Rent & Living Experiences in Various Cities....
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I went to Vanderbilt for undergrad, and you would love it there! Nashville is fantastic, especially if you love to listen to live music and go to honkytonk bars. 
There are many different areas to live in that each have their own vibe, ranging from super swanky to eclectic and young. The area around Vandy has plenty of affordable housing, especially in terms of houses for rent. Soooo many cute boutiques and great places to eat. I miss it every day.
Good luck!
There are many different areas to live in that each have their own vibe, ranging from super swanky to eclectic and young. The area around Vandy has plenty of affordable housing, especially in terms of houses for rent. Soooo many cute boutiques and great places to eat. I miss it every day. Good luck!
I will tell you about the two places I know.
Miami, FL. Actually, I disagree with Charles- I think it is very expensive. If you are looking at University of Miami, and want to be in a good area, you will need to pay quite a bit. I am not sure on exact numbers, but Vlad and I have been looking in Ft Lauderdale and we have been finding 1 bdrm apartments for $1200 in good areas, but not even on the beach.
I love Miami and Ft. Lauderdale though (Vlad and I are moving back down in 2 weeks). The weather is very warm, but it is fun! People are always outside and it is just a nice place to be.
Columbus, OH. I live here now. It is a HUGE college city- people eat, breathe, and live Ohio State. I know you are not an undergrad, but the feeling living here could not be more amazing. People are VERY friendly and everyone is always so in love with the school, it just lefts your spirits! The weather is not my favorite. It is gray here, and rains. But honestly, fall is stunning, and spring and summer have beautiful days.
Rent in Columbus is cheap! I rented with three girls, so we had a 3 bedroom big place for $975 a month. That is like dirt cheap, and it was great!
Between Columbus and Miami- I would say I like both, but for different reasons. Columbus is such a great place, very nice people, very family oriented, still big city, but small feel. Miami is very fast paced, many people speak Spanish, expensive, but also very fun.
Hope this helps some!
Miami, FL. Actually, I disagree with Charles- I think it is very expensive. If you are looking at University of Miami, and want to be in a good area, you will need to pay quite a bit. I am not sure on exact numbers, but Vlad and I have been looking in Ft Lauderdale and we have been finding 1 bdrm apartments for $1200 in good areas, but not even on the beach.
I love Miami and Ft. Lauderdale though (Vlad and I are moving back down in 2 weeks). The weather is very warm, but it is fun! People are always outside and it is just a nice place to be.
Columbus, OH. I live here now. It is a HUGE college city- people eat, breathe, and live Ohio State. I know you are not an undergrad, but the feeling living here could not be more amazing. People are VERY friendly and everyone is always so in love with the school, it just lefts your spirits! The weather is not my favorite. It is gray here, and rains. But honestly, fall is stunning, and spring and summer have beautiful days.
Rent in Columbus is cheap! I rented with three girls, so we had a 3 bedroom big place for $975 a month. That is like dirt cheap, and it was great!
Between Columbus and Miami- I would say I like both, but for different reasons. Columbus is such a great place, very nice people, very family oriented, still big city, but small feel. Miami is very fast paced, many people speak Spanish, expensive, but also very fun.
Hope this helps some!
Thanks Louis, socal & sassy! I've heard other people say really good things about Nashville. What is the weather like though in the winter & summer. Is it super humid? Super hot?
Megs: Thank you for the info on both places!!! I'm just over in South Bend (evil Notre Dame LOL), but is the weather really that different in Ohio? Do you guys gets snow there? Not sure if I could be a Buckeye fan LOLOL
Megs: Thank you for the info on both places!!! I'm just over in South Bend (evil Notre Dame LOL), but is the weather really that different in Ohio? Do you guys gets snow there? Not sure if I could be a Buckeye fan LOLOL
Twiggers!!!!!!!!
Have you gone to visit any of the schools yet???
Personally I would chose BU / Boston!!!!!
A couple years in Boston would be great!! Especially if you are from the West Coast. It's only temporary and nice to experience the East Coast for a couple of years!
