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Unlimited train card is 116$ and there it is 46$ i think
NC doesn't have "unlimited train cards"--we don't have subways or commuters trains of any kind (maybe you didn't mean NC when you said "there"). Lack of good public transportation (esp. rail) is probably one of the biggest complaints of people from large cities coming here that I CAN agree with.
We moved from NYC. For what we were paying in NYC rent, we got a bigger/nicer apartment + a car payment (significant other didn't have a car and we needed two). Utilities are cheaper, especially electricity--I'm paying about half what I paid in NYC. No kids, so I can't speak to child care costs. Commute went from 45 minutes to 15 minutes. I'm from the South and had lived in the triangle area during college, so I knew what to expect in terms of culture, etc, but honestly, there are very few things I miss about living in NYC. No, we don't have the Met or a wide variety of Broadway shows (but there are tours), but if you're honest with yourself, how much did you do that anyway between working+commute time? For me, the answer was almost never. I occasionally miss cheap ethnic food--we certainly have it here, but it's not as plentiful or as cheap. Plus, if I never see snow again, I'll be ok. Never underestimate the joy of not freezing 6 months out of the year.
We moved from NYC. For what we were paying in NYC rent, we got a bigger/nicer apartment + a car payment (significant other didn't have a car and we needed two). Utilities are cheaper, especially electricity--I'm paying about half what I paid in NYC. No kids, so I can't speak to child care costs. Commute went from 45 minutes to 15 minutes. I'm from the South and had lived in the triangle area during college, so I knew what to expect in terms of culture, etc, but honestly, there are very few things I miss about living in NYC. No, we don't have the Met or a wide variety of Broadway shows (but there are tours), but if you're honest with yourself, how much did you do that anyway between working+commute time? For me, the answer was almost never. I occasionally miss cheap ethnic food--we certainly have it here, but it's not as plentiful or as cheap. Plus, if I never see snow again, I'll be ok. Never underestimate the joy of not freezing 6 months out of the year.
The rents are rising in Raleigh because of transplants who think $2K for a 2BR is a decent deal.
Our water bills are like Spirit Airlines tickets, full of junk fees.
Taxes are rising to support unfunded needs created by transplants.
We get snow and ice here and have no railroads to speak of, so the place gets paralyzed.
Taxes are rising to support unfunded needs created by transplants. Of which you are one, so part of the problem, correct?
It's not what the media claims NC to be Singing a different song to your kids, who have mysteriously remained here despite your public doom and gloom talk..
Well, I moved to Chatham County last June from Bergen County, NJ and couldn't be happier. This includes a marked decrease in the cost of living, the weather, the driving styles, and the pace of life.
Many essentials are significantly cheaper. Utilities are, whether because they are cheaper by the unit or because we use less of them (it's certainly far less cold, for example). In NJ, for a smaller house than I live in now, my gas bill in Dec/Jan/ Feb was around $350 per month; here, it's no more than $180 with the heat cranked up (I am now retired and home most of the day). Eating out at nice places is also much cheaper -- I find that I can have a very nice dinner with wine and coffee for $45 which is not possible in the NY area. Casual eating is likewise less expensive. Household upkeep is less -- handymen in the NY/ northern NJ area usually cost about $75/ hour whereas here it's more like $40 to $50.
Yes, it snows here. About an inch or two each time, twice or three times per winter, in the two winters I've spent here. Everything closes, all is icy, the secondary roads are left untreated. It lasts from a few hours to two days. Nothing like the unrelenting snow, ice and wind in metropolitan NY. Plus, these wintry days are interspersed with lovely warm (60s) days with blue skies and no clouds. In NY in winter, the only clear days seem to be the ultra-cold ones with temps in the teens and twenties. It's hot here in the summer but my take is that it seems cooler than NY because the air is far cleaner.
My property taxes are one fifth of what they were in NJ, but for a nicer house with much more land. I pay slightly more income tax. Sales taxes are noticeably higher.
When you are merging onto a highway, people slow to let you in. This continues to surprise and delight me. Also, if you put on your turn signal, other drivers pull back instead of speeding up to allow you in the lane. When occasionally they don't, I figure they just got here from the Northeast and aren't with the program yet.
You will likely drive more here to get around, and there's not much public transit. So it's not perfect here.
You certainly can't beat the nice weather and abundant sunshine here.
I had to laugh a little the other day when I stepped up to a cashier after work. I was wearing a dress shirt and tie and the young guy said "I don't know how you can wear that. You must be dying. I just can't get used to the heat. It's just so hot." I remarked that it wasn't too bad right now, but he evidently recently moved here from Poughkeepsie. It was about 80 at the time and I walked away thinking. "Wow, it's going to be a long summer for that kid." lol
I've been here a year now, exactly this week actually! Moved from Nassau county. I don't have any regrets at all. I love it here. I took an $8,000 pay cut and it feels like I am making more money. We actually have some money to put away at the end of the month now. We had been paying $1700 in Long Beach for a one bedroom that was very old and outdated. We are now paying $1200 for a very nice updated 2 bedroom. We could have spent less but really wanted something new and updated after living in a dump for so long. My commute was 1.5 hrs each way on the LIRR. Now its 15-30 minutes each way depending on traffic. Figure I was spending, around $4500 a year on the train and subway and Long Beach bus. Not sure what your commute costs are now.
