Pros and Cons about US and Canada Cities

[Pekka]

Well I don't mind car stealing.. it's extremely popular in here as well.

SO, lot of Canadians telling about the places, why no murricans?! Come on guys..

So, no one has yet revealed any salary levels.. or cost of living .. no details necessary, just some.. round up figures, from top of your heads?

[Hot Mustard]

Also, here are my impression of Canada IT industries:

- Montreal is Telecom & Engineering
- Calgary is Utilities (Oil, Energy)
- Toronto is everything but has most of Finance
- Vancouver is Web, other cutting edge stuff, and some of many other things

These are very broad generalizations, as every city has a little of everything, but you get the picture.

[The Emperor Fabulous]

Boston is THE college town in the United States. I just moved into my apt here today. I love it here: just transferred to Emerson College (a communications and performing arts college...unless that's what you're in to, you shouldn't come here). But Beantown has Boston University, Boston College, Northeaster University, Berklee School of Music, Harvard, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a bunch of other, smaller schools. The only rivals Boston has in colleges are NYC and Chicago, which is saying something for a city of only 500,000.

Plus, its a safe city, has good public transportation, and a ****-load of things to do if you're 18-24. I suggest you look here.

EDIT: Cost of living: its a slightly expensive town, but not so much if you live in one of the suburbs, like where I live (Allston, right on the subway 20 minutes from my school which is very good). A recent list a few years back said Boston was one of the best places for expatriats (American nomads) to live, IIRC.

Oh, and this is where many of the best Stand-up comics got their start: its a hub for stand-up. Dennis Leary went to my college.

[PLATO]

Re: Pros and Cons about US and Canada Cities

Originally posted by Pekka


I appreciate safety, good opportunities to do sports for example hiking possibly, maybe there's sea access.. not necessarily though. Maybe there's snow in winter too? It can't be 100F all around the year for me. It's just too much. I can't take it.. I'm a snow caveman afterall. I survive in 0F naked, not 100F.

Other things I appreciate is.. well, nice community of course, low crime rate at least in violence and drugs, awesome nature, or at least possibility to get to nature relatively fast, good school districts.. stuff like that. Good houses, possibly not the most expensive ones in the country. Anywhere from over 500k for a house starts to be expensive. Somewhere between 200k and 500k is moderate.

Also, about sports, it doesn't hurt if there's good hockey, or maybe even NHL near, less than hour drive away.

It helps, if you can snowboard there also, in few hours drive away.

It should have nice and friendly atmosphere, and ... preferrably good income region.

So.. Canadian and US cities... let's hear'em!

Knoxville, Tennessee. Under an hour to great hiking (Smoky Mountain National Park). Several great lakes nearby. Housing is very very affordable. ($500K will get you a very nice place on the lake with a dock, etc...) College sports are incredible. Pro sports available (including Hockey) in Atlanta, Nashville, and Charlotte...all within 3-4 hours drive. University of Tennessee has agreements with Oak Ridge National Lab for joint studies. Very low crime rate. Great place to live.

http://www.utk.edu/

[Pekka]

Right, but I'm already 24, I might get myself in there when I'm 25! That means there's nothing to do then.

[The Emperor Fabulous]

Originally posted by Pekka
Right, but I'm already 24, I might get myself in there when I'm 25! That means there's nothing to do then.

18-24 is my range. I have no idea what you do when you're past that, thus, I am not a good judge of that.

But Boston is a town made for college kids, whether undergrads or graduate students. I'd rather be here than anywhere else (cause I've been to college elsewhere...if you have a chance, DON'T go to Philadelphia! sry Speer!)

[Tis I]

Ann Arbor, Mi

Pros- Liberal paradise
Cons- Liberal paradise

Home of the University of Michigan which is as esteemed as Berkeley and fulfulls you're requirement for cold and snow. The Detroit Red Wings, one of the best NHL teams, are within an hours drive. Houses should be within you're desired price range as long as you stay the hell away from the Univeristy ( or pay $1 million for something near campus.)

