Would you/have you left your family behind to live in NYC? (New York: home, to buy)

[EastBoundandDownChick]

I am wondering how many people have experienced this dilemma, the conflict of whether to stay close to family or leave to pursue a dream. I am not getting any younger and need to make a decision within the next few years about where I am going to settle down long term. It's been extremely confusing to be honest. One part of me feels obligated to my family being that I'm the only one who will be able to take care of my parents, they are both divorced and neither have remarried. Meaning that, if they went to a nursing home... they'd be alone there and I'd be halfway across the country. It's also a lot cheaper to live by them, a lot easier to buy a home. But also more socially conservative and with me being a single childless woman I do stand out a little. It's also dull and kind of isolated. Very different from NYC.

The advantages of living in NYC are having FAR better opportunities for career... no feeling of being odd for being single and kid-free... and all of the luxury that living in the city offers. Sure, it's obviously harder to own property. I'd probably face the reality of being a lifelong renter. It would be very hard to purchase a place to call my own. And should something happen within my family I'd have to live with the guilt of not being home to help out. I almost feel like I am putting the needs of my family before my own. I was wondering if I'm the only one out there who faces a situation like this.

[queensgrl]

No, but they left NYC to live somewhere else and are alone now with no one to care for them, and I'm in NYC alone as well. You have to live your life. You can always travel to visit them.

[Chava61]

It is your decision whether it is important for you to live near family members or live on your own in area without any close family members.

[Nbrake]

Hello. My husband and I are packing up our 2 children and moving from Los Angeles to New York this summer. No, we don't have family there. All the grandparents are here in Los Angeles, but in their own worlds. I like you, am an only child of divorced parents. Completely estranged from my mother, and although I love my father, he is in his own world, and doesn't spend time with my kids at all. You have to live your own life. It is not your fault they are divorced. You will never regret trying something new. I say...go for it. And it you need a little inspiration....Moderator cut: Advertising personal blog. I will be sharing this whole experience with who ever is interested.

[availableusername]

I've left my family in NYC.

[Bronxguyanese]

Thousands of people across the world and America leave thief family behind to come to nyc however thousands of new yorkers leave nyc to part take in manifest destiny, while some move back to post Jim crow south and others move to Florida and Arizona for retirement while others move to California to be somebody else. In truth life goes on when people move. I wanna move out of nyc.

[Airborneguy]

I'm leaving NYC and my family as soon as I sell my house. Does that count?

[Miss J 74]

I'm about to leave my family in NYC to move to another state. We're all kind of spread out in the tri-state area anyway, so we don't see each other that much now as it is.

If you do move back to NYC, just make sure it's not Harlem or Washington Heights! ;-)

[john_starks]

i couldn't do it..

that's why i commend the brave soles who pack up and move to nyc

for me, that's like moving to dallas

[Kefir King]

Many people, me included, view "getting away from family" as a big PLUS!