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You forgot the environment. NYC is full of garbage, not enough parks, and the rivers are so dirty, you're not allowed to swim in them. It's noisy and full of st

You forgot the environment. NYC is full of garbage, not enough parks, and the rivers are so dirty, you're not allowed to swim in them. It's noisy and full of stress. That's why I moved to Hawaii and never looked back. Working remotely is a lot of fun, and is just healthier, both environment-wise and mentally.

poulsbohemian 8y ago
Everyone I've ever spoken with about real life in Hawaii has said: 1) Schools are not good, IE for those with kids 2) Food, gas, etc are expensive 3) Tensions with native Hawaiians, ie: "this is a locals-only beach" 4) Island madness is a real thing (desire to be somewhere not surrounded by water, experience an actual change in weather, etc) Have you found that to not be the case?
- aphextron 8y ago
  >Everyone I've ever spoken with about real life in Hawaii has said: 1) Schools are not good, IE for those with kids 2) Food, gas, etc are expensive 3) Tensions with native Hawaiians, ie: "this is a locals-only beach" 4) Island madness is a real thing (desire to be somewhere not surrounded by water, experience an actual change in weather, etc) From my 3 years living there I'd say this is spot on. It's pretty bi-modal though, people tend to love it or get completely fed up within a couple years. The key is being able to hop on a plane and go somewhere 2-3 times a year. If you can't afford that it gets miserable.
  - ghaff 8y ago
    Yeah. A friend of mine moved there and does a combination of remote work and travel. She loves it.
- bufferoverflow 8y ago
  1) Don't know didn't have a kid in Hawaii 2) Yes, these things are more expensive, but rent is cheaper for the same size apartment. In our case it was a lot cheaper. As a programmer though, you're in the top 5% anyway, it's all affordable. 3) You treat certain areas as native reservations, because that's what they essentially are. I did hear stories about obnoxious tourists getting a brick in their windshield. Personally, never had a problem with any of the natives, they were all nice to me. Though I do have an accent, maybe it helped. 4) No island madness for me, I love it. Best windsurfing in the world. Cleanest air in the world (besides maybe the polar caps). Cleanest water in the world. Cleanest beaches in the world. Amazing nature, lots of wildlife. No dangerous / poisonous animals or snakes in the jungle. Great climate, and you do get colder winters.
  - poulsbohemian 8y ago
    Which island(s) did you like? I've only spent time on Kauai and Maui. Each seems to have its own distinct culture such that it feels unfair to speak about them as a single entity.
uber1geek 8y ago
and the Rats.
augustocallejas 8y ago
> That's why I moved to Hawaii and never looked back. Working remotely is a lot of fun, and is just healthier, both environment-wise and mentally. I work from Hawaii remotely too. Downsides to here are entertainment and food. Flying back to LA periodically is helpful for that.
- mdolon 8y ago
  Are there any good tech meetups/groups there that you'd recommend? I currently live in NYC but will be working remotely from Hawaii from Dec 15-Jan 15.
  - augustocallejas 8y ago
    I haven't been to this meetup in a couple years, but WetWare Wednesday is a good consistent one to meet up with local developers (on Oahu): https://www.facebook.com/wetwarewednesday https://www.facebook.com/wetwarewednesday Event details are usually posted here [1], along with any other tech related events going on in the islands. [1] - http://www.techhui.com http://www.techhui.com
instaheat 8y ago
My wife and some friends visited NYC recently. My wife was the only one that liked the city, albeit only to a degree. I definitely think NYC is a great place to visit, but I could never see myself living there. I love the public transport system but hate so many other aspects of life there.
- ghaff 8y ago
  Even many people who like visiting NYC a lot don't like living there. I'm definitely in this category. I'll take a long weekend just about any time of the year. But the one summer I lived there, I couldn't wait to leave after a couple of months.
- ryanwaggoner 8y ago
  I definitely think NYC is a great place to visit, but I could never see myself living there. If I had a nickel for every time I’ve heard that about NYC from a visitor, I could afford to buy a place here :) Seriously though, why do people only seem to say this about NYC? Does anyone say they enjoyed visiting Dallas but couldn’t see themselves living there?
  - instaheat 8y ago
    I don't like the way of life there. Schlepping your groceries home in a tote bag is one example. The same thing I like about the city, is the same thing I hate about the city, if that makes sense. Every time you step out the door, it's like an all day adventure. I'm not a very fit person, I don't like working out. So by the end of the day seeing the sights you are EXHAUSTED. Obviously if I lived there, you would not be in tourist mode seeing things daily and traveling to all the boroughs, but being active is very much a way of life there. I don't recall seeing too many fat New Yorkers. Perhaps because they are walking everywhere. I want to have my cake and eat it too. Here I have the choice of getting in a car, the feeling of alot of space around me, but wish some areas were served better by public transport for those times that I may need it.
    - ryanwaggoner 8y ago

poulsbohemian 8y ago

Everyone I've ever spoken with about real life in Hawaii has said: 1) Schools are not good, IE for those with kids 2) Food, gas, etc are expensive 3) Tensions with native Hawaiians, ie: "this is a locals-only beach" 4) Island madness is a real thing (desire to be somewhere not surrounded by water, experience an actual change in weather, etc) Have you found that to not be the case?

