Recommend me a swing city to live in!

November 16, 2018 10:23 AM

After graduating from college in 2017 I ended up living in Taipei for a year. It's been great, but now I'm just about ready to return to the US and find somewhere to settle down. I would like to do this in a swing state. More details inside!

I know this probably sounds hopelessly naive with regards to the actual amount of electoral change I'd be able to make, but since I'm not really tied down to any particular region of the US anyway (my parents are thinking of moving to Asia themselves soon) I figured I might as well factor that into my quest for a new city.

Here are some factors that might limit my search: I'm Chinese-American, bisexual, a non-drinker (though I'm willing to pretend) and an atheist. I would like to live in a place where these things do not disqualify me from connecting socially in the area. I have a B.A. in English and some marketing experience, so whether the market is good for recent-ish grads matters. At the very least I'd like somewhere with low enough rent that I can support myself off freelance work until I become employed.

I feel like decent public transportation in America is a bit too much to ask for, but it would be a plus, as would museums, lots of young people and a healthy queer community. The size of the city doesn't matter to me so much as 1) the job market and 2) having transplant-friendly people around me. I understand that I'll probably have culture shock since most of my US experience is in California, but I figure if I can adapt to Taipei I can adapt to anything.

I've been looking at Columbus, Ohio (it's the 15th gayest city in America), Atlanta, Georgia for the size and vibrant metro area, or maybe somewhere in Florida or Texas? As you can see, my search has been somewhat directionless, and I'd very much appreciate MeFites' advice and personal experiences.

posted by storytam to Society & Culture (20 answers total)

I'm going to sidestep my usual recommendation of Austin and say check out Houston or Dallas. They're both much cheaper, Dallas actually has a surprisingly extensive rail system though the city is so big it isn't the very most useful, both have a couple of good museums. Houston has a really good opera and pretty good symphony if that's your thing plus a respected regional theater company.

Both have more cultural diversity than you may be imagining in Texas. Both are big enough cities that there is plenty of queer life there. (Grain of salt: I've just visited both a bunch of times and never lived there. I can't say, like, how it is to walk down the street holding a same sex partner's hand or be otherwise visibly queer in either.) Dallas had a lesbian mayor for years who just got 42% of the vote for governor statewide; Houston just replaced I think literally every republican judge up for election with a more progressive candidate, and 19 of the new ones are women of color. But the state is still red and could surely use any extra blue votes!

Downsides: both sprawly, atheism isn't going to feel commonplace in either the way it does on the west coast. The weather may or may not be to your taste--Dallas just gets pretty hot in the summer but Houston is very humid. I don't think anyone likes the weather in Houston.

I'm not outright recommending either as I haven't actually lived there, but I find them both to be cities I could imagine living in and think they're probably both worth a google at least.
posted by Smearcase at 10:38 AM on November 16, 2018 [2 favorites]

It sounds like Northern Virginia is tailor-made for you, although Virginia is getting more blue and less swingy with every election. Check out Arlington or Alexandria, which tick nearly all of your boxes, I think, depending on your tolerance for public transportation that occasionally catches on fire. Both areas are very blue, and very near DC attractions (and now Amazon!!).
posted by backwards compatible at 10:41 AM on November 16, 2018

backwards compatible beat me to the punch!
posted by lecorbeau at 10:52 AM on November 16, 2018

My husband and I relocated from the SF Bay Area to Houston, TX. While I will never get used to the weather (and would recommend checking flood maps and projections because climate change) it ticks a few of your boxes: queer-friendly (in the city proper, we live in Montrose), transplant-friendly, low rent, plentiful jobs, incredible museums. Public transportation is iffy but I do know plenty of people that commute via bus and/or light rail. Having a car tends to make life easier, though.

We marched in the Pride Parade with our university this summer and it was MASSIVE and so much fun. There's something for just about everyone here, and Harris County turned bright blue last week. Texas itself could certainly use more progressive folks that will vote (see the Beto-Cruz race and how dang close it was in comparison to past races).

