Assuming you’re working shit jobs, but plan on going to college later.
There’s a paradox which revolves around the contradictions between rural and urban. We all know cities are socially left and rural is socially right, but cities are economically right and while rural isn’t economically left it’s less right than the cities.
Poorer urban areas are an option however I would like to also raise the perspective that here are small towns which are cheaper, safer, and just as open minded (the capability towards becoming socially left) as the poorer/more affordable parts of cities. The cheaper is due to the economic imbalance between the capital in rural vs the capital in urban…specifically their capacity, the scale is lower in rural. The crime is due to the lowered contradictions which occur at heightened levels in cities due to a higher amount of economic activity and thus capital. The open minded is simply economics of class manifested at the social level. As well there are less pigs and surveillance infrastructure…by about 90%, and there are countless acres of wooded areas to develop skills for conflict within.
There are draw backs too though; poor rural areas have less jobs, have a stronger “hangover” of pette bourgeois mentality due to their relatively higher stability and lowered contradictions, and of course I cannot recommend such areas for our most oppressed comrades if these locations reside within red states however this phenomena is not limited to red states.
Each has it’s positives and negatives and it’s up to the specifics of each situation to decide which one will aim for.
I can affirm the open mindedness of small towns. I was just in one that seemed near as new age and radLibby (not really in a bad way) as I imagine Portland Oregon is.
I’ve lived in a lot of US cities, and none of them are that good for anything but visiting. I’d choose one of the very few where public transportation is functional, or where rents aren’t outrageous (a city that checks both these boxes doesn’t exist in the US).
Pretty much. I’m thinking of going to NYC within a few years. Have you ever lived there? (No need to tell if uncomfortable) I’ve been there before but never got the full picture of what it would be like to live there.
My main reason is to get out of my suburb that is one giant entity that all thinks the same and has no organizational opportunities.
But yeah I’m sure I’ll be hard-pressed to find an affordable apartment
Watch out, you may be trading the centrist conservative culture for a liberal, hedonistic “grindset” culture that can be just as depressing.
Not that I’ve lived in NYC so I could be totally wrong but I’ve gone a bunch and people from Boston (which I’m more familiar with) are similar.
Never lived in NYC, but it’s outrageously expensive, and it’s long been a city for tourists and haute-bourgeios land speculators. Fun to visit, not to live there. It’s public transport is also one of the most disgusting and dangerous ones I’ve ever used.
I’ve lived in South Carolina (3x), North Carolina (6x), Arkansas, Indiana, West Virginia. I’ve also spent a bit of time in Georgia, Ohio, Florida, Tennessee, and visited many others. Beaches, mountains, endless fields. Suburbs, small towns, and one bigger metro (Charlotte). Notably I have never really been to New England nor the West Coast.
It’s kind of funny but I almost can’t tell the difference. North Dakota to Texas to Nevada to Alabama to Chicago (oops, I mean, “Illinois”), each has their unique flavor but it’s all predominantly and irreparably USian to me. They all suck but they’re all alright. They all have pros and cons that are neck and neck with each other IMO. They all have some quirks, some organic and many artificial, but they all have an overbearing sense of samey-ness unless you can crack through the surface to something deeper, which is unfortunately not something easily quantifiable. They all are full of bigots, radlibs vs. fascists, McDonald’s, pockets of beautiful unspoiled nature, and a shitty selection of jobs that all want to f*** you in the mouth for spare change, how I see it.
Sorry if this is unhelpful but I’ve been asking myself the same damn question 😭😭😭
valid
I live in Massachusetts, its a beautiful state and probably one of the only parts of the country that could be considered “first world”. If you don’t have the cash for the greater Boston area, cities like Lowell, Worcester, even Springfield have lots of job opportunities where you could make a living.
Western mass and the Berkshire mountains are beautiful and real estate is cheap, but be warned there’s not much opportunity and most towns seem to be in decline.
Also lots of benefits like Medicare and a higher minimum wage can make life easier as well. I even get a $30 credit for internet although that might be a federal program.
Edit: forgot about college we have pretty cheap state schools and community colleges, if you’re a high achiever you could also get a free ride to some of the most pretentious universities in the world lol (they’re just schools but the name will look better when it’s time to sell your labor hours 😭)
My vote (for now) is still Long Beach, California.
- Just south of LA, but cheaper
- Great public transit
- Ocean front city
People often think it’s Orange County but it’s not.
Is LBC still under the same Cost-of-Living as the rest of Cali?
Orange County is also the sotosay ‘capital’ or the biggest pocket of South Vietnamese remnants in the world so no matter how great the place might sound I as a Vietnamese would only ever travel there ironically
My city is generally ranked one of the happiest, which is a low bar. (Would list, but don’t wanna self-dox).
Hawaii or Puerto Rico
Is this a joke answer
Legit personal choices of places where I would live if I was in USA.
oh don’t move to hawaii it’s a trap fyi
How? If not, then New Mexico
Few reasons as an American I’d never move to Hawaii-
First, I’d feel like such a dirty settler dude. I know I already am one, but they’re under such direct occupation and so vulnerable. I’d feel the same as moving onto an indigenous reservation.
Second, very vulnerable to natural disasters and when shit goes down they get little federal assistance except to keep the military and corporations going.
Lastly, it’s just expensive as fucking hell, and I am broke and don’t see that changing in the foreseeable future.
Costs so much, few options for stores, economy centered around tourism, impossible transit situation, it’s bad even with a car
There’s a reason why so many people there are homeless. New Mexico’s not a bad idea I’d check areas median rent and cost of living and transit
Oh I forgot to mention the oppressive military presence there lol, political dead end, gave us Tulsi Gabbard
That’s terrible, Hawaii needs to be free and independent
That will be up to you and you preferences. The whole place is a shithole politically. Yeah sure there are a couple states women might be able to get abortions or a couple that don’t perform electroshock “therapy” on LGBTQ+ peoples. But as soon as it is convenient for the owning class those rights can vanish too.
Honestly, just base your decision off weather preference, what you can afford, and the amount of support you can get and give to survive. Urban spaces tend to be safer for marginalized groups since there are communities there, though cost can be an issue. Find a balance. Medium cities are decent enough.
Definitely urban I need to be able to actually buy things to cook in a reasonable amount of time
