If you could move to another city/town, would you?

[westwoodmom04]

We've been in our current city for nearly seven years, the longest I have ever lived in one place, and I am itching to move. I've lived all along the mid-atlantic, in New England, and southern California. We currently live right outside a medium size city, which also happens to be where my dh grew up and his family still lives (his parents are literally less than a mile away but are not intrusive). This city isn't horrible, but is probably near the bottom of places we live in terms of how much I like it. Coincidentally, my husband is at a stage in his career where he will be considered for positions that would be a promotion in other cities over the next few years (just brought in a senior guy at his current place so his options for promotion more limited here), and we would like to move, if we do, before dd is in middle school (currently in second grade).

I'd love to go back to the west coast, or a warmer climate which is not too politically conservative (much of the south would probably not be a good fit after a lifetime of living in deep blue states). I'd even consider New england again if we could be on the coast although I'm really not a fan of winter.

Would you rather stay where you are currently or do you have a dream locale somewhere else?

[edurnemk]

I'm like you, I get an itch to move after a few years. I've lived in several cities and countries and I Love a new adventure. So, yeah, I would move. I know not everyone's like me, i.e. My MIL has a hard time imagining moving out of her nieghborhood. But I also have a hard time settling for less than my ideal city, which is my situation right now, I would die if I had to stay in our current location forever. As far as my dream city, there are several I'd like.

[bisous]

Stay here! Southern California girl here and I have no desire to live any where else. Except the South of France. I'd move to the South of France but that's it. Otherwise I'm in paradise!

[MelissaTC]

I'm with you. I am itching to move either back to NY or out to CA. I tell my DH all the time that I need to be with my people.

[fedoragirl]

I'd move and I have moved---to a different country. I am army kid though so I've moved a lot more than the average person. I am not afraid of moving my family somewhere better and brighter.
I do have to say that not all areas in the south are politically conservative. I am from the south and live in a pretty liberal city. That was not always the case but it has slowly turned blue over the years.

[cvanbrunt]

In a second! I've been in the Boston area for a bit over a year. It's overrated. I'd go anywhere but the deep South. I've spent enough time there. Not a fan.

[SnuggleBuggles]

If we didn't have all of our family here, I'd want to move. Oh, and if money weren't a factor. We live in a city with a fantastically low COL. Everywhere I want to move is a lot more. I don't know if I could stomach it. I think we are here for the long haul and will eventually just do a lot more travel

[hellokitty]

If we didn't have all of our family here, I'd want to move. Oh, and if money weren't a factor. We live in a city with a fantastically low COL. Everywhere I want to move is a lot more. I don't know if I could stomach it. I think we are here for the long haul and will eventually just do a lot more travel

The col is our issue too. I'm ok where we live now, although I always envisioned myself living in a larger city. I crave warmer weather, less conservative religion and politics and more cultural diversity. However, dh doesn't have the type of job where you can just pick where you want to live. We have been waiting for TEN yrs for a job opening in a city that we have been wanting to move back to. There have been zero full time jobs there, we had hoped that baby boomers would have retired in his field, but do the economy, we think that many are delaying their retirement. The latest news is that they want to hire since they are short staffed, but the hospital wont give them the go ahead. So, even if they retire, there is no guarantee that their positions will post. So, here we sit, waiting for a chance, when there may be no chance and we may just rot where we are if the opportunities don't arise or he loses his job and is forced to scramble for something even worse than where we are at now The fact that just about anyplace I'd want to move to has a higher col is hard to swallow too. We've had friends who moved to hcol areas seeking adventure, who moved back to the midwest, they just felt that the col was too high of a sacrifice. It's harder to move from a lcol to a hcol area, knowing what you can get here is a fraction of the cost of a more expensive region.

Oh and as for family, both sets of parents are within a hr drive. However, that would not stop us from moving. They don't help out much and aren't close to my kids. We'd probably see them just as often if we lived oos, which is pretty pitiful, but the ball is in their court and we regret moving closer to them to start a family, since they don't want to put in any effort.

