Grand Enigma Posted April 16, 2009 Report Posted April 16, 2009 Quick forward here. I hate NJ and want to leave NJ. My new job essentially allows me to live anywhere. Problem is I am not sure where I want to live. This is where you come in. If you could live anywhere in the US where would it be and why?
luvdunhill Posted April 16, 2009 Report Posted April 16, 2009 Quick forward here. I hate NJ and want to leave NJ. My new job essentially allows me to live anywhere. Problem is I am not sure where I want to live. This is where you come in. If you could live anywhere in the US where would it be and why? Puerto Rico. It's beautiful there. I'm going on business there next week and am psyched
en480c4 Posted April 16, 2009 Report Posted April 16, 2009 I like the seasons, the ocean, the mountains and lakes. I live in northern New England to have all of that. Only other place I've ever considered is N. California, for the same reasons. CO, WY, UT, norther AZ or NM have been considered, but the distance from the ocean would likely do me in.
grawk Posted April 16, 2009 Report Posted April 16, 2009 Depends on what you want in an area. I like where I am for the mix of rural + near cities I like clark county virginia for the same reason. I like the NC mountains for being the NC mountains. I like Maine, New Hampshire, Wyoming, New Mexico, South Dakota and Montana for being what they are. Chicago is my favorite big city. New Orleans has my favorite food. Austin's got a good combination of culture and food. Overland Park, KS is very wholesome
aardvark baguette Posted April 16, 2009 Report Posted April 16, 2009 Damn, I may have to move to Montana. They've got moxie http://data.opi.mt.gov/bills/2009/billhtml/HB0246.htm All firearms, short barrel shotguns, short barrel rifles, silencers, and firearms with a bore under 1.5" are deemed exempt from the NFA if they're made in MT.
Dusty Chalk Posted April 16, 2009 Report Posted April 16, 2009 My favorite place on the planet that I've ever been to is Hawaii, but it's too expensive to live there, so wouldn't recommend it for your situation. But I bring it up, because you want to compare the cost of living to where you are now -- you need to know if it's going up or down. Second choice is San Diego area (by which I explicitly include as far North as Encinitas) -- cost of living is not that different from DC, so would be a serious consideration for me, were I in your shoes. Third choice would be the bay area (San Francisco/Berkeley/Menlo Park/etc.). Sister already lives there, so that's a plus. For me. Heck, might be for you, too, who knows. Me, personally, I'd have to travel around a bit, first. I have really bad allergies, and don't know if the constant wind from off the ocean would be conducive or destructive to my symptoms. My allergist explicitly told me that I need to move to the desert, so I'd have to try that, too. None of this affects you, but since you are in a position to do so, I still think the conclusion applies -- move around the country a bit, try some places you like. I'd miss access to the big city if I moved away from anywhere near a big city. PS My favorite big city is NYC. PPS Most of the hottest girls I've met are from Texas. I forget if you're married/straight.
Grand Enigma Posted April 16, 2009 Author Report Posted April 16, 2009 (edited) There are very few places that will be more expensive then NJ. In fact there are a few places that I could pay cash for a house right now.. VS. NJ where I will be paying loan payments for the rest of my life. I personally do not like big cities. I like rural areas but don't want to be so far out that there are no job available for the wife or should anything ever happen with mine. My short list right now is Fayetteville AR and Athens GA. Both have a low cost of living and active communities are they are both college towns. College towns typically make for stable local economies and good food ... Austin TX is also on the list for the reason mentioned by others. Edited April 16, 2009 by Grand Enigma
justin Posted April 16, 2009 Report Posted April 16, 2009 Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Arizona, would be the places I would consider living
Grand Enigma Posted April 16, 2009 Author Report Posted April 16, 2009 Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Arizona, would be the places I would consider living Any specific towns? There are states I like but each town can be entirely different.
manaox2 Posted April 16, 2009 Report Posted April 16, 2009 Greenville, NC is very nice to me. Stay away from the downtown Raleigh area.
