I have been offered a position within my company in Jacksonville Florida. I currently live in New York and commute 2+ hours each way to Manhattan. They will transfer me to Florida at my full New York Salary with a modest relocation stipend, but will not buy or sell my house if I have difficulty. Cost of living in Florida is probably 30% less than New York.

The big kicker for me is hurricanes. I've been through Hurrican Andrew when I lived in Miami and it set us back 5 years becasue we moved back to New York.

Should I stay or should I go?

Do you love NY or Florida. Money is not enough incentive to move on it's own merit.

I do think you would have a lot more disposable income and the winters are not hard to take in Florida. What's gonna make ya happy is what counts.

My 2 cents worth.

Good luck with your decision.

Jerry

Keep a lookout for my angry ex down there. I'd worry more about HER than a HERicane !

OMG, UD you had me in stitches with that one. I forgot all about the Red Storm. Maybe they can cordone off the area where she lives on Google Earth or something so that I don't accidentlly run into her.

Your too funny!

Your right Jerry, money isn't the only thing. It's the quality of life. I can't bring myself to face another winter in the Northeast. I'm a born again beach baby. Plus, I'd regain another 4 hours a day by cutting out my horendous commute. I still have one daughter who is a sophomore in High School who is not liking the idea of moving right now. Plus I just moved into a huge beautiful new home.

Lot's to consider....

If you move to Florida, I think the best way to do it is the way you're doing it, i.e. have your company move you and your family with the same salary.
I don't know how much cheaper it is to live here especially in recent years but, the life style is much better. The weather is the big issue here. Almost everyday is a sunny day and that does effect your emotional state.

This past week end me and my family were in West Orange N.J. attending my nephew's wedding, at the Manor, you probably know it. I played there a few times about 25 years ago.....anyway, we came into Newark Airport.....what can I say. I forgot how congested that area is and part of the weekend was DREARY!

The winters down here are absolutey wonderful. After you've lived here 3 0r 4 years that understanding really starts to sink in. That understanding doesn't sink in if you only come down a week or a month at a time in the winter. I do not miss the cold weather at all.

I know you have a tough decision to make considering your new home, your daughter and your commute to the city. Maybe what I've said here will help you make a decision.

Good luck.

Peter

Life occasionally throw us an opportunity,but not very often. This could be the one which could make major changes....Take it and move to Florida.

Come on!! Choice between NY and Florida? That's a no-brainer. Tell the kid she's gonna love it there!
DonM

Ahhh, Peter, the voice of reason.

I lived in south Florida in 1992 for a year, and I loved it. Played golf 4 times a week, 9 holes before work 3 time a week. I also weighed about 30 lbs less. But, this is not entirely about me, I have a family of 5 and this affects their futures as well. Will they have a better life in Florida or New York.

I think Graham really hit it on the head. How often does an opportunity like this come along? It's looking better and better. Now I need some New York folks to give me a counter point. Where's Tony?

Wish "I" could forget! She just won't finalize this darn divorce !
(my own fault for jumping in head first into a thimble full of HOT water!)

As an outsider from abroad, I would move to Florida and keep the house in New York.
(Allthough I am dutch I do know both area's very well)
I would just rent out the house in New York to cover the costs, so you allways have a backup in case you want to return.

Reasons for moving:
Jacksonville - not the most dangerous place in FLA for hurricanes, you should be safe if a bit inland.
Temperature/Climate and due to that much more pleasant people including yourselve..
Cheap T-Shirts
Disney World
Seaworld
You don't need to heat your swimming pool
etc....

freddynl, thanks for the insight. Unfortunately, my home in New York is pushing the $1mil price range and I have significant chunk of change tied up in it. I like your thinking though....

I think Hawaii leads the nation in T-shirt sales....

