#the biggest and gayest power move

[magenta-embers]

My Army Journey

I first heard of K-pop back in 2010 when a friend of mine mentioned being a fan of a group called Shinee, a Korean boyband. We weren't that close, so it's not like she tried to show me anything of theirs. At this time, I was also trying to be less judgy about other people's musical tastes, so even though I found (western) boybands to be cringy, I was pretty indifferent to K-pop out of sheer will.

I didn't really hear about K-pop again until about 2016-2017 as someone in uni. Being chronically online, even then you were bound to come across it on Twitter. I'd see male idols everywhere and they all blended together in my brain, EXCEPT for this one guy named Jimin. I'd recognize him as that pretty one. Didn't even know what group he was from, didn't care.

At this time, my dad also got remarried and suddenly I had a younger step-sister who was into K-Pop. I became curious because this was getting a lot more popular than I remembered it being. My stepsister's favorite group was Seventeen, (cue my teasing: "If they're seventeen, why are there thirteen of them?" "Do they each sing like half a line?" "Which one's Jimin?"). When I brought up Jimin, she did finally confirm he's in BTS. She said BTS and EXO are the biggest, but BTS is overtaking. I asked if BTS are the best, and she no, but they're good. I asked her to show me the gayest music video of theirs (I don't even know why) and she showed me Blood, Sweat & Tears (The Queen herself). The video was cool, Jimin was fkn pretty, but I still didn't delve deeper.

It wasn't until mid-2018 that the rabbit hole shit happened (you know the one. You're all here for the same reason). It was completely on a whim. I saw this photo on Twitter:

I recognized Jimin immediately of course. But this photo got me curious because they all had an interesting look to them and I thought it wasn't fair that I'd ever thought "they all look the same" because they didn't and I felt like I owed it to them to at least do them the respect of learning their damn names (famous goddamn last words, anyone?). Jimin, Joon, Hobi, Yoongi, and Tae (eyebrows man, as I called him) were the easiest to learn in that order. I had a little more trouble telling Jungkook and Jin apart at times. I think I had it down by the time the weekend was over though.

One of the first things I watched was their puppy interview. Crack cocaine. Watched a couple more interviews and then moved onto the beginner guides to BTS, funny and serious. Then, the funny compilation videos set to Nintendo Wii theme music. I didn't even get into the music until way later. The very first BTS song I listened to on my own was Lie. What an introduction lmao. The second was Save Me, and that was the song that made me go, "Yeah okay, they're the real deal" (I also tried listening to EXO and some other groups, but... yeah no). After that, it was just further and further down the rabbit hole.

What was important to me was the quality of lyrical content and the ability to sing live. I couldn't have become a fan if they didn't have those two things down. Little did I know, even that is an underestimation of their abilities and their journey. They constantly blew my mind as I learned about all they do. They're capable of extraordinary things.

Being involved as a fan in a powerful fandom of such a massive group has had its ups and downs, but now I just want them all to come back. I miss them together so much. The fandom's in fragments and sanity is cracking without BTS as a unit.

Next post: Shipping and Jikookery

E.

[qnewslgbtiqa]

Embracing our inner Endora

New Post has been published on https://qnews.com.au/embracing-our-inner-endora/

Embracing our inner Endora

In an era when many of us strive to speak truth to power, I remember my adolescence with fondness, the age when I embraced my inner Endora.

I grew up in a small country town where we all wore basically the same gender-specific clothes, white underwear, and hair cuts—short back and sides for boys, shoulder length for girls.

We were taught good manners. To be polite.

Boys were boys, and girls were girls. They grew up to be men and women, married, and had babies. Rinse and repeat.

No one even wanted to be different because being different was a frightening thing. The anti-establishment counterculture revolutions of the 1960s barely touched us out in the bush.

Bewitched

Luckily, we had television. The television screen revealed the world beyond the outback — a great big, exciting, outrageous world full of colour and life and what I would later know as high camp – and by high camp, I mean Endora on Bewitched.

Bewitched was a 1960s show about a witch named Samantha who marries a mortal. Project Run Gay called it the Gayest Show in the History of Television.

Samantha’s “husbands weren’t much to look at, but she had a fantastic wardrobe, gorgeous hair, her mother was a drag queen, her father was practically an Empress, she was surrounded by Dicks (and switched Dicks whenever she got tired of one), she was cute, everyone loved her, she had a huge secret, and she could do anything she wanted any time she wanted.”

Endora

In contrast to Samantha’s sweetness, her mother, Endora, was the biggest, baddest bitch in the history of witchery.

She wore loud clothes and her makeup landed on her face in such unnatural colours, more spiritual viewers shuddered in fear of biblical plagues. Nothing like a locust plague to ruin your afternoon viewing.

Endora was a witch and she didn’t give a f*ck. She spat at conformity. Yep! She also had terrible manners. Endora wasn’t polite, and she said what she liked.

I adored her.

In high school, my best friend and I grew our hair long. People were horrified. They called us names and told us they didn’t know if we were Arthur or Martha.

We loved it.

But we were, of course, Endora.

I get the conformity thing. We humans originally lived in caves, in tribes and different people were the enemy – a danger – they might steal our food or kill us for our cave. Conformity was our great shield. We were safe with people who looked the same, talked the same and dressed the same. We survived by conforming.

Human populations grew, and we eventually moved out of the caves, but not out of thinking. Authority loves conformity, and power struggles with difference. People gain power by conforming, and they exert that power to make the rest of us conform.

Truth to Power

People of diverse sexualities and gender identities make things messy for power. We don’t fit into nice, tidy boxes, and that threatens authority.

But I say to power, we no longer live in caves. We have discovered our difference and embraced it. We have learned to use our brains—our intelligence—and thinking outside the box has resulted in great advances in our lives.

Diversity and difference is glorious and makes the world a better place. Stop fighting it. Embrace it. Embrace us. You can no longer put us back in the box. We are all Endora.

Coming out to Granny – a personal memoire of the 1970s.

For the latest LGBTIQA+ Sister Girl and Brother Boy news, entertainment, community stories in Australia, visit qnews.com.au. Check out our latest magazines or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

[longlivetheheda]

Aster Flores: You watch- in a couple of years I’m gonna be so sure

Ellie Chu: I’ll see you in a couple years

[insufferable-know-it-all-blog]

A Ranking of the Gayest American Girl Dolls

When it comes to lesbian subtext in the American Girl series, there's so much to unpack. Today I'll be discussing the 6 girls I deem the gayest.

Honorable Mentions

Felicity

Tomboy and horse girl. Has a companion doll. She hates learning etiquette. The Jiggy Nye redemption arc in her series is better than Snape's redemption arc, in my opinion. You may think she’s gayer than an honorable mention, but I think her traits read as “see this is a good and interesting colonist! She’s not like other girls uwu” as opposed to gayness. I am open to debate on the matter.

Addy

Her stories are much higher stakes than most of the other dolls', so the most time we have for subtext comes in her short stories and in her relationship with her friend Sarah. For example: 

An enemies-to-lovers fic where Addy and Harriet are grown up could be veeeery interesting though.

Certified WLW (women-loving women)

6. Molly

Molly's lesbianism is more quantifiable than some of the other dolls. Some contributing factors are:

- bad at math

- lots of internalized self-loathing

- obsessed with her teacher Miss Campbell/daydreams about how pretty she is/snoops into her love life

- her OUTFITS

5. Josefina

Josefina Montoya is a Historical Doll (now called BeForever) from 1824 living in what would later become New Mexico. She's a soft girl with aspirations of becoming a healer. She's scared of goats and has a cool aunt, Tía Dolores.

Much of her stories revolve around adjusting to life after the death of her mother, and her relationship with Tía Dolores.

I don't want to gloss over this: there's a lot of discussion (in the stories and in the historical information at the back of each book) of colonialism and America's treatment of the west and those who live there.

There's also a fair amount of domestic tasks, playing music, and admiring flowers.

tldr; Josefina was the original cottagecore lesbian

4. Julie

If Molly's gayness isn't quite subtext, Julie's is canon. She's so lesbian-coded by way of lesbian stereotypes that I'm surprised a pride flag doesn't come with her accessories.

Julie petitions to join the boys basketball team, becomes an environmental activist, runs for student body president, and attends a Presidential debate. Her mom also has some very gay vibes, being a recently-divorced woman starting a career by opening a resale shop.

Julie lives in 1970s San Francisco and uses her privilege to lift up the voices of others and hold those in power accountable. Julie and her pet rabbit said gay rights.

3. Lindsey

Lindsey is the first Girl of the Year, released in 2001. She was also the first Jewish American Girl Doll. The title of the second chapter of her book is "What a Mess!" A mood. She’s not as well known so I’m going to fill you in a little bit more than with other dolls.

Lindsey is a flaming ball of chaos that ruins everything important to her family (according to herself.) Her story kicks off with her being disgusted to learn that her school is holding a "pet parade," which entails dressing pets up in human clothes and parading them around. She prepares a speech for her class to tell them off, but her teacher shuts her down. Lindsey doesn't take this well. She snatches an iguana and climbs up a tree in protest.

She plays the trumpet in her school band. One day she asks her band teacher if he has a girlfriend and she's very sad to learn he's single. How can he be happy without a woman to take care of him? Projecting much?

Lindsey also befriends a girl who is often bullied in school, cries in the bathroom (a gay ritual), and is told by her uncle, while dancing at her brother's bar mitzvah (post-Matzo ball food fight) that she is not a worm, and despite her chaos, is very loved.

Lindsey knows what she values and will throw food at your face or climb up a tree if you disrespect her. She also craves validation because she feels like a failure due to her unconventional approach to life. A lesbian icon in the making.

2. Kit

Kit spends six books telling you to fuck off with your gender roles, thank you very much. There's a lot of focus on Kit's life as a reporter and what her growing up during the depression will mean for her future expression of identity.

One part of her books that highlights Kit's relationship with gender roles and heteronormativity is when Ruthie reads fairy tales because she likes princesses, but Kit reads Robin Hood because she likes how he steals from the rich to give to the poor and tricks a sheriff. While Kit could become a case of "I'm not like other girls," I think this is avoided by her close friendship with Ruthie. She doesn't necessarily look down on traditional women's roles, she simply has other ambitions.

So yes, this part of her story is important, but what really sells it for me is her longing for adventure and her passion for baseball and Amelia Earhart.

Also? Her bomb outfits.

At one point, Kit gets anxious and hides under her porch. A lesbian oasis.

Kit is a practical and clever young lady with a bright future ahead of her. Keep up the great work, you icon.

1. Samantha

I have read, with my own two eyes, people calling Samantha a homophobe. Please.... I am so tired. Do not underestimate her like that. Let's dive in to the biggest lesbian of the bunch: Samantha Parkington.

Okay so first of all her series begins with her falling out of a tree and sassing her sexist Grandmary. From there, she grows close to Cornelia, her Uncle's girlfriend, who is involved in the fight for women's rights in the city. Samantha is heavily influenced by her and through the books, develops many of the same opinions.

When an Irish girl (Nellie) moves in next door to become a servant to Eddie Ryland's family, Samantha befriends her and teaches her to read. She never speaks down to Nellie or looks at herself as a savior, she just acts on what she thinks is right. The "Looking Back" sections of Samantha's books cover topics like social progress for women, the wealth gap, the treatment of servants, and the disparity in education between classes.

While Samantha follows in Cornelia's path, she also forms her own ideas. For instance: Samantha wins an essay contest with her essay on progress in American factories, and why America is excellent for such progress. When she shows Nellie her winning essay, Nellie tells her that it doesn't represent the truth of factories. Samantha sets out to uncover the truth about child labor that many Proud Americans have kept hidden. She decides she can't read her winning essay, so she changes it and calls out those who condone unfair labor in factories.

Samantha respects every person she comes across and always sees herself as an equal, not a superior. (Except her asshole neighbor, Eddie Ryland. He can choke!) Like Julie, Samantha uses her privilege to bring accountability to oppressors and fight for what's right.

Samantha loves women and won't rest until they all live safe, healthy, and happy lives. She questions the status-quo. She seeks revenge on the men who have made girls' lives hell. And she really loves her Uncle Gard and Aunt Cornelia. And climbing trees.

I imagine Samantha growing up and moving to New York City, hanging out in lesbian-owned speakeasies, and becoming a Mae West stan.

I'd love to hear your thoughts about American Girl subtext on twitter! If you enjoyed this article, please share it with a friend or two! Thank you for supporting an independent writer and American Girl stan.

[tulipq]

Thoughts after She Ra season 4

Spoilers ahead!

Okay, so first of all, I want the "Entrapta, Scorpia, and Double Trouble Adventures" to be a spin off show. Entrapta and Scorpia are honest and pure heroes, while Double Trouble is the amazing rogue/bard of the party. I have no idea what enemies they could end up fighting, but it feels like room for amazing chemistry.

Next, Shadow Weaver is still somehow the biggest threat to the world. Hoard Prime can probably be shot with a giant magic laser that makes his army cease to be unified under him and liberates them into independence like how Hordak managed to become his own person and even started to have feels of affection towards Entrapta. But Shadow Weaver will STILL be so shitty about wanting power that she will choose to endanger the universe just to watch the bombs go off.

Building on the Hoard/Hordak thing, I imagine whatever Prime did failed partially because the part of the suit he attacked wasn't configured like he would have expected. Hordak is almost certainly a better craftsman than Prime and Entrapta was beyond even Hordak as an engineer. Trying to hack someone's brain by attacking a machine built by your betters is going to be messy and Hordak's episodic memory is probably just suppressed instead of destroyed.

I am really interested to see what Adora, sans sword, is like. We know she can still channel the power of Etheria, and Madam Razz plus how Light Hope grabbed baby Adora seems to indicate there is some measure of time wonk to that magic, so there might be an "Omega 13" moment coming, where Adora basically hits a limit break that lets her undo some amount of time in order to win. I can't imagine this will be a free and easy thing, and if I had to guess I bet it will trap her in the distant past or something, but sacrifices made to set the world right ought to be tragic things.

Also, Glimmer and Catra is the new gayest thing in the universe. Childhood friends of Adora and Catra have clearly moved on from each other, and Catra is too codependent and toxic to not latch on to the nearest cute girl with some damage going on.

Finally, SOOOO HYPED FOR MORE DOUBLE TROUBLE ACTION. Someone please just let Jacob Tobia do a double casting in Much Ado About Noting, I don't even care if the performance eats up a quarter of the next season. They are so amazing as a person and I want more of them!

