NFT: Why did you leave the NYC metro area?

#2 - NJ Property tax
#3 - I hate, and I mean it, I hate the cold

I could live anywhere I wanted and company paid my transportation costs, so off to Florida.

I miss the NJ shore and trips into the city, a bit, but not much.

Go Badgers.

Then teaching - Western Michigan, Brandeis. Fellowship in Jerusalem, then Toronto in 1988.

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It wasn't until I moved to CA (after going to school in Boston and growing up in NJ), that generally speaking the people in the northeast just seem to be more miserable/negative than other places.

I didn't realize how much that affected me until I left. I also feel the CA lifestyle vibes more with my personality. I do feel that people in the northeast generally are brought up with a strong work ethic and no bullshit attitude, so I appreciate my upbringing to instill that.

I miss the Italian food and being close to Giants/Yankees games, but it's been 11 years now and I'm not moving back.

Obviously a lot of generalization, but that's my reasoning.

moved back four years later when opportunity surfaced, and I've often questioned why for probably 15 years. Now that my father is gone there's less meaning to being here too.

In comment 14793653 section125 said:

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#2 - NJ Property tax #3 - I hate, and I mean it, I hate the cold I could live anywhere I wanted and company paid my transportation costs, so off to Florida. I miss the NJ shore and trips into the city, a bit, but not much.

Pretty much the same.

I also had a heart attack and felt the weather would be better suited with the ability to exercise outside more. I'm not a Gym person and can't do thread mills or stationary bikes. I can golf everyday if I wish. (not very well but I enjoy it.)

but, I got to travel the country for work and saw the quality of life could be so much better. Both me and my spouse's parents moved to Florida so we spent a lot of time there and were comfortable with FL. All good things come to an end and my decades-long gig in NJ did too. Kids were older and looking for change. Taxes, arrogent people, bad politics, crowds everywhere, and bigger houses for less money all were incentives. I miss my past in NJ, but I'm not sure I'd like it now. Anyone considering leaving should note that once you leave you'll never move back.

California Dreamin'!

for fresh air.

Originally from Brewster NY, spent my 20’s in LA. Moved back to hometown region when it was time to start family life.
Just retired and wanted an urban lifestyle. Move to center city Philly. Apartment is 1/2 of what I would pay in any neighborhood in NY that I would want to live. NO taxes at all for city or state on retirement income. Getting ready to walk to a jazz club. Surrounded by bars/restaurants. Been here 7 months. Exceeded my expectations. Put my home sale proceeds in a CD thinking I’d need it soon to by something but I’m enjoying the freedom of responsibility of a renter in a wonderful building in a wonderful neighborhood.

In comment 14793667 Fred-in-Florida said:

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In comment 14793653 section125 said: Quote: #2 - NJ Property tax #3 - I hate, and I mean it, I hate the cold I could live anywhere I wanted and company paid my transportation costs, so off to Florida. I miss the NJ shore and trips into the city, a bit, but not much. Pretty much the same. I also had a heart attack and felt the weather would be better suited with the ability to exercise outside more. I'm not a Gym person and can't do thread mills or stationary bikes. I can golf everyday if I wish. (not very well but I enjoy it.)

Fred--

Greetings from Longboat Key. I too had a heart attack; we will have to talk coronary artery disease at the next Giants-Bucs game. Hope you're doing well.

Can get such more for your money so it was a easy decision then once my family all left for GA I don't have any reason to ever go back.

And was hooked. The 1st summer here (no humidity) was the clincher. Would NEVER go back.

High taxes, high costs, Dinkins, cold, snow, cold, shitshow, too crowded... go back once or twice a year for family I miss the food and my family we'll be buried there but I'll never live there I'm playing golf in January... Scottsdale when I retire

4 additional months of your life back instead of cabin fever. Walking around in shorts ad a sweatshirt in january and looking at the snow covered mountain tops is a joy to behold

Taxes, Tolls, Politics, Traffic Congestion,
Its a Great place to visit every now and Then.

I was in my early 30’s and knew if I didn’t make a move then I probably never would. I wanted to open my own business and buying prime retail properties in NY/NJ was impossibly expensive so I figured I would move and give a try and if I didn’t like it I could always move back.

The cost of living and quality of life is so much better I never looked back. There are things I might miss, but when I go home for a visit I realize what I mostly miss are the memories I had in the area and that is all different now. I have zero regrets, the best decision I have ever made. Was able to start the business I wanted to, then also met my wife and have a family. I couldn’t even imagine my life had I stayed in NY.

Will always miss the food though, no replacing that.

for the following reasons:
1. better weather
2. better fishing
3. lower property taxes
4. No state income taxes
5. Better qualify of life

I am also just tired of living in the political "bubble". I plan to live in a spot where I can just live on the water and not get exposed to the daily crap that we see. Life is too short to listen to nonstop crap all day. People are not happy unless they are constantly complaining about something.

Will be selling my PSLs too because I likely would not attend many games and could just buy tickets if I happen to be in NJ.

Any fishermen here in Florida? Lets connect...

Reason I accepted transfer was to get away from taxes, politics in Jersey and weather. Never looked back. I love Texas and raising my family in Dallas.
I do miss NY sports scene.

I agree. That's a good way to put it. I left in '74 and never looked back. Like others have said, once you go, you won't go back. Our "uncle" was the reason at first, but after four years away, you couldn't get me back for anything. I did accept a promotion to the Boston area in 1993. I thought, well I grew up with this weather, it won't be that bad. It was that bad. Now, after 22+ years in AZ, I'm here to stay.

Yeah, lower cost is a huge factor for me. I am on pace to retire at 60 (in about 7 years). A house with a really modest mortgage and low taxes made that possible. My house would be twice as much on LI, and my property taxes would probably be 6 to 8 times what I am paying now.

drugs/crime, traffic, weather.

the better question might be "why would you ever stay?" I know the inevitable answers, but none of them would ever convince me to live there.

to Texas.

Did not miss the trafffic

My commute went from an hour and a half each way SI - Lower Manhattan to 10 minutes.

