A new beginning, in the US.

[Galaxy Turbo]

So I'm in Newcastle, United Kingdom now, and I'm in university studying Interactive Media Design, so lots of computer graphics, photoshop, etc.

Now, design jobs are mainly more popular towards the south of England near London etc. (Right now I'm living in the North East), but I'm not sure if I'm gonna be able to live there all my life. I'm considering my options early as I'm still a design student, but moving to the states to start working there is definitely sounding like a good idea.

So what I'm asking is, where could I go in the US to start a new life if I decide to go there? I've thought about only few places with little knowledge about them, but I've never been to the states myself and I've heard good things. Preferably, I'm wanting to live in a safe place, with good job prospects for my line of work, and multicultural areas are a plus. Any decent places and I can probably take a vacation there and see what it's like. I'm the kind of guy that likes skyscrapers and techy stuff like that, very visually centred.

If anyone can give me any ideas that would be awesome, especially if you're aware of job prospects for interactive/graphic designers or related areas.

[L1 TW]

So I'm in Newcastle, United Kingdom now, and I'm in university studying Interactive Media Design, so lots of computer graphics, photoshop, etc.

Now, design jobs are mainly more popular towards the south of England near London etc. (Right now I'm living in the North East), but I'm not sure if I'm gonna be able to live there all my life. I'm considering my options early as I'm still a design student, but moving to the states to start working there is definitely sounding like a good idea.

So what I'm asking is, where could I go in the US to start a new life if I decide to go there? I've thought about only few places with little knowledge about them, but I've never been to the states myself and I've heard good things. Preferably, I'm wanting to live in a safe place, with good job prospects for my line of work, and multicultural areas are a plus. Any decent places and I can probably take a vacation there and see what it's like. I'm the kind of guy that likes skyscrapers and techy stuff like that, very visually centred.

If anyone can give me any ideas that would be awesome, especially if you're aware of job prospects for interactive/graphic designers or related areas.

Detroit, Michigan is a good city to start life in. It has the lowest crime rate in the United States so its very safe. I would highly recommend this city from personal experience. Also the cost of living is very inexpensive compared to any other city in the country.

[Cops]

I'm wanting to live in a safe place, with good job prospects for my line of work.

multicultural areas are a plus.

Any decent places and I can probably take a vacation there and see what it's like.

I'm the kind of guy that likes skyscrapers and techy stuff like that, very visually centred.

If anyone can give me any ideas that would be awesome, especially if you're aware of job prospects for interactive/graphic designers or related areas.

Welcome to Toronto Canada.

I work for a media company that produces 204,000 magazines of a magazine called Chill, as well as an unknown number of Golf Canada magazines. We also have our own web TV station (semi-launched), and a decent website. I was hired as an Editorial Coordinator for 22.5k a year, seems like shit but after taxes I pull in $1,600 a month. A decent wage for a starting professional. Our company has four full-time graphic designers that work off of both of our magazines as well as anything else that's asked of them. They are worked to the bone and do a kick ass job with the time they have to put together two magazines, and two of them make between $12-13 an hour, with the other two making $16-19 an hour. The two who make more have years and years of experience and they're still not making a lot.

There are graphic designer jobs that will pay $15 an hour, but I'll be honest the market is tough right now and everyone is taking a huge pay cut. There's too many workers and not enough work. I'm not sure how things are in London, but I wouldn't pack your shit up and move without securing a job first. I'm the only person I know besides one other person who found employment, and they're on a contract. I might be in a different field than you but in the world of journalism and graphic design, shit just kind of sucks right now.

[Xog]

I'm going to agree with Cops and suggest Toronto. If you don't want to go up to Canada, then I could suggest either Seattle or New York.

in b4 Houston*

[Cops]

Also the transition to living in a new country would be a lot smoother going from Britain to Canada, rather than Britain to America.

If I had the opportunity to make 30k a year in America, opposed to my 22.5k in Canada, I'd stay in Canada. You're part of an industry that doesn't give benefits, so knowing that if something happens to me I'd feel a lot safer than if something happened to me in America. Just know that if you're not in Canada or Europe you give up your security blanket, and fuck me if I'm going to give up that blanket unless I get a really good offer.

[Kontrolz]

Also the transition to living in a new country would be a lot smoother going from Britain to Canada, rather than Britain to America.

If I had the opportunity to make 30k a year in America, opposed to my 22.5k in Canada, I'd stay in Canada. You're part of an industry that doesn't give benefits, so knowing that if something happens to me I'd feel a lot safer than if something happened to me in America. Just know that if you're not in Canada or Europe you give up your security blanket, and fuck me if I'm going to give up that blanket unless I get a really good offer.

If you have a career paying 30k a year in the US then you definitely will have benefits supplied through your employer. Of course it wont be free but it wont be $7,500 a year either.

Edit: Plus your chances of running into a French-Canadian are greatly lowered by not living in Canada.

[kthx]

Houston, just don't bring any liberal bullshit here.

