Let's have a little fun in this thread - SilverBullets is starting over... Where should I go?

[jhbangas]

I like San Diego. I'll allow it.

[CBJ]

I lived in several spots in the Carolinas, use to work outside of Charlotte, before moving here to CBUS, if have any Carolina questions

 

Let me know....

[SilverBullets]

I lived in several spots in the Carolinas, use to work outside of Charlotte, before moving here to CBUS, if have any Carolina questions

 

Let me know....

 

Charlotte is fairly high on the list actually.

 

But like I said, right now I'm really just information gathering. Between retention bonuses and stock options which will now vest way ahead of schedule, I can take my time in making this decision (and it's probably in my best interest to wait as long as I can). So I likely won't be seriously looking for a few months with the intention of leaving Cbus by year end or early January.

[bscinstnct]

Come down

 

[dan360]

I see my friendly warnings are falling on deaf ears. Time to call in more air support.

 

Currently, the median home price in Seattle, WA is roughly $514,000, and finding a decent house with a garage, safe off street parking, a decent yard, and mostly crime free relatively safe neighborhood is gonna run you about 700-750,000 to start. Don't believe me? Do a Redfin search for Seattle homes under 500,000 and see what comes up. :)

 

 

If you want to spend less, you can, but you will commute put up with the 2nd worst traffic in the United States from about 0600-1000 and again from about 1530-2000. Think 3 hours to go 30 miles more often than not.

 

There is a multi billion dollar 1.5 mile tunnel project quickly turning into Big Dig 2.0 that is around 10% complete and around 2 years behind schedule, and a 118 mile long light rail system that is costing around $5,000 per inch that is also only about 10% complete, is already over budget, and won't be anywhere close to done by 2025, that the county and city lawmakers are pushing additional taxes and fees to support, in an area that is already one of the highest taxed places in the US.

 

We have no state income tax. Yet. They're trying. Every legislative session it comes up. It's not if. It's when. Some cities have just passed a 9.9% sales tax. Along with the highest gas taxes outside of CA, some of the highest fuel prices in the nation, and absolutely no plan to make it get any easier any time soon. The ferries suck up about half the DOT budget and social welfare programs take up around 52% of the WA State budget. Lots of homeless, if they pee on your grass you're supposed to help them not yell at them.

 

The mayor is gay and paints sidewalks like rainbows with $10,000 of city money and thinks it's a good thing and if you call him out on it you're a hate crime monger.

 

Did I mention it's expensive here? The Taco Bell $1 menu is $1.39-1.79 depending on the "restaurant"

 

The Space Needle is NOT the tallest building here either. Not even close. Don't believe the photos. It's smoke n mirrors.

 

So what you are saying is it's way cheaper, less traffic and more right wing than the Bay Area... ;) And the government has a much better handle on infrastructure projects.

 

Seriously come to the SF area while you are young. Your salaries will cover some kind of maybe not too scary living arrangement and when you get older and have kids it's going to seem like a much worse idea. You can cash out your startup options and go somewhere else in 3-4 years.

 

At least in CA they have pay scales relatively relative to the cost of living. OT after 8, double time required after so many hours, required benefits, other things.

 

WA is a right to work state. OT after 40, not much leverage for an employee.

 

Welcome to Seattle. Where most jobs do not pay enough to afford to live here. That's why most commute and why most are getting tired of the BS.

 

I live many miles south and only go there when I either have to, or when I have an entire day to waste.

 

Seattle is basically CA without the rest of the benefits. True story.

 

The remainder of WA is much different, but with population density, goes the way Seattle goes for better or worse. Usually worse.

 

No it isn't which is the entire reason that Boeing opened its South Carolina plant.

 

Dan360 is right in that Washington State taxation is totally screwed up but unhelpful on describing the reasons. Due to a lack of an income tax, the state relies heavily on sales, B&O taxes and the like. It's been ranked as the singe most regressive tax regime in the country. Interestingly, it's Bill Gates father who has led unsuccessful efforts to create at least some semblance of a reasonable tax system. Generally speaking, the rest of the state hitches a ride to Seattle's coattails. Certainly in terms of taxes paid and dollars in state services going to back to Seattle. South Sound, where it sounds like Dan360 is located, is a net taker and Seattle pays out.

