Thinking of moving
 

I'm am seriously thinking about moving. I'm a gay female in my mid twenties. I'm looking at the following cities:<BR><BR>San Francisco<BR>Philadelphia<BR>Washington DC<BR>Baltimore MD<BR><BR>any suggestions and which part of the city would you live in. I wouldn't mind getting my bang for my buck.

In order:<BR><BR>San Fran<BR>DC<BR>Philly <BR>Baltimore

I'd have the same rankings as Jim although it should be noted that they are reverse order as far as "bang for the buck." Baltimore would be most affordable, SF the least.

While I'm not a gay woman, I do notice that there are a number of gay women whenever I'm visiting in Portland, Oregon. It's a growing city that would give you the most bang for your buck. I'd suggest that you look into this city when trying to make your decision.

All things considered -- cost, social oportunities, manageability -- I'd sa Philly is your best bet.<BR><BR>Neighborhoods for a gay woman: Germantown, Chestnut Hill, Manayunk.<BR><BR>(BTW, I'm straight but do know a little about Philly's gay environs. It's a long story.)

SF is by far the most expensive, but would most likely offer you the best experience due to the sheer numbers of people who share your sexual orientation, plus the city itself is so beautiful, fun and interesting. <BR><BR>DC offers much more affordable living, but it's still relatively pricey. I think it would offer the second best experience for you out of the 4 cities. <BR><BR>Philly is even more affordable. I have spent a ton of time there, but much prefer NYC or Boston if I'm going to be in the Northeast.<BR><BR>I wouldn't go to Baltimore. Lots of other places for me anyway.<BR><BR>NYC probably has the most to offer. I'm sure that you've at least considered it but you probably thought it was too expensive. Find a room mate and check it out - everyone should try to live in NYC at least once in their lives.

I've considered NYC, but I've always thought it was a bit too expensive. I've thought about Boston as well, but I'm not too particular fond of heavy winter months. How much would I be looking to spend for rent within those cities that I've listed, and NYC?

Why not Boston or Northampton? Both have thriving lesbian communities, and Boston's weather isn't that different from Phillys.<BR><BR>Boston will be more expensive than all but San Francisco though.

One of my former co-workers is a lesbian and moved up to Portland a few years ago. She loves it up there and says that she's so happy, since she feels well accepted in this progressive city. Apparently the gay community is pretty strong. It might be a place for you to consider.

Beth, you really should add Portland to your list. It has a thriving gay community and is a great place to live, gay or straight. Check out Willamette Week, the weekly newspaper, lots of stories about gay life. www.willametteweek.com<BR>

If you check out Boston you'd probably like living in the South End neighborhood. It's the traditional "gay neighborhood" with a hip reputation and all the great restaurants and cultural activities that you'd ever find. It also is considered one of the choicest places to live in the city and rents will be high. Unlike cities like SF and NYC, you probably wouldn't want to live in a dumpy neighborhood in Boston.<BR><BR>If you move to NYC I'd recommend downtown Manhattan - Lower East side is pretty "affordable", Alphabet City even more so, I hear that they are having a tough time renting apartments in the WTC area - Battery Park City etc. Tribeca, SoHo, the Village (West Village), and Chelsea have very pricey rents but are really fun. You could possibly find something in the Nolita (north of little italy) section for slightly cheaper and still be in the heart of the downtown scene.<BR><BR>In SF you could of course live in the Castro, or if you wanted to save some $$ you could check out the Mission District. <BR><BR>In SF and NYC, hipsters live in traditionally poorer neighborhoods while in Boston the poorer neighborhoods seemingly do not attract people such as yourself.

Really I think it all depends what you want and what you're looking for.<BR><BR>Bang for your buck: If you're concerned about money and the cost of living in NYC, San Fran is about as expensive.<BR><BR>I know the three east coast cities quite well (lived in DC and Baltimore) and what their options are; never been to San Fran. Ultimately, Philly, Balto and Washington are all quite progressive cities toward Gays and Lesbians, with liaisons to the mayor in all.<BR><BR>Baltimore is by far the best bang for your buck of the 4 cities you mention; I think on a working class salary (social work, school teacher included), you'll want to look long and hard at Baltimore. The Gay/Lesbian scene is low-key and less unpretentious than in other cities. Large working class, but a sizeable funk element. Mount Vernon is the center of the community (an urban-feel neighborhood) and is affordable even with a 30K salary. Other neighborhoods to consider are Federal Hill (pricier), Charles Village, Fell's Point (pricier). Hampden (reasonable price) is a mixed artist/working class area that you may want to check out. If you don't mind that things get quiet sometimes, you might really like Baltimore.<BR><BR>DC of the 3 east coast cities, I find has the most "conservative"-looking Gay scene. More khakis and loafers crowd, 3-piece suits, governmental types. Of the three on the east coast, Gay/Lesbian nightlife options are most extensive in this city. Dupont Circle is an epicenter, but for my money, I'd live in more affordable Capitol Hill.<BR><BR>Philly I would say is the most "New York"ish in feel of the cities. It's definitely got a greater sense of hip, urban fashion and has a more visible alternative scene than Balto/DC. Nightlife options I think are adequate for all but the pickiest; it's less pretentious than other large cities I've been to. Adding to neighborhoods others mentioned, you may want to look at Mt. Airy and Center City (the latter if you want to be in the center of the excitement). <BR><BR>Each has its selling points. If you're curious, if I had to rank them (for me):<BR><BR>1. Philly<BR>2. Baltimore<BR>3. DC<BR>4. San Fran<BR><BR>

Just a note of dissent from one other poster. I've lived in Boston, and I've lived in Philly. The weather is not the same.<BR><BR>Without researching weather.com, I'd guess that the average winter temps differ by 5-8 degrees. Result: When it's 25 and snowing in Boston, it's 33 and raining in Philly. What it amounts to is that in Boston, you get a real New England winter; in Philly, you get a sort-of "fake" winter: lots of chilly rain.

