Moving away after college? Have you done it? Know about the East Coast?

[DBentley415]

So I'm interested in moving to the east coast after graduating from college. I've lived in the Midwest my whole life, and I want to try something different. I've been to the east coast once and visited a bunch of cites (Washington D.C., Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, a few smaller cities in New York and PA). I'm wondering how easy it is to commute to the city if you want to live somewhere a bit more rural. I assume it isn't too hard since there are so many suburbs of these big cities, but I'm looking for somewhere rural enough to own a horse or two, but still able to commute to the big city. If Philadelphia is not exactly the best city for this what relatively large city on the east coast would be more friendly for this?

I'm planning on taking a trip there this May/June because in order to land an internship there I need to know for sure I like the area and that's where I want to start my career.

Any tips/information would be helpful. Even if you don't know about the east coast but you moved a few states or more away after college and want to tell me about how you decided and went about it that would be awesome!

I don't have any relatives on the east coast, but I do know a few older people (parent's friends) who have lived there that I can talk to and naturally going to UW-Madison I have met a lot of people who live there and come here for school so they are my main resources right now.

People on this forum come from all over the world so I'm hoping I can get lots of insights from your experiences and opinions!
Thanks!!!!

[onetruevibe]

I grew up north of Pittsburgh and moved to Boston after college. I really enjoyed the 10 years I lived in Boston. It's expensive, but from my experience, I would take Boston over Pittsburgh in a New York minute....

I'm sure other's will weigh in - I think it really depends on what your interests are and how much you are willing to pay for them.

Also be sure to explore public transit options, since you want to live in the suburbs. Boston has great public transit coming in from out of the city...Pittsburgh...not so much.

[backinthesaddleagain]

Boston is a great city. Brother used to live there. Lots of life for 20 and 30 somethings. Probably for us older folk too, but I like the suburbs, and some land.

[sombo]

My first suggestion is to take all of PA and DC off of your list. PA is not a very good state imho. I got out of there cause I got sick of the winters (and good timing too cause the last 2-3 years they've been getting slammed). Also both Pitt and Phile have extremely poor public transportation systems. You'll also find that the "city of brotherly love" does NOT live up to it's name. Another thing about PA is that all the fun stuff to do is so spread out, hard to find, and then kinda lackluster. Not to mention that for about 6+ months out of the year PA looks brown, dead, and desolate outside making for some serious depression if you like beautiful outdoors. Oh it's great in the late spring all the way up to mid-autumn. After the leaves fall though, it sucks, and PENNDOT is horrible at keeping the roads good.

I would say look further south on the east coast for a good place to head to. I would suggest looking at some of the more mid-range cities that aren't so big and overcrowded that it's more frustrating then fun. Also the bigger cities tend to have more run down and crime infested areas then the smaller cities. At a young age I would look for the more tourist focused cities that will have some fun things to do and have decent rural areas nearby along with looking nice and having somewhat lower crime (usually but not always, Orlando is an example of a mid-size city with HIGH crime).

Moving away from home all depends on the person doing the moving. I moved back and forth alot over the years. I'd move out to someplace and a couple years later be forced to move back to my parent's house because of things falling through. But I would always take an opertunity to leave again. I've spent more time away from where I grew up then anyone else in my family. It can be fun or it can be torture depending on how attatched you are to home. The more attatched you are to home the harder it will be to find a new place and adjust to it. The more you want to explore and find new places the easier it will be to find a new place, adjust to it, then get bored of it lol.

[bluepoof]

I can't help with the East Coast, but I also grew up in Wisconsin (suburb of Milwaukee), went to college in WI (Beloit College) and moved to California immediately after graduating.

I didn't have any relatives out here at the time (my mom has since moved here too); I basically only knew my boyfriend (now husband) and a few people I knew from a previous summer internship.

It was a little rough for the first six months or so as I found a job, met my own friends (as opposed to just hanging out with my boyfriend's friends), etc....but it was 100% the right decision and I still live in the same area now, 12 years later.

[SSR]

Originally Posted by sombo

I got out of there cause I got sick of the winters (and good timing too cause the last 2-3 years they've been getting slammed).