 

I haven't lived in Seattle for nearly a decade so my perspective for prospective residents is tempered but I was born and bred between the bridges and can tell you that Dan isn't describing Seattle as a resident. Some of the criticism may have a lot of truth to it. Costs have risen rapidly, especially in the last five years, and the transportation infrastructure is screwed up. It's gray a lot. FYI - this will be the biggest problem you have with the weather. Not the rain, but the overcast skies for most of the year. You'll get over it after the first year but it takes at least a year to get used to. But the sunny days? Better than anywhere in America as far as I'm concerned. And the Seattle Freeze definitely used to be a thing. Might have mellowed out with the all the new folks moving into Seattle. You'll have to google it.

 

It's all a matter of perspective and personal preferences. There's nowhere else in the US where you're in a major city and next to water and 45min from the mountains.

 

I'll say this 360 is, at best, a deep suburb area code. More than likely Dan360 is WELL outside of the the Seattle area. 206 or bust.

 

206 is the original area code for all of western WA. When I was a kid, they added 360, 253, and 425. There is talk of another one as well.

 

The 360 is in reference to 360 sprint cars; conveniently it's also my area code of residence.

 

You're right, they're not an official 'right to work' state as of yet. May as well be, though. If not for the leverage of the IAM and the state employee's unions, they would be already. Funny though how those benefits have yet to trickle down to the average Joe, unless you count welfare sucking cheats as 'average Joe', yet the State is still nearly broke.

 

I'm a business owner. A (proud?) union member. A current taxpayer. A current, lifelong, 'native' resident. Pretty easy to tell where I'm at. Olympia. Says it under my name. Also it says in the WA State Historical Society book about 'pioneers'. Where are you at, it doesn't say? Interesting.

 

So you were born here. Cool! Unfortunately, the last decade has changed a LOT here. Seriously. You really need to live it to understand. 2006 seems like a lifetime ago.

 

The rest of the state rides on Seattle's coat tails? Wow.....that's rich.

 

Think perspective for someone coming from Columbus, OH. Seattle is much different than WA state as a whole and I think your semi eating-our-own post reflects that more than I can even "incorrectly" explain.

 

I love WA state, and love Seattle, too. There is a LOT of subtle humour in my posts that you're missing but whatever. I enjoy living here, but am not going to be holding up rose colored glasses to the issues here that will only get worse. If someone wants to come here, rock on. Just be prepared.

 

Cheers :)

[CBJ]

Consider looking in Fort Mill SC, Tega Cay SC, right on the NC/SC border, cheaper living and better school system than Charlotte area, plus cheaper cost of living.

 

I worked in Fort Mill for 2-years before moving to CBUS,

 

10-15 minutes from Charlotte..

[jhbangas]

Dan, you and Tacocat clearly have similar views on Seattle. Did you catch them at the Bernie rally? For, what its worth, I'm fourth generation Seattle. Live in DC now. And I agree that current Seattle residents have the best perspective on what the city is like for new residents in 2016. So neither of us, really.

 

WRT the rest of the state riding on Seattle's (well King County) coattails concerning taxes? As recently as 2011, King County received $.69 for every dollar paid in state taxes. Your home base of Thurston county got $1.15. In other words, Thurston got back more than they paid in. Who subsidized it? King County. http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/welfare-state/Content?oid=6686284

 

As for your subtle humor -- fair enough. I admit that I couldn't tell from your post in the angry wife thread if you are just trolling or you spend a lot of time on reddit/RedPill. I'm guessing it's the latter.

[bplgocards]

Louisville, KY is very nice. Pretty big town and still has a small town feel. Lots of golf.

[SilverBullets]

Louisville, KY is very nice. Pretty big town and still has a small town feel. Lots of golf.

 

I'll keep Ohio over Ky

[KPHayes]

Another thumbs down for Seattle. I grew up very close to Chambers Bay (when it was a gravel pit) and lived in Seattle (Queen Anne, Ballard, West Seattle) from 99-03 after college. Still have friends in Seattle and family in University Place so I get out there a couple of times a year. It's very different from when I lived there.

