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Anybody made a major move away to find the "greener side", just to be disappointed and wanting to go back to the 'less greener side'?
For example, leave Cali because of rising costs, culture, etc. for New York or somewhere far away just to realize they want to go back to Cali? Or leave Buffalo for Miami only to want to go back to Buffalo ASAP? Things like that, not moved from one city to another 200 miles away, but major moves, the type you do when you think you're fed up w/an area and want to start over and experience something totally different.
Well, you're very close: went from Rochester, NY to St. Petersburg, FL. I am not totally in a hurry to get back (yet), but I didn't think Florida was going to be as frustrating and challenging as it has been.
What got me thinking about this, is that I'm shocked to see so many transplants (mainly northerners/new englanders who went south or west), who can't wait to move back home or somewhere simliar to the place they thought they wanted to get away from so much originally!
All the statistics, etc. you're always hearing about everybody fleeing the 'jobless, overtaxed, overregulated' economies of the N/NE, but rarely hear about people getting fed up w/these so-called 'booming', 'fast growth' cities/areas.
I have to admit we are one of the statistics. Left MI for the booming, cheap living, tons of job growth South. And after 5yrs we can't wait to get back to MI, or at least somewhere very similar.
Bolted from Florida last year. Haven't looked back once. If you gave me a free house and paid for the insurance for 5 years you could not drag me back.
I have been able to do things that I never would have been able to living there, including start my own business. I am enjoying living debt free, not being afraid to open utility bills, being able to leave both house and car unlocked. Our new area was well chosen, and has a lot to offer.
My husband, on the other hand would bolt back without hesitation. He did not like leaving his mother behind, but he is beginning to appreciate our new hometown.
Evey: One of my model railroad pals and his wife live in Aiken, they love it. He used to run a flight training school, sold it and now plays with his trains.
We left Northern Virginia for Colorado and are glad we did. There is nothing back there we're interested in. Our jobs with Uncle Sam paid us a decent wage and good retirement, but now we're out of that scene and as soon as we could we got the heck out of that commuting rat race nightmare.
Colorado is the promised land.
s/Mike From Back East, and I Ain't Going Back
Only thing I miss are the crabcakes in Baltimore, my hometown, hon.
I made a really stupid move from Colorado to Michigan 5 years ago; Colorado is hands down a better place to live, in many respects. Even stupider was selling my little house out there - I couldn't afford to buy it back now even if I wanted to!
That said, Denver was getting overcrowded and pricey. I really enjoyed it in the mid 80's through mid-90s, then it boomed and the city got yuppified and sports-bar-ified and I didn't like it as much.
InGA, funny you should say that about your move down south! My best friend here is moving in two weeks to Greenville NC. She's lived her all her life but decided the time to move is now. Another friend will probably move to Florida in November. I've spent a great deal of time in the south and have never once wanted to move down there.
What do you miss about Michigan, and what don't you find so great about GA?
I made a really stupid move from Colorado to Michigan 5 years ago; Colorado is hands down a better place to live, in many respects. Even stupider was selling my little house out there - I couldn't afford to buy it back now even if I wanted to!
That said, Denver was getting overcrowded and pricey. I really enjoyed it in the mid 80's through mid-90s, then it boomed and the city got yuppified and sports-bar-ified and I didn't like it as much.
InGA, funny you should say that about your move down south! My best friend here is moving in two weeks to Greenville NC. She's lived her all her life but decided the time to move is now. Another friend will probably move to Florida in November. I've spent a great deal of time in the south and have never once wanted to move down there.
What do you miss about Michigan, and what don't you find so great about GA?
That's funny what you said about Colo. I have a friend who moved there years ago and it was like a chain reaction, several other of our friends followed him out there. I have to admit NONE of them miss MI. They all love Colo. I also recently attended a school that used to be based in Denver but is now in Texas. So several of the instructors had lived in Denver for many years. They all said basically the same thing, they loved it there, but its changed for the worse, too expensive, obnoxious yuppie types taking over, etc. And most of them said they wouldn't move back there now if they had a chance.
Anyway, what I miss about MI. I see you live in Flint. So maybe you can understand this, most people it doesn't make any sense too. But I really miss the people, I miss the blue collar, kick your ass, ***** Japan, type people and attitude. I grew up in a GM family, all my family were union members. I really miss that grit and way of life. To me I would take the East side of MI ANYDAY over the West side. I miss the hole in the wall bars, and local family owned restaurants that still have the 60's lounge type decor w/photos of obscure local celebrities and their family covering the walls, where the food is good as hell, cheap as hell, and the place is packed for happy hour everyday.
The food, MI food is delicious, coney dogs, up north seafood, etc. So many 'road food' type places.
I miss the old neighborhoods that have been there for generations, where they don't have to put in some stupid pool and tennis court and form an association and steal 800 bucks from you every year and give themselves some stupid name like 'Whispering Oaks', where it's still like it used to be in the good old days, it's a NEIGHBORHOOD...people of all different kinds, stores on the corner the kids can ride their bikes too, kids race bikes down the street w/kids from 4 blocks over...A neighbor see's one of the kids doing something they shouldn't be, they march the kid home to deal w/their parents, or scare the crap out of the kid w/the threat they'll call their dad!
I miss the beautiful old authentic architecture, I miss the way the cities/neighborhoods are layed out. I miss going 'up north' every year. I miss the Great Lakes, I miss the beautiful scenary. I miss the grit and character of cities like Detroit, Flint, Saginaw, Battle Creek...places where people really truely love their hometowns, they have to to be dedicated enough to stay there through all the rough times all these years. This is what a community is, not some stupid "master planned" city filled w/even more stupid McMansion filled subdivisions. I REALLY miss Detroit sports, the Red Wings, Tigers, Lions, Pistons, and SPARTANS.
