I have been thinking about this a lot lately... I will be finishing my 5 year degree in December and I keep thinking about the cities I've visited and where I want to live after I'm done school.
I am from the NYC area and I've lived here all my life (and went to school here) but I visited the west coast last summer and I loved it (I enjoyed Seattle, San Fran, and San Diego the most). I keep imagining living in Seattle the most and I'm curious about how other architects feel about these areas.
How do you feel about your city or cities you've visited culturally, socially (for the architectural profession), recreationally, etc?
culturally seattle leaves a lot to be desired, especially compared to nyc, but it's not like there is a dearth.
plenty of galleries, a fairly active arts + music scene, and here's to hoping that between the library and the olympic sculpture park, we can get some more interesting projects going in the region...
san diego's great for hitting the beach and mexican food, but leaves a lot to be desired, culturally. i'd rather live in l.a. than s.d.
recreationally:
the summers can't be beat.
duck dodge on tuesdays (damn it's time to buy a sailboat)
and you can kayak almost year round.
fishing? yeah, we got that.
skiing to the north, east and south...
some of the most incredible hiking trails.
and some decent vineyards in wa and or.
socially:
it's a rather large archimmunity, everyone seems to know each other. if you have hobbies outside of architecture, you might not run into the same 10-15 people everytime you go out.
my biggest beef was that it took me about 6 months to get over the rain.
since my father-in-law moved there and we've visited a couple of times i've realized that, despite the fact that there might be very little work - and even less GOOD work - i could live there and practice no problem. hell, i could do just about anything there no problem. that place is about the only place i've ever found that just might convince me that i don't need architecture.
I think Maui would convince anyone to give up their job... maybe when I retire in 50 years!
Holz, a lot of what you mentioned is what is drawing me to Seattle. How livable is it without a car? I figure in the warmer weather biking is great, but during the rain and winter I guess the only public transportation from what I saw was the buses.
I love NYC but I've already worked there (and Philadelphia) during summer internships so I know the type of work I'd be doing. Who are the creative firms out in Seattle?
lake michigan is so beautiful and it keeps temps near by sooooo nice, that breze off the lake when the sun is going down is the most perfect thing. the city itself is beautiful and interesting and becoming more and more vibrant. neighborhoods are small and eclectic, almost all with their own unique vibe and diverse mix.
every band you would ever want to see will come through on all their tours, pitchfork music fest and lollapalooza are only a few el stops away. amazing restaurants, bars, theaters and museums. And though you cant really compare city to city, they are what they are, i feel like for me, chicago is the perfect mix of everything i want to do and be. white sox, bulls, bears, and most corner bars with 2$ pbr drafts. it cant possibly get better.
I've been living in Chicago off and on since 1993, and there's much to love about the city. At this point in my life, though, I feel that NYC has the best educational, professional, and social opportunities for me.
If somebody ever invents Star Trek-style transporter technology, though, I'd probably live somewhere in the Oregon Cascades and transport myself to/from my office in a funky SoHo loft. Barring that, maybe I'll just get myself a vacation cabin in the Catskills someday.
I'm going to try out Seattle, but if I were to be able to choose anywhere in the world it'd be Sydney or Melbourne. I've not actually been to Melbourne, but people have told me it's a bit more casual than Sydney, a bit more real-feeling, making the comparison that Sydney is like LA and Melbourne is like San Fran. So although I've never been there I'd have to give any city cooler than Syndey consideration.
Why? weather, good access to diving, incredibly nice people, more vacation days than in the US, some cool buildings and such up, and good work coming out of there in other areas of design, plus the cost of living is Melbourne is way lower (another point in that column) than anything I've been used to lately.
in a small city within an hour of a good architecture school. it's best to be a big fish in a small town, with an academic resource to siphon talent and inspiration off of. too much cut throat competition is no good for someone trying to start a business from nothing. small cities tend to be cheaper than big ones anyway; throw a big city with a major airport within 2-3 hours so you can travel and you're golden.
I lived in Eugene for a short period... Good architecture school in town, incredible natural scenery, no traffic, progressive politics, and a good art/music scene. Downside is that the town is pretty sleepy (especially when UO is on break), and there isn't much of an architecture community. Morphosis just finished a cool new federal building in town, but other than that, most of the local architecture is rather ho-hum. Could be a good place for a talented architect to make a splash, though.
Vado I know its trendy now to be all PBR but no one ever told the folks sitting in the corner taps of the Chi with neon sgin proclaiming "Zimne Piwo" that it ever went out of fashion. Old Stlye gives me heartburn, I'll never understand why.
