Take a dump in the Midwest where rent is $199 a month and you have no outlets for pleasure. Then look at sanfran, nyc, Boston, paying a grand a month on rent, with TONS of stuff to do. Does this trend work pretty well for everywhere in between? where's the diamond in the rough, or where is the cost excessively high for what it offers?
the relation is pretty much linear everywhere besides the south. Living in some shithole in Maine costs more than living in a nice Southern city like Charleston, SC.
Please let me know where I can find a place in NYC for $1000/ month.
There's probably a positive correlation, but the first reply said, it isn't perfect. There are lots of gross little methtowns in New England that are more expensive than nice places in other areas of the country. I think that there's a bleed over effect since the rest of the Northeast is so expensive.
There's also personal preference. Just because I like winter and prefer the brusqueness of other New Englanders and would therefore be ok with paying higher rent to live in Boston doesn't mean that the person who is very happy in Cincinnati, OH is automatically cheap/hates having fun/is boring.
I'll admit that as someone with about 0 tolerance for humidity, people who willingly live in really humid areas confuse me, but that doesn't make them inherently worse than me. Obviously, they don't share the same degree of my dislike for humid weather. Likewise, I don't like making small talk with strangers and I do like when the weather is brisk (35-40 deg and sunny? yes please!). Lots of people from other areas of the country would dismiss me as unfriendly and cold. Takes all types, diff'rent strokes, etc.
I live in some midwest dump. Pay $300 in rent. All living costs pretty low.
I have fun. Stay out late, travel a lot, meet interesting people. Actually having the time of my life at the moment and really happy with my situation.
Not many good women, though. They all packed up and moved to Chicago. Or want to live in Chicago. Whatever.
If you think some city is going to bring you happiness, please go there. Just continue to ignore the countless other factors that lead to a full, happy life. A creative enough mind can carve out the humor and small details of life anywhere.
The correlation is w/ population, not w/ fun. Fun for some is a Manhattan nightclub. I could find fun in the Northwoods of Wisc/Minn pretty easily.
Shhhh, I don't want anyone else to know how much fun it is to live out here in Savoonga, Alaska.
jesischimpt wrote:
Take a dump in the Midwest where rent is $199 a month and you have no outlets for pleasure. Then look at sanfran, nyc, Boston, paying a grand a month on rent, with TONS of stuff to do. Does this trend work pretty well for everywhere in between? where's the diamond in the rough, or where is the cost excessively high for what it offers?
obviously this is the case. the reason why cost of living is high is because there is strong demand for the real estate there and the demand is because the area has shit to do--work, entertainment, other people, etc.
notsureifsrs wrote:
[quote]jesischimpt wrote:
Take a dump in the Midwest where rent is $199 a month and you have no outlets for pleasure. Then look at sanfran, nyc, Boston, paying a grand a month on rent, with TONS of stuff to do. Does this trend work pretty well for everywhere in between? where's the diamond in the rough, or where is the cost excessively high for what it offers?
obviously this is the case. the reason why cost of living is high is because there is strong demand for the real estate there and the demand is because the area has shit to do--work, entertainment, other people, etc.
Hold up. You're forgetting the other half of the equation: supply.
If parts of Boston stop becoming shooting galleries every summer, the supply of real estate that a middle class family would consider living in would nearly double over night thus reducing the cost to live there. Yes demand is significant but don't tell me there isn't a load of constrained supply sitting on the sidelines.
To answer the OP, sure, demand is significant in places where fun/interesting things happen thus putting upward pressure on housing, but supply of housing certainly plays a role as well.
krispy kremlin wrote:
Hold up. You're forgetting the other half of the equation: supply.
If parts of Boston stop becoming shooting galleries every summer, the supply of real estate that a middle class family would consider living in would nearly double over night thus reducing the cost to live there. Yes demand is significant but don't tell me there isn't a load of constrained supply sitting on the sidelines.
To answer the OP, sure, demand is significant in places where fun/interesting things happen thus putting upward pressure on housing, but supply of housing certainly plays a role as well.
I'm not forgetting anything. Obviously supply/demand work together. That's assumed. You aren't introducing any new ideas here. If there was that much potential though, aggressive investors would just buy up large amounts of slum buildings and redevelop the area.
It depends on your idea of pleasure. I like having a clean, mountain river and miles of virgin timber forests to explore on foot or by bike, close by. I like the outdoors. These places can be a bit more difficult to find in some of your larger cities. I did the whole club/bar/nightlife scene thing in my college days. I came to find they're essentially all the same no matter where you go. Those things don't interest me as much anymore as a day spent looking for that unique view, high on a mountain to read a good book.
notsureifsrs wrote:
[quote]krispy kremlin wrote:
Hold up. You're forgetting the other half of the equation: supply.
If parts of Boston stop becoming shooting galleries every summer, the supply of real estate that a middle class family would consider living in would nearly double over night thus reducing the cost to live there. Yes demand is significant but don't tell me there isn't a load of constrained supply sitting on the sidelines.
To answer the OP, sure, demand is significant in places where fun/interesting things happen thus putting upward pressure on housing, but supply of housing certainly plays a role as well.
I'm not forgetting anything. Obviously supply/demand work together. That's assumed. You aren't introducing any new ideas here. If there was that much potential though, aggressive investors would just buy up large amounts of slum buildings and redevelop the area.
Alright chief, where in your statement do you reference 'supply?' I see 'demand' twice but not even a hint of 'supply.'
2: Kind of tough for investors to buy up public housing. As long as you have public housing littering sections of Boston, you're going to have residual 'slum' surrounding areas. The potential exists when you get the state's housing manipulation out of the equation.
EdmondDantes wrote:
It depends on your idea of pleasure. I like having a clean, mountain river and miles of virgin timber forests to explore on foot or by bike, close by. I like the outdoors. These places can be a bit more difficult to find in some of your larger cities. I did the whole club/bar/nightlife scene thing in my college days. I came to find they're essentially all the same no matter where you go. Those things don't interest me as much anymore as a day spent looking for that unique view, high on a mountain to read a good book.
Amen brother.
I've found in big cities, many people need to be entertained constantly, so they go to all these bars, events, concerts, etc. I appreciate company that's creative enough to make their own entertainment. Or has a thirst for exploration.