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Considering leaving NYC after 11 years, thoughts on where to go?
I went to Phoenix once....it was closed.
I know this is a joke but do you mind expanding on it for those of us that might not fully get it?
There’s nothing to do there and it’s a boring ass city (is both my experience and interpretation of the statement)
Hey I live in Phoenix and lived in NYC for a few months and am about to move back. I am younger than you, but there is things to do if you fall into the right group of people or if you do lots of social hobbies. In general tho, there is not a lot of green spaces and public places that are just nice to walk around and chill. Scottsdale is fantastic for access to mountain biking though if your into that. The difference between nyc and Phoenix for me was night and day though. The people in NYC are better in almost every way except their way more capitalist if that makes sense. Az is one of the least well educated states and it shows through all of the interactions you have with people from here. Scottsdale is a nice place, good access to some outdoor activities, trendy places to eat, but yeah not a lot to unique things going down. It’s also super white and leans religious and conservative but like in that chic housewife way 😂. If you like diversity of culture, it’s literally the last place you’d want to go on earth.
Las Vegas might be a good option too. Not Scottsdale level but still good for golf. Mountains nearby. It’s not quite as hot as Phoenix metro in the summer (still super hot, but about 5-10 degrees less on average). Tons of transplants so easy to make friends cuz not that many people are “from” Vegas. Cheaper than Scottsdale. Golden Knights and Raiders. No state income tax.
Nice, didn't think of Vegas. What's the area to live in for locals? Henderson?
For outdoors I imagine more west to be closer to red rocks, make it easy to get hikes, rock climbing, or mtb in before/after work or even during lunch if it’s not over a hundred degrees
Red Rock is other worldly.
LA person here. i have lots of friends in Henderson who are LA expats. it's the Valley. Suburban life thats good for young families. but maybe there's more that I don't know. Well, actually Touro College is in Henderson, so its a college town (I'm being sarcastic)
Summerlin is the other option. I need to visit it. because I just don't know what there is there besides "nicer" malls, and "nicer" tract homes.
The mountain views are very calming.
I've been to Vegas in the summer. I could handle it. but I grew up in a dry heat area.
Summerlin and Green Valley
Vegas is....an interesting recommendation for a place to live. I haven't lived there but have spent some time there for work and play, and can firmly say that I would not want to live there. I'm going to stop short of calling it a shit hole, but there are quite a few less-than-savory parts of Vegas to say the least (only US city I've [33M] been followed in).
I personally don't do well with extreme heat (live in SLC now and even that is borderline with summer heat) and would melt in the summers in LV. I have also found locals to be quite standoffish if not downright rude (I'm guessing this stems from it being a major party/tourist destination). The homeless population is quite an issue as well (like most major western US cities).
I'm not a golfer so I cant speak to that aspect of it and I personally find the entertainment opportunities there to be forced and just not my taste. I guess I could see how others would like it but Vegas has always struck me as a fun place to visit, but a terrible place to live. YMMV
Also, sewer people
Well, it’s obviously not perfect, but I assume outside of the super touristy areas it’s a city and suburbs similar to many other metro areas. And it seemed to fit a lot of his criteria. Low humidity (he mentioned Scottsdale so I assume he’s not scared of heat), outdoor activities nearby, good golf scene, NHL and and NFL teams, cheaper than NYC, and imo it would be easier to make friends there than your average city probably because people come and go a lot and friend groups are less set in stone with less people whose families have lived there for generations.
This is a great place to move to, especially because NYC is vibrant and exciting, I would think it might be difficult to move to places less than for vibrancy and excitement. That being said, it's a different kind of vibrancy, and it isn't for everyone. I lived there almost 30 years. I've been away permanently since 2011, and I can say I've moved all over the country, and there are some wonderful places, but there is nothing quite like living in Nevada. My next stop is living overseas or moving to South America, for a drastic change.
I'm from New Jersey and currently moving around. Ive been in the Denver metro area for a couple months and it's really nice. The weather is great and I think the traffic is a little overblown. The good thing about being from NJ/NY is stuff people complain about in other areas doesn't seem that bad to us lol.
I'm currently looking at Salt Lake City. It's seems like a less expensive and less crowded Denver. It's also closer to the mountains and than you have canyons on the other side instead of plains.
I'm currently looking at Salt Lake City. It's seems like a less expensive and less crowded Denver. It's also closer to the mountains and than you have canyons on the other side instead of plains.
