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that is very true. my wife and i have lived all around the US for our jobs, and the places we lived in were all the same. it seems like this trend is happening all over the country. we also are thinking about starting a green building business in montana, but it hasn't been easy. it just isn't supported out here.
the small town vibe and rugged individuality of the west is gone. it is replaced by valley girls with bug eyed sunglasses, hipsters, desperate housewives, and the all-american dad we watch on TV everyday. there really isn't much of a community anymore, just a cookie cutter lifestyle in everything we do, be it from our cars to hairstyles. i always found the people from upstate new york to be much more genuine, and i could always pick them out of a crowd.
i was also raised on long island, and from what i remember about upstate is awesome vacations, and happy times visiting relatives at thanksgiving and christmas. so we are also considering upstate new york to raise our family. we were thinking of buying in glens falls since it is so close to the adirondacks. i have 20 million acres of public land a few miles from where i am sitting, and it will be very hard to give that up. the adirondack park should help a little. good luck!
We have found people in upstate NY fantastic. Friendly, helpful and sincere. We moved upstate and our neighbors have helped us replace fencing, put up sheetrock, pet sit our dog, etc. Good luck upstate!
I moved to Florida (Tampa) 4 1/2 years ago. I moved from NJ, but have lived in Clifton Park for a short time. I HATE Florida. Yes, winters are wonderful! However, summers are miserable. I always hated the cold, but now I hate summers. The people down here are idiots! The drivers SUCK! Traffic is awful. It is not really as cheap as people make it out to be. Yes, we do worry about hurricanes, but since I live in Tampa, it is not as big of a concern as Boca. There is a whole "me first and F U" mentality that is rapant. Tampa has areas that is very snobby. I hear Boca is worse. There are creepy crawly things everywhere. Don't forget about the snakes too.
I miss the turning leaves. We do have a "fall", but it is very subtle.
My kids were 6 and 9 when we moved. My 9 year old HATED Florida up until a year ago, when she FINALLY made a few friends. The kids, I find, are much nastier than NJ. I have met others who have said the same thing. I think in part it is the parents are snobs. "My mom is smarter than YOUR mom". "We have more money than YOU". "No one likes you", etc.
If you are moving down with a family, I would REALLY think long and hard about moving down here. The education is terrible. My daughter was 1 1/2 years ahead of everyone else.
You will probably have to take a pay cut, IF you can find work. No one is hiring, unless you are in the medical field.
I think you should visit several times. Come down in Aug/Sept. to get a feel for the heat and humidity. Remember, we have that for 7 months of the year. The rest of the time it is in the 60's and 70's.
I wish you luck, no matter which way you decide. I do know people from NY/NJ area that have lived here for 20 + years and LOVE it. I don't. Maybe you will.
I am originally from Upstate NY but have lived in the Houston area for nearly 20 years. Very similar weather to much of Florida. It is VERY hot and VERY humid here in the summer but I still to this day like it better than some of the long bitter winters from up there. I miss the fall for sure but winter could be 6 months long! A lot of people here have a Pool, which makes the summer much more tolerable. Most of the subdivisions have pools to cool off during the summer if you don't own one personally. Saratoga area is very nice. But I am a beach/water bug so being 3 hrs from the coast and frozen isn't optimal for me. I love snorkeling, diving and coastal fishing, crabbing etc. So I would say it all depends on what activities you like as to whether or not you will like it. My wife and I are most likely going to buy the smallest cheapest house in the keys before too long and when I retire, we will spend 6 months there diving etc, and 6 months here in the Katy area visiting with our kids and family.
We stay in the keys once a year (a different part each time) and we absolutely love it there. I lived in Kona for a few years which was also great, but you can DRIVE to the keys. I have lived in and really love the tropics. I believe I could be happy there. I would say if you aren't a real water-bug, you may not like it as much.
I have lived most of my life in the Utica area and Poughkeepsie area of NY. Moved to Palm Beach County in 2001, for the first year there loved it. But then reality set in. In 2006, moved back to NY. Missed the seasons, fall foliage, yes, snow, nice friendly people, affordable living. None of those things are to be found in FL. The weather in the summer is unbearable, the cost of living is high, there is no sense of community, but the worst part of FL is the rude people. No one seems to care about anything. It's a very indifferent, lonely, stressful lifestyle. I love being back in NY. My advice? Stay in NY, visit FL when you get that yearning for sunshine.
I have lived most of my life in the Utica area and Poughkeepsie area of NY. Moved to Palm Beach County in 2001, for the first year there loved it. But then reality set in. In 2006, moved back to NY. Missed the seasons, fall foliage, yes, snow, nice friendly people, affordable living. None of those things are to be found in FL. The weather in the summer is unbearable, the cost of living is high, there is no sense of community, but the worst part of FL is the rude people. No one seems to care about anything. It's a very indifferent, lonely, stressful lifestyle. I love being back in NY. My advice? Stay in NY, visit FL when you get that yearning for sunshine.
I totally agree with you. When I yearn to the sun, we either fly to Hawaii and when the winter is a bit too long, get in the RV and head for the Keys. Both great places to visit, but give me the friendly, helpful people of upstate NY and affordable living! Snow? We sit by the fire and watch the snow glisten, kids sleigh riding, building snowman....rather be cold than smother with the heat!
We live in Saratoga Springs and enjoy all of the opportunities here for families and education system. We have family in the Boca Raton area of FLorida that for the past 7 years have tried to convince us to move to Floirda. Well after our trip to Disney, and the never ending winter, I have thought about moving. The problem is that I like everything here except the winters. Is it worth moving my whole family just for sunny skies???? Does anyone have any insight on this?
I would definitely confirm what others have said about FL in this thread. Been here for over 30 years after spending the first 28 years of my life in NY. The sun is greatly overrated. Even on a relatively mild day in FL, the intense sun beating down on you makes your skin temperature feel more like 212F. And I may be an anomaly, but I actually get tired of day after day intense sunshine. I appreciate a partly/mostly cloudy day. I have no problem with rain/snow. It's all part of nature. Don't ask me why I left NY in the first place. Initially started out as a silly youthful mistake (I think 28 is still youthful). Once I got married down here (to a FL native no less), my chances of moving back diminished. The sun down here ruins paint jobs on cars, skin on humans (personal experience) and anything else left out in the open. It seems the scales tipped as far as living expenses. What was once a very reasonable cost of living has just about caught up. The property and income taxes in NY still exceed FL. But in my opinion, someday in the next 10 years, we will be looking at an income tax here as tax revenues from other sources fall off.
I always enjoy my twice yearly trips back up to NY. NYC is still awesome. And the scenery in the Catskills, Adirondacks and Finger Lakes is second to none. Anyway, someday I hope to rectify a mistake I made a long time ago, wife willing. If not, I expect to make it at least half the way back (or more). Florida really sucks lately.
what heck were you thinking about moving to florida. COME BACK HOME AND LIVE IN THE NORTHEAST WHERE EVERYTHING YOU NEED IS HERE i live in saratoga springs and its awesome
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