Moving Back To N.Y.??
- Thread starter NorthShore
- Start date
I began my career after graduating from STJ in NYC, eventually moved to Chicago for 5 years (loved it), then back to NYC, then down to the Philly burbs. I have been here since 1995. Purchased a home here in 2000, and can tell you that home prices and taxes are really low compared to Northern NJ, LI, Westchester, etc.
The family issue is all that should really play in your decision besides cost. As for sports, just get DirecTV. You can order enough packages to see every NY team play.
My office is in Manhattan...and for 7 years I did the commute. Not fun...at least 5 hours r/t per day. Last year I took the plunge on an apt in NYC...so I am home in PA on weekends, and up in NYC during the week. Very expensive, but much less wear and tear on my body.
Schools in PA can be hit or miss....especially as you go further north, away from the Philly burbs, or further west.
The family issue is all that should really play in your decision besides cost. As for sports, just get DirecTV. You can order enough packages to see every NY team play.
My office is in Manhattan...and for 7 years I did the commute. Not fun...at least 5 hours r/t per day. Last year I took the plunge on an apt in NYC...so I am home in PA on weekends, and up in NYC during the week. Very expensive, but much less wear and tear on my body.
Schools in PA can be hit or miss....especially as you go further north, away from the Philly burbs, or further west.
Class of 72
Active member
NC is the best state to retire to IMO if one needs to leave the NY metro area. A four season climate with a winter that lasts one month and many New Yorkers who are not pushing 80.
Florida has too many negatives. The summer is unbearable and it last 5 months. Health care is hit to miss. Restaurants suck. Too many bugs. For those still working age, there are no jobs, etc. etc.
Except for the high real estate taxes, few area in the USA beat the NY metro area. Long Island now has many 55 and over all-inclusive communities just as nice as those in Florida. Winters on Long Island are short compared to the northern counties with only January and February being cold or snowy. This past year we had neither snow nor cold.
It all comes down to $$$. You either have it or you don't. If you have it, live two months in Florida or the Carolinas during January and February and spend the rest of the time at Medowbrook Point in Westbury, NY.
tom in salem
Active member
Marcus, have you visited Asheville?
Very affordable, very hip, very young, very northern.
My kids are around your age and they just love it.
Yes, I've been to Asheville several times when I was searching for a place to move to. I like Asheville. Love the blue ridge mountains. Certainly fun and ecclectic. Overall maybe a little bit smaller than I'd like right now. I decided on Charlotte as a nice happy medium. Florida is not for me. In Charlotte I have the seasons still with long spring and fall, temperate winter and hot summer. Frankly I don't think the summers in ny are glorious either so that doesn't bother me. Charlotte is pretty new city, has big sports team's, choices of hospital network (Asheville has 1).
Charlotte only an hour from Blue Ridge mountains (2 from Asheville) and 3 hours from lots of great coastal destinations. It actually becomes difficult deciding when my wife and I can move just about anywhere with our jobs. Our destination search took us from Exeter/Portsmouth NH, to Bucks County Pa to finally Charlotte. Lots of factors involved including weather, jobs, cost of living etc. finally just decided on Charlotte for various reasons.
Dont know if I'll love it just yet. Just taking a leap to de-leverage and enjoy things a bit more than the rat race up here.
tom in salem
Active member
Charlotte's a great place.
You'll love it.
So after reading the comments and also our thoughts over the last year, we are thinking of the following ideas, but open to more;
1. Staying where we are at. Amy Fisher moved in a few miles away. I hated Wellington when we first came down, but after meeting lots of people, the 6 comfortable months are good and the horse scene makes this place quite lively.
2. Aiken, S.C.
3. Gainesville/Ocala, Florida area. I hate to say this word, but maybe "The Villages" Nicer than I expected
4. N.Y. area -- less likely than we thought originally
5. We are going to discuss among ourselves the rest of the Summer.
Thanks all.
1. Staying where we are at. Amy Fisher moved in a few miles away. I hated Wellington when we first came down, but after meeting lots of people, the 6 comfortable months are good and the horse scene makes this place quite lively.
2. Aiken, S.C.
3. Gainesville/Ocala, Florida area. I hate to say this word, but maybe "The Villages" Nicer than I expected
4. N.Y. area -- less likely than we thought originally
5. We are going to discuss among ourselves the rest of the Summer.
Thanks all.