aphextron 8y ago
>Everyone I've ever spoken with about real life in Hawaii has said: 1) Schools are not good, IE for those with kids 2) Food, gas, etc are expensive 3) Tensions with native Hawaiians, ie: "this is a locals-only beach" 4) Island madness is a real thing (desire to be somewhere not surrounded by water, experience an actual change in weather, etc) From my 3 years living there I'd say this is spot on. It's pretty bi-modal though, people tend to love it or get completely fed up within a couple years. The key is being able to hop on a plane and go somewhere 2-3 times a year. If you can't afford that it gets miserable.
- ghaff 8y ago
  Yeah. A friend of mine moved there and does a combination of remote work and travel. She loves it.
bufferoverflow 8y ago
1) Don't know didn't have a kid in Hawaii 2) Yes, these things are more expensive, but rent is cheaper for the same size apartment. In our case it was a lot cheaper. As a programmer though, you're in the top 5% anyway, it's all affordable. 3) You treat certain areas as native reservations, because that's what they essentially are. I did hear stories about obnoxious tourists getting a brick in their windshield. Personally, never had a problem with any of the natives, they were all nice to me. Though I do have an accent, maybe it helped. 4) No island madness for me, I love it. Best windsurfing in the world. Cleanest air in the world (besides maybe the polar caps). Cleanest water in the world. Cleanest beaches in the world. Amazing nature, lots of wildlife. No dangerous / poisonous animals or snakes in the jungle. Great climate, and you do get colder winters.
- poulsbohemian 8y ago
  Which island(s) did you like? I've only spent time on Kauai and Maui. Each seems to have its own distinct culture such that it feels unfair to speak about them as a single entity.

uber1geek 8y ago

and the Rats.

augustocallejas 8y ago

> That's why I moved to Hawaii and never looked back. Working remotely is a lot of fun, and is just healthier, both environment-wise and mentally. I work from Hawaii remotely too. Downsides to here are entertainment and food. Flying back to LA periodically is helpful for that.

mdolon 8y ago
Are there any good tech meetups/groups there that you'd recommend? I currently live in NYC but will be working remotely from Hawaii from Dec 15-Jan 15.
- augustocallejas 8y ago
  I haven't been to this meetup in a couple years, but WetWare Wednesday is a good consistent one to meet up with local developers (on Oahu): https://www.facebook.com/wetwarewednesday https://www.facebook.com/wetwarewednesday Event details are usually posted here [1], along with any other tech related events going on in the islands. [1] - http://www.techhui.com http://www.techhui.com

instaheat 8y ago

My wife and some friends visited NYC recently. My wife was the only one that liked the city, albeit only to a degree. I definitely think NYC is a great place to visit, but I could never see myself living there. I love the public transport system but hate so many other aspects of life there.

ghaff 8y ago
Even many people who like visiting NYC a lot don't like living there. I'm definitely in this category. I'll take a long weekend just about any time of the year. But the one summer I lived there, I couldn't wait to leave after a couple of months.
ryanwaggoner 8y ago
I definitely think NYC is a great place to visit, but I could never see myself living there. If I had a nickel for every time I’ve heard that about NYC from a visitor, I could afford to buy a place here :) Seriously though, why do people only seem to say this about NYC? Does anyone say they enjoyed visiting Dallas but couldn’t see themselves living there?
- instaheat 8y ago
  I don't like the way of life there. Schlepping your groceries home in a tote bag is one example. The same thing I like about the city, is the same thing I hate about the city, if that makes sense. Every time you step out the door, it's like an all day adventure. I'm not a very fit person, I don't like working out. So by the end of the day seeing the sights you are EXHAUSTED. Obviously if I lived there, you would not be in tourist mode seeing things daily and traveling to all the boroughs, but being active is very much a way of life there. I don't recall seeing too many fat New Yorkers. Perhaps because they are walking everywhere. I want to have my cake and eat it too. Here I have the choice of getting in a car, the feeling of alot of space around me, but wish some areas were served better by public transport for those times that I may need it.
  - ryanwaggoner 8y ago