Park Slope, Brooklyn<BR>Northhampton, MA<BR>New Hope, PA

Portland is not a bad idea. It's been ranked as the #1 most livable city in recent surveys. The housing prices are still relatively low and there are a number of hip neighborhoods catering to a younger crowd. And from what I've heard, the city has one of biggest lesbian populations in the nation.

Yes, I also agree that Boston and Philly weather are NOT the same. You'll get a real spring in Philly unlike Boston. <BR><BR>Also, Philly has swelteringly hot summers. Boston summers are typically not exceedlingly hot.

My main concern is safety. I understand that there will be unsafe areas wherever I decide to move to. I'm a computer professional, therefore a job market in that field would be great. Metro accessibility would also be a plus, including a visible lesbian community. Am I asking for too much?

What exactly is a "visible lesbian community"?

Portland would have been perfect for you a few years ago, but the job market for IT types (and everybody else except health care workers) has tanked. You don't say what your skills are, though, perhaps they're in a specialized area still somewhat in demand. Make sure you look into it, because Portland is a GREAT place to live. Some good apartment complexes in the Park Blocks, Pearl District and close-in suburbs (Vancouver, WA, is booming and has a bigger gay community than you'd think, although most go to Portland for nightlife).

What I meant by a visible lesbian community: Just an area where there are progressive lesbians, where you don't have to put up a personal ad to find one. I'm sorry I did not clarify that in my earlier postings. I'm a software developer.

Beth-<BR>Boston is expensive with horribly cold winters but (usually) avoids super hot summers. DC is neat to visit, but suffused with "just here on my way to my next job". Both have areas that are pretty crime rideen, others that are safer (and even more costly.) Boston probably has a larger number of cool lesbians, while in DC many choose to play the closet game in hopes of "passing" to get a better job. Baltimore has a horrid crime problem, mostly drug related, though the "gay areas" do tend to be safer. Philly is, IMHO, a pretty dismal place, it's best features being proximity to other east coast cities and ethnic food. (Yes, I have lived there.) <BR>SF is outrageously expensive and quality of life has plummeted. The "dot bust" hasn't helped. It's overcrowded, well beyond the capacity of its infrastructure and pretentious in a different sort of way. There's a lot of pressure to be PC, with little tolerance for anyone who doesn't buy into the current iteration of "how life should be" (Yes, I've lived there, too)<BR>So here's one more vote for Portland - I've only visited, but have friends living there and thought it was a great place. Yes, there is something of the P.C. thing as in SF, but in a geniune and practical fashion (as opposed to theoretical and hypocritical SF approach.) Not cheap, because word is out about what a great place it is to live, but probably a better overall value than the other places.

I was leaning towards DC because of the<BR>IT job growth in that area. I've never considered Portland until now. It seems that there is a lot to be said about Portland that I never knew about. How is the job market there like? I've thought about Boston for a long time. I like that it's only a couple of hours or so from Maine. A friend of mine said that her sister bought a small 3 bedroom house there for 600,000. I don't know if it's in an exclusive part of the city, but that's way out of my price bracket. I've also been told that Boston is more expensive than NYC. Is this true?

Real Estate in Boston is comparable with NYC. Most other things are less expensive in Boston. <BR><BR>Boston has a HUGE technology industry. You'd most likely have trouble finding work in New York as a software developer. You'd probably be paid much better than where you are coming from (just a guess) if you were to get a job in Boston. The tech industry in NYC is mostly in NJ or Long Island. It's TOUGH to commute out of Manhattan becuase cars are SO expensive there. <BR>Same with Boston, IT jobs are mostly outside of the city proper, so you'd likely commute. Lots of IT in Cambridge though. In SF, there's a fair # of jobs in SF, but mostly they are located WAYYYYYY far south in Silicon Valley. Most of SF seems to be advertising (or used to before hte .Bomb), finance, education, health care, etc.<BR><BR>It's a very tough job market right now. If you looked for a job first, it's definitely possible that the company would pay for you to relocate. A few years ago it would have been easy, but now it's pretty tough. <BR><BR>Homes in the South End of Boston definitely are VERY expensive. Not as pricey as Beacon Hill or Back Bay, but still way up there. $450K buys you a pretty dumpy 1 bedroom condo. But still, for about $1500/month you could find a smallish decent 1 bedroom, or probably less if you have a room mate.

I'm from Washington DC, so my bias is towards that city. However, here's a tip. I now live in Long Beach, California. It is as affordable as Baltimore, safer than Philadelphia, sunnier than Portland, and as gay-friendly as San Francisco. Plus, it is only an hour's drive to Los Angeles (where, contrary to popular myth, culture does exist). Rents for nice one-bedrooms only blocks from the ocean start at $700/mo. Good neighborhoods: Belmont Shore, Belmont Heights, Naples peninsula. The downside: you MUST commute to Irvine or LA. Check www.gazettes.com.

Live in New York City once,<BR>but leave before it makes you hard.<BR><BR>Live in Northern California once,<BR>but leave before it makes you soft.<BR><BR>I would say NYC, or SF!