Let's hope this never happens in Houston (Dallas, Center: middle-class, for rent)

[jek74]

Originally Posted by crone

Upstater, it is more a of lifestyle preference. My daughter moved to Manhattan 25 years ago. She loves to visit but would never move back to Texas, even if we gave her a million dollars or held a gun to her head. She wants no part of suburbia or cars.

She bought an 1200 ft. apartment in what was a not so good neighborhood on CPW and 96th.for $225000. She sold it for a million and bought another up by the Godbox. She will do it again. No rats, roaches bedbugs or rotten room mates. In her opinion it is a wonderful place to raise a family.

She has about convinced me that Manhattan is a great place to be an old woman. It is hard as hell to find a place to live in Houston when the kids take your car keys. I want to walk to the grocery, bank and restaurants. I'd have to spend nearly a million to pull that off in Houston. Manhattan, just walk out the door of your apartment. Anything needed is right there or a short cab or bus ride away.

This is a total pile of crap. Excuse my french. I lived in NY for two years. For those you without much history of the NY area, let me chime in. Prior to 1990 NY was a war zone. It was a horrible place to live and yes, property was actually cheap. It was the last time it was. So your daughter got lucky as hell by buying in at the bottom. After Guiliani came in and cleaned up the streets and gentrification took over, the cost of living went through the roof. No way in hell could you buy anything for less then a million in NY now or even the nice parts of Brooklyn. And even at a million dollars, your daughter better be making a killing because the property taxes on that apt would be over 15k a year and her annual assessments probably another 15k a year. Plus her city, state and federal taxes.

As far as being able to walk to everything, there are places all over this country one can live where they can walk to places even in Houston. There is no reason to pay up to live in NY so you can walk someplace out your door. And raise a family? Again, clueless. The public schools in NY are beyond awful. Almost anyone with money has to send their kids to private schools starting in kindergarten. And that's another 30k a year. I'll say this one more time, if you are freaking loaded, fine move to NY and **** away your money. It's your right. But there is no freaking way you can be middle class there and have the lifestyle you think you can. I lived there, I visit there a lot and still have many friends that live there. Most of them work in finance and have really high paying jobs and they STRUGGLE to live there. The only thing keeping them there is their job. Not how "cool" it is.

[crone]

Originally Posted by jek74

This is a total pile of crap. Excuse my french. I lived in NY for two years. For those you without much history of the NY area, let me chime in. Prior to 1990 NY was a war zone. It was a horrible place to live and yes, property was actually cheap. It was the last time it was. So your daughter got lucky as hell by buying in at the bottom. After Guiliani came in and cleaned up the streets and gentrification took over, the cost of living went through the roof. No way in hell could you buy anything for less then a million in NY now or even the nice parts of Brooklyn. And even at a million dollars, your daughter better be making a killing because the property taxes on that apt would be over 15k a year and her annual assessments probably another 15k a year. Plus her city, state and federal taxes.

As far as being able to walk to everything, there are places all over this country one can live where they can walk to places even in Houston. There is no reason to pay up to live in NY so you can walk someplace out your door. And raise a family? Again, clueless. The public schools in NY are beyond awful. Almost anyone with money has to send their kids to private schools starting in kindergarten. And that's another 30k a year. I'll say this one more time, if you are freaking loaded, fine move to NY and **** away your money. It's your right. But there is no freaking way you can be middle class there and have the lifestyle you think you can. I lived there, I visit there a lot and still have many friends that live there. Most of them work in finance and have really high paying jobs and they STRUGGLE to live there. The only thing keeping them there is their job. Not how "cool" it is.

I'll say it again. All any of us do is make lifestyle choices based on our opinions.

Some people like chocolate, some like vanilla.

[GeorgiatoChina]

Originally Posted by jek74

This is a total pile of crap. Excuse my french. I lived in NY for two years. For those you without much history of the NY area, let me chime in. Prior to 1990 NY was a war zone. It was a horrible place to live and yes, property was actually cheap. It was the last time it was. So your daughter got lucky as hell by buying in at the bottom. After Guiliani came in and cleaned up the streets and gentrification took over, the cost of living went through the roof. No way in hell could you buy anything for less then a million in NY now or even the nice parts of Brooklyn. And even at a million dollars, your daughter better be making a killing because the property taxes on that apt would be over 15k a year and her annual assessments probably another 15k a year. Plus her city, state and federal taxes.

As far as being able to walk to everything, there are places all over this country one can live where they can walk to places even in Houston. There is no reason to pay up to live in NY so you can walk someplace out your door. And raise a family? Again, clueless. The public schools in NY are beyond awful. Almost anyone with money has to send their kids to private schools starting in kindergarten. And that's another 30k a year. I'll say this one more time, if you are freaking loaded, fine move to NY and **** away your money. It's your right. But there is no freaking way you can be middle class there and have the lifestyle you think you can. I lived there, I visit there a lot and still have many friends that live there. Most of them work in finance and have really high paying jobs and they STRUGGLE to live there. The only thing keeping them there is their job. Not how "cool" it is.

You realize there are cheaper outer boroughs and Jersey across the bridge right?

No city in the U.S. comes close to offering the urban and cultural experience of NYC.