The COL has gone up in Salt Lake. It's not significantly less expensive than Denver anymore. It's also a pretty sizable step down in diversity and urbanity, and the nightlife is even worse. Salt Lake to me feels like a bigger Boise, not a smaller Denver.
Bigger Boise is kinda ironic, because Boise is just Diet SLC
If I had your income and wanted a nice social scene then I’d consider San Diego or Chicago. I lived in San Diego for over a decade and the weather is phenomenal so you can enjoy all types of outdoor activities and golfing. I’ve only been able to visit Chicago so far, but I’m planning on moving there next year to take advantage of the great spring/summer/fall weather and living car free in an active neighborhood. There’s literally so much you can do in and along the shores of Lake Michigan and good hiking is within a very doable weekend trip range (not extreme hiking or anything mountain states like Tennessee or Colorado have, but enjoyable hills and scenery for regular hikers and novices like me).
I agree with San Diego, the climate is perfect and the vibe is much more laid back.
visit chicago in the winter before you commit... or in april when its snowing here and everywhere else is 80
Seattle native, I never really minded the dark rainy weather in December or January, but I’d start looking at weather reports in other cities in late April and definitely remember being like “cool, it’s 39 degrees and raining here but it’s 76 and sunny Minneapolis, 71 and partly cloudy in Boston..” Always greener!
yup, always greener
You have the three right cities identified (Vegas, Denver, Scottsdale). Spend a week or two in each since you can swing it with work. That'll be better than strangers on the Internet trying to pick the right one out for you.
Atlanta and Charlotte would be the other two worth checking out. They have summer humidity, but nothing like Florida. And your COL there is low, you could live in a really great part of either city and have a nice setup. If you can do the week visiting then go check those two out, do it here over the summer so you can get a sense of how it'll be at its worst - if you end up thinking it's fine, then those two cities are contenders as well as far as golf, nature proximity, dating scene, lower COL, etc.
Atlanta is not where you want to be if you’re used to living in NYC. You have to have a car, it is so spread out, it’s hot as hell in the summer and it’s getting pretty expensive to live here.
He said Scottsdale, so car-centric design is not a negative, nor is absurd heat.
Charlotte isn’t so bad with humidity, it’s near the mountains and has plenty of golf. Also it’s next to SC where you can’t throw a rock without hitting a course.
Also half of everybody moving to Charlotte is from NY.
Yeah, I think Charlotte could actually be a really strong fit. And on 200-250K you can live like a king thee.
Someone who is concerned enough about humidity to mention wanting to avoid it will not be happy in NC. At least there is the ocean breeze to break it up in Florida; Charlotte's average humidity month-by-month is not significantly lower than, say, Tampa. It's also difficult to make friends here.
Tampa is where I lived in FL btw
Would you say it's easier to make friends in Tampa than in Charlotte?
I guess it’s all relative. I lived in Charlotte and it was less humid than where I am now. 🤷🏻♀️
Also. not sure what you mean about the difficulty finding friends thing.
Maybe it was the area I lived in (Plaza Midwood), but lots of people were friendly and invited us to do things. I was surrounded by people age 25-35 who moved there for jobs, DINKs with dogs.
People who want kids move out to the burbs, and I can see them being too busy to make friends.
Yeah, I'm from/live in the suburbs, and people definitely keep their distance here. I have still found it easier to meet people in the Boston and Seattle metros than Charlotte proper, though. Maybe it's because I'm not part of a community within the city.
OP lived in Tampa and didn't like the humidity, and Charlotte isn't much less humid, just looking at the numbers. People complain about the humidity here all summer long, haha. It's a known feature of the entire Southeast...
I’m from NY and certainly thinking about moving to Charlotte.
And it’s probably an hour to hour and a half from Pinehurst. Depending on where in Charlotte. Which has world class golf
COL is absolutely not low in Atlanta
The answer might be closer than you think: what about Blackrock or Fairfield, CT? Easy access to NYC, or to the CT River valley, shore, and the Berkshires.
I wouldn’t live in Black rock or Fairfield as a young person with no kids. You just spend all your time trying to get back to the city to do things there. Had a great apartment in Black Rock for a year in the ‘90s when I worked in Stamford. Great area but better suited for families.
OP, I gotta ask: have you been to Phoenix/Scottsdale in the summer? Yes, it's a dry heat, but people greatly underestimate just how miserably hot the summers are in that valley. Ask anyone who has lived there what they do for fun in the summer, and they'll tell you they stay inside and pretend it's not 120 outside. The only reprieve from the heat is AC, a pool, or getting TFO of that valley during the summer.