[Pekka]

TEF, well, my mental age is 19 at most. I never grew up. Maybe I should though.

Ann Arbor.. sounds interesting. Maybe I could join the Michigan Militia

[Hot Mustard]

I couldn't really comment on the field of Universities here anymore, as I'm sure it is much different than when I went. My choice was easy as Simon Fraser University was less than 30 minutes from home, and has an excellent reputation. Toronto has many options as well, but I don't know much about them. I don't think Calgary has much in the way of IT university programs, but I could be wrong...Asher? If Montreal is your bag, that means McGill, definitely.

I would expect anywhere from $35-50K (CDN) for entry level IT these days. The higher end for a large company Toronto customer-side positions, and the lower end for smaller company Calgary or Vancouver developer shops. That is however, the opinion of someone who hasn't been 'entry-level' for awhile.

[Guynemer]

Pekka, I lived for over seven years in Ann Arbor (until just a few months ago), and spent all of my life before then just 20 minutes away.

I can not recommend it highly enough. The cost of living is high, but that's only in comparasion to other Midwestern cities; compared to Berkeley, it's cheaper than dirt. It's a small college town (pop--110,000), but it has just about everything you could need; arts, food, sports. The University of Michigan has consistently one of the best college hockey teams in the country, and the atmosphere at Yost Arena simply can not be matched.

Plus, it's at the outer edge of a major metropolitan area; the Detroit area in all has about 5 million people. Anything you can't find in Ann Arbor (and I'd have a hard time thinking of anything, apart from casinos), you'd find in Detroit. And, Canada is just across the river.


Ann Arbor

[Hot Mustard]

Originally posted by Guynemer
The University of Michigan has consistently one of the best college hockey teams in the country

I can vouch for that - that's where the Vancouver Canucks' top center, Brendan Morrison came from.

[General Ludd]

Sudbury

Pros:

A nothern town. (meaning down-to-earth people,a generally laid back atmosphere, and a relatively low cost of living)

Wilderness. (Lot's of lakes and hills. Good opportunities for hiking, camping, ect... not far from the famous algonquin national park.)

Bilingual. Half the population is francophone (everyone speaks english, but for many it is a second language)

It has a history of finnish homesteading that might appeal to you. There is probably a sizeable finnish community here, although I don't know for certain.

Good winters with lots of snow.

Big on schools. It has a university and two colleges

Cons:

It's an old-time mining town and encompasses alot of rural areas. (meaning more than an average amount of hicks and rednecks)

Polluted landscape (it's been cleaned up pretty well, though, and I'd actually say that it's cleaner here than anywhere in southern ontario.)

Motor heads. You'll see everything from riced up pick-up trucks to SUVs with monster truck engines in them, combined with crazy drivers and bad roads.

A dead town center, where all the downtown buisnesses are going out of buisness and 'box store culture' is taking over.

[Velociryx]

Well, I would recommend Columbia, SC, but I fear our climate may not be very to your liking.

On the plus side, we have tons of beautiful, scantily clad women here, and although the wages in SC are somewhat lower than elsewhere in the states, the cost of living is also a good deal lower (example: In the Bay Area, California, a decent home will run you an easy 250k. Here, you can get vast estate for that same money (starter homes run 60-80k).

We have a "bush league" hockey team, and you'd be an all-star, for sure.

On the minus side....climate. You're from the great north, and we only have about two weeks worth of weather you're accustomed to a year in these parts. The rest of the time, you'd find it miserably hot, and in July and August, you'll swear you're living in Hell on Earth. Takes some getting used to, but if you stay mostly inside for those two months, the rest of the year is pure heaven...

-=Vel=-

[Lancer]

"In Canada, sanity is the norm rather than the exception"

Except of course in Monteal. Their idea of sanitary is to occasionally piss on each other to cover the stench.

[notyoueither]

That's carrying the French schtick a bit far isn't it, Lancer?