[Zizzo]

Detroit, Michigan is a good city to start life in. It has the lowest crime rate in the United States so its very safe. I would highly recommend this city from personal experience. Also the cost of living is very inexpensive compared to any other city in the country.

lies :|

[Galaxy Turbo]

I should really familiarise myself with the politics over there :fear:

But Toronto is sounding like a good shout right now, my brother has been there before and loves it. But Cops, what do you mean by the security blanket? The benefits or something? In what way do you feel safer in Canada over America? Sorry if I've missed the point =\

[PH]

in b4 dallas

fuck dallas

[PaulOakenfold]

Unless you have a lot of savings or want an hour and a half commute every day living on Long Island, I'd suggest against New York. It's really an awesome place with a ton of variety, art.... heh, skyscrapers, the best food, but the cost of living is through the roof. There are some sub-urbs in New Jersey that is becoming really popular with recently graduated students, but you have to live in New Jersey.

D.C. has a pretty large group of young people and is becoming very liberal over the past couple of years. They have great transportation and you don't need a car (like New York).

I have a big bias against Boston, but it's actually really nice and it's cheaper to live in than New York.

Seattle is beautiful, clean, and there is a ton to do. I'm sure you'd get used to the dreary weather from living in the UK too.

For a graphics guy that is maybe looking into marketing, you'll have the best luck getting a job in New York.

I think of instead of just moving right away to the United States not knowing where you want to live, you should stay in the UK and find job offerings and just move wherever you can find a job/or where the best job is.

[raizin]

stay out of seattle thanks. we got enough of you damn foreigners.

[Xog]

Unless you have a lot of savings or want an hour and a half commute every day living on Long Island, I'd suggest against New York. It's really an awesome place with a ton of variety, art.... heh, skyscrapers, the best food, but the cost of living is through the roof. There are some sub-urbs in New Jersey that is becoming really popular with recently graduated students, but you have to live in New Jersey.

D.C. has a pretty large group of young people and is becoming very liberal over the past couple of years. They have great transportation and you don't need a car (like New York).

I have a big bias against Boston, but it's actually really nice and it's cheaper to live in than New York.

Seattle is beautiful, clean, and there is a ton to do. I'm sure you'd get used to the dreary weather from living in the UK too.

For a graphics guy that is maybe looking into marketing, you'll have the best luck getting a job in New York.

I think of instead of just moving right away to the United States not knowing where you want to live, you should stay in the UK and find job offerings and just move wherever you can find a job/or where the best job is.

Living in the surrounding boroughs of manhattan isn't that expensive. In Brooklyn there are a few good neighborhoods that don't have outrageous prices. I've seen a decent apartment going for $750/mo in Park Slope. My last apartment was $1200/mo in Bensonhurst, which is mostly italians..but it's being invaded slowly but in large numbers by asians and russians :fear:

The transit to manhattan from brooklyn isn't bad either - from the last stop in brooklyn to the heart of NY only takes about an hour and 15 mins. It's a $2 fee for the train (yes, two dollars.) and the trains are almost always within walking distance.. and if they aren't, the bus takes you straight there.. a train is always on a bus route. Which is also two dollars, and then you get a free transfer to get on the train. :-)

I should really familiarise myself with the politics over there :fear:

But Toronto is sounding like a good shout right now, my brother has been there before and loves it. But Cops, what do you mean by the security blanket? The benefits or something? In what way do you feel safer in Canada over America? Sorry if I've missed the point =\

AFAIK (and I haven't done any research on it), Health Care in canada is free as long as you've got your own dwelling there (apartment/house/cardboardbox) which means if you get in an accident, your medical bills are either (i don't know) a) free, b) cheaper.

In America, Health Care is an elaborate scheme for the country to make money like everything else. You have to pay outrageous amounts of money to be insured just for the off-chance that god forbid you should break all the bones in your body and wind up having to pay $6,000,000 in medical bills (if you're uninsured by health care).

example: recently i went to the doctor because I was really sick. He prescribed me four medicines. I went to a Walgreens and picked up the medicine. I paid $100.

I have health care. If I didn't, I would've payed around $700.
I pay for health care as a service.
In Canada, AFAIK, you don't have to pay for health care, the government does.

I have no idea how any of this works in europe.

[DUMBRIT!]

Move to Brighton innit. Proof:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00l854c/The_Politics_Show_South_East_14_06_2009/

(Skip to 31 minutes into it and you'll see what I mean)

[Summa]

I would say Seattle, and look into microsoft or one of its pet companies, in terms of programming and graphic design jobs Seattle and LA are among the top. Not sure you would like LA though, full of mexicans, air is like smog, very hot....VERY HOT.

I am inviting, unlike raizin, of foreigners. Also Seattle was deemed the smartest city in the United States and also has the least amount of people under the age of 18 of all major cities n the United States, so it is a more mature population, and quite liberal (if ur a conservative do not come here, it will be hell).

Other places: New York always has a lucrative job market, Boston is similar but not as amazing. I would stay out of the center of the country because it is less focused on technological development and computer based employment. I would go East coast or West coast, not in between.