Aimless1 Posted April 16, 2009 Report Posted April 16, 2009 Traverse City, Michigan. I've had many opportunities to move away from here but I love the seasons, the weather, the people. Polar opposite of a city. I currently reside just outside Grand Rapids, MI which is basically the largest small town I've ever been in. Traverse City has a small college, on Lake Michigan with plenty of sun, sand, beach and boating opportunities. Good cultural options, wineries, great restaurants and incredibly nice people. 2 hours away from the Mackinaw Bridge, 1 hour away from wild Michigan, about 3 1/2 hours from Grand Rapids and what it has to offer. Connected so you're not too remote but distant enough to avoid the maddening hoardes. I intend to retire near Traverse City in a small community called Boyne City. Economy is NOT dependent on the auto industry and relatively robust. Good luck! Nice to have options.
luvdunhill Posted April 16, 2009 Report Posted April 16, 2009 There are very few places that will be more expensive then NJ. Just curious, what's the cost of living index (COLI) difference from say your current location and Austin, TX? Housing prices are on the rise here and food isn't really cheap here either. For example, where I first lived there wasn't any fast food restaurants within 5 sq. mi. and our average monthly grocery bill doubled. I know it's not NY/CA/DC/etc. but I'm curious nonetheless. Housing for typical middle-class in north Austin is around $100/sq ft. or so I'd estimate, double that if you move more towards downtown.
n_maher Posted April 16, 2009 Report Posted April 16, 2009 Housing for typical middle-class in north Austin is around $100/sq ft. or so I'd estimate, double that if you move more towards downtown. Pfft, it's the better part of double that in my neck of the woods. Your average 1500sf house will run $250k+ (out in the sticks) and "in town" it's not uncommon (still) for 1200sf condos to be well into the 300s. It's also worth mentioning that while NH does not have an income tax our property taxes are pretty astronomical, I pay ~$20/$1000 on my house which is about average for the area.
swt61 Posted April 16, 2009 Report Posted April 16, 2009 I'm generally not a fan of Texas. It's just too hot for me in the summer. That being said Austin is a very nice town. Anchorage, Alaska is gorgeous in the summer. Winters are much milder in the Anchorage area than people realize, but they do last for 6 months, and that can get old. I lived in San Francisco for a few years and absolutely loved it. It is rather expensive to live there though. I also lived in Portland, Oregon for a while. I really liked it there, and I love the fact that woodworkers are well supported there. Eventually I plan to move to Portland or Seattle. I'm definitely a Northwest kind of guy.
IceClass Posted April 16, 2009 Report Posted April 16, 2009 Wherever I could ski and sail in the same day. It would help if the area was motorcycle and hunter friendly.
Hopstretch Posted April 16, 2009 Report Posted April 16, 2009 Wherever I could ski and sail in the same day. It would help if the area was motorcycle and hunter friendly. Tahoe for you, sir.
luvdunhill Posted April 16, 2009 Report Posted April 16, 2009 I pay ~$20/$1000 on my house which is about average for the area. I pay $26/$1000 on house + land. That's on the low end, definitely.
Dusty Chalk Posted April 16, 2009 Report Posted April 16, 2009 Tahoe for you, sir.I was thinking Colorado.
DigiPete Posted April 16, 2009 Report Posted April 16, 2009 Ventura County CA is a nice, or up the coast as well
justin Posted April 16, 2009 Report Posted April 16, 2009 I wouldn't expect anyone who has grown up in CA to leave, but I don't know why anyone would consider living there unless its for a great job opportunity. The living expenses and taxes are ridiculous and it's only going to get worse
diebenkorn Posted April 16, 2009 Report Posted April 16, 2009 Dental Floss Tycoon? Damn, I may have to move to Montana. They've got moxie http://data.opi.mt.gov/bills/2009/billhtml/HB0246.htm All firearms, short barrel shotguns, short barrel rifles, silencers, and firearms with a bore under 1.5" are deemed exempt from the NFA if they're made in MT.
Asr Posted April 16, 2009 Report Posted April 16, 2009 I personally do not like big cities. I like rural areas but don't want to be so far out that there are no job available for the wife or should anything ever happen with mine. My short list right now is Fayetteville AR and Athens GA. Both have a low cost of living and active communities are they are both college towns. College towns typically make for stable local economies and good food ... Austin TX is also on the list for the reason mentioned by others. You might like the Boulder-Denver corridor in Colorado then. Denver's not really that big (more like it's surrounded by a bunch of smaller cities/suburbs), almost anywhere outside the city is relatively affordable, and if the economy weren't in the toilet right now there'd be lots of job options. I pretty much love it here, missed it like mad when I lived in California, enough for me to want to move back. The only real downside to living here IMO is the variable weather (even within the same day), regardless of season. But I'm biased of course.
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