Questions about moving to Colorado from PA (where to stay, buying) - (CO) - Page 4 - City-Data Forum

BCG8 · 01-06-2010, 10:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CAVA1990

I think you're unfairly projecting onto the whole East coast what you see in Philadelphia, which has been in decline for the past 50 years and where people are clawing just to survive. I grew up in the West and am the first member of my family to have lived East of Colorado in over 100 years. While rural Westerners are pretty friendly, there's just as much dog-eat-dog in the big cities there as anywhere else. Rural folks in the East are pretty friendly too, particularly down here in VA and NC. There's a lot of image consciousness now in the West that I don't see in the East (outside of Manhattanites) with people pre-occupied about how cool they look to others. I'd put the average Virginian up with the average Coloradan on the friendliness scale.

i apologize for generalizing. i did mean Northeast, but more specifically Pa, Nj, Ny area. Very unfriendly and rude, and of course not everyone, but is very common. (and I'm not even referring to the big cities)

freewest · 01-06-2010, 10:49 AM

I have also lived in New England and would say it is not just a Philadelphia thing.

I should make one clarification and distinction that CAVA1990 & stoymonkey pointed out. In my mind, the "east" is the Boston to D.C. corridor. I would consider VA and NC the "south". Very friendly and laid back. Terrific folks. I realize that is not geo-technically correct, but culturally it is accurate, since most people think of the "east" as being the geographical northeast. BTW, my comments were meant as generallizations. Certainly there are exceptions, especially as you get more urban, but in general it is so. None of what I posted means that I think easterners are bad people, they just have a gruffer, sometimes depressing outlook on life, which wears me out.

CAVA1990 · 01-06-2010, 10:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bideshi

Having lived in both Norfolk and Colorado Springs, I have to disagree. COS is much friendlier.

Norfolk's an active duty military town and almost everyone's from somewhere else. Not really typical VA as you'd find around Richmond, Charlottesville, or most other spots. Would be like judging So. California based on living in Oceanside (Camp Pendleton).

CosmicWizard · 01-06-2010, 11:55 AM

Bideshi wrote:

Having lived in both Norfolk and Colorado Springs, I have to disagree. COS is much friendlier.

My situation is similar to yours. I have lived in Virginia ( Virginia Beach ) and Colorado ( Boulder & Grand Junction ). Saying that one place is friendlier or less friendly than the other is a matter of individual perception. Perception is strongly colored by ones current state of mind. I find that when I'm in a basically good mood, the people around me seem to be quite friendly, and when I'm in a grumpy, curmudgeon-like state of mind, the people around me come across as unfriendly to me. This is the case for me no matter where I'm at. IMO, there is much truth in this statement: Wherever you go...there you are!

emerzz3737 · 01-07-2010, 06:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stoymonkey

My husband and I are moving to Co (in 2 weeks, finally!) and all our visits the past 7 years we have felt more at home in Co than Pa. We will Not be bringing any east coast baggage!!

I definitely understand what you mean. That's exactly what my best friend said before she moved out there, and I didn't understand until I started going out there. It's beginning to feel like when I go out there, I'm going home and when I come back to PA, it doesn't feel right and I don't feel like myself anymore. I love it if you could keep in touch through your move and getting settled. Any advice for a first time mover would be very much appreciated.

freewest · 01-07-2010, 07:31 AM

First time mover - keep it simple. If you don't need it, don't move it. You will move more than once and accumulate "stuff" over the years. Some of it just appears from an alternate universe, no idea how, when, or where. Suddenly you find you have a garage, shed, and attic full of "stuff". It is like a Newtonian law of physics. "Honey, where'd we get the life-sized, wooden grizzly bear? And how did we get it into the attic? Err.... how do we get it out of the attic?" Be of good cheer, emerzz3737.

CosmicWizard · 01-07-2010, 07:56 AM

freeweat wrote:

First time mover - keep it simple.

This is not merely good advice...it's downright GREAT advice. I would add the following:

Second time mover - keep it simple.

Third time mover - keep it simple.

Fourth time mover - keep it simple.

All that stuff from alternate universes will bog you down and make your moving so much harder. My wife and I are not very materialistically oriented people, so we acummulate far less stuff than our neighbors ( based on the amount of boxes at the curb on trash day ). Nonetheless, when it was time to move, after living in the same house for 15 years, it was utterly mind-boggling just how much stuff we had indeed accumulated. Idiotic, useless stuff like receipts in a box that were 25 years old! One of the greatest benefits of moving is that it provides the incentive to get rid of alot of stuff.

emerzz3737 · 01-07-2010, 10:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by freewest

First time mover - keep it simple.

As of right now the only thing I'm planning on moving out there are clothes. And I have friends with places out there already so I might even ship it out there early and just buy a one way ticket, and I'm buying cheap furniture when I get out there. Still having trouble trying to figure out how much money to save up though... I've heard ranges from $1000 all the way up to $35,000. If I had to save up 35k, I wouldn't move until I'm like 40 haha. Part of the reason why I want to move now is because I really want a clean slate and I have no strings attached to staying in PA.

Help...

80skeys · 01-07-2010, 01:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by emerzz3737

As of right now the only thing I'm planning on moving out there are clothes. And I have friends with places out there already so I might even ship it out there early and just buy a one way ticket, and I'm buying cheap furniture when I get out there. Still having trouble trying to figure out how much money to save up though... I've heard ranges from $1000 all the way up to $35,000. If I had to save up 35k, I wouldn't move until I'm like 40 haha. Part of the reason why I want to move now is because I really want a clean slate and I have no strings attached to staying in PA.

Help...

Almost anyone can get by with a couple thousand bucks as long as you get a job in a month or two.

35k is way overkill. When I graduated college, I moved to the Washington D.C. area with a bicycle and like $700 to my name.

CosmicWizard · 01-07-2010, 01:49 PM

80skeys wrote:

Almost anyone can get by with a couple thousand bucks as long as you get a job in a month or two.

In the past that was certainly true for me, and most other people too I believe. Currently, the iffy part of the equation is getting a job in a month or two. That is not a given in the current economic climate. Therefore, a bigger kitty would be nice to have. But I agree that even now it can be done with far less than $35,000. Personally, I'd want to have at least $5,000. The actual amount required to create an illusion of security will vary from person to person.