Al... Man, that's a TOUGH choice ...
We made the move from NY to RI 20 years ago... My company relocated the home office (which I worked in) from mid-town Manhattan to Johnston, RI which is about 6 miles due west of Providence ...
Our son was just graduating high school and going to college...Our daughter was going into her sophomore year of high school, and was attending a Catholic girl's high in Staten Island on a FULL scholarship...
Our son has never 'lived' in RI, coming home only on college vacation/holidays ... He went to dental school in NJ and now has a practice in Mamaroneck, NY ... Fortunately, he and his family LOVE to vacation in RI and visit often ...

Since the Catholic girl's high schools in RI were in 'out of the way' places, we located in East Greenwich which has one of the top public school systems in the state ... The transition was toughest on our daughter ... My wife's sister's husband worked for the same company at the time, so they moved also, so my wife had her sister ... I had my brother-in-law (we get along very well), plus the rest of the guys I worked with in NY who also made the move ... Our daughter had her younger cousins, but NO ONE else ...
Most of the high school kids had gone to the grade school and middle school together, so the 'cliques' were made ... ALSO, being from NYC, she was looked upon as a "tough city kid" which she is anything BUT ... It took her quite a while to make new friends, and initially some were other 'loners', and some with good reason ... We had to be careful about who she was 'hanging' with ... (on her first date in RI the kid picked her up in his pick-up truck - I asked him for his license !!! - He was actually a good kid - he made the National MacDonald's All Star High School Jazz Band, playing guitar) ... Eventually she joined a hockey cheerleading team and started to make more friends ... but she went through a lot ... some kids even asked her how many murders she had seen in NY !!! ...
All that said, the move has been wonderful for us ... Our daughter is married and lives about 15 miles from us, which up here translates to about 20 min. ...

Leaving Staten Island turned out to be a VERY good thing ... SI has become VERY over populated, and we now have a problem dealing with the traffic and some of the 'attitudes' when we go back to visit ...
Also, I never realized the sublte stress put on a person just by living/working in NY ... Don't get me wrong ... I will always consider it the greatest city in the world, but EVERYTHING is RUSH !!! ... Rush to the train/bus/boat, rush at work, rush to get lunch, rush to get home ...PHEW !!! I haven't missed that aspect ! ...

I am assuming your sophomore daughter is the eldest? ... If that's the case, as far as your kids having a better life in NY or Fla, for several years yet, YOU and your wife should be the biggest influence in their life (whether THEY acknowledge that now or not ), and will have a lot to do with whether they have a better life or not ...

Our move was made easier by the proximity to NY ... We are very family oriented, and the first year I put 25,000 miles on the car travelling back and forth to NY ... but that diminished considerably as time went on ...

You have got to try to determine what is going to be better for you and your wife in the future ... because what is better for you affects the kids as well ...
I don't know what your wife's situation is, but you are obviously going to have to start your musical career all over again (I went through that) ... the good thing is I hear there is a lot of music work down there ...

Also, as for the kids, the hard reality is that once they finish college, odds are they are going to locate in the area they think affords the best opportunity for THEM ...

Speaking for us, I have to say we are very happy we made the move ... was it tough? - for a while yes ... do we still miss some friends and family we don't see often enough - yes ... do I still miss the band - yes ...but I don't know if we would still be working together (we did for 26 yrs!) ... do I still feel like I'm only visiting in RI - often, yes ...
But it was still worth it ...

I don't know if all of this helps or not (you may have made your decision in the time it took for me to type this ) but I wish you the best, my friend, and if you want to e-mail me, it's in my Profile ...
t.

So how was the Wedding ?!?!? ...
I had played a few at the Manor with the band years ago ... a couple of them were like 8 hour gigs, between the cocktail hour and a half, dinner, and Viennese hour ... great meals ...
t.

t.

Thanks for sharing that story. Your spot on with your assessment. My daughter is actually the youngest of 3. My oldest is 21, he's pretty resilient and is looking forward to a new start in FLA. My middle child is 17 and he's a senior in High School. So he is ready to select a college and make new friends. My daughter doesn't make friends easily, even though she is very popular in school (go figure!). She's very picky when it comes to friends. And, she doesn't like NEW situations so we have to be careful with her.