Got a condo and a car that I could never have afforded in NYC.

Really missed the Italian seafood I grew up on. But discovered Cajun/Creole and really good Mexican food

Found out for the better that NYC is not the center of the universe

Found out because they tell you real quick that Texas was a country before it was a state.

Now I am in Chicago and get back to both NY and Texas periodically

There really is no place like Chicago...

In comment 14793694 fuzzy said:

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Originally from Brewster NY, spent my 20’s in LA. Moved back to hometown region when it was time to start family life. Just retired and wanted an urban lifestyle. Move to center city Philly. Apartment is 1/2 of what I would pay in any neighborhood in NY that I would want to live. NO taxes at all for city or state on retirement income. Getting ready to walk to a jazz club. Surrounded by bars/restaurants. Been here 7 months. Exceeded my expectations. Put my home sale proceeds in a CD thinking I’d need it soon to by something but I’m enjoying the freedom of responsibility of a renter in a wonderful building in a wonderful neighborhood.

Cool post

Taxes are awful. Weather is awful.

I was in the crib.

I still have a ton of family in Monmouth County & love visiting. Give me a mansion on the Navesink tomorrow & I'm there :-).

Her mother had just passed away, a month before our wedding. My wife wasn't happy in her job as an accountant. She had taken some steps to become a teacher through an alternate route program, but in NJ, that route was basically take some tests, pay a fee, find a job on your own, get paid less, we're not going to train you, and if you survive long enough, congrats you're a teacher!

A good friend from college was living in Maryland with his wife, who used an alternate route program to get into education. We had to go through an application process, and if accepted, they trained us, helped us find a job, kept training us, paid us the same as a regular teacher, and then had to pass a Praxis test to prove we were qualified to be full-blown teachers.

So we moved down to Columbia, MD, became teachers, started a family, and although we've talked about moving back to NJ, will probably not do it any time soon.

In comment 14793694 fuzzy said:

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Originally from Brewster NY, spent my 20’s in LA. Moved back to hometown region when it was time to start family life. Just retired and wanted an urban lifestyle. Move to center city Philly. Apartment is 1/2 of what I would pay in any neighborhood in NY that I would want to live. NO taxes at all for city or state on retirement income. Getting ready to walk to a jazz club. Surrounded by bars/restaurants. Been here 7 months. Exceeded my expectations. Put my home sale proceeds in a CD thinking I’d need it soon to by something but I’m enjoying the freedom of responsibility of a renter in a wonderful building in a wonderful neighborhood.

By any chance did you hang out at Fore n Aft, or Kelsey's Bum Steer?

Went to graduate school at Georgetown University School of Foreign Service. I worked abroad for the Federal government and then came back to Washington DC. In about 10 or so years I will retire and get the hell out of this overly expensive and overly congested region.

Went to graduate school at Georgetown University School of Foreign Service. I worked abroad for the Federal government and then came back to Washington DC. In about 10 or so years I will retire and get the hell out of this overly expensive and overly congested region.

My company opened a new office in Dallas. We're a british company and office makes sense here since many of our clients are moving here for tax reasons.

It's also a logical place for a hub since it's Central and DFW flies everywhere.

Went to graduate school at Georgetown University School of Foreign Service. I worked abroad for the Federal government and then came back to Washington DC. In about 10 or so years I will retire and get the hell out of this overly expensive and overly congested region.

Hahaha. Just kidding.

In comment 14793689 BlueLou'sBack said:

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California Dreamin'!

Like I said in the other thread, During the gawd awful winter of 1978, one way or another I was not going to deal with winters like that again. California had good weather, good jobs and at the time it was affordable.
Link - ( New Window )

In comment 14793741 ChicagoMarty said:

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to Texas. Did not miss the trafffic My commute went from an hour and a half each way SI - Lower Manhattan to 10 minutes. Got a condo and a car that I could never have afforded in NYC. Really missed the Italian seafood I grew up on. But discovered Cajun/Creole and really good Mexican food Found out for the better that NYC is not the center of the universe Found out because they tell you real quick that Texas was a country before it was a state. Now I am in Chicago and get back to both NY and Texas periodically There really is no place like Chicago...

I have really enjoyed Chicago the half a dozen times or so that I have been there.

In comment 14793657 BH28 said:

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It wasn't until I moved to CA (after going to school in Boston and growing up in NJ), that generally speaking the people in the northeast just seem to be more miserable/negative than other places. I didn't realize how much that affected me until I left. I also feel the CA lifestyle vibes more with my personality. I do feel that people in the northeast generally are brought up with a strong work ethic and no bullshit attitude, so I appreciate my upbringing to instill that. I miss the Italian food and being close to Giants/Yankees games, but it's been 11 years now and I'm not moving back. Obviously a lot of generalization, but that's my reasoning.

Who are you calling miserable you f'ing bastard.

1966, graduated with an Associate's degree in Electronics. The only electrical Tech jobs in the City were Edison, Transit Authority and repair services in the city.

Went to MA to be on the ground floor of the Computer business.
That was 54 years ago.

As a Yankee and Giant fan, I took a lot of shit, but gave more than I took. Especially beating Brady .... twice.

Lou

Did my undergrad and grad work in Virginia. Came back to Jersey to work but then had a chance to jump into the DC-VA-MD area. And took it. Have lived in Virginia now for 25 years. Bounced between living in northern Virginia and southern Virginia. Don't miss Jersey and the high cost of living at all. And it's just a better place to raise a family...

Cayman Islands. Miss NYC but we visit a bit.

In NJ all my life. Love where I live, but like others it's about property taxes when I retire. Have friends in NH/VT, and may go up there. Can buy a house for cheap and cut my property taxes by 2/3. Don't mind the cold.

.
Tax Map - ( New Window )

In comment 14793804 Steve in ATL said:

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. Tax Map - ( New Window )

How did California get tax friendly? ;)

Father took a job out West and never looked back. Have lived in Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, California, D.C., Rome, and Beirut. Worked on a case in NYC for 7 months about 12 years ago and could not stand it--stress, congestion and cost of living.