And, IMO, the worst part about the heat there is the overnight lows. When it's 100+ for 4-6 months straight, with 2 of those months being near 110+, overnight lows don't typically get below 80. There is no cool down during the summer to be had and it will beat you down if you're not ready for it.
Disclaimer: I hate extreme heat and golf so that place is not for me....some people love it. Also, Scottsdale/PHX are quite lovely late fall through spring
Upvote on this. At least in the winter where places get snow/are cold you can go outside and do stuff, you just have a to bundle up. Summer in Arizona is their equivalent of winter but you really can’t do much outside, it’s miserable. To stay sane I’d go hiking after the sun went down but it was still 100+. Alternative is to walk around the mall and air conditioned buildings which gets old tbh. It’s hot from like May-October. I went to Arizona to leave the cold Midwest and I’d take Midwest any day. The sun is nice though.
Are you working from home? The sunbelt is a difficult place to make friends “organically” like one can do easily in NYC. LA is really the only other city like that and it’s still not quite the same. Most of my friends that I met when I moved to LA I met at work. Everyone else has been kind of on the flaky side but that may just be a SoCal cultural thing.
Sac. Super dry. If you live in an eastern burb, you are first in line for weekend traffic to Tahoe.
It does not take 3 hours each way in bumper to bumper traffic to get to the mountains from Denver. I don't know why people keep saying that. It's just not true, with one exception: Ski season. But even in ski season, you can get to Breck in 2 hours from Denver. You can live in the foothills or up against them (like Golden or Boulder). 3 hours drive from Denver is way up into Collegiate peaks. Most people don't live in the city & county of Denver anyway.
The quality of life in Colorado is really great. There's so much to see, so many places to go. Other states nearby to visit. It is expensive, but not NYC expensive.
Denver's so far from the mountains that you need a high-powered telescope to see them.
Denver's so far from the mountains it takes 2 days in a covered wagon just to get to the foothills. It's another two days to the mountains.
It snows in Denver 10 months out of the year.
Summit County is the only place in Colorado with mountains - it's in the name durrr. Everything else is desert.
Aurora is a bombed out, crime-addled ghetto with nothing but gangbangers, drug dealers, and hookers.
/s in case it wasn't completely obvious.
Happy 🍰 day!
LOLOLOLOL!!!! 100% passed the "I hate Colorado" test! You forgot about the nosebleeds, though.
But are there enough Jews there to support my bagel habit?
Just move to Livingston, keep your Jersey roots, bagels galore, very high Jewish population
Lol, I would probably go Basking Ridge or Bernards but point taken.
Come to Jersey City, we’ll make you feel welcome.
I grew up in the Heights, bud. I lived in JC when JC was fucking JC for real.
Literally no need to be so rude, good luck wherever you end up
Lmao, wtf is rude about being from Laidlaw Ave between Central and Oakland in the late 80s/early 90s? Just because your uppity ass wasn't there doesn't mean anyone is being rude.
People who are offended by profanity come across as the biggest sheltered oddballs ever. Lighten up it’s just a fucking word.
Can’t go wrong with either, but Bernard’s has the direct like to the city and has two Big 4 offices within 15-30 mins (Deloitte Morristown, KPMG Short Hills) if you’re with one of them. A little more secluded as well.
I assume there's a bit of sarcasm here, but surprisingly, Denver has a fairly sizeable Jewish population given its location so far inland. It's somewhere between 90k & 100k. I've heard lots of complaints about the quality of bagels here. I'm not a bagel aficionado, myself, but I've seen Rosenberg's suggested multiple times as the best place for them locally.
Denver actually has a large Jewish community!
Ya know, I was getting ready to fire off a “San Diego” in this thread, but the bagel scene is traaaaaaaash
Denver is not Colorado, and Colorado is not Denver. I did not feel like I lived in Colorado when I lived in Denver. Two hours each way to ski is best case scenario. Decent snowstorm and you're looking at 3-4 hours each way. It was awful. Also everyone talked about all these great hikes around Denver like in Golden etc but you literally see and hear highway traffic almost the entire time from most of them. I could not find a way to feel actually alone in nature anywhere in or around Denver.
If you're a trail runner or MTBer who doesn't mind seeing or hearing cars and tons of other people the whole time you're doing those activities, Denver/foothills might work for you. But if what you seek is true peace and quiet in nature, you will not find that in or around Denver. You will have to spend hours on I-70 to experience that, which totally defeats the whole purpose for me. Ahhhh a nice relaxing day in the mountains, now let me completely ruin it with a four hour traffic jam back home.