 

Cost of living is outrageous. The house I rented in Ballard was worth about $250k then and just sold last year for $700k. I couldn't afford to live there now. My brother has a good paying job with Amazon and owns an older house north of Seattle. It's in a good area but there's still sketchy people milling around and higher crime than you would expect for the cost.

 

The traffic is terrible. Already covered by previous posts.

 

The weather is terrible for golf 6-7 months of the year. Most of the winter consists of low ceilings, fog and drizzle with 8 hours of daylight. Didn't think much of it when I lived there but now that I've lived all over the country the winters are downright depressing when I visit.

 

There is some good skiing but it's different than other parts of the country. Lower elevation and warmer with usually good snowfall but can have some pretty abysmal seasons, see 2014-15.

 

If you like rain, indie music, skin tight pants, pointy shoes, hipster comb overs, tattoos, overpriced (but good) beer, overpriced housing and incredible traffic then you'll love Seattle, otherwise I'd look at other parts of Washington.

[SilverBullets]

Consider looking in Fort Mill SC, Tega Cay SC, right on the NC/SC border, cheaper living and better school system than Charlotte area, plus cheaper cost of living.

 

I worked in Fort Mill for 2-years before moving to CBUS,

 

10-15 minutes from Charlotte..

 

So since you moved from Charlotte to Cbus, which is obviously the opposite from what I am thinking of doing, what are your thoughts?

[dan360]

Dan, you and Tacocat clearly have similar views on Seattle. Did you catch them at the Bernie rally? For, what its worth, I'm fourth generation Seattle. Live in DC now. And I agree that current Seattle residents have the best perspective on what the city is like for new residents in 2016. So neither of us, really.

 

WRT the rest of the state riding on Seattle's (well King County) coattails concerning taxes? As recently as 2011, King County received $.69 for every dollar paid in state taxes. Your home base of Thurston county got $1.15. In other words, Thurston got back more than they paid in. Who subsidized it? King County. http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/welfare-state/Content?oid=6686284

 

As for your subtle humor -- fair enough. I admit that I couldn't tell from your post in the angry wife thread if you are just trolling or you spend a lot of time on reddit/RedPill. I'm guessing it's the latter.

 

Really? Bernie? lol!!

 

Something tells me you're trying hard to insult me yet still remain PC. No need to. We're all grown ups. Not sure why you feel an opinion of a native Washingtonian is invalid based on me living in the Oly area compared to a guy clear over in DC but whatever.

 

The guy wanted info on "Seattle" and I'm standing in Seattle right now. :)

 

There's blue sky this morning. Pretty nice.

 

Your link is flawed data but you already know that. Much of that 15 extra cents per dollar is due to Olympia being the capital and being the center of government, so many tax dollars are spent there. The State has upgraded much of their operational infrastructure over the last few years. Office buildings are expensive, are paid for with tax dollars, and most of them are in Thurston County.

 

Good try though.

[jhbangas]

[Imp]

I'd be heading to SC also if I could. Charleston especially. I'm really jealous. :) You'd be that much closer to Hilton Head and Kiawah. What about Savannah?

 

I wouldn't touch California at all.

 

--kC

[SilverBullets]

I'd be heading to SC also if I could. Charleston especially. I'm really jealous. :) You'd be that much closer to Hilton Head and Kiawah. What about Savannah?

 

I wouldn't touch California at all.

 

--kC

 

I am keeping an eye on both, Charleston and Sav. I applied for a position in Charleston, but, am not expecting much. It's not necessarily a perfect, it's a little more finance heavy than what I currently do, though I meet every other requirement.

 

That area is probably my perfect landing spot, but, finding a great paying, corporate job which fits my background (which is generally only really needed for publically traded companies) is kind of like finding a unicorn. We'll see what happens though. I have a good bit of time to keep an eye out.

[CBJ]

Consider looking in Fort Mill SC, Tega Cay SC, right on the NC/SC border, cheaper living and better school system than Charlotte area, plus cheaper cost of living.