Alumni Hall
Well-known member
I just spent a week in Tennessee. I searched their supermarkets all over town for a decent piece of salami and cheese or any other type of Italian appetizer...forget about it!
Just like Ray Liotta said at the end of Good fellas...I ordered linguini with marinara, and they gave me noodles with ketchup!
Real estate is cheap and so are their taxes, (30 percent of what I pay on Long Island) but you get what you pay for!
I'm moving to Aiken, SC when I blow Long Island or North Carolina near Raleigh.
Just like Ray Liotta said at the end of Good fellas...I ordered linguini with marinara, and they gave me noodles with ketchup!
Real estate is cheap and so are their taxes, (30 percent of what I pay on Long Island) but you get what you pay for!
I'm moving to Aiken, SC when I blow Long Island or North Carolina near Raleigh.
I have some friends and clients who live down in charlotte.
There is usually a Nascar race there in oct or november. We will all have to all go next year to it. Will give me an excuse to take another trip
Mike, should things go the way I'm hoping, you'll have a place to stay if you like although nice hotels down there are very reasonable. Never been to a NASCAR event so would be fun. Lots of things to do.
Erinman, Have you ever spent time in Ocala? If I had 6 million I could find a combo horse/sheep herding farm there we would like and 40 minutes to some good D1 sports to the north and a little longer to some Big East action to the South.
I have some friends and clients who live down in charlotte.
There is usually a Nascar race there in oct or november. We will all have to all go next year to it. Will give me an excuse to take another trip
Mike, should things go the way I'm hoping, you'll have a place to stay if you like although nice hotels down there are very reasonable. Never been to a NASCAR event so would be fun. Lots of things to do.
You can also make the trip up to Greensboro to see a second generation Redmen play some hoops next year.
You are obviously a Florida State fan. There's much better D1 entertainment just 20 minutes north of you. As an aside, my wife and I are retiring to the Carribean or Puerto Rico. Nice weather all year round, scuba diving, island breezes instead of a/c and much cheaper living than in NY!
I have some friends and clients who live down in charlotte.
There is usually a Nascar race there in oct or november. We will all have to all go next year to it. Will give me an excuse to take another trip
Mike, should things go the way I'm hoping, you'll have a place to stay if you like although nice hotels down there are very reasonable. Never been to a NASCAR event so would be fun. Lots of things to do.
Well if your moving into a 4000 square foot palace the choice is easy for me. Nathalie and I will have our own wing to stay in
BTW your kids better not start growing a taste for the ACC as they grow up. Completely unacceptable
tom in salem
Active member
Envy you.
We have vacationed on 8 different Carribean islands and the only one I'd live on is Puerto Rico.
Beach, food and cuture, with Old San Juan being one of my all time favorite cities.
No, no, no, Gainesville and the Gators are 40 minutes North of Ocala.
hmy:Class of 72
Active member
Best part of your post is "you get what you pay for" and it is "fuggedaboutit" not "forget about it". LOL!
The bottom line is if you have a net worth of under $1 million then moving to remote areas with limited health care specialists, few restaurants, and devoid of any cultural amenities is for you. If you can afford to pay 10-16,000 in taxes then there is no place to live like the NY metro area. Since real estate taxes are deductible, if you have a decent income or retirement savings over $1 million, I will take Long Island or SW Connecticut any day compared to ACHE IN South Carolina! LOL!
Class of 72
Active member
Got robbed in Old SJ, could not venture out at night in SJ in a car since it leads the western hemisphere in carjacking and they do not like statesiders. There is a reason PR's still migrate to the States.LOL!
I agree with you with the under 1 million today but I'm 42 and I can say with absolute certainty that for my generation and younger actually you can pretty much throw everyone currently under the age of 60 right now that there is no way possible anyone is going to be able to live on Long Island comfortably retired in 20 or more years unless you have minimum over 2 million saved and I honestly think you will need over 3 million ( number can be lower if you have pensions but very few people have them anymore unless you work in the public sector )
In retirement the goal should be to live off what the principal you saved generates and preferably not dip into it because with people living longer the last thing anyone wants to do is run out of money.
MCN is one of the lucky ones where his job is so specialized and portable. The exodus is going to continue.