Relocation
 

I know this has been discussed quite a bit, but find the scenario for each person seperate. Currently I'm looking at a variety of schools I want to go to (currently attending school, but researching something I don't feel like doing the rest of my life).

On with the question, my movement decision is going to come down to which school I find best suits my needs, and I will be visiting these places over the summer and fall to make my final decisions, but at the moment I'm looking at relocating from front range Colorado to one of the following.

Orlando, Florida
Vancouver, BC, Canada
Seattle, Washington
New York City, New York
Long Beach, California

This list is just the current schools I've been looking at, more than likely it will grow and shrink. At the moment Orlando and New York are looking like my best choices, but that can all change.

What I want to know is college expenses aside, how much money should I have saved up for moving to one of these cities. What are the typical living expenses month to month of these places. Almost all of these places I won't have any friends or family to help me get started, most the schools have job placement and housing assistance, but I also don't want to pick up and leave, and find myself three months later falling behind with everything moneywise.

Do you think even without a sufficient savings I should just pick up and pursue my dreams? I love Colorado, but as far as enjoying my future, and enjoying what I do there isn't much that any school in Colorado has to offer me. Any info on any of those cities would be appreciated.

I say Vancouver..... Although I might be a little bit biased because I am Canadian :)

You could try <A HREF="http://www.monstermoving.monster.com/Find_A_Place/Relosmart/rs.asp">here</A> to compare costs.

Edited Later:
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All I can say is that every one of those locations is expensive to live in, so make sure you have some money saved up, and preferably a way to make more of it.

It really should come down to the school though. Dont pick a school solely because of its location. When you find the one that you like, go for it.

All of those cities are pretty damn different from each other too, so you may want to visit...

Yeah, when I first started pursuing this option I was dead-set on going to Vancouver or Seattle, Vancouver has the school I really wanted to go to, but having done some research I'm starting to lean towards Orlando. Still have not heard too much from the schools in New York and L.A., but I am definitely planning to visit them this summer, and will only decide after I've actually seen the schools, and what they have to offer.

i live in orlando, and i don't know what your idea of fun, or culture or entertainment is. there is nothing to offer here except, crappy bars, and crappy live bands, and crappy drivers. i was born here, so i know. i would go with NYC all the way, because people who come here , usually end up hating it, so you get a bunch of people who hate their city.
the benefits, are that it is always warm(and humid), so the girl's are always scantily dressed, but if u r gay , the gay community is awesome here.
if u r going to come visit UCF(or are you going to full sail?) leave the "college area". the traffic is horrible, and it is all student housing. there are some really beautiful places here, that are off the beaten path, that you only really see, if u know where to go. and i ahve met some really fun/eccentric people, everyone who isn't in college, and in there 20's, thinks they are an actor or an artist, so you meet some fun people... that is just my opinion as a resident, so don't get scared, come see it, and stay away from disney.

What school are you looking toward in Vancouver?

I love NYC. My wife came to NYU and never left.

I moved here as a temporary thing and I never left.

It's expensive to live here but it's like no other place I've ever been in the world, and I've been to many major metropolitans from Europe to Asia.

Sounds like the current town I live in. Small enough that the bars and venues really suck, but too large to have any sort of tight knit community.

I'm looking at Full Sail in Orlando, Vancouver Film School in Vancouver, NYU - Tisch School of Film are looking like my top three choices right now. If anyone has any info/opinions on these schools I'd love to hear them?

full sail is an awesome facility, and the kids that go there are pretty fun, a majority of my friends, have gone or still go, but depending on your major, there are no jobs here. disney, and universal pay crap

Yeah, I've been rather impressed with Full Sail's facilities from the information packets they've sent me, and the friends of friends who have gone to that school have all been very pleased with it. As far as remaining in Florida after schooling I don't particularly see that happening.

I'm too much of a mountain/winter-loving person. Not seeing snow during the year makes me a saaaaad-panda.