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Ask HN: Cheap places to live with a good intellectual atmosphere?

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Re: Ask HN: Cheap places to live with a good intellectual atmosphere?

#861

Post by lotsofpulp »

60654 wrote: post #818
phatboyslim wrote: post #744

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To counter this, as someone who lives in Chicago, there are some additional drawbacks beyond the weather: - Taxes are extremely high here, with no sign of slowing down - Political corruption is rampant in the state - Crime is mostly relegated to south side of city, but it's still an issue - Public works are decaying: train stations, airport, and everything else look like they need work - Schools are undesirable and a…

I hear taxes brought up a lot, but they're actually on par with major metro areas. Let's compare Chicago to SF: 1. Effective property tax rate: SF ~1.2%, Chicago ~1.7% * 2. State income tax: SF 9.3%+, Chicago 4.95% 3. Combined state, county + city sales tax: SF 8.5%, Chicago 10.25% (* But property taxes do get much higher in the suburban townships!) Altogether, the lower state income tax more than offsets the slightl…

If you're thinking about long term, 10 to 20+ years into the future, you need to look at the state's debt, namely unfunded defined benefit pension obligations. IL is the worst, and that's using rosy assumptions:

https://graphics.wsj.com/table/Connecticut_102015

Combined with the fact that the rest of IL isn't burgeoning, and that Chicago is the main source of income, it would be prudent to expect ever increasing taxes and reduced services. Other states also have problems, but there are a few states whose problems are in another league.

Personally, I would need a big discount to consider Chicago, as being outdoors is a big part of my life.

Re: Ask HN: Cheap places to live with a good intellectual atmosphere?

#863

Post by webXL »

s_dev wrote: post #572
fipple wrote: post #68

The answer here is places that are COLD. For any type of city, the one in a colder place is cheaper. Minneapolis might be a good choice, or Chicago if you want a bigger atmosphere. You’ll have to put in elbow grease to create an intellectual milieu but it is there.

GDP is corrolated with distance from the equator where it's warmest. https://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2012/03/20/why-is-there-s...

Seasons are definitely a catalyst for evolution.

Re: Ask HN: Cheap places to live with a good intellectual atmosphere?

#864

Post by sudosteph »

cbames89 wrote: post #708

I'd highly recommend the triangle area in North Carolina. In Raleigh, there are a large number of tech companies, RHE, Cisco, IBM, Unreal Engine, just to name a few. It has the second highest % of computer science PhDs, and it's home to NC State, Duke University, and UNC. It's also a cultural hotspot for Blues creativity. Many of the best contemporary blues artists are located here in the triangle. The cost of living…

NC really is something special, and not just the triangle either. While it doesn't really have any place with a real big city vibe (and I'm saying that as a Charlotte native), there are awesome small towns and older cities all over and roads to connect to it all. The melting pot thing is true too, almost none of my NC friends have parents from there.

I think the trick is to pick any place with a college (and there are tons in NC) and the weather or lifestyle you prefer. I think Asheville and Boone are amazing for people who love mountains and dont mind colder weather for less humidity, while Greensboro and Winston would give you a lot of bang for your buck with their historic vibe and nearness to other regional hubs, and then there's even Carolina beach near Wilmington for beach fans, which is at least cheaper than some other beaches.

Re: Ask HN: Cheap places to live with a good intellectual atmosphere?

#865

Post by [deleted] »

dtornabene wrote: post #621
assblaster wrote: post #433

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Chicago is a terrible option: Major parts of the city are off limits to white people due to threats from gangs on racial basis, but also random violence from crowds of "youths" who troll around nicer areas of the city looking for victims. Insane traffic, but if you want public transportation, you can look forward to dirty buses and subways, and again, threats of violence directed at you. Miserable long winters. High…

So, in case this doesn't get completely flagged, which it should, its also dead wrong. I lived in Chicago for years, family from Chicago, so I've been coming there literally since I was born. The cost of living is low, and the idea that "major parts of the city are off limits to white people" is exactly as absurd and racist as it sounds. I worked on the south side, and am painfully white. I biked and walked around th…

[deleted]

Re: Ask HN: Cheap places to live with a good intellectual atmosphere?

#866

Post by egypturnash »

dsfyu404ed wrote: post #455

I hope I'm not the only person who browsed the comments looking to be sure a bunch of people in tech don't intend to move to where I intend to retire.

I’m doing this right now. I’m leaving Seattle for (censored) and I’m really happy to have not seen a single person here singing praises of its many virtues and apologizing for its flaws yet.

If I see a comment further down doing that I might downvote it. :)

Re: Ask HN: Cheap places to live with a good intellectual atmosphere?

#867

Post by pintablex »

Supprised no one mentioned Singapore yet. Lived there a couple of years. Huge tech and business scene in Asia, everyone speaks English, they welcome foreign talent, cheaper local food than most of western Europe, average residential Internet connection is about 7 times faster than the US according to speedtest.net, one page easy tax filing (no huge personal tax filing industry like H&R block), and you can rent a room in a shared appartment for around $400 per month. You also dont need a car and the typical doctor visit is much cheaper than the US. Singapore is like a well-oiled machine, clean and organized, a great feeling to be there. Worth checking out.

Re: Ask HN: Cheap places to live with a good intellectual atmosphere?

#868

Post by maxraz »

pintablex wrote: post #867

Supprised no one mentioned Singapore yet. Lived there a couple of years. Huge tech and business scene in Asia, everyone speaks English, they welcome foreign talent, cheaper local food than most of western Europe, average residential Internet connection is about 7 times faster than the US according to speedtest.net, one page easy tax filing (no huge personal tax filing industry like H&R block), and you can rent a room…

Thanks for the info.

Re: Ask HN: Cheap places to live with a good intellectual atmosphere?

#869

Post by stratosmacker »

cbames89 wrote: post #708

I'd highly recommend the triangle area in North Carolina. In Raleigh, there are a large number of tech companies, RHE, Cisco, IBM, Unreal Engine, just to name a few. It has the second highest % of computer science PhDs, and it's home to NC State, Duke University, and UNC. It's also a cultural hotspot for Blues creativity. Many of the best contemporary blues artists are located here in the triangle. The cost of living…

Damn it! I was looking for ideas...

I've lived in the Triangle for 15 years now, I would recommend you come after we have a light rail.

Re: Ask HN: Cheap places to live with a good intellectual atmosphere?

#870

Post by 0x8BADF00D »

ahoy wrote: post #807
madeuptempacct wrote: post #782

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Spending all our lives, living in a hipster paradise.

yes, the classic "hipster pursuit" of christian theology

Religion is the new hipster pursuit because atheism is the norm. Atheism was the hipster pursuit when religion was the norm.
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