In comment 14793809 bw in dc said:

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In comment 14793804 Steve in ATL said: Quote: . Tax Map - ( New Window ) How did California get tax friendly? ;)

That surprised me too.

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The Golden State’s reputation as a high-tax destination is built in part on how aggressively it goes after big earners, with a 13.3% tax rate that kicks in at $1 million (for single filers) of taxable income. But for more modest incomes, the impact is far milder, and property taxes are low.

California - ( New Window )

but this past Summer, the wife and I purchased a house in the Pocono's. We have alot more space for the kids which is nice. There is no way the kids go out and play on the sidewalk in Hoboken where thousands of cars pass by our building everyday of the week. Way too dangerous.

I don't know if we could ever move out of NJ, but we love our time in the Pocono's every weekend.

Left to get away from the cold and high taxes. Our house on LI had property taxes of 10 grand when we left, 20 grand now.
Our current house is 4 grand.
There is life after NY.

And raised in NYC. Still here. The liberals have kicked most of us out. Their hypocritical gentrification really sucks. But at least they never experienced real ny. And never will. It's funny watching how they cross the street, and how they think their really New Yorkers now when the city has zero coolness, grit, and creatativty. Just a giant sterile overpriced tourist mall. A couple local spots left in my neighborhood. The yuppies keep far away from us. Good.

I love NYC and I live where I live on LI except for two things. The high cost of living, which has always been the case I’m actually okay with. But a few years ago the FAA rerouted a shit ton of commercial air traffic over Long Island and it’s become ridiculous. I really don’t mind the high cost in and of itself. The area is great, easy commute to the city where I work, the water on both the north and south shore is great, but I just can’t stand the aircraft noise now. Honestly don’t understand how the FAA gets away with this because they’ve ruined some really amazing and expensive real estate. I think we’ll be forced to leave after our youngest graduates in a few years.

then 4 years in Boston, graduating after the 1978 blizzards. Moved to the Bay Area of CA for a job. Went to Med school in Philly but went back to Oakland for residency and have lived in East Bay ever since.

I miss the pizza the most (I still know the number for Joe & Pats). It’s true CA property tax is low but that means we struggle with funding for schools and other services. And other cost of living expenses are high. Will likely move once I retire in 7 years - but not back to NYC.

grew up on Long Island. Moved away for college, joined the Navy, realized that getting away from the congestion of LI was amazing! Plus, I live near Hershey, PA, got a 2,700 square foot home for $320k and my property taxes are less than $3k a year. I don't miss LI at all (except for my friends).

I'm turning 33 in April. Plan to be gone from New Jersey (hopefully) by 40. Other than my job, very little is left here for me.

In comment 14793865 Route 9 said:

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I'm turning 33 in April. Plan to be gone from New Jersey (hopefully) by 40. Other than my job, very little is left here for me.

Sounds like you're going through some tough times. I hope things get better.

I never would have thought I'd find myself in central PA but it really is an interesting area. Hershey is 3 hours from NYC, 2 hours from Philly, 1.5 hours from Baltimore, and 2.5 hours from DC. There's a LOT you can do in a day trip.

Plus chocolate.

My wife is from Queens, we both went to college UNY and never went back.

My entire family is UNY - everyone enjoys hunting, fishing, hiking and open space.

I Love UNY. I like Metro as well, but not full time.

In comment 14793813 Dave in Hoboken said:

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but this past Summer, the wife and I purchased a house in the Pocono's. We have alot more space for the kids which is nice. There is no way the kids go out and play on the sidewalk in Hoboken where thousands of cars pass by our building everyday of the week. Way too dangerous. I don't know if we could ever move out of NJ, but we love our time in the Pocono's every weekend.

You will Dave. The kids will want to go more and more. Every chance that they can, they will want to get out of the city (isn't Hoboken still the mosy densely populated city in the US?).

The other thing you will see is once one family member leaves the area, it becomes easier for other family to leave.

In comment 14793760 SFGFNCGiantsFan said:

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I was in the crib. I still have a ton of family in Monmouth County & love visiting. Give me a mansion on the Navesink tomorrow & I'm there :-).

Ha - ok Bruce...or is he on the Shrewsbury?

In comment 14793766 rnargi said:

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In comment 14793694 fuzzy said: Quote: Originally from Brewster NY, spent my 20’s in LA. Moved back to hometown region when it was time to start family life. Just retired and wanted an urban lifestyle. Move to center city Philly. Apartment is 1/2 of what I would pay in any neighborhood in NY that I would want to live. NO taxes at all for city or state on retirement income. Getting ready to walk to a jazz club. Surrounded by bars/restaurants. Been here 7 months. Exceeded my expectations. Put my home sale proceeds in a CD thinking I’d need it soon to by something but I’m enjoying the freedom of responsibility of a renter in a wonderful building in a wonderful neighborhood. By any chance did you hang out at Fore n Aft, or Kelsey's Bum Steer?

Sure did, around 74-80’. Fore n Aft had great shows. Rat Race Choir, the Good Rats, Twisted Sister. Plus the added benefit of nickel beer night on Wednesdays (Carling Black label) from 7-8 to get us warmed up. Kelties would get packed around midnight when the bars in CT closed. Lots of time at Norm’s as well with the blind owner and sometimes bartender Norm.

In comment 14793869 BUgiantfan said:

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In comment 14793865 Route 9 said: Quote: I'm turning 33 in April. Plan to be gone from New Jersey (hopefully) by 40. Other than my job, very little is left here for me. Sounds like you're going through some tough times. I hope things get better. I never would have thought I'd find myself in central PA but it really is an interesting area. Hershey is 3 hours from NYC, 2 hours from Philly, 1.5 hours from Baltimore, and 2.5 hours from DC. There's a LOT you can do in a day trip. Plus chocolate.

How close are you to the park/town area?

I'm 43. Born, raised and always have lived in queens. Live in a nice home in middle village, Queens. Love my block and the people on it. Have to commute to wall street most days.