[ellies mom]

While I'd prefer to live across the river in Portland, I'm really very happy living in our metro area. About the only other place I'd like to live is Burlington, VT. I grew up in Essex Jct, so it is very near and dear to my heart. One of the things stopping us is that the husband (from Chicago) and I have grown soft in our old and we would rather not deal with the winters.

[mackmama]

If our house could sell (it was recently on the market and didn't sell) then YES.

[ZeeBaby]

If our house could sell (it was recently on the market and didn't sell) then YES.

:yeahthat: I am dying to move. Love our house and our immediate neighborhood, but the school system sucks and I am tired of stressing about school for the kids and living from check to pay for private school.

[niccig]

Yes, though we'd miss some friends terribly. DH is trying to position himself with work so we can move when I'm done with grad school. We're only here because his industry is located here.

[SASM]

I'm with you. I am itching to move either back to NY or out to CA. I tell my DH all the time that I need to be with my people.

Ha!! :) :) I hear ya, Melissa...that is MY concern with our upcoming move!! I need to be near my people!

[SkyrMommy]

I really love where we are and will probably stay put with this house as our home base. But traveling for long extended times, maybe months at a time someday is a possibility.

[SASM]

I would move to Europe in a heartbeat! My adventurous kids keep asking to move to a country with a different language (we went to Quebec City last summer). DH and I would in a heartbeat but his profession is not recognized everywhere. :( Good luck!!! We are moving this summer...not our ideal location but it's away from the crazy snow. :)

[brittone2]

If we could port DH's exact job to another state, we'd probably move. I miss NC and my parents. If they could move here soon, it would make it slightly better.

Where we are is definitely the runner up though; there are a lot of things that we like about where we are. It could be much worse. If I can't have my top choice, where I am is a good 2nd best, iykwim.

[georgiegirl]

I'm just like you! Raised in Southern California, and I've lived in VA, PA, and NY. Now we are in the Midwest for DH's job and it is too cold for me here. I'd prefer warmer weather, more diversity, a blue-er state, and better and more plentiful ethnic food. Sadly, we probably aren't moving since DH's job is good and stable and the cost of living is low. He's a partner, so no chance of transferring somewhere. Fortunately my family is all still in Southern California and we visit twice a year. I'd love to move to the west coast or southwest...maybe when we retire...lol.

[maestramommy]

I like it where I am and hope we don't have to move for a long time.

[firstbaby]

We have very little likelihood of moving, but I would really like to. Besides being underwater in our house (despite putting a large downpayment), our family is in the area and DH is very opposed to moving away from them. Locally, I would love for us to move closer in to the city and cut DH's commute down significantly. I would also be open to moving to an area that isn't such a grind as our area is. I grew up in the midwest and it was a better pace for me.

But, whether we would move closer in or across the country, we can't right now. Sigh.

[smilequeen]

I would not move now. I like being settled, like being near family, and really like where we live. I do sort of wish we'd moved around more when we were younger, before kids (or before they started school) just for the experience, but now...I want to stay put.

[KpbS]

I love where we live. It is not the most exciting but our city and our neighborhood are very diverse and it is a very low COL, easy to get around, and our state has many beautiful areas. My kids are in a school I love and lots of family are close. The only way we might move is to be in my sister's town. I feel very settled here and content.

[baymom]

I've been thinking about this a lot, lately, actually. DH and I have a 'plan' to move closer to our parents in southern CA in about two years. We both think it's the right thing to do, with aging parents and also the rest of our extended families live down there and we want our kids to be closer to aunts/uncles/cousins/ect. We feel in two years, we'd want to move ANYWAY, because we aren't really keen on our high school and would want DS to start in a new district in at least middle school so that he could go into HS with some friends and not be the new kid. So, if we are going to move anyway, why not move closer to family, is the thinking. Plus, COL would be slightly less...very slightly.

BUT, we have lived in the Bay Area all of our adult lives...since undergrad, actually. It is truly our home. We love our town, our school, have a great family of friends and are both active volunteers in our community. So, in my heart, no, I would not move to another area. But, in my head, I guess I would.

[wencit]

No way.

