In the article, we learn that some cities are better for individuals to work in than others (cost of living, housing, relation to career, etc.). New York City, where I have lived since the tender age of 17, gets slammed.

Yes, it’s an expensive city to live in, but what I think this article completely leaves out is lifestyle. New York, for instance, offers a way of living that no other city can offer. And I’m sure any defender of any place they love would say the same. It’s important to be in a place that makes you happy, that keeps you fulfilled, if you want to do well at work. A fulfilled worker is a happy worker. Right?

Or wrong? I don’t know.

Today (at least in our society), job often comes before all else. It’s what we ask each other first at parties–”What do you do?” is supposed to tell us all we need to know.

And yet, most of the functioning 20-something set I know are unhappy in their jobs. Most of them don’t consider their current job to be their ultimate career.

In this era of jobhopping and identity searching, should we really choose our home based on our jobs? Shouldn’t we live in places that suit us as people and are near or with people with love and then find the right job?

What do you think? Would you relocate for a job?

Me, I’m sticking it out in NYC. Even if it means living in a shoebox and eating ramen the rest of my life.

[Image courtesy of blog.miragestudio7.com]

The Real World is making its way to Brooklyn for its 21st season. In case you’re counting, this will be the third time the show has been in New York City. I know Brooklyn is its own distinct borough filled with unique charm, but when you take a subway or two right over to the previous Real World houses, it’s just too close. It’s time for the folks at MTV to branch out. Here are some suggestions for future destinations:

Minneapolis

It was heavily rumored that the Real World was heading to this upper Mid-western urban center for its 19th season. Sydney may have provided the castmates with sunny beaches and hot dudes with accents, but Minneapolis is pretty cool too. There’s a fantastic art scene, friendly locals, giant university, funky bars and the town is surrounded by gorgeous lakes. Plus, the the weather isn’t so bad in the summer.

Washington D.C.

Nothing goes better with historic buildings, sketchy elected officials and government offices than 20-somethings with ‘roid rage and girls in hooker boots. D.C. is vibrant, has a ton of cute neighborhoods and lots of things to do. Plus, it’s the most walk-able city in the nation, perfect for coming home drunk. Can you picture Real World folks as congressional pages? Tour guides? The options are endless.

Atlanta, GA

They don’t call it Hotlanta for nothing! Atlanta is rockin’ the southern charm, great food, and a handful of quality colleges. Plus it’s home to the epicenter of Southern rap, hell, most rap. It’s also boasts one of the best aquariums in the country. Stuck up young people cleaning out shark tanks? Yes please!

There are lots of other great places too. Have they considered Portland Oregon, Phoenix, Detroit?! The Brooklyn season of The Real World is probably going to be just fine, but I think it’s time for something new. There are too many untapped fun, charming, camera-friendly cities in this country and around the globe.

Where do you think the cameras should head next? Is your hometown aching for some drama? Sell your city in the comments!

Chicago, Illinois

Kanye West‘s hometown is clean and pretty, giving Midwestern culture a big city to call their own. This is where about eighty percent of my college friends moved after graduation.

Yea!

It’s right on the beach for summertime. You also have tons of grad schools to choose from if you don’t want to work just yet, and a great laid-back vibe. It’s a driving city, too, so you’re not obligated to give up your car. Go to Cubs or Sox games, or start supporting the ‘da Bears!

Nay?

Ever heard of lake-effect snow? The Chi can get bitterly cold in the winter. Traffic is rough, so you may want to study up on your public transportation. Also, it has the potential to feel like undergrad relocated.

Washington, DC

DC is pretty and is a great place to job-search if you’re going into politics or environmental-type work. Plus it’s the setting for Wedding Crashers and where our country is run from.

Yea!

You live so close to other cool cities that you can go on weekend jaunts by way of the Chinatown Bus. The Metro is genius, even allowing cell phone service underground. Lots of history, and of course, the weather is better as it’s south-ish.

Nay?

If you like more hustle-and-bustle, it may be a little too slow-paced. Rent tends to be pricier, and the murder and HIV rates are known to be high, so have fun but be careful. Sports teams, not fantastic…

New York, NY

When you say “the city,” there’s no questioning which one you mean. I tried very hard not to add “It’s not New York” to the “Nay” column for all the others. This is where it’s at if you’re in finance, media, or the arts.