San Antonio seemed nice when we visited too, and Austin of course is great: better weather but more expensive on average. Happy to answer any specific questions you might have!
posted by puellaeterna at 10:58 AM on November 16, 2018 [1 favorite]

Look at Philadelphia or Pittsburgh! Both pretty blue dots in themselves, but Pennsylvania remains a swing state. Philly is like pretty much every other major Northeast city, in terms of racial/religious/political leanings. But cheaper. If you live in the city proper, public transportation is decent by US standards. Pittsburgh is smaller and more Midwestern-feeling than East Coast-feeling; the rent is correspondingly more affordable.

I relocated from the Philly area (on the not-swingy-at-all Delaware side of the border, alas) to the SF Bay Area a few years ago, so memail me if you want any specific comparisons to California.
posted by serelliya at 11:01 AM on November 16, 2018 [5 favorites]

I haven't lived in hardly any of them, at least not in forever, but obvious-ish places in swing states that haven't been mentioned yet:

AZ: Tucson
FL: South of I-4. Tallahassee and Gainesville proper will be fine but will be little islands that accept you in a big sea that wants to kill you.
NC: Raleigh-Durham and Charlotte. Maybe Greensboro/W-S/High Point but that area seemed *much* more traditionally southern.
PA: Pittsburgh
OH: Cleveland
posted by GCU Sweet and Full of Grace at 11:08 AM on November 16, 2018

Please to read this thread!

Cincinnati isn't a swing city because it always goes blue, but Ohio...oh, Ohio...is most definitely in need of progressive folk right now!

Come, live in Northside, enjoy this wonderful city. We have SO MUCH culture, really. Museums, opera, ballet, Shakespeare, symphony, theatre, Broadway shows. We have lots and lots of fantastic restaurants, lots of fun stuff (like City Flea, Second Sunday on Main, Art After Dark, and BLINK). It is SUPER affordable to live here, and jobs seem plentiful.
posted by cooker girl at 11:11 AM on November 16, 2018 [4 favorites]

Durham, North Carolina is a medium-sized progressive city in a purple state. Not much in the way of public transport, but lots of jobs, diversity (and groceries), lower cost of living than the west coast, and established queer culture. The whole state is growning rapidly, teetering towards blue after gerrymandering has artificially reddened it recently. We'd love your vote, as Durham's rapid growth makes it harder to quiet progressive voices through redistricting tricks.
posted by bendybendy at 11:14 AM on November 16, 2018 [1 favorite]

I think you're on the right track with Columbus. The cost of living is low, it's gay-friendly, a good job market, and, while alcohol is pretty central to the culture, I had a pretty nice social life as a non-drinker. The giant university means that there are a ton of young people, and also a pretty large influx of Chinese students on a regular basis. The politics are contested even below the state level (i.e., US House and state legislature races in some parts). And it's a nice place - still feels like overgrown small town. I love Columbus and I'd recommend it to anyone.

And if you don't like it, it's centrally located among a bunch of other cities. You can drive to Cleveland, Detroit, Indianapolis, Chicago, St. Louis, Louisville, Nashville, Pittsburgh, or Buffalo in under six hours. Toronto and Washington a little more than that.
posted by kevinbelt at 11:45 AM on November 16, 2018 [1 favorite]

FWIW, the Advocate put St. Petersburg and Orlando in their top five queer-friendly cities in the country.

