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I really welcome all advice, feedback, thoughts, etc. here on my situation.
My story is similar to many of the those we read here on this forum.
I left rural upstate (Central NY) about 20 + years ago in search of the things we all wanted back then:
- better job opportunities
-more excitement
- warmer weather, etc.
I graduated college, left for NYC, then eventually wound up in Wash. DC where I have lived for many years.
But now?? Now I'm in my late 40s, recently divorced, an empty nester and I am just flat out tired of urban life, traffic, etc. etc.
All of my family still lives in rural central NY and some of my friends as well.
I probably have another 8-9 years to work before retirement.
All that said, here is my half baked plan:
I am considering a move back upstate. I miss my family. I miss the idea of community, I miss being able to have a life that doesn't revolve around traffic patterns. I am tired of snobbery and pretension. The girl may have left the country, but the country never left the girl - and yet, I am overly educated and somewhat cultured, etc. - so moving back to a rural area is a big deal for me after having been gone so long.
I worked in the private sector for many years, but now am a recent federal employee. I am mostly likely to find federal employment in Rome, NY - maybe Syracuse or Schenectady(?) If I can't find federal employment, I have even toyed with the idea of getting certified to teach, just so that I can find a job up there somewhere.
I don't think I want to live in Syracuse or Rome or Schenectady, so I'd likely need to commute, which may not be too terribly bad since I can work from home some days, especially when the weather is bad.
My family lives and works in Chenango County, but my god, that is about the poorest county in NY, with the least number of job opportunities for professional employment. I am thinking I'd need to live nearby and visit them on the weekends, so that leads me to places like Ithaca or Oneonta or maybe the suburbs of Syracuse to the south.
I dread the idea of going back to long winters and dreary weather, but luckily I ski, so that gives me something to look forward to. I'm not sure about buying property - it looks cheap compared to DC, very cheap- but worried about escalating property taxes....
I wonder about my social life, but see that there seems to be a lot of good live music upstate and arts fests, nature of course (love the Adirondacks), so half of the year, I will be out and about
What am I missing from this picture? What else do I need to consider?
Would love thoughts on places for a single woman to live....
Status:
"Let this year be over..."
(set 18 days ago)
Location: Where my bills arrive
19,219 posts, read 17,083,204 times
Reputation: 15537
Quote:
Originally Posted by Barefootedone
Hi there,
I really welcome all advice, feedback, thoughts, etc. here on my situation.
My story is similar to many of the those we read here on this forum.
I left rural upstate (Central NY) about 20 + years ago in search of the things we all wanted back then:
- better job opportunities
-more excitement
- warmer weather, etc.
I graduated college, left for NYC, then eventually wound up in Wash. DC where I have lived for many years.
But now?? Now I'm in my late 40s, recently divorced, an empty nester and I am just flat out tired of urban life, traffic, etc. etc.
All of my family still lives in rural central NY and some of my friends as well.
I probably have another 8-9 years to work before retirement.
All that said, here is my half baked plan:
I am considering a move back upstate. I miss my family. I miss the idea of community, I miss being able to have a life that doesn't revolve around traffic patterns. I am tired of snobbery and pretension. The girl may have left the country, but the country never left the girl - and yet, I am overly educated and somewhat cultured, etc. - so moving back to a rural area is a big deal for me after having been gone so long.
I worked in the private sector for many years, but now am a recent federal employee. I am mostly likely to find federal employment in Rome, NY - maybe Syracuse or Schenectady(?) If I can't find federal employment, I have even toyed with the idea of getting certified to teach, just so that I can find a job up there somewhere.
I don't think I want to live in Syracuse or Rome or Schenectady, so I'd likely need to commute, which may not be too terribly bad since I can work from home some days, especially when the weather is bad.
My family lives and works in Chenango County, but my god, that is about the poorest county in NY, with the least number of job opportunities for professional employment. I am thinking I'd need to live nearby and visit them on the weekends, so that leads me to places like Ithaca or Oneonta or maybe the suburbs of Syracuse to the south.
I dread the idea of going back to long winters and dreary weather, but luckily I ski, so that gives me something to look forward to. I'm not sure about buying property - it looks cheap compared to DC, very cheap- but worried about escalating property taxes....
I wonder about my social life, but see that there seems to be a lot of good live music upstate and arts fests, nature of course (love the Adirondacks), so half of the year, I will be out and about
What am I missing from this picture? What else do I need to consider?
Would love thoughts on places for a single woman to live....
Thanks, BF
You need to reconnect with the current reality. Many of the things you metioned are still there and haven't changed. I left NY 30 years ago and am considering moving north when I retire. Some things to consider
- Ensure you have a job that earnes you what you want. Don't assume a Federal Job will be available in Rome because you
want it.
- Don't count on teaching, many of the posters on these boards are experienced teachers with years/credentials under their
belts. From what they post there are no teaching jobs.
- Upstate is not DC, if you enjoy the convieniences of urban life you may not find them .
