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.
When I moved out of Manhattan, from my beautiful 1400 square foot loft apartment in Tribeca with 13 foot ceilings and massive windows (to the suburbs of NJ) I was thrilled to leave behind my excema, shortness of breath and lack of sleep. But that's just me. Now we're in Boston, and sometimes I miss it desperately, but I really don't think I'll ever be back to live in NYC again. I'm so glad I spent my years there, but I'm onto a new phase of life now.
I have a girlfriend who moved from NYC to Steamboat Springs CO and she said there are so many men there she has her pick. Of course it's pretty rough living there--super outdoorsy, but she likes skiing.
When I moved out of Manhattan, from my beautiful 1400 square foot loft apartment in Tribeca with 13 foot ceilings and massive windows (to the suburbs of NJ) I was thrilled to leave behind my excema, shortness of breath and lack of sleep. But that's just me. Now we're in Boston, and sometimes I miss it desperately, but I really don't think I'll ever be back to live in NYC again. I'm so glad I spent my years there, but I'm onto a new phase of life now.
I have a girlfriend who moved from NYC to Steamboat Springs CO and she said there are so many men there she has her pick. Of course it's pretty rough living there--super outdoorsy, but she likes skiing.
wow....im glad you're happy but no matter what i cant give up the 5 boros.....its where i was born and raised....i need the action! lol
__________________
"The man who sleeps on the floor, can never fall out of bed." -Martin Lawrence
Also, and this may sound crazy, but i started noticing how almost everyone in the City would walk around as if they were in Sex in the City...you know, totally pretentious people who think they are celebrities, and that started to get on my nerves. The City is filled w/all these places where you have to "be on the list" to do things and this feeds into the delusions of wannabe celebs. I just grew tired of that.
Haha. That is exactly what's going on in the NY. I work with a girl, she feels she should be on the red carpet instead of the office. That is pretty sad. I can't stand that too. Everyone walks around with their Gucci bags and Armani jeans and they can't afford to pay rent at the end of the month (I know someone like that) because they are so phony and pretentious - it cracks me up. I hate that, and it's getting worst for some time now.
I couldn't agree with you more! Toronto has a bit of that but it's so diverse here that I'm not as annoyed by them as much as I was when living in NYC. I'm also excited to spend my first summer with 1/4 the traffic, noise and pollution... and I just purchased a beautiful two bedroom condo for $250,000 CDN in Queen West/Artist District. So cheap!
This is a really interesting thread and I'm glad I stumbled across it. I was born and raised in Brooklyn, moved to Nashville TN when i was 21 lived there for 5 years..and have recently moved to Fort Mill, SC (Near Charlotte, NC) in the last year. I spent more than 20 years growing up in Brooklyn - I lived in Sea Gate ..grew up on the beach, etc.
I was recently married when I left NY and my husband and I hoped to make "a better life" for our new little family - maybe something a little cleaner, more friendly, CHEAPER!!!!
Well, we really didn't like Nashville at all. From nearly the moment we got there we tried to find ways to escape. We thought about Florida for a while. That didn't seem to pan out. Then last year we moved here to Charlotte thinking hey this is pretty good.
And you know what? This area, especially Fort Mill, SC is fantastic. Great schools, very clean, friendly, safe, etc. Decent economy despite the times and so on. What more could you ask for?
I am a stay at home mom (have been for about 2 years now) and I'm personally losing my mind because I don't have any family here. My husband likes it okay but his allergies bother him more here than they did in NY. Needless to say, if you're from NYC you know you're not going to find the same type of good food you're used to elsewhere in the country. We miss the food BAD.
I miss being near the water, for whatever it's worth. May not be Caribbean blue lol, but I still miss it. It's extremely humid in the south which is bothersome. And, there are no fireflies. This bugged me for a long time. Also, there's really no sidewalks.
So to make a long story short - naturally there are pros and cons to everything. The south is a much cheaper, more affordable solution but I do miss Brooklyn. I am not from Manhattan so I can't comment too much on those pretentious Manhattanites - but I will say this, I disliked them when I was in Brooklyn and I dislike them now. lol
We are crazy enough to consider moving back to Brooklyn just to be closer to family and friends. My daughter (who is 2) doesn't really have any knowledge of the family up north. We have had a hard time making friends here as well. So, we are mostly alone. That's not really a way to live I don't think.
In the end it all comes down to your personalized decision and what is going to be right for you.
Born/bred So. Bergenite (NJ) relo'd to Boulder Co., CO in 2003 for a new job. Bought my 1st house a year later, but was laid off Q1-2007 [during the week of my birthday]. Turned down a solid job offer/package (regretfully) in the DTC/Centennial Airport area because of brutal commute. Opted to do temp. work for interim with hopes of landing a job closer to the house. Didn't work out, had to sell the house and go back to renting in the boring Bergen burbs.
