town' in your opinion, RRH? I used to consider myself as being from a small town - population 150,000. But then again, nowadays I also consider Munich small, and it's over a million people. My definition has changed over the years as I've gotten older and travelled more.

hey RRH...well, you've heard my 2 cents on this topic

first off, you obviously do not want to move to vegas...

i think chicago is definitely your speed, but if you want something warmer, i'd give texas a try (nashville is great, but maybe a bit smaller than you want)!

(p.s. what's your deal with the whole "bible-beater" issue...didn't realize you were such a "non-believer"...haha anywhere you go in the southern US is gonna be full of religious types, but big deal! i'm a southern baptist, and have never tried to convert you once!)

Yeah, I've been told Atlanta is a great place, but I think there's quite a bit of crime there.

For me a good million people would do it. I think Munich is quite small, as I was used to living in a metropolis of about 5 million people, with 2.5 in the downtown core. I guess you could compare it to Berlin?

I don't need that much sprawl, as generally it just creates traffic, but I'd rather not worry about running into people anywhere I go!

I sound picky. Perhaps I should buy my own island instead.

San Francisco!!!

There are only two choices in my opinion:
Paterson, New Jersey
Jacksonville, Florida

Okay, I'd never been to Atlanta, it was just a big city in the south east...

It's hard, I think, because in the south in general, where the sunshine is, you find a lot of bible-thumping. Never spent much time in the southeast (or any, for that matter) but have heard racism is still a big issue there, which can't be pleasant.

It's true if you go to California, you will run into lots of silicone and gel nails -- really, the attitudes are more reasonable the further norht you go, but then the sun is less...Seattle, Portland?

I like SLC, but it's full of Mormons (it's where I grew up). Montana is beautiful too, but no nightlife.

So I guess you'd advise Canada? (Which I have recently learned IS a real country)

why the US? What about Vancouver? They don't really get winter, but skiing is only 1 hour away.

I suggest Manhattan, Kansas or Paris, Texas. You get the cool city name to drop to some friends, but with a cheaper cost of living. Having an apartment in downtown Manhattan or right by the creek in Paris. Damn you would have them eating out of your hands.

Thanks but no thanks, Timmeh. Taxes are too high and the Liberals are just doomsday waiting to happen!

I found out there are even some states with NO tax on clothing. Imagine that, I could start to shop again (something I don't do here). That is heaven!

@ brokenm, haha, I already visited Paris (Ontario) and London (Ontario) in the same weekend!

Oh, the thrills of copycat names.

All the roads lead to New Juysey then...

I think you mean all sewers lead to New Jersey.

All you've said points to Austin, TX. Honestly!

Keydeck was just there. His take on it was, "Me likey Austin." I'm sure he'll have more to say once he's back.

Sacrilege! Have you ever been to Princeton?

I have certainly been googling Austin this morning!

May be hard for me to take a quick vacation to see it first so I may have to wing this one and do a blind move. Hey, wouldn't be the first time!

Now, got a gym recommendation? If the food is as good as you say it is...

for the sake of discussion I'll throw out Denver, Colorado.

nightlife is growing - revitalized downtown area, conducive to active lifestyles: mountains, skiing, blading, biking ..

Oh, so Alberta having no Provincial sales tax makes no difference then? Or Saskatchewan has none on clothes.

We don't need your kind in the states.

Spoken with all the panache and charm of a true paleoconservative...

@ RRH

Texas has no income tax and U.S. federal tax is low by Canadian and German standards. Sales tax in Texas is high at 8.25%, however, but obviously the less you consume the less you pay in taxes - a good policy if you ask me. Overall, my living expenses, health insurance, etc. (basically everything I needed to live) was far cheaper in Texas than it is here.

I would say Austin too, but it can be damn, f*cking, hell-on-earth hot and take-your-breath-away humid. i was home last in may 2005. my favorite thing was a jog along the hike & bike trail around Town Lake (bow to the Stevie Ray Vaughn statue on the south bank). i had to go before 10 a.m. (I did the 4.7 mile route) to make sure i was finished before it got to be 80°F. there are certain stretches that are not covered by any trees and one time, despite my early start, it was so hot my skin was boiling!

if you're like me and get cold really easily, you'll get used to wearing a sweater at work. the one thing i loved about last summer in munich was that i could sit outside or anywere for that matter, with a sleeveless dress and sandals. back in austin, i could wear open-toed shoes only if i knew i was staying outside. inside, it's like 65° and freezing. the AC is always on way too high in public places.

if i have any say in the matter, i will move back to austin when i leave germany and I'll probably get used to playing tennis mid-day again, but i know everytime i go back, i freak out.

hehe we even get random rebate cheques in the mail from time to time for no reason other than that our provincial government is experiencing yet another surplus .