My wifes family of mother, and two brothers actually live in FLA and she is excited about the prospects of being closer to her family. I get along fine with them and her mom and I are very close.

I just don't see a future for my children here in New York. It is just too expensive for them, the lifestyle is very rough as you mentioned. Other than work and friends, there is really nothing grounding us to New York.

Thanks so much for your input. I value it a great deal.

Al

Al, everything you've said leads to the decision to move ... just be mindful (and I am SURE both you and your wife are) of the fact that your daughter is going to need special attention, and at times it is NOT going to be easy ...

I appreciate your seeking me out and your kind words ... it is a nice feeling to know we might have helped someone ...
Keep us updated as plans progress ...

Man, what is NY going to turn into if guys like us keep leaving ?!?!? ...

t.

Al, I can only add one thing to the great feedback you've already received. Get out of Dodge and move to Florida!!! Tonymads had what I thought was valuable feedback he made the move to what has been my home state for the entire 54 years I've been roaming around. My wife and I are spending the weekend in Metro NY. We're staying in Ridgefield Park and hopping the ferry from Port Imprerial to Manhattan. I love NYC, but to work and commute to it has to take years off your life. We we're in traffic on the Cross Bronx Friday for 45 minutes and I thought Deb and myself we're going to jump off the GW when we got there. For you to commute 2 hours each way says," You're a better man than I am!!! "

I wish you the best in whatever you decide.

I need all four seasons. Florida would get real old, real fast for me. Maybe Jacksonville has a little more change of season. It's plenty cold there in the early hours of January and February..... then, by lunch time, you can wear your shorts again !

Steve ... I avoid the GWB and the Cross Bronx at almost ANY expense ... the tunnels from NJ are much better ... or even take public transportation ...
t.

Dave ... I'm in agreement about the seasons ... There is nothing like fall in RI !!! (right Steve???) ...
But if the only choices are NY or FL, since there are connections for Al's family there, I think it is a good choice ...
Or, Al, have your company start an office here in Li'l Rhody, and we can get something going musically ...
t.

Tony, I usually avoid GW, but it's been a number of years since we've travelled to NYC and when we saw the back up on I-287 near I-95 we thought what the heck let's go the GW. At the time WCBS wasn't reporting any major backups either on the Cross Bronx.....well you know the rest. Next trip I'll have to remember your advice about using the tunnels

Originally posted by tonymads

Right on the money Tony!!!



[This message has been edited by Stephenm52 (edited 10-07-2006).]

quote from Stephen52:
At the time WCBS wasn't reporting any major backups either on the Cross Bronx.....

... they don't have to announce tie ups ... the C-B was BUILT with a tie-up ...
t.

I think the only way to enjoy NYC is to Live in NYC and get around by Taxi, Subway, or bicycle. Commuting is just a horror story.

On the change of seasons thing; Yes I love spring and Fall, spring is best because of it's rebirth. Fall has become quite depressing up here since it announces 8 months of gray/brown trees, grass, etc., bare trees, and no greenery. It's really quite depressing. We won't see any green around here now until May/June. Just think about that a second.

There are some days when it rains that I take a shuttle van from Broadway around City Hall to the World Financial Center which is on the Water front. It's literally two blocks, but it takes 15-20 minutes because of traffic!

Why can't they change New York to be more like Singapore where they charge $150.00 to enter the city and charge city dwellers $50K to register their cars. They also have NO DRIVE zones setup in and around the city to avoid congestion and pollution. I think it's a great idea!

Oh well, I guess the decision has been made. No I need to negotiate that job offer!

Thanks everyone.

Go to it Al ... best of luck ....

When my company was deciding where to move, supposedly, it came down to Syracuse NY and the greater Providence area ... I was convinced they threw Syracuse in there just to make Providence look that much better ... I don't know what I would be doing now had they selected Syracuse, but I know I wasn't moving there ...

At the time, official demographics showed that Syracuse averaged 64 sunny days per year ...considering the fact that summer is barely about 8 week long, unless EVERY sunny day is in the summer .....
t.