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We are a white couple in our late 30's. No kids. Well, I have a daughtr but she is now 18 and soon headed off to college. I do have 2 cats and a turtle. I can part with the turtle if I can find it a good home.
He works in the food industry and has done that all his life. I've been a caseworker for the Dept. of Welfare for 10 years. If I leave my job I will be able to walk with a 25,000 pension. That will be our starting over income.
Driving is not an option. He has a DUI and a 3000 dollar fine to pay off. I have never driven a car in my life. So we are fine with our bikes.
He wants to start over because he works 12 to 16 hours 6 days a week. I have had had it with the government job. We don't want to live in the hood so we pay 1000 dollar rent. and utilities.
Philadelphia is expensive unless you are willing to settle for dirty diapers on your street and the random gun shot.
I want an ocean near me. and I'm SOOOOO tired of the big city life. He doesn't really care just wants to be anywhere different. I hate humidity. He hates freezing in the winter.
We never see our families. He is close to his but his job keeps him from seeing them. His family is from outside of PA. I could careless about seeing mine with the exception of my daughter. but for the next 6 years she will be busy with college anyway.
We are up for anything new. We both have agreed NOT PENNSYLVANIA. So sick of PA. Not that it's a bad state. we've just been here most of our lives.
So please tell me any ideas you have. Please don't tell me to stay here with my good government job. It's starting to wear on my soul. My daughter is leaving the city anyway and that is a sign telling us to go somewhere new.
The beach isn't essential, but I love to swim and I need a big body of water near me.
Is the $25k a yearly pension or a 1-time payout? Are you both planning to have new jobs? House, condo or apartment? Buy or rent? What do you see as a monthly housing budget?
Is the $25k a yearly pension or a 1-time payout? Are you both planning to have new jobs? House, condo or apartment? Buy or rent? What do you see as a monthly housing budget?
You have very few choices. If you don't want humidity that leaves out all of the Gulf coast and all of the East coast except maybe for Maine. But Maine has cold winters so that leaves out Maine.
That leaves you with the West coast as you want to be near the ocean. Since you don't drive and don't want to and he can't drive right now, you would have to live in a large city with good public transportation. However, large cities in CA have very high costs of living.
Perhaps look into the larger cities in Oregon or Washington, although you may find them expensive.
It sounds like you're going to need a fairly inexpensive big city/metro area with decent non-car options for commutes, a large job market to find work in and a lower cost of living. If you can get past the humidity part (summers anyway) and not being close to an ocean you might consider cities like Cincinnati or Atlanta. Both do have a winter to deal with but no where as severe (or as long) as what you experience in Philadelphia.
This is really tough. You are going to have to give up at least one of your demands.
Starting with public transportation cities, where you can get away with no car, that may leave you with:
Boston, NYC, Wash DC, Chicago, Atlanta, SF, maybe a couple of others but you are really limited with no car. All of those except Atlanta are going to be expensive unless you want to live in a slum, and even in the slum, some of these might be too expensive.
Atlanta might work for you but it's dang humid there.
I suppose another option would be to live in a smaller area closer to the water, and get jobs in that town where you can both get there via bikes. This would require at least one of you taking a pretty menial job making a low hourly wage, but maybe that's worth it to you.
Is that more what you mean?
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