Anchorage
Nestled between the glistening water of Cook Inlet and the immense Chugach Mountains, Anchorage is a one-of-a-kind city, and happens to be the thriving capital city of Alaska. With its abundance of urban amenities, lively streets, and beautiful natural landscapes, Anchorage offers a unique atmosphere with scenic views that can’t be beat. Though Anchorage is a bit far from the rest of the country, the Stevens Anchorage International Airport gets residents and visitors easy travels to and from the city. Anchorage features entertainment venues, bars, coffee shops, galleries, specialty shops, and local restaurants. Downtown Anchorage is buzzing with a vibrant nightlife scene and various live performances. If you’re in the mood for food and entertainment, check out Moose’s Tooth, Bear Tooth Theatre, Bear Tooth Grill, and Broken Tooth Brewing. The Alaska Zoo is a wonderful local establishment for family-friendly adventures, and there are plenty of city parks where you can enjoy the city’s beautiful natural terrain like Kincaid Park, a coastal community space with hiking, biking, and skiing trails. There’s nothing quite like the Chugach State Park with its breathtaking coastline, mountains, glaciers, and lakeside views – not to mention the camping and ski areas! Whatever adventure you want to take, Anchorage has it all. And to top it all off, Anchorage boasts surprisingly affordable apartments, houses, condos, and townhomes.
Minneapolis
Boasting an eclectic local culture that combines the best elements of Midwestern personality and metropolitan sophistication, Minneapolis has built a solid reputation as one of the most interesting and exciting cities in the region, and indeed the entire nation. A vibrant urban center in the land of 10,000 lakes, Minneapolis enjoys well-earned attention for its stress-free atmosphere, great bicycling trails, and culturally diverse population. The city’s robust economy has deep roots, with numerous major companies having operated corporate headquarters in the city for decades (in some cases a century or more). In spite of being a major economic hub, the city is full of surprisingly affordable apartments, condos, and rental homes. If you live in Downtown, getting around in winter is never a problem thanks to the skyway system. Connecting on the second floors of all major downtown office and apartment buildings, the skyway system is an innovative hallway network allowing you to walk for miles without ever going outside. The arts scene in Minneapolis is top-notch and wide-ranging. One of the city’s claims to fame is that it has more theater seats per capita than any city outside of New York, and the performing arts community in particular is as active and diverse as they come. Legendary venues like the Guthrie Theater and the First Avenue Nightclub are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to live music, and the city’s colossal network of museums (including landmarks like the Walker Art Center and Minneapolis Institute of Art) is among the best in the United States. Located on the east bank of the Mississippi River, the University of Minnesota has one of the biggest college campuses in the world, and it is surrounded by modern apartments and old mansions – many of which were previously owned by famous Minnesota families like the Pillsbury's – that have been turned into student housing.
Phoenix
Although surrounded by inhospitable desert, Phoenix is one of the largest cities in the United States, and the nation’s single largest state capital city. The area contains numerous galleries and museums, putting the people in contact with everything from the European masters to Native American craftsmanship to modern originals from Phoenix’s diverse artistic community. The Downtown cultural scene has developed into a top-notch feast of visual and performing arts, with symphony performances, live theater, and the popular First Friday exhibitions. Phoenix is also an excellent city for sports fans, being one of the few cities in America with local franchises in the NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL. Several thousand students attend the two Arizona State University campuses in the city, as well as the over-50,000 who attend the main campus in neighboring Tempe. Rental rates for apartments average around $1000 per month, but numerous more affordable options are available all over the city, from quiet houses for rent in the suburbs to downtown efficiency apartments. Getting around Phoenix is typically done by car for most residents, but a light rail system makes it easy to get across town without a personal vehicle; Downtown and its surrounding areas are quite walkable as well.
