Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
But Victorian Flatbush is expensive and far from many people's jobs. From one of those Victorians to my old office in Midtown takes almost an hour. And they'll run you over a million, and you've got to navigate NYC schools or pay for private school. I looked everywhere it's possible to look and found that it's far easier to get a decent-sized, attractive place with good schools within 30 mins of downtown Boston than 30 minutes of midtown Manhattan.
Sobro, that's the point I'm trying to make. Starfox might have made some categorical statements, but the point holds that it's easier for middle class people in other cities. Obviously "normal" people live in NYC.
The schools in Boston are good now? Theres brookline, but how much does a big victorian cost there?
Look, I am not saying NYC isnt a more expensive housing market than boston. Of course it is, and one would expect that apples to apples Boston is going to be cheaper. But that isnt what the OP said, he said there arent any attractive nabes in NYC outside Manhattan or brownstone brooklyn - he is either ignorant or a liar.
It sounds like you got a job offer in Boston at the same or not significantly lower salary in Boston than you had in NYC. Obviously, if you dont have any strong ties to NY, moving to Boston was a good choice for you. But thats not really what we are discussing here, I think.
Why do people waste so much time on the NYC forum trying to convince people to move elsewhere? Do you really think your silly rants will deter anyone from moving to NYC?
Yea, NYC is expensive. NYC will always be NYC and Boston will always be Boston......a provincial small city that nobody cares about. Because you're not good enough to live well in NYC, doesn't make it a terrible place.
In the 1980s I was looking for a corporate (not wall street) financial analyst job (capital investment and cost analysis, that sort of thing) I was trying to move out of Jacksonville, FL, which I disliked for many reasons. I looked in NYC, Boston, and elsewhere. I found some opportunities in NYC, though none came to fruition before I managed to transfer to baltimore with the firm i was already with. Boston? The nice tech firms had very little to offer, most of them were looking for CPA's for financial jobs. And, from what I can recall, the salaries were distinctly lower than in NYC. Certainly the salaries in NYC were distinctly higher than what I was getting in Jacksonville.
Maybe things have changed, but as far as i can tell in most fields there is a salary premium to live in NY, at least for fields where there is a substantial job market outside NYC. Maybe not enough to offset the COL fully, but still a premium.
In my case I got the same base salary. It may not true for everyone, but that's how it turned out for me. The bonuses are somewhat lower and, at the top of the pyramid, you don't see the stratospheric income you might see in NYC. But I did get the same base.
In any event, between taxes and COL, I'd have done better here financially even with a lower base salary. At the same base, I take home 10% more here because they take out 38% in taxes instead of nearly 45%. I could have made 10% less and taken home the same amount. And my rent, car insurance, subway pass, etc. are cheaper, so I don't actually need the same amount, let alone 10% more.
Since the 80's Boston's been upscaled in many ways as well, so I'd expect the salaries in many fields to be higher than in Jacksonville. I know these comparisons are very imperfect, but the average household income in the City of Boston is essentially the same as in NYC (5 boros).
Quote:
Originally Posted by bluedog2
Oh,and the architecture.Do you even know what the predominant form of architecture throughout the Boston area is... in East Boston,South Boston,Hyde Park,Dorchester,Forest Hills, Slummerville,Cambridge, Chelsea,etc?The real neighborhoods of the city ?
The fact is that except for the brownstone neighborhoods of Beacon Hill,Back Bay,South End and parts of Roxbury Boston is a city of absolutely hideously ugly triple deckers.Don't you realize that the triple decker is the dominant form of architecture of the city ?
I actually like triple deckers. I like tenements and brick rowhouses too. "Slummerville" is outdated.
Admittedly I'm probably ignorant I haven't been everywhere in NYC but from what I've seen in South Brooklyn (Bay Ridge area mostly) and Queens(Maspeth, Ridgewood) I thought it was pretty ugly.
Listen I want to live in NYC but I quickly found reading this forum that people said middle-class doesn't live there anymore and it sucks. I want to live in a neighborhood that has descent amount of stuff going on for the 20s and 30s crowd and could perhaps own a place there someday. That doesn't seem to exists.
Let's nail it down to my situation for example and I'd like you give me an example of place I could go?