[cafedisco3]

BOY’S CRY

Before sharing his story with the world and becoming one of the most important artists of our time, Frank Ocean was a high school graduate in New Orleans scouring for jobs to pay for studio time to record his potential projects. In August 2005, Hurricane Katrina wreaked havoc across the region, provoking Ocean’s move from New Orleans to Los Angeles, California. It was in California that Frank eventually found his opening into the music industry. Landing a songwriting deal, he began ghostwriting for many of the biggest artists we know today: Justin Bieber (“Bigger”, 2008) and Beyoncé (“I Miss You”, 2009). In 2009, he started working with Odd Future, specifically Tyler, the Creator - one of his best friends, who played a pivotal role in encouraging him to continue writing songs, but for himself. Through Odd Future, Frank was able to meet Producer, Tricky Stewart who eventually introduced him to an American Record Label: Def Jam Recordings. Though this deal was meant to serve as his platform for releasing music, out of frustration he released his first mixtape, nostalgia, ULTRA, for free download on Tumblr. Frank explained that he was frustrated with the label for not being supportive of his efforts after signing. Regardless of the heightened tension in Frank’s relationship with the label, this mixtape ignited the spark of his fame to follow. Frank’s pilot success with this mixtape allowed his standing to grow tremendously, eliciting feature requests from A-listers such as Jay-Z and Kanye West, but for the most part, Frank remained highly selective with his craft and unwaveringly loyal to Tyler and Odd Future. 

This origin story is only the tip of the elusive iceberg that is Frank Ocean. Since before the days of nostalgia, ULTRA, Frank has been selective with his public interactions. Once a ghostwriter for pop stars and then a secret weapon among Odd Future’s large roster, playing the background seemed to come naturally to him. However, the star within him proved too bright to contain. Still, since his rise in stature, rather than outwardly embracing the fame that was guaranteed, he chose instead to remain guarded with his art and protective of his image. Over time, this has allowed him to meticulously reveal himself on his own terms, using his art as a way to give insight into his identity. It was only when speculations about his sexuality began to circle through the hip-hop and pop community prior to the release of his debut studio album, channel ORANGE, that the once-guarded artist decided to become candid in a way he never previously attempted; on his Tumblr, through an open letter to his fans titled Thank You, Frank went on to reveal his bisexaulity:  

Credit: http://frankocean.tumblr.com/post/26473798723

I don’t think I’m exaggerating in the slightest when I say that this letter was a beautiful, poetic exemplification of love. In typical Frank fashion, it wasn’t an overt admission of anything, because there isn’t anything to admit. We are who we are, and according to Frank, that is “human beings spinning on blackness”. According to Frank we are a lot more alike than we are different, regardless of our race, cultures or sexual identity. He chose to focus on what makes us all similar as humans, and if he revealed or confirmed something about himself that wasn’t clear to you in the process, then so be it. His sexuality wasn’t the point of the letter. The letter was about empathy and love. The letter was about being human. In an era were child-suicide rates were increasingly linked to homophobia and transphobia, especially in black and latino communities, Frank used his story to humanize those who had been historically demonized. 

This letter birthed a chapter for Frank’s influence. When channel ORANGE arrived that following summer, these feelings of self-discovery through heartache and unrequited love reverberated all throughout the tracklist. The album itself was named after the summer detailed in his letter, the summer during which he first fell in love with another man. Frank dropping this album and his Thank You letter was powerful, valiant move. He cut through the lingering homophobia of the time and crafted a tale of perseverance and acceptance. This album allowed me, someone with completely different experiences, to appreciate his journey. He successfully detached himself from the increasingly materialistic world of the music industry and turned his art into statements that effectively captured the current state of the human condition.

There are two songs off of channel ORANGE that I believe are worth highlighting. The first is “Bad Religion”: 

Taxi driver Be my shrink for the hour Leave the meter running It's rush hour So take the streets if you wanna Just outrun the demons, could you He said "Allahu akbar", I told him don't curse me “Bo Bo, you need prayer,” I guess it couldn't hurt me If it brings me to my knees It's a bad religion This unrequited love To me it's nothing but a one-man cult And cyanide in my Styrofoam cup I can never make him love me Never make him love me Love It's a bad religion To be in love with someone Who could never love you I know Only bad religion Could have me feeling the way I do

This is a story of longing, of internal conflict and crippling self-doubt. With no one to turn to, Frank resigns to confessing his deepest, most closely guarded truths in the backseat of a taxi, and his thoughts betray the confidence that many of his fans may have prematurely branded him with. These confessional thoughts instead show him in his most fragile state, one in which he seems internalize years of homophobic rhetoric. The stigma that homosexaulity or sexual fluidity is a sin, is amoral, and requires prayer and absolution is so deeply ingrained in society that Frank doesn’t even flinch when the taxi driver basically tells him to pray away his desires. Instead, he chooses grasp onto the suggestion, wondering if maybe he should find a way to detach himself from the unrequited love that has brought him so much pain - whether through religion or drugs. This song is a heart-wrenching discussion of the internal struggle felt by Frank throughout the journey detailed in his letter. Frank’s lyrics expertly navigate self-hate and heartbreak, and his execution features a stunning vocal performance that evokes a deep, soulful pain that feels universally applicable to all humans. 

The second song of importance would be “Forrest Gump”: 

I wanna see your pom poms from the stands Come on, come on My fingertips, and my lips, they burn From the cigarettes Forrest Gump you run my mind boy Running on my mind boy Forrest Gump I know you Forrest I know you wouldn't hurt a beetle But you're so buff, and so strong I'm nervous Forrest Forrest Gump My fingertips, and my lips, they burn From the cigarettes Forrest Gump you run my mind boy Running on my mind boy Forrest Gump I saw ya game, Forrest I was screamin' run 44 But you kept runnin' past the end zone Oh where'd you go Forrest Forrest Gump

If “Bad Religion” - and “Thinkin’ Bout You” before it - were subtle allusions to his bisexuality, “Forrest Gump”, the penultimate track on channel ORANGE, would be the unabashed coming out party. In this song, Frank beautifully covers the timeless love story from the film, Forrest Gump, but through Jenny’s perspective - one that he clearly relates to on a visceral level. In the movie, Jenny and Forrest don’t end up together - but neither did Frank and his love at 19 years of age. In a very literal sense, Forrest Gump is used as a metaphor for a man running away from Frank - referring to the different paths taken by him and the man he fell in love - and this story is another example of unrequited love. But it’s uptempo nature and Frank’s equally light singing paints it in a much different light than “Bad Religion”. Here, there is no self-doubt and he seems to believe the experience of the fling was worth it. It’s the bright result of having grappeld with his emotions throughout the album’s more dark spots. This is essentially Frank fully submerging into his new lifestyle that he explains in his letter as being “a free man”. Similar to his letter, Frank is grateful for the man he fell in love with, regardless of the outcome. 

Despite this album being such a bold statement on his part, highlighting him as an artist that will stand the test of time, I’ve always felt as if its slow and melancholic vibes represent a shyer, younger Frank Ocean. Since releasing his letter and reinventing himself as a free man, the outward projection of his confidence has considerably escalated. Four years after channel ORANGE the fans were finally given a second and third album, simultaneously: Endless and Blonde. I personally cherished these albums, not expecting any new music for yet another few years, but just as I was getting used to the idea of no new Frank music, he released a single on his Beats 1 radio show, Blonded Radio: Chanel. Chanel was released in March 2017, and I can’t think of any way to describe the start of the song, besides epic:

My guy pretty like a girl And he got fight stories to tell I see both sides like Chanel

See on both sides like Chanel

 The Undefeated’s online music review of this song describes these first few lyrics in the following manner: “The boastful first few bars of Ocean’s new song might be the coldest, gayest, and most securely masculine flex in the history of rap. Elegant and mellow, the song’s lyrics read as a deliberate ode to duality and non-heteronormative binaries - an ambition, that since the death of Prince Rogers Nelson, is sorely missed in black music”. Whether I’ve convinced you or not, I truly believe Frank Ocean is an icon. He has made tremendous strides through his music and personal life and his consistently made choices that have positively influenced millions. As a visionary and genius, he’s stood out not only as a singer, but as a writer, a visual artist, and an activist. 

Credit: https://www.gq.com/story/frank-ocean-is-peerless

[zwei-the-penguin-with-a-pen]

‘Pearl of the Stars’

"I know you guys love my so-called 'greatest hits', but would you mind if I performed something new?" Blake asked her small, cozy audience at the Beastly Beans coffee shop. The whole place cheered and whistled for Blake, making the catgirl blush ten shades of red.

Ilia smiled at her from behind the counter as she finished blending a smoothie for a parakeet faunus woman. The bird lady threw Ilia a nice tip, thanking her again. Ilia thanked her customer back, tossing the stray Lien bill into her jar. Her tip jar looked stunning tonight. Then again, lots of her better customers made the scene to listen to Blake.

"This next one is about two women: the one that I thought would be the only woman I'd ever love, and the one who I love even more. I guess you could say it's two poems that run together. I like to call it 'Rainbow Hearts'!" Blake announced.

"BLAKE THAT'S GAY!!" Kobalt, Ilia's coworker, and Blake's biggest fan yelled from behind the counter. Blake smirked. Ilia facepalmed at her idiot coworker.

"I certainly hope so, Kobalt. That's what I'm going for..." Blake retorted. The whole coffeehouse laughed at the reply. "Anyway..."

So my descriptive powers could use a little work

But her lilac eyes and the slightest hairpin curve

Of her soft lips when she smiled at me were the best and worst

It's difficult to forget exactly how much it hurt

When up and away from me the dragon flew so far

The golden mane of Dragonfire took away my heart

She was the only one I ever let kiss my scars

Until I found my Rainbow, my Pearl of the Stars

The scales upon her skin shine a brighter gold

Than the dragon's dim blaze, if I may be so bold

She warms my very soul and my skin when it's cold

And seeing her happy is a wonder to behold

Because amber is the color of her energy

A shade of gold playing naturally

The way that her skin changes color so magically

I'm honestly still surprised that she ever came back to me

Blood still rushes to my head as I'm seeing her

She turned my philophobia into heart-philia

It's a colorful adventure when I'm near to ya

My heart belongs to Amitola, a rainbow named Ilia

"... I don't know if you should thank me or my girlfriend for that one..." Blake mused as she finished her poem. The entire coffeehouse cheered for her, standing and clapping. "Hey, Reptile! They really like it!" Blake mentioned to Ilia, who was blushing brightly. Her entire top half had turned red.

"I don't think anyone liked it as much as Ilia did, Blakey!" Kobalt called back to Blake when Ilia could not respond. Blake laughed as Ilia came to her senses. She changed her skin back to its usual tan.

"Anyway, that's all the mind vomit that I have for you all. I know this place has to close sooner or later. I was Blake Belladonna, and thank you for having me. It was a terrible choice, but I'm glad you made it all the same." Everyone cheered as Blake bowed courteously and left the stage. She took up a seat at a table in case anyone had anything for her to sign.

Ilia wished she could sit with her, but she still had orders to prepare and chores to finish. At least her line was getting smaller and smaller. There were plenty of smoothies mixed already since that's usually what the later crowds ordered. Not many folks wanted coffee so late in the day.

The next person in her line ordered the most difficult coffee they could possibly order. As Ilia typed the order into her computer, she realized that there wasn't actually any coffee in it; just a bunch of flavor enhancers. Ilia resisted the urge to roll her eyes and got to work on the meticulous beverage. A shot of this, a drip of that, a sprinkle of these, a drizzle of those, yadda yadda yadda, and BOOM: an overpriced coffee that wasn't even actually coffee.

She passed the drink to the tigress who'd purchased it. The striped woman grinned and gave Ilia a monumental tip. Ilai's eyes turned to stars as she fervently thanked the woman for her generous tip. The tigress only smiled and nodded.

"Yo, Scale Face! Don't forget that part of that is mine!" Kobalt nicked. Ilia laughed at him.

"My extremely difficult coffee, my gigantic tip!" She joked, tossing the money into the jar. The wolf boy huffed and puffed, pouting for good measure. "Oh, come on, Wolfsbane! You know I'd never take your money. How could you buy things for Cynnamyn then?"

"That boy can buy himself a new squeeze if he keeps acting up! Don't ever date a bug faunus if you can help it." Kobalt huffed again. Ilia rolled her eyes.

"You say that at least twice a week, but then he puts it on you really well and you forget about it!" Kobalt almost spat out his drink at that. Ilia winked at him.

"Don't make me waste a perfectly good smoothie with your filthy mouth! I don't talk about you and Blake's sexy time in front of customers!"

"You better not talk about it at all, because I know Ilia doesn't tell any of my secrets, Wolfy." The color left Kobalt's face as he heard Blake say that. She smiled at the wolf boy and ordered her favorite tea. "So you and your spider boy are still doing okay?" She asked her favorite wolf. He made a hand motion and went into a story Ilia had heard a million times that day.

\/\/\/\/\/

Blake and Ilia crashed into Blake's bed after a shower. The two of them snuggled up close as they watched a drama show on Blake's small TV. It was more background noise for Blake, as she was content looking at Ilia.

"I can't believe you wrote me a poem and performed it before you even told me. You made me blush in front of every hipster in Menagerie, Shadow." Ilia mused, kissing Blake's forehead. Blake smiled against Ilia's chest, her breathing giving Ilia goosebumps.

"You could say 'Thank You', Rainbow," Blake said, kissing Ilia's sternum. Ilia could hardly stand that, but she powered through her bodily reactions.

"I did, I'm just still being dramatic about it." Ilia rubbed her face in Blake's hair, the catgirl's ears tickling her face.

"Ilia, you have the most beautiful scales ever."

'Thanks, I grew them myself." The two girls shared a laugh at that.

"I especially love these ones on your belly." Blake poked one of Ilia's scales and watched it perk up in reaction. "They're almost like tummy freckles!" She said, kissing one of the scales for a long moment. This drove Ilia wild, but she didn't let Blake know that... yet. Blake continued kissing her way around Ilia's belly.

"Blake, that's the gayest thing I've ever seen, and I work with Kobalt almost every day," Ilia joked. Blake smirked.

"I could just stop..."

"DON'T YOU DARE!" Ilia yelled. Blake laughed as she kissed more and more scales, moving steadily lower as she kissed.

"Thank you again for the poem, Shadow. It was incredible. I love you."

"You're welcome, Reptile. I love you too."