This. Is. HOME. :love-retry:

[Nooknookmom]

I'd move and I have moved---to a different country. I am army kid though so I've moved a lot more than the average person. I am not afraid of moving my family somewhere better and brighter.
I do have to say that not all areas in the south are politically conservative. I am from the south and live in a pretty liberal city. That was not always the case but it has slowly turned blue over the years.

I agree- I was born in SC, lived there and in Charlotte, spend much time in NE Georgia, asheville, NC area, Hilton Head, savannah areas, etc. ALL my family is there.

The South is different in each city, nowadays. Gone are most of the old "southern democrats" -the uber conservative Baptist's in he belt. Except my Mom :).

Seriously tho, every city down there is different and I would LOVE to move from So Cal back to where my roots are and where I share memories with my kids.

That said I lived a lot of my childhood in the Chicago area...and I have lived 22 yrs in The Los Angeles area. I need to be by a certain type of city and have certain type of people. I guess Hilton Head & Charlotte would be ideal but I love the Hendersonville/Asheville area bc that's where my moms family has deep roots. It's gorgeous, kinda conservative in one side and pretty crunchy on the other. I'm not crunchy-but I'm outdoorsy.

Guess I would fit in??? I get that "look" everytime I go down like where is she from??!

I worry that if we eve move it will be the wrong choice and I have a kindergartner and don't want to mess up. Her school now is awesome. I know about everyone in town and don't have "trust issues" with playdates bc I usually know the people somehow.

Its soooo pricy to live here tho and we got hit HARD by the recession. I'll never dig out to where we were, and a lower cost of living, more green grass and the ability to save for retirement appeals to me.

Also to add in I have aging parents in the South and I am way out here...there's a change that will need to be made on either end one day. I can't keep worrying about them.
But if something happend to them and we moved over there I'd leave behind all my friends here and business contacts.

Oh why did I see this thread!!! Bc we r truly weighing our options although I bet we go nowhere.

[mommy111]

Love it here so not considering a move unless something dramatic happens. I've lived in the MW and couldn't do it again and the South is out for us. I need the vibrancy of a city and a fairly liberal one, so the costs work for us. Would live on the West Coast, but I don't see any reason to move.

[queenmama]

I wish I could move! DH could transfer but he won't. His dad is here (and all of the ILs, but he is a total daddy's boy) so we will probably live and die here. :( This is one of those "what the EFF did I agree to?!" things that you shouldn't let slide during the gooey, lovesick courtship phase!!

If I could move, it wouldn't be "home" (NorCal), even though all of my family and friends are there. I would like to stay in the south. I've grown rather fond of SEC sports, but don't tell the Cardinal (or my Giants!). :D

We are in a small town, and I am not a small town girl (though I am livin' in a lonely world...) but I absolutely love DS' school. We were actually considering a move before he started kindy, but once I fell in love with the school I knew we were staying! He graduates in 5 years (!!!!!!) so maybe when he goes off to college I can beg DH to get me out of here! ;)

Lara

[pb&j]

I will never move away from here. It is home, in so many ways. I grew up here, but DH and I have built our own life here. I've lived other places, and traveled quite a bit, and there's nowhere else I'd rather call home. As amazing as many places are, when I've been away, I am ALWAYS glad to see the familiar landscape when we return.

Now, if I could have a vacation home somewhere, and the means to get there frequently, I'd do that in a minute. There are several places I'd love to have a crash pad!

[arivecchi]

I've moved a ton and finally moved this past summer to a town that feels like home. I am craving stability at this point and want my kids to grow up here. It's a wonderful place to live in IMO. I would take an opportunity to live abroad but I am pretty sure DH would not be on board with that.

[westwoodmom04]

I know if we did move, I would feel more fondly about this place than I do currently since my kids will have spent a good chunk of their childhood here. And we bought our house in 2006, so while we have some equity, we would walk away with way less money than we put into it.

Still, it seems to be getting to be a good time for a change. It was important to dh's parents that we return, and seven plus years is a good chunk to give them. They have other children committed to staying here so it isn't like we are abandoning them. I think we are still 1-2 years away from an actual move, if it happens at all.

[Dream]

I've been living in NY for 11 years now and would love to move. I hear all the things you guys are saying about your communities and I would like to experience that. So yes, given the opportunity I would love to move, preferably to a warmer state.