Heh, some of us would consider that a positive...as long as you're near a ski hill.

[petiteninja]

what is your budget?

nyc is a possibility with a commute from jersey...it all depends on how much you have to spend. there are places near the jersey/pa border with doable commutes to nyc or philadelphia. you can also find stables in connecticut and as close as westchester (a suburb of nyc).

[CThunder-blue]

I grew up near St. Louis, MO and moved out to CA. My older brother already lived out here, so the transition wasn't bad. I'm happy to say I visit the snow when I want to, the snow doesn't visit me unexpectedly. CA has great weather and you can ride every month. There are things I don't like about it as well. That's why I have no plans on staying in this state when I retire.

[DBentley415]

Originally Posted by petiteninja

what is your budget?

At this point I have no idea what my budget will be. I'm hoping to land an internship with one of the Big 4 Accounting firms and work there so hopefully starting around 45K to 55K (that's what I've heard from others).

Personally I might not mind living in the city the first couple of years since my dream of owning a horse(s) can happen years down the road. I just want it to be a possibility that I could potentially move out to an area where I'd have room for an animal of that size and I'd still be able to keep my job in the city.

At UW-Madison most of the internships on the east coast are in Boston and NYC. Of those two, Boston is definitely more appealing to me since NYC seems sooo big. I guess if I want to increase my odds I would go for one of these cities rather than trying for Pennsylvania. Honestly, when I think of Pennsylvania I think of lots of people owning horses, but I guess you can basically do that anywhere you have the space.

So when I visit the east coast this summer maybe I will just visit NYC and Boston since it sounds like both of them have good transportation systems for commuting, and I'd rather keep my visit to two cities for cost reasons and to learn about the cities in more depth.

[CC Cowboy]

Boston is the place to be, unless you have tons of money, than New York.

Boston is full of young professionals and there is so much to do there. Great restaurants, clubs, music, stores, parks, history, and great people too. You will have to learn to speak the language though.

I lived in Milton (12 miles south of Boston) and also Boston proper (Park Drive).

You have Cape Cod for the summer, skiing in New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine, high society in Newport RI, and the best seafood in the world.

There are horse farms north, south, and west of town. If you can afford it, you will love it.

It does get cold there in the winter. That's when you go to the islands or Florida.

["A"]

More important than the location, what field are you going to devote yourself in the workforce?

I know Philly tend to cost less than NYC or DC.. yet you're close enough to either to travel to either for daytrips, Chinatown bus cost less than $20 to travel in between... heck just tolls and parking can add up to more than $20, especially the tunnels/bridges in NYC

[kkim]

Hawaii's nice.

[DBentley415]

Originally Posted by "A"

More important than the location, what field are you going to devote yourself in the workforce?

Public Accounting ^as noted a few posts above

["A"]

Originally Posted by kchesney415

Public Accounting ^as noted a few posts above

Have you looked into which state might be easier to obtain CPA license?

If horses are a must, look into areas between Reading/Lancaster PA and Philly, Dutch country have plenty of land for horses.. and buggies:

[DBentley415]

Originally Posted by CC Cowboy

Boston is the place to be, unless you have tons of money, than New York.

Boston is full of young professionals and there is so much to do there. Great restaurants, clubs, music, stores, parks, history, and great people too. You will have to learn to speak the language though.

I lived in Milton (12 miles south of Boston) and also Boston proper (Park Drive).

You have Cape Cod for the summer, skiing in New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine, high society in Newport RI, and the best seafood in the world.

There are horse farms north, south, and west of town. If you can afford it, you will love it.

It does get cold there in the winter. That's when you go to the islands or Florida.

this sounds wonderful Can it possibly get colder than Wisconsin?

[sombo]

Originally Posted by SSR

Heh, some of us would consider that a positive...as long as you're near a ski hill.

I lived in the Poconos region, there were several ski resorts. I don't ski, and I hate winter, especially PA winters. Heavy snow that turns to slush then to freezing rain all in one storm so that the roads are near impossible to travel on. Then you have to dig yourself out of it so you can try and manage the piss poor kept roads to get to work alive. Then at the end of the work day you get to do it again.