Speaking of smallish college towns in the mountains, I was impressed with Ithaca, NY during my visit in November... It actually reminded me a lot of Eugene, Oregon.
Maybe my perfect life would go something like this: My main residence and my firm would be in Manhattan, but I'd have a small satellite office and a second home in Ithaca, which I use when I'm in town for my teaching gig at Cornell. I'd have a convertible BMW for the 4-hour drive between NYC and Ithaca.
Another nice thing about Ithaca is the bar I found that had 50+ beers on tap... No need for Old Style or PBR when you can get $2 pints of Yuengling Lager.
I'd rather be in a region/city with several architecture schools, so that there is a wide range of discourse and even more talent to poach. Mpls is livable a few month of the year (when its not frozen), but is dominated by the stodgy thinking of the U of MN, with a few grads from ND-Fargo, Iowa, WI, and Nebraska thrown in the mix.
I'm dreaming of being somewhere by some surf and hills to climb- east coast or west coast. While it is harder to launch a practice in a saturated market like NYC or LA, there are still niches that remain untapped and there is a better pool of potential clients to mine. Choose a place that is growing, not a place that is rusting away.
PBR and Old Style are both piss - grow up and drink a real brew .
Mpls is such a tease. You get beautiful days in may/june into july and then the heat & high humidity comes and sucks the life out of you for a few weeks in august then it retreats and fall is beautiful for a few weeks and then it starts to rain and all the leaves fall off the trees and freezes till early april. However, I still love it here. i'm weird i guess.
I guess if i had the choice to pick up and move somewhere else i'd go to toronto or boston. Definitely a big city though.
Oh and PBR is only good if it's a dollar. or free. preferibly free.
Toroid, I also have thought about Portland. I visited there last summer and I liked it. I didn't get the sense that there was that much growth in Portland, but I also didn't spend too much time there (we were on a fast paced two week west coast tour).
I agree with the importance of having an academic atmosphere nearby (esp since I am planning to go to grad school in 2-3 years) to attend lectures and exhibitions.
Portland and Seattle area were great for hiking which is a pluc.
I don't care for PBR but I do love Brooklyn Brewery which I doubt I can buy on the West Coast. Sigh.
Laurem, I'm not quite in Seattle yet, but I figured I'd chime in on the ability to navigate without car. They've only got busses so far (light rail system is in the works, but going slowwwwwly), but they're super easy to navigate. The signage is clear, they don't deviate from posted routes, and people there really do bike year round. So it seems totally doable. But get back to me in about November or December when the cold sets in and we'll see how I feel about it by that point!
bells got hard core screwed by the bastards that are chicago area beer distributers...
your correct, you can no longer get it in the city, though you might be able to get it outside the city.
and i agree LIG, goose island is really good stuff. I have found it in Kansas before which i was really happy about. On the subject of beers though, Boulevard Brewery in Lawrence, KS is pretty good, their wheat is one of the best ive tried. I havent seen it migrating much yet but i think its about to.
Also ive started to change my mind a bit. If i could, i would have my office in chicago and spend most of my year here. but i would keep a small cabin near Duluth, MN and spend a week or two in the summer there, and a week or two around christmas there. what a wonderful place to build that would be, the north shore along lake superior is some of the most beautiful landscape... highly under appreciated by everyone but the people who live there.
I am seriously considering jumping the pond and trying somewhere in the Eurozone for a while. Just for kicks and to say that I have done it.
I like big cities, lots of public transit, and a mix of buildings all jammed together.
j
I'm kinda happy where I'm at with one exception if I could transport our small stone house to a small town about 20 miles from where we reside it would be perfect. With the exception I would have to drive back and forth to work on wintery roads.....which would mean I would have to buy myself a HUMMER! So I guess I will just stay here
45 minutes to YALE....2 hours to NYC....2 hours to Bean Town....Wish I could land some clients looking for something other than Colonial....
Searching for:
Smaller affordable walkable city with sunny dry climate, but still has seasons, probably in the SW US
Laid back atmosphere
Lots of opportunities for day trips
Nearby international airport (2 or 3 hours away is OK)
Doesn't have to have a recognized arts scene, I'll make my own.
Preferably not already ruined by other people seeking the same as me, if that makes sense.
