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I am from Chicago. I want to move to East Coast for weather and accessibility. I am a health care professional in diagnostic radiology. I have a job offer from VA health system for 10% less than what I am making in Chicago. I work in private sector that offers excellent benefits. Is it worth to move to NJ/NY taking 10 % pay cut and pay 10-20% more in cost of living ? Has anyone any thoughts in this regard ? Thank you.
I am from Chicago. I want to move to East Coast for weather and accessibility. I am a health care professional in diagnostic radiology. I have a job offer from VA health system for 10% less than what I am making in Chicago. I work in private sector that offers excellent benefits. Is it worth to move to NJ/NY taking 10 % pay cut and pay 10-20% more in cost of living ? Has anyone any thoughts in this regard ? Thank you.
Why would you move from Chicago to the east coast/NY/NJ area for the weather??
The weather there is barely any better than Chicago. At best, winter temps are 5-10 degrees warmer in the winter, with probably just as much snow.
And what do you mean by accessibility? New York is MUCH larger with more of everything, but Chicago is a very "accessible" large city.
My honest answer would be yes, it would be silly to take a 10% cut and pay 10-20% more in cost of living for only slightly warmer winters.
I'm confused. Are there other more specific reasons why you want to move there?
Hard to know whether the move will be worth it without knowing what 10% lower salary means. If you're going from $200,000 to $180,000 that's one thing. If you're going from $50,000 to $45,000 it's something else altogether. Housing is more expensive in metro NYC for sure, but once you leave Manhattan and the trendy Brooklyn neighborhoods it's more reasonable than many people think. It will still be more expensive than Chicago, but not outrageously so.
Another big thing to consider is whether the prospects for job advancement in NYC would be better. Whatever your salary and housing budget, can you expect the former to grow faster here or where you are? Only you know the answer to that. But if it is here in NYC, that's a strong consideration for making the move if you can afford to.
As to the weather, don't believe anyone who tells you the difference is minimal. It isn't. I'm in both cities a lot, and Chicago is defintely colder, it tends to snow more, and it's incredibly overcast during the winter. Being on the coast moderates all those things so our winters are noticably milder and sunnier.
And I don't question why someone would want to live here in New York. After, all, who wouldn't?
i cant speak on chicago but i moved from philly to minnesota. and i know that while it is colder in the midwest. ive lived in philly and delaware and they dont take care of the snow the way minnesota does. when it snows in minnesota, there's tons of plow trucks ready to go. you wont miss a day of work or school. but back east, it takes forever to get the trucks out. unless its the highway and even then they dont care. so i wouldnt move back for the weather. but if you have family back east, i would do it. besides you can always look for other jobs while ur there. dc, new york, etc.
If I were you, I'd make a mental list of benefits for each place and figure out what makes sense for you. I'm NW Chicago burbs and will always call this place my home, but eventually I am looking to go away for awhile for school/work potentially. Whatever provides the best balance will be the best choice! =] Good luck
Hard to know whether the move will be worth it without knowing what 10% lower salary means. If you're going from $200,000 to $180,000 that's one thing. If you're going from $50,000 to $45,000 it's something else altogether. Housing is more expensive in metro NYC for sure, but once you leave Manhattan and the trendy Brooklyn neighborhoods it's more reasonable than many people think. It will still be more expensive than Chicago, but not outrageously so.
Another big thing to consider is whether the prospects for job advancement in NYC would be better. Whatever your salary and housing budget, can you expect the former to grow faster here or where you are? Only you know the answer to that. But if it is here in NYC, that's a strong consideration for making the move if you can afford to.
As to the weather, don't believe anyone who tells you the difference is minimal. It isn't. I'm in both cities a lot, and Chicago is defintely colder, it tends to snow more, and it's incredibly overcast during the winter. Being on the coast moderates all those things so our winters are noticably milder and sunnier.
And I don't question why someone would want to live here in New York. After, all, who wouldn't?
