I might move to the US. But where?

[Senilsson]

I will most likely visit SoCal but I just don't find it interesting at this point. Perhaps a visit might change my mind, but I have a feeling that I will like the climate and mentality of the east/north better.

Originally Posted by SamelCamel

For what it's worth, I live near the Nashville, TN area. Most everyone around here is very polite and we have mild (mostly warm) weather most of the year. The jobless rate is nationally low in Williamson County (south side of Nashville) and it's a generally nice place to live. We'd love you have you! Make sure to check out the Nashville area.

-Sam

Sounds great! Will do that, cheers!

Originally Posted by Ritter

After reading your original post I was going to suggest Columbus Ohio. I see through the following post that happens to be where you are greatly considering. Good luck with your decision.

Nice to see someone recommending it. I see that you live in Ohio, do you have any experience from Cbus? Anything is appreciated.

[PoorLurker]

What climate do you want? The East / North East seem to have quite the variance of climates there.

Also, the mentality of the east? What is this mentality that you seek?

SoCal is like an expensive Vegas Buffet. SoCal has food or something that everyone will enjoy, but it just costs a bit more than other buffets. Obviously, for some people, having the access to all those types of food isn't important so a small hole in the wall chef owned restaurant will give them what they truly want.

[AirForceOne]

Highly suggest you also research Denver, CO or if you want a smaller city like Colorado Springs. Mild summers/winters, GREAT skiing, great city life, low crime for a big city, and job market is pretty good. Lastly, it's an active conscious state so the women are beautiful and not all obese like the southern states.

[SamelCamel]

Originally Posted by AirForceOne

Highly suggest you also research Denver, CO or if you want a smaller city like Colorado Springs. Mild summers/winters, GREAT skiing, great city life, low crime for a big city, and job market is pretty good. Lastly, it's an active conscious state so the women are beautiful and not all obese like the southern states.

Why do I feel like you're talking to me? lol...

-Sam

[Hawkeye]

Originally Posted by SamelCamel

Why do I feel like you're talking to me? lol...

-Sam

Don't fret Camel, you're the only 10 I see.

[Senilsson]

Originally Posted by PoorLurker

What climate do you want? The East / North East seem to have quite the variance of climates there.

Also, the mentality of the east? What is this mentality that you seek?

SoCal is like an expensive Vegas Buffet. SoCal has food or something that everyone will enjoy, but it just costs a bit more than other buffets. Obviously, for some people, having the access to all those types of food isn't important so a small hole in the wall chef owned restaurant will give them what they truly want.

The climate is better in almost every state than it is where I live now so I'm flexible. I prefer four seasons and mild temperatures over beaches and really hot weather.
For example, I was in NYC in January and I just loved how warm and sunny it was during the day.

I have never been west of Houston so I am in no position to judge people I have never met, but those I have talked to that have more experience than me say that there's a better 'community-feeling' in the east/midwest were there's easier to meet new people and make friends. I have no idea if this is true or not, but it's what I've heard.

Originally Posted by AirForceOne

Highly suggest you also research Denver, CO or if you want a smaller city like Colorado Springs. Mild summers/winters, GREAT skiing, great city life, low crime for a big city, and job market is pretty good. Lastly, it's an active conscious state so the women are beautiful and not all obese like the southern states.

Added to the list. Cheers

[eluded]

I would move to California.

[Graves]

I would NOT move to Waynesville/St. Roberts, MO.

Shit hole!

However, these places are beautiful.

Savannah, Ga
Hilton Head, SC
West Palm Beach, FL
St. Simons Island, GA

[Senilsson]

Originally Posted by Graves

I would NOT move to Waynesville/St. Roberts, MO.

Shit hole!

However, these places are beautiful.

Savannah, Ga
Hilton Head, SC
West Palm Beach, FL
St. Simons Island, GA

I haven't even heard of half of these places before and if you bothered to read what I was looking for you would find that some vacation resort in Florida or on the coast is low priority for me.

[Ickdeep]

Hey!

Have you considered the Pacific Northwest as a possible destination? Like I'm near Seattle, WA (don't have city experience) but I'm like 30 miles away from the center. The weather here is mild, we get all four seasons. Summer has been really well for us this year (averaging half a year so far). We do have rain in the mid seasons and we get like one or two snow storms a year. There is a lot of parks and stuff to do outdoors. The housing cost currently in the state is pretty good see how we have a lot of major companies in the area; Microsoft, Boeing, Uber, Amazon and a lot more. From my almost decade experiencing living here, the cost of living is good. It all depends on what job you have and your lifestyle choice. There is a sorts of people here so you will find diversity around here.

Hope this helps, feel free to ask any additional questions.

[bucketfoot]

Originally Posted by Senilsson

I prefer four seasons and mild temperatures over beaches and really hot weather.

Especially given this, I still think the Denver area would be a great option for you.