We are looking in to buying a home. Basically we are sure our taxes will end up under $3000 a year in our price range. In NY, we didn't have a price range, it just wasn't ever going to be possible for us to buy. But I know my family that lives there are all paying $10-18k a year in taxes in homes that are either comparable or less than comparable to what we will be looking for.
I'd compare safety to LI. There are very safe areas and some not so safe areas. Things happen everywhere.
As for jobs, there are a lot here, but it sounds like you already have a job opportunity? We came here with no jobs. Took me a month to find one. I worked for a respected finance company in NYC as well but on the admin side.
I can't speak on childcare.
As for amenities, you still have all the amenities of LI. Great restaurant options, nice groceries, awesome beer scene, plenty of good Dr's, and lots of family friendly activities. Proximity to Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill. I love I have three very different but all great downtowns to visit.
We moved from NYC. For what we were paying in NYC rent, we got a bigger/nicer apartment + a car payment (significant other didn't have a car and we needed two). Utilities are cheaper, especially electricity--I'm paying about half what I paid in NYC. No kids, so I can't speak to child care costs. Commute went from 45 minutes to 15 minutes. I'm from the South and had lived in the triangle area during college, so I knew what to expect in terms of culture, etc, but honestly, there are very few things I miss about living in NYC. No, we don't have the Met or a wide variety of Broadway shows (but there are tours), but if you're honest with yourself, how much did you do that anyway between working+commute time? For me, the answer was almost never. I occasionally miss cheap ethnic food--we certainly have it here, but it's not as plentiful or as cheap. Plus, if I never see snow again, I'll be ok. Never underestimate the joy of not freezing 6 months out of the year.
I completely agree with you, on all these aspects that's why I am honestly thinking.. Quality of life I am sure is much better.
We moved from NYC. For what we were paying in NYC rent, we got a bigger/nicer apartment + a car payment (significant other didn't have a car and we needed two). Utilities are cheaper, especially electricity--I'm paying about half what I paid in NYC. No kids, so I can't speak to child care costs. Commute went from 45 minutes to 15 minutes. I'm from the South and had lived in the triangle area during college, so I knew what to expect in terms of culture, etc, but honestly, there are very few things I miss about living in NYC. No, we don't have the Met or a wide variety of Broadway shows (but there are tours), but if you're honest with yourself, how much did you do that anyway between working+commute time? For me, the answer was almost never. I occasionally miss cheap ethnic food--we certainly have it here, but it's not as plentiful or as cheap. Plus, if I never see snow again, I'll be ok. Never underestimate the joy of not freezing 6 months out of the year.
For the past few years in NYC we have had worst long gloomy winters with many snow storms. I do agree with you on the ethnic food, we again there are many things on the upside, these are small things that can be compromised. Our car insurance has been close to 2.3K for 6 months for 2 cars in NY and I have this feeling we get paid and give money back, you don't get to keep anything
I've been here a year now, exactly this week actually! Moved from Nassau county. I don't have any regrets at all. I love it here. I took an $8,000 pay cut and it feels like I am making more money. We actually have some money to put away at the end of the month now. We had been paying $1700 in Long Beach for a one bedroom that was very old and outdated. We are now paying $1200 for a very nice updated 2 bedroom. We could have spent less but really wanted something new and updated after living in a dump for so long. My commute was 1.5 hrs each way on the LIRR. Now its 15-30 minutes each way depending on traffic. Figure I was spending, around $4500 a year on the train and subway and Long Beach bus. Not sure what your commute costs are now.
We are looking in to buying a home. Basically we are sure our taxes will end up under $3000 a year in our price range. In NY, we didn't have a price range, it just wasn't ever going to be possible for us to buy. But I know my family that lives there are all paying $10-18k a year in taxes in homes that are either comparable or less than comparable to what we will be looking for.
I'd compare safety to LI. There are very safe areas and some not so safe areas. Things happen everywhere.
As for jobs, there are a lot here, but it sounds like you already have a job opportunity? We came here with no jobs. Took me a month to find one. I worked for a respected finance company in NYC as well but on the admin side.
I can't speak on childcare.
As for amenities, you still have all the amenities of LI. Great restaurant options, nice groceries, awesome beer scene, plenty of good Dr's, and lots of family friendly activities. Proximity to Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill. I love I have three very different but all great downtowns to visit.
Best of luck!!
Thank you Gin, it feels nice to get a response from a Long Islander. My commute is killing me, I live in Bellerose on Cross Island, where there is no LI, so I have to take a bus and subway. Approx. 1hr40 mins on a good day. Yes I have an option to get a transfer of jobs, my husband has to search for one, since we have 2 small kids we want to be sure we have a job in hand before we land there. If you do an aggregate on the property taxes itself you will save close to 7 K a year on avg. On a 20 year mortgage it will be 140~ K right there.
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