Two hours each way to ski is best case scenario.
This is just nonsense. Traffic is only really an issue on weekends, and even that is beatable if you get going earlier or later than the rush. I will regularly take mornings off of work and hit either Copper, Winter Park, or A Basin and still get back to finish my work day. Each of those mountains are about an hour and fifteen minutes from my house.
Weather can throw a wrench in the gears of course, but tbf that's the case with every major ski resort. The worst traffic experience I've ever had was trying to get down LCC from Alta during a major storm. Ended up getting a room at the Peruvian and staying overnight.
That's great it doesn't bother you and you've made it work for yourself. That was not my experience there. I did not enjoy it. Understand that being able to just take a day in the mountains midweek is not most people's reality.
What doesn't bother me?
Two hours each way as the "best case scenario" is just not reality. Even on the weekends you can either go up early or later to avoid the rush.
That's great it doesn't bother you and you've made it work for yourself. That was not my experience there. I did not enjoy it.
This is so dramatic. I live in Denver and ski Loveland. We go on Sundays and with traffic it rarely takes even 90 minutes - either direction! We avoid MLK and president's day weekends b/c there is an increase in traffic and lines. In the summer months, there are is an infinite number of places that feel remote all within 2 hours of Denver. There's even trails in Evergreen, part of Denver metro, that feel remote.
I'm guessing you may be one who disses on Denver thinking it's cute to dissuade other's from living here. That mentality among Colorado natives is the only thing I dislike about Denver. It's small minded and unintelligent.
This was just my experience, sans dramatization. It really wore me out how much planning and driving it took to experience nature while living in Denver, whether skiing or remote hikes, and yes even Loveland. I think it's great if people like living there feel differently about it. I was just sharing my experience.
Hear me out— moved to Philly from NYC and loved it. A much more manageable urban experience. Nice people. Enough to do. Low cost of living (by comparison). And you can easily make weekend trips to the mountains.
Another vote for Philly. If you want an urban experience it's easier than New York City and cheaper.
Did you buy or rent? Just curious.
We rented!
I want to buy and was told not worth it in Philly. I hate the idea of renting lol. Oh well
Not worth it why? Philly has a very high homeownership rate.
I don’t know about the reasoning you were told this, so I can’t weigh in too much— but it’s fairly affordable, even in nice areas. I was in fishtown and we were going to buy before we had to move for work!
Also will still be close to family, less of a culture shock, able to afford a really nice place, trips to the shore, plenty of golf (admittedly not Arizona Desert golf but still, slightly longer season than NY and much easier to have a car)
I did the same a few years back and it turned out to be one of the worst decisions I've ever made. Now I'm trying to figure out how to move back to NYC in the next five years.
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21d
Not quite remote but WFH a lot. I do advisory/consulting at one of big 4 accounting firms so I can work out of any city that has a presence from them (basically any medium sized city or larger). Thanks for the suggestions!
Denver is probably your best bet for MHCOL and nature then. The growth goes hand in hand with only being MHCOL, not HCOL. If it wasn’t growing, it would already be VHCOL. Even driving in a few days a week from say, Fort Collins, to Denver would be hell.
Really the only other options are SLC for MCOL. Sacramento may work too (about the same distance to Tahoe as Denver is to the Rockies depending on where you live in each city).
Seattle/bay/LA work, but are HCOL or VHCOL.
Denver does not have real nature. It has parks and trails congested with tons of people, dirty air, and seeing/hearing cars and highway traffic the whole time.
Lol I love how that gets downvoted. It's 100% true.
Lol ty fr
I confirm this. Collins and Springs, for the reasons you mention!
I moved from NYC to Phoenix and plan on staying here for at least the foreseeable future! Making a similar salary to you but it goes a lot further here. A lot of my friends play golf. I love outdoorsy stuff and Phoenix is close enough proximity to nature that during the winter I can go on daily hikes. Lots of good weekend backpacking options around here too! Feel free to reach out with any questions.
Folsom or Midtown Sacramento? Or Truckee? Come join us.
Oh no sport teams in Tahoe. Sorry.
Denver in particular it seems like almost pointless to live there because any sort of mountain activities take 3 hours of bumper to bumper traffic each way.
If you truly believe this, I've got a bridge I'd like to sell you.
Weekend ski traffic in the winter can be miserable, but it's generally predictable and avoidable. Same goes with weekend warrior traffic into the mountains during the summer.
