[ilya]

i know you should really learn spanish or thai or move to malasiya etc but if you're not up for all that,

consider new haven. no, really!

foxwoods is nearby and atlantic city/new york with all its poker clubs and other attractions is just 1-1.5 hours away. plenty of malls nearby if you need to do some shopping and a good college-town mix of upscale and affordable restaurants, entertainment, etc in new haven proper. lots of nature if you're into that. for example my roommate was into mountain biking and there was plenty of terrain for him within a half hour's drive.

when i was a student there a few years ago i rented a room in a two-story apartment with two huge living rooms and 3 other bedrooms/roommates for under $250/month, utilities included. i also lived in a nicer two-bedroom apartment with a friend for about $450 per person. close enough to the yale campus to have restaurants, etc within walking distance but not so close that we ever had to deal with rowdy loud late night crowds.