It's my favorite city. Boston University is one of the largest schools in the country and has so many resources!!
My son recently graduated from BU. He rented in Allston w/ a roommate.
Two bedroom was 1800. Allston is right next to BU. Many students live in that community. He is now in a studio apartment (850).
The communities of Brookline and Brighton are nice areas, very close to BU.
Twiggers, so much to do in Boston. It's like a mini NYC. Much easier to get around. NYC not too far. There's Martha's Vineyard or Nantucket for the weekend. Great museums. GREAT SPORTS!!!!!!!!
Go for it Twiggers!!
Have you gone to visit any of the schools yet???
Personally I would chose BU / Boston!!!!!
A couple years in Boston would be great!! Especially if you are from the West Coast. It's only temporary and nice to experience the East Coast for a couple of years!
It's my favorite city. Boston University is one of the largest schools in the country and has so many resources!!
My son recently graduated from BU. He rented in Allston w/ a roommate.
Two bedroom was 1800. Allston is right next to BU. Many students live in that community. He is now in a studio apartment (850).
The communities of Brookline and Brighton are nice areas, very close to BU.
Twiggers, so much to do in Boston. It's like a mini NYC. Much easier to get around. NYC not too far. There's Martha's Vineyard or Nantucket for the weekend. Great museums. GREAT SPORTS!!!!!!!!
Go for it Twiggers!!
Megs, Miami can be as expensive or as cheap as you want it to be, I think. Which is why I asked about what style of living she'll accept. I have a few friends that live down there, and it's not that expensive, and they certainly aren't living in poverty. Just with any large city, you're going to have your crap areas, the high end areas, middle of the road, and up and coming areas.
Twiggs...I'd go for Nashville or Boston, but that's me. Nashville is super hip and Boston, well, I'm a fan of the cold (which is why I'd never live in Miami!) and big cities.
Twiggs...I'd go for Nashville or Boston, but that's me. Nashville is super hip and Boston, well, I'm a fan of the cold (which is why I'd never live in Miami!) and big cities.
Congrats on finishing grad school!
I'd like to chime in on Boston. Yes, it is expensive if you live inside the city. However, if you are willing to live in the surrounding neighborhoods, prices definitly get more reasonable. Boston is a gorgeous city with tons of stuff to do, and out of all the places I've lived in (chicago, miami, philadelphia), it is by far my favorite city.
The weather is cold (at least for a girl who grew up in miami), but its not as bad as Chicago or Wisconsin.
I split a 4 bedroom, 3 story house in Cambridge (near harvard square) with 3 other roommates, and our rent is $3100 a month. This is definitly a result of being so close to Harvard, but like I said, if you are willing to live 30 minutes to 1 hour away from the city, housing prices can be slashed in half.
Hope this helps! PM me if you need more info =)
I'd like to chime in on Boston. Yes, it is expensive if you live inside the city. However, if you are willing to live in the surrounding neighborhoods, prices definitly get more reasonable. Boston is a gorgeous city with tons of stuff to do, and out of all the places I've lived in (chicago, miami, philadelphia), it is by far my favorite city.
The weather is cold (at least for a girl who grew up in miami), but its not as bad as Chicago or Wisconsin.
I split a 4 bedroom, 3 story house in Cambridge (near harvard square) with 3 other roommates, and our rent is $3100 a month. This is definitly a result of being so close to Harvard, but like I said, if you are willing to live 30 minutes to 1 hour away from the city, housing prices can be slashed in half.
Hope this helps! PM me if you need more info =)
Go miami area, yeah! Like megs and charles have both stated, It can be very pricey however I live out of the area by fort lauderdale My rent in the last place for a 2/2 was $1500. but if I were to do it over, I would have looked at more houses for rent and less apartment complexes. Right now with the real estate market being the way it is, you'd be surprised what you can get renting a house...people are just looking to make sure there mortgage is being met. Meg how exciting your moving back to the area! Meg is right about the weather being gorgeous and everyone is always outside, I just feel healther when I'm in florida. Another note like most majors cities Bad traffic on the 95! Also if your coming here make sure you know a little spanish!