I live on the far southeastern side of Denver. I can get to 3 state parks with quality hiking in an hour or less. I can be at the summit of Berthoud Pass or Summit County in about 90 minutes. South Park/Fairplay is about an hour and 45 minutes from me.
I mean. Go read r/cosnow, r/denver or r/boulder. A good 25% of threads are complaining about congestion, not just skiing, but also trail heads.
The amount of population growth is straining the enjoyment of outdoor recreation in the area, it’s a pretty clear signal from the current locals. I don’t think burying your head about it makes it better (especially for people with kids and/or normal 9/5 that have to recreate on weekends).
The amount of population growth is straining the enjoyment of outdoor recreation in the area, it’s a pretty clear signal from the current locals.
I've lived in Denver (Aurora) for 12.5 years. I've seen the rise in outdoor recreation - particularly since COVID. It can be annoying, but it's not as bad as Redditors make it seem. Reddit is a lot like any online review site. The people most motivated to leave a review are the ones who've had a bad experience. There's a definite bias toward bitchiness. Even I'm guilty of it at times.
If you truly believe this, I've got a bridge I'd like to sell you.
I appreciate your offer but seeing as how I am likely moving soon I don't think buying a bridge makes a ton of sense at this point. First off it likely won't be where I am moving and then storage and moving it would likely just be too much money.
How do you miss the weekend warrior traffic? Get there early?
Touché. The easiest way to avoid traffic is to go skiing or hiking on rando weekdays. Also try not to go to trails that everybody recommends because everybody will be there (shocking, I know).
If you absolutely must go on the weekends, then you might have to be on the road by zero dark thirty. Ski traffic into the mountains is bad Friday afternoons from 3:30-9pm and Saturday Morning from 7-noon. Traffic back to Denver is bad Saturday and Sunday afternoons from 12-1 until 8 or 9pm. Hiking traffic times are similar, but the window isn't as big. I-70 will be better between Floyd Hill and Idaho Springs when the reconstruction project they're working on is done. That's tentatively set for 2028.
The level of mathematical detail in your response is both accurate and evidence of why someone who wants to feel free to just pop into nature easily and quickly for some real peace and quiet on a whim - whenever, without a ton of planning - should not live in Denver.
How do you miss the weekend warrior traffic? Get there early?
You leave Denver before 5am. If you get to Golden any time later than that, then it's a 3+ hour drive.
This is why I spend Friday night at a family friend's house in Dillon... The traffic drove me nuts.
Yea, I’m not living my life like that. F that 5 AM BS.
No, he’s right. Denver sucks. Don’t move there.
Scottsdale is great for golf, has all the sports teams you’re looking for, and is an easy place to live IMO. Denver is dirty and my car was broken into twice within my four day trip there. I had lots of encounters with mentally ill people there the three times I’ve gone. Maybe Dallas would be a good option? Tons of great golf, dating and sports to go around there. Atlanta could be potentially good as well. Are you an outdoorsy person.
Is Atlanta super humid like the rest of the SE? That's a big one for me. The older I get the more I just can't/don't want to deal with that humidity. I sweat like a MFer on high humidity 65* days in NYC in the spring without even getting in to the summers. As far as Dallas goes, I have been there but it kind of felt like it was not quite culture-less but almost identityless as a city?
OP - I'm from the Atl suburbs and have lived in NYC and yes, Atlanta is hot and pretty humid. Definitely more character than Dallas imo, and loads of good food, but the traffic can be rough if you don't live near where you work.
I'm a native Atlantan. It, to me is greener and prettier than Dallas. In the summer I hide out inside in the AC. It is a very diverse city with lots of young people. It is near mountains in the North and 5 hours from the ocean.
Much prettier and greener! And with the Beltline it's a lot more walkable too
I’ve lived in Atlanta and currently live in Dallas. Temperatures in atl don’t get too hot, but that humidity is killer a few months out of the year especially in the city where all the heat gets trapped by the tree canopy. Temperatures in Dallas are insanely hot plus humidity for half the year and the rest of the year the severe weather tries to kill you. You are completely correct about Dallas being identityless. There is great food and it is very multicultural particularly in the suburbs, but most peoples identity is rooted in flaunting what they have and forcing their beliefs on others. Atlanta has far more cultural interest and has great access to nature pretty close to the city.
YES! I’ve lived here 22 years and the summers get hotter, many days over 90. The humidity is awful, and you’re sweating just walking a block. It also lasts forever, we could eat outside this past Thanksgiving!