I never thought of leaving, until I visited Sedona. Loved it. Don't have plans to leave, but the thought of leaving has dawned on me more now than ever before. Can't pin point exactly why I changed from "I'll never leave" to "it is definitely a possibility". Perhaps the congestion, cost of living, cold weather, none of which entirely bother me yet. I guess I'm just willing to tolerate it. The benefits of staying, for me now, still outweigh the downsides mentioned above. Benefits are work opportunities (I'm a lawyer and can't fathom taking another state's bar exam, but some states do allow waive ins), the social scene, the change in seasons, family, friends, our block full of great people, etc.

One thing I've learned is that one's taste changes over time. Maybe we'll go eventually, but for now I remain a nyc guy.

Nice thread.

College in Delaware, then a couple years in St. Louis, 7 in Orange County California, a couple years in Cambridge England then Boston suburbs to raise a family.

Never liked the congestion in NJ. I needed more elbow room and wanted better weather. Ironically ended up in Massachusetts since we thought it would be a better place to raise a family than Southern California (we were right) but now back to dealing with weather. Been here 25 years.

I miss some things about New Jersey. The lake I grew up on, the Jersey Shore and real pizza. I don't understand why Boston doesn't have good pizza.

Both my kids are Giants fans in Patriots territory. Can't wait until we're back on top.

In comment 14793925 fuzzy said:

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In comment 14793766 rnargi said: Quote: In comment 14793694 fuzzy said: Quote: Originally from Brewster NY, spent my 20’s in LA. Moved back to hometown region when it was time to start family life. Just retired and wanted an urban lifestyle. Move to center city Philly. Apartment is 1/2 of what I would pay in any neighborhood in NY that I would want to live. NO taxes at all for city or state on retirement income. Getting ready to walk to a jazz club. Surrounded by bars/restaurants. Been here 7 months. Exceeded my expectations. Put my home sale proceeds in a CD thinking I’d need it soon to by something but I’m enjoying the freedom of responsibility of a renter in a wonderful building in a wonderful neighborhood. By any chance did you hang out at Fore n Aft, or Kelsey's Bum Steer? Sure did, around 74-80’. Fore n Aft had great shows. Rat Race Choir, the Good Rats, Twisted Sister. Plus the added benefit of nickel beer night on Wednesdays (Carling Black label) from 7-8 to get us warmed up. Kelties would get packed around midnight when the bars in CT closed. Lots of time at Norm’s as well with the blind owner and sometimes bartender Norm.

Lol I used to go there as well, from around 79 to 82. Saw those same bands and many more. Loved the Aft

to be near daughter, son-in-law and three excellent grandsons.

An absolute home run as we watched the three mature. When they'd all finished college and dispersed we split to Florida in 2015 as daughter and s-i-l were busy professionally and training for triathlons.

We grew up in Monmouth County, the weather was the primary reasons we left NJ. I look at snow on the weather channel and say "Why would you put up with that shit ?"

When I retired, the taxes were another factor. We had planned for years to move to South Carolina. Our timing was just about perfect -- sold our Middletown house at peak price, and bought on a Golf Course near Charleston. The cost of living is so much less in SC. They give big tax breaks for seniors, my State Income Tax was $26 (and I had a good year.) The weather has been awesome, we went to an outdoor Oyster Roast last night.

I went back to NJ last year for the Giant/Jet game.....those Jet fans are a typical rude bunch.

Any advice on how to convince your wife/ family to move?

In comment 14794057 TyreeHelmet said:

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Any advice on how to convince your wife/ family to move?

Show her the difference in taxes....We just had a really cold day here in So. FL...was 48 deg at 6 am...was 55 soon after sunrise and 68/70 by noon..golf in shorts.

No snow to shovel...

In comment 14794057 TyreeHelmet said:

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Any advice on how to convince your wife/ family to move?

Go to Zillow and spend some time looking at homes you could afford and how they compare.

You may go to City Data and compare things like crime rates. If it’s important possibly school systems and things they might offer.

Ultimately take a trip or two and spend some time visiting areas you are considering

We moved to the Midwest about 7 years ago and had a few kids but are actually contemplating a move back. The wife is from Astoria and was recently approached about a unique opportunity in the city. It brings up a lot of anxiety to move back and downsize but we have a lot of friends/family back east that we don't get to see that often, so we'll see how this goes. Who lives in Queens and has kids? Help me out here, good move? Bad? Schools? ...

wife got an offer she couldn't refuse so we moved to Nashville after spending our whole lives in Middlesex county.

Traffic is the same as Nashville is crazy as are real estate prices but everything else is great. No state taxes and 1/3 the real estate taxes so it's an extra 20 grand in our pockets. Miss some of our old friends but I was never a social butterfly anyway and I come up from time to time.

Had to get the dish for the Giants though.

Added bonus is that hopefully my oldest will be stationed at Fort Campbell in a year so we'll be close to him.

Taxes, Taxes and Taxes!!
Lived later on Long Island my kids were grown and out of the house, couldn’t see paying $13000 in taxes for a 1560 sqft home. So downsized to a 2 br condo in Va. for less than $300k taxes are $3000 and I have 1265sqft which is perfect for us! New kitchen and baths, gas is cheaper, overall utilities are WAY CHEAPER!!
So I guess for me living in NY was becoming oppressive! Quality of Life much better. I don’t think twice about the move!

area. After a couple years in Persian Gulf and experiencing winter in FL, didn't see myself going back to the winter hell scape. Just got back from Boston and I realized it isn't even the cold, its the day after day of short days and grey weather. With the occasional snowstorm thrown in. Hated the area where my Dad lived because it was sooo boring but visitid my buddy out in the Tampa Bay beaches and decided thats where I'm going to school.

Contemplated moving back after graduation because the job market is still catching up. But the massive Bill Gates project is working and snagged a job at a sales and marketing software tool called Drift and never plan on moving back.

I'm not one that is going to harp on the taxes because mostly I found at least in this area the salaries scale or at least only come out slightly ahead. The quality of life though is unreal, good weather 10 months of the year, great beaches, more laid back attitude, great drinking, tons of things to do. Moving to DT St. Pete from St. Pete Beach even though I work DT Tampa because I need a city I can walk around and do things. Tampa has a lot to do but at the moment you still need to Uber around. This area is a huge vacation destination so you always have shit going on.