Anyway I second San Francisco it seems to offer the best of everything.

Carm it isn't an implied criticism of Canada that RRH is interested in moving to the US

I second the vote for Denver -- kind of like SLC without all the Mormons, and some nice seasons, good weather, nice nightlife.

But if you prefer BIG cities -- Boston?

Thanks boomtown_rat.

@ Carm, Saskatchewan, as lovely as it may be, is just too cold. And Calgary was on the short list but if I have to file American tax forms every year, I might as well make US dollars!

Having no provincial sales tax is nice. But I like Texas' policy better. No income tax, i.e. an incentive to work hard. I don't want this to get too political (I may have done so already!), but I am just trying to get people's opinions on where to go in the States, not Canada.

Sorry to offend a fellow Canadian!

Cities I really love:

Boston, MA
Nashville, TN
Austin, TX

Cities I think I could love based on visits and/or friend of mine who live there:

Boudler, CO
Denver, CO
Seattle, WA
San Fransisco, CA
Portland, OR (this is for perdido!)
Chicago, IL

I forgot my other big favorite about Austin: No Bugs!

Austin is home to the worlds largest urban bat communities, so it keeps the bugs under control. Plus it is amazing to watch every evening when they all depart! (they all live under a giant bridge in the city center and you can watch them all leave at once... it looks like a huge black cloud)

not really, the best way to overtake is to let them think we are intregating.

In the South

Austin, TX

West
SF, CA - AWESOME, but as expensive as it's going to get. Liberal, fun, diverse, young. Not really a city that has to be sold, it's SF.
Seattle, WA- Very mild winters, but plenty of rain, and relatively high cost of living)
Portland, OR - Reasonably priced, on the smaller side, VERY GREEN, you can be skiing, swimming, or hiking in less than 90 mins.
Denver, CO - Just breathtakingly beautiful and getting better all the time, an up and coming city, with a very liberal pop.
Midwest

Chicago, IL - Huge city that feels small, second most extensive public transport system in the country, really the only place to be in the midwest, but very harsh winters that last half the year. The North Side is the best place to live IMHO.

East Coast

Brooklyn, NY (Specifically Park Slope)- All the perks of NY living, without risk of becoming an arrogant of Manhattanite, lower (though not much) cost of living. Amazing diversity, family friendly, very trendy.

Cambridge, MA - I love it, lots of history, clean, smart, young, beautiful, the BOSOX, the irish, great bars, great public transport, lots of snow, it's New England.

Washington D.C - Eh, it takes special kind to live in DC, I grew up inside the beltway and it's part of why I love it, but I can understand it's not for everyone, you have to love. The racial disparity in DC, is ridiculous, nicknamed chocolate city, because of the enormous black population, live in Georgetown or Adams Morgan, or Dupont Circle and it becomes very very very very very WASPY. Free museums. HOT & HUMID in the Summer.

Aside from Austin, Seattle an SF, I've lived in all of these places, and where you go really depends on just what you want, great website to try
Find Your Spot

Thank you everyone for all your replies!

I'm off to a great start now

San Francisco, I loved that city. Didn't like the east coast as much, but maybe that was just a culture shock after spending a year in the south. I've heard a lot of good things about Austin, kind of want to spend some time in that place one day. (Even though UT is in Austin )

Don't move to Cincinnati, although it is a sister city of Munich. The majority of people are overweight and "tight".

Atlanta isn't all that bad, if you can manage to live not too far from, but not too close to, the city center. Too far away and you'll hate your life because of traffic and horrible public transport. Too close in and you'll be depressed because of crime and urban blight. But overall, it's a good place to live, especially if price is a factor.

It depends on what your job is on where you should go as well.

I really love New Orleans, and if you're willing to put up with a little rebuilding for a couple of years it's a great place. There is tons of opportunity there, and the people are the best you'll find anywhere in the US.

You might also like Miami or Tampa, but the cost of living will be higher.

Denver is the best choice, hands down!! Rapidly growing arts/culture scene, gorgeous scenery, mild winters, laid-back lifestyle, affordable housing, sunny over 300 days per year. Ugh, getting homesick now...

I haven't seen this brought up, but what do you actually do for a living and is it something that is local irrelevant? That might have an impact on your choices.

@ eurovol, all of my jobs have been in Sales and Marketing, so I am pretty flexible.