Where in the US would you want to live?

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apicius9

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Just dealing with this question, because I am back to writing job applications. The current job in Hawaii was never meant as a long-term solution, and conditions are worse than expected, so I will put up with it but continue to look what else is out there. Since academic positions are scarce, at least compared to the number of people looking for them, this will most likely take me somewhere on the mainland, and I will have to take what I get. But I am applying for jobs based on the school and the job profiles, often not knowing a thing about the cities or areas. I am a little afraid of Alaska, for a person with a history of depression it's just dark too long and too often up there... Other than that, I am a bit afraid of the deep South like Alabama (even though Birmingham seems to have an excellent university), Mississippi, Eastern Tennessee etc.

Right now I am working on applications for Galveston. TX, and Indianapolis. Any thoughts on those two - and on where you would want to live if you could just go there?

Stefan
 
Love TX...not specifically familiar with Galveston, but my Texan friends seem to think well of it. TX (Dallas) and LA (NO) are the only places I've considered moving to from Little Rock.
 
If given the choice I'd pick Monterey Bay or San Luis Obispo in California. I really like Flagstaff Arizona too, but Arizona politics would keep me from going back there.

Be well,
Mikey
 
Trying not to go political or break rules, go to texas or, a different country. Denmark, swedent, swtz, . Something along those lines would be my choice given the oportuntiy..
 
Indy is a great town. I know that you are an academic but what jobs are you looking for.
 
If I could move anywhere in the country and still make the living I make here in the DC area I would choose something along the coast in southern CA or towards the south end of FL. The further away from cold weather the better.
 
There are worse places in the US than Birmingham. It's about as far from the water as I'll ever live, has beautiful mountains, great restaurants, and a good university. But like anywhere in the south you have to take corrupt politicians, blatant racism, and crushing poverty with the good. I think it is worth it and wouldn't live anywhere too far from the Gulf of Mexico. But it's not for everyone.
 
I love the mountains of North Carolina. New Mexico is also pretty awesome. Washington state is pretty great, but I haven't been there in the winter so I really have no idea.
 
i'm thinking southwest. mom used to rave about AZ; but i've never been. i ride a bicycle to work and any errands involving less than 40# of stuff, so someplace that didn't require studded snow tires on the bike for part of the year would be nice.....
 
I don't mind living in Hawaii, and if I could have had it any way I want, I would have retired on the position I was screwed out of last year. But Hawaii is too small to find something else, that's why I am looking broadly. Ideally I would find a job as professor in public health, health sciences, health psychology etc. but I am getting old and have a non-traditional CV which makes it more and more difficult. In the end, universities give a **** about experience, good teaching evaluations, community service etc., it's all about grant money these days. Coming from a humanistic academic tradition in Europe, that's very disappointing.

Being someone pretty far out on the liberal side is one of my concerns about places like TX or other conservative places, but then the academic field is usually pretty mixed and open-minded. One good thing might be that there are not many places more expensive than where I am now... Haven't looked in Europe in a while either. I know, there is nothing in Germany now, but Switzerland might be an option. My favorite place in Europe would be Barcelona, but at 20% unemployment in Spain that's not happening.

I know very little of the 'middle' of the US, have only been to NO and Memphis. I kind of know the stretch between Maine and DC pretty well and wouldn't mind California either. Good friends in Boston and Philadelphia make those areas attractive, just getting tired of completely starting from scratch in places where I don't know anybody.

Stefan
 
If you're thinking about the 'middle', I'd say put Columbus over Indianapolis. Unlike Indianapolis, Columbus is home to a major university. And, touching lightly on the politics, it has what one might call an enlightened municipal government. And, generally, its a very young, culturally expansive city. It's not Chicago, or the coasts, in terms of culture, but if you're thinking of middle America, I don't think you could do much better.
 
North Carolina has some quality schools but the politics aren't all that much better than Texas...Asheville is very nice.
 
Out of the cities I have visited in US I loved San Fransisco. I don't know how the job market for the academics would be.
Other than US I would go to Switzerland in heartbeat. Altough it is the Italian side I love Locarno .They have really good schools , liberal politics and good economy. Actually they are getting quite a bit of skilled labour from Germany as well. Viel Gluck
 
i like san diego, there are some other forum members here. the weather is very mild. its a nice place to live but the food scene is behind new york by like five years.
 