I'll always be thankful for growing up outside of NYC as it has given me some unique personality traits that are very useful, but my first foray at 18 to school out of the area to Va Tech just made me realize how high strung and how much of an asshole I was. Its just kind of normal in the area, but once you go outside the bubble you realize the shit isn't normal.

In comment 14794080 ImThatGuy said:

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We moved to the Midwest about 7 years ago and had a few kids but are actually contemplating a move back. The wife is from Astoria and was recently approached about a unique opportunity in the city. It brings up a lot of anxiety to move back and downsize but we have a lot of friends/family back east that we don't get to see that often, so we'll see how this goes. Who lives in Queens and has kids? Help me out here, good move? Bad? Schools? ...

Don't have kids but plenty of my friends and neighbors do. Check middle village in queens. Several people i know have kids and moved here, and love it. Small town feel and look in a city with city amenities.

in the NE that are so fucking annoying.

44 years ago. For me North county San Diego is STILL the best place on earth.

and over time I longed for a more bucolic lifestyle -- I learned to haytes noise and crowds.

My second wife and I shared a dream to purchase a farm and we made the move 19 years ago. I love being a country bumpkin and we live on our own private piece of landscape surrounded by views of tens of thousands of acres of preserve.

Another benefit I can walk to my favorite fishing hole from my backyard anytime I want to.

You'll never be able to convince me to return to the city. Why return when I live in heaven with a loyal dog, fishing rod and a pick up truck.

In comment 14794116 Bleedin Blue said:

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Taxes, Taxes and Taxes!! Lived later on Long Island my kids were grown and out of the house, couldn’t see paying $13000 in taxes for a 1560 sqft home. So downsized to a 2 br condo in Va. for less than $300k taxes are $3000 and I have 1265sqft which is perfect for us! New kitchen and baths, gas is cheaper, overall utilities are WAY CHEAPER!! So I guess for me living in NY was becoming oppressive! Quality of Life much better. I don’t think twice about the move!

I am in Virginia Beach. We love it down here. The beach is lot more accessible than it was on LI (far less traffic), and the ocean temps are so much warmer. I could never enjoy a cold beach again. Any water temp below 75 is too cold for me now.

is how much the world has changed. There are so many NY transplants along the east coast. It's crazy. My corner pizza place is owned by a guy from Brooklyn. A bagel place is just about to open right near my house with an owner from LI. I can watch the Giants and Rangers just like I was still living on LI. I used to love the city for Tower Records and the great book stores. Now, with Amazon and Spotify, that's all irrelevant. I miss the great jazz clubs, but I still go a couple of times per year and stream the shows from Smalls sometimes (which is free!). All of these things make it doable for a me in a way that it might not have been a long time ago.

Grew up in Northern Westchester, moved to DC in 1992, went to grad school in 96, moved back to DC in 1998 and 22 years later and two kids still here.

Only things I miss are good corner delis, pizza, and bagels. People in
the NYC area are too mean, pushy, rude for my liking.

Just moved from the city to Austin.

One thing I’ve missed is in NY it’s easy to get the best of nearly anything.

I had some Thai on Friday that was barf in broth, and people rave about it here.

It’s also 77 today, so there’s that.

In comment 14793856 12aob said:

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then 4 years in Boston, graduating after the 1978 blizzards. Moved to the Bay Area of CA for a job. Went to Med school in Philly but went back to Oakland for residency and have lived in East Bay ever since. I miss the pizza the most (I still know the number for Joe & Pats). It’s true CA property tax is low but that means we struggle with funding for schools and other services. And other cost of living expenses are high. Will likely move once I retire in 7 years - but not back to NYC.

hey I'm from staten island too let's connect

Went to college in VA and just stuck around afterwards. Wasn’t really planned. Decided to commit to an apartment in NoVa after graduation with some buddies and that was it. Been in Montgomery County, MD for the past 20+ now. Thought about moving back a few times over years, as I’m the only one in my family that ever left, but here I am. Two kids in HS now, career here, etc… Wife is from SE Virginia, not it’s a nice midway point for us.
Though people in the DC area think life is a hustle in this area, its nothing compared to what my brother/sister/brother-in-law go through up there. Particularly those in finance up there. People are much more subdued here. They may not think so, but they are. It is what it is at this point. I imagine our kids will settle down around here after college, so we’ll be here forever I guess - at least part of the year. Wife doesn't want our grandchildren (someday) to not grow up around family. I'm cool with that too now.

Stated until after college. cane to DC for law school and just loved the vide of DC. A bit more genteel than north nj but still cosmopolitan. Did my summer associate position at a larger north jersey firm and almost cam back when they offered me a job but was just kinda done with nj/nyc. Been here now for 27 years. Now i miss nj but am dug in here between my practice and having kids and long time friends like that slacker jim from katonah.

I grew up in Lynbrook (Nassau County)
When I finished my education I moved to Albany to avoid the commute that my dad had to and from the city every day.

When I retire I will try to leave the state for another state with less taxes. Property taxes and income taxes here are high and the city of Albany is now a slum.

In comment 14794194 Rick5 said:

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In comment 14794116 Bleedin Blue said: Quote: Taxes, Taxes and Taxes!! Lived later on Long Island my kids were grown and out of the house, couldn’t see paying $13000 in taxes for a 1560 sqft home. So downsized to a 2 br condo in Va. for less than $300k taxes are $3000 and I have 1265sqft which is perfect for us! New kitchen and baths, gas is cheaper, overall utilities are WAY CHEAPER!! So I guess for me living in NY was becoming oppressive! Quality of Life much better. I don’t think twice about the move! I am in Virginia Beach. We love it down here. The beach is lot more accessible than it was on LI (far less traffic), and the ocean temps are so much warmer. I could never enjoy a cold beach again. Any water temp below 75 is too cold for me now.

Rick, I’m in the DMV, Fairfax, I moved here to be near my daughter. I was on LI also 20 minutes from beach, I miss that, but I don’t regret the move at all. Hell Nassau County raised my taxes as soon as I left another $2000!!

and I don't plan to.