Blake's next kiss was the last scale on Ilia's belly, but that would not make her last kiss by any means.

\/\/\/\/\/

\/\/\/\/\/

\/\/\/\/\/

Day 8: An Antagonist

I mean, Ilia USED TO BE an antag, right?

Nah, I just wanted an excuse to write Calico / Catmeleon / Black Rainbow

Also an excuse to use my ‘tummy freckles’ shitpost was good, too.

[ermalmeta]

i was tagged by @willevince​, thanks!!

RULES: answer the 11 questions. Make 11 of your own and tag 11 people!

(okay i’m like halfways through the questions and sto scrivendo la divina commedia so i’ll put this under a cut)

1. If you could change one thing in your life, what would it be and why? as shitty as it might sound, i would want my father to be away from me. i don’t want him dead, just away from me.

2. If you were given three wishes, what would you ask for and why? good question. 1, to be in the point of my transition i want to be in now. which means be on testosterone and have had top surgery. might seem like a shallow wish, but other trans people would understand that it’s not just a matter of how you look. dysphoria upsets me greatly and if i could already be transitioning, i would be a happier, healthier person. 2, to live near my boyfriend. not sure if with my boyfriend, maybe we’re both not ready for that, but at least like... not live on opposite parts of the world. because as much as i believe in long distance relationship and our relationship is great, it’d be so much better if i could be physically near him whenever we both want and need to be. 3, for all my mental health issues to be... not gonna say cured because i’m not sure i want that. i just want my mental illnesses under control. i want to not be so affected by them. i want to be sure i won’t end up in the hospital with tubes in my stomach or whatever again after a moment of weakness (or courage, honestly not sure), you know.

3. Imagine you found out the world is gonna end in one hour, what would be the last things you do? realistically speaking, i would probably just be really quiet, hug my cat if i were able to do that and do whatever the people around me told me to do. i’m not good with endings, i don’t know what to do when i have to say goodbye, i would just suck at like... doing what i would want to do, because i wouldn’t know what that’d be.

4. What is the one artist/band/actor/whatever that touched you the most/changed your life? How did they do it? honestly, this is a hard question to answer, because i have to pick just one. i’ve had various people be that one person (or people, whatever) in different times in my life. pippo inzaghi, marco mengoni, fernando torres, doors, heath ledger, muse, petrarca (shut up i know i’m lame), twenty one pilots... a lot. i’ve kinda always needed someone to be my reason to go on, my reason to be strong, all that. BUT okay i need to answer the question. i can’t pick one though because it’s 2 people and they both changed my life. so, first: steven gerrard. he honestly was, is and always will be my hero. i’ve been a liverpool fan for 10 years and although the very first reason why i started watching lfc games wasn’t stevie (that’s how i call him, that’s how we fans call him so i’ll call him that from now on), he was a huge factor in why i stayed with this club. and believe me, i stayed through really tough times. now, you might think, what could a football player possibly do to change your life so much that he ends up being in this answer? the thing is, it’s not one thing stevie did, it’s just the way he is. the person he is. because that’s what is most important about him to me, although he also is my favorite football player ever, it’s him as a human being. he wasn’t afraid of showing his weaknesses, but at the same time, being a leader of his team, of being strong for himself and for others. he was always the one to metterci la faccia (idk how to translate, the one who stands up for something?). he deals (or dealt, mostly, i think) with anxiety and it was known among fans of english football, journalists, everyone, he seeked help for his mental health issues. that meant so much to me especially some years ago when i first heard about this, because i myself struggled (i still do) a lot but couldn’t talk about it with anyone. now i’m gonna tell you about a really personal thing, also trigger warning for self harm ahead, but i think it really shows how much stevie has helped me. so, i’ve struggled with self harm for 5 years now. but the first time i wanted to hurt myself was more than 5 years ago. i was laying in my bed and i just couldn’t stop thinking about it, i couldn’t move, i couldn’t cry, anything. then i looked up at my wall and saw a picture of steven gerrard that i had there. i still couldn’t move or do anything, but i remember i was like, no, no, no. don’t do it. he wouldn’t want you to. after a bit it was my cat who came to me and managed to make me come out of that state completely, i hugged her and felt better. after that, thinking about him has saved me from hurting myself countless times. i did eventually, as i said, give in. but still, even now, he helps with not relapsing sometimes. he’s just so important to me, i want to write a million things but i already wrote too much. sorry about that. and since i already wrote too much, i won’t talk about the second person, i mean you all know how much he means to me and if you wanna know more, shoot me an ask. it’s ermal meta obviously. seriously, if i start talking about him i will never shut up. so i’ll save you all from it.

5. Imagine you were given the power to rule over your country singlehandedly, what would you change first and why? god do you know how fucked up italy is, how am i supposed to choose, what the fuck. i think i would simply put in positions of power people who actually care about the citizens and actually know what they’re doing, because i’m not the right person to rule over a country. but also first i would just finally fucking give lgbt+ people fucking equal rights because come the fuck on we EXIST

6. Do you think it’s more important to love or to be loved? Why? i think in a healthy relationship of any kind, you need to have both. you need to love and be loved. but i think that when you’re growing up, when you’re a kid, it’s more important to be loved. especially by your parents or guardians. because if those people don’t love you, it’s gonna fuck you up long term.

7. If you could have one and any super power (mind reading, flying, teleporting, laser beams shooting out of your eyes…) which would you choose and why? turning invisible because i wouldn’t have to worry about how other people see me and my body, i could take a bus without my mind screaming at me “see, no one here sees you as a man so you’re clearly Not Trans Enough” and shit like that. also i could probably sneak into some places like concerts... but i would feel too guilty to do that honestly dfjsjk

8. What is your favorite movie and why? What does it mean to you? i don’t think i have one DEFINITIVE favorite movie, but right now it’s moonlight. because it tells an important story and it tells it in a brilliant way, with amazing cinematography and acting. it’s not really about me because i’m white and the characters being black is a core part of the movie, but i’m a gay man and it means a lot to me to see stories about gay people. (and black gay people need stories like this one)

9. Imagine for one night everything is legal (woo, Purge!), what would you do, if anything? Why? i would vandalize salvini’s house with the gayest shit i could think of i would do more serious damage to him because he deserves the worst but i’m not a violent person like i literally would not be able to and i would do the same to fontana’s house and every single homophobic, racist, fascist piece of shit in this fucking country. why? i mean, do i need to explain?

10. What do you desire the most and why? freedom. freedom from my father, freedom to be myself, freedom from my “demons”. just freedom. because i’ve felt trapped for as long as i can remember and for as long as i can remember when i thought about what i wanted all i could think of was ‘to be free’. i’ve tried to be free in ways that were just bad for myself. but i’m still not free. perché la libertà è sacra come il pane.

11. Is there anything you need to get off your chest right now? ... don’t get me started. i feel like no one cares about me and how i feel, to sum it up

MY QUESTIONS:

what’s the most important lesson you’ve learned in your life so far?

would you rather learn and be fluent in a language in one day or learn how to play an instrument perfectly in one day?

what’s your favorite movie genre? why?

one of my favorite lyrics is “in una spiaggia resta unico ogni granello di sabbia” (“in a beach every grain of sand remains unique”). what do you think about it?

what’s your biggest regret?

if you could tell the person or people who’s hurt you the most in your life everything you want or have always wanted to tell them, what would you say to them?

what’s a book that you couldn’t stop thinking about for hours after you read it and why?

do you have any song lyrics tattooed? if so, which one(s)? if not, would you like to someday?

are you a person who cries a lot? do you think there can be strength in crying?

what’s the best purchase you’ve ever made?

think about this last year. have you changed? how so? and do you like that you’ve changed?

i tag @biziometa, @italiangorilla, @tanhaiyaan, @the-infamous-wine-bottle, @kseniazhuk, @f-michielin, @carometamoro, @ermal-metal, @etalambda, @gentlepluck and @pensierieforme

[realisticallycynical]

Ace

part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5, part 6, part 7 (you are here), part 8, part 9, based on @skygemspeaks‘s prompt

Tetsurou won’t lie; he’s curious about this man, Lev’s father. He’s only ever met Lev’s uncles; usually it’s the blond, Yuri, but Otabek has shown up once or twice since that first time, and on one memorable occasion a man with even stranger hair than Kenma had shown up. Lev had (predictably) tackled him in a hug and introduced him as Uncle Kenjirou.

Honestly, Tetsurou has been starting to wonder if the kid’s parents are ever home, if he has so many uncles that seem to take care of him. But Lev seems happy enough, so he minded his own business.

Now they’re here. They’ve met one of Lev’s dads (he’s exactly what Tetsurou expected). Now they’re here, in the back of quite possibly the gayest car Tetsurou has ever had the privilege of seeing, much less sitting in, and they’re on their way to Lev’s house, which… come to think of it, none of them have seen in the month and a half they’ve known each other.

Yaku looks mightily uncomfortable, which is amusing enough in itself to make this trip worth it. Not to mention that since they’re being given a ride, Kenma has the chance to nap on Tetsurou’s shoulder without Tetsurou having to carry him.

He loves Kenma, he really does, but carrying him home when he’s dead asleep is a serious workout.

“Thank you again for all this, Haiba-san,” Tetsurou remembers to say, looking at the man as Kenma slumps on his shoulder, half asleep already.

“Thanks…” he murmurs in exhaustion.

Tetsurou knows he’s not imagining the way Lev and his father stiffen momentarily, and he wonders what he did wrong for the split second it takes for them to relax.

Lev’s dad waves him off with a light chuckle. “It’s nothing, not a problem at all! Lev never brings friends home. I’m Victor Katsuki-Nikiforov, by the way. Not Haiba. But you can all call me Victor!”

Oh. So that’s what he fucked up. The Haiba name is probably from Lev’s (and his sister’s, Tetsurou reasons) biological parents. “Ah, I’m sorry.”

Still, just like that time with Otabek, he gets the feeling that there’s more to Victor’s words than he lets on. Lev seems like the type of guy who would have had sleepovers and birthday parties held at his home whenever possible, but apparently not. Something just seems… off.

Victor keeps up a steady chatter with Lev as they drive, rambling about America and training and all the presents they got for him this time around. Lev responds with just as much enthusiasm, telling his father about his time at school and volleyball practice. Tetsurou occasionally chimes to playfully take him down a peg in if Lev oversells his skills.

It doesn’t take long for the car to stop, but when it did, Tetsurou isn’t exactly sure what he’s seeing. He’s always figured that Lev’s family was fairly well-off, especially since they were always off in other countries and his uncle was a model for the biggest fashion magazine in the world. But given the (admittedly small) amount of information he has about Victor, he was expecting something… flashier.

The house is incredibly nice, don’t get him wrong, but Tetsurou would have expected either a mansion or a cottage (because that’s the type of things rich people are into, right? pretending not to be rich?) and this place is neither. It’s modern, but blends in nicely with the neighborhood; had they not stopped in front of it, Tetsurou wouldn’t have thought it different from any other building on this street.

When Yaku, Lev, and Victor open their doors to get out of the car, Tetsurou nudges Kenma awake gently. “Hey. We’re here, come on.”

“Mm? Oh.” Kenma looks at him and blinks sleepily. “Ok.”

By the time they get out of the car, Lev is already unlocking the front door. Kenma wakes up fairly quickly, but sticks close to Tetsurou all the same. Tetsurou can’t blame him; from what they’ve been able to tell, Lev’s family members are very… unique. As long as they stick close together, Tetsurou can make them a quick getaway if it’s too much for Kenma.

“I’m home!” Lev announces cheerily, stepping in first. Victor follows and the rest of them trail in with quiet “sorry for the intrusion”s. Kenma tucks both of his hands in his sweatshirt pocket, and Tetsurou knows he’s messing with his cubes. He doesn’t like outings like this much.

“Lyovochka!” Someone barrels into Lev with all the speed and power of a bullet, lifting him in a tight, spinning hug.

As he’s set down, Lev giggles-- giggles! --at the girl who just attacked him with arguably the most enthusiastic hug Tetsurou has ever seen. “Lisichka! Why didn’t you all tell me you were taking an earlier flight? I would have come home!”

“It was Dad’s idea to surprise you since you’ve been having so much fun without us and--”

“Congrats on finally getting gold at worlds--”

The two of them chatter over each other for a moment before the girl fixes her gaze on the three of them. She looks friendly, but guarded. Distrustful.

“These are your friends from volleyball?”

Lev blinks, looking unsure of how to respond to that (which is a mystery in itself; Tetsurou was fairly sure he thought of them all as friends), but that was when Yaku finally decided to speak up.

“That’s right.” Lev’s face brightens like a cloud moving away from the sun, but Yaku continues. “My name is Morisuke Yaku, I’m the team’s--”

“Libero. Yes, I know you, Yaku-san.” The woman looks at him carefully before turning her gaze to Tetsurou and Kenma. “You’re Kenma-san and captain-san, right? Lev has told us all about you.”

Tetsurou can’t help it; he snorts in amusement and holds out his hand for the woman to shake. Captain-san? Really, Lev? “I’m Kuroo Tetsurou, also known as captain-san.”

The woman shakes his hand, but doesn’t lose her guarded, polite expression. Considering what he’s suspecting about Lev before he came to Nekoma (given all these odd reactions to their team’s relationship with Lev, Tetsurou has a few puzzle pieces that are fitting together to form a picture that makes his blood boil) he doesn’t expect her to lose that defensiveness any time soon, and he isn’t taking it personally. If he’s even partially right, she’s right not to.

“Haiba Alisa,” she says as she shakes Tetsurou’s hand. “I’m Lev’s older sister.”

Victor has disappeared into the next room with Lev. Alisa leads Tetsurou, Kenma, and Yaku after them into a frankly massive kitchen and dining room. “I’ll have dinner ready soon, so just make yourselves at home in the meantime.”

She approaches the slightly shorter, black-haired man standing at the stove. “Papa, I’ll take over from here. Go meet Lev’s friends, I know you’re dying to.”

The man hands her the spatula without argument and turns to them, smiling. He has an innocent sort of face, Tetsurou notices, with wide eyes and longish black hair that falls gently over his glasses. He smiles at them, not bright like his son or husband, but calm. Happy.

He bows. “I am Yuuri. Welcome, I hope you like food because I may have gone slightly overboard.”

Tetsurou’s eyes widen in surprise. He looks over at Yaku, who looks back at him, equally amazed. They’re thinking the same thing. How on earth is this one of the members of this crazy family?