I'm an academic, newly hired, and I'm on a search committee (not your field), so I know the job market. My advice: apply everywhere, but spend the time to craft your application for the ones you really want, or where there is a good match.
If you want a good chance at getting a job, you'll need to put location and local politics low on your priority list. Most of us just move to wherever is willing to hire us. That's just how it goes. you need to cast a very wide net. I'd also encourage you to look at smaller schools, rather than universities. I know a lot of academics turn their nose up a small colleges and community colleges, but that's who is hiring these days, especially if you have an unconventional CV, and they can be great places to work. You're right, big universities only care about grants and publications. If you don't have that, don't bother. Smaller schools care much more about teaching experience and personality. Also, look for long-term, full-time, non-tenure track positions (like "visiting assistant professor"). That's how I got my foot in the door, got a few years teaching experience, and eventually snagged a tenure track gig. Those are usually just teaching, with no expectations of research, and they keep your CV gap-free. Adjunct only as a last resort.

As for location: Not much will compete with Hawaii. I like New England and the pacific northwest. New Mexico, Utah, Colorodo are pretty nice.
 
Stephan, i might be able to help you as my day job is as a Head Hunter/Recruiter. Seriously I've got a three step plan that will give you the skills and confidence to get the job.

BTW, I'm from Boston but have since lived in Raleigh, NC for the past 13 years. New England sucks but two months out of the year. I've only traveled not lives out west, nice but i just love living on the east coast.
 
Thanks for the tips, guys. I am certainly not limiting myself to ivy league schools at this point, I would actually prefer a smaller university that puts more emphasis on teaching and values people not only by the money they rake in. I have not systematically looked at the community colleges, but that is certainly a thing I need to do. My CV has two flaws, one is not enough federal grants awarded for someone at my level - and explaining that I had plenty of similar ones before I came here and had less time than others who grew up in the US system has not worked, so far... And the second one is that my publication output has gone done in the last couple of years when I was screwed out of my job and dealt with depression. That is no indication of what I can do in the right setting, but a difficult sell for some. I have plenty of publications, teaching and research experience, professional and community service etc. Anyway, I am making a list right now of the applications I want to get out. It's high season for that, so there are positions out there for fall 2014, but I am finding it harder and harder to sell myself.

As for locations, I really want to get a feel for places people like. In the end, I will have to go where they give me a job, but location may have an impact on how much effort I put in the individual applications. The time is not in writing them, it's in researching the units and finding out how I would fit in.

I'd be happy about any help I can get. This may sound strange, but the job in Hawaii was the first job I had ever applied for in my life, until then, people begged me to work for them. So, it took me to get to age 50 to go through the frustration of job rejections, not something I would have expected to hit me at this time in my life.

Stefan
 
Well, I have lived or spent a lot of time in most areas of the Southeast. If you have prospects in any o these places I can give you some local perspective.
 
I am not sure what the job market is in San Diego for what you are looking for, I know the market sucked for the finance world even before the economic crisis, but it has definitely been my favorite place to live so far. Best weather on earth, and I think the perfect size city to live in (love living downtown there).
 
Well, I have lived or spent a lot of time in most areas of the Southeast. If you have prospects in any o these places I can give you some local perspective.

Southeast is a good spot IMO as far as academics/college towns. UNC-CH, UVA or Wake Forest would be my big 3 (and take into fact that I never went to college... but those would have been my three choices in a perfect world)

Duke basketball is still > though

Tenn., VA and the Carolinas have a lot to offer as far as cost of living, lifestyle & culture. As I see it.
 
I am not sure what the job market is in San Diego for what you are looking for, I know the market sucked for the finance world even before the economic crisis, but it has definitely been my favorite place to live so far. Best weather on earth, and I think the perfect size city to live in (love living downtown there).

And Southern Cali is a different sort of beast. I hated, hated living in the San Diego area (I lived in North County - definitely not downtown). I also am a cook and from the South and moved there after living in New Orleans for two years. 5 years behind 'NYC' is an understatement. The restaurant scene out there blows hard. Also too many people and too expensive for my tastes.

But my situation is different than his
 
Well I'm kind of partial to Nashville first and Tennessee second. You have Vanderbilt, Belmont, David Lipscomb, Fisk and TN State right in Nashville. Within 30 miles of Nashville there is also MTSU, Cumberland and Austin Peay. Then in east TN there's Knoxville and UT. Tennessee doesn't have a state income tax although the sales tax is close to 10% on everything, food, clothes, services you name it. Property tax is fairly low and housing is very reasonable.

I'll also put in a plug for NJ. I have lived in Jersey for six years and really like it.
 
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