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!