In comment 14793760 SFGFNCGiantsFan said:

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I was in the crib. I still have a ton of family in Monmouth County & love visiting. Give me a mansion on the Navesink tomorrow & I'm there :-).

Ha, what part? And when?
From Freehold myself. Left in 89ish, just before the horse race tracks were built. Involuntary for me too. Parents divorced. Moms got tired of the bullshit and moved back to D.C. where her family is from. Still in the area now.

Trip to Pat and Joe for pizza. Sister it's Joe and Pat's. Not during St Patrick's week. I miss Joe and Pat's. From Staten Island to Hazlet for son to go th HS there to Horry county SC my property tax for a year is what I paid in a month inNj

In comment 14794275 davek3698 said:

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Went to college in VA and just stuck around afterwards. Wasn’t really planned. Decided to commit to an apartment in NoVa after graduation with some buddies and that was it. Been in Montgomery County, MD for the past 20+ now. Thought about moving back a few times over years, as I’m the only one in my family that ever left, but here I am. Two kids in HS now, career here, etc… Wife is from SE Virginia, not it’s a nice midway point for us. Though people in the DC area think life is a hustle in this area, its nothing compared to what my brother/sister/brother-in-law go through up there. Particularly those in finance up there. People are much more subdued here. They may not think so, but they are. It is what it is at this point. I imagine our kids will settle down around here after college, so we’ll be here forever I guess - at least part of the year. Wife doesn't want our grandchildren (someday) to not grow up around family. I'm cool with that too now.

Completely agree with you on the DMV, I live in Rockville.

In comment 14794133 Zeke's Alibi said:

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area. After a couple years in Persian Gulf and experiencing winter in FL, didn't see myself going back to the winter hell scape. Just got back from Boston and I realized it isn't even the cold, its the day after day of short days and grey weather. With the occasional snowstorm thrown in. Hated the area where my Dad lived because it was sooo boring but visitid my buddy out in the Tampa Bay beaches and decided thats where I'm going to school. Contemplated moving back after graduation because the job market is still catching up. But the massive Bill Gates project is working and snagged a job at a sales and marketing software tool called Drift and never plan on moving back. I'm not one that is going to harp on the taxes because mostly I found at least in this area the salaries scale or at least only come out slightly ahead. The quality of life though is unreal, good weather 10 months of the year, great beaches, more laid back attitude, great drinking, tons of things to do. Moving to DT St. Pete from St. Pete Beach even though I work DT Tampa because I need a city I can walk around and do things. Tampa has a lot to do but at the moment you still need to Uber around. This area is a huge vacation destination so you always have shit going on. I'll always be thankful for growing up outside of NYC as it has given me some unique personality traits that are very useful, but my first foray at 18 to school out of the area to Va Tech just made me realize how high strung and how much of an asshole I was. Its just kind of normal in the area, but once you go outside the bubble you realize the shit isn't normal.

I've got some friends at Drift (Melissa Lefleur, Jim Kelliher, Armen Zildjian , Danielle Tocci) It's a great company. Do you know any of those folks?

cool as hell. I went out with Jim's son, Derek because he's on Enterprise team in a night that has gone down in lore lol. Jesus small world.

In comment 14794268 Paulie Walnuts said:

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In comment 14793856 12aob said: Quote: then 4 years in Boston, graduating after the 1978 blizzards. Moved to the Bay Area of CA for a job. Went to Med school in Philly but went back to Oakland for residency and have lived in East Bay ever since. I miss the pizza the most (I still know the number for Joe & Pats). It’s true CA property tax is low but that means we struggle with funding for schools and other services. And other cost of living expenses are high. Will likely move once I retire in 7 years - but not back to NYC. hey I'm from staten island too let's connect

Hi Paulie. Email be at aob@astound.net and we can connect.

my wife was unhappy away from family. She's not from the area. My parents moved away when Dad retired because of the taxes, and we decided to go live near them. Never went back. Now that our kids are grown I can't imagine going back unless one of them returns.

Having said that, I have a daughter-in-law who is awaiting word on her applications to several NYC area universities for her PhD program (Yale, Princeton, Columbia, Stony Brook among others) so who knows? They will have two of my grandchildren with them and so maybe I'll follow them out?

When I was a kid. Dad got a great job offer in Richmond and the cost of living was so much lower. As a child, of course, I couldn't understand it and used to beg my parents to move back to LI for years. Now, as an adult and a parent, I completely understand.

I still love visiting Long Island, though now with my grandfather passing I only have one aunt and two cousins left up there, at least with close family. Still have a lot of extended family there, but how often does anyone make a trip just to visit second cousins?

Joined the Air Force and was stationed in Northern California. Did my 4 years and got a job and decided to stay. I go back to visit family, but no way would I live back there. Playing golf on Saturday. If I want to play in the snow, I just have to drive 2 1/2 hours.

In comment 14794704 Zeke's Alibi said:

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cool as hell. I went out with Jim's son, Derek because he's on Enterprise team in a night that has gone down in lore lol. Jesus small world.

very small world. Armen is cool as hell. he's unbelievable. I've know Jim since the late '90s. Armen since 2013 or so.

When I got married. Moved to Stamford,Ct.then made the big move to South Florida to open a business in 1993. Was jealous of my friend who moved down earlier. Love the weather and nice place to raise my family. Things I miss the most from being up north are going to the Giant and Yankee games, pizza, deli, and the chinese food.

Grew up in Katonah, NY and lived in NYC for a few years after college. I had an epiphany that if stayed in NY, my natural ego & I need to win competitiveness would evolve into full time asshole-ness over time. DC has plenty of assholes of course, but it’s not as much the “look at my rolex/paycheck/hot GF type” of thing that was always my Achilles heel.

Now I live just over the DC border in Chevy Chase, Maryland. It’s peaceful, woodsy, quiet and while there lots of nerds (like Now Mike in Maryland) and political wonks, I might go a year without getting honked at or tailgated... and I’ve evolved into a pretty chill and content person.

