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Well, we Saratogians, dont mind everyone coming to our Town in the Summer for track, it keeps our taxes low,( and Year round to our Casino) thank you very much. Also, it is a forward thinking Town, therefore very different from other backwards Town Councils, we like indoor plumbing and progress , best of all we have dental care...
But simply stated, Albany NY has an attitude that simply does not suit me, and presumably does not suit many other transplants from "brighter" climates either.
I moved from the Bay Area in California to Albany about 3.5 years ago. I've been struggling to come up with a way to describe why I feel out of place here, and I think this quote sums up my experience. Everything just seems so run-down and depressed around here, and few people seem to have much great ambition, which is a stark contrast to what I experienced back in Silicon Valley with its start-up culture and entrepreneurs. As a young professional, I feel that I will go nowhere if I stay here. Thankfully I have been offered a job in San Francisco, and I will be moving back to California in a couple months.
Albany is a family-friendly place and I know plenty of families that love it here, but as someone mentioned before, it is not a place where an ambitious young professional will find much satisfaction (though of course, this is a generalization and I know there will be occasional exceptions). It is a place to settle down, not a place to move up in the world.
I moved from the Bay Area in California to Albany about 3.5 years ago. I've been struggling to come up with a way to describe why I feel out of place here, and I think this quote sums up my experience. Everything just seems so run-down and depressed around here, and few people seem to have much great ambition, which is a stark contrast to what I experienced back in Silicon Valley with its start-up culture and entrepreneurs. As a young professional, I feel that I will go nowhere if I stay here. Thankfully I have been offered a job in San Francisco, and I will be moving back to California in a couple months.
Albany is a family-friendly place and I know plenty of families that love it here, but as someone mentioned before, it is not a place where an ambitious young professional will find much satisfaction (though of course, this is a generalization and I know there will be occasional exceptions). It is a place to settle down, not a place to move up in the world.
Lived in quite a few places throughout our lives and contrary to your findings, we found living in CA like living in a "plastic world." People's lives revolved around vanity, beauty, lack of sincerity and overall "me" society. I think happiness depends upon our own expectations and desires.
We travel a couple of months out of the year and find many places where people are friendly and others where they are rude. Some places we stay are lovely and others not so nice. OP mentioned snobs and gold diggers in Saratoga Springs, again, this may be true, but no different from other wealthy areas. We live outside Saratoga and, as I stated before, have wonderful neighbors and friends. Life is what you make it. We can't always depend on others to make us happy, we have to work at it ourselves. Best of luck in CA.
Lived in quite a few places throughout our lives and contrary to your findings, we found living in CA like living in a "plastic world." People's lives revolved around vanity, beauty, lack of sincerity and overall "me" society. I think happiness depends upon our own expectations and desires.
We travel a couple of months out of the year and find many places where people are friendly and others where they are rude. Some places we stay are lovely and others not so nice. OP mentioned snobs and gold diggers in Saratoga Springs, again, this may be true, but no different from other wealthy areas. We live outside Saratoga and, as I stated before, have wonderful neighbors and friends. Life is what you make it. We can't always depend on others to make us happy, we have to work at it ourselves. Best of luck in CA.
Thank you. But by any chance, did you live in southern or northern California? Because your description of a "plastic world" is how I've heard places like LA described a lot, but I'm from Northern California, which seems to be largely ignored when people talk about California. I've never heard people refer to places like Silicon Valley or SF as "plastic" or vain. NorCal has the great weather, the educated population, and the beautiful diversity of climates without nearly the amount of smog, traffic, or superficiality of SoCal. Anyhow, I guess this is the wrong thread for me to go too in-depth into why I love California :P
And it is very true that life is what you make of it -- but from first-hand experience I can say that where you live it and what stage you are in life can make a difference in how easy it is to do so. I am guessing that your status as a married(?) older couple will give you different impressions of a location from my own status as a single younger professional. I hear great things about Saratoga Springs all the time here...it sounds awesome. I can't say the same for the city of Albany itself.
Thank you. But by any chance, did you live in southern or northern California? Because your description of a "plastic world" is how I've heard places like LA described a lot, but I'm from Northern California, which seems to be largely ignored when people talk about California. I've never heard people refer to places like Silicon Valley or SF as "plastic" or vain. NorCal has the great weather, the educated population, and the beautiful diversity of climates without nearly the amount of smog, traffic, or superficiality of SoCal. Anyhow, I guess this is the wrong thread for me to go too in-depth into why I love California :P
And it is very true that life is what you make of it -- but from first-hand experience I can say that where you live it and what stage you are in life can make a difference in how easy it is to do so. I am guessing that your status as a married(?) older couple will give you different impressions of a location from my own status as a single younger professional. I hear great things about Saratoga Springs all the time here...it sounds awesome. I can't say the same for the city of Albany itself.
We lived in San Diego for a few years, when we were younger. Yes we are a married older couple who perhaps, in our older age, learned patience, acceptance and tolerance a little better than some of the younger people we meet. I wish when we were younger we paid more attention to the words, "take the time to smell the roses." Now we live by the words, "everyday is a gift." All the best to you.
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