But it's Florida, the most important swing state, so as a bonus you might have the privilege of your ambiguous ballot appearing on an overhead projector some day!
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 11:48 AM on November 16, 2018 [1 favorite]

I can speak to the level of gay acceptance in Houston -- even 15 years ago not an eye was batted in either Clear Lake or Houston proper when I was out with my girlfriend, holding hands and PDAing everywhere. And I know you say you're a nondrinker but if you still have fun going out to the clubs, Houston has always had a big gay scene. Pride is freaking awesome there.
posted by fiercecupcake at 11:58 AM on November 16, 2018 [1 favorite]

Oh man if I were you I'd pick Florida, but then I'm a sucker for swampy tropical weather. Props to you for factoring this into your decision! I was just thinking about this the other day.. I think because a friend had been waxing on about the wonders of Portland -- which I've no doubt is wondrous -- but of course it led to thinking what you've been thinking: but.. if all of us on "the left" move to progressive enclaves.. we'll just be talking to ourselves.. even more than we already are. In conclusion.. yay your idea ( :
posted by elgee at 12:04 PM on November 16, 2018

FYI Houston and Florida are not as swampy/hot as Taipei so I think the weather would be fine.
posted by sandmanwv at 12:36 PM on November 16, 2018 [1 favorite]

Pittsburgh is great but pretty lowkey. People who are already partnered and with families tend to love it here, but I hear a fair amount of grousing from younger, single people that there's not much of a woohoo dating scene. So it kind of depends on your preferred dating style whether or not that would be a good fit for you. Definitely being atheist, Chinese and bisexual are not issues here (I am 2/3 of those myself).

The job market here is excellent though pay is commensurate with the low cost of living, public transit is okay depending on where you live (we have one of the highest bus riderships in the country, which always shocks Pittsburghers because we, like all urban-dwelling Americans, think our own public transit system sucks), and we have the cultural institutions of a much larger city because of our history with the robber barons. They endowed a lot of money to the city. The other major vibe of Pittsburgh is pretty dominated by the two large and several more small universities in the city limits (Pitt, CMU, Duquesne, Chatham, Carlowe, Point Park, all within a few miles of one another and in some cases right next door). So there are a ton of young people but they tend to be students (grad students and medical residents aplenty as well, with two R1s and a huge medical center in town).
posted by soren_lorensen at 1:22 PM on November 16, 2018 [1 favorite]

Again, Houston. The city describes itself as the most diverse city in the US. Your status as an atheist will hardly be commented on. There are some really good museums, and outdoor recreation.

As far as swinging Texas, we would welcome your efforts. In this election, the entirety of the Democratic slate was elected in Houston. Some of our local Republicans have something to fear in the next election. As far as the state as a whole is concerned, there is a significant way to go. But you could be part of the generation that changes things in Austin.

The job market is good, although an oil slump will affect that somewhat. The city is huge and sprawling, so there are cheaper apartments, but the commute will be long. If the Metro rail is anywhere near it, your apartment will be not-so-cheap.
posted by Midnight Skulker at 1:23 PM on November 16, 2018

As well as being a blue dot in a red state, Pittsburgh is internally politically mixed in a way a lot of other places aren't anymore — some of the blueness comes from upper-middle-class social-justice-y people, some from old socially conservative blue-collar union guys (or their children or grandchildren), some from relatively moderate or conservative people with a family tradition of voting for Democrats. You meet Democrats who are proud of their concealed-carry permits. You meet deeply, unconflictedly pro-life Democrats. (And on the flip side, you meet antiwar Republicans and pro-drug-legalization Republicans; and in between, there are some actual genuine independents.) It's something I've missed a lot since moving to Boston, and if you're actively excited about living in a swing city it might be something you enjoy.
posted by nebulawindphone at 1:30 PM on November 16, 2018 [3 favorites]

I have lived/spent substantial time in so many of the places recommended on this thread (Pittsburgh, Columbus, Dallas, Houston), and you can MeMail me if you have more questions.

Public transit: The bus network in Pittsburgh is surprisingly good, but is really unreliable when it snows. Houston/Dallas have public transit but it covers a small proportion of the city and everything is so far apart that living without a car is extremely hard.