That all said, NYC is still the king, and I really do miss the rich character and expressiveness of the good citizens NY/NJ.

Married and worked in North Woodmere, LI. Started skiing in my mid 30's and got a second house near Straton in VT. Spend weekends there most of the year. My neighborhood on LI started becoming very Orthodox and I saw the writing on the wall as a less-observant Jew. Had skied out West several times, and when we decided we liked the mountains way more than the beach, we chose the Rockies over New England. Moved to Utah in '98, then followed our daughter to AZ when I retired 5 years ago. Love it out West.

In Bloomfield NJ. Needed a change so I joined the USAF in 83 got stationed in NoCal. met my wife in the AF & never looked back. Best decision I ever made.

Great place to grow up. College in Charlottesville. Grad school Philly. First job in Eastern CT, later in Fairfield Cty. Loved where I was, never thought I’d leave. My whole fam in Metro Area.
But I met a CO girl who had moved to NY for work. After 5 years wanted to move back, so I was either going with her or left in her dust...
Moved to Denver in ‘01. Married, 2 kids, lived here near 20 yrs now. (My family still hasn’t forgiven me...!)
It’s funny. There are so many people from elsewhere who live in CO. It’s been a wonderful place to raise a family. But I still miss NY area..maybe for what it was and not what it is like now? I don’t know.
In all honesty, you blokes at BBI keep me (and my 17-yr old, rabid NYG fan son!) related to my old life! Go Giants!

for this thread. My wife and I were talking about how different our lives might have been had we made other choices on where to live or if we stayed up North. I never lived in the Metro Area, but I had two opportunities that I passed on. The first would have had me living with college friends in Hoboken and working in the city, and the other was going to be to share a condo with two fraternities brothers in Montclair for a possible job about 20 minutes away for me and they would work in the city.

Instead, my best friend from HS lived in Charlotte and asked me to come visit. I went for a week and realized, that's where I wanted to be. Put some resumes out there and got a job and moved. Been in NC/SC since 1994.

My family is still in Upstate and my sister is in Manhattan, so I get back enough to see them. Enough for the taste of NYC without having to live there.

while growing up in Massapequa have lived there all along, yet almost all of my aunts and uncles (as well as my parents) moved away to various places - Richmond, Pittsburgh, Raleigh, south Florida, the LA metro area.

In comment 14795047 Pete in CO said:

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Great place to grow up. College in Charlottesville. Grad school Philly. First job in Eastern CT, later in Fairfield Cty. Loved where I was, never thought I’d leave. My whole fam in Metro Area. But I met a CO girl who had moved to NY for work. After 5 years wanted to move back, so I was either going with her or left in her dust... Moved to Denver in ‘01. Married, 2 kids, lived here near 20 yrs now. (My family still hasn’t forgiven me...!) It’s funny. There are so many people from elsewhere who live in CO. It’s been a wonderful place to raise a family. But I still miss NY area..maybe for what it was and not what it is like now? I don’t know. In all honesty, you blokes at BBI keep me (and my 17-yr old, rabid NYG fan son!) related to my old life! Go Giants!

The times when I miss it, I think it mostly has to do with nostalgia. My brother is still there, but many of my family members and friends have moved away.

Sort of - I was between jobs and my hoarder father-in-law offered us his little house in Binghamton, NY.

I moved up here without expectations, it's a small, aging, depressed, rust-belt town with some defense contracting and a University center.

Sunk all my savings into renovating the house and re-trained, built a career in software development, raised our family here.

I've never looked back. It would take a LOT of money to get me to move back - I'm glad I lived there when I was young, particularly Manhattan and the Village, but NYC has not improved with age. Busier than ever.

I love Binghamton - absolutely gorgeous region with enough nightlife and activity to keep it interesting.

THINGS I MISS ABOUT NYC/NJ:
- The people. I was actually surprised at how different people are upstate - very private, quiet. I miss gregarious, loud people who will talk to ANYONE.
- FOOD. Quality and availability. Decent pizza, good bread and bagels are hard to find up here.

THINGS I DON'T MISS:
- STRESS. I didn't even realize how bad it was until I moved. Every trip back, I feel it. It's just an insane level of bustle, ALERTNESS - if you leave an inch, they take a mile. Traffic, congestion - it's just so much harder to get around.
- Noise. I grew up in the flight paths of 4 airports. The quiet here was actually somewhat unnerving at times.
- Ugly scenery. With the exception of the outer burbs, most of NYC/Metro looks like shit.

I still live here in Forest Hills, we have deep roots, family, neighbors, work, etc, so tough to leave right now.

My wife is also dead set on our kids growing up in a diverse environment and Queens is as diverse as it gets.

I did want to move a decade ago to CA, but now I dont even think CA is the CA I dreamed about.

We are staying until the kids are in college, then we'll see, I know my wife will never leave her parents.

Let's see in 10 years.

In comment 14795073 Rick5 said:

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In comment 14795047 Pete in CO said: Quote: Great place to grow up. College in Charlottesville. Grad school Philly. First job in Eastern CT, later in Fairfield Cty. Loved where I was, never thought I’d leave. My whole fam in Metro Area. But I met a CO girl who had moved to NY for work. After 5 years wanted to move back, so I was either going with her or left in her dust... Moved to Denver in ‘01. Married, 2 kids, lived here near 20 yrs now. (My family still hasn’t forgiven me...!) It’s funny. There are so many people from elsewhere who live in CO. It’s been a wonderful place to raise a family. But I still miss NY area..maybe for what it was and not what it is like now? I don’t know. In all honesty, you blokes at BBI keep me (and my 17-yr old, rabid NYG fan son!) related to my old life! Go Giants! The times when I miss it, I think it mostly has to do with nostalgia. My brother is still there, but many of my family members and friends have moved away.

Thanks for starting this, Rick! We all have stories, and at the risk of being too maudlin, I appreciate the chance to talk about mine! Enjoy reading all yours as well! Go Giants!