When Yuuri straightens out again and notices their surprise, he laughs, quiet and musical. “You’re wondering why they keep someone like me around, right?” His eyes glint mischievously. “Well, to be honest, they all just latched on and wouldn’t let go no matter what I tried.”

“Yuu-ri, why are you so mean?” Victor whines, wrapping his arms around his husband and pouting. Lev and Alisa make an offended noise, but don’t seem particularly upset.

Yuuri rolls his eyes fondly, but pays him no mind, and Tetsurou gets the feeling this is a fairly normal occurrence. “So! You’re members of the volleyball team, right?”

“Yes sir,” Yaku says politely. “I’m Yaku Morisuke, the libero.”

He looks at Tetsurou expectantly, but Tetsurou sees the expression in Yuuri’s eyes. “You already know all of our names and positions, don’t you sir?”

At that, Yuuri bursts out laughing and Lev blushes on the other side of the room.

“I’m sorry, that was very rude of me,” he says, giggling. “But you’re right, Kuroo-kun. Lev tells us all about his teammates over video chat.”

Oh, Tetsurou loves this guy. He’s tricky. “Let me guess. Yaku is the short angry one, Kenma has ‘really cool hair’ and I’m the captain-san that’s always with Kenma.”

Yuuri nods in amusement when Lev squeaks in embarrassment. “You know him very well, Kuroo-kun.”

Tetsurou can read Yaku like a book and the look he sends Lev promises hours of receiving drills in the next few days for that description of him. It’s funny though; of the members of the team, Yaku is the most (secretly) fond of Lev. Which, Tetsurou suspects, is the reason he puts the poor kid through the ringer so often.

The next hour continues like that, with most of them poking fun at Lev and his family catching him up. Yaku, Tetsurou, and Kenma are shot the occasional question about how Lev is in volleyball (“I’m the ace!” “No, that’s Kuroo.” “So mean, Yaku-san!”) and how he is in school (surprisingly well; despite being a completely oblivious airhead, Lev takes his studies seriously, Tetsurou has noticed), as well as how he’s getting along with everyone.

After they finish eating, Alisa pulls Tetsurou aside and asks to speak with him privately.

“Look, Kuroo-san. I like you. You seem like a great guy and you have a sense of responsibility. So I’m going to trust you with this.”

The conversation that follows makes the final puzzle piece click into place, and Tetsurou can’t remember the last time he was so angry to be right about something. But he shoves that aside and reassures Alisa that her brother is in good hands before they go inside and rejoin the group.

[viigil]

— ✧ HAYLEY KIYOKO?, NO, THAT’S JUST MAKI XAVIER LEHNSHERR! THEY’RE THE TWENTY FIVE YEAR OLD DAUGHTER OF CHARLES XAVIER & ERIK LEHNSHERR. THEY ARE ALSO AN ASSISTANT TEACHER I HEAR THEY’RE CONSIDERATE & DEBONAIR BUT TEND TO BE CLOSED OFF & JUVENILE. HER FILE SAYS THAT HER POWER IS SUPERHUMAN SPEED. 

what’s crack’a’lackin’? i’m rizzo and this is my tiny v fast babe maki.. one of the xavier lehnsherr kids. let me tell u a little bit bout this zoom machine.

maki had the sweetest little family tbh to begin with. they moved to the states from japan when maki was v young.. to new york where her mother had gotten a better job. many things were rly going great for the little family. 

maki always knew about her mutation.. often using it to beat the boys in school races, even if it was just speeding by so slightly. 

she also used to be the biggest parkour fanatic and recorded her stuff on an old video recorder, daring herself more and more with each take.

of course.. with two humans.. giving birth to this seemingly normal baby girl.. damn right they freaked out when one day she ran out of school, faster that the speed of slight, knocking her father over with the sheer force of speed.

her parents, having already lost their late son due to a mutant who wasn’t in control of it’s powers and caused an explosion in the city, causing the subways he was riding home to collapse.. were quick to turn on little maki, seeing her nothing more than a monster.

after this, maki gave up alot of things she liked... such as running.. the parkour.. going out very much in general.. she just felt like a monster.

they were hell bent on giving maki up to the adoption system, but..  two men came to maki’s house about three days before her parents were to hand her over to state. one charles xavier and erik lehnsherr from the xavier institute for gifted youngsters informed maki’s parents that their daughter wasn’t a monster, but gifted.

but with maki’s parents having none of it, between their daughter and these men whom supported these monsters.. they kicked maki out. maki was taken back to westchester, where she settled for a while.. but unlike other students, found herself going to charles and erik for problems.. for nightmares.. growing all too close.

after some talking and debate, the pair decided to adopt the young mutant. and maki couldn’t have been more happy. she turned to doing things that she loved. she went on to study at paragon and eventually graduated, becoming a ta in gymnastics. 

she won’t run anywhere unless she’s wearing an old pilot’s cap and goggles that erik gave her, her sherpa trucker jacket and adidas js wings originals tbh. a total look wow.

i would love some connections for maki tbh. like anything you’re feeling man.. bestfriends.. gfs (man this kids is the gayest) ex gfs, enemies, maybe mutants that had a similar backstory, younger students whom she’s a rolemodel figure for. anYTHING U WANT. ily. gimme a like or hmu if u wanna plot ok?

[outcomethecrawlers-blog1]

Fave 2 Bands of Each Color? Bonus points for why

okay!!!! for yellow its plasmagica and spectrenotes! plasmagica should be pretty obvious to why i like them but, they also have two of my absolute favorite songs (regret breaker + meteor dreamline, although both songs make me cry) for spectrenotes though, I just love their aesthetic and BIGMAMA has such interesting music, I especially love swan song

for purple its soooo hard because I honestly love every purple band but, Shirorakurosuka? and Shingancrimsonz. Shirorakurosuka? has one of my all time biggest comfort characters (Shimiswans) and my biggest comfort song (Fake!Fake!) while, Shingan obviously just holds a special place in my heart! Every bit of my band is so dear to me, and well not to toot my own horn but our music is pretty damn good. Plus I mean, my duet with yaiba is arguably one of the gayest songs in sb69

for red its Studdo Ban Gyasshu and Tsurezure Naru Ayatsuri Mugenan! I just love how feel good and upbeat Studdo Ban Gyasshu songs are and well, Tsurezure just has overall some of the best songs (and arguably the best song in season one, Enchanting Dream Fireworks Of A Night Journey literally brings me to tears) plus i mean, Darudayu, A, and Un are all powerful lesbian forces and I love how they’re all just loved by all and everyone seems to be happy their culture is so important to them? (Also it’s nice how it’s pretty obvious all of SBG are gay for each other)

for green! its Dolly Dolci and Trichronika!!! Dolly Dolci has my Bear Wife in it and honestly the cutest and sappiest songs in SB69, especially Heart. Heart makes me think of my Aion canon so much cause of the theme of the song.... cause it’s about trying to confess your love to someone but always feeling unable to but finally getting the courage to do so. Trichronika also just has? really upbeat songs that never fail to cheer me up, plus I love Shuzo as a character, he’s honestly very interesting and I really wanna know more about his backstory 

then! for blue it’s ARCAREAFACT and Rapezziauto! While I may be in both bands, they both have types of music I adore. I am a complete sucker for anything with violin in it! Plus the lyrics to Stay Real are, really moving to me. (Then like always theres the fact I just love my band) plus it’s just nice to listen to the music there feels like theres so much passion into our songs, especially Just Awake. Then I’m just! A complete sucker for good (note good) EDM, and yksBEAT feat. MiloxStyle does it soooo well. I think my favorite song is POPSPICE (ELECTRIC DANCE SYSTEM) like i dont dance but it certainly puts a spring to my step!

[nightmare-afton-cosplay]

Millennial Magnets: The Top 10 Cities Where Young People Want to Be

Orlando, FL (lightkey/iStock)

What do millennials want, anyway? Marketing execs all over the country have been tripping over themselves for years to find the answer. After all, as America’s largest and youngest adult generation, millennials have an insane amount of collective purchasing power, the power to move markets according to their whims—and the ability to do so for decades to come.

As a group, they’re also somewhat elusive. Are they aimless or driven? Apathetic or activist? IPhone or Android? Taco Bell or Chipotle?

Well, here’s something we do know: In ever-increasing numbers, they’re home buyers. In fact, they’re the biggest group of ’em in the nation. Sure, they’re devotees of the borrowers’ economy—eagerly sharing bikes, music, rides, vacation places, you name it—but like most generations before them, they’re hungry for home ownership. Buyers under 36 now make up the biggest chunk of Americans signing on the line that is dotted: 34% of all home buyers, according to the National Association of Realtors®. And they make up 64% of first-time home buyers (even though they only account for 13% of the population).

So if millennials are checking out your hometown, you’d best pay attention.

“There are some very specific things you see millennials looking for in a community right now,” says Jason Dorsey, chief strategy officer for the Center for Generational Kinetics, a marketing firm in Austin, TX. On the list of must-haves: supershort commutes, and amenities like parks, cultural centers, and restaurants. And yeah, maybe even some really fun stuff to do on a Thursday night. That’s because many of these 25- to 34-year-olds are delaying marriage and even a serious career, and want to enjoy the single life, he says.

As Dorsey points out, they also face an UberXL load of unique financial challenges: “College debt, thinner credit history, less savings—and all at a time when home prices have gone up. For many millennials, it’s much harder to buy houses.” On their path to ownership, they’re very much on the prowl for a bargain.

So what are the places that pique millennials’ interest? The realtor.com economic data team analyzed the 60 largest U.S. cities and how much millennials were checking out listings in those areas, compared with the national average, from August 2016 to February 2017.

Ready? Let’s take a closer look at these millennial magnets.

1. Salt Lake City, UT

Median home price: $360,000

Percentage of income needed to buy a home*: 30%

Unemployment rate: 2.9%

Salt Lake City

AndreyKrav/iStock

Salt Lake City has a lot more going for it than Mormons, the first KFC franchise (1952), and a big, briny body of water (the Great Salt Lake). There’s also a burgeoning tech scene that lures young people to companies like Adobe and Electronic Arts. In fact, the city has come to be known as “Silicon Slopes,” with homes at one-third of Silicon Valley prices and plenty of sweet skiing and boarding a short ride away.

Even those outside the tech biz have a good chance of snagging a nice gig—Salt Lake has the lowest unemployment rate of all the markets on our list, at 2.9%, well below the national unemployment rate of 4.7%.

And if your dream job hasn’t yet kicked in, there are plenty of cheap, fun things to do.

“This is an extremely livable, affordable city, especially for those that are just starting out,” says Brook Bernier, a Realtor with Equity Real Estate.

Adventure awaits in SLC’s many bike lanes and mountain bike trails. There’s even a Bike Prom (a costumed bike rally party) and Tour de Brewtah, which combines two of the (clichéd, but true) great loves of millennials: bikes and micro-brewed beers. The weekly farmers market even offers valet bike parking.

Millennial lure:  SLC may be known as a conservative place, but it was named the “Gayest City in the USA” in 2012 by the LGBT magazine the Advocate. It was ranked eighth last year.

2. Miami, FL

Median home price: $370,000

Percentage of income needed to buy a home: 49%

Unemployment rate: 5.1%

It’s not just sun birds or aging boomers who flock to Florida in droves, fleeing cold weather. So do millennials! The sunshine is nice, but young folk are attracted to a hopping scene with relatively affordable homes and decent job opportunities. Many find employment in tourism, international trading, and construction—the entire region is enjoying a building boom.

It’s not all work and no play, though. While the South Beach is known for its club scene, events like Calle Ocho Festival, Carnaval Miami, and Art Basel Miami  turn the entire city into a party. In addition to numerous art galleries and music venues, the Adrienne Arsht Center was opened in 2006 as the country’s second-largest performing arts center (after NYC’s Metropolitan Opera House).

Up-and-coming neighborhoods like Little Haiti and North Miami are getting fresh interest from young buyers, says Realtor Giovanna Calimano, of Yes Real Estate.

“A lot of these areas are developing little by little,” she says. “They’re hot because the houses there right now aren’t overpriced. People can live there while the communities are still developing and improving.”

Millennial lure: Beach culture—fun, sexy, and cheap (or, actually, free). What’s not to love?

3. Orlando, FL

Median home price: $279,000

Percentage of income needed to buy a home: 34%

Unemployment rate: 4.4%

Bike to Work Day in Orlando

CindyMurray/iStock

There’s much more to Orlando than theme parks, oversized mice, and sleepy time-shares overlooking golf courses. In fact, this fast-growing metro is getting a lot of serious attention from young people.

“You’ve got the best of both worlds,” says Realtor Lorisa Motko of Charles Rutenberg Realty. “You’ve got the beaches 45 minutes in any direction, and you have plenty of entertainment and nightlife for millennials.”

New mixed-use developments designed to appeal to both city-loving millennials and baby boomers (hey, what happened to Gen Xers, anyway?), many of which are pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly. Thornton Park, just east of downtown, has also become popular among younger homeowners seeking a unique historic neighborhood with cobbled streets and lined with bungalows.

The Orlando metro area leads Florida in job creation, and added 54,600 jobs in January, according to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity.

Millennial lure:  Orlando was the birthplace of the megastar boy bands, ‘NSync and the Backstreet Boys, which dominated the airwaves back in the ’90s. And, in case you hadn’t heard, the ’90s are cool again … with millennials. Go figure.

4. Seattle, WA

Median home price: $455,000

Percentage of income needed to buy a home: 36%

Unemployment rate: 4.2%

Seattle checks off quite a few items on the millennial home buyer’s list: well-paid jobs (at Amazon, Microsoft, and Costco) quality coffeehouses around almost every corner, more than 50 bike trails, and some of the country’s best tree-lined streets.

It’s also a welcoming place for nonconforming young people. The city had one of the nation’s biggest turnouts for the Women’s March on Jan. 21, hometown titan Starbucks announced a plan to hire refugees, and it’s the first major U.S. metro to approve a $15 minimum wage.

“Seattle is hip, it’s current, it’s progressive,” says Chris Bajuk, a broker at HomeSmart. “We’re at the leading edge of social and technology trends.”

Millennial lure:  The upscale marijuana shop Vela (it’s legal here!), with gleaming counters and an on-site processing lab, was labeled “the Louis Vuitton of weed stores” by none other than Snoop Dogg.