My DH family is from near the Nashville area. There is always construction going on, loads of traffic, winters are cold and summers can be hot.
Well, this is going to be an obvious point, but what SCHOOL are you most interested in attending?? What's your field of study? what will be the best choice for opening up opportunities later on for you? To me that's way more important than the living conditions, but that's just me.
I'll comment on the places I have lived or where I have spent a great deal of time.
Nashville, Tennessee (Vanderbilt): Weather in TN is actually quite mild, there's a lot to do in the area, and housing is quite inexpensive. That being said, it IS the south and has a distinct regional flavor that some people might dislike or feel uncomfortable with (my husband is a native NYer and he literally can't understand what people are saying when we're in the south, LOL).
Miami, Florida (Can't remember which school it is): If it's Miami University, it's located in Coral Gables, and the immediate surrounding area is stunning and gorgeous and expensive as all getout. Bear in mind that Miami's metro area is huge, and what might seem like a short commute of only 3-4 miles could take a long time in traffic. Obviously the weather is great if you like being hot and seeing very fit people wearing not much at all year-round. LOL
Seattle (U of Washington) It. Rains. All. The. Time. But it's gorgeous, very lush greenery, you're close to both the mountains and the ocean, and it's a very hip place. (too hip for old me though). Cost of living is actually fairly high though not as much as in California.
New Haven, CT (Yale): What can I say about Yale?? Sentimental favorite for me personally. I live about 45 minutes away from Yale now and yes, the weather here can be cold but it's not extreme like in Michigan or Wisconsin. We have four seasons, not just two LOL, and the general area of New Haven can be anything ranging from gorgeous luxury to slightly dodgy. Be careful choosing housing if you choose Yale and check out crime statistics for the immediate neighborhood.
Boston (Boston University): OK, Boston has somewhat extreme weather too, and truly horrific traffic at times. If you choose BU, try your best to find housing within walking distance of your area of the campus if at all possible. Otherwise you *will* sit in traffic for the rest of your life. That being said, Boston is an amazing city and has soooo much to offer! Housing is priced slightly more reasonably than in most northeastern cities, though of course the upper ranges are way expensive. Smae as Yale, check out crime statistics in the immediate area where you might choose to live. Certain areas of Boston are pretty rough.
I'll comment on the places I have lived or where I have spent a great deal of time.
Nashville, Tennessee (Vanderbilt): Weather in TN is actually quite mild, there's a lot to do in the area, and housing is quite inexpensive. That being said, it IS the south and has a distinct regional flavor that some people might dislike or feel uncomfortable with (my husband is a native NYer and he literally can't understand what people are saying when we're in the south, LOL).
Miami, Florida (Can't remember which school it is): If it's Miami University, it's located in Coral Gables, and the immediate surrounding area is stunning and gorgeous and expensive as all getout. Bear in mind that Miami's metro area is huge, and what might seem like a short commute of only 3-4 miles could take a long time in traffic. Obviously the weather is great if you like being hot and seeing very fit people wearing not much at all year-round. LOL
Seattle (U of Washington) It. Rains. All. The. Time. But it's gorgeous, very lush greenery, you're close to both the mountains and the ocean, and it's a very hip place. (too hip for old me though). Cost of living is actually fairly high though not as much as in California.
New Haven, CT (Yale): What can I say about Yale?? Sentimental favorite for me personally. I live about 45 minutes away from Yale now and yes, the weather here can be cold but it's not extreme like in Michigan or Wisconsin. We have four seasons, not just two LOL, and the general area of New Haven can be anything ranging from gorgeous luxury to slightly dodgy. Be careful choosing housing if you choose Yale and check out crime statistics for the immediate neighborhood.