My wife and I have discussed renting a place for a month or 2 in the middle of winter to see how well we handle it. Who knows we may get cabin fever but better to find out before moving. For a job I just need a Lowes for part-time work.
Have you considered Virginia up near Harrisonburg or somewhere else in the valley? A more small town feel, milder weather and the "big city" isn't so far?
What I wrote here could apply to anyplace in the USA. You have been gone 20 years, go for an extended visit and see what kind of feeling you get. Many will post what a land of plenty it is, cheap housing etc. But if the job type you wan't isn't available or at a salary you need than is it woth it?
I know several people with teaching degrees who are working in totally different fields. Its my understanding that a teaching job is pretty much impossible to get in NY right now.
I'm originally from Baltimore so I can totally understand why you would want out of the DC rat race. If you can get a good job its just so much cheaper here than there (even with the taxes being what they are) but getting a decent job is obviously going to be the biggest hurdle. Don't even get me started on Baltimore/DC traffic. I personally tried to move to a rural area in NNY & couldn't take it but am very happy now that we are in suburban Buffalo.
I really welcome all advice, feedback, thoughts, etc. here on my situation.
My story is similar to many of the those we read here on this forum.
I left rural upstate (Central NY) about 20 + years ago in search of the things we all wanted back then:
- better job opportunities
-more excitement
- warmer weather, etc.
I graduated college, left for NYC, then eventually wound up in Wash. DC where I have lived for many years.
But now?? Now I'm in my late 40s, recently divorced, an empty nester and I am just flat out tired of urban life, traffic, etc. etc.
All of my family still lives in rural central NY and some of my friends as well.
I probably have another 8-9 years to work before retirement.
All that said, here is my half baked plan:
I am considering a move back upstate. I miss my family. I miss the idea of community, I miss being able to have a life that doesn't revolve around traffic patterns. I am tired of snobbery and pretension. The girl may have left the country, but the country never left the girl - and yet, I am overly educated and somewhat cultured, etc. - so moving back to a rural area is a big deal for me after having been gone so long.
I worked in the private sector for many years, but now am a recent federal employee. I am mostly likely to find federal employment in Rome, NY - maybe Syracuse or Schenectady(?) If I can't find federal employment, I have even toyed with the idea of getting certified to teach, just so that I can find a job up there somewhere.
I don't think I want to live in Syracuse or Rome or Schenectady, so I'd likely need to commute, which may not be too terribly bad since I can work from home some days, especially when the weather is bad.
My family lives and works in Chenango County, but my god, that is about the poorest county in NY, with the least number of job opportunities for professional employment. I am thinking I'd need to live nearby and visit them on the weekends, so that leads me to places like Ithaca or Oneonta or maybe the suburbs of Syracuse to the south.
I dread the idea of going back to long winters and dreary weather, but luckily I ski, so that gives me something to look forward to. I'm not sure about buying property - it looks cheap compared to DC, very cheap- but worried about escalating property taxes....
I wonder about my social life, but see that there seems to be a lot of good live music upstate and arts fests, nature of course (love the Adirondacks), so half of the year, I will be out and about
What am I missing from this picture? What else do I need to consider?
Would love thoughts on places for a single woman to live....
Thanks, BF
What kind of private sector work did you do? I think that will be key, as you can't downplay any skills you may have from your work experience. This is a great website in showing what is available in Upstate NY: Central New York Jobs
A lso, if you want something that is country, but is close to a city or centers of employment, you might like towns like LaFayette, Tully, Pompey, Cazenovia, Homer, Waterville, Hamilton, Canastota and Groton, among many others in CNY. You pretty much can find a nice, small town atmosphere anywhere in Upstate NY.
As for taxes, this website can give you an idea of what the avaerage rates are right now: Tax Rates (http://php.democratandchronicle.com/tax_rates/ - broken link) Keep in mind that if you are a veteran, you can get a reduction. STAR, if it is still available, will help too. Keep in mind that while the tax rate is the highest in the country, people forget that the cost of homes is pretty low for what you can get as well. When you can get a nice home for 150k, if not less, in practically any suburb in Upstate NY, that should tell you something. So, in a sense it "evens out", if not comes out to be more affordable.
As long as you can get a good job, you should be able to find everything else you are looking for.
You need to reconnect with the current reality. Many of the things you metioned are still there and haven't changed. I left NY 30 years ago and am considering moving north when I retire. Some things to consider
- Ensure you have a job that earnes you what you want. Don't assume a Federal Job will be available in Rome because you
want it.
- Don't count on teaching, many of the posters on these boards are experienced teachers with years/credentials under their
belts. From what they post there are no teaching jobs.
- Upstate is not DC, if you enjoy the convieniences of urban life you may not find them .
My wife and I have discussed renting a place for a month or 2 in the middle of winter to see how well we handle it. Who knows we may get cabin fever but better to find out before moving. For a job I just need a Lowes for part-time work.
