come february i'm looking to move again and obviously i've already started my apartment hunt research, just checking to see what's out there. it's going to be very hard to beat my last apartment: a gorgeous, bright, airy, cozy studio with a ridiculous amount of closet space on the 23 floor with a spectacular view of nyc! now being i had a view of nyc i obviously wasn't living in manhattan, i was on the outskirts of manhattan a suburban part of the bronx called riverdale. it took about an hour for me to get to midtown manhattan taking the subway or about 30 minutes ($10 one way) if i took the metro north or 15 minute car ride (but i don't have a car so umm yeah). i absolutely loved my neighborhood and being able to step away from the city after a long day of work. while it was easy to get to the city the amount of time sometimes forced me to keep my behind home. so why not move into manhattan if that's where most activities are? umm because with my budget i'm not getting anything other than a shoebox with a roommate in manhattan! which brings me to the struggle of living in nyc. there are so many options that need to be weighed, because unless you are living with beyonce's bank account you are going to have to sacrifice your "wants". how close do you want to be to manhattan? how close to public transportation? roommmates? a closet? are you okay with your bed playing the role of a sofa and dining room table as well (that's a real question)? what's more important space or location?

i've always said i would love to move out of nyc one day even if it's only temporary. with that, i decided to do some apartment hunt research in a few cities that i would love to live! and unlike nyc i decided to search only in downtown portion of these cities, where all the restaurants, bars, things to do, and new homes are. i was shocked and borderline depressed at what i discovered.

take a look at what a $1,500 budget will get you in the heart of major cities around the usa!

charlotte, nc:

price: $1,259

sqft: 1,126

rooms: 2 beds, 2 bath

amenities: pool, gym, business center, residents lounge