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Old 01-18-2019, 11:53 AM
 
Location: Pacific Northwest
438 posts, read 371,410 times
Reputation: 2106

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Quote:
Originally Posted by AmericaBravoCharles View Post
I’ve lived all over the world on several continents, for work, school and curiosity.

Most places, I’m able to adapt to within a couple of months. Most recently, for example, Los Angeles. I still adore that city, and miss the energy, pace, vibe, diversity of lifestyles, and general “don’t give a damn” attitude. I don’t miss the toxic management at work, but my coworkers were beyond amazing and engaging. I don’t miss California’s liberal politics, but life shouldn’t be, and is never, all about politics anyway. I had a great life there overall and knew I’d miss aspects of it when I moved.

Well, by contrast, I’ve just moved from L.A. to Houston. For all the talk of Southern hospitality, I find the women far less approachable and more b**chy, the coworkers far less social (polite but distant), the people in Meetup groups less engaging, and the Texas collective-cultural mindset one of strange braggadocio. Not to mention, the city isn’t particularly attractive, downtown is dead after 6pm, and even the park system here is rather grungy and poorly maintained. The nearby Gulf coastal areas are some of the truly ugliest coastal-front areas I’ve seen anywhere on the planet.

I don’t want to write Houston, and Texas, off just yet, as I’m still relatively new here, but my patience is also waning rather quickly.

How long do you give a new city before deciding whether you like it or want to bail?
A good question is why did you move there in the first place?

Most people dream of living anywhere they want, but as you've found if you don't have something tying you down the negatives that pop up will just give you a reason to want to leave. You also kinda shot yourself in the foot by living in LA, it's hard to go anywhere else and be satisfied just because LA has so much diversity in itself between the neighborhoods and people.

If you have the flexibility to move then maybe it's time to do so. Cities don't suddenly changed and I doubt the things you don't like about Texas will ever go away. It''s fine to not like a region or its culture and you've identified you dislike it. So if you aren't required to live there for work or family then maybe move to another city. Maybe try Dallas or San Antonio if you want to stay in Texas (It's a big state and I've found people who dislike Houston end up enjoying other Texas cities much more as the regional cultures are very different between the cities themselves).

 
Old 01-18-2019, 12:03 PM
 
172 posts, read 144,100 times
Reputation: 255
That's a tough question. I'd say give it a year to anyone else but personally, I'd be ready to go. We moved 12 years ago and all the newness wore off and I was ready to move again after 2 years. I have waited 10 long years.

In a way, since I haven't wanted to be here, I haven't fully embraced getting to know people or get too invested. If you aren't happy, the danger is to treat your new area as temporary and not fully give it a chance

However, after several failed attempts, we are finally in the process of relocating. I'm familiar with the region but had never explored the city we plan to move to. We visited last year to check it out and it just immediately felt like home.

If you're in a position to move without incurring too much debt or make a huge leap backwards, I'd say go for a change.
 
Old 01-18-2019, 12:23 PM
 
Location: Oklahoma City, OK
5,353 posts, read 5,766,345 times
Reputation: 6561
Quote:
Originally Posted by Spedteach17 View Post
That's a tough question. I'd say give it a year to anyone else but personally, I'd be ready to go. We moved 12 years ago and all the newness wore off and I was ready to move again after 2 years. I have waited 10 long years.

In a way, since I haven't wanted to be here, I haven't fully embraced getting to know people or get too invested. If you aren't happy, the danger is to treat your new area as temporary and not fully give it a chance

However, after several failed attempts, we are finally in the process of relocating. I'm familiar with the region but had never explored the city we plan to move to. We visited last year to check it out and it just immediately felt like home.

If you're in a position to move without incurring too much debt or make a huge leap backwards, I'd say go for a change.
I sure can relate! I've been done with my city for 3 years, but it's not easy to just move. Have to have an equal or better position lined up in a more desirable city. Hard to conduct a long distance professional job search. I have one foot in and one foot out, and as a result have rented when I should have bought. At least my rent is fairly cheap relative to my income.
 
Old 01-18-2019, 12:32 PM
 
Location: The Triad
34,091 posts, read 82,438,418 times
Reputation: 43642
Quote:
Originally Posted by gamergal View Post
That said, the vibe of Austin to me seemed a bit more...
The only problem with Austin is that it's surrounded by Texas.
 
Old 01-18-2019, 12:58 PM
 
5,730 posts, read 10,086,064 times
Reputation: 8050
I lived where I live for a couple years.

Then I Joined the Volunteer FD.

My life is COMPLETELY different than it was before that. (People I got to kno w.)


