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Prescott - Flagstaff area is beautiful. I may even hit that this coming August.
Please do! While you're at it you might want to take in Sedona, although very touristy and sometimes crowded it is to some one of the most spectacular places on earth. If possible late September thru June are the best times to come out. July, August, thru mid September is monsoon season with thunderstorms practically every afternoon. The sunsets however are unbelievable. October thru May the best times for going out into the deserts if only because of the heat. You might want to check out Monument Valley or drive the Apache Trail, Highway 88 from Apache Junction to Roosevelt. Google it. Probably the most spectacular road in Arizona, it's like driving on the edge of the Grand Canyon only it is in the Sonoran Desert with all the Saguaro's and desert vegetation growing out of the sides of it's steep cliffs. Unbelievable! It is something you will never forget. I could go on as there are very few places in Arizona that I do not like.
I am sure you too liked certain things of NY, while hated others. These others swung the pendulum for you. But I still think trashing your previous home is partly trashing yourself.
You have a good point. However, I just do not have anything good to say about my adult life in New York, no doubt due to my strong political leanings and the frustration I had dealing with it. I'm not going to try and sugar coat it. I was a political activist, still am only one on what some would call the far right. I'm one of those whom Cuomo claimed "is not welcome in New York". I got sick and tired of their insatiable demands for more money, watching the community that I lived in become over run with illegal immigrants and apartments, litter, noise, drug deals taking place right in front of my home, public intoxication and urination etc. Yet the cost of living just kept on skyrocketing to live amongst such filth. It was always "more, more, more" yet the problems never got fixed. The schools never improved, the city never got cleaned up. The only real beneficiaries were the public employee's unions who are bankrupting both state and local governments. I've met with and spoken personally to public officials including then Gov. Pataki who had a so called "farm" on the street where I lived. Dealing with these people was an exercise in futility. Pataki being the biggest disappointment of all. One of the biggest two faced politicians I've ever come across. As much as I can't stand Cuomo at least you know where he stands. Yes, here I go again trashing my previous home state and maybe in a way myself. But I just call it as I see it regardless of what others may think of me or my opinions. It's just so refreshing to be out of there and to be able to compare what it's like living in two entirely different parts of the country. Something that I feel others should know who are contemplating such a move. Getting out of there was indeed a tremendous burden lifted off of my shoulders.
Last edited by Ex New Yorker; 12-31-2014 at 02:17 PM..
You have a good point. However, I just do not have anything good to say about my adult life in New York, no doubt due to my strong political leanings and the frustration I had dealing with it. I'm not going to try and sugar coat it. I was a political activist, still am only one on what some would call the far right. I got sick and tired of their insatiable demands for more money, watching the community that I lived in become over run with illegal immigrants and apartments, litter, noise, drug deals taking place right in front of my home, public intoxication and urination etc. Yet the cost of living just kept on skyrocketing to live amongst such filth. It was always "more, more, more" yet the problems never got fixed. The schools never improved, the city never got cleaned up. The only real beneficiaries were the public employee's unions who are bankrupting both state and local governments. I've met with and spoken personally to public officials including then Gov. Pataki who had a so called "farm" on the street where I lived. Dealing with these people was an exercise in futility. Pataki being the biggest disappointment of all. One of the biggest two faced politicians I've ever come across. As much as I can't stand Cuomo at least you know where he stands. Yes, here I go again trashing my previous home state and maybe in a way myself. But I just call it as I see it regardless of what others may think of me or my opinions. It's just so refreshing to be out of there and to be able to compare what it's like living in two entirely different parts of the country. Something that I feel others should know who are contemplating such a move. Getting out of there was indeed a tremendous burden lifted off of my shoulders.
I got no problem trashing policies, which are trashing my state and city. After all, my grandparents, my father, myself and many others built and continue building this city and state. Yet, as much as I hate its filth, I love its natural beauty, its history, its man-made monuments, and mostly its people.