Looking back if I ever decide to move back to CO again i'd probably do a career change/makeover but go to Denver this time (had enough of Boulder). The more I think about it I really like the northeast corridor and proximity to the ocean/beaches and yes the boardwalks. Not a fan of Manhattan (by any means) but during my recent time back have been exploring and enjoying parts of Brooklyn, Westchester Co., and eastern Maryland that I have never been to before.
Do your research carefully, live and learn, ask and share. There's a wealth of information here on this website.
No matter where you are from, and where you move to, an important aspect of your quality of life is your support system - your family and closest friends. You'll always make new friends wherever you go, but it is hard to replace your support system - the people you have known for years and can truly depend on.
However, technology has made location much less relevant to keeping in touch than it used to be. Even as recently as a few years ago, expensive long distance phone charges and lack of instant interactive technologies limited your ability to communicate with hometown friends and family and you inevitably would become less a part of each other's lives. Now we live in the age of unlimited long distance phone calling, instant messaging and facebook, which really go a long way toward keeping up with the day-to-day goings on that keep relationships close.
One more unrelated point - It seems as if NYers who relocate tend to miss home more than others. I think this is because NYC has a powerful sense of place and a unique local culture rooted in generations of family plus strong local institutions.
I have a girlfriend who moved from NYC to Steamboat Springs CO and she said there are so many men there she has her pick. Of course it's pretty rough living there--super outdoorsy, but she likes skiing.
They don't call Denver "Menver" for nuttin either!
Many of your stories sound so familiar to me. Me and my wife grew up on LI and left there in 1993 for Ann Arbor, MI. After she completed her PhD we returned to live in Manhattan, something we always wanted to do growing up in the shadow of the City. It was so great to realize that dream and those were 7 of the best years of our lives. We did it all, from shows to museums, expensive dinners and season tickets to my beloved Rangers.
We always knew going in that living in NY had a shelf life of about 5 years. We stuck it out for 7 and after tiring of the noise, the constant construction, the firetrucks whizzing down 3rd st. every 1/2 hour we decided it was time for a change.
We've been in Austin for 4 years this month and it's been so great. Maybe it's just the stage we're at in our lives now but we feel this is the best place for us. Would we move back? Never say never but it's not likely. I do miss my old neighborhood dearly somethimes, don't get me wrong. Everyone thinks Manhattan is such a huge city (it is) but it's really a collection of small towns. I miss the cheese guy, the chocolate guy and the pork store where they always give you a hard time but in a fun and good natured way. After living in NY I determined that Manhattan is best for the young and the old. Middle aged folks like me just can't hack it! To the OP, you'll know when you're ready to go. I wish you the best!
Ha, yes, us middle aged folk need as much daily comfort and peace as we can get because all of a sudden our lives turn into a huge mess of stress--aging parents, teenaged kids, our own bodily decline....
DO it! What do you have to lose?! Life is way too short!! I say go for it. You can always move back to NYC. Boulder would be awesome! Change is good for the soul, believe me. I thrive on it!!
I grew up in da Big Easy, Nawlins...talk about laid back. Moved up the East Coast. Wash DC for three years and then NYC for 10. Now, Atlanta. Who knows where I will be next?!
I love NYC (Manhattan) and it was good to me. At times I have considered moving back, but know that it can be all too consuming at times, expensive, dirty, often shallow, small spaces, crowded, etc, etc...I thought I would give ATL a try and must say it is pretty awesome.
The weather is amazing year round, my space and what I pay for it is 100% nicer and in the Perimeter. Real estate and taxes are affordable, beach a couple hours drive (same drive as goin to Hampton's or Shore or a simple 30 min puddle jumper), Nice laid back people, progressive city for the South, open minds, well traveled (Awesome Airport with direct to anywhere service) no crowds at Trader Joe's and Whole Foods) tons of NYers, folks from everywhere. Trees everywhere, tons of outdoor stuff to do, great restaurants, All the same trendy **** as NY and LA-big freaking whoop, shopping galore, I could go on....Manhattan with the exception of the Village and China town has become very generic and a great place to visit (1 1/2 hr plane ride) to get my fix.
Don't get me wrong, I love the City, but realize it's really not the only place to be. Perhaps like the above poster I have moved to a new phase in life and want to experience new things with a better quality for me.
Good Luck!!
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.
) tons of NYers, folks from everywhere. Trees everywhere, tons of outdoor stuff to do, great restaurants, All the same trendy **** as NY and LA-big freaking whoop, shopping galore, I could go on....Manhattan with the exception of the Village and China town has become very generic and a great place to visit (1 1/2 hr plane ride) to get my fix. 