5. Houston, TX

Median home price: $310,000

Percentage of income needed to buy a home: 36%

Unemployment rate: 5.4%

Houston, TX

CrackerClips/iStock

Good news for broke millennials: A paycheck in Houston stretches further than in other metros. Houston has the second-highest pay on our list, at $62,300, after adjusting for the cost of living, trailing only San Jose, according to Forbes. Plus, Texas is one of the only seven states with no income tax.

Granted, you may well find yourself fighting through Houston traffic, but several master-planned communities in the suburbs mix residential homes with businesses, so you may not even need to head downtown.

“Restaurants, bars, shops—it almost feels like an urban setting. It’s a very neat trend that’s going to take off,” says Cheri Fama, president of John Daugherty Realtors.

Millennial lure:  One of Houston’s more eccentric tourist attractions is the Beer Can House—the odd brainchild of retired upholsterer John Milkovisch, who covered his home with more than 50,000 flattened cans, bottles, and caps.

6. Los Angeles, CA

Median home price: $672,000

Percentage of income needed to buy a home: 64%

Unemployment rate: 4.7%

Los Angeles rooftop

Superb Images/Getty Images

Los Angeles is still “La La Land” for young people dreaming of a Hollywood career, waiting for that life-changing phone call while writing in a café, waiting tables, or driving for Lyft.

“Yes, a lot of people who want to break into the business still come here,” says Gwen Lane, a 33-year-old millennial who runs the blog The LA Girl. “For creatives, it’s such a good place to be.”

But a more recent arrival, the tech industry, is also making itself known—especially the stretch of ocean-adjacent Westside known as “Silicon Beach.” Here you’ll find the parent company of Snapchat; virtual reality hardware/software producer Oculus; and a major outpost of Google.

And despite a median home price of $672,000, there are still pockets of L.A. that are affordable. Northeast neighborhoods like Highland Park and Atwater Village, once dismissed as the boonies, are now among the trendiest choices for laying down roots. Downtown L.A. is vibrant again, and the newly expanded metro system offers options for getting around without a car. For even lower price tags, South Los Angeles is worth considering—the area is going through major changes, with new outdoor plazas, a farmers market, public gardens, and more than 1,000 apartments and condos.

Millennial lure: The Whiskey a Go Go, once the hometown club of the Doors, is still one of the country’s best joints to see up-and-coming bands.

7. Buffalo, NY

Median home price: $158,000

Percentage of income needed to buy a home: 23%

Unemployment rate: 5.6%

Buffalo’s inexpensive housing—the median home price is only $158,000—is particularly attractive to young people carrying mounds of college debt. Jobs are flowing in, too. Elon Musk’s SolarCity factory alone, a solar energy equipment supplier, promises 3,000 jobs.

“It’s a city where young people can make their presence felt, whereas in large cities like New York, it’s hard to make an impact,” says E. Frits Abell, chief operating officer of Green Machines, an eco-friendly machine manufacturer in Buffalo.

“Buffalo has a very conducive environment for entrepreneurs … people are also involved in charities, spend time fixing neighbors’ homes, or volunteer with refugee communities to make a positive social impact here.”

Among cities of similar size, Buffalo has a remarkable selection of cultural attractions. And after extensive renovation over the last decade or so, Buffalo has turned its waterfront into a recreation zone for skating and curling.

Millennial lure:  Buffalo’s Turkey Trot is the oldest annual public footrace in the nation. The 8K run was first held all the way back in 1896.

8. Albany, NY

Median home price: $250,000

Percentage of income needed to buy a home: 27%

Unemployment rate: 4.5%

New York State Museum in Albany, NY

DebraMillet/iStock

Albany, one of America’s first cities, is embracing a shining new future. Faded industrial districts in North Albany have become thriving enclaves, with colorful street life. The historic downtown of the state capital has witnessed a resurgence, with enough bars, hotels, and restaurants to justify a hipster’s guide to downtown.

“Albany is kicking it with the micro-brewery and cider business,” says Bill Pettit, a landscape painter who has lived in Albany since 1988. Pettit works with local art galleries and aspiring young artists for 1st Friday, a monthly event disseminating arts and culture throughout the city.

Albany has six colleges, including the State University of New York at Albany. Until recently, graduates vamoosed for better jobs, but now that the city has rebranded itself as a budding tech hub, many choose to stay. Companies like IBM and GlobalFoundries have set up research centers here, and the city is expected to fill 1,180 new software jobs by 2020, according to the New York Department of Labor.

Millennial lure:  There’s a surprisingly vibrant local indie band scene here. Really.

9. San Francisco, CA

Median home price: $849,000

Percentage of income needed to buy a home: 56%

Unemployment rate: 3.7%

The old adage goes, “San Francisco is a place where young people come to retire.” It’s less true today, given that the cost of living is freakishly high—median rent for a one-bedroom is $3,270, and the median price of a home is $849,000. Now the city is filling up with ambitious young tech folks who aren’t retiring anytime soon.

The young vibe is found in hoodies, ping-pong tables, and beer-stocked fridges in the offices of Airbnb, Pinterest, and lesser-known startups. It’s also present at company IPO parties or 20-something meetups in warehouse-turned-event spaces like the Folsom Street Foundry.

The whole city is basically a giant adult playground. Visit the Academy of Sciences with a drink in your hand during NightLife Thursdays, lie in Dolores Park on a sunny summer day and consider buying a marijuana-laced lollipop, or join a citywide scavenger hunt with your friends.

“It’s the best city ever for young designers,” says Lisa Zhang, 26, who studies interactive design at Academy of Art University. “I see inspiration everywhere, on streets, at bus stations. … I can’t imagine myself living anywhere else.”

Millennial lure: Everything.

10. San Jose, CA

Median home price: $950,000

Percentage of income needed to buy a home: 53%

Unemployment rate: 3.7%

Yes, housing prices in Silicon Valley are insane. With a median price of $950,000, a down payment in the San Jose metro market could buy you an entire house in much of the United States.

Perhaps the generous paychecks of Valley tech companies provide some justification. Year after year, ambitious young engineers come to work for companies like Apple, Cisco, and Netflix, and claim enviable perks such as taking their pets to work and free, chef-prepared lunches. San Jose was recently ranked the happiest city to work in by Forbes. (Until recently, we at realtor.com had our headquarters there, and we’re pretty darn happy!)

Tech entrepreneurs have good prospects here, “Silicon Valley is the new Wall Street,” says Realtor Manu Changotra of MaxReal. “Young people come here to do cutting-edge work that’s not available anywhere in the country.”

A nearly endless supply of California sunshine and plenty of outdoor activities—a 30-minute drive can take you to nearby beaches and nature preserves—balance out the fast-paced work life.

Millennial lure: Downtown excitement? Endless suburban-like California sprawl? This city has it all.

* Percentage of income needed to buy a home is based on the median income of each metro.

The post Millennial Magnets: The Top 10 Cities Where Young People Want to Be appeared first on Real Estate News & Advice | realtor.com®.

from http://www.realtor.com/news/trends/top-10-millennial-cities/

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Millennial Magnets: The Top 10 Cities Where Young People Want to Be

Orlando, FL (lightkey/iStock)

What do millennials want, anyway? Marketing execs all over the country have been tripping over themselves for years to find the answer. After all, as America’s largest and youngest adult generation, millennials have an insane amount of collective purchasing power, the power to move markets according to their whims—and the ability to do so for decades to come.

As a group, they’re also somewhat elusive. Are they aimless or driven? Apathetic or activist? IPhone or Android? Taco Bell or Chipotle?

Well, here’s something we do know: In ever-increasing numbers, they’re home buyers. In fact, they’re the biggest group of ’em in the nation. Sure, they’re devotees of the borrowers’ economy—eagerly sharing bikes, music, rides, vacation places, you name it—but like most generations before them, they’re hungry for home ownership. Buyers under 36 now make up the biggest chunk of Americans signing on the line that is dotted: 34% of all home buyers, according to the National Association of Realtors®. And they make up 64% of first-time home buyers (even though they only account for 13% of the population).

So if millennials are checking out your hometown, you’d best pay attention.

“There are some very specific things you see millennials looking for in a community right now,” says Jason Dorsey, chief strategy officer for the Center for Generational Kinetics, a marketing firm in Austin, TX. On the list of must-haves: supershort commutes, and amenities like parks, cultural centers, and restaurants. And yeah, maybe even some really fun stuff to do on a Thursday night. That’s because many of these 25- to 34-year-olds are delaying marriage and even a serious career, and want to enjoy the single life, he says.

As Dorsey points out, they also face an UberXL load of unique financial challenges: “College debt, thinner credit history, less savings—and all at a time when home prices have gone up. For many millennials, it’s much harder to buy houses.” On their path to ownership, they’re very much on the prowl for a bargain.

So what are the places that pique millennials’ interest? The realtor.com economic data team analyzed the 60 largest U.S. cities and how much millennials were checking out listings in those areas, compared with the national average, from August 2016 to February 2017.

Ready? Let’s take a closer look at these millennial magnets.

1. Salt Lake City, UT

Median home price: $360,000

Percentage of income needed to buy a home*: 30%

Unemployment rate: 2.9%

Salt Lake City

AndreyKrav/iStock

Salt Lake City has a lot more going for it than Mormons, the first KFC franchise (1952), and a big, briny body of water (the Great Salt Lake). There’s also a burgeoning tech scene that lures young people to companies like Adobe and Electronic Arts. In fact, the city has come to be known as “Silicon Slopes,” with homes at one-third of Silicon Valley prices and plenty of sweet skiing and boarding a short ride away.

Even those outside the tech biz have a good chance of snagging a nice gig—Salt Lake has the lowest unemployment rate of all the markets on our list, at 2.9%, well below the national unemployment rate of 4.7%.

And if your dream job hasn’t yet kicked in, there are plenty of cheap, fun things to do.

“This is an extremely livable, affordable city, especially for those that are just starting out,” says Brook Bernier, a Realtor with Equity Real Estate.

Adventure awaits in SLC’s many bike lanes and mountain bike trails. There’s even a Bike Prom (a costumed bike rally party) and Tour de Brewtah, which combines two of the (clichéd, but true) great loves of millennials: bikes and micro-brewed beers. The weekly farmers market even offers valet bike parking.

Millennial lure:  SLC may be known as a conservative place, but it was named the “Gayest City in the USA” in 2012 by the LGBT magazine the Advocate. It was ranked eighth last year.

2. Miami, FL

Median home price: $370,000

Percentage of income needed to buy a home: 49%

Unemployment rate: 5.1%

It’s not just sun birds or aging boomers who flock to Florida in droves, fleeing cold weather. So do millennials! The sunshine is nice, but young folk are attracted to a hopping scene with relatively affordable homes and decent job opportunities. Many find employment in tourism, international trading, and construction—the entire region is enjoying a building boom.

It’s not all work and no play, though. While the South Beach is known for its club scene, events like Calle Ocho Festival, Carnaval Miami, and Art Basel Miami  turn the entire city into a party. In addition to numerous art galleries and music venues, the Adrienne Arsht Center was opened in 2006 as the country’s second-largest performing arts center (after NYC’s Metropolitan Opera House).

Up-and-coming neighborhoods like Little Haiti and North Miami are getting fresh interest from young buyers, says Realtor Giovanna Calimano, of Yes Real Estate.

“A lot of these areas are developing little by little,” she says. “They’re hot because the houses there right now aren’t overpriced. People can live there while the communities are still developing and improving.”

Millennial lure: Beach culture—fun, sexy, and cheap (or, actually, free). What’s not to love?

3. Orlando, FL

Median home price: $279,000

Percentage of income needed to buy a home: 34%

Unemployment rate: 4.4%

Bike to Work Day in Orlando

CindyMurray/iStock

There’s much more to Orlando than theme parks, oversized mice, and sleepy time-shares overlooking golf courses. In fact, this fast-growing metro is getting a lot of serious attention from young people.

“You’ve got the best of both worlds,” says Realtor Lorisa Motko of Charles Rutenberg Realty. “You’ve got the beaches 45 minutes in any direction, and you have plenty of entertainment and nightlife for millennials.”

New mixed-use developments designed to appeal to both city-loving millennials and baby boomers (hey, what happened to Gen Xers, anyway?), many of which are pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly. Thornton Park, just east of downtown, has also become popular among younger homeowners seeking a unique historic neighborhood with cobbled streets and lined with bungalows.

The Orlando metro area leads Florida in job creation, and added 54,600 jobs in January, according to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity.

Millennial lure:  Orlando was the birthplace of the megastar boy bands, ‘NSync and the Backstreet Boys, which dominated the airwaves back in the ’90s. And, in case you hadn’t heard, the ’90s are cool again … with millennials. Go figure.

4. Seattle, WA

Median home price: $455,000

Percentage of income needed to buy a home: 36%

Unemployment rate: 4.2%

Seattle checks off quite a few items on the millennial home buyer’s list: well-paid jobs (at Amazon, Microsoft, and Costco) quality coffeehouses around almost every corner, more than 50 bike trails, and some of the country’s best tree-lined streets.

It’s also a welcoming place for nonconforming young people. The city had one of the nation’s biggest turnouts for the Women’s March on Jan. 21, hometown titan Starbucks announced a plan to hire refugees, and it’s the first major U.S. metro to approve a $15 minimum wage.

“Seattle is hip, it’s current, it’s progressive,” says Chris Bajuk, a broker at HomeSmart. “We’re at the leading edge of social and technology trends.”

Millennial lure:  The upscale marijuana shop Vela (it’s legal here!), with gleaming counters and an on-site processing lab, was labeled “the Louis Vuitton of weed stores” by none other than Snoop Dogg.

5. Houston, TX

Median home price: $310,000

Percentage of income needed to buy a home: 36%

Unemployment rate: 5.4%

Houston, TX

CrackerClips/iStock

Good news for broke millennials: A paycheck in Houston stretches further than in other metros. Houston has the second-highest pay on our list, at $62,300, after adjusting for the cost of living, trailing only San Jose, according to Forbes. Plus, Texas is one of the only seven states with no income tax.

Granted, you may well find yourself fighting through Houston traffic, but several master-planned communities in the suburbs mix residential homes with businesses, so you may not even need to head downtown.

“Restaurants, bars, shops—it almost feels like an urban setting. It’s a very neat trend that’s going to take off,” says Cheri Fama, president of John Daugherty Realtors.

Millennial lure:  One of Houston’s more eccentric tourist attractions is the Beer Can House—the odd brainchild of retired upholsterer John Milkovisch, who covered his home with more than 50,000 flattened cans, bottles, and caps.

