If I don't end up in DC, I'll go mid-market.

While housing is probably 2X-3x the cost in NYC, things like cars, education for children, food, goods, and other things aren't nearly that much more (though still expensive).

Also when you purchase a condo or house in NYC, that isn't all an expensive, much of it is building equity in an asset. You'll eat the interest, real estate tax, etc but the house will still be worth 4 million.

I bet 300K in Atlanta = 500K in NYC

Look up what a 800K home is in Atlanta and then look that up in NYC. Look up what a $2500 a month apartment is in Atlanta and then look that up in NYC.

http://www.century21.com/realestatelist ... BR79326554
http://www.century21.com/realestatelist ... BR88389558
http://www.century21.com/realestatelist ... BR81299556[/quote]

Look at what a Maserati costs in Atlanta vs NYC. Its about the same. Someone who is making a million a year isn't spending most of their income on housing. So while 300K might equal 1 million in real estate, they don't equal in cost of living.

haha i live in the south currently and my plan is to go to the NE for my law degree, but intern at firms in TX over the summers and get a job there (Dallas or Houston)

id rather make $140,000 in TX than $160,000 in NYC/Boston/DC/LA EASY

one of the biggest differences would certainly be real estate prices...something $200,000 here is like ~$1mil in LA/NYC

and while i dont know about atlanta, ive lived in cali before (only visited NYC)...and pretty much everything in TX is cheaper and bigger lol...not to mention real estate is usually a VERY large chunk of your spending

oh and no income tax here

+1

I have the same plan in mind. But I want to stay close to the region to closer to the fam.

Look at what a Maserati costs in Atlanta vs NYC. Its about the same. Someone who is making a million a year isn't spending most of their income on housing. So while 300K might equal 1 million in real estate, they don't equal in cost of living.[/quote]

The 1million thing was a bit of a joke (and actually to be honest, in today's world a person making 1 million a year is probably spending most of his income on housing, but that wasn't my point either). Wer're talking about the 145-160k that big law people will be making---basically what most of us on here are aiming for. 145K in Atlanta is simply otherworldy compared to 160K in NYC. If you hit partner in Atlanta with a 500K+ salary (which is apparently not nearly as hard to do as in a place like NYC) it gets to a point where you just have really have to reconsider the NYC thing. A 160K a year associate in NYC will be spending most of their money on housing.

The 1million thing was a bit of a joke (and actually to be honest, in today's world a person making 1 million a year is probably spending most of his income on housing, but that wasn't my point either). Wer're talking about the 145-160k that big law people will be making---basically what most of us on here are aiming for. 145K in Atlanta is simply otherworldy compared to 160K in NYC. If you hit partner in Atlanta with a 500K+ salary (which is apparently not nearly as hard to do as in a place like NYC) it gets to a point where you just have really have to reconsider the NYC thing. A 160K a year associate in NYC will be spending most of their money on housing.[/quote]

Ok agreed.

i think atlanta is awesome...hence the name. i have no interest in gunning for nyc law.

It may be cheaper to work in Atlanta from a cost of living perspective, but...you'd be living in Atlanta.

I personally could care less but I do want to end up in CA and so will probably end up in SF or LA. Definitely wouln't mind SD or a more rural setting though as long as the job is good.



I have no desire to work in NYC or Boston. I'd rather TX or Chicago.

lol gets old

there are appealing aspects for LA/NYC, but also very unappealing aspects

How much worse can it be living in a city with the worst traffic in the whole country, where the primary mode of transportation is by car.

what's an appealing aspect about LA?

I agree about the cost-of-living appeal of secondary markets, but what ended up changing my mind during the 2L job hunt was that: 1. Atlanta (the main market where I interviewed) was hit particularly hard in the economic crisis... there were a lot of layoffs, and I didn't feel that any of the big Atlanta firms would be nearly as financially secure as the firm I ended up going to in DC, and 2. the work in DC is just a lot more diverse and interesting.

If you like Houston, it might not be a bad choice. I don't think Texas was hit as hard, and maybe the work is a little more interesting bc of the energy industry? But the liking Houston part is the problem.

Because I'm easily bored.

Housing prices aren't high for no reason, ya know. Although the recession has diminished demand in expensive cities, there's still plenty of people who care about QOL more than COL. Up to you what you think QOL is of course. For me, it's NYC.

I'm also open to SF, LA, SD, DC, Chicago.

I heard Texas is the place to be right now, but I still don't want to live in Texas.

lol who the hell said that "QOL" was something only available in NYC. Many secondary markets actually have a higher QOL. Besides, 90 percent of the stuff that NYC has that other cities don't, you won't be able to afford to do on even a big law salary. Not to mention the hellacious hours of NYC compared to other markets. Actually I do care about QOL more than COL, that is part of the reason why I don't want to live in NYC. When I'm paying $2500 a month for a 1 bedroom apartment where I can hear it every time my neighbor flushes his toilet, my QOL isn't too great. It also isn't too great when I'm somewhere where I can't even a car unless I pay $700 a month for parking. People just need to accept that there are different strokes for different folks. Not everyone is dying to live in NYC, as hard as it is for those on here who want to live there to believe.

[strike]Newsflash: QoL is a matter of taste. I'm not sure arguing why someone should like blue when they happen to like red is going to get anywhere.

ps - I'd rather shoot myself than work in NYC, but I am willing to concede some people love the atmosphere there. Others hate LA, which I love.[/strike]

EDIT: It would have helped if I read the last sentence in your post.

Your strawman?

And to the heart of the thread: a lot of people want to live in big markets because, well, a lot of people want to live in the cities in which there are big markets. Preferences is preferences homeses.

I would recommend not using terms you are unfamiliar with in an attempt to impress others with your intellect (though it is a common occurrence on this website). His bolded claim about "some people care about QOL and that's why these areas cost more" rests on the assumption that these areas are the only ones with a high QOL or they provide a higher one than lower cost areas. He does try to change his stance somewhat later on in the post though. I'm also not sure why you repeated that preference argument considering it has been said in about each of the last 3 posts.

I don't think I have seen anyone mention the salary structure differences. Houston firms will often start you out at 160k, but will not have the same pay-scale as the NYC firms for years past the first. Full disclosure, I live in the south and realize that it is significantly cheaper. I just feel like the different scales beyond the first year have to be taken into account. By fourth and fifth year there is a greater difference in income than the initial 15k. That said I still love the south, but I think it is only fair to grant that to NYC.

Was that necessary? Also, calling your first leap a strawman seems appropriate.

The original quote:



Seems like the poster clearly acknowledged that QoL is a matter of personal preference and not the exclusive domain of CA/DC/NY.

Point of this thread?
Why people like to live in NY as lawyers. Well, even if we are to exclude all other factors (i like a townhouse in the middle of nowhere, i prefer a crappy apartment in of the world's most important cities), that's where most of the industry is located, that's where the most and best jobs are located. Same with banking and other NY based industries. This kind of like asking why do auto-workers live near Detroit, or why there are so many actors in LA?

Oh, I don't know. The beautiful weather year-round, the beaches, the nearby mountains...

Don't forget the smog!

+1