Questions for those who moved out of state

DH and I are very likely moving in a year. We haven't decided where we will go, but I would love to hear from other people who made a move.

1. Where did you move?

2. What the adjustment like for you? Was it really tough/ easier?

3. Do you miss NYC terribly?

4. Do you feel like the culture is really different in the place you live ( in a good way or a bad way) Do you feel isolated or different as a former NYC'er?

I know everyone's experiences will be different but it would be nice to get some feedback and hear what it was like for others. Thanks !

Message edited 8/23/2012 9:27:15 PM.

Re: Questions for those who move out of state

1. Where did you move?

I moved to Cape Cod, Mass

2. What the adjustment like for you? Was it really tough/ easier?

The 1st year was rough for me, DS adjusted very easily & loved it from the start. I got home sick (and still do sometimes) but now that we are settled it is a lot easier for me. It is nice because we are only a 4 hour car ride back to LI, so we visit family at least 1x a month (or try to!)

3. Do you miss NYC terribly?
I miss LI, only because my family is there. I don't miss the taxes, the 'keeping up' attitudes, the traffic and the super fast paced life. I do miss NY pizza, bagels, the grocery store being in walking distance ( i have to travel to the next town over to get to the grocery store), and the convience of having everything (store wise) there - and open - all the time

4. Do you feel like the culture is really different in the place you live ( in a good way or a bad way) Do you feel isolated or different as a former NYC'er?
i feel like life is slower paced here (in a good way!). The cape is a big summer attaction, so it really picks up during peak months; it makes it feel more like 'home'; however, once the winter hits, its dead here & lots of stores/restaurants close down, it is super quiet. I do love it here though because it is an awesome place to raise a family; there is only elementry school, 1 middle school and 1 hs for our entire town. And i'm still on an island, so we have beautiful beaches everywhere, within walking distance.

Re: Questions for those who move out of state

1. Where did you move?
San Antonio TX


2. What the adjustment like for you? Was it really tough/ easier?
Ironically you'd think I'd be ok with this since I grew up here but honestly so much has changed, it was like learning a whole new city again with odd bits of memory. No friends here either so it was odd. It was actually harder than when I moved to NY, but I expected some struggle and a year or so in it was all good.

3. Do you miss NYC terribly?
I actually DO miss NY but not 'terribly' I mean its not like it fell off into the sea. Bonus we have friends and family (whom I'm visiting in 2days!) so visiting is fun and exciting and easy.

4. Do you feel like the culture is really different in the place you live ( in a good way or a bad way) Do you feel isolated or different as a former NYC'er?

Odd you put this question this way. I was not prepared to constantly have to remind people I *AM* Texan and not a New Yorker. Then someone clearly told me that after 10yrs I *HAVE* become a New Yorker They still called the 'The New Yorker' until just last year. Still comes up but not as often.

The culture is NOT that different here at all. We are VERY multicultral place. We laugh about it that only a few rare folks in my office were born in San Antonio and only slightly more were born and raised in Texas on whole. We are a town of transitents. Military folks who decided to stay, compture folks who built up here, lots of medical industry and banking. So its an interesting mix. NY Plates, PA plates, VA plates LOTS of East Coast plates. And more and more CA plates.

We are the 7th largest City in America and folks outside forget that or are unaware. We have everything I had in NY minus Broadway and Times Square LOL. We aren't missing much of anything. We get the 'long island' life without the long island prices. I love that someone asked me "Do you have chucky E cheese or Saks in San Antonio?" Umm yeah we do. LOL

I would have moved to Atlanta, CA cities or FL cities. Just ended up back in San Antonio because its what came up.

Re: Questions for those who move out of state

1. we moved to charlotte
2.adjustment was fairly easy. it was lala land. tons of ny'ers. nba games for so cheap. concerts cheap. mountains and ocean driving distance. everything so clean.
3.uh, no. i made a lot of friends who moved from ny. i loved life in charlotte. easy, fun, tons to do.
4. culture was better since it was affordable. dh did not have a long commute. we saw shows, went to games, had musems...but all super cheap.
it seriously was mini ny there.

then, dh got transferred to jacksonville, nc

1. jacksonville
2. yes, hard to adjust. very small town. i have my kids at the beach in winter coats in january. i need something to do and somewhere to go. really, it was me, kids and fishermen all winter at beach.
3.I miss charlotte. and really, dh has given this place 5 years. he throws around idea of going back to ny. we are just way too lonely here.
4. I live 2 miles from a marine base. culture is definitely different. plus, look it up...it is the youngest town in the USA. everyone is 22.5...i will be 35.

the pro to jacksonville- there are no jones' to keep up with. i did not even take my kid back to school shopping...we already have a hard time fitting in...i did not want that against us too

Message edited 8/23/2012 8:26:58 PM.

