@Daniel Delsignor if you don't have any more than say 50-60k then NB is probably your best bet.

Your best bet, if you desire a real person out in front of you that you can shake hands with and pose questions to, would be to attend a meeting at any of your local real estate investment associations (or REIAs).

Cheers to that Jen.Since you have extra money, in my opinion, real estate is probably the safest and best bet to go.

One caveat - don't expect the same rents as the luxury locations, but I bet you can make a nice income from it. 

We are betting that downtown prices will expand to that major street.

I think @Jay Hinrichs touches on the important point... if you can reasonably expect appreciation, then it might be a good bet/gamble. 

If you have cash to buy a place I bet there are some good deals to be had.

I would recommend you connect with @Tim Swierczek, he can help you get your finances figured out so you can purchase a place.I would say your best bet is to graduate college and get a job in your field. 

Your best bet is to consult with a lawyer in your state (and perhaps in the state you're going to operate in if you're going to be investing out-of-state) to help you work through the options and find what will best meet your objectives.I wish you the best of luck in your journey!

I bet a contractor could look at a parcel of vacant land and tell you  how much it would cost to build whatever.