Some honest opinions about relocating to the midwest?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think if you have a pre-existing network there, it can be a great move. A good friend of mine spent 10 years grinding it out in Brooklyn. She moved back to Cleveland about 2 years ago and is loving it - fun art/music scene, cheap and interesting housing stock, as an RN she's making waaaaaaaaay above the median income instead of living paycheck-to-paycheck in NYC, etc.

It can be liberating to be a big fish in a small pond.

Yeah but doesnt sound like OP is living paycheck to paycheck or dealing with career related issues. Seems she wants to move to focus more on family and live a slower life, which she could do here.

Sometimes it's good to make a change, though. (Ann Arbor PP here.)

My DH was also offered a job at an institution close to DC. We could have stayed close-by, I could have kept my job, etc. we made the decision to move west and it was definitely the right decision for us. Because we have a school-aged child whose classmates have awesome parents, and DH's job makes for fast, intelligent, like-minded friends, we haven't had problems making friends. I'm very, very happy with where my career is, too. To each her/his own, but that's been our experience. We wouldn't have been as happy moving to an outer suburb of DC.

[Anonymous]

There's just no way to talk about "the Midwest." Small towns are not the same as larger cities. College towns are different from Rust Belt towns. Chicago is not Ames is not Kansas City is not Indianapolis.

And frankly, there is plenty of "keeping up with the Joneses" in the Midwest--people are still people. The specifics of how you keep up might differ, but you can't escape competitiveness and one-upmanship. The pace of life might be slower, unless your husband is trying to build his own business from scratch, in which case, he might be working and networking all the time. People might be friendlier and welcoming, or they might be natives who grew up in that town are are uninterested in making new friends. Basically, there's no monolithic culture. It will depend on where you move to and your circumstances once you're there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unless you've been unhappy with you life for years, I can't imagine someone who lived in NY and DC wanting to move to the midwest. I'm from a mid-szed city in another part of the country and see a big difference between the lives and interests of my friends at home. Not saying it is better or worse, but just that I prefer DC or NY.

You can't make yourself be someone else just because deep down you know you should be focused on family, church picnics or whatever else it is yoi think is better about one of these cities.

I can see someone not wanting to leave NY if they liked it because there is nothing like it. But, DC? Most of the DC area just looks like other parts of the country, only at a much higher price. Nothing special.

You haven't lived in one of these cities if you think DC is like Milwaukee. There is a lot going on in DC and tons of history. Movers and shakers, great school, a well educated population, public transit white people use and proximity to the beach and mountains.

Also no, DC doesn't look like other parts of the country. Now suburbs of Virginia do, but so do suburbs of new jersey. Virginia is not DC. There are not dozens of Georgetowns and Logan circles across the country.

Logan Circle? Really? Maybe you need to travel more. There are thousands of interesting and beautiful places outside the Beltway. But, while the world turns, you can enjoy all the "movers and shakers" and the "public transit white people use."

There definitely are some great places and yes, I travel and have lived in quite a few cities. That being said, I don't think DC has a similar feel as the city if Milwaukee. The suburbs, maybe, but not DC proper.

Nope. The Milwaukee suburbs are generally racist throwbacks to the early 1970s.

And Potomac, Bethesda, McLean, and Great Falls are such bastions of diversity.

Right. They are racist too.

[Anonymous]

Has anyone considered that OPs family lives here because of DHs job and if that wasn't in the equation then they would want to be closer to family?

Moving to the suburbs here for a slower more family focused life would seem silly in that case.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There's just no way to talk about "the Midwest." Small towns are not the same as larger cities. College towns are different from Rust Belt towns. Chicago is not Ames is not Kansas City is not Indianapolis.

And frankly, there is plenty of "keeping up with the Joneses" in the Midwest--people are still people. The specifics of how you keep up might differ, but you can't escape competitiveness and one-upmanship. The pace of life might be slower, unless your husband is trying to build his own business from scratch, in which case, he might be working and networking all the time. People might be friendlier and welcoming, or they might be natives who grew up in that town are are uninterested in making new friends. Basically, there's no monolithic culture. It will depend on where you move to and your circumstances once you're there.

The keeping up with the Joneses is especially pathetic in the Midwest. It's like that terrible saying about the short bus (I just can't think of another example now).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The funny thing is that there is so much self hatred in the Midwest. People will think you are crazy for leaving DC.

Self-hatred? Surely you're only speaking for yourself!

No. I never lived there. Just based on my observations. And my observations are rarely incorrect.

My IL's still there.Retired.Hating it every day and every time asking :"Why are we here??"
Well my SIL has 7 babies now so they will stay there with grandkids forever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There's just no way to talk about "the Midwest." Small towns are not the same as larger cities. College towns are different from Rust Belt towns. Chicago is not Ames is not Kansas City is not Indianapolis.