6. Los Angeles, CA

Median home price: $672,000

Percentage of income needed to buy a home: 64%

Unemployment rate: 4.7%

Los Angeles rooftop

Superb Images/Getty Images

Los Angeles is still “La La Land” for young people dreaming of a Hollywood career, waiting for that life-changing phone call while writing in a café, waiting tables, or driving for Lyft.

“Yes, a lot of people who want to break into the business still come here,” says Gwen Lane, a 33-year-old millennial who runs the blog The LA Girl. “For creatives, it’s such a good place to be.”

But a more recent arrival, the tech industry, is also making itself known—especially the stretch of ocean-adjacent Westside known as “Silicon Beach.” Here you’ll find the parent company of Snapchat; virtual reality hardware/software producer Oculus; and a major outpost of Google.

And despite a median home price of $672,000, there are still pockets of L.A. that are affordable. Northeast neighborhoods like Highland Park and Atwater Village, once dismissed as the boonies, are now among the trendiest choices for laying down roots. Downtown L.A. is vibrant again, and the newly expanded metro system offers options for getting around without a car. For even lower price tags, South Los Angeles is worth considering—the area is going through major changes, with new outdoor plazas, a farmers market, public gardens, and more than 1,000 apartments and condos.

Millennial lure: The Whiskey a Go Go, once the hometown club of the Doors, is still one of the country’s best joints to see up-and-coming bands.

7. Buffalo, NY

Median home price: $158,000

Percentage of income needed to buy a home: 23%

Unemployment rate: 5.6%

Buffalo’s inexpensive housing—the median home price is only $158,000—is particularly attractive to young people carrying mounds of college debt. Jobs are flowing in, too. Elon Musk’s SolarCity factory alone, a solar energy equipment supplier, promises 3,000 jobs.

“It’s a city where young people can make their presence felt, whereas in large cities like New York, it’s hard to make an impact,” says E. Frits Abell, chief operating officer of Green Machines, an eco-friendly machine manufacturer in Buffalo.

“Buffalo has a very conducive environment for entrepreneurs … people are also involved in charities, spend time fixing neighbors’ homes, or volunteer with refugee communities to make a positive social impact here.”

Among cities of similar size, Buffalo has a remarkable selection of cultural attractions. And after extensive renovation over the last decade or so, Buffalo has turned its waterfront into a recreation zone for skating and curling.

Millennial lure:  Buffalo’s Turkey Trot is the oldest annual public footrace in the nation. The 8K run was first held all the way back in 1896.

8. Albany, NY

Median home price: $250,000

Percentage of income needed to buy a home: 27%

Unemployment rate: 4.5%

New York State Museum in Albany, NY

DebraMillet/iStock

Albany, one of America’s first cities, is embracing a shining new future. Faded industrial districts in North Albany have become thriving enclaves, with colorful street life. The historic downtown of the state capital has witnessed a resurgence, with enough bars, hotels, and restaurants to justify a hipster’s guide to downtown.

“Albany is kicking it with the micro-brewery and cider business,” says Bill Pettit, a landscape painter who has lived in Albany since 1988. Pettit works with local art galleries and aspiring young artists for 1st Friday, a monthly event disseminating arts and culture throughout the city.

Albany has six colleges, including the State University of New York at Albany. Until recently, graduates vamoosed for better jobs, but now that the city has rebranded itself as a budding tech hub, many choose to stay. Companies like IBM and GlobalFoundries have set up research centers here, and the city is expected to fill 1,180 new software jobs by 2020, according to the New York Department of Labor.

Millennial lure:  There’s a surprisingly vibrant local indie band scene here. Really.

9. San Francisco, CA

Median home price: $849,000

Percentage of income needed to buy a home: 56%

Unemployment rate: 3.7%

The old adage goes, “San Francisco is a place where young people come to retire.” It’s less true today, given that the cost of living is freakishly high—median rent for a one-bedroom is $3,270, and the median price of a home is $849,000. Now the city is filling up with ambitious young tech folks who aren’t retiring anytime soon.

The young vibe is found in hoodies, ping-pong tables, and beer-stocked fridges in the offices of Airbnb, Pinterest, and lesser-known startups. It’s also present at company IPO parties or 20-something meetups in warehouse-turned-event spaces like the Folsom Street Foundry.

The whole city is basically a giant adult playground. Visit the Academy of Sciences with a drink in your hand during NightLife Thursdays, lie in Dolores Park on a sunny summer day and consider buying a marijuana-laced lollipop, or join a citywide scavenger hunt with your friends.

“It’s the best city ever for young designers,” says Lisa Zhang, 26, who studies interactive design at Academy of Art University. “I see inspiration everywhere, on streets, at bus stations. … I can’t imagine myself living anywhere else.”

Millennial lure: Everything.

10. San Jose, CA

Median home price: $950,000

Percentage of income needed to buy a home: 53%

Unemployment rate: 3.7%

Yes, housing prices in Silicon Valley are insane. With a median price of $950,000, a down payment in the San Jose metro market could buy you an entire house in much of the United States.

Perhaps the generous paychecks of Valley tech companies provide some justification. Year after year, ambitious young engineers come to work for companies like Apple, Cisco, and Netflix, and..

from DIYS http://ift.tt/2n9ilLy

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Millennial Magnets: The Top 10 Cities Where Young People Want to Be

Orlando, FL (lightkey/iStock)

What do millennials want, anyway? Marketing execs all over the country have been tripping over themselves for years to find the answer. After all, as America’s largest and youngest adult generation, millennials have an insane amount of collective purchasing power, the power to move markets according to their whims—and the ability to do so for decades to come.

As a group, they’re also somewhat elusive. Are they aimless or driven? Apathetic or activist? IPhone or Android? Taco Bell or Chipotle?

Well, here’s something we do know: In ever-increasing numbers, they’re home buyers. In fact, they’re the biggest group of ’em in the nation. Sure, they’re devotees of the borrowers’ economy—eagerly sharing bikes, music, rides, vacation places, you name it—but like most generations before them, they’re hungry for home ownership. Buyers under 36 now make up the biggest chunk of Americans signing on the line that is dotted: 34% of all home buyers, according to the National Association of Realtors®. And they make up 64% of first-time home buyers (even though they only account for 13% of the population).

So if millennials are checking out your hometown, you’d best pay attention.

“There are some very specific things you see millennials looking for in a community right now,” says Jason Dorsey, chief strategy officer for the Center for Generational Kinetics, a marketing firm in Austin, TX. On the list of must-haves: supershort commutes, and amenities like parks, cultural centers, and restaurants. And yeah, maybe even some really fun stuff to do on a Thursday night. That’s because many of these 25- to 34-year-olds are delaying marriage and even a serious career, and want to enjoy the single life, he says.

As Dorsey points out, they also face an UberXL load of unique financial challenges: “College debt, thinner credit history, less savings—and all at a time when home prices have gone up. For many millennials, it’s much harder to buy houses.” On their path to ownership, they’re very much on the prowl for a bargain.

So what are the places that pique millennials’ interest? The realtor.com economic data team analyzed the 60 largest U.S. cities and how much millennials were checking out listings in those areas, compared with the national average, from August 2016 to February 2017.

Ready? Let’s take a closer look at these millennial magnets.

1. Salt Lake City, UT

Median home price: $360,000

Percentage of income needed to buy a home*: 30%

Unemployment rate: 2.9%

Salt Lake City

AndreyKrav/iStock

Salt Lake City has a lot more going for it than Mormons, the first KFC franchise (1952), and a big, briny body of water (the Great Salt Lake). There’s also a burgeoning tech scene that lures young people to companies like Adobe and Electronic Arts. In fact, the city has come to be known as “Silicon Slopes,” with homes at one-third of Silicon Valley prices and plenty of sweet skiing and boarding a short ride away.

Even those outside the tech biz have a good chance of snagging a nice gig—Salt Lake has the lowest unemployment rate of all the markets on our list, at 2.9%, well below the national unemployment rate of 4.7%.

And if your dream job hasn’t yet kicked in, there are plenty of cheap, fun things to do.

“This is an extremely livable, affordable city, especially for those that are just starting out,” says Brook Bernier, a Realtor with Equity Real Estate.

Adventure awaits in SLC’s many bike lanes and mountain bike trails. There’s even a Bike Prom (a costumed bike rally party) and Tour de Brewtah, which combines two of the (clichéd, but true) great loves of millennials: bikes and micro-brewed beers. The weekly farmers market even offers valet bike parking.

Millennial lure:  SLC may be known as a conservative place, but it was named the “Gayest City in the USA” in 2012 by the LGBT magazine the Advocate. It was ranked eighth last year.

2. Miami, FL

Median home price: $370,000

Percentage of income needed to buy a home: 49%

Unemployment rate: 5.1%

It’s not just sun birds or aging boomers who flock to Florida in droves, fleeing cold weather. So do millennials! The sunshine is nice, but young folk are attracted to a hopping scene with relatively affordable homes and decent job opportunities. Many find employment in tourism, international trading, and construction—the entire region is enjoying a building boom.

It’s not all work and no play, though. While the South Beach is known for its club scene, events like Calle Ocho Festival, Carnaval Miami, and Art Basel Miami  turn the entire city into a party. In addition to numerous art galleries and music venues, the Adrienne Arsht Center was opened in 2006 as the country’s second-largest performing arts center (after NYC’s Metropolitan Opera House).

Up-and-coming neighborhoods like Little Haiti and North Miami are getting fresh interest from young buyers, says Realtor Giovanna Calimano, of Yes Real Estate.

“A lot of these areas are developing little by little,” she says. “They’re hot because the houses there right now aren’t overpriced. People can live there while the communities are still developing and improving.”

Millennial lure: Beach culture—fun, sexy, and cheap (or, actually, free). What’s not to love?

3. Orlando, FL

Median home price: $279,000

Percentage of income needed to buy a home: 34%

Unemployment rate: 4.4%

Bike to Work Day in Orlando

CindyMurray/iStock

There’s much more to Orlando than theme parks, oversized mice, and sleepy time-shares overlooking golf courses. In fact, this fast-growing metro is getting a lot of serious attention from young people.

“You’ve got the best of both worlds,” says Realtor Lorisa Motko of Charles Rutenberg Realty. “You’ve got the beaches 45 minutes in any direction, and you have plenty of entertainment and nightlife for millennials.”

New mixed-use developments designed to appeal to both city-loving millennials and baby boomers (hey, what happened to Gen Xers, anyway?), many of which are pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly. Thornton Park, just east of downtown, has also become popular among younger homeowners seeking a unique historic neighborhood with cobbled streets and lined with bungalows.

The Orlando metro area leads Florida in job creation, and added 54,600 jobs in January, according to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity.

Millennial lure:  Orlando was the birthplace of the megastar boy bands, ‘NSync and the Backstreet Boys, which dominated the airwaves back in the ’90s. And, in case you hadn’t heard, the ’90s are cool again … with millennials. Go figure.

4. Seattle, WA

Median home price: $455,000

Percentage of income needed to buy a home: 36%

Unemployment rate: 4.2%

Seattle checks off quite a few items on the millennial home buyer’s list: well-paid jobs (at Amazon, Microsoft, and Costco) quality coffeehouses around almost every corner, more than 50 bike trails, and some of the country’s best tree-lined streets.

It’s also a welcoming place for nonconforming young people. The city had one of the nation’s biggest turnouts for the Women’s March on Jan. 21, hometown titan Starbucks announced a plan to hire refugees, and it’s the first major U.S. metro to approve a $15 minimum wage.

“Seattle is hip, it’s current, it’s progressive,” says Chris Bajuk, a broker at HomeSmart. “We’re at the leading edge of social and technology trends.”

Millennial lure:  The upscale marijuana shop Vela (it’s legal here!), with gleaming counters and an on-site processing lab, was labeled “the Louis Vuitton of weed stores” by none other than Snoop Dogg.

5. Houston, TX

Median home price: $310,000

Percentage of income needed to buy a home: 36%

Unemployment rate: 5.4%

Houston, TX

CrackerClips/iStock

Good news for broke millennials: A paycheck in Houston stretches further than in other metros. Houston has the second-highest pay on our list, at $62,300, after adjusting for the cost of living, trailing only San Jose, according to Forbes. Plus, Texas is one of the only seven states with no income tax.

Granted, you may well find yourself fighting through Houston traffic, but several master-planned communities in the suburbs mix residential homes with businesses, so you may not even need to head downtown.

“Restaurants, bars, shops—it almost feels like an urban setting. It’s a very neat trend that’s going to take off,” says Cheri Fama, president of John Daugherty Realtors.

Millennial lure:  One of Houston’s more eccentric tourist attractions is the Beer Can House—the odd brainchild of retired upholsterer John Milkovisch, who covered his home with more than 50,000 flattened cans, bottles, and caps.

6. Los Angeles, CA

Median home price: $672,000

Percentage of income needed to buy a home: 64%

Unemployment rate: 4.7%

Los Angeles rooftop

Superb Images/Getty Images

Los Angeles is still “La La Land” for young people dreaming of a Hollywood career, waiting for that life-changing phone call while writing in a café, waiting tables, or driving for Lyft.

“Yes, a lot of people who want to break into the business still come here,” says Gwen Lane, a 33-year-old millennial who runs the blog The LA Girl. “For creatives, it’s such a good place to be.”

But a more recent arrival, the tech industry, is also making itself known—especially the stretch of ocean-adjacent Westside known as “Silicon Beach.” Here you’ll find the parent company of Snapchat; virtual reality hardware/software producer Oculus; and a major outpost of Google.

And despite a median home price of $672,000, there are still pockets of L.A. that are affordable. Northeast neighborhoods like Highland Park and Atwater Village, once dismissed as the boonies, are now among the trendiest choices for laying down roots. Downtown L.A. is vibrant again, and the newly expanded metro system offers options for getting around without a car. For even lower price tags, South Los Angeles is worth considering—the area is going through major changes, with new outdoor plazas, a farmers market, public gardens, and more than 1,000 apartments and condos.

Millennial lure: The Whiskey a Go Go, once the hometown club of the Doors, is still one of the country’s best joints to see up-and-coming bands.

7. Buffalo, NY

Median home price: $158,000

Percentage of income needed to buy a home: 23%

Unemployment rate: 5.6%

Buffalo’s inexpensive housing—the median home price is only $158,000—is particularly attractive to young people carrying mounds of college debt. Jobs are flowing in, too. Elon Musk’s SolarCity factory alone, a solar energy equipment supplier, promises 3,000 jobs.