Re: Questions for those who move out of state

1. Where did you move?
California, we are in the Bay area

2. What the adjustment like for you? Was it really tough/ easier?

It was really hard for me to leave my family. Like I was a sobbing mess, hard. But DH and I knew we had to for the sake of my career.
We've been here about a month and talk to our family on the phone alot, and have started setting up Skype calls this week.
For DH and I it's been nice because of our commutes we have a lot more time together.
I've lived away from LI one other time, for college, and it was worse. With FB, cell phones, texting, Skype, etc it's much easier.

3. Do you miss NYC terribly?
It isn't that I miss NY (i lived on LI) as much as I miss my family.

4. Do you feel like the culture is really different in the place you live ( in a good way or a bad way) Do you feel isolated or different as a former NYC'er?
We're pretty close to San Francisco, and DH works there, so we still have a city close. And the area where we live is similar to LI. We live off of a road similar to Deer Park Ave.

Re: Questions for those who moved out of state

Re: Questions for those who moved out of state

Re: Questions for those who moved out of state

Posted by MrsA1012

Posted by nancy6485

I absolutely love Cape Cod ! I'd move there if I thought DH could get work. May I ask what part of the Cape you live on?

Re: Questions for those who moved out of state

Posted by nancy6485

Posted by MrsA1012

Posted by nancy6485

I absolutely love Cape Cod ! I'd move there if I thought DH could get work. May I ask what part of the Cape you live on?

I live on the Upper Cape (Monument Beach), work on the mid/lower cape & FH keeps his boat in Chatham; its like we have the best of both worlds. I love the lower cape, it is so beautiful (but so quiet in winter and busy in summer!) at least being upper caper, i can travel off cape quickly and easily! (To get to Target especially )

Re: Questions for those who moved out of state

Posted by MrsA1012

Posted by nancy6485

Posted by MrsA1012

Posted by nancy6485

I absolutely love Cape Cod ! I'd move there if I thought DH could get work. May I ask what part of the Cape you live on?

I live on the Upper Cape (Monument Beach), work on the mid/lower cape & FH keeps his boat in Chatham; its like we have the best of both worlds. I love the lower cape, it is so beautiful (but so quiet in winter and busy in summer!) at least being upper caper, i can travel off cape quickly and easily! (To get to Target especially )

Chatham is one of my favorite places on the Cape.

Questions for those who moved out of state

Thanks to all those who replied. Anyone else want to share ?

Re: Questions for those who moved out of state

Re: Questions for those who moved out of state

1) We moved to Richmond, VA in 2009. DH's company was bought and we had to relocate down here to keep his job. We lived in Fairfield, CT at the time.

2) Adjustment was easier than I thought. I had a 14 month old DS and used to work FT. When we moved here, I was able to stay home with him. We had another DS in 2010 and now I stay home with both of them. I miss my friends, of course, and my extended family, aunts, uncles, cousins. My parents and my brother relocated down here last year, which has been great. I keep in touch easily with everyone on the phone, text, email and Facebook. We plan annual/semi annual visits. We were all so busy with work and family that we didn't see each other much when I lived up north anyway. I have made some nice friends down here, too.

3) No, I don't really miss NYC or CT at all. The people, yes, the places, no.

4) Cultural differences- not many. It is the south, but many transplants so I don't feel like an outsider. People are friendlier, for sure.

The number one thing I love about being here is our quality of life, and the quality of life we offer our children, is so much better.

Traffic is light, everything is newer, cleaner. My DH still works long hours but has a 20 minute commute instead of a hour. Instead of being with my kids for 2 hours a day during the week, I can be with them all day,every day.

I have the time to cook healthy meals instead of getting take-out a lot, due to exhaustion and time constraints after sitting in traffic after working all day.

The cultural offerings are great. Plenty of free family events: festivals, outdoor concerts, tons of parks and museums. Music and gym classes for the kids are cheaper. Preschool is cheaper. Gas is much cheaper. Downtown has nice neighborhoods to walk around in, and excellent restaurants. There are new outdoor malls and tons of great shopping. Beaches are 2 hours to the east, and the mountains an hour to the west of us. Washington DC is 2 hours away. We are able to belong to an athletic club up the road that has 2 indoor and outdoor pools for the kids, and a great gym. The kids love going there. A comparable place up north would cost double a month.

And yes, we have a much bigger house and yard with a mortgage that is 40% less a month than what we paid in CT. But we also are putting more money into retirement, college funds, and vacations due to the lower cost of living. So even with losing my income, we are able to give our kids more- and have me home with them!