Atlanta is certainly humid. I’ve lived in both Atlanta and Dallas, and Dallas is more hot, but feels cooler IMO. I’ve been in Dallas about 3 years, and I wouldn’t call it identityless. It is a little boring sometimes or slow sometimes, but it’s a great place to live. There’s something for everybody since it’s one of the most diverse places in America.
Maybe Dallas would be a good option?
Only if the OP is into banal outdoor activities like tennis, golf, and going to the lake/hanging at the pool. Beyond that it gets really shitty really quickly.
I do love golf and I do play tennis but I am also a weekend warrior hiker type and would love some access to that.
Dallas definitely isn't a good fit if you like to hike. The best hiking near DFW would be considered mediocre in a place like Denver. It's flat, and the summers are long and super shitty. It's hot and humid from the end of May through September.
You say playing golf and hanging out by the lake or pool like it’s a bad thing.
I am appalled that people are suggesting you move to the Southeast. I'm from Charlotte and spent a lot of time in FL as a kid... It's barely less humid. Atlanta is even worse.
San Diego or some other coastal California city would probably be perfect for you. VHCOL, but my brother swung San Diego on $70k/year and still enjoyed himself, so I think you could pull it off.
Did he live in a van? San Diego is almost as expensive as NYC now with worse paying jobs.
No, but his job provided him a housing stipend. That definitely made it a lot easier on him. I still think OP would be fine there with a low- to mid-200s salary.
As a current resident, 200k as a single person goes a long way in SD. Yeah vhcol and whatever, if you dont insist on living in the absolute most expensive spots that’s enough to have a good time
No kidding. It’s pretty similar to SF for housing costs and no one thinks the Bay Area is cheap. My husband’s childhood best friend lives in San Diego. He’s a doctor and can’t afford to buy a house in the area. You know it’s expensive when a doctor complains about the cost of housing 😂
Seattle, Asheville, Austin, Nashville, Jacksonville, Charleston
Love Charleston as a rec but OP said he doesn’t like the heat. Charleston in the summer is hot even with the nice beaches to escape to. It’s also humid.
Similarly Austin is reaaally hot in the summer. Dry heat but still hot
Not that dry of heat in Austin
Yeah, the heat isn't that dry in Austin. I remember one day last summer it was like a heat index of 114 and that day was dry was it was nice, but the rest of the summer was 114 and humid.
What about the Lake Tahoe area? Or even Portland? Yes Portland has been in the news of late with its many issues but you can live outside the city or even in Vancouver Washington directly adjacent which has no income tax while Portland has no sales tax it is a win win.
Yeah my sister's family did that for a while. Vancouver is a blah place to live but it's very close to Portland
Unless you date men, don't move to Denver. Unless it's changed, men outnumber women there by a higher percentage than the national average. If you date men it'd be great for you, though!
I do not in fact date men. Thanks for the heads up.
You hear shit like this a lot but my experience was very different. When I was in my 30s with a good job and my head on straight, my cup absolutely ran over with dates in Denver. Like, my only limitations on dating was how much money I was willing to spend.
Almost every women I had dated said the same thing: they don't like dating dudes in their 20s. So yeah, there are more men than woman (which is actually the case with every western city), but many are these flighty "Peter Pan" types that you don't see as often east of the Mississippi.
Guys who have their shit together and are looking for something real are in high demand here.
Western Washington? Low-mid 200s is easy here. Great nature (enough that you can always find seclusion), easy to make friends (so many transplants, over half), not humid at all. Yes the weather sucks in the winter but if you do snow sports or even just winter hiking, it makes it feel a lot less dire. But idk the places you mentioned are definitely dry climates so this might not work for ya. Just seems like it might fit the bill a good bit! Summers are also a dream for the record.
Imo Phoenix/Scottsdale/Tempe/Mesa/Chandler/Gilbert would be right up your alley. Basically anything in the valley east of the I17
Seattle is nice. It has its issues, yes, but you probably won’t experience any of them
I lived in NYC and later in Denver. I hated being land locked! Also keep in mind that it takes a long time to get up into the mountains from Denver. Traffic is a nightmare and it’s not as close as you might think.
Have you thought about Salt Lake City? I feel like it’s a bit closer to the mountains than Denver, lower COL, and the city itself is really progressive even if Utah as a whole is conservative
I'm in a similar boat also after 11 years in nyc - definitely check out Charlotte as others have mentioned. Also check out the Raleigh-Durham area.
