To where should I move?

May 27, 2007 6:59 AM

To where shall I move? Can you recommend a good place for me to live?

Background:
I am a 23 year old girl. I graduated college with a useless degree a year ago and I live in Long Island with my family to help with their mortgage. I need to move though, because i don't like long island, i don't like my job (administrative assistant) and i don't like living here. My current job has no potential for transferring somewhere better.

i'm going to be applying for grad school (information science?) in november/december but until then i have to find something to do. i can get a job doing basic administrative assistant work or maybe i can get a job in retail although i haven't done that since 2002 (i always fail those "integrity" tests.) i would rather move now then wait till i know where i'm going because my situation is ridiculous and i want to start over.

i've considered moving to westchester (new rochelle/rye/whiteplains) because i went to college there and i still know a few people there. but i also want to broaden my horizons a bit if possible.

Question:
With that in mind, i need to find a place that has these things:
- it will not take too long to find a job that pays enough money to pay my rent and car insurance. (this doesn't exist on long island).

- it won't be too hard to find nice people close to my own age who are doing interesting things that i can make friends with.

- it's not more than 4 hours away from here. (this is flexible, but that's where everyone i know is, and i don't want to be *too* far away from them)

- preferably it has a pretty good craigslist or some way to start this process now.

Is there a place like that?

Secondary question:
Move, then job? Or job, then move? Do I have to get a phone number for the area code i'm targeting?

posted by amethysts to Work & Money (10 answers total)

This may be too obvious but why not check out Manhattan, or alternatively Brooklyn? You can register at various temp agencies by the next business day and have some sort of income going until you get into school. Lots of people looking for short-term occupants of their apartments for the summer, or room-mates. You can leave the car behind so you don't have to pay for parking. Easy to meet people if you try, but not too far from everyone you know.
posted by objdoc at 7:07 AM on May 27, 2007

Response by poster: i'm kind of afraid of not being able to make a living in manhattan/brooklyn/queens etc. i'm also afraid of temping because it's so unstable. it is something to consider though.
posted by amethysts at 7:12 AM on May 27, 2007

What's your degree in? What kind of sjob kills do you have? What are you interested in doing?
posted by hooray at 8:06 AM on May 27, 2007

Washington DC may just barely meet your 4 hour criteria - and it certainly does if you consider taking the train (super easy and dare I say 'fun'). It'd be far enough away so that you're on your own but close enough to home if necessary. Also - if you want to you can ditch the car!

There are a lot of people your age in DC - with plenty of diverse neighborhoods that may be a fit for your tastes. Check out http://www.dcist.com to get a feel for things.

Remember, not all jobs in DC are about politics!
posted by matty at 8:29 AM on May 27, 2007

Another benefit of DC is that you can take a bus between NYC and DC for only $20, or $35 round trip.
posted by dcjd at 9:16 AM on May 27, 2007

If you're planning on living near a university with an American Library Association accredited Masters in Library and Information Science program, check this list to see which universities have one. There's no reason to go to a non-ALA accredited program. Any library (public, corporate, museum, academic) will require a degree from an ALA accredited program.
posted by HotPatatta at 10:03 AM on May 27, 2007

Why don't you look for work in a library? At public libraries in Ontario a "useless" degree will get you a front-line reference desk position that pays around $20-25/ an hour. I am not sure what the American system pays. Having library experience is a huge perk in going to library school; if you are lucky you can get in a library that will pay for you to get your MLIS. Blitz all the libraries in the four hour radius, including the itty-bitty ones with emailed resumes. Specifically mention that you want to move to their town and are available immediately.
posted by saucysault at 11:21 AM on May 27, 2007

You should move to Northampton, MA. We have 5 colleges, a good craigslist (w.mass), plenty of post-college people bumming around trying to figure out what they're going to do next, tons of stuff to do, and affordable rent within walking distance to good music, bars, libraries, coffee, etc. I love it here! I think that you will too. My e-mail is in profile if you have any specific questions.
posted by TurkishGolds at 5:38 PM on May 27, 2007

Seconding Brooklyn/Queens. Why is everyone so afraid of the city? I assure you it's not teeming with people who are better than you. And there are literally millions of people there who would love to have your education and job prospects. Not having to have a car is a financial advantage (I swear!), and there are so, so many ways to get by. It's really just like anyplace else, just with so many more people and so many more opportunities. And if you're from the island, it's right there; you might as well give it a whirl.
If you're serious about library school (not that it sounds like you are, but anyway) you might see if the Queens Borough Public Library still has a Librarian Trainee program–they give you a job and help you pay for library school–which is a pretty good way to get your feet under you. Brooklyn and NYPL may have similar programs, as well.
posted by willpie at 7:41 PM on May 27, 2007

What about Providence? I'm from NYC and Providence is still my favourite city on the eastern seaboard. It's big enough, and has enough colleges, to have arts and cultcha, but small enough to be managable and affordable.

RI fits your driving criteria, and as states go, is pretty damn awesome.

Jobs in any college town are tight to come by in the summer, though...
posted by DarlingBri at 6:19 AM on May 28, 2007