“It’s a city where young people can make their presence felt, whereas in large cities like New York, it’s hard to make an impact,” says E. Frits Abell, chief operating officer of Green Machines, an eco-friendly machine manufacturer in Buffalo.

“Buffalo has a very conducive environment for entrepreneurs … people are also involved in charities, spend time fixing neighbors’ homes, or volunteer with refugee communities to make a positive social impact here.”

Among cities of similar size, Buffalo has a remarkable selection of cultural attractions. And after extensive renovation over the last decade or so, Buffalo has turned its waterfront into a recreation zone for skating and curling.

Millennial lure:  Buffalo’s Turkey Trot is the oldest annual public footrace in the nation. The 8K run was first held all the way back in 1896.

8. Albany, NY

Median home price: $250,000

Percentage of income needed to buy a home: 27%

Unemployment rate: 4.5%

New York State Museum in Albany, NY

DebraMillet/iStock

Albany, one of America’s first cities, is embracing a shining new future. Faded industrial districts in North Albany have become thriving enclaves, with colorful street life. The historic downtown of the state capital has witnessed a resurgence, with enough bars, hotels, and restaurants to justify a hipster’s guide to downtown.

“Albany is kicking it with the micro-brewery and cider business,” says Bill Pettit, a landscape painter who has lived in Albany since 1988. Pettit works with local art galleries and aspiring young artists for 1st Friday, a monthly event disseminating arts and culture throughout the city.

Albany has six colleges, including the State University of New York at Albany. Until recently, graduates vamoosed for better jobs, but now that the city has rebranded itself as a budding tech hub, many choose to stay. Companies like IBM and GlobalFoundries have set up research centers here, and the city is expected to fill 1,180 new software jobs by 2020, according to the New York Department of Labor.

Millennial lure:  There’s a surprisingly vibrant local indie band scene here. Really.

9. San Francisco, CA

Median home price: $849,000

Percentage of income needed to buy a home: 56%

Unemployment rate: 3.7%

The old adage goes, “San Francisco is a place where young people come to retire.” It’s less true today, given that the cost of living is freakishly high—median rent for a one-bedroom is $3,270, and the median price of a home is $849,000. Now the city is filling up with ambitious young tech folks who aren’t retiring anytime soon.

The young vibe is found in hoodies, ping-pong tables, and beer-stocked fridges in the offices of Airbnb, Pinterest, and lesser-known startups. It’s also present at company IPO parties or 20-something meetups in warehouse-turned-event spaces like the Folsom Street Foundry.

The whole city is basically a giant adult playground. Visit the Academy of Sciences with a drink in your hand during NightLife Thursdays, lie in Dolores Park on a sunny summer day and consider buying a marijuana-laced lollipop, or join a citywide scavenger hunt with your friends.

“It’s the best city ever for young designers,” says Lisa Zhang, 26, who studies interactive design at Academy of Art University. “I see inspiration everywhere, on streets, at bus stations. … I can’t imagine myself living anywhere else.”

Millennial lure: Everything.

10. San Jose, CA

Median home price: $950,000

Percentage of income needed to buy a home: 53%

Unemployment rate: 3.7%

Yes, housing prices in Silicon Valley are insane. With a median price of $950,000, a down payment in the San Jose metro market could buy you an entire house in much of the United States.

Perhaps the generous paychecks of Valley tech companies provide some justification. Year after year, ambitious young engineers come to work for companies like Apple, Cisco, and Netflix, and..

from DIYS http://ift.tt/2n9ilLy

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Millennial Magnets: The Top 10 Cities Where Young People Want to Be

Orlando, FL (lightkey/iStock)

What do millennials want, anyway? Marketing execs all over the country have been tripping over themselves for years to find the answer. After all, as America’s largest and youngest adult generation, millennials have an insane amount of collective purchasing power, the power to move markets according to their whims—and the ability to do so for decades to come.

As a group, they’re also somewhat elusive. Are they aimless or driven? Apathetic or activist? IPhone or Android? Taco Bell or Chipotle?

Well, here’s something we do know: In ever-increasing numbers, they’re home buyers. In fact, they’re the biggest group of ’em in the nation. Sure, they’re devotees of the borrowers’ economy—eagerly sharing bikes, music, rides, vacation places, you name it—but like most generations before them, they’re hungry for home ownership. Buyers under 36 now make up the biggest chunk of Americans signing on the line that is dotted: 34% of all home buyers, according to the National Association of Realtors®. And they make up 64% of first-time home buyers (even though they only account for 13% of the population).

So if millennials are checking out your hometown, you’d best pay attention.

“There are some very specific things you see millennials looking for in a community right now,” says Jason Dorsey, chief strategy officer for the Center for Generational Kinetics, a marketing firm in Austin, TX. On the list of must-haves: supershort commutes, and amenities like parks, cultural centers, and restaurants. And yeah, maybe even some really fun stuff to do on a Thursday night. That’s because many of these 25- to 34-year-olds are delaying marriage and even a serious career, and want to enjoy the single life, he says.

As Dorsey points out, they also face an UberXL load of unique financial challenges: “College debt, thinner credit history, less savings—and all at a time when home prices have gone up. For many millennials, it’s much harder to buy houses.” On their path to ownership, they’re very much on the prowl for a bargain.

So what are the places that pique millennials’ interest? The realtor.com economic data team analyzed the 60 largest U.S. cities and how much millennials were checking out listings in those areas, compared with the national average, from August 2016 to February 2017.

Ready? Let’s take a closer look at these millennial magnets.

1. Salt Lake City, UT

Median home price: $360,000

Percentage of income needed to buy a home*: 30%

Unemployment rate: 2.9%

Salt Lake City

AndreyKrav/iStock

Salt Lake City has a lot more going for it than Mormons, the first KFC franchise (1952), and a big, briny body of water (the Great Salt Lake). There’s also a burgeoning tech scene that lures young people to companies like Adobe and Electronic Arts. In fact, the city has come to be known as “Silicon Slopes,” with homes at one-third of Silicon Valley prices and plenty of sweet skiing and boarding a short ride away.

Even those outside the tech biz have a good chance of snagging a nice gig—Salt Lake has the lowest unemployment rate of all the markets on our list, at 2.9%, well below the national unemployment rate of 4.7%.

And if your dream job hasn’t yet kicked in, there are plenty of cheap, fun things to do.

“This is an extremely livable, affordable city, especially for those that are just starting out,” says Brook Bernier, a Realtor with Equity Real Estate.

Adventure awaits in SLC’s many bike lanes and mountain bike trails. There’s even a Bike Prom (a costumed bike rally party) and Tour de Brewtah, which combines two of the (clichéd, but true) great loves of millennials: bikes and micro-brewed beers. The weekly farmers market even offers valet bike parking.

Millennial lure:  SLC may be known as a conservative place, but it was named the “Gayest City in the USA” in 2012 by the LGBT magazine the Advocate. It was ranked eighth last year.

2. Miami, FL

Median home price: $370,000

Percentage of income needed to buy a home: 49%

Unemployment rate: 5.1%

It’s not just sun birds or aging boomers who flock to Florida in droves, fleeing cold weather. So do millennials! The sunshine is nice, but young folk are attracted to a hopping scene with relatively affordable homes and decent job opportunities. Many find employment in tourism, international trading, and construction—the entire region is enjoying a building boom.

It’s not all work and no play, though. While the South Beach is known for its club scene, events like Calle Ocho Festival, Carnaval Miami, and Art Basel Miami  turn the entire city into a party. In addition to numerous art galleries and music venues, the Adrienne Arsht Center was opened in 2006 as the country’s second-largest performing arts center (after NYC’s Metropolitan Opera House).

Up-and-coming neighborhoods like Little Haiti and North Miami are getting fresh interest from young buyers, says Realtor Giovanna Calimano, of Yes Real Estate.

“A lot of these areas are developing little by little,” she says. “They’re hot because the houses there right now aren’t overpriced. People can live there while the communities are still developing and improving.”

Millennial lure: Beach culture—fun, sexy, and cheap (or, actually, free). What’s not to love?

3. Orlando, FL

Median home price: $279,000

Percentage of income needed to buy a home: 34%

Unemployment rate: 4.4%

Bike to Work Day in Orlando

CindyMurray/iStock

There’s much more to Orlando than theme parks, oversized mice, and sleepy time-shares overlooking golf courses. In fact, this fast-growing metro is getting a lot of serious attention from young people.

“You’ve got the best of both worlds,” says Realtor Lorisa Motko of Charles Rutenberg Realty. “You’ve got the beaches 45 minutes in any direction, and you have plenty of entertainment and nightlife for millennials.”

New mixed-use developments designed to appeal to both city-loving millennials and baby boomers (hey, what happened to Gen Xers, anyway?), many of which are pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly. Thornton Park, just east of downtown, has also become popular among younger homeowners seeking a unique historic neighborhood with cobbled streets and lined with bungalows.

The Orlando metro area leads Florida in job creation, and added 54,600 jobs in January, according to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity.

Millennial lure:  Orlando was the birthplace of the megastar boy bands, ‘NSync and the Backstreet Boys, which dominated the airwaves back in the ’90s. And, in case you hadn’t heard, the ’90s are cool again … with millennials. Go figure.

4. Seattle, WA

Median home price: $455,000

Percentage of income needed to buy a home: 36%

Unemployment rate: 4.2%

Seattle checks off quite a few items on the millennial home buyer’s list: well-paid jobs (at Amazon, Microsoft, and Costco) quality coffeehouses around almost every corner, more than 50 bike trails, and some of the country’s best tree-lined streets.

It’s also a welcoming place for nonconforming young people. The city had one of the nation’s biggest turnouts for the Women’s March on Jan. 21, hometown titan Starbucks announced a plan to hire refugees, and it’s the first major U.S. metro to approve a $15 minimum wage.

“Seattle is hip, it’s current, it’s progressive,” says Chris Bajuk, a broker at HomeSmart. “We’re at the leading edge of social and technology trends.”

Millennial lure:  The upscale marijuana shop Vela (it’s legal here!), with gleaming counters and an on-site processing lab, was labeled “the Louis Vuitton of weed stores” by none other than Snoop Dogg.

5. Houston, TX

Median home price: $310,000

Percentage of income needed to buy a home: 36%

Unemployment rate: 5.4%

Houston, TX

CrackerClips/iStock

Good news for broke millennials: A paycheck in Houston stretches further than in other metros. Houston has the second-highest pay on our list, at $62,300, after adjusting for the cost of living, trailing only San Jose, according to Forbes. Plus, Texas is one of the only seven states with no income tax.

Granted, you may well find yourself fighting through Houston traffic, but several master-planned communities in the suburbs mix residential homes with businesses, so you may not even need to head downtown.

“Restaurants, bars, shops—it almost feels like an urban setting. It’s a very neat trend that’s going to take off,” says Cheri Fama, president of John Daugherty Realtors.

Millennial lure:  One of Houston’s more eccentric tourist attractions is the Beer Can House—the odd brainchild of retired upholsterer John Milkovisch, who covered his home with more than 50,000 flattened cans, bottles, and caps.

6. Los Angeles, CA

Median home price: $672,000

Percentage of income needed to buy a home: 64%

Unemployment rate: 4.7%

Los Angeles rooftop

Superb Images/Getty Images

Los Angeles is still “La La Land” for young people dreaming of a Hollywood career, waiting for that life-changing phone call while writing in a café, waiting tables, or driving for Lyft.

“Yes, a lot of people who want to break into the business still come here,” says Gwen Lane, a 33-year-old millennial who runs the blog The LA Girl. “For creatives, it’s such a good place to be.”

But a more recent arrival, the tech industry, is also making itself known—especially the stretch of ocean-adjacent Westside known as “Silicon Beach.” Here you’ll find the parent company of Snapchat; virtual reality hardware/software producer Oculus; and a major outpost of Google.

And despite a median home price of $672,000, there are still pockets of L.A. that are affordable. Northeast neighborhoods like Highland Park and Atwater Village, once dismissed as the boonies, are now among the trendiest choices for laying down roots. Downtown L.A. is vibrant again, and the newly expanded metro system offers options for getting around without a car. For even lower price tags, South Los Angeles is worth considering—the area is going through major changes, with new outdoor plazas, a farmers market, public gardens, and more than 1,000 apartments and condos.

Millennial lure: The Whiskey a Go Go, once the hometown club of the Doors, is still one of the country’s best joints to see up-and-coming bands.

7. Buffalo, NY

Median home price: $158,000

Percentage of income needed to buy a home: 23%

Unemployment rate: 5.6%

Buffalo’s inexpensive housing—the median home price is only $158,000—is particularly attractive to young people carrying mounds of college debt. Jobs are flowing in, too. Elon Musk’s SolarCity factory alone, a solar energy equipment supplier, promises 3,000 jobs.

“It’s a city where young people can make their presence felt, whereas in large cities like New York, it’s hard to make an impact,” says E. Frits Abell, chief operating officer of Green Machines, an eco-friendly machine manufacturer in Buffalo.

“Buffalo has a very conducive environment for entrepreneurs … people are also involved in charities, spend time fixing neighbors’ homes, or volunteer with refugee communities to make a positive social impact here.”

Among cities of similar size, Buffalo has a remarkable selection of cultural attractions. And after extensive renovation over the last decade or so, Buffalo has turned its waterfront into a recreation zone for skating and curling.

Millennial lure:  Buffalo’s Turkey Trot is the oldest annual public footrace in the nation. The 8K run was first held all the way back in 1896.

8. Albany, NY

Median home price: $250,000

Percentage of income needed to buy a home: 27%

Unemployment rate: 4.5%

New York State Museum in Albany, NY

DebraMillet/iStock

Albany, one of America’s first cities, is embracing a shining new future. Faded industrial districts in North Albany have become thriving enclaves, with colorful street life. The historic downtown of the state capital has witnessed a resurgence, with enough bars, hotels, and restaurants to justify a hipster’s guide to downtown.

“Albany is kicking it with the micro-brewery and cider business,” says Bill Pettit, a landscape painter who has lived in Albany since 1988. Pettit works with local art galleries and aspiring young artists for 1st Friday, a monthly event disseminating arts and culture throughout the city.

Albany has six colleges, including the State University of New York at Albany. Until recently, graduates vamoosed for better jobs, but now that the city has rebranded itself as a budding tech hub, many choose to stay. Companies like IBM and GlobalFoundries have set up research centers here, and the city is expected to fill 1,180 new software jobs by 2020, according to the New York Department of Labor.