Yea!

Whatever you want, whenever you want it, it’s here. Cultural center of the nation. Black-and-white cookies, great baseball rivalry (Yankees/Mets), Central Park, a phenomenal public transportation system, and a neighborhood for everything. Also very simple to navigate… north of the Village, anyway.

Nay?

The cost of living is ridic if you want to live in money-makin’ Manhattan. Inflation is kind of a bitch. You might get overwhelmed by all the people and the go-go-go mentality.

Los Angeles, CA

Like living in paradise with the potential for earthquakes. You’ve got the ocean, the beach, and city all relatively close to one another. And the people all seem to be really, really pretty…

Yea!

Laiiiiid-back. It’s a phenomenal climate and you’re equidistant from skiing or surfing, year-round. Great for those who love celebrity gossip, the Lakers, or want to work in movies/TV. It’ll be like The Hills!

Nay?

Also pricey, and also a tendency toward the plastic. As in plastic surgery. There are several different downtown areas which you’ve got to drive between, basically, and the traffic is horrendous, all the time.

Mostly, you want to move where you’ll be happy. Don’t decline a job offer you’d love or not go to the grad school with your specialty just because it’s not where your ideal location is. Worst-case scenario, you can always try someplace new later on, right?

Are your bff’s moving elsewhere else, or are you planning to move abroad after college? Tell us some other post-grad hotspots you’ve heard of!

During a meeting last Monday for infectious disease scientists, “researchers who spy on people in public bathrooms” (double creepy!) released a study that showed men have issues when it comes to washing their hands after using public toilets.

“One-third of men didn’t bother to wash after using the bathroom, compared with 12 percent of women” the researchers claimed, basing their findings on over 6,000 people in four big cities.

A spokesman from a co-sponsor of the survey, the Soap and Detergent Association (seriously?), urged men to “step up to the sink”, after holding their weewees at a urinal or taking a dump.

Because women are forced to frequent stalls all the time, we’re probably a lot more likely to realize just how dirty a public bathroom can get—although holding one’s penis and then shaking a stranger’s hand screams ‘unsanitary!’ just as loudly.

So, what is it? Is pee just considered not as dirty to men? Do they simply not care about poo contamination?

Are men really just really f*cking gross most of the time?

…whatever the case, I’m gonna go buy me some Purell and think twice before going into any communial dorm bathroom.

It was a given that I would be around New York City because that is the place to go for my future career. Not to mention the fact that I absolutely love the place and had the time of my life interning over the course of two different summers. Lucky for me, a good amount of people from my school also head down there to start “real” lives.

My experience was similar to a new trend that has really started with our generation. That new fad being putting priority on WHERE you will be living, instead of WHAT you will be doing. Recent grads tend to decide what city they want to live in, and then the job comes secondary.

The job tends to be something figured out once you have moved to the chosen location, as was my experience, which made for many stressful unemployed days filled with cupcakes and wondering just how I was going to get by. Eventually things worked out and I can officially say I am employed in my chosen field and have my own apartment.

But, this ballsiness (is that even a word?) is something that our parents are not used to. Long gone are the days of sending out resumes to every viable city or town in America and seeing where you get a bite. We refuse to live in a horrible town just to have a job, which I think is a great philosophy.

The New York Times had a recent article commenting on this trend of placing quality of life above purely being employed;

“Sixty-five percent of 1,000 respondents aged 24 to 35 who were asked by the Segmentation Company, a division of the marketing consultant Yankelovich, said they preferred to look for a job in the place that I would like to live, rather than look for the best job I can find, the place where it is located is secondary.”

I personally think this is a great thing because now cities are trying to become more attractive to young adults and college graduates. “Urban leaders are increasingly courting young workers, because as baby boomers retire, Gen Y will have to fill the gap. Across the country, cities are scrambling to become the place that recent grads want to be.”

My hope is that what will eventually happen, if this keeps up, is cities will continue to improve and graduates will literally have their pick of amazing places to live. Instead of us fighting to get a place anywhere we can, they will be courting us. A role reversal of sorts, and I think it’s fabulous.

So, current college students, you can start doing your research now into what places or cities seem attractive to you. By the time you graduate, it just may be the new hot spot.