[jek74]

Originally Posted by crone

I'll say it again. All any of us do is make lifestyle choices based on our opinions.

Some people like chocolate, some like vanilla.

Yes, you are correct. I wasn't challenging your opinions, I was challenging your facts. They were wrong.

[jek74]

Originally Posted by GeorgiatoChina

You realize there are cheaper outer boroughs and Jersey across the bridge right?

No city in the U.S. comes close to offering the urban and cultural experience of NYC.

Dude, I lived in those outer boroughs and no, they are not cheaper. Seriously, are you 16 and still live at home with your parents or have you actually lived in these places? I have lived in NY. I lived both in Brooklyn and NJ. NJ real estate is one of the highest in the country. Same goes for CT. Same goes for Long Island. And while we are at it, let's throw Westchester in there. I've been all over the NY metro area. I've been to Briarcliff, NJ, Darien, CT, Port Jefferson, LI and Westchester, NY. It's insanely expensive. The people that live there now got in early to the game and their children are the lucky benefactors who will inherit the homes they bought back in the 60's, 70's and 80's for cheap. But if you think you are going to move from Houston to NY or SF without the benefit of inheritance from someone who got lucky and got in early, you are out of your mind. NY will eat you alive. I know guys that worked on Wall Street, made 500k a year, worked for 5 years, got laid off in 2008 during the credit crisis and in 3 years blew through half a million in savings and now are completely broke. The burn rate in that city is through the roof. In case you don't what burn rate is, it's the amount of money you lose every day in living expenses without a paycheck. Oh, that's the other nice thing about NY, when you lose that job, not so easy to get it back or get another one. But it sounds like you are living at home with your parents with dreams one day moving to a large exciting city where you can be really important and live the life. Let me know when you get there how you like it. I've been there and done that and it's not all it cracks up to be.

[Spade]

Originally Posted by GeorgiatoChina

Of course you get a few country or introverted young folk would choose Houston so they can buy a big house and a truck.

What's your point? To come in and bash the city because it isn't what you prefer?

[texas7]

Originally Posted by GeorgiatoChina

Of course you get a few country or introverted young folk would choose Houston so they can buy a big house and a truck.

Georgia to China - have you lived in Houston or S.F. or are you just getting your info from Wikipedia? People live where they choose to live for a variety of reasons i.e., personal preference, jobs, opportunities, diversity, born here and happy here or moved here because they were priced out of a good quality of life elsewhere - if you think everyone who lives in Houston is country or introverted, then you have never lived here and gotten to know anyone. Not everyone wants to out OUT 24/7.

[GeorgiatoChina]

Originally Posted by jek74

Dude, I lived in those outer boroughs and no, they are not cheaper. Seriously, are you 16 and still live at home with your parents or have you actually lived in these places? I have lived in NY. I lived both in Brooklyn and NJ. NJ real estate is one of the highest in the country. Same goes for CT. Same goes for Long Island. And while we are at it, let's throw Westchester in there. I've been all over the NY metro area. I've been to Briarcliff, NJ, Darien, CT, Port Jefferson, LI and Westchester, NY. It's insanely expensive. The people that live there now got in early to the game and their children are the lucky benefactors who will inherit the homes they bought back in the 60's, 70's and 80's for cheap. But if you think you are going to move from Houston to NY or SF without the benefit of inheritance from someone who got lucky and got in early, you are out of your mind. NY will eat you alive. I know guys that worked on Wall Street, made 500k a year, worked for 5 years, got laid off in 2008 during the credit crisis and in 3 years blew through half a million in savings and now are completely broke. The burn rate in that city is through the roof. In case you don't what burn rate is, it's the amount of money you lose every day in living expenses without a paycheck. Oh, that's the other nice thing about NY, when you lose that job, not so easy to get it back or get another one. But it sounds like you are living at home with your parents with dreams one day moving to a large exciting city where you can be really important and live the life. Let me know when you get there how you like it. I've been there and done that and it's not all it cracks up to be.

Bro, chill out. I was talking about rentals, not buying a house.

I've got friends living in Brooklyn and Queens working Retail and Waitress jobs. You can get a place in Queens for $800 a month. Not everyone is trying to buy a house.

[jek74]

Originally Posted by GeorgiatoChina

Bro, chill out. I was talking about rentals, not buying a house.

I've got friends living in Brooklyn and Queens working Retail and Waitress jobs. You can get a place in Queens for $800 a month. Not everyone is trying to buy a house.

Just as I thought. You have never lived in NY or SF for that matter. You have NO idea. Both cities sure look pretty on TV though. Looks like a lotta fun too. Why don't you move to either one and give us a full report on your "fund and exciting" life there. Be honest, you're still in high school right?

[GeorgiatoChina]

Originally Posted by jek74

Just as I thought. You have never lived in NY or SF for that matter. You have NO idea. Both cities sure look pretty on TV though. Looks like a lotta fun too. Why don't you move to either one and give us a full report on your "fund and exciting" life there. Be honest, you're still in high school right?

Did... You even read my previous? You seem really angry.

I'm not in high school and I've stayed in both cities with the aforementioned friends in the post you ignored. It's obvious the fast paste urban lifestyle did a number on you, but I enjoy my time in both cities.