[Hawkeye]

Originally Posted by Senilsson

I haven't even heard of half of these places before and if you bothered to read what I was looking for you would find that some vacation resort in Florida or on the coast is low priority for me.

... do you like hurricanes?

[Graves]

Originally Posted by Senilsson

I haven't even heard of half of these places before and if you bothered to read what I was looking for you would find that some vacation resort in Florida or on the coast is low priority for me.

Easy there turbo. I didn't say you had to live in those cities. Those are nice focal points with great communities around them. Doesn't hurt to look outside the box.

[Senilsson]

Originally Posted by Ickdeep

Hey!

Have you considered the Pacific Northwest as a possible destination? Like I'm near Seattle, WA (don't have city experience) but I'm like 30 miles away from the center. The weather here is mild, we get all four seasons. Summer has been really well for us this year (averaging half a year so far). We do have rain in the mid seasons and we get like one or two snow storms a year. There is a lot of parks and stuff to do outdoors. The housing cost currently in the state is pretty good see how we have a lot of major companies in the area; Microsoft, Boeing, Uber, Amazon and a lot more. From my almost decade experiencing living here, the cost of living is good. It all depends on what job you have and your lifestyle choice. There is a sorts of people here so you will find diversity around here.

Hope this helps, feel free to ask any additional questions.

Tbh, the NW seems very interesting but I've crossed that of my list due to what I've read which is a poor traffic situation, high COL, extremely expensive housing etc.
Could it perhaps differ that much depending on which neighbourhood you choose?

I have already made up my mind at this point and won't be able to travel to Seattle the first year but I'll definately make a visit in the future.

Originally Posted by bucketfoot

Especially given this, I still think the Denver area would be a great option for you.

Basically in the same category as Seattle.

Originally Posted by Hawkeye

... do you like hurricanes?

Originally Posted by Graves

Easy there turbo. I didn't say you had to live in those cities. Those are nice focal points with great communities around them. Doesn't hurt to look outside the box.

Sorry, that was uncalled for. You're right.

[KillBill999]

Laguna Niguel, CA

[gimmethemuumuu]

Originally Posted by Senilsson

This thread is kind of infected, but I would still like to get some opinions on my choices.
I have my visa interview scheduled in December which means I will take a trip to the states in January.

I am going to Minneapolis to get my green card and I will spend a few days in the area, but it's not my intention to stay there so I'm going to continue to Columbus, OH which is on top of my list at the moment. I had Raleigh as a contender for a long time but from what I've heard about the heat and traffic kinda I'm not that interested anymore.
I might want to check out Indianapolis, IN, Cleveland, OH and Pittsburgh, PA but it really depends on how much I like Columbus.

Any thoughts on Columbus or Ohio in general? Do you think I should visit a place nearby that's a hidden gem? As always, I appreciate any tips.

As a nearly lifelong resident of Indiana, and a resident of Indianapolis in particular for the majority of that time, I can offer some nformation which might be helpful.

Unlike the member from Texas stated, Indy does not get much snow these days. We probably get 2-3 significant snowfalls a season. However, if you live in/near any semi-major city, the main streets will be cleared rather quickly. Having said that, we do tend to get a greater mix of true seasons. Spring is sometimes shorter, as the summer heat might come on early. Temperatures in the summer can get as hot at 85-90 degrees F, with rare peaks to 100+. Fall presents nice colors as the leaves change colors and winter comes on gradually. It's coldest in January and February when temperatures are typically in the 10-20 degrees F range, with occasional dips to below 0 F. Wind chill is a different matter but commonly won't lower the perceived temp too much. Certainly, it'd be no problem for a Swede

Culturally speaking, some areas of Indianapolis aren't as diverse as others. However, the culture is there if you live in or frequent the right places. Generally, Indiana has a fairly low cost of living. Housing prices are relatively low, taxes are not too bad, and jobs are fairly plentiful and pay well.

If you come to visit, send me a PM and we can meet up. I would be glad to share what i know and answer any questions you might have, now or later

[Ickdeep]

Originally Posted by Senilsson

Tbh, the NW seems very interesting but I've crossed that of my list due to what I've read which is a poor traffic situation, high COL, extremely expensive housing etc.
Could it perhaps differ that much depending on which neighbourhood you choose?

I have already made up my mind at this point and won't be able to travel to Seattle the first year but I'll definately make a visit in the future.

It all depends. Living in Southern California most of my life, WA "traffic" is here nothing compared to that. But what city are you going to that will never have traffic? As for COL, its not that high if get out of the city. Downtown Seattle is extremely overpriced but cities outside of it are still "cheap". Like for example, I live about 40 miles south of Seattle, I commute about 30 mins every day to work (15 miles). My house that I have currently if I wanted in Southern California would be about 2-3x the price. There is a lot of major companies here and with your skills, you will be able to find a job here no problem. And the housing market is really good (I'm comparing to California as I have personal experience from there ~18 years). Use the website https://www.redfin.com/ to find houses all over the nation.