So yah, you can keep your winters up ther where they belong and I'll stay in nice warm, sunny south.

[DBentley415]

Originally Posted by "A"

Have you looked into which state might be easier to obtain CPA license?

Yes I have http://www.becker.com/accounting/cpaexamreview/state/

The requirement in Massachusetts are only 120 credits unlike WI which requires 150. Either way it doesn't make much of a difference. I will be graduating with a Masters of Accountancy degree and will have over 150 credits because I got over 20 credits from Advanced Placement Exams.

[DBentley415]

Originally Posted by sombo

Heavy snow that turns to slush then to freezing rain all in one storm so that the roads are near impossible to travel on. Then you have to dig yourself out of it so you can try and manage the piss poor kept roads to get to work alive. Then at the end of the work day you get to do it again.

HAHA this sounds awfully close to life in Wisconsin :\

["A"]

Yes, Pocono winters sucks, not likely good for horses neither..

[CZroe]

Atlanta! Sure, it still gets cold but not nearly like these other cities. The horses would be a lot more comfortable! The summer heat is tolerable compared to a more humid place like Mid/South GA or Florida.

[Reswob]

I think you'll be hard pressed to live where you can own some land and still be in commuting distance from a major city. Also, living in or around a major city will cost you a fortune. You need a new plan.

[CynicalC]

It's really hard to have the best of both worlds. But I think somewhere like Pittsburgh might be good for you. Very cool city and more rural not too far up north. Though living on the outskirts (anywhere the commute isn't terrible) of any city is going to be expensive.

[drowe531]

Originally Posted by kchesney415

this sounds wonderful Can it possibly get colder than Wisconsin?

I grew up in MA, went to school in Maine and now am living back in MA not far outside of Boston. I'm actually moving into the city soon as I just got a portfolio accountant job in Boston.

Boston is a lot of fun with plenty of places to explore and a wide variety to see. From Boston you are less than 2 hours away to numerous places, including Maine, NH, NYC I think is 5 hours but its been a while since I have drove/taken the bus there. The T (our subway) stops running at 12 which can be annoying since stuff closes at 1. Parking absolutely sucks during the winter in the city but if you live in the city you can get by usually without even having a car.

NYC is more expensive than Boston but both are very good cities for finance/accounting especially with the big 4.

As for your question I can't imagine it being worse than Wisconsin. Boston is right on the water so its temperature is usually slightly higher than surrounding areas in the winter and slightly colder in the summer.

Any other questions feel free to ask.

As far as motorcycle there are some fun trips up through NH/Maine/Vermont.

[drowe531]

o Also there are some towns that have decent land within 30 minutes of Boston. Right now I am about 20-25 minutes away and there are two horse farms 5 minutes away from me.

[CZroe]

Originally Posted by Reswob

I think you'll be hard pressed to live where you can own some land and still be in commuting distance from a major city. Also, living in or around a major city will cost you a fortune. You need a new plan.

Metro Atlanta = easy to commute, lots of surrounding land at purchasable prices.

[DBentley415]

Originally Posted by CZroe

Atlanta!

Too far south and too far from home

[revstriker]

I am originally from Boston. But I have also lived in Germany, Columbus OH, and I am now living just outside of Dallas TX. I also had a shorter stint in both KY and NJ.

Boston is a great city, but you will also find that the culture is different than the Midwest. Probably the most noticeable point is that the people are not as friendly.

Weather in Boston is not too bad. They do get a lot of snow, but not more than you are used to. And like it's been said earlier, you are close to beaches in the summer, and skiing in the winter. You can drive to NYC in about 4 hours, or take the train in about the same amount of time. Lots of opportunity, and plenty of affordable apartments within the greater Boston area. Public transportation is very good with the T (subway), buses, and if you live further outside of the city, there are commuter trains.

After living in different places and traveling all over the country, if I had a choice, I would live somewhere south. I really enjoy the mild winters of Texas, although it does get pretty hot in the summer.