Racial diversity: In Columbus/Pittsburgh, this is very much driven by universities so while there are an increasing number of good Chinese restaurants/Korean grocery stores in Pittsburgh/similar amenities, the demographics are much whiter in the 30+ crowd. The plus side is that this is in the city proper. In Houston/Dallas, it's driven more by industry - oil in Houston, a bunch of national headquarters in the Dallas area - so it's diverse across a larger age range. There are specific suburbs that are particularly diverse (Frisco/Plano, Sugar Land); on the whole Houston is somewhat less white than Dallas.

Museums: Houston wins this hands down on art and natural history/science museums, but Pittsburgh is a contender on general civic investment as part of the legacy of Andrew Carnegie - it has one of the most amazing libraries in the country, some large/impressive green spaces in the heart of the city, and an excellent conservatory.
posted by asphericalcow at 2:03 PM on November 16, 2018

College towns in the South and Midwest probably hit your main asks. Diverse, progressive people in your immediate vicinity, rural environs that probably vote red.

Virginia has been consistently blue in the last several elections, thanks to the enormous growth/sprawl of the DC suburbs in the last 15-20 years, so I'm not sure if it qualifies as a swing state any more. It's also obscenely expensive -- the aforementioned Arlington and Alexandria, for instance, have 1 bedroom apartments renting for upward of $1500, for 30+ year old unrenovated/cheaply renovated spaces. If you're thinking VA, look to Charlottesville or Richmond for good access to amenities/culture without paying a fortune. I expect rents will skyrocket even further with the Amazon HQ2 announcement.

Philly/Pittsburgh seem to hit all your asks. I am more familiar with Philadelphia and loved my time there. There are definitely issues with the city as a whole, but the core of Center City is densely urban and full of things to do for young single people regardless and/or inclusive of orientation. It also has bizarre and endearing traditions that you would expect in a city half its size, like the New Years Mummers Parade (let's stand around and freeze as we watch a bunch of people in gold lame wander down Broad St!) and the greasing of lampposts to prevent people from climbing them. (Seriously, Philly?) And PA is very swing. How do you like snow?

Farther south, public transit is laughable at best (and definitely contributes to hyper-local segregation -- my clinic social workers can't give away free bus passes because "no one rides the bus." Except ... I ride the bus, and I'm frequently the only non-African American on it, so let's be real about what that "no one" means, ok?)
posted by basalganglia at 5:14 PM on November 16, 2018 [1 favorite]

From a purely strategic standpoint:
Of the swing states that matter for Presidential politics, Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Maine and North Carolina have targetable Republican senators, while Minnesota has the weakest Democratic incumbent. (Doug Jones in Alabama is obviously the weakest, but it's not a Presidential swing state.) While a Democrat could win Texas or Georgia or states like that, if they do they're already going to have enough electoral college votes from actual swing states that it will just be running up the score.

Of these six swing states with 2020 Senate contests, only North Carolina also has a governor's race in 2020, which is a particularly important one due to the NC GOP's penchant for extreme gerrymandering amongst other things.

Of the thirteen House districts in NC, the three Democratic-held districts (1, 4, 12) are so well-packed with Dem voters that the incumbents all won by 40 points or more. Of the ten Republican held districts, the candidate won by two digit margins or more in six districts (3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11). The closest race was NC9, where the Republican won by less than 1 percent; the next two closest were 2 and 13, both with about 6 point spreads.

The northernmost tip of NC9 is in Charlotte, within a mile of the LYNX rail downtown, although it's probably better if you lived a little further south; you could live about a mile from the Sharon Road LYNX station in suburbia and have a much higher chance of displacing a Republican voter.
posted by Homeboy Trouble at 11:32 PM on November 16, 2018 [4 favorites]

Response by poster: Thanks, everyone, for your recommendations! All these cities sound fantastic, and it's great hearing more personal perspectives on why a place is great. I can tell that I still have a lot of research to do, but this is a really good start.
posted by storytam at 1:08 AM on November 19, 2018