And of course I miss all the beautiful areas and cities of the state. Every one has so much history, so much authenticity, so unique...Whether it's Detroit and how at one point it was probably one of the 3 most important cities in the world to where it's at now, or Flint and the history of what has happened there, what started there, how much this little crime infested city has contributed to the revolution in America that really made America what it is today, and most people have never heard of it other than it's been the murder capital several times, or it's Battle Creek and the history of cereal, or one of the old Iron Ore/Copper towns in the U.P. and how booming they were at the turn of the century until the mines dried up and now they are left w/the history and things that came w/their boom 100yrs ago...and so on...I miss the beautiful 4 seasons!
I have yet to be to another state that compares, at least that compare on as large, vast level as MI!
Sorry to ramble on, but the longer I've been away from MI, the more strong my feelings have become. I'm tired of hearing about how GREAT the 'quality of living', how all these southern/western cities are always rated in the 'top 10best places to live', etc., while MI cities are always rated at the bottom, the only things you here are how they are losing population, etc.
Don't get me wrong, I really like Georgia. I just think it is being ruined, and I think it's only going to get worse.
I really don't care much for the people, too many phony, back-stabbing church going bible thumper types. Ultra-conservative, neo-con, right-wing type hell.
The congestion is out of this world. The layout, growth, etc. has been managed horribly. Never seen anything like it. There are no neighborhoods or sensical growth, it's like just a bunch of subdivisions and suburbs piled one on top of the other, meanwhile the infrastructure stays the same as it was 5yrs and 200k people ago.
The culture is sorry at best. Take the fact that their entire culture/history/way of life down here is now considered 'politically incorrect', 'racist', 'mean-spirited', add to that the area has been overrun by carpet-bagging idiots from Cali, NY, NJ, FL, etc., these people couldn't make any friends, a living, etc. in the crapholes they came from so they come here, impose their ideas, beliefs, etc. on everybody else, so basically any and every thing interesting here has disappeared and been replaced by Crapplebee's, Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Chili's, Super-Target, etc. The politicians here are just total corporate whores. Anything and everything if it brings them a dime in revenue they'll allow it. You will find a Super Wal-Mart every 15 miles. The 'fine cuisine' is Crapplebee's...
Really most of all it's the people, congestion, and the absolute overabundance of multinational-corporate chain garbage!
The areas of Georgia that seem like they would be great to live in, I always hear they are 'church based communities' and/or 'you'll always be an outsider'.
Believe me, it's not just a culture shock, or just that I hate anywhere that's not MI...I lived in Texas several years, and too me Texas seems like what you always here the South is like, the impression of what you have the South would be like. That is Texas, the South is nothing like that. I love Texas, I would move back there in a heartbeat. The South sucks! The South is Super Wal-Mart, Super Target, Super Home Depot, Super Lowe's, And *****-a$$ BBQ!
InGA, you have a wonderful way with words!
You've almost convinced me to stay in Michigan for the rest of my life (I don't care much for SE MI) and though I haven't lived down south, my overall impression from many, many trips to and through various southern states is similar to your description.
I do like Texas though, big hair, big pickup trucks and all!
I don't have any of the sense of nostalgia you do about the grittier side of Michigan, but I kind of know what you mean. When I first moved here, it was to Grand Blanc, which is known as a very upscale town (10 miles or so south of Flint.) People look impressed & say "oh, that's really nice there" when you say that's where you live.
I suppose it is, if you like subdivision after monotonous subdivision of huge McMansions, beautifully manicured golf courses - it's where the Buick Open is held - parking lots full of Hummers and no downtown to speak of. A WalMart and Sam's Club just opened in Grand Blanc, so I imagine the few remaining older stores still clinging by their fingernails to survive will go bust within a year.
The schools might have a good reputation, but a good friend's mom is a school counselor and let me tell you, underage s e x and drinking, drug use and other problems are common and one kid shot and killed another last year there, so it's hardly perfect.
When you say you're from Flint you get anything from a wan smile to a look of pity. If you know Flint, InGA, you'll know where I live when I say "just south of the Angelos on Davison Rd, and just east of Kearsley Park." Flint's infamous eastside, about as gritty as you can get except for the north part which can be even scarier. I prefer it to GB, to be honest. Not to mention I could afford to pay cash for a house here!
But invariably, when I say I moved here from Colorado, I get an astonished "Why?!" (The answer - I moved here with the man I was living in sin with , after three + years here we broke up, and here I am.)
This whole region has a massive insecurity complex. Wherever in the world I was, if I said I lived in Colorado, people were like "oh, that is so beautiful there, lucky you."
Must say, from what I've seen of the West side of the state I like it much better, and I've been various places "up north" and it's OK but rather underwhelming, IMO. Mind you it seems most people I know here haven't left the midwest much at all, except to go to Florida on vacation. Seems like half of Michigan regularly vacations in Florida. So maybe if you haven't been many places and don't have other stuff to compare it to, northern Michigan will be impressive. Trees, some lakes, yadayada.
Last edited by chiroptera; 08-21-2006 at 03:20 AM..
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I have a pal in Aiken
to Greenville NC. She's lived her all her life but decided the time to move is now. Another friend will probably move to Florida in November. I've spent a great deal of time in the south and have never once wanted to move down there.
, after three + years here we broke up, and here I am.)