Most people are still hard-working, common sense people, trying their best to provide for family and kids. Against a class of politicians, who are hellbent on fleecing the working stiffs, in the name of the "people."
I also think most Southern states are on the same trajectory, just a step or two behind.
I truly believe that there is very little that separates Schumers from McCains.
I truly believe that there is very little that separates Schumers from McCains.
I'm no fan of McCain either, another Pataki in my opinion. McCain only represents McCain and is as unpredictable as the weather. Just because I consider myself a "Constitutional Conservative" and political activist. There are many things that I do not like about the Republican Party. Especially those in the party who are willing to prostitute themselves in order to get elected and are willing to compromise with their so-called political enemies. I always wondered why the Republican Party is so anxious to nominate a so-called moderate for the presidency in order to placate a hostile media and Democratic voters who will never vote for them anyway. On the other hand the Democrats can nominate the most radical left wing ideologues and are never called out on it? I just do not trust politicians, period. I do not for the life of me understand those that do and who put their full trust and faith in these loathsome swines who in the end are only interested in benefiting themselves and controlling other people's lives. Of course not all politicians are like that, but it's getting harder to distinguish who is good and who is bad. Unfortunately, government is a monopoly and is accountable to no one. The more that people become dependent on it the more they become slaves to it. That can not be a good thing. Being a slave to government means you will never get ahead in life and many in government want to keep it that way. It is the key for them to remain in power.
I pulled this little quote for you:
Quote:
"The law has been used to destroy it's own objective; It has been applied to annihilating the justice that it was supposed to maintain; to limiting and destroying rights which it's real purpose was to respect. The law has placed the collective force at the disposal of the unscrupulous who wish, without risk, to exploit the person, liberty, and property of others. It has converted plunder into a right in order to protect plunder. And it has converted lawful defense into a crime, in order to punish lawful defense." "But it is also true that a man may live and satisfy his wants by seizing and consuming the products of the labor of others. This process is the origin of plunder." --- The Law by Frederic Bastiat (1801-1850) French economist, statesman, and author. Pretty much sums up my political philosophy!
Anyway this has been an interesting conversation. The snow has stopped and I'm going to have to go out and take care of it.
I am still in NC, but the reason I want to move back to New England is due to the culture. I seriously hate cold and snow, but it is better than dealing with the congested (undeveloped road infrastructure), urban sprawl, bad schools, horrible customer service...us northerners like to propose improvements/changes for things not working and we are told to move home if we don't like it. The south is very stubborn to change. This isn't anything new. Between 1890 and 1920 conservatives were called standpaters...the attitude still permeates the culture...good luck to even get people to recycle...that would be too liberal and "socialistic."
I also think most Southern states are on the same trajectory, just a step or two behind.
Agreed 100%
The cost of living is exploding in some parts of Florida and the Carolinas. It's perhaps a decade away from NY levels ... and then what? They might as well have stayed in NY.
Schools in North Carolina are absolute crap. Teachers make so little that their children are eligible for food stamps. Is that really the kind of place where someone wants to live?
Southern States, especially where jobs are -- those areas are becoming very congested. And even more people are moving into.
In many ways, these states are being short-sighted that are not investing in the infrastructure to support the increased population.
It reminds of California of 1950, where only 9 million people lived there. Now there are 40 million. Roads, water supply highways didn't keep up with the growth.
Atlanta, Raleigh-Durham, Tampa, Houston -- these cities now some of the worst congestion. As more people move in there, it will get even worse.
Many areas that de-populated in the North, especially where large industries used to be -- the pendulum will swing, and as they recover they will become more appealing.
Take North-East PA for example. Many cities and towns, just in the last 10-15 years have lost 10% of their population. For people like me who live in cities -- lack of congestion, lack of crowds is a positive. Take Pittsfield, MA - once a powerful industrial city for the region, then became dilapidated and blighted, now it is recovering. People are investing in small businesses, fixing homes, etc.
The best example is Pittsburgh, PA. You see a dramatic improvement in comparison to just 10-15 years ago. Now it has become a very desirable place.
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