Plattsburg vs. Burlington (Bristol: appliances, hotels, houses)

[Dreamn]

I'll be visiting Plattsburg for a few weeks shortly and I'm scheduled to spend quite a bit of the summer in the Burlington area.

My question is after studying the tax differences between New York and Vermont on paper New York appears to be much more friendly for retired mlitary and Social Security recipients. If my reading interpretation is correct, New York doesn't tax either of those pensions while Vermont goes after both. New York also seems to give various property tax breaks for all sorts of different types of military service and campaigns such as just serving during the cold war. I have to admit I was even a little taken aback by that tax break.

Now on to my main question: what would be the financial, cultural, and any other significant differences of living in the Plattsgburg area instead of the Burlington area?

Vermont of course has a more romantic lure no doubt because of all the glossy tourism photos I've seen over the years, but financially it doesn't seem to make much sense. And as a retiree it doesn't seem that Vermont is doing much to entice me to take up residence there versus the carrots New York is dangling.

A couple of other comments while I have the podium. I think poster Angelo has been giving some wonderful advice and insight into the realities of our current economic plight. I think his insight and perception is spot on with reality. In one particular comment he rightfully defended someone who had recently moved to Vermont in regards to getting beat down for not visiting the area enough beforehand in the eyes of several posters. He correctly pointed out how expensive and often unrealistic that was for someone getting offered a job to do so. He also rightfully pointed out how few people can do that.

Luckily, I'm probaby one of those few people because I don't currently own a home (sold it), all of my stuff is in storage, and my kids are grown. I also have a very generous pension, but what I'd like to convey is that even for someone in my position; traveling around, staying in hotels for weeks at a time, and paying for food and gas has really been testing my means. I've been travelling the East Coast this entire year vistiting states and towns and I've been spending over $4,500 a month doing so. And that's staying at mid-range hotels. In some places I've spent more for dinner for two at Outback than I did for the room. So give that some thought before you bash people who are encumbered by families, their possessions, and economic realities who up and move somewhere to take a job that's in short supply.

I'd also like to point out what I consider to be an overlooked obvious as an outsider looking in on the Vermont forum. Vermont has a tiny population with no huge tax bases such as New York City etc. to draw from. So to me at least, that's one of the obvious reasons you are getting taxed to death. But on the other hand, you don't have the mess and pollution that those same economic engines and tax bases bring with them.

I just spent five weeks in the Western NC mountains, Eastern TN, and Southwest Virginia. I can see how people draw similarities between the areas. The housing was old and there was no shortage of poverty and folks with more appliances outside their home than inside their house. It was nice, but not the heaven a lot of posters in the Vermont forum have been making it out to be. Go to Bristol, Va. and check out the old houses disintegrating back into the Earth just down the street from Walmart. And check out the decaying dowtown and the homeless sitting at outdoor restaurant tables or on benches on State Street. There were also some folks still flying Confederate flags.

Also, relax, I'm retired and won't be looking to take anyone's job, and I don't plan on sticking around for the winters. I've already lived for several years in the western, Upstate New York area and have witnessed first-hand how dreadful the weather is. And not having any interest in outdoor winter activities such as hunting or skiing, there's obviously no reason to stick around for it.

Thanks, I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts and comments about the differnce between living on the different sides of the lake.

[looking4home]

Who's Angelo???

[Dreamn]

Originally Posted by looking4home

Who's Angelo???

Angelo129, one of the posters in here who wrote some good responses.

[looking4home]

You might find this interesting, but I live in California, and there's a person in a nearby neighborhood that flys the Confederate flag on a tall flag pole - below the Stars and Stripes, thank goodness. Furthermore, when I visited Ireland a few years ago, there was a heated sporting contest between rival counties, one of them being County Cork. The team's nickname was the Rebels, and well, I think you can guess where I am going with this.

Driving through Cork everyone had Confederate flags flying, painted on their front lawns, doorways and windows festooned with the ol' rebel bunting. And at first I was clueless about the sports connection, and I'm driving around thinking WTH? Maybe they're Gone With the Wind afficianados, or the Dukes of Hazzard fans???