Relocating out of DC

[Anonymous]

We've been in this area since college and we're both in our late 30s. Lately the traffic and high cost of living has taken its toll on us. Anyone move out of state? Did you go with a job first? How did it work for you? We like the idea of Charlotte, NC, and I've seen some interesting job ads recently for there.

[Anonymous]

I too would love to move to Charlotte! The people seem so much nicer, slower pace of life and houses are better and cheaper.

[Anonymous]

We left the DC area, but not OOS. I got a job that also paid for relo in a city where we wanted to live.

[Anonymous]

We moved to the Philly area, and have been really happy. One of us got a job first, then the other job searched during the moving process. We own an actual house with multiple bedrooms in a great school district, which would have been next to impossible in the current DC real estate scene. It has improved the quality of life immeasurably for us and our kids.

[Anonymous]

How about Raleigh, OP? Charlotte is nothing but exurbs...

[Anonymous]

Definitely open to other areas - Raleigh looks interesting too.

[Anonymous]

Would love to move but can't due to husband's job based here...

I would go back to the Midwest. To many of you, that is flyover country. I want my big house and friendly people and easy commutes again.

salivate when I think of it...

[Anonymous]

my wife and i have been here for over 4 years and plan to head back to the philadelphia area in the next 1-3 years. dc is a great city but the COL is prohibitive, even if you make a very good living. we still plan to spend a lot of money on a house ($1 million +) but I am excited at the prospect of an actual large house and yard.

[Anonymous]

I would look out west. Though places like Charlotte, Research Triangle and Charleston actually are pretty cool, I could never live in a Red State shithole with draconian laws and backasswards policies that would treat my wife, minority and gay friends like 2nd class citizens. No way I would raise my kids around such privilege.

Denver/Boulder would probably be my first choice, if wanting cheaper cost of living, good jobs, and laid back lifestyle. Philly would also be in consideration, though you'd need to go to the 'burbs to get good schools. I have good friends in Santa Fe and they absolutely love it and have small children. Not sure what the school situation is like out there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would look out west. Though places like Charlotte, Research Triangle and Charleston actually are pretty cool, I could never live in a Red State shithole with draconian laws and backasswards policies that would treat my wife, minority and gay friends like 2nd class citizens. No way I would raise my kids around such privilege.

Denver/Boulder would probably be my first choice, if wanting cheaper cost of living, good jobs, and laid back lifestyle. Philly would also be in consideration, though you'd need to go to the 'burbs to get good schools. I have good friends in Santa Fe and they absolutely love it and have small children. Not sure what the school situation is like out there.

Yikes! So angry!

[Anonymous]

If you are used to DC, and have no existing family ties to the South, be VERY careful about moving there. It may seem to be all good weather and low housing costs but in many ways, you are essentially moving to a different country. My family roots down there go back many hundreds of years, and all my family is still there, but I nevertheless am happy to put up with the high COL and traffic here in DC because the South was suffocating to me in so many ways.

Maybe it's different if you move somewhere that's mostly composed of Northerners fleeing high COL rather than native southerners. I can't speak to that since I wasn't living in one of those places. Just be careful and be very sure you know what you're getting into.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:my wife and i have been here for over 4 years and plan to head back to the philadelphia area in the next 1-3 years. dc is a great city but the COL is prohibitive, even if you make a very good living. we still plan to spend a lot of money on a house ($1 million +) but I am excited at the prospect of an actual large house and yard.

+1 So many other great cities where one can get more for the money..much more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would look out west. Though places like Charlotte, Research Triangle and Charleston actually are pretty cool, I could never live in a Red State shithole with draconian laws and backasswards policies that would treat my wife, minority and gay friends like 2nd class citizens. No way I would raise my kids around such privilege.

Denver/Boulder would probably be my first choice, if wanting cheaper cost of living, good jobs, and laid back lifestyle. Philly would also be in consideration, though you'd need to go to the 'burbs to get good schools. I have good friends in Santa Fe and they absolutely love it and have small children. Not sure what the school situation is like out there.

Yikes! So angry!

I'm not angry; my eyes are just open to the truth of the place

Many more people would actually consider moving there if the Southern governments would stop actively discriminating against and demonizing anyone who isn't a straight white male or a submissive white Christian wife.

Until then, there's no way in hell I would expose my children to such a toxic environment. Those aren't the values I'm looking to pass along to my children. Furthermore, we have no family there and very few friends. There's no reason for us to make that move.

The South is also cheap and low COL for good reasons. Low wages, low educational levels, lack of marketable skills, etc. It's the plantation economy in a modernized form, IMHO.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:my wife and i have been here for over 4 years and plan to head back to the philadelphia area in the next 1-3 years. dc is a great city but the COL is prohibitive, even if you make a very good living. we still plan to spend a lot of money on a house ($1 million +) but I am excited at the prospect of an actual large house and yard.

good choice. main-line realestate stock is much nicer than stuff worth 2x-3x here.

[Anonymous]

boulder is fucking expensive though amazing