Is there one? Flagstaff? I've never been there. Reno? Never been there either.
good local beer is a necessity. happily Surly is getting better at distributing there quaf around mpls. My local TJs carries Goose Island for the times I can't find Bells or Surly. Schell's is a drinkable choice, but not as good as Yeungling for those in/from Philly. Haven't spotted Brooklyn in these parts yet.
lmnop15 - glad another north wood's denizen has shown their colors, so are you up for an archinect meetup?
you should move to boise! we have all those things you mentioned.
very walkable, but also noted as one of the most bike-friendly cities. totally affordable.
re: day trips there are lots of outdoorsy places to go, hotsprings, skiing, lakes, camping, hiking, etc. and old ghost/mining towns.
it is super easy to get out of town by air, 6-ish hours drive to portland, or salt lake city.
the "art scene" is hit and miss. we have A museum, that gets decent exhibits. and as far as culture goes...well, that is tough to describe and most likely falls short as well. but did you know that boise had the largest basque population outside of spain?
as far as architecture goes...it is growing a lot, there isn't any name architecture here. NBBJ did one building, Mark Mack worked on the museum remodel, and that is about it. The skyline needs some help. But we do have a LEED platinum certified building and developers seem to be really on board with the green stuff, so that is cool.
Where would you live/practice?
I have been thinking about this a lot lately... I will be finishing my 5 year degree in December and I keep thinking about the cities I've visited and where I want to live after I'm done school.
I am from the NYC area and I've lived here all my life (and went to school here) but I visited the west coast last summer and I loved it (I enjoyed Seattle, San Fran, and San Diego the most). I keep imagining living in Seattle the most and I'm curious about how other architects feel about these areas.
How do you feel about your city or cities you've visited culturally, socially (for the architectural profession), recreationally, etc?
seattle:
culturally seattle leaves a lot to be desired, especially compared to nyc, but it's not like there is a dearth.
plenty of galleries, a fairly active arts + music scene, and here's to hoping that between the library and the olympic sculpture park, we can get some more interesting projects going in the region...
san diego's great for hitting the beach and mexican food, but leaves a lot to be desired, culturally. i'd rather live in l.a. than s.d.
recreationally:
the summers can't be beat.
duck dodge on tuesdays (damn it's time to buy a sailboat)
and you can kayak almost year round.
fishing? yeah, we got that.
skiing to the north, east and south...
some of the most incredible hiking trails.
and some decent vineyards in wa and or.
socially:
it's a rather large archimmunity, everyone seems to know each other. if you have hobbies outside of architecture, you might not run into the same 10-15 people everytime you go out.
my biggest beef was that it took me about 6 months to get over the rain.
maui.
since my father-in-law moved there and we've visited a couple of times i've realized that, despite the fact that there might be very little work - and even less GOOD work - i could live there and practice no problem. hell, i could do just about anything there no problem. that place is about the only place i've ever found that just might convince me that i don't need architecture.
I think Maui would convince anyone to give up their job... maybe when I retire in 50 years!
Holz, a lot of what you mentioned is what is drawing me to Seattle. How livable is it without a car? I figure in the warmer weather biking is great, but during the rain and winter I guess the only public transportation from what I saw was the buses.
I love NYC but I've already worked there (and Philadelphia) during summer internships so I know the type of work I'd be doing. Who are the creative firms out in Seattle?
chicago for me right now...
lake michigan is so beautiful and it keeps temps near by sooooo nice, that breze off the lake when the sun is going down is the most perfect thing. the city itself is beautiful and interesting and becoming more and more vibrant. neighborhoods are small and eclectic, almost all with their own unique vibe and diverse mix.
every band you would ever want to see will come through on all their tours, pitchfork music fest and lollapalooza are only a few el stops away. amazing restaurants, bars, theaters and museums. And though you cant really compare city to city, they are what they are, i feel like for me, chicago is the perfect mix of everything i want to do and be. white sox, bulls, bears, and most corner bars with 2$ pbr drafts. it cant possibly get better.
$1 dollar pbr drafts
I've been living in Chicago off and on since 1993, and there's much to love about the city. At this point in my life, though, I feel that NYC has the best educational, professional, and social opportunities for me.
If somebody ever invents Star Trek-style transporter technology, though, I'd probably live somewhere in the Oregon Cascades and transport myself to/from my office in a funky SoHo loft. Barring that, maybe I'll just get myself a vacation cabin in the Catskills someday.
I'm going to try out Seattle, but if I were to be able to choose anywhere in the world it'd be Sydney or Melbourne. I've not actually been to Melbourne, but people have told me it's a bit more casual than Sydney, a bit more real-feeling, making the comparison that Sydney is like LA and Melbourne is like San Fran. So although I've never been there I'd have to give any city cooler than Syndey consideration.
