Location advice needed!

tydaddy said:

All...
Cost of living, general living, weather, people, etc.
IL - chicago
MA - boston
MI - detroit
NJ - newark
NY - alexandria bay
TX - presidio
VT - derby line
WA - blaine, oroville
LA - NOLA
Thanks!

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hskrdu said:

My .02:

IL - Chicago: Very different from Lancaster, lots to do, too much traffic and noise and people.
MA - Boston: Love it, but cost of living is too high.
MI - Detroit: Lower cost of living isn't worth living in D.
NJ - Newark: No.
NY - Alexandria Bay: Beautiful, quiet, closer to PA, not much to to do in winter except snow sports, a bit remote.
TX - Presidio: Love Texas, but no- and definitely not as Border Control or Customs.
VT - Derby Line: Love that area of Vermont (NEK), maybe live in Derby or Newport. Beautiful, quiet, but a little remote.
WA - Blaine, Oroville: Blaine would be good, but live in Bellingham. Oroville is the most remote place on your list, along with Presidio.
LA - NOLA: Tempting, but no.

Beautiful, Quiet, Better for the Outdoors = Alex Bay, Derby Line, Blaine.
City, Restaurants, Activities, Big Sports = Boston, Chicago.

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hskrdu said:

I think it's easier if you define your parameters (either privately or online). Cost of Living is easy to compare, but the others depend on your preferences. I love the snow, so winter in some of those locations doesn't bother me, but the humidity in NOLA, for example, or the heat in Texas, can make it challenging in the summer. General living is tough- do you want the things that larger cities offer, or want to avoid the hassles that come with them? Would you rather have neighbors close by, or have acres of land? Even the nicest people may become a nuisance if proximity increases. New Englanders can be tough compared to how friendly the mid-west can be, but there are good people everywhere. I like NOLA alot for visiting and restaurants, but I prefer someplace smaller, with fewer tourists, and a wider selection when looking for areas to live.

I've been to each of those, except Oroville and Presidio itself, and don't know Blaine itself well. I'm biased towards smaller, outdoors, less pricey, and "safer," but I'm sure your criteria differ. Much of your evaluation may come from work circumstances- commute, people, hours, etc. Someone doing work connected to the borders, for example, will it varies significantly from region to region. Canada, minus the crossing at Windsor/Detroit is much more pleasant than some other areas.

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IndigoBlueWagon said:

I've been to all those places, some many times. Alexandria Bay and Derby Line Vermont sound appealing to me, but winters in both places are pretty harsh.

Since I've spent most of my life in the Boston area, and live on the South Shore, I'll comment more about this area. As I mentioned, I've traveled a great deal (enough to be Platinum for life on American Airlines), but greater Boston is where I choose to live. By and large I like the weather, although sometimes the gray in November and March can be wearing, and the humidity in July can be hard to take, but as folks say, no weather condition here lasts long.

Traffic is horrific. It isn't right now, but I don't think this is permanent. Real estate costs are among the highest in the nation, although they're more manageable if you get outside the Route 495 beltway. But don't trap yourself into a long commute. I worked downtown and traveled to the airport (right beside downtown) for years. That 34 mile drive would sometimes take 40 minutes, sometimes 2 hours. Driving downtown from my home at peak traffic would typically take 75-90 minutes. Parking downtown is at least $30/day. And public transportation is generally slower than driving. Glad I work closer to home now.

Property taxes are high, costs for services (landscaping, home repairs and improvements, etc.) are high. Taxes are not as high as our reputation indicates. Schools are excellent, as are town services in a lot of towns. And Boston is truly one of the world's greatest cities, for many more reasons than I could list here.

And it's beautiful here. I took a walk this morning along the Cape Cod Canal, and it's a perfect day here. Here's a photo I took the other day of the bridge to the beach (3 miles long) in my town.

Longest and oldest wooden bridge in the country. I mention these things because, if you're willing to accept the downsides of living here (mostly congestion and cost), it's got lots of benefits.

Sorry if it sounds like I'm from the local chamber of commerce. New Englanders are usually not so effusive about their place. We like to complain. But it is a great part of the country.

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