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Born and bred NY'er here and for the first time in my life I'm ready to relocate.
My wife and I make good money and we are comfortable here in terms of lifestyle but it feels increasingly like there are less and less benefits to living here aside from family. Our jobs and skill sets are fairly easy to transfer which is great but where to move?
The weather is the main reason we feel like leaving, and the second would be cost of living. For the latter we don't feel like we get value for our money and as for the former this winter has rendered the city unliveable. This nonsense weather never seemingly ends and it's just a bad joke at this point as it rains all Saturday.
NYC has sadly become a great example of the laws of diminishing returns. We don't expect to replicate the energy, the culture, or any of the other great parts that makes NYC so vibrant and exciting but is there anywhere else that comes close in the US?
San Diego? Tampa? I've been to both and they are definitely not NYC but the weather makes them winners at least. Just wanted to get opinions as to where in the states you'd all go to and what the pros and cons of these places would be? Charlotte? Never been there.
We'd definitely miss the museums and the general greatness of NYC but after this Winter we're ready to call it quits. I've heard this from other life long NY'ers as well and it's pretty sad as we've usually been a hardy bunch. I think the sterile Bloomberg years made us weak. Survival of the fittest in NYC I guess and natural selection has called time on us perhaps.
Same as you moving to SoCal when my lease expires in December. I can't take it anymore and I am not getting any younger.
The entire country is experiencing a downfall IMO. The happy medium for me is SoCal since I can escape to Mexico for a break.
I don't want to give up my US Citizenship just yet but that was also something I considered.
You are correct NYC has ZERO returns for the average joe. NOTHING is worth wasting your life away in this dump.
Most of my past years have been spent in my apartment saving up for travel to escape the misery.
If these people want NYC let them have it.
Agreed that the nation is in a tailspin with the crushing national debt and suicidal immigration policy since 1965. I've also considered giving up US citizenship as this government taxes you when you're abroad too.
SoCAL has a lot of structural problems with debt and over population as well. The weather though more than makes up for it as NYC is a zero sum game at this point in terms of your return on investment.
I used to have the cult "I have to live in NYC" mentality that this writer Dobkins has about NYC but that's long gone. It used to be a badge of honor to live in NYC but now it's increasingly a badge of lunacy.
It's cold again today! Let's pay thousands in rent for no reason.
I really like the Thornton Park and Winter Park areas of Orlando. Thornton Park by Lake Eola has quite a bit of walkability and there were pedicabs driving around last time I was there. So many joggers around Lake Eola, seemed like such a wonderful place. Thornton Park | The Neighborhood for Locals
As for Winter Park, I liked the walkability in the shopping district and the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art is located there too. Home / City of Winter Park
Location: Subconscious Syncope, USA (Northeastern US)
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Personally, Florida is out. They already had alligators, and coral snakes to deal with. Hurricane Andrew hit precisely at the port where exotic animals are brought into harbor. Many species, most notably Bermese Pythons, have now adjusted to life in almost all areas of Florida. They have breed, settled in, and are much tougher animals than the 'future pets and animal exhibits' that escaped from the port during Hurricane Andrew. Game Wardens have also found shed skins that they believe may have come from escapee King Cobras, although they have found no evidence that they would be breeding and settling in yet, if they are definately King Cobra skins. That's just way too many dangerous reptiles running around for my taste.
It would help if we knew if you are in a 'retired' economic state. Needing to make money is heavy factor when taking suggestions. As for NC, Ive known people that achieved a better working life situation in the mountain town of Asheville several years back. Not sure if its still booming with the current economic crisis.
Texas is supposedly doing well right now. I wouldnt trust that though, unless you are retired. You can get full brick ranch house on about an acre of land in a nice community for about 150K+/-.
Houston has a nice climate. It can snow but will melt before it hits the ground, with a Winter low temp of around 55 degrees. Nevada and Northern Arizona might be good for you too, just dont have enough info to say.
Last edited by ConeyGirl52; 03-29-2014 at 05:24 PM..
Well, looking for big-city attributes (the energy, the culture, the cosmopolitan sophistication. et al) and yet non-wintery weather along with this would seem to suggest only a few places in the USA: Atlanta, Houston, Dallas, Southern California (the Los Angeles-to-San Diego corridor and all points in-between and to its east), and the San Francisco Bay Area.