In comment 14793812 Steve in ATL said:

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In comment 14793809 bw in dc said: Quote: In comment 14793804 Steve in ATL said: Quote: . Tax Map - ( New Window ) How did California get tax friendly? ;) That surprised me too. Quote: The Golden State’s reputation as a high-tax destination is built in part on how aggressively it goes after big earners, with a 13.3% tax rate that kicks in at $1 million (for single filers) of taxable income. But for more modest incomes, the impact is far milder, and property taxes are low. California - ( New Window )

The averages may be reasonable, but it all depends on where you live. The "average property tax" value they provided cracked me up. We pay roughly twice the rate of their example.

I have to wonder if/when we will start to reap the benefits of the tax revenue from legalized marijuana. My cynical side imagines it will be yet another example of tax dollars with seemingly little tangible benefit. Our schools suck. Our roads suck. Our police suck.

It's definitely true that once you get out of the Northeast and go to a place with lower taxes, lower cost of living, and much nicer weather, it is difficult to bring yourself to go back.

I came to Nashville a little over 10 years ago to go to Vanderbilt for undergrad. I found Nashville to be like the perfect city: big enough and with enough culture to never get bored, but small enough to not have that overwhelming "big city" vibe. I'm also a musician and it's nice to be in a town where literally every single person seems to either be a professional or at least dabbles in writing/creating/performing music.

At the time I graduated I was in a serious relationship with a girl and that was part of why I stayed, plus the fact that I got a job as an actuary at AIG and I really liked it (both the work and the pay). Fast forward to today and I'm single, but still work at AIG, live across the street from work with zero traffic/commute and I actually work from home most days.

I've never once really seriously thought about moving back "home". I've thought about moving to either Chicago or Houston, as I like both those cities and have my certain for possibly living there, but I get overwhelmed thinking about traffic, population density, and weather being too hot/cold (those cities are literally the extreme of each). So at this point I'll admit I'm honestly just comfortable in Nashville.

You didn't think Milton was my real name, did you?

Tired of the MTA and heinous commutes.

Tired of paying an exorbitant amount of rent for a tiny apartment.

Tired of the traffic congestion.

Tired of massive crowds.

Have had a fun, wild ride for almost 8 years here, but, it is time to buy a house and move onto the next phase of life, wherever that may be.

In comment 14796078 Giantology said:

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Tired of the MTA and heinous commutes. Tired of paying an exorbitant amount of rent for a tiny apartment. Tired of the traffic congestion. Tired of massive crowds. Have had a fun, wild ride for almost 8 years here, but, it is time to buy a house and move onto the next phase of life, wherever that may be.

Don't ask me why I remember this tidbit of info, but you were in AZ before, right? I tend to remember some of the things that the musicians here post about. I think you posted some music here years ago that I thought was really good. It was instrumental rock. I remember that.

in Stamford, Westchester and Manhattan every year of my life outside of college. Was in Manhattan until about 2013 and decided we didn't want to raise kids in the city so we moved back to Stamford. After 4-5 years there we decided that it wasn't worth the cost - our house was tiny but expensive and I wanted more space. Wife ended up getting a job in Milford the year prior and doing the reverse commute so we just said fuck it, lets move up there.

Best decision we ever made. Found a great neighborhood, built a house, pay half what we paid in Stamford for daycare, and we are a 10 minute walk to the train, the beach, my wife's office, and downtown.

In comment 14796310 Rick5 said:

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In comment 14796078 Giantology said: Quote: Tired of the MTA and heinous commutes. Tired of paying an exorbitant amount of rent for a tiny apartment. Tired of the traffic congestion. Tired of massive crowds. Have had a fun, wild ride for almost 8 years here, but, it is time to buy a house and move onto the next phase of life, wherever that may be. Don't ask me why I remember this tidbit of info, but you were in AZ before, right? I tend to remember some of the things that the musicians here post about. I think you posted some music here years ago that I thought was really good. It was instrumental rock. I remember that.

Ha, Rick! Yes, you are remembering all of that correctly- especially the part about the instrumental rock being really good ;)

It seems like it has been a long, long while since there was a BBI musicians or new gear thread. You still jamming these days?

In comment 14796399 Giantology said:

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In comment 14796310 Rick5 said: Quote: In comment 14796078 Giantology said: Quote: Tired of the MTA and heinous commutes. Tired of paying an exorbitant amount of rent for a tiny apartment. Tired of the traffic congestion. Tired of massive crowds. Have had a fun, wild ride for almost 8 years here, but, it is time to buy a house and move onto the next phase of life, wherever that may be. Don't ask me why I remember this tidbit of info, but you were in AZ before, right? I tend to remember some of the things that the musicians here post about. I think you posted some music here years ago that I thought was really good. It was instrumental rock. I remember that. Ha, Rick! Yes, you are remembering all of that correctly- especially the part about the instrumental rock being really good ;) It seems like it has been a long, long while since there was a BBI musicians or new gear thread. You still jamming these days?

Yes. I play in a jazz quintet. We have a gig at a local brewery in a couple of weeks which I am really excited about. Getting ready to start rehearsal at 7:00.

Told my wife soon after we got married when the kids are in or finished with college I am out of here. You can come with me or not but I am leaving Long Island.

Need to pickup search. Son is about to turn 12 so hoping in 10 years if not sooner I can leave. Not a huge Florida fan but am willing to check out some new areas. Other than Naples haven't spent much time on West Coast of Fla. I have heard great things about Texas although with relatives all in Northeast that may be a bit far.

I loved the Charleston SC area. Better weather. Cheaper prices. Stuff is new but classy. Quick flight to NY.

Everything in NY is aging. Infrastructure crumbling. High taxes and cost of living. That money to pay for social programs most of us will never use. And I know you aren't supposed to get political but the Dems are ruining NY. Laws that give illegals more rights than citizens. Laws that remove our rights on guns or to save the seagulls by cutting down on straws and bags but allow criminals to walk without bail are asinine. This state will never be run by a republican again. I am not saying Republicans are the end all be all. They love to spend the pork as good as the dems, but some of Cuomo's policies are mob tactics in a suit in Albany. The corruption is incredible. Time to go.