NC is mostly a "purple" state so politics-wise, could be a good fit. You've got the beach to the east and the mountains to the west. Traffic is not bad either. It can get humid, but not as bad as FL.
Tons of people from NY/NJ down there.
With that salary, you can pick anywhere. The toughest part seems to be what you're looking for in a city.
It sounds like you want the benefits of a big city (dating scene, social scene, professional sports) AND a smaller city (less traffic, cheaper, open spaces) while also wiping out a big portion of the country that has those medium sized cities, due to weather. I'd second San Diego, given the humidity concern, and just call it a day on the COL issue. You can afford it, so go for it.
Michigan
Chicago 1000%.it will immediately feel like home to you.
Don’t rule out Cleveland, Milwaukee and Chicago. Bagels are plentiful too.
If you wanted to stay in NYC area, New Haven region is super great. Still have culture to access, great food, lots of outdoors. Character and history, gorgeous coastline. Convenient drive to all of New England/Quebec. Mild winters like NYC. I lived in NYC, and other places, and really like it here.
Reno
San Diego is your town. Don’t look back.
SLC could be a back-up
CHICAGO!!!
Charlotte sounds like a good choice for you.
Charlotte
Nashville
Any other city would be a downgrade in terms of dating? Moving from an 8m city to 2-3m at best.
I'm trying to move to NY currently in significant part for the dating; I'm in Houston and it feels small bc of the sprawl (but that's most American cities).
If COL, space and nature > dating this sounds like the right move
NYC more expensive than most places!
Consider San Diego. Not cheap but QOL high, great weather, close to mountains, ocean, LA, etc. Seemingly right down the middle politically, tons of people in your age category. It’s a good-sized city but doesn’t feel confining like NYC. Good luck
I used to live in NYC, and live in Austin now. I love Los Angeles, but too many issues to living there at this point with a family. I keep hearing Pittsburgh is the next big whatever. The real estate is pretty cool from what I gather online, and I can see how the universities would contribute to a lively population. I know someone that just moved for a role in tech, and there seem to be a few successful start-ups. Maybe worth checking out. I'd also look into Philly.
I've lived in New Orleans, Atlanta and Denver. Denver is a great city, and pending where you go, it does not take 3 hours to get to the mountains. On your salary, Denver will be comfortable.
Atlanta or Savannah, depending on the size of city you want. Both are full of golf and you can find property at your budget in the city center.
Portland, OR
I'm also leaving NYC after 10yrs originally from Pa...Currently visiting Minneapolis. I've been researching and reading forums and ppl seem to really love it. It has a huge art community which is why I'm considering it mostly. But also a lot of lakes and access to nature and everyone says there's tons of festivals and events always going on. There's luxury apartments that have all the amenities at way more affordable price than NYC which I could never afford. Crazy amount of construction just started so it's pretty unattractive driving around and I'm trying to look past it but it's supposed to be very bike friendly as well just hard to imagine as an outsider visiting with the constitution...idk might be worth reading some Reddit posts about it...ppl say even though winter is harse there's a lot of outdoor activities and events that they embrace it.
Go to Seattle if you don’t mind grey or San Diego if you do. Both are easier to live in than NYC and have great access to nature (esp Seattle).
I don’t know if you’re interested in living with anyone (doesn’t sound like you need to), but if so, hit me up. I’m from NY and trying to find a person to make a plan with and I am interested in CO Springs, Prescott/Sedona and more places. I left already, went to CA. That was a huge mistake. Lmk if you want to talk. Agree want a lower CoL and some nature and a way to have community.
Move upstate like everyone else who wants to afford property or settle down and have kids are doing.
Buffalo, Rochester, Albany all have younger walkable neighborhoods you might like that you can afford property in.
The DC area, you sound like the archetype for Arlington - lots of golf - an hour from the mountains, an hour from the bay. Lots of single professionals in that age range that make what you make. Also, you’ll be able to buy in DC or the surrounding areas with your income.
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21d
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20d
Life outside the strip is just an ugly suburb in the middle of a god-forsaken wasteland. If you don't live in Paradise, why even bother living there?
The only draw that Vegas has is the Strip. And the strip itself is a dirty, disgusting mess.
Vegas is the worst.
