If you HAD TO leave Long Island... (Monroe, Whitehall: Home Depot, high school)

[AlexisT]

I did it for 4 years, then came back

COL was worse than Long Island!

[alexei27]

Actually where we are on LI is among the nicest places we have ever lived (which says a lot coming from a military family who has lived all over the place).

If I HAD to move, it would be somewhere in the mid-atlantic but not too far south so that the humidity kills you. Nothing south of the VA Capes.

Utah or southern Idaho would be on the list...but finding a progressive city is a little tough.

I'd move back to Hawaii in a heartbeat. We'd probably also do Key West (although I don't know if the hurricane threat makes it worth it).

On the "no" list:

- anything south of the VA/NC border and east of the Mississippi
- the northern plains
- California (with the possible exception of San Diego).

[Jc6771]

As long as I had the same paying job I would say North Carolina.

[jpg71]

Originally Posted by sickofnyc99

Well with the way everything is so much better over there it shocks me to my core that nobody has even mentioned the Glorious and Infalible Europe!

The parameters were set to within the US, unfortunately! That said, given no restrictions, I'd be on a tropical island somewhere.

[jeepejeep]

I will be retiring next year and I'm looking at Western Nebraska and Wyoming. I've been to Wyoming a few times and love it there but the winters are pretty rough. Nebraska has a little milder winters from what I've read so I'll look there. I need to get away from the overcrowding, rediculous taxes high humidity and Liberalism in the North East. Looking for wide open spaces, great hunting, fishing etc.
I'd never move anywhere the humidity is worse than LI or the taxes and congestion are near what it is here. LI is turning into a mess as far as I'm concerned.

[Burb]

Originally Posted by Jc6771

As long as I had the same paying job I would say North Carolina.

Good point, I could learn to like making NYC money in many out of the way places where my expenses would be cut by 2/3.

Would I fold my tent in a town I love to live like a king in a less desirable place with lots of disposable income, exotic vactions, all while saving for early retirement? Hmm, tough call but no, as I woud have to uproot the family again and they really like it here. If I were single? In a heartbeat.

[MissesFixIt]

I would go back to PA. For the price homes are here we can get a mansion there! But my fiance would not make as much money. :/ If he did for sure PA!!!

[TristansMommy]

Originally Posted by totallyfrazzled

.... where (in the USA) would you want to move to, and why? Assume that your income would remain the same as it is now (no lottery winnings or deceased rich relatives!).

Also, where would you absolutely NEVER under any circumstances want to move to, and why?

I'd have a really tough time with the Want-To question because there really is noplace else that attracts me more than here. But the hypothetical is "have to leave" and so for me the least of all evils would end up being either of these two areas:

- somewhere in Fairfield County, CT, probably Darien. The income restriction would mean that I'd end up with far less house and property than I could have here, but it's probably the closest appealing match for me as far as weather, demographics, lifestyle, etc.

- somewhere in Massachusetts within a half hour of Boston, such as Wakefield. Ditto the matches as with Fairfield County and add the plus of having an emotional connection to Masschusetts, but I seriously doubt I could handle the New England winters and I would not be able to afford to be a "snowbird".

In either case I would probably end up annoying people no end with my whining about "when I lived on Long Island there was......." --- so in all honesty I would not actively WANT to move to either area, it would just be them as the Best of the Rest.

Making a list of "Over My Dead Body" relocation areas is much easier!

- anywhere in the South because I dislike all of the following: heat, high humidity, bugs/creepycrawlies, recurring hurricanes, Bible Belt culture, snails-pace lifestyle attitude - not to mention that annoying accent!

- the Pacific Northwest. Although I hear it's beautiful I also hear the prevailing weather pattern is rain/overcast/damp for a majority of the year and that would drive me nuts in short order. I get crabby when we have 4 or 5 days of rainy weather HERE (like we just had this week)! And when we had those 11 days of nonstop rain a couple of autumns ago, I thought I was going to start climbing the walls screaming. Plus the damp weather would be murder on my increasingly bad knee, back, elbow and wrist.

- the Southwest (Arizona, Texas). Way too desertlike hot and dry. I'm a gardener but being limited to prairie grasses and succulents is a challenge I would not want to take on. Also would not want to deal with the increasing Mexican-border problems/issues down there and local impact.

- California. Earthquakes, fires, immigration problems, and a cost of living that's even higher than here. Other than palm trees and 70 degrees year-round I can't think of anything there I'd like.

I used to feel like you. That I wouldn't want to live anywhere else, as LI was my home my entire life. I loved it. As an adult, I hate it. It's cost of living is out of control and it's ridiculous.

I absolutely LOVE where I am living now. I live in Carbon County Pa near Jim Thorpe. As a matter of fact we are opening up a gallery in the very touristy town. It's beautiful here and the cost of living is not ridiculous. NYC is 2 hours away... which is tough for a commute, but not if you want to go visit old friends or go there a few times of month if you need to (my husband does for his business).

where I live is Rural.. but not too rural. We have a Walmart , Dunkin donuts.. etc. However, we are 20 minutes away from Whitehall PA /Allentown which is not far at all. THere is NEVER any kind of traffic on the Pike to get to the Lehigh Valley Interchange. Whitehall feels like Long Island pretty much.. with all it has,etc. I wanted to live in a place where i could have a lot of land and space (I have neighbors but can't see them nor hear them). the house i'm renting sits on 168 acres.. but I'm not desolate.

There are TONS of things to do here. There are parks everywhere, little league, soccer for the kids. I go to Jim thorpe and there are tons of bike trails, hiking trails white water rafting. I'm near Beltzville lake that has a beach (haven't been there yet, but heard it's nice). The town I live injust re-opened their pool which they completely redid and let me tell you, it's a mini water park with really cool slides, sprinklers etc.

And guess what.. the cost CHEAP! I can buy a house.. brand new, that sits on 2plus acres for probably around $300K.. even less. Taxes.. let's just say you get more for half the price (more property, more house for less than half what it would cost you on Long Island). Schools here are good and there are a lot of choices. Some people home school, there are private schools and the public schools here are good.. ( Ilooked into that before I moved here.. ).

I'm SO happy here.. much more relaxed. I am kicking myself for not having left Long Island 4 years ago. I could have bought here in PA instead of lose my shirt on my house on Long Island.. not to mention the stress in trying to maintain life there.

There is life outside of NY. Oh.. BTW.. there are TONS of New Jersey and NY people here that I've met and become friends with. Great part is that this area is somewhat of a "secret" that I happened upon.. .. on City-data.com .. btw.. (I used it to research areas in PA.and talk to people).

Oh. .and in the winter there are a few mountain resorts.. including one that is in Palmerton called Blue Mountain Ski rEsort (I almost rented a house across the street from the entrance.. but we didn't get a good vibe from the landlord). which is converting to an all season resort. There is also Split Rock Resort.. and Dorney Park is right in Allentown about 1/2 hour or so from me.

It's awesome here. There are many more fabulous places to live than LI that do not carry such a high price tag.. I promise.

Good luck. I'm extremely happy!

[click]

Sickofny99---oh I would move and live in Europe, specifically France in a heartbeat, thought we were only allowed to say in the United States! Absolutely love, love, love France, every single part of it!

[dman72]

Originally Posted by click

Sickofny99---oh I would move and live in Europe, specifically France in a heartbeat, thought we were only allowed to say in the United States! Absolutely love, love, love France, every single part of it!

Same here. I'd live in Sweden Norway or Denmark also, although my wife never would (hates the cold).