Boston (Boston University): OK, Boston has somewhat extreme weather too, and truly horrific traffic at times. If you choose BU, try your best to find housing within walking distance of your area of the campus if at all possible. Otherwise you *will* sit in traffic for the rest of your life. That being said, Boston is an amazing city and has soooo much to offer! Housing is priced slightly more reasonably than in most northeastern cities, though of course the upper ranges are way expensive. Smae as Yale, check out crime statistics in the immediate area where you might choose to live. Certain areas of Boston are pretty rough.
Well....these are all post-docs, and any one of the places is phenomenal in terms of my career development. I will be putting feelers out during this semester as to who will be accepting post-docs for the upcoming year...so that will narrow it down a bit.
My professors have connections in Madison and Davis....so those are probably near the top.
It's only 2 years though.....so that is nice!
Thank you so much everyone for your opinions!!!
So it Nashville humid in the summers? Or dry heat?
Is Boston and New Haven humid in the summers too, or just hot?
And Seattle never gets too hot in the summer, right? And it's a dry heat?
Weather doesn't really matter to me, but it's a big deal for my SO. And rent isn't too big of a deal because we split it 50/50 with BIL (right now our mortgage is $1400 so it's not too bad) only bad part is the loss of the tax deduction!
My professors have connections in Madison and Davis....so those are probably near the top.
It's only 2 years though.....so that is nice!
Thank you so much everyone for your opinions!!!
So it Nashville humid in the summers? Or dry heat?
Is Boston and New Haven humid in the summers too, or just hot?
And Seattle never gets too hot in the summer, right? And it's a dry heat?
Weather doesn't really matter to me, but it's a big deal for my SO. And rent isn't too big of a deal because we split it 50/50 with BIL (right now our mortgage is $1400 so it's not too bad) only bad part is the loss of the tax deduction!
Boston- nice, but rent is expensive and the weather is COLD (but i guess from living in Indiana u are used to that) if you don't like driving, this is a good place (good public transporation system). i should also mention summer in Boston is QUITE humid. an A/C is a must.
LA- expensive but at least the weather is nice. If you NEED sunshine (like me) this is the place for you. but if u hate driving in traffic w/ a passion, i'd suggest somewhere else. also as u can imagine LA is very fashion-conscious, you will see lots of ppl w/ LVs, Chanel, etc. in the area there are like 5 LVs within a 10 mile radius.
also, the summers don't get too hot here, especially close to the ocean. This is probably the mildest weather i have ever experienced (not too cold, not too hot).
Seattle-never lived there, but i don't think I'd ever live in the Pacific Northwest, just cuz of all the rain/fogginess. I've lived most of my live in Northern California, which already had too many cloudy/rainy days for me. But then if u like the greenery i imagine it would be nice. also i imagine the cost of living is much cheaper there (than California)
Davis - i've been to the campus once. i had never seen so many bikes in my entire life. so if u like the idea riding your bike to school/work you'd fit right in.
LA- expensive but at least the weather is nice. If you NEED sunshine (like me) this is the place for you. but if u hate driving in traffic w/ a passion, i'd suggest somewhere else. also as u can imagine LA is very fashion-conscious, you will see lots of ppl w/ LVs, Chanel, etc. in the area there are like 5 LVs within a 10 mile radius.
also, the summers don't get too hot here, especially close to the ocean. This is probably the mildest weather i have ever experienced (not too cold, not too hot).Seattle-never lived there, but i don't think I'd ever live in the Pacific Northwest, just cuz of all the rain/fogginess. I've lived most of my live in Northern California, which already had too many cloudy/rainy days for me. But then if u like the greenery i imagine it would be nice. also i imagine the cost of living is much cheaper there (than California)
Davis - i've been to the campus once. i had never seen so many bikes in my entire life. so if u like the idea riding your bike to school/work you'd fit right in.
When I was going to UCLA, I had a nice place in Bev Hills and I loved it. I lived in that area for 8 years. Now I am in the San Diego area and like is so much more than LA(even though I still go to LA to visit friends).
You can't go wrong with SoCal. Many people hate how expensive it can be to live here. I always say you have to pay for living in paradise.
I also like Miami, always something to do.
Good luck on your decision.