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Great, thoughtful article. As someone whose office is in Mountain View, but lives and works from home in Annapolis, MD (the entirely opposite coast,) I definit
by bmelton 14y ago
Great, thoughtful article. As someone whose office is in Mountain View, but lives and works from home in Annapolis, MD (the entirely opposite coast,) I definitely relate.
The compromise that I've made is that in spending a few days in Mountain View every 6 weeks or so. It's not terribly inconvenient for me, allows me to pad my frequent flyer miles, and I generally enjoy California. I think that the cost of living between California and Maryland are a lot closer than Louisville would be, so I've always got my eye open to possibly relocating somewhere even cheaper than here -- my home town is Memphis, TN, which is damn near free to live in comparatively, but I really like Annapolis, its proximity to DC and Baltimore, and the knowledge that almost everything is within a couple of hours.
The biggest trouble I have is that I really like the bigger cities. I love the time I spend in and around San Francisco, and on occasion I'll spend time in NY, which I also enjoy. I can't ever tell though if it's just because I'm effectively a tourist, or how much I would enjoy it as a permanent residence. Ultimately, I think I'm plenty happy anywhere with a temperate climate and the ability to work from home, so I'm occasionally torn on job offers I receive to work in sexier locales. Grats to Ernie for having found his ideal place. The spot I'd move to to maximize dollar value (Memphis) is too hot to be perfectly happy, and all the places I've found with better climates tend to be more expensive -- so perhaps I'm still searching for my idyllic setting, or perhaps it's just a matter of the grass being greener.
- Spooky23 14y agoI have a bunch of family/friends who are from NYC. My family left when I was about 10 years old. New York City is a great place to live... until it isn't. I define living in NYC as actually living in NYC. What tends to happen is that you get married and have kids. At that point, the random things that happen when you live in a city shift from "quirky" to scary. Maybe its your car getting broken into. Or the incessant noise of "Mr Softie" in the summer or fire trucks year round. Or your kid's bike getting stolen. Or paying $7 to go over a bridge. Or being packed in a tight subway car. Or your kid walking to school. Or when your kid gets older, taking the bus and subway to school. While you're going through that, half of your friends have moved to the suburbs. Your kid's cousins in Long Island go to schools with olympic pools that hand out iPads. They have a big backyard and idyllic quiet. So eventually, most people relent and find themselves with a 90 minute commute to a cul de sac somewhere.
- bearmf 14y agoOh how scary: kids walking or taking subway to school! WTF is scary about this? NYC is the safest big city in US. And who is "Mr Softie"?
- Spooky23 14y agoParents freak when their 14 year old runs into some pervert on the train. As for mr softie: http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=bDXL90KXPHQ&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DbDXL90KXPHQ http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=bDXL90KXPHQ&desktop_uri=%...
- snogglethorpe 14y agoParents freak when the wind blows. Well, at least modern American parents do....
- calinet6 14y agoI highly recommend moving to a big city while you have a chance! It's an entirely different experience, and you're right, you'll never know until you try it for an extended time. It's expensive, but it's more than made up for by the wealth of opportunities available (the sheer number of people opens up countless connections and possibilities, it's hard to describe) and the fun to be had. If you still have the means and willpower to relocate, go for it.