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You still have to maintain your lawn in the summer in NY, and then there's snow removal costs in the winter.
As for food, I haven't found milk anywhere cheaper than upstate NY. Produce is probably a bit more in FL, but that's about it.
I save at least 30 cents or more per gallon in FL compared to NY, and there is no annual inspection fee, just a registration fee.
I've never been a big believer in more $ = better schools. The only thing it does is increase your property taxes and your income taxes to pay for all that spending.
In upstate, at least where I worked, many of the people were sending their kids to private schools anyways. Every state has its good schools. FL has its share of magnet/AP/IB schools that will rival any other public schools around.
I'll give you that one. Upstate certainly did have the 4 seasons, and there was something nice about that. Nonetheless, you will see leaves change in the winter in FL, and as they say there, "you can't shovel sunshine"
I'd take hot summers over frigid, dark and gray winters, but that's a personal preference.
Again, your personal opinion. It just amazed me at the end of the day how much of my paycheck was going to the state/county/city at the end of the day. NY had higher sales taxes than FL, higher property taxes than FL and an income tax of 6%+. I just didn't see that value in what was coming out of my paycheck.
Good. NY could use you, considering the recent census results.
The funny irony of living in a warmer climate versus a snowy one is that you can easily spend more time doing lawn work--raking, sweeping, spraying (the constant dirt/dust), doing extra landscaping, etc. versus shoveling snow, sweeping snow or scraping windshields. Throw in starting your car and anything else. It's 3 months, mainly, of "inconvenience" there versus, here, for example,of 8-9 months/year of a lot of yard work. In Florida, it was a lot, too (rain made everything grow, here it's the constant sun). My husband was on the mower all day, 8 hours/every week (we did have a lot of property there).
I haven't gotten into the time spent over the bug issue even.Here, it's less bugs, but Florida is the bug capital of the world. ANd, snakes. And, in Florida everything is moldy. My roof, the front driveway, the showers and even toilets had a film, as I recall. Here, you, also, have the dryness--sinuses are like sandpaper and skin and hair, too. Everyone coughs here from allergies, too. Just another thing on the list.
I realize the taxes are higher;that's an issue for NY. But, when you add up the HOA fees, car/house insurances (Arizona), food bills, landscaping guys, water bills, it's not a lot higher. That's the point, people are emphasizing taxes, but you have to look at the "whole" px.
The medical/dental/vet charges are all very high here. Not sure how Florida is, depends on area. The vet we saw in Florida, Sebastian, was very high, do remember that.
The education thing was one of the most stark realities I do remember about Florida (I tried to block out as much as possible).It's not even a debate. It's palpatable--the difference. Not saying people can't be well educated in Florida, but there's a difference. I don't care how much money is spent, there's something else operating here.
Arizona, ditto.
I've had good experiences in both states, too, but I think people don't know the whole picture till they've lived through it.
Really? By just throwing more money at it? What about demanding accountability for where that money is going and the outcomes for students?
NY and NJ are tops in per-pupil spending, yet I have to yet see definitive proof that it's money well-spent.
Again, where did I or Phoenixlady say anything about throwing money at anything?
Also, NJ has usually one of the highest grad. rates in the country, to be fair. NY would be up there, but the NYC system, which makes up about 40% of the state's students, give or take, skews the numbers for the whole state. I'm sure if you look at the state outside of NY, the grad. rate is pretty high. Keep in mind that both state have higher percentages of foreign born people than the vast majority of state and in turn, they are most likely are going to have a higher percentage of foreign born/ESL students than most states. That's why information needs to be put into proper perspective.
It's unfortunate for anyone to have such a defeatist view of the world... I hope the new year brings those people the contentment and satisfaction they need.
Its a realistic view, not a defeatist one. It is a decrepit dingy place up there.
Other upstate locales like the New Paltz area are very nice, but once you get further out it really falls apart, fast.
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Originally Posted by ckhthankgod
I smell some exaggeration, as there are plenty of neighborhoods even in Utica that are still fine(South Utica, around Proctor High, North Utica, etc.)
I cant recall specific neighborhoods, but I did roam far and wide in the area, and I am not exaggerating on the destroyed streets, homes, and buildings and general crappiness. Forgot to mention the abandoned cars. With no wheels or engines. In the streets. yeah.
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Yorkville is a blue collar suburb next to Utica's Westside and I wouldn't say that your experience is the rule there, as I know people that still live there that can vouch for that.
It wasn't as ghetto as Utica, no. But there was an attempted home invasion (of myself), and a few of the stores along the main drag (forgot the name-there was a few porno shops I think?) were robbed alot. The meth addicts were a whimsical touch too.
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While there are some run down areas in those cities, all have very nice areas too(Imagine that in a city). Keep in mind that these cities are "older" and many might view the grittiness or older look of the neighborhoods as run down.
I remember the run down areas vastly outnumbering the nicer ones.
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So, it can be a matter of perception if one is coming from some suburb of NYC.
? Everything is so old there too. Nothing is really new or modern, much of it all is packed in and it shows.
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Yes, there are some very rural areas, but again, there are plenty of very charming and nice small towns in Upstate NY that rival those you see in New England or other parts of the country. Even the rural areas vary in character as well.
I loved the Catskills for the charm, but once you got north or west of Albany, you're in crap-land.
I loved the Catskills for the charm, but once you got north or west of Albany, you're in crap-land.
I would hardly call the area north and west of Albany "crap-land". According to my map, the Adirondacks make up a large part of the north and west area outside of Albany. A little over-generalization I think.
You have experience with Utica. I have some, as my husband used to commute to work there... it was dingy, I agree. I would never live there.
That said, Utica isn't even considered a major metro area of its own... that title belongs to Albany, Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo. I wouldn't bother to visit a friend in Utica, to be honest... and I live only an hour away! My cousins, with whom I'm very close, went to Pratt [junior] for their first two years, in succession. I didn't visit them once, during those four years. They didn't want to be there and neither did I.
Your experience in an area where the mob still holds control (despite what anyone says), there is a large prison nearby and where immigrants often flounder in creating a life for themselves... doesn't equate with the worth of the ENTIRE rest of upstate NY. Not nearly.
Not to say that EVERYWHERE is lovely... I drove from Syracuse to Oneonta in the spring. I have never felt so FORCED to be depressed in any two-hour drive in my life! As soon as I wandered through the south of Madison and onward, it was decrepit. I took pictures of how awful it was. But again, those are pockets of extreme poverty and ignorance... not the rule. Not by a long shot.
So, all is not bad in the Utica area and there are quite a few nice areas in and outside of that city.
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