Why? weather, good access to diving, incredibly nice people, more vacation days than in the US, some cool buildings and such up, and good work coming out of there in other areas of design, plus the cost of living is Melbourne is way lower (another point in that column) than anything I've been used to lately.
in a small city within an hour of a good architecture school. it's best to be a big fish in a small town, with an academic resource to siphon talent and inspiration off of. too much cut throat competition is no good for someone trying to start a business from nothing. small cities tend to be cheaper than big ones anyway; throw a big city with a major airport within 2-3 hours so you can travel and you're golden.
thanks for the topic, r...
portland anyone?? i've heard so much, both good and bad - i've never been there but am planning a trip up with the gf this autumn to check it out...
i understand it rains less there than in seattle and has many of the perks as it's more northerly cousin.
?t...
pbr sucks has always sucked and will always suck. old style is quaffable however.
what about spokane or eugene? these fit my theory better.
vado you are beyond insane... though ill forgive you because i think your a cubs fan... old style sucks, always has sucked and will always suck.
PBR on the other hand won a gold medal for taste in 1893.
take that
rewind it back if you'd like
I lived in Eugene for a short period... Good architecture school in town, incredible natural scenery, no traffic, progressive politics, and a good art/music scene. Downside is that the town is pretty sleepy (especially when UO is on break), and there isn't much of an architecture community. Morphosis just finished a cool new federal building in town, but other than that, most of the local architecture is rather ho-hum. Could be a good place for a talented architect to make a splash, though.
Vado I know its trendy now to be all PBR but no one ever told the folks sitting in the corner taps of the Chi with neon sgin proclaiming "Zimne Piwo" that it ever went out of fashion. Old Stlye gives me heartburn, I'll never understand why.
pbr tastes like it was brewed in 1893.
Speaking of smallish college towns in the mountains, I was impressed with Ithaca, NY during my visit in November... It actually reminded me a lot of Eugene, Oregon.
Maybe my perfect life would go something like this: My main residence and my firm would be in Manhattan, but I'd have a small satellite office and a second home in Ithaca, which I use when I'm in town for my teaching gig at Cornell. I'd have a convertible BMW for the 4-hour drive between NYC and Ithaca.
Another nice thing about Ithaca is the bar I found that had 50+ beers on tap... No need for Old Style or PBR when you can get $2 pints of Yuengling Lager.
I'd rather be in a region/city with several architecture schools, so that there is a wide range of discourse and even more talent to poach. Mpls is livable a few month of the year (when its not frozen), but is dominated by the stodgy thinking of the U of MN, with a few grads from ND-Fargo, Iowa, WI, and Nebraska thrown in the mix.
I'm dreaming of being somewhere by some surf and hills to climb- east coast or west coast. While it is harder to launch a practice in a saturated market like NYC or LA, there are still niches that remain untapped and there is a better pool of potential clients to mine. Choose a place that is growing, not a place that is rusting away.
PBR and Old Style are both piss - grow up and drink a real brew .
But then of course, you'd have to be in Ithica
Mpls is such a tease. You get beautiful days in may/june into july and then the heat & high humidity comes and sucks the life out of you for a few weeks in august then it retreats and fall is beautiful for a few weeks and then it starts to rain and all the leaves fall off the trees and freezes till early april. However, I still love it here. i'm weird i guess.
I guess if i had the choice to pick up and move somewhere else i'd go to toronto or boston. Definitely a big city though.
Oh and PBR is only good if it's a dollar. or free. preferibly free.
Toroid, I also have thought about Portland. I visited there last summer and I liked it. I didn't get the sense that there was that much growth in Portland, but I also didn't spend too much time there (we were on a fast paced two week west coast tour).
I agree with the importance of having an academic atmosphere nearby (esp since I am planning to go to grad school in 2-3 years) to attend lectures and exhibitions.
Portland and Seattle area were great for hiking which is a pluc.
I don't care for PBR but I do love Brooklyn Brewery which I doubt I can buy on the West Coast. Sigh.
Laurem, I'm not quite in Seattle yet, but I figured I'd chime in on the ability to navigate without car. They've only got busses so far (light rail system is in the works, but going slowwwwwly), but they're super easy to navigate. The signage is clear, they don't deviate from posted routes, and people there really do bike year round. So it seems totally doable. But get back to me in about November or December when the cold sets in and we'll see how I feel about it by that point!
I'm starting to see Brooklyn Brewery beers pop up in more and more places here in Chicago, so I think it's spreading westward.