Have you considered Virginia up near Harrisonburg or somewhere else in the valley? A more small town feel, milder weather and the "big city" isn't so far?
What I wrote here could apply to anyplace in the USA. You have been gone 20 years, go for an extended visit and see what kind of feeling you get. Many will post what a land of plenty it is, cheap housing etc. But if the job type you wan't isn't available or at a salary you need than is it woth it?
Status:
"Let this year be over..."
(set 18 days ago)
Location: Where my bills arrive
19,219 posts, read 17,083,204 times
Reputation: 15537
Quote:
Originally Posted by ckhthankgod
Where in Upstate NY were you looking at?
Thinking of retiring to the Queensbury/Saratoga area. Looking good so far but the taxes are a very hard pill to swallow. They have a Lowes so my next carrer is possible..lol.
Yes, paid employment seems to be the biggest hurdle. I don't mention the position in Rome lightly.
I am somewhat fortunate in that my career category in the govt is in critical demand right now and will be in the forseeable future (long story, but they did no hiring in the 90s and now they're losing more people to retirement than they can reasonably hire and train out of college - hence the reason they are bringing people like me over - mid-career, from the private side).
So the need will continue to be there and I do wonder how the Air Force manages to entice people to move to Rome from other, more desirable locations.
I mean for me, it's a different situation. I have a large support network of family and friends in CNY - that is the primary draw for me - I might have overstated the other factors - less urban lifestyle, etc.
I believe there are other federal offices for DOE for example, in Syracuse and Schenectady and as you mention, Watertown. Watertown would be a a drag however -too far north and even more geographically remote. At least the Southern Tier of NYS can offer reasonable access to NYC, Boston, Albany, etc.
Thanks also for the feedback on teaching, appreciate hearing about that. If that wouldn't work, I am also looking into similar types of employment - amazed at the amount of jobs in CNY oriented toward helping the disabled - seems to be a cottage industry, have not seen that anywhere else in the country - unless Albany sends those kind of jobs to economically depressed areas.
Again thank you and still interested in any further thoughts/comments.
As I sit here listening to meditation music and try to find just a little time for myself before I have to rush out and deal with what can be the days overwhelming tasks, here are my thoughts and some music to help you think.
It seems pretty simple, it's not simple nor is it easy at all. You have changed your life, you have changed who you are. You are not the person who moved so many years ago you have evolved and added facets to your personality and the things you enjoy. You have come to dislike things you use to enjoy like the cold. Everything, every decision comes from understanding. You would most likely benefit from putting everything in columns of likes and dislikes, where you are now and where you want to go back to. But understanding nothing is stagnant, so going back does not really exist, it is only as you remember it, the younger woman and girl does not exist either. So where am I going with this? I think it's compromise, take in to account all the pluses and negatives and identify what you are willing and able to accept and loose. Fully knowing there are no perfect decision just better ones.
My wife and I have recently purchased land in East Worcester, we are dealing with what to build, when to build, where to build, how much time to spend there. We love the property and the area but it will cost us time with our NJ friends, time for sailing and the types of vacations we had considered. When we decided to buy we threw a rock into the water and the ripples have not stopped and some ripples are already bouncing back and effecting the original one.
Thinking of retiring to the Queensbury/Saratoga area. Looking good so far but the taxes are a very hard pill to swallow. They have a Lowes so my next carrer is possible..lol.
Is there any other possibility in Upstate NY, it varies. This could be the case even within the same neighborhood, let alone town.
Yes, paid employment seems to be the biggest hurdle. I don't mention the position in Rome lightly.
I am somewhat fortunate in that my career category in the govt is in critical demand right now and will be in the forseeable future (long story, but they did no hiring in the 90s and now they're losing more people to retirement than they can reasonably hire and train out of college - hence the reason they are bringing people like me over - mid-career, from the private side).
So the need will continue to be there and I do wonder how the Air Force manages to entice people to move to Rome from other, more desirable locations.
I mean for me, it's a different situation. I have a large support network of family and friends in CNY - that is the primary draw for me - I might have overstated the other factors - less urban lifestyle, etc.
I believe there are other federal offices for DOE for example, in Syracuse and Schenectady and as you mention, Watertown. Watertown would be a a drag however -too far north and even more geographically remote. At least the Southern Tier of NYS can offer reasonable access to NYC, Boston, Albany, etc.
Thanks also for the feedback on teaching, appreciate hearing about that. If that wouldn't work, I am also looking into similar types of employment - amazed at the amount of jobs in CNY oriented toward helping the disabled - seems to be a cottage industry, have not seen that anywhere else in the country - unless Albany sends those kind of jobs to economically depressed areas.
Again thank you and still interested in any further thoughts/comments.
BF
I will say this, don't sleep on Watertown. People forget that it is also close to cities like Ottawa and Montreal. So, it might not be as bad as people think it is in terms of location. Just get an enhanced driver's license.
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I personally tried to move to a rural area in NNY & couldn't take it but am very happy now that we are in suburban Buffalo.