[squimp]

I agree- I was born in SC, lived there and in Charlotte, spend much time in NE Georgia, asheville, NC area, Hilton Head, savannah areas, etc. ALL my family is there.

The South is different in each city, nowadays. Gone are most of the old "southern democrats" -the uber conservative Baptist's in he belt. Except my Mom :).

I believe they are still there, they just aren't dems anymore. My family is in the south too but DH is "that boy from up north". We are out west. :)

DH and I worked hard to end up in the PNW. Cannot imagine us leaving.

[boolady]

No way. I love where we live, it is where I grew up, and it is a great small town close to a major NE city with lots to do, a great public school system, and is close to family. I'm not going anywhere.

[theriviera]

Yes, I would love to live in Chicago. I'm one of those crazy people that miss the seasons and don't fully appreciate the temperate weather out here.

However, it's probably not going to happen. I do love our lifestyle here though!

[mommylamb]

We definitely can't move, so it's hard to even think about "what if". There is just more opportunities in my field in DC than anywhere else, though I suppose it is possible. But, since we moved to the DC area, my sister and her family moved here (and now live 15 minutes away from us) and my parents retired here so that they could be close to the grand kids (and now live 45 minutes away in good traffic). So for many reasons, moving just isn't an option. There are also lots of things that I totally love about this area, but not everything. This morning, it took me an hour and a half to get to work, so that may be coloring my post here as I fantasize about a world without insane traffic.

[speo]

Moving is definitely a possibility for us. Even though I grew up in SoCal and ended up in a different part, I do not really feel like it is necessarily right for us. I feel so at home in a forest environment and believe that is really where I should be living. It is also just really hard to imagine living here for the rest of our lives. I do not like the idea of retiring somewhere entirely different than where we raise the boys. So for us that may mean moving now. One of the few reasons holding us back is that I am so happy with the magnet school we are in and I doubt we could find that again.

[roseyloxs]

We move where the Air Force tells us to but when they are done being our puppeteer we will go back 'home' to Chicago and settle into a nice suburb and hopefully never move again.

So far we have had the opportunity to live in the FL panhandle, OK, WA, and now Germany. WA has been our favorite. Time will creep up on us and it will be time to go again soon. Its been a fun ride but I will be relieved when its time to retire from this nomad life.

[div_0305]

We definitely can't move, so it's hard to even think about "what if". There is just more opportunities in my field in DC than anywhere else, though I suppose it is possible. But, since we moved to the DC area, my sister and her family moved here (and now live 15 minutes away from us) and my parents retired here so that they could be close to the grand kids (and now live 45 minutes away in good traffic). So for many reasons, moving just isn't an option. There are also lots of things that I totally love about this area, but not everything. This morning, it took me an hour and a half to get to work, so that may be coloring my post here as I fantasize about a world without insane traffic.

I could write a similar post about living in the DC area! My commute took as long this morning, but like you, jobs are better for me here and my parents moved close by, too. I fantasize about moving back to CA, but I don't see it happening. We bought our house for too much, but live in a superb school cluster/neighborhood. DH asks if we'd move within the DC area, but really don't see that happening either for several financial based reasons, as well as not wanting to chance another school cluster and neighborhood contacts.

[AnnieW625]

I think we are stuck in our area for a while because we have zero equity in our house (we bought in 2005). Right now about the only way we would be able to move is if DH's job moves (they are in the planning stages right now and it could take a couple of years to come to fruition or it might not happen at all) and he wasn't able to find a comparable job here and had the opportunity to transfer back to his Sacramento HQ office. We would then short sale our house and move back north. In an ideal world we would be able to sell our house with a tiny bit of profit and buy a slightly bigger 3 bed., 2 bath house in another area of our city or the neighboring city closer to DD1's school, and a better high school.

DH and I would love to live in the general Portland, OR/Vancouver, WA area so I kind of think we will be west coasters if we decided to move, but for some reason DH also sees the allure of Texas (Dallas, or Austin) because the COL is much cheaper and he just likes the vibe there.

We have spent time in Boston, and Philadelphia before and have family near both of those cities so I wouldn't mind moving there, but I honestly have no idea if we ever will.