Best of luck!

[upstatedoc]

I would recommend upstate New York. Everyone is leaving so there will be plenty of room for you.

[geogerf]

I've "lived" in a variety of cities in the US (my job used to have me travel and stay at places months and even years on end). To keep this from being too long to read, I'll just mention where I am and where I think you should go/try.

Southern California is nice, but unless you have a large savings - it will be hard for you to purchase a property - unless you don't mind a condo or townhouse. Plus, the "LA attitude" is not very welcoming.

Denver is where I think you should move to because it does have a little bit of everything you want. People are friendly and active (as was mentioned above); you get 4 seasons; major sports teams (if you're into sports); diversity (obv not as much as Cali); homes are large and affordable; and you can generally travel easily to other parts of the country if you ever wanted to take a small weekend trip.

[Senilsson]

Originally Posted by gimmethemuumuu

As a nearly lifelong resident of Indiana, and a resident of Indianapolis in particular for the majority of that time, I can offer some nformation which might be helpful.

Unlike the member from Texas stated, Indy does not get much snow these days. We probably get 2-3 significant snowfalls a season. However, if you live in/near any semi-major city, the main streets will be cleared rather quickly. Having said that, we do tend to get a greater mix of true seasons. Spring is sometimes shorter, as the summer heat might come on early. Temperatures in the summer can get as hot at 85-90 degrees F, with rare peaks to 100+. Fall presents nice colors as the leaves change colors and winter comes on gradually. It's coldest in January and February when temperatures are typically in the 10-20 degrees F range, with occasional dips to below 0 F. Wind chill is a different matter but commonly won't lower the perceived temp too much. Certainly, it'd be no problem for a Swede

Culturally speaking, some areas of Indianapolis aren't as diverse as others. However, the culture is there if you live in or frequent the right places. Generally, Indiana has a fairly low cost of living. Housing prices are relatively low, taxes are not too bad, and jobs are fairly plentiful and pay well.

If you come to visit, send me a PM and we can meet up. I would be glad to share what i know and answer any questions you might have, now or later

Tbh, I think the weather is far superior in every state in USA compared to Sweden. I have a friend in Minneapolis and despite the harsh winters she loves the long summers. Which leads me to think that weather won't be an issue wherever I end up. :-)

I think it's so interesting that peoples opinion on cities differ so much. Back here it's a consensus in opinions about most places. May have to do with the size difference but interesting anyway!
I've been researching Indy before. Decent job opportunities and low COL, as you're saying in a decent sized city with fair climate. It has a lot going for it but if I have brought it up in other forums people bash it and says it's not even worth a visit.

I appreciate your hospitality a lot and if I swing by I'll reach out to you.

Originally Posted by Ickdeep

It all depends. Living in Southern California most of my life, WA "traffic" is here nothing compared to that. But what city are you going to that will never have traffic? As for COL, its not that high if get out of the city. Downtown Seattle is extremely overpriced but cities outside of it are still "cheap". Like for example, I live about 40 miles south of Seattle, I commute about 30 mins every day to work (15 miles). My house that I have currently if I wanted in Southern California would be about 2-3x the price. There is a lot of major companies here and with your skills, you will be able to find a job here no problem. And the housing market is really good (I'm comparing to California as I have personal experience from there ~18 years). Use the website https://www.redfin.com/ to find houses all over the nation.

Best of luck!

I appreciate your info, it's always a good thing to hear another side of the story than the usual stuff. If I don't find anything that suits me in the places I have prepared to visit first I will check out the NW a lot more.

Thanks!

[Senilsson]

Here I am with a green card in one hand a flight ticket to Charlotte in the other.

I'm flying to NC on friday, will arrive on saturday. The plan is to drive through these cities:
Greenville, SC - Seems really nice, weather is great, small size metro but might be favourable, BMW plant isn't far away etc. One of favourites beforehand.
Knoxville, TN - Also quite small but the weather is favourable and the city seems to be growing at a nice rate.
Nashville, TN - See this more as a tourist stop than anything. Might be wrong(?)
Louisville, KY - The underdog. Some people love it, others hate it. Going there with an open mind.
Columbus, OH - The top pick. Has gotten a lot of praise and tick a lot of boxes for me, the only question is if reality can match theory.
Indianapolis, IN - Doesn't seem to have anything to offer that Columbus doesn't have. It's on the way.
Chicago, IL(Lincoln Park, Lakeview) - I don't know what to think of Chicago, but the flight is going home from O'Hare so will try to explore as much as possible.

After the road trip I have hopefully decided on a place to invest my future in. The permanent move will be sometime early this summer.

[Hawkeye]

If you decide to come a few more hours west to Des Moines (from Chicago) I don't think you would be disappointed. IT really is a nice city that is growing quickly.