Do you miss NY now the you have left? (New York: middle-class, apartments)

[elemental]

Ditto to all of the posts above. The one thing you cannot replace are fond memories. They will always make a place seem dear after you leave it for valid reasons. It's like the valid reasons that caused you to leave seem to disintegrate and all you can recall are the good things. We miss our friends, the food, the ocean on long island and of course NYC. Thankfully amex points get you airline tickets and we have a pretty flexible schedule.

All of the reasons we left turned out to be founded and the while the grass wasn't totally greener, our assessments were right on. The cost of living is so much less here that financial stress is near zero. Finding good food is another matter, but its getting better.

One thing I am mad about is the fact that corruption and greed forced prices so high that staying there meant we had to work more to pay more for nothing. Our taxes were going to 12k this year and our car/home insurance was 6 grand.. utilities were at least a car payment monthly and approached $700 per month in the summer and cold winter months. Add the mortgage, some food, overpriced gas and extraneous expenses and it really was a question of "can I justify living this way when I know a better way of life exists?" ... The answer is, that we couldn't. Who wants to be forced out? It sucked.

For those of you looking into other areas, if you like the outdoors, check out Colorado. There are great opportunities, lower cost housing and nice people. Everyone we have run into that is from back east says exactly the same thing- the people are so genuine and nice. What's wrong with them??? IF you like queens or brooklyn as a place to live, then Denver is the only place with high population density, so you probably won't like it. But if you appreciate some space, its incredible.

There will always be a place in my heart for the great south bay, the ocean and a little town called Wantagh. NYC cannot be replaced. Thankfully, it will be there when we get there!

[south.charlotte&union]

We relocated from NY to NC in 1998, basically for a lifestyle change. I have to say we found what we were looking for. I think it is a better life for our family for several reasons, centering around the cost of living. But, with that being said, I do miss some things in NY -- diners, bagels, some family and friends, and being close to the beach. We have good pizza now For us, however, it was absolutely the right move and I can't ever imagine going back. When you're young and single I don't think there's a better place in the world than NYC. But when we had to think about our family and future it was very difficult for us to remain in NY.

[DamnYankee]

We left LI in 2000 and moved to Georgia. I love to come up and visit but I would never move back. I miss the food and the beaches the most. In my heart LI will always be home but we are happy here.

[NYMTman]

I moved to Montana several years back. Don't get me wrong, it's a nice place, but it never really became home. So I moved back last year.

I don't understand why anyone would move South, when there are so many nicer places in the North and West. I cannot stand certain aspects of Southern culture... mainly the politics. At least in Montana, the people are much more libertarian in nature and thus tolerant of gays, atheists, etc. Down South being atheist is a lynchable offense, it seems. Plus crime and poverty down there is entriely out of control (whereas the Northeast is far and away the safest region). The South is the antithesis of peaceful. </rant>

[Dragonchaser]

The first day we came down to Maryland we thought it was amazing...the Chesapeake Bay, all that good stuff. Then we decided to go out to eat. Of course we got the crabs, which where very good, but the next night we got pizza and chicken wings...I wanted to throw-up The wings had ketchup and old bay mixed in with them ! I have never had old bay before, but since it on EVERYTHING, I might as well get use to it. I made the mistake of arguing with the people from the pizza parlor on how to make a real Buffalo wing, but to no avail. I also love the southern hospitality in the south. It seems like people would rather kill you than be nice. And dont get me started about the traffic.

[NYMTman]

LOL. I lived in Maryland for a couple years and didn't like it at all. Baltimore was a dump. But it was more of a Newark-esque dump than a Alabama-esque dump, to be fair. At least it's very tolerant on social issues (many political scientists consider Maryland the second most liberal state after Massachusetts). Of course, there's really no reason at all to live there given the gigantic cost of living, especially close to DC (have fun finding a house for under a million in the DC suburbs!) If I have to fork over a million for a house, I'll stay in the tri state area, thanks...

[lolagranola]

Yeah, I don't know why people want to move down south either! Well, some parts are very pretty and have great beaches (and good shrimp)....

We were in South Carolina, and I ordered a plain pizza. The girl looked at me in disbelief, asking if I was sure...she thought I wanted it PLAIN, with no sauce or cheese....and don't even bother trying to buy lox!

[marilyn220]

Originally Posted by lolagranola

Yeah, I don't know why people want to move down south either! Well, some parts are very pretty and have great beaches (and good shrimp)....

We were in South Carolina, and I ordered a plain pizza. The girl looked at me in disbelief, asking if I was sure...she thought I wanted it PLAIN, with no sauce or cheese....and don't even bother trying to buy lox!

LOL! That's what you get for being "cultured" and bringing your northern ways to the backwoods south. LOL!

I was thinking about moving to Tennessee, but since no one can give me a handle on the types of jobs available there I guess I had to cross it off my list.

[Berkshires413]

I live in NC now... grew up in beautiful Columbia County, two hours north of the city. I cannot wait to get back up there, or possibly New England. Being in the Charlotte suburbs, at least for me, is a soul less place - with nothing but ugly sprawl everywhere you look. It may be tougher to make ends meet up there... in some respects, but to me the quality of life is so much better. But then again, it's all relative... and someone who moves down here from the north may think it's great. I am one, however, who absolutely hates it - coming from the area in which I was raised.

[I'minformed2]

Originally Posted by marilyn220

I miss NYC very much and probably always will no matter where I am in the world. THERE IS AND NEVER WILL BE ANOTHER NEW YORK CITY. But I won't be moving back. New Yorkers are the most REALEST people on the planet. You can say whatever you want about us (i.e., rude, unhelpful, arrogant, etc.), but you can never call us FAKE or say we don't tell it like it is (unlike the rest of the country).

Currently live in Los Angeles (which is the complete opposite of NYC in everyway) and although it's taking a bit of getting used to (three years) I'll stick it out for a little while longer til I can find someplace else.

But yeah, on occasion I do miss the city, but there are reasons why I left. Space, comfort and affordability being a few of them.

Los Angeles is more affordable than NYC?