As for how far it is from home, this really does not make a difference IMO. Unless you're close enough to drive there in 4 hours or less, you'll still have to get on a plane to make the trip. Doesn't really matter if you are flying from Boston to WI, or from Atlanta to WI.

Good luck.

[backinthesaddleagain]

Originally Posted by CC Cowboy

Boston is the place to be, unless you have tons of money, than New York.

Boston is full of young professionals and there is so much to do there. Great restaurants, clubs, music, stores, parks, history, and great people too. You will have to learn to speak the language though.

I lived in Milton (12 miles south of Boston) and also Boston proper (Park Drive).

You have Cape Cod for the summer, skiing in New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine, high society in Newport RI, and the best seafood in the world.

There are horse farms north, south, and west of town. If you can afford it, you will love it.

It does get cold there in the winter. That's when you go to the islands or Florida.

My brother just moved from Boston to Milton last summer. Great town.

[CZroe]

Originally Posted by kchesney415

Too far south and too far from home

I knew a few people from Wisconsin who traveled back frequently. Well, one worked for an airline but it was a pretty straight shot (mostly I-75).

[DBentley415]

Originally Posted by revstriker

Probably the most noticeable point is that the people are not as friendly.

As for how far it is from home, this really does not make a difference IMO. Unless you're close enough to drive there in 4 hours or less, you'll still have to get on a plane to make the trip. Doesn't really matter if you are flying from Boston to WI, or from Atlanta to WI.

I have heard that from a friend here on campus as well who is from Boston.

And good point about the travelling.

[oroboros]

I spent most of my life in Delaware and Chester county PA. This is prime horse country for the old money. We always had horses but I prefered to tear up the carriage trails on dirt bikes
We just moved from Honey Brook and most of my neighbors were Amish. You can easily commute to Philly if your anywhere near the train. I have a good friend and sister who work downtown and commute. Be prepared to pay $$$.
Don't take my word as I moved to E Tennessee (where the winter sucks less). Don't listen to Kim, they have cooties in Hawaii
Posted via Mobile Device

[drowe531]

Originally Posted by kchesney415

I have heard that from a friend here on campus as well who is from Boston.

And good point about the travelling.

Just be advised people in NY are equally as unfriendly. And neither of us can be very considerate drivers, especially in the city.

[ninjabrewer]

Didn't move away after college, but did move away with the military. I grew up in SC and after enlisting I have lived in upstate NY, Germany, Lower Alabama, Korea, Kentucky, VA, Hawaii, then short stints in socal 7 months, Iowa, 23 days, Anchorage Alaska, 4 months, Tacoma WA, 3 months, back to Hawaii and I now live in the Huntsville AL area, (N. Alabama) When you are looking for a place to move to, couple of words of free advice. Instead of moving to a place and looking for a job, look for employment in places that you think you want to live in, get hired and move. Also, look at the cost of living compared to what you will be making. I noticed that you are not keen on moving to the South. The southern states are going to have much milder winters, a much cheaper cost of living and land is cheaper. Huntsville may not be the big city, but this area has almost everything a big city has, and fewer of the bad things.

just my .

nb

[drowe531]

Thats good advice NB but remember also cost of living my be cheaper in the south but sometimes the average income and income potential is lower. She is looking to work for one of the big 4, which I believe don't have offices outside of major cities. Also working for the big 4 in Boston or NYC exposes you to numerous companies and industries while doing the auditing.

Cost of living to buy directly in Boston is very high. Some suburbs just outside of Boston are high too but if you move a bit farther out there are some very reasonable towns. Nice thing about MA compared to some other states is you can get just about anywhere in most MA in 2 hours.

[wvninja]

I live in WV

[DBentley415]

Originally Posted by ninjabrewer

I grew up in SC and after enlisting I have lived in upstate NY, Germany, Lower Alabama, Korea, Kentucky, VA, Hawaii, then short stints in socal 7 months, Iowa, 23 days, Anchorage Alaska, 4 months, Tacoma WA, 3 months, back to Hawaii and I now live in the Huntsville AL area, (N. Alabama)

When you are looking for a place to move to, couple of words of free advice. Instead of moving to a place and looking for a job, look for employment in places that you think you want to live in, get hired and move.