I guess I may have been a little harsh, but I guess it had more to do with not knowing what she was looking for. I know NYC winters are most definitely milder, but I just have a hard time seeing that as being one of the TOP reasons to move there, unlike say SoCal, Florida, even Texas, etc. 7-10 degrees higher average winter temps, is just not much of a difference than say 25-30 degree difference.
I also wasn't sure what she meant by "accessibility". I would say Chicago is probably one of the most "accessible" cities. Its what people love about it.
I could see people wanting to move to NYC, because say, Chicago culturally/sociologically doesn't quite live up to its cosmopolitan and sophisticated veneer, and the milder winters being gravy on top/icing on the cake or whatever.
Maybe the OP means accessibility to other East Coast sites and cities in comparison to the Midwest/Chicagoland? If that's the case, then I could understand that since there are so many major cities so close together on East Coast in comparison to the Midwest.
I want to move. I now live in a small town in Va where there is no stop lights. Everyone knows everyone which can be a good thing and bad. We are in the country where we can ride dirt bikes and four wheelers have a fire in the back yard with friends over and our dog roams. Great schools to. But as good as it all sounds small town are alwAys filled with drama and no work.
We have family in martinsburg wva and Beltsville md and Hampton NJ and a dear best friend in nags head NC where can we move with the top best schools in the middle of all family that isn't a HuGE city. Small town but yet still having the city right there.
I don't want my kids to be outcast of course in school either. I would like a fair share of rAce with in the community. I'm country but love the classy city life and my husband needs higher paying work. Help please! Oh yeah in va it's the perfect climate during all seasons! I so need that as well.
Hard to know whether the move will be worth it without knowing what 10% lower salary means. If you're going from $200,000 to $180,000 that's one thing. If you're going from $50,000 to $45,000 it's something else altogether. Housing is more expensive in metro NYC for sure, but once you leave Manhattan and the trendy Brooklyn neighborhoods it's more reasonable than many people think. It will still be more expensive than Chicago, but not outrageously so.
Another big thing to consider is whether the prospects for job advancement in NYC would be better. Whatever your salary and housing budget, can you expect the former to grow faster here or where you are? Only you know the answer to that. But if it is here in NYC, that's a strong consideration for making the move if you can afford to.
As to the weather, don't believe anyone who tells you the difference is minimal. It isn't. I'm in both cities a lot, and Chicago is defintely colder, it tends to snow more, and it's incredibly overcast during the winter. Being on the coast moderates all those things so our winters are noticably milder and sunnier.
And I don't question why someone would want to live here in New York. After, all, who wouldn't?
Haha, I was just thinking that. I definitely don't feel like arguing though but just a few footnotes. It's also *longer* by about 2 months as defined by night time freezing temperatures/first snows. Also, you shouldn't look at average temps but *actual* temps as midwestern cities fluctuate far more. It's just a poor way of comparison by looking at an "average". E.G. for sure, NYC is consistently cold, but Chicago is both more erratically balmy *and* freezing, but happens to still average 7-10 degrees colder (highs) with lower lows that are experienced when most people go to work in the morning.
Over last 10 year data Chicago experiences over 60 days a year under 20F, while NYC averages only 12 days of year under 20.
Chicago experiences on average 25 days a year dropping below 10F, this on average only happens once a year in NYC.
In the high range (which often prevents outdoor stuff like prolonged running/biking/training b/c A) it's cold B) things start to freeze, C) precipitation starts to turn to snow. In Chicago averages 105 days a year where the temp doesn't hit 40F, NYC this only happens an average of 42days a year.
All these things being said, it wouldn't be the *only* reason to move or even the motivating factor, more of a fringe benefit.
And I'm pretty sure they mean access to things available on East Coast such as ocean/mountains/more cities.
Last edited by grapico; 11-30-2013 at 08:51 PM..
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Country vs city living