Look around, rather than looking at what you don't like.... What can you do to change you?
 
Old 01-18-2019, 04:23 PM
 
6,333 posts, read 4,050,972 times
Reputation: 12921
Quote:
Originally Posted by AmericaBravoCharles View Post
I’ve lived all over the world on several continents, for work, school and curiosity.

Most places, I’m able to adapt to within a couple of months. Most recently, for example, Los Angeles. I still adore that city, and miss the energy, pace, vibe, diversity of lifestyles, and general “don’t give a damn” attitude. I don’t miss the toxic management at work, but my coworkers were beyond amazing and engaging. I don’t miss California’s liberal politics, but life shouldn’t be, and is never, all about politics anyway. I had a great life there overall and knew I’d miss aspects of it when I moved.

Well, by contrast, I’ve just moved from L.A. to Houston. For all the talk of Southern hospitality, I find the women far less approachable and more b**chy, the coworkers far less social (polite but distant), the people in Meetup groups less engaging, and the Texas collective-cultural mindset one of strange braggadocio. Not to mention, the city isn’t particularly attractive, downtown is dead after 6pm, and even the park system here is rather grungy and poorly maintained. The nearby Gulf coastal areas are some of the truly ugliest coastal-front areas I’ve seen anywhere on the planet.

I don’t want to write Houston, and Texas, off just yet, as I’m still relatively new here, but my patience is also waning rather quickly.

How long do you give a new city before deciding whether you like it or want to bail?
Since you have a job there, as opposed to being retired, you are dealing with people on a daily basis that kind of speeds up your local involvement in that area. Based on your situation and past experiences with living and working in different cities, I would bet that you would know for sure within 12 months of living there!
 
Old 01-18-2019, 04:24 PM
 
2,234 posts, read 1,630,399 times
Reputation: 9198
After a year, I think you have a pretty good idea if the area is a "fit" or not.

We moved 4 times in 8 years (job transfers) and there was one place that never appealed to us. We did have friends but the area was too congested, people not as friendly, and the commute too difficult. Everyone probably has their own criteria.
 
Old 01-19-2019, 03:36 AM
 
Location: Tucson/Nogales
23,062 posts, read 28,770,326 times
Reputation: 32334
Quote:
Originally Posted by Atlguy39 View Post
I sure can relate! I've been done with my city for 3 years, but it's not easy to just move. Have to have an equal or better position lined up in a more desirable city. Hard to conduct a long distance professional job search. I have one foot in and one foot out, and as a result have rented when I should have bought. At least my rent is fairly cheap relative to my income.
One thing to consider when moving somewhere is: What if I get tired of this city, I made a mistake, or I just get bored with it, where can I slip off to for a weekend, within 2-3 hours away?

With Oklahoma City it's an easy drive to both Kansas City or Dallas or Dullsa, I mean, Tulsa!

With Houston, you can run off to Dallas or Austin or even New Orleans.

And God forbid, you get tired of Denver or even Minneapolis, both very isolated cities.

Love can turn to hate in a split second, hate can turn to love in a split second. When I moved to Las Vegas in 1996 it was very exciting to me for about 10 years, then all turned to hate and I wanted out, but I got caught up in the RE crash and I finally made my exit last June to Tucson. So far, I'm in love with it, being in a liberal city again and a one hour drive to Mexico.

Just wait until you go thru your first summer in Houston!
 
Old 01-19-2019, 05:08 AM
 
2,649 posts, read 1,828,429 times
Reputation: 3106
Quote:
Originally Posted by tijlover View Post
One thing to consider when moving somewhere is: What if I get tired of this city, I made a mistake, or I just get bored with it, where can I slip off to for a weekend, within 2-3 hours away?

With Oklahoma City it's an easy drive to both Kansas City or Dallas or Dullsa, I mean, Tulsa!

With Houston, you can run off to Dallas or Austin or even New Orleans.

And God forbid, you get tired of Denver or even Minneapolis, both very isolated cities.
Denver is not boring, not in the least. Plus there are the wonderful mountains for camping, skiing, casinos, hiking.............there is Aspen, Breckenridge, Vail, Glenwood Springs, Colorado Springs, Cripple Creek, Blackhawk..................................if you are bored in Colorado, well that is just crazy. JMO, after traveling all over the country and always coming home to Colorado!
 
Old 01-19-2019, 05:43 AM
 
Location: rural south west UK
5,361 posts, read 3,538,545 times
Reputation: 6486
Quote:
Originally Posted by HomeIsWhere... View Post
If only it were that easy bigpaul!

I'm more than ready...and so glad I didn't unpack everything!
it is that easy in my case, I moved from a city and never looked back.
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