OMG you have lived EVERYWHERE!!!....I guess that's what happens a lot when you enlist though. Sounds like a lot of awesome experiences!

So for the IMAcc (Integrated Masters of Accountancy) Program here at the UW we are guaranteed an internship the spring of our Junior year which is why, as a sophomore, I am already trying to figure out where I want to go because though graduation is pretty far off (May 2014) I need to start as early as possible to land my internship over there. Then if you do well on the internship, which I'm sure I will :P, you are usually offered a full time position. Sooo like you said I should get a job there first which is exactly what I'm planning on doing Hopefully it all works out *crosses fingers*

[sombo]

Yah, moving around alot helps give you perspective on things. I've gone from Queens NYC, to Kendall (Miami) FL, to PA, to Missouri, to AZ, back to PA, then back to Missouri to live with a friend, then back to PA, to another part of PA, and finally down here to Orlando.

People think the summers are horrible in FL. I honestly think you feel the supressing heat in PA more. The reason for that is the air is very still up there in summer and doesn't move the hot moist air much. Down here in FL however, the air is constantly moving the heat around making it actually feel less supressive.

Pick the places you are most likely able to get an internship. Make a list of what you would like to find in the area you go to. Then research those areas of the internships and see which ones have the most on you list.

[ninjabrewer]

Originally Posted by drowe531

cost of living my be cheaper in the south but sometimes the average income and income potential is lower. Also working for the big 4 in Boston or NYC exposes you to numerous companies and industries while doing the auditing.

Very very true. Add to that, go to where your desired industry/career is at. I'm in the aerospace/defense arena and they have a rather large footprint in this area.

Originally Posted by kchesney415

OMG you have lived EVERYWHERE!!!....I guess that's what happens a lot when you enlist though. Sounds like a lot of awesome experiences!

So for the IMAcc (Integrated Masters of Accountancy) Program here at the UW we are guaranteed an internship the spring of our Junior year which is why, as a sophomore, I am already trying to figure out where I want to go because though graduation is pretty far off (May 2014) I need to start as early as possible to land my internship over there. Then if you do well on the internship, which I'm sure I will :P, you are usually offered a full time position. Sooo like you said I should get a job there first which is exactly what I'm planning on doing Hopefully it all works out *crosses fingers*

Sounds like you already have a really good plan.

Out of all the places that I have lived, I loved CA the most, followed my HI. Met many many good friends in CA, and rode some fantastic roads, although a bit slow, and the weather was usually really good. I loved HI, but the cost of living was killing me.

good luck

nb

[Cuongism]

I lived in Boston for 8 years after living in NYC for 16 years, so I would suggest you to move to Socal

They are both "unfriendly" places for different reasons, but I believe it's because of weather and traffic. It's extremely cold in winter while being hot and humid during the summer. Remember to add in costs of heat/ac as they both get extremely high.

The benefits of those cities are that they're both great sport cities. There's always plenty of activities and events going on and great night life. Public transportation is better than most cities, but costs are getting higher since I've lived there. Plenty of food and culture. I might be biased because I'm from ny, but I believe they beat Boston in most categories except they have way more traffic.

Suburbs are the way most people go except you will have to deal with the commute. For NYC, I know many people who commute from jersey or CT, but they have horror traffic stories. Good luck with your move!

PS parking sucks in every big city

[DBentley415]

alright so related, but new topic

I officially bought plane tix to Boston last week and will be staying there with one of my best friends for a week in the end of May. The only time I've ever been on a plane was when I was 4 years old so this is SUPER FREAKING EXCITING for me!!!! like I can't even believe it's actually happening.

Sooo for anyone who has visited Boston or lives there. What are some interesting things I should definitely see when I go there? I know I wanna go to Boston Public Garden, Fenway Park, Freedom Trail, Harvard, etc, basically a lot of the main attractions, but if you know of anything that wouldn't be on one of the Top things to see in Boston lists you can google for or if you just had an awesome time in Boston doing something and want to tell me about it I would LOVE to hear your story and get input from you!

Thanks so much everyone!!