The climate is also better. The summers are hotter and more humid, but the weather the rest of the year is much more tolerable than CT.

So in a nutshell- moving here was the best thing that we did for our family.

Re: Questions for those who moved out of state

1. Where did you move?
Atlanta, GA

2. What the adjustment like for you? Was it really tough/ easier?

The first year or two was tough. Hard to make friends when in 30's with no kids. After we had our first DC I met tons more people and have some very good friends now (5 years later). Otherwise I adjusted very well and really like our life here. We live in the middle of the city but have a house and cars and parks and cute town in walking distance. I really like it.

3. Do you miss NYC terribly?

I miss the familiarity of a place I called home for my entire life. I miss the city on occasion but go back often enough to get my fix. I do not miss any of the suburbs. I can have the suburbs here if I wanted... This was not an issue.

4. Do you feel like the culture is really different in the place you live ( in a good way or a bad way) Do you feel isolated or different as a former NYC'er?

I feel like I fit in well. There are tons of transplants here. My closest friends are from, DC, NYC, CA etc. I dont connect well with the true southerners.

Re: Questions for those who moved out of state

Posted by nancy6485

Posted by MrsA1012

Posted by nancy6485

Posted by MrsA1012

Posted by nancy6485

I absolutely love Cape Cod ! I'd move there if I thought DH could get work. May I ask what part of the Cape you live on?

I live on the Upper Cape (Monument Beach), work on the mid/lower cape & FH keeps his boat in Chatham; its like we have the best of both worlds. I love the lower cape, it is so beautiful (but so quiet in winter and busy in summer!) at least being upper caper, i can travel off cape quickly and easily! (To get to Target especially )

Chatham is one of my favorite places on the Cape.

yes! its absolutely beautiful, the homes are stunning; i havent spent too much time there other than the marinas, but hope to get down there soon to explore some more

Re: Questions for those who moved out of state

When you go you have to have dinner at the Chatham Bars Inn. The food and the views are both to die for! It is especially good for a romantic dinner with DH.


Oh yes! We got engaged there, dinner was amazing & then we stayed in a spa suite that night; its my dream to go back, but

Questions for those who moved out of state

BUMP. Anyone else want to share?

Re: Questions for those who moved out of state

1. We moved to Denver, CO.

2. The adjustment was way easier than I thought. There are tons of people our age, same age kids, most not from CO either.

3. The NYC I miss is the one before we had kids when it felt fun and manageable to live there. We have three kids and I wouldn't trade our home, proximity to skiing, lakes, hiking, quality of life etc for NYC. However, my DH and I talk about going back for a few months a year when the kids are in college.

4. As far as culture, we can drive to DPAC to see plays in 20 minutes, no traffic and park in front of the building. There are tons and tons of free local family events that you can go to and actually enjoy with 50% less crowds than that of LI! I do miss the amount of different restaurants and shopping. Its still here, just not as many as a little further to get to.

All in all, its the best decision we have ever made. No regrets!

Re: Questions for those who moved out of state

im soo glad you posted this, DH and I just got back from Montana and we both LOVE it there, we have been talking a lot about going there since we got home.

Re: Questions for those who moved out of state

1. Where did you move?

San Diego

2. What the adjustment like for you? Was it really tough/ easier?

EASY! We came here right after we got married. I secured a job before we got here and I met a few people through a "new hire orientation" - one of which is my current best friend. DH did not get a job right away, but met friends through coaching soccer and later on through his job.

3. Do you miss NYC terribly?

Honestly, not much. I miss my family and friends. And pizza, bagels & Italian bakeries. But really, that's pretty much it. I love to come back to NY to visit! We even tried moving back after we had our son, but we just were not happy there anymore so we moved BACK to San Diego. We love it here and are so happy. I can't imagine raising my family anywhere else.

4. Do you feel like the culture is really different in the place you live ( in a good way or a bad way) Do you feel isolated or different as a former NYC'er?

A lot of people in San Diego are transplants from all over. If you're looking for an NYC nightlife, then this is definitely not the place for you! But we love the laid back lifestyle - the sun, beach, outdoors! I love being able to have a picnic nearly any day of the year! I love that even if my apartment is small, I'm never stuck here and I'm never far a beach, park, etc. There are great restaurants here too!

The worst part is the cost of traveling to/from NY. It STINKS!

Re: Questions for those who moved out of state

Re: Questions for those who moved out of state

Re: Questions for those who moved out of state

As far as weather in Denver, you'd be surprised at how pleasant the winters can be. Yes we get lots os snow but combined with the 300+ days of sunshine a year, it's gone in a matter of hours and we are outside in t shirts in jan and feb!!

Re: Questions for those who moved out of state

Re: Questions for those who moved out of state