You are correct about the pointlessness of Denver if what you are seeking is mountain life / solace in nature. You will just live on the highway. I also lived in NYC for 10 years, absolutely loved it but then absolutely outgrew it. Downgraded to DC thinking it would be quieter, chill, alas it was neither but rather just worse and super unsafe lol. All I did was hike in Rock Creek Park, over bars and late nights etc. So bailed to Denver thinking it might be a nice middle ground with more nature access but it missed the mark in the exact way you described. I absolutely love CO though and have since moved to a smaller town much further west along the I-70 corridor and love the simple, slow, safe, outdoorsy, laidback, community driven lifestyle. I also like the politics here, as someone who used to consider themselves extremely liberal and now into my late 30s moderate at best. CO is very purple, especially into the mountains, and it's not a dividing line socially as much as in cities. It's more about local politics here, and it's refreshing AF. Good luck.
Stay put...nothing better out there . As for today's Scottsdale, a soulless, steaming pile of shit(hole), awash with 60K a yr. millionaire phonies strung out on debt....the type who could never make it NYC.
I live in NYC. I bet in Scottsdale (and many places) he could afford a nicer living arrangement, in a nicer building and with in-unit laundry. Very expensive in NYC, like almost no other in the country.
Pretty much it
Nothing better than NYC?
come on man, lol
Miami, my friend. If not, Charleston. Don't stray away from the coasts, trust me.
Lifelong Charlestonian here...if you're worried about humid climates, this isn't the place
Gonna sound off the wall, but Columbus Ohio. Or great lakes cities. Cleveland, Detroit, Chicago. Winters have been very mild for years now. Gorgeous weather summer , fall. Not humid. Be on cutting edge of rebirth. So much nature and COL will shock you. Columbus is one of fastest growing cities in the US. Flatter than other cities mentioned but low cost, tons of land. Lots of young people, Ohio State Univ one of the largest, if not The largest universities in the country
Columbus is not necessarily affordable anymore but used to be oh and the criminal element.
Give Dallas a visit. I recently move here from Atlanta and have been pleasantly surprised. The two cities feel pretty similar, but Dallas is less humid, has a better highway system, and more parks, trails, and golf courses. Despite the state leadership, Dallas itself is much more diverse and progressive than you might expect. I feel like I feel like I meet more people from California and New York than native Dallasites, and there is a LOT of money here. DFW has a long list of Fortune 500 companies headquartered here, including Healthcare, IT, Finance, Defense, Aviation, and more. The PGA just opened their headquarters in Frisco, and we've got the Cowboys, Rangers, Stars (NHL), and will be hosting part of the MLS World Cup. I expected Dallas to be just ugly, dry, brown, sprawl, but found lots of water, trees, historic homes, and great local restaurants, bars, and businesses. Neighborhoods I recommend looking at are Oak Cliff/Kessler/Bishop Arts, Uptown, Oaklawn, around White Rock Lake, the M Streets, and Knox Henderson.
Nope bet not J walk
Ping me in July when it's 100° at 10 or 11:00 p.m, and it's still 80° at dawn. Late May through late September in Dallas is the worst. OP also wants solid hiking, and the Metroplex simply doesn't have really good hiking.
Exactly
Las Vegas might be good for you if you can deal with the fact that is too car dependent and summers are hell.
Boston would be a good alternative but is just as expensive as NYC (outside of Manhattan) .
Maybe Seattle is good
For friendliness of people, I have found the Midwest to be the best place. People are friendly and you can make friends easier. And the cost of living is much lower than on the coasts. I lived in Dayton for a time, and really enjoyed it. Cincinnati is a great place to explore. Maybe start there.
Las Cruces,NM
Another person with bad money habits blaming everyone else but themselves. Meanwhile the immigrants are investing their money daily and make less.
If you a billionaire or higher by your own country with compound and multiple bunkers
My sister just moved to Santa Fe, NM from Northern NJ and loves it. I live in Brooklyn and just went out to visit her earlier this month and had a great time. Went on a lot of good hikes and enjoyed downtown Santa Fe, which is obviously much smaller than here in NYC but does have a very distinct vibe/feel (whereas many US cities I visit feel like weird, off-brand/lesser versions of Brooklyn).
Are you a republican? If so go to Tennessee or Texas. If not then go to Colorado or California.
Not necessarily so
You don’t have to live in Scottsdale. It’s a big valley. Phoenix and Tempe can both give you what you’re seeking, with proximity to Scottsdale nightlife if that’s what you like. You’d be up to your eyeballs in outdoor activities. I’m older than you but also a tri-state native and I just moved back to Phoenix after two years away. Was here for 15 years before that. No place is perfect. The heat is miserable for a few months. Nonetheless, the desert is so special. I really like it here.