The growing popularity of the digital nomad life has many people curious about what it’s like to work and live wherever you choose. If you have the freedom to take your work with you around the country, you may wonder where you could settle. Here are four of the best cities for digital nomads, presented by Olive Street Design.
- Charleston, South Carolina
There is very little Charleston doesn’t have to offer a young digital nomad. You can access luxury workspaces in the old, architectural parts of the city and spend your weekends on the beach. For a history lover, Charleston is a dream, but tourism is high. Therefore, the cost of living is high as well, but the weather and the views make it worth it.
- Brooklyn, New York
Brooklyn is one of NYC’s more affordable boroughs. Around every corner is a casual bookstore or coffee shop where you can spend your days working and reading. It has a diverse community with plenty of social scenes and comfortable workspaces, and you’re just a few miles away from all the other exciting places in NYC.
- Chicago, Illinois
Chicago is one of the largest cities in the U.S. and home to many young entrepreneurs in the tech industry. If you’re looking for remote work in web design or digital marketing, you might find your home in the windy city. You can spend your days working in one of the several unique coworking spaces around the city, take a stroll through Millenium Park, or visit the Art Institute. However, keep in mind that Chicago is one of the most expensive cities in the U.S. as well.
- Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city for creatives. If you enjoy vintage shopping, weekend breweries, and specialty coffee, you will love working in Portland. The cost of living is slightly above average, with the standard two-bedroom apartment averaging $1400 per month. However, most neighborhoods have plenty of coworking spaces for freelancers and artists. Many locals spend the entire day in one of the niche coffee shops, taking advantage of the free wifi and sipping on delicious coffee. If you decide to make your stay more permanent, you’ll find some beautiful suburbs with affordable homes.
Best Practices for Digital Nomads
Being a digital nomad means you have to follow certain best practices to hold yourself accountable and keep up your professional appearance. For example, if you freelance or own a small business, you should consider forming an LLC for liability and tax benefits. You can avoid lawyer fees by filing yourself using an online formation service. Just be sure to use one that adheres to your state requirements.
You should also keep your contacts professional. Open a business email account with a professional domain name. Then, when you contact clients, keep your formatting uniform. For example, if you share files, keep them in PDF form. If you need them converted into a different format, you can use a tool to convert PDFs online for free with a simple drag-and-drop action. Additionally, research shows that putting PDFs in the body of the email rather than attaching them is more professional.
Now that you have a list of cities that would suit your lifestyle well, you can visit them all. Any city can sound nice, but you want to see how it actually feels to be there. Allow yourself a small trip and find a city that feels like home.