-20s/30s crowd with local places to go
-could own a house there eventually on 150k-200k salary
-could reverse to commute to NJ if needed for my job, my wife is a nurse so can work in the city
-we aren't having kids so we don't care about schools
I was thinking Carroll Gardens or something initially but the reality is we could rent and probably live decently but we could almost certainly never buy in any places we'd actually want to live! Especially dealing with student loan payments.
Sure, I've over blow some stuff to try to comfort myself about NYC probably not being a place I can live reasonably. But frankly the main thing is disappointment. I've wanted to live in NYC since I was a kid and really do love the place but I am just so disappointed there is so little to offer people like me.
"Since the 80's Boston's been upscaled in many ways as well, so I'd expect the salaries in many fields to be higher than in Jacksonville. I know these comparisons are very imperfect, but the average household income in the City of Boston is essentially the same as in NYC (5 boros). "
I guess I wasnt clear, the salaries were higher in Boston than Jax, but higher in NYC than Boston, based on my recollection.
I dont think a household income comparison is really useful due to differing demographics. I really think you need to take it field by field, even experience level by experience level.
"Sure, I've over blow some stuff to try to comfort myself about NYC probably not being a place I can live reasonably. But frankly the main thing is disappointment."
I kind of figured that.
Look dude, I work in a field where I will never ever work in NYC. I doubt I will ever retire there . So I will almost certainly never live in NYC again. I can deal with that, without saying absurd things about NYC to make me feel better. That will come to you, with maturity.
Theres much to enjoy about Boston. Unless you are still thinking of NYC, I wouldnt bother posting about Boston NYC so much. Live your life man. if you ARE still looking at NYC, than you might find a better way to ask for info.
The schools in Boston are good now? Theres brookline, but how much does a big victorian cost there?
Look, I am not saying NYC isnt a more expensive housing market than boston. Of course it is, and one would expect that apples to apples Boston is going to be cheaper. But that isnt what the OP said, he said there arent any attractive nabes in NYC outside Manhattan or brownstone brooklyn - he is either ignorant or a liar.
It sounds like you got a job offer in Boston at the same or not significantly lower salary in Boston than you had in NYC. Obviously, if you dont have any strong ties to NY, moving to Boston was a good choice for you. But thats not really what we are discussing here, I think.
I have very strong ties to both NYC and to Boston. The NYC ties didn't overcome the other factors.
I wasn't saying the schools in Boston were good. Obviously a large Victorian in Brookline is expensive, just like on Argyle Rd. But you can have good schools in Milton, Newton, Belmont, Arlington, Lexington, Winchester, Melrose, Swampscott, Wellesley, Weston, Lincoln, Needham and still be closer to downtown Boston than Ditmas Park is to midtown. In that way a smaller metro area is a good thing. Obviously some of these places are more suburban than others. I'm not much of a suburb person so I've tried to split the difference.
Whatever the other guy said, I sure didn't say there were no attractive nabes in NYC, or no normal people. I just said that it's easier to combine (1) decent amount of living space; (2) decent commute; (3) good local public schools; and (4) price you can afford in the Boston area.
And, 7th, at least from my end it's not a bash-NY thing at all. That's what I mean when I talk about the "touchy NY" syndrome. I love NY, it just doesn't make sense for some people to live there. I just got in because everyone's jumping on the other guy -- maybe because of some of the things he said -- but his basic point, that NYC is an expensive and stressful area for middle class people, has validity.
btw, if i was an engineer working in NJ, and wanted a city lifestyle, I would be looking in hoboken/jersey city etc and reverse commute from there - it would be cheaper and a shorter commute than Manhattan, and a much shorter commute than brooklyn. Dont know how much a town house would cost to buy there though. assuming you have to have a house. growing up lots of middle class people lived in coop or condo apts, thats not unusual in NYC
"I just got in because everyone's jumping on the other guy -- maybe because of some of the things he said "
precisely. his OP was bashworthy. I dont think anyone denies that pound for pound, NYC is a more expensive RE market than Boston is. But thats not news, and really most of what he said doesnt follow from that.
I mean he is even bashing the kinds of industries that ARE centered in NY. Hes just immature.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
. So I will almost certainly never live in NYC again. I can deal with that, without saying absurd things about NYC to make me feel better. That will come to you, with maturity. 