Now if Goose Island beers will spread eastward to NYC...
much like fat tire. what if bells could spread west (i heard they don't sell them in chicago anymore)
bells got hard core screwed by the bastards that are chicago area beer distributers...
your correct, you can no longer get it in the city, though you might be able to get it outside the city.
and i agree LIG, goose island is really good stuff. I have found it in Kansas before which i was really happy about. On the subject of beers though, Boulevard Brewery in Lawrence, KS is pretty good, their wheat is one of the best ive tried. I havent seen it migrating much yet but i think its about to.
Also ive started to change my mind a bit. If i could, i would have my office in chicago and spend most of my year here. but i would keep a small cabin near Duluth, MN and spend a week or two in the summer there, and a week or two around christmas there. what a wonderful place to build that would be, the north shore along lake superior is some of the most beautiful landscape... highly under appreciated by everyone but the people who live there.
I am seriously considering jumping the pond and trying somewhere in the Eurozone for a while. Just for kicks and to say that I have done it.
I like big cities, lots of public transit, and a mix of buildings all jammed together.
j
Apparently Bells will offer a 15% discount to anybody who shows up at their brewery in Michigan and presents proof of Illinois residency.
I've seen Goose Island as far east as Cincinnati... I haven't looked for it in NYC yet.
I thought I saw it at Harvest Brewery over by a park in NYC - thompskins Park maybe? Anyway down by Flatiron
I am curious as to why anyone has to live where they work. The technology allows that we can do it from any where.
I live on a somewhat deserted island, but much of the work I've built over the last 5 years are elsewhere
so on that note, I think I'd like to continue living on this or another beautiful island, whilst working on projects in say Cuba or London
I'm kinda happy where I'm at with one exception if I could transport our small stone house to a small town about 20 miles from where we reside it would be perfect. With the exception I would have to drive back and forth to work on wintery roads.....which would mean I would have to buy myself a HUMMER! So I guess I will just stay here
45 minutes to YALE....2 hours to NYC....2 hours to Bean Town....Wish I could land some clients looking for something other than Colonial....
Barcelona, Espana - no question.
i second that n_
although i've never been, i've always been attracted to barthelona
......need I say more!
Searching for:
Smaller affordable walkable city with sunny dry climate, but still has seasons, probably in the SW US
Laid back atmosphere
Lots of opportunities for day trips
Nearby international airport (2 or 3 hours away is OK)
Doesn't have to have a recognized arts scene, I'll make my own.
Preferably not already ruined by other people seeking the same as me, if that makes sense.
Is there one? Flagstaff? I've never been there. Reno? Never been there either.
cris? do you have a lisp? barthelona? thanks for the laugh!
i like living in the sticks.
but i thought you lived in indianapolis, vado? that is a city.
yeah i live in a city but i like living in the sticks
i like the sticks too. less trouble.
good local beer is a necessity. happily Surly is getting better at distributing there quaf around mpls. My local TJs carries Goose Island for the times I can't find Bells or Surly. Schell's is a drinkable choice, but not as good as Yeungling for those in/from Philly. Haven't spotted Brooklyn in these parts yet.
lmnop15 - glad another north wood's denizen has shown their colors, so are you up for an archinect meetup?
anyone drink baderbrau? from good ol Elmhurst, IL
anytime strawbeary!
thath how they pronounthe the thee in españa!
pbr = what rat piss would taste like, if it was way diluted...oh wait how do i know about rat piss?
huh - goose island bought bader brau? That was one of the old german beer breweries still going round here -
Why hasnt anyone broken out the Hamm's yet?
ep i posted a hamm's commercial on the pbr/old style thread.
ur such a ham, I mean Hamm
Im a hamfan too
chris - they do?
fogey -
me living here is actually one of the least interesting things about louisville!
strawbeary,
you should move to boise! we have all those things you mentioned.
very walkable, but also noted as one of the most bike-friendly cities. totally affordable.
re: day trips there are lots of outdoorsy places to go, hotsprings, skiing, lakes, camping, hiking, etc. and old ghost/mining towns.
it is super easy to get out of town by air, 6-ish hours drive to portland, or salt lake city.
the "art scene" is hit and miss. we have A museum, that gets decent exhibits. and as far as culture goes...well, that is tough to describe and most likely falls short as well. but did you know that boise had the largest basque population outside of spain?
as far as architecture goes...it is growing a lot, there isn't any name architecture here. NBBJ did one building, Mark Mack worked on the museum remodel, and that is about it. The skyline needs some help. But we do have a LEED platinum certified building and developers seem to be really on board with the green stuff, so that is cool.
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