why do people move back up north after moving down south? (Schenectady: home, schools)
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I agree with that. Not a lot of northern transplants in the areas you mentioned CK (well Nashville has some but nothing like the Carolina's).
swtchft77, The heat & humidity are going to get you no matter where you go south but as long as you stay out of Texas & the southern half of the Gulfcoast states its not going to be unbearably hot but you will need to run the A/C more often than not. Outdoor activities are entirely possible all summer long but that will be up to you. I lived in Central Texas for years & ran 3-5 miles outside every day & went hiking all the time. I wouldnt recommend it in mid afternoon when its 105+ but you can easily adjust your schedule & make time early in the morning or later in the day if it is something that is important to you. Some northerners either don't mind the heat or get use to it fast & do stuff outside all summer long ...... others choose to sit in their house all summer & complain about the heat ..... its really going to be what you make of it. One sure fire way to get on the bad side of the locals is to constantly complain about the heat & humidity.
Ive never heard that you couldnt swim in the lakes down south, in fact Ive boated & swam a lot in the south. Now there are lakes I wouldnt get into because of Water Moc's, Croc's & Gator's but thats another issue all together.
Yeah, I thought about that and the only other area I mentioned that might have some is the Auburn-Opelika area. I only know that is because a lot of Black folks from the Syracuse area have roots in that area and some have moved back there and it is growing.
I lived in the southeast for 13 years before returning to the north. I enjoyed my time in the southeast and consider it a nice (if not overrated) place to live that just wasn't a good fit for me and my family.
That being said, along with Florida (yes, I know, part of the southeast but in a different league), the desert southwest is the very LAST place in the US I'd ever consider living. The dramatic halt in growth there brought on by the great recession and real estate fallout there is definitely a blessing in disguise. You can't have thriving metropolises in the barren desert when there is no major natural water source nearby. Acres upon acres of green golf courses and manicured lawns in the middle of Arizona and Nevada is beyond ridiculous. I can honestly say I shake my head in dismay at the notion of people from the lush northeast and midwest moving to the desert thinking it will be a sustainable place indefinitely and that they will have it easier there. It's pretty laughable.
I'm just curious, how do people find the Southwest compared to the Southeast.
I have an Aunt that lives in the High Desert between Phoenix & Flagstaff. Absolutely hate the place. Its like hell on earth in the summertime. They'll tell you that the temps don't matter because its a "dry heat" ....... IMO the dry heat is even worse because it feels like your skin is melting off your body & everything that can chap will chap because of the lack of humidity (at least until your body gets use to it). No natural water sources, few trees (once you get below the Flagstaff area), no grass ... just not green & blue enough for my liking. Don't even get me started on the rattlesnakes & scorpions ..........
I have an Aunt that lives in the High Desert between Phoenix & Flagstaff. Absolutely hate the place. Its like hell on earth in the summertime. They'll tell you that the temps don't matter because its a "dry heat" ....... IMO the dry heat is even worse because it feels like your skin is melting off your body & everything that can chap will chap because of the lack of humidity (at least until your body gets use to it). No natural water sources, few trees (once you get below the Flagstaff area), no grass ... just not green & blue enough for my liking. Don't even get me started on the rattlesnakes & scorpions ..........
I would rather deal with dry/hot than hot/humid & /or snowy winters.
jblake78728, I like green grass and trees and water too. I can't say that I LOVE hot/humid, but I'm trying to decide if in the long run, it's better than cold/snowy/gray winter days. I've never experienced the hot-humid long-term.
I've only been to Vegas, but the dessert has never appealed to me either. I guess the economy makes it even worse. My sister's sister-in-law moved to Sante Fe and is finding it pretty depressing, even though she's really happy with her new husband and baby.
Areas that appeal to me in the Southeast are not the quickly overdeveloping commercial areas, esp not the huge cities. Maybe we will look more towards Alabama, LA, TN, Mississippi, rather than the Carolinas and GA. FL has always seemed set apart from the rest of the southeast and hasn't appealed to us as much either.
From what you seem to like & be looking for I think you might want to consider the Knoxville or Chattanooga areas. Decent size cities with everything you need nearby but not huge by any means. Both areas are also pretty affordable & neither has a huge northern transplant population (at least nothing like Charlotte, Raleigh, Columbia, Atlanta). Id be careful about Alabama, Mississippi & Louisiana, a lot of the areas in those states seem to be in a never ending economically depressed state.
From what you seem to like & be looking for I think you might want to consider the Knoxville or Chattanooga areas. Decent size cities with everything you need nearby but not huge by any means. Both areas are also pretty affordable & neither has a huge northern transplant population (at least nothing like Charlotte, Raleigh, Columbia, Atlanta). Id be careful about Alabama, Mississippi & Louisiana, a lot of the areas in those states seem to be in a never ending economically depressed state.
If you do move to those states, look at the college towns, as the economy doesn't get effected as much in those communities. You might like the Auburn and Tucaloosa AL areas. A sleeper could be Hattiesburg MS, as southern Mississippi is "different" than the rest of MS in terms of being more integrated and interaction. It's generally more Catholic and has more of a French influence too.
Location: Finally made it to Florida and lovin' every minute!
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We moved from Northern NY to Florida 3 years ago and this is now our home.
Yes, the summers do get hot and humid, but we moved in July when it was the same down here as it was back home. Granted, the heat and humidity in NNY lasts maybe a few days or, at most a couple of weeks,, whereas here it lasts for months.
Most folks I spoke with who were moving back north were doing so for family reasons - they missed the kids and grandkids. Would it be feasible for you to play snowbird or rent for a while to make sure it's what you want to do and where you want to go?
I wish you the best in your move.
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