Not wanting any wintery weather, I guess I can't suggest Chicago nor Minneapolis nor Seattle nor Portland (Oregon) nor Denver . . . as cosmopilitan as they all are. And, for cost-of-living, the two mentioned California locales will be right up there with New York City with living costs. And, as well, Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Quebec City, and Vancouver (Canada) would be suggested except that they all likely have wintery climates come winter time each year.
But maybe for some of the places mentioned in the second paragraph, the winter weather doesn't shut down or debilitate the city or region like you say it does in greater New York City . . . so is it possible that winter might be more tolerable and acceptable in some of those other places? I don't know; you'd have to ask residents of those locales.
Personally, Florida is out. They already had alligators, and coral snakes to deal with. Hurricane Andrew hit precisely at the port where exotic animals are brought into harbor. Many species, most notably Bermese Pythons, have now adjusted to life in almost all areas of Florida. They have breed, settled in, and are much tougher animals than the 'future pets and animal exhibits' that escaped from the port during Hurricane Andrew. Game Wardens have also found shed skins that they believe may have come from escapee King Cobras. That's just way too many dangerous reptiles running around for my taste.
It would help if we knew if you are in a 'retired' economic state. Needing to make money is heavy factor when taking suggestions. As for NC, Ive known people that achieved a better working life situation in the mountain town of Asheville several years back. Not sure if its still booming with the current economic crisis.
Texas is supposedly doing well right now. I wouldnt trust that though, unless you are retired. You can get full brick ranch house on about an acre of land in a nice community for about 150K+/-.
Houston has a nice climate. It can snow but will melt before it hits the ground, with a Winter low temp of around 55 degrees. Nevada and Northern Arizona might be good for you too, just dont have enough info to say.
Thanks for all the posts. We're both under 40 and definitely not retired. We will continue to work but won't have too much of a problem finding jobs with our skill sets and our quality of life will be fairly high due to our savings and investments. It's just not making sense to stay in NYC any longer with this insane weather and the never ending inflation.
Like the Orlando areas that were listed such as Thornton Park. Being in a place where we could be at the beach or in an outdoor pool for most of the year would be terrific.
Location: Subconscious Syncope, USA (Northeastern US)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CeltNYC
Thanks for all the posts. We're both under 40 and definitely not retired. We will continue to work but won't have too much of a problem finding jobs with our skill sets and our quality of life will be fairly high due to our savings and investments. It's just not making sense to stay in NYC any longer with this insane weather and the never ending inflation.
Like the Orlando areas that were listed such as Thornton Park. Being in a place where we could be at the beach or in an outdoor pool for most of the year would be terrific.
Honestly, if you are in the Medical field (Doctors, Nurses, and the educated like), you can probably move anywhere you want. People never stop being born, getting sick and dying. If that's the case, I'd go for California. Its expensive, but you have an extremely large beach to pick and chose enviroment from. Mountains and huge redwoods in the North, and Id have to say San Diego in the south is one of the cleanest large cities I've ever seen. San Fransisco is supposed to have the cleanest air in the USA for a large city, due to constant winds off the ocean. The whole cali coast is awesome, imho. Good luck.
P.S. The San Andreas fault is subject to earthquakes, and Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant with 3 reactors was built right on it...ijs.
If you're looking for a bigger city vibe you should try the Uptown neighborhood of Dallas. Very walkable, with lots of shops, restaurants, great movie theatre that shows independent films. The neighborhood has a trolley/street car service that goes to downtown Dallas and the neighborhood is only one stop away from the Dallas Museum of Art, Nasher Sculpture Center, an the Winspear Opera House if you take the DART (the light rail in Dallas) and it's also one stop away to the Angelika. Downtown Dallas is a mile away, so super easy commute if you work downtown. Uptown Dallas - Home
Nashville, Charlotte, Birmingham, Atlanta......all major cities in the south with low cost of living, excellent suburbs outside of metro area, etc. I plan to make a move to Atlanta or Chicago as soon as I can land a decent job. Austin TX would be a strong third.
I love NYC, but it is so hard to get over the hump here and actually get things moving financially. Money just doesn't go as far here.
Last edited by usamathman; 03-29-2014 at 07:49 PM..
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