Relocation

So Lauren and I are planning on moving at the end of the summer. Obviously if I get the job in Vienna we'll be going sooner than that, but we both want to get out of Denver for a few years and are looking at options.
The main requirements are that I can find a job in the area, cool place to live, and most importantly, good rally scene.

The main three ideas we've had have been San Diego, Seattle, and San Francisco. All have positives and negatives.
San Fran has the most jobs in my field, is considered a pretty cool/fun place to live, but has high cost of living and no rallies real close, though quite a few reasonably close.
San Diego has family so a free place to live at first, okay job market, nice weather, and close to an okay rally scene. Biggest fault is that it is So Cal and I've never wanted to live in So Cal.
Seattle has good jobs and good rally scene. But gloomy weather and high cost of living.
We've also talked a little bit about Chicago and Boston, but both of us feel like we belong on the west coast and the closer to rally stuff the better.

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Grant Hughes

You cannot be serious about Boston, I have never been someplace full of so many aggressive and simultaneously appallingly stupid people in my life.
Seriously, I think it is mass low level lead poisoning which causes both retardation and impulse control problems.
Hidesously expensive for what would be low rent places in Seattle.

And forget California. Desert racing is not rally, ask Topi.

Settle or Portland.

And it's not that expensive if you choose your area. Hell I am BUYING this house, and I make nothing.

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John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.

No to Portland.
Seattle is my personal choice. Lauren likes San Fran or San Diego.

Seattle would be cool because I'd just abandon my car at the asylum.

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Grant Hughes

I have lived in Seattle and San Diego, San Fran was like living there with all my family there and going down for work at one point every week...

All three are good places, San Diego is not an Intlectual town, it is full of surfer dudes and that is OK for a bit but some day you go hey I want to see some art or something. They all say LA is only 2 hrs go north... How did they put it when I was there, it was the 6th largest city in America but the 30th bigest media market, no one reads etc there...

Seattle and SF, basically the same it is harder to get out of town to the country in SF and harder to find the right little place to live/work but it can be done. Cost of living is higher in SF for the most part.

What do you do or hope to do for work?

D

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In the long run reality always wins.

Medical research/biostatistics

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Grant Hughes

Man...Seattle would be the way to go if it were me! I've spent time in most of those places (and my family is in Maine, so I know Boston a bit) and I've lived near Seattle for 5 years.

I can't wait to get back to Seattle. The Summers are awesome, the Winters are long, but that just means great skiing, the city has some culture...and the rally is awesome! Oh to be back where I can tow just a few hours to about 8 events! Did I mention Mississippi isn't where you want to move if you're in to rally?

Good luck man!

Grant,

Seattle is both a Region and a City.

As a "Region" it's approaching TRAFFIC GRIDLOCK gridlock in all directions during peak commuting times (7:00-9:00AM / 4:30-6:00PM). Due to terrain and high cost of construction, this will not get better no matter what the politicians tell you. There are huge road construction projects planned that will aggrivate traffic for the next 5-7-years. In the end they will not speed-up anything. They will only enable more people to enter the fray. So, you need to plan to live fairly close to where you work.

As a "City", it's best to live right in Seattle and it's expensive. Commuting in from the burb's can be a nightmare. Commuting into downtown is the worst with parking now running about $225/mo. Public transport within the City is good, but commuting-in on public transport can be either fair or a nightmare depending on your route. I live 35 miles "east" and my commute on a rattly milkrun Bus takes 2-hrs oneway. I can drive in 40-min if I arrive before 7:00AM. I started bus-riding 2 years ago due to the high cost of gas & parking, but it's insane being a lemming on a desease riddled cattle car every day. On the otherhand, a friend lives 30 miles southeast and rides a comfy Commuter Train taking only 40 min. It even has free internet service. So, do your Seattle homework well or you can easily go broke and crazy all at the same time.

The current level of hype around Seattle reminds be of So.Cal. 40 years ago. But, a fella's got to earn a living somewhere. And in medical research & stat's you will almost certainly be looking at an Urban area.... somewhere.

Rich Smith

Yeah. Some of the concerns when considering all places is ease of commuting and cost of living, workshop/rally car space, and commuting costs.

I do not do suburbs. All of California feels like a big suburb to me. I have no ownership plans wherever we go so we'll always be looking at the rental market.

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Grant Hughes

Raleigh-Durham

We've got more non-southerners here now than southerners. While prices seem expensive to me, compared to the other places you mentioned shit will be a bargain here. You could buy a whole warehouse in Durham for what you'd pay for a small house in seattle.

.02

NoCoast Wrote:
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> Medical research/biostatistics
>
> Grant Hughes
> www.nocoastmotorsports.net
> Denver, CO

Are you looking for a real job or a university job? I have a friend on the faculty of UCSF (forensic epidemiologist) who might be able to point you in the right direction there. If you really want to keep your car with you I doubt you'll be able to pull that off in SF on you're starting salary. The housing market is starting to crack open here so things are becoming more affordable.

Tim

San diego = perfect weather, highest cost of living. no joke.

Move to montana. beauty eh?

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Kirk Coughlin
Woodbury, MN and River Falls, WI

Quemadmodum gladius neminem occidit, occidentis telum est.

gemorris Wrote:
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> Raleigh-Durham

I've never been there, but I know what you mean. I've recently become a water industry head hunter in the Carolinas and Raleigh is *hot* right now. Forbes magazine rated it #1 on it's Top 100 list of the hottest areas for jobs.

According to Hannah Clark (Forbes), "The city has low unemployment, strong income and job growth, and high incomes -- yet still maintains a relatively low cost of living. Raleigh is part of the 'Research Triangle,' inlcuding Durham and Chapel Hill. Three major universities - Duke, UNC, and NCSU - make their homes in the area. The result: A city with good weather, a relatively low cost of living, and a highly educated population."

I'm not sure how the rally scene is out that way, but I suspect it's decent. I've not had the pleasure of meeting the other rally communities in the country, but CRS is a great group of people. Might not be much in the way of trees down here to race around, but we've got the scrub brush and miles of dirt.

Good luck in your decision, Grant.

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Brian Driggs | KG7KCA | PHX, AZ | 89 Pajero
alterius non sit qui suus esse potest

Huh. New Zealand has a need and is quite easy to immigrate to for someone like me. Just got an email back from one company with four job descriptions/openings that I could fulfill with fairly good pay. Hmm.

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Grant Hughes

dude, you need to PM Chris Hamilton and ask him about NZ. He's thinking about moving back there last I talked to him.

http://www.rallyanarchy.com/phorum/profile.php?5,91

New Zealand is the top country on my list of places to emigrate to. I still would like to go, just need to make some money/experience first.

Second on that list is Canada.

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