Millennial lure:  There’s a surprisingly vibrant local indie band scene here. Really.

9. San Francisco, CA

Median home price: $849,000

Percentage of income needed to buy a home: 56%

Unemployment rate: 3.7%

The old adage goes, “San Francisco is a place where young people come to retire.” It’s less true today, given that the cost of living is freakishly high—median rent for a one-bedroom is $3,270, and the median price of a home is $849,000. Now the city is filling up with ambitious young tech folks who aren’t retiring anytime soon.

The young vibe is found in hoodies, ping-pong tables, and beer-stocked fridges in the offices of Airbnb, Pinterest, and lesser-known startups. It’s also present at company IPO parties or 20-something meetups in warehouse-turned-event spaces like the Folsom Street Foundry.

The whole city is basically a giant adult playground. Visit the Academy of Sciences with a drink in your hand during NightLife Thursdays, lie in Dolores Park on a sunny summer day and consider buying a marijuana-laced lollipop, or join a citywide scavenger hunt with your friends.

“It’s the best city ever for young designers,” says Lisa Zhang, 26, who studies interactive design at Academy of Art University. “I see inspiration everywhere, on streets, at bus stations. … I can’t imagine myself living anywhere else.”

Millennial lure: Everything.

10. San Jose, CA

Median home price: $950,000

Percentage of income needed to buy a home: 53%

Unemployment rate: 3.7%

Yes, housing prices in Silicon Valley are insane. With a median price of $950,000, a down payment in the San Jose metro market could buy you an entire house in much of the United States.

Perhaps the generous paychecks of Valley tech companies provide some justification. Year after year, ambitious young engineers come to work for companies like Apple, Cisco, and Netflix, and..

from DIYS http://ift.tt/2n9ilLy

[repwincoml4a0a5]

Millennial Magnets: The Top 10 Cities Where Young People Want to Be

Orlando, FL (lightkey/iStock)

What do millennials want, anyway? Marketing execs all over the country have been tripping over themselves for years to find the answer. After all, as America’s largest and youngest adult generation, millennials have an insane amount of collective purchasing power, the power to move markets according to their whims—and the ability to do so for decades to come.

As a group, they’re also somewhat elusive. Are they aimless or driven? Apathetic or activist? IPhone or Android? Taco Bell or Chipotle?

Well, here’s something we do know: In ever-increasing numbers, they’re home buyers. In fact, they’re the biggest group of ’em in the nation. Sure, they’re devotees of the borrowers’ economy—eagerly sharing bikes, music, rides, vacation places, you name it—but like most generations before them, they’re hungry for home ownership. Buyers under 36 now make up the biggest chunk of Americans signing on the line that is dotted: 34% of all home buyers, according to the National Association of Realtors®. And they make up 64% of first-time home buyers (even though they only account for 13% of the population).

So if millennials are checking out your hometown, you’d best pay attention.

“There are some very specific things you see millennials looking for in a community right now,” says Jason Dorsey, chief strategy officer for the Center for Generational Kinetics, a marketing firm in Austin, TX. On the list of must-haves: supershort commutes, and amenities like parks, cultural centers, and restaurants. And yeah, maybe even some really fun stuff to do on a Thursday night. That’s because many of these 25- to 34-year-olds are delaying marriage and even a serious career, and want to enjoy the single life, he says.

As Dorsey points out, they also face an UberXL load of unique financial challenges: “College debt, thinner credit history, less savings—and all at a time when home prices have gone up. For many millennials, it’s much harder to buy houses.” On their path to ownership, they’re very much on the prowl for a bargain.

So what are the places that pique millennials’ interest? The realtor.com economic data team analyzed the 60 largest U.S. cities and how much millennials were checking out listings in those areas, compared with the national average, from August 2016 to February 2017.

Ready? Let’s take a closer look at these millennial magnets.

1. Salt Lake City, UT

Median home price: $360,000

Percentage of income needed to buy a home*: 30%

Unemployment rate: 2.9%

Salt Lake City

AndreyKrav/iStock

Salt Lake City has a lot more going for it than Mormons, the first KFC franchise (1952), and a big, briny body of water (the Great Salt Lake). There’s also a burgeoning tech scene that lures young people to companies like Adobe and Electronic Arts. In fact, the city has come to be known as “Silicon Slopes,” with homes at one-third of Silicon Valley prices and plenty of sweet skiing and boarding a short ride away.

Even those outside the tech biz have a good chance of snagging a nice gig—Salt Lake has the lowest unemployment rate of all the markets on our list, at 2.9%, well below the national unemployment rate of 4.7%.

And if your dream job hasn’t yet kicked in, there are plenty of cheap, fun things to do.

“This is an extremely livable, affordable city, especially for those that are just starting out,” says Brook Bernier, a Realtor with Equity Real Estate.

Adventure awaits in SLC’s many bike lanes and mountain bike trails. There’s even a Bike Prom (a costumed bike rally party) and Tour de Brewtah, which combines two of the (clichéd, but true) great loves of millennials: bikes and micro-brewed beers. The weekly farmers market even offers valet bike parking.

Millennial lure:  SLC may be known as a conservative place, but it was named the “Gayest City in the USA” in 2012 by the LGBT magazine the Advocate. It was ranked eighth last year.

2. Miami, FL

Median home price: $370,000

Percentage of income needed to buy a home: 49%

Unemployment rate: 5.1%

It’s not just sun birds or aging boomers who flock to Florida in droves, fleeing cold weather. So do millennials! The sunshine is nice, but young folk are attracted to a hopping scene with relatively affordable homes and decent job opportunities. Many find employment in tourism, international trading, and construction—the entire region is enjoying a building boom.

It’s not all work and no play, though. While the South Beach is known for its club scene, events like Calle Ocho Festival, Carnaval Miami, and Art Basel Miami  turn the entire city into a party. In addition to numerous art galleries and music venues, the Adrienne Arsht Center was opened in 2006 as the country’s second-largest performing arts center (after NYC’s Metropolitan Opera House).

Up-and-coming neighborhoods like Little Haiti and North Miami are getting fresh interest from young buyers, says Realtor Giovanna Calimano, of Yes Real Estate.

“A lot of these areas are developing little by little,” she says. “They’re hot because the houses there right now aren’t overpriced. People can live there while the communities are still developing and improving.”

Millennial lure: Beach culture—fun, sexy, and cheap (or, actually, free). What’s not to love?

3. Orlando, FL

Median home price: $279,000

Percentage of income needed to buy a home: 34%

Unemployment rate: 4.4%

Bike to Work Day in Orlando

CindyMurray/iStock

There’s much more to Orlando than theme parks, oversized mice, and sleepy time-shares overlooking golf courses. In fact, this fast-growing metro is getting a lot of serious attention from young people.

“You’ve got the best of both worlds,” says Realtor Lorisa Motko of Charles Rutenberg Realty. “You’ve got the beaches 45 minutes in any direction, and you have plenty of entertainment and nightlife for millennials.”

New mixed-use developments designed to appeal to both city-loving millennials and baby boomers (hey, what happened to Gen Xers, anyway?), many of which are pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly. Thornton Park, just east of downtown, has also become popular among younger homeowners seeking a unique historic neighborhood with cobbled streets and lined with bungalows.

The Orlando metro area leads Florida in job creation, and added 54,600 jobs in January, according to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity.

Millennial lure:  Orlando was the birthplace of the megastar boy bands, ‘NSync and the Backstreet Boys, which dominated the airwaves back in the ’90s. And, in case you hadn’t heard, the ’90s are cool again … with millennials. Go figure.

4. Seattle, WA

Median home price: $455,000

Percentage of income needed to buy a home: 36%

Unemployment rate: 4.2%

Seattle checks off quite a few items on the millennial home buyer’s list: well-paid jobs (at Amazon, Microsoft, and Costco) quality coffeehouses around almost every corner, more than 50 bike trails, and some of the country’s best tree-lined streets.

It’s also a welcoming place for nonconforming young people. The city had one of the nation’s biggest turnouts for the Women’s March on Jan. 21, hometown titan Starbucks announced a plan to hire refugees, and it’s the first major U.S. metro to approve a $15 minimum wage.

“Seattle is hip, it’s current, it’s progressive,” says Chris Bajuk, a broker at HomeSmart. “We’re at the leading edge of social and technology trends.”

Millennial lure:  The upscale marijuana shop Vela (it’s legal here!), with gleaming counters and an on-site processing lab, was labeled “the Louis Vuitton of weed stores” by none other than Snoop Dogg.

5. Houston, TX

Median home price: $310,000

Percentage of income needed to buy a home: 36%

Unemployment rate: 5.4%

Houston, TX

CrackerClips/iStock

Good news for broke millennials: A paycheck in Houston stretches further than in other metros. Houston has the second-highest pay on our list, at $62,300, after adjusting for the cost of living, trailing only San Jose, according to Forbes. Plus, Texas is one of the only seven states with no income tax.

Granted, you may well find yourself fighting through Houston traffic, but several master-planned communities in the suburbs mix residential homes with businesses, so you may not even need to head downtown.

“Restaurants, bars, shops—it almost feels like an urban setting. It’s a very neat trend that’s going to take off,” says Cheri Fama, president of John Daugherty Realtors.

Millennial lure:  One of Houston’s more eccentric tourist attractions is the Beer Can House—the odd brainchild of retired upholsterer John Milkovisch, who covered his home with more than 50,000 flattened cans, bottles, and caps.

6. Los Angeles, CA

Median home price: $672,000

Percentage of income needed to buy a home: 64%

Unemployment rate: 4.7%

Los Angeles rooftop

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Los Angeles is still “La La Land” for young people dreaming of a Hollywood career, waiting for that life-changing phone call while writing in a café, waiting tables, or driving for Lyft.

“Yes, a lot of people who want to break into the business still come here,” says Gwen Lane, a 33-year-old millennial who runs the blog The LA Girl. “For creatives, it’s such a good place to be.”

But a more recent arrival, the tech industry, is also making itself known—especially the stretch of ocean-adjacent Westside known as “Silicon Beach.” Here you’ll find the parent company of Snapchat; virtual reality hardware/software producer Oculus; and a major outpost of Google.

And despite a median home price of $672,000, there are still pockets of L.A. that are affordable. Northeast neighborhoods like Highland Park and Atwater Village, once dismissed as the boonies, are now among the trendiest choices for laying down roots. Downtown L.A. is vibrant again, and the newly expanded metro system offers options for getting around without a car. For even lower price tags, South Los Angeles is worth considering—the area is going through major changes, with new outdoor plazas, a farmers market, public gardens, and more than 1,000 apartments and condos.

Millennial lure: The Whiskey a Go Go, once the hometown club of the Doors, is still one of the country’s best joints to see up-and-coming bands.

7. Buffalo, NY

Median home price: $158,000

Percentage of income needed to buy a home: 23%

Unemployment rate: 5.6%

Buffalo’s inexpensive housing—the median home price is only $158,000—is particularly attractive to young people carrying mounds of college debt. Jobs are flowing in, too. Elon Musk’s SolarCity factory alone, a solar energy equipment supplier, promises 3,000 jobs.

“It’s a city where young people can make their presence felt, whereas in large cities like New York, it’s hard to make an impact,” says E. Frits Abell, chief operating officer of Green Machines, an eco-friendly machine manufacturer in Buffalo.

“Buffalo has a very conducive environment for entrepreneurs … people are also involved in charities, spend time fixing neighbors’ homes, or volunteer with refugee communities to make a positive social impact here.”

Among cities of similar size, Buffalo has a remarkable selection of cultural attractions. And after extensive renovation over the last decade or so, Buffalo has turned its waterfront into a recreation zone for skating and curling.

Millennial lure:  Buffalo’s Turkey Trot is the oldest annual public footrace in the nation. The 8K run was first held all the way back in 1896.

8. Albany, NY

Median home price: $250,000

Percentage of income needed to buy a home: 27%

Unemployment rate: 4.5%

New York State Museum in Albany, NY

DebraMillet/iStock

Albany, one of America’s first cities, is embracing a shining new future. Faded industrial districts in North Albany have become thriving enclaves, with colorful street life. The historic downtown of the state capital has witnessed a resurgence, with enough bars, hotels, and restaurants to justify a hipster’s guide to downtown.

“Albany is kicking it with the micro-brewery and cider business,” says Bill Pettit, a landscape painter who has lived in Albany since 1988. Pettit works with local art galleries and aspiring young artists for 1st Friday, a monthly event disseminating arts and culture throughout the city.

Albany has six colleges, including the State University of New York at Albany. Until recently, graduates vamoosed for better jobs, but now that the city has rebranded itself as a budding tech hub, many choose to stay. Companies like IBM and GlobalFoundries have set up research centers here, and the city is expected to fill 1,180 new software jobs by 2020, according to the New York Department of Labor.

Millennial lure:  There’s a surprisingly vibrant local indie band scene here. Really.

9. San Francisco, CA

Median home price: $849,000

Percentage of income needed to buy a home: 56%

Unemployment rate: 3.7%

The old adage goes, “San Francisco is a place where young people come to retire.” It’s less true today, given that the cost of living is freakishly high—median rent for a one-bedroom is $3,270, and the median price of a home is $849,000. Now the city is filling up with ambitious young tech folks who aren’t retiring anytime soon.

The young vibe is found in hoodies, ping-pong tables, and beer-stocked fridges in the offices of Airbnb, Pinterest, and lesser-known startups. It’s also present at company IPO parties or 20-something meetups in warehouse-turned-event spaces like the Folsom Street Foundry.

The whole city is basically a giant adult playground. Visit the Academy of Sciences with a drink in your hand during NightLife Thursdays, lie in Dolores Park on a sunny summer day and consider buying a marijuana-laced lollipop, or join a citywide scavenger hunt with your friends.

“It’s the best city ever for young designers,” says Lisa Zhang, 26, who studies interactive design at Academy of Art University. “I see inspiration everywhere, on streets, at bus stations. … I can’t imagine myself living anywhere else.”

Millennial lure: Everything.

10. San Jose, CA

Median home price: $950,000

Percentage of income needed to buy a home: 53%

Unemployment rate: 3.7%

Yes, housing prices in Silicon Valley are insane. With a median price of $950,000, a down payment in the San Jose metro market could buy you an entire house in much of the United States.

Perhaps the generous paychecks of Valley tech companies provide some justification. Year after year, ambitious young engineers come to work for companies like Apple, Cisco, and Netflix, and..

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