And frankly, there is plenty of "keeping up with the Joneses" in the Midwest--people are still people. The specifics of how you keep up might differ, but you can't escape competitiveness and one-upmanship. The pace of life might be slower, unless your husband is trying to build his own business from scratch, in which case, he might be working and networking all the time. People might be friendlier and welcoming, or they might be natives who grew up in that town are are uninterested in making new friends. Basically, there's no monolithic culture. It will depend on where you move to and your circumstances once you're there.

The keeping up with the Joneses is especially pathetic in the Midwest. It's like that terrible saying about the short bus (I just can't think of another example now).

Hey, their houses are probably bigger than yours!

[Anonymous]

Keeping up with the Joneses is everywhere. It may just be different. Instead of the fancy career and charity events it will be the five bedroom mcmansion. You're kidding yourself if you think you're ecpaing materialism by moving to the Midwest!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Keeping up with the Joneses is everywhere. It may just be different. Instead of the fancy career and charity events it will be the five bedroom mcmansion. You're kidding yourself if you think you're ecpaing materialism by moving to the Midwest!

I personally think it's even worth there as there is nothing else to do except for decorating the house and compare lawns with neighbors ..

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There's just no way to talk about "the Midwest." Small towns are not the same as larger cities. College towns are different from Rust Belt towns. Chicago is not Ames is not Kansas City is not Indianapolis.

And frankly, there is plenty of "keeping up with the Joneses" in the Midwest--people are still people. The specifics of how you keep up might differ, but you can't escape competitiveness and one-upmanship. The pace of life might be slower, unless your husband is trying to build his own business from scratch, in which case, he might be working and networking all the time. People might be friendlier and welcoming, or they might be natives who grew up in that town are are uninterested in making new friends. Basically, there's no monolithic culture. It will depend on where you move to and your circumstances once you're there.

The keeping up with the Joneses is especially pathetic in the Midwest. It's like that terrible saying about the short bus (I just can't think of another example now).

A young woman I know in DC comes from the "prominent" family in their nice Wisconsin town. Dad is a surgeon and they are practically treated like royalty by everyone in the community. It was pretty shocking for her to come to DC and be treated as a peon. She's not adjusting well and her dad is pissed that her rent is more than half the cost of his newly built lake house haha

[Anonymous]

*Worse

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There's just no way to talk about "the Midwest." Small towns are not the same as larger cities. College towns are different from Rust Belt towns. Chicago is not Ames is not Kansas City is not Indianapolis.

And frankly, there is plenty of "keeping up with the Joneses" in the Midwest--people are still people. The specifics of how you keep up might differ, but you can't escape competitiveness and one-upmanship. The pace of life might be slower, unless your husband is trying to build his own business from scratch, in which case, he might be working and networking all the time. People might be friendlier and welcoming, or they might be natives who grew up in that town are are uninterested in making new friends. Basically, there's no monolithic culture. It will depend on where you move to and your circumstances once you're there.

The keeping up with the Joneses is especially pathetic in the Midwest. It's like that terrible saying about the short bus (I just can't think of another example now).

A young woman I know in DC comes from the "prominent" family in their nice Wisconsin town. Dad is a surgeon and they are practically treated like royalty by everyone in the community. It was pretty shocking for her to come to DC and be treated as a peon. She's not adjusting well and her dad is pissed that her rent is more than half the cost of his newly built lake house haha

Sounds about right

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Keeping up with the Joneses is everywhere. It may just be different. Instead of the fancy career and charity events it will be the five bedroom mcmansion. You're kidding yourself if you think you're ecpaing materialism by moving to the Midwest!

I personally think it's even worth there as there is nothing else to do except for decorating the house and compare lawns with neighbors ..

Agreed. It makes me think of house hunters and the young couples buying a 200k home while demanding high end finishes. They have to have a certain type of counters, ss appliances etc. It is laughable! But you can tell they are VERY focused on buying a certain type of home.

[Anonymous]

wow lots of midwest-bashing going on here, sounds like most of it coming from ppl who have never lived there...i think you should go for it. and i personally recommend either chicago or minneapolis/st paul (i went to college in chicago and lived in minneapolis for 2 years as well)...both have culture, the arts, museums, major airports, big sports, lots of jobs, and plenty to do. chicago's very diverse...twin cities are becoming more and more diverse too. good schools in both places, slower pace of life, lower cost of living but not po-dunk either

best of luck

[Anonymous]

OP - go to citydata.com and get some opinions from locals. You'll get better answers to your questions and won't have to sort through all the trolling