 

I worked in Fort Mill for 2-years before moving to CBUS,

 

10-15 minutes from Charlotte..

 

So since you moved from Charlotte to Cbus, which is obviously the opposite from what I am thinking of doing, what are your thoughts?

 

My family loves both spots, CBUS and Fort Mill (Charlotte area), I also lived in Columbia, SC which I didn't like.

 

Both areas are similar in terms of being a big city, traffic, things to do...

 

If you are to move to the Charlotte area, you can expect competitive pay, similar to CBUS, Charlotte area has a lot of northern transplants. Even though Charlotte is in the south, it has a more northern feel, diverse population, big business...

 

The farther you get away from the city, the more southern it gets in my opinion. Which could be a good or bad thing... More rural in some places..

 

My wife was born and raised in Columbia, SC and feels the same way

 

Charleston is a great place to visit, don't know if I would want to live there....

[oregongolf]

Bend, OR

 

Easy choice.

 

I love Scottsdale, but my better half is so over AZ it's not even funny.

[knock it close]

Bend, OR

 

Easy choice.

 

I love Scottsdale, but my better half is so over AZ it's not even funny.

I was actually going to say Bend, probably my favorite place to go, but I wasn't sure if they would have enough industry wise in his field.

[SilverBullets]

Bend, OR

 

Easy choice.

 

I love Scottsdale, but my better half is so over AZ it's not even funny.

I was actually going to say Bend, probably my favorite place to go, but I wasn't sure if they would have enough industry wise in his field.

 

Bend would easily be the #1 option... But there really isn't any work there for me. And I would very much enjoy being able to retire at some point so I don't want to just take a job living pay check to pay check.

[knock it close]

Bend, OR

 

Easy choice.

 

I love Scottsdale, but my better half is so over AZ it's not even funny.

I was actually going to say Bend, probably my favorite place to go, but I wasn't sure if they would have enough industry wise in his field.

 

Bend would easily be the #1 option... But there really isn't any work there for me. And I would very much enjoy being able to retire at some point so I don't want to just take a job living pay check to pay check.

Yea it seems like it's breweries or service industry. I have a date that lives there so I'm down there a fair bit but it doesn't seem like there is a whole lot, beautiful place with tons to do though.

[SilverBullets]

After doing some more research, Raleigh seems like a really great option. They seem to have a growing tech economy, they have a lower cost of living and a great medical presence (wife works in the health care industry).

 

Some things here in Columbus have organically opened up. A couple of really good opportunities, one of which includes bringing my entire team and I on. I am obviously exploring those as I continue to keep a pulse on things outside of Columbus.

 

I appreciate the insight for everyone here. This thread has helped me add (and subtract) some places from the list. We've added Raleigh and Austin after doing some research based off recommendations here. We've removed Seattle after the discussions here. I then reached out to a buddy who lives in Seattle and he has very mixed feelings about it. My wife then spoke with a coworker whom moved back to Columbus from Seattle and he echoed similar sentiments to the poster here. He lived in Seattle 2 years ago.

[ChillyDipper]

I nominate my city of Nashville! I can play golf pretty much year round. No state income taxes. One of the top and fastest growing cities in the country. NFL, NHL, AAA Baseball, and an incredible music scene of all kinds.

 

 

I second this. Im from Toronto and was in Nashville a few weekends ago and that place is bumpin'. Gentrifying to boot as well, so I think you could still do well on housing. Asheville, NC is doing well also, but they just passed some unfortunate (imo) legislation that will hurt their industry for a while. I still think Canada ain't bad though. I never worried of gun violence in my 32 years there...

[MrTmag]

I nominate my city of Nashville! I can play golf pretty much year round. No state income taxes. One of the top and fastest growing cities in the country. NFL, NHL, AAA Baseball, and an incredible music scene of all kinds.

 

 

I second this. Im from Toronto and was in Nashville a few weekends ago and that place is bumpin'. Gentrifying to boot as well, so I think you could still do well on housing. Asheville, NC is doing well also, but they just passed some unfortunate (imo) legislation that will hurt their industry for a while. I still think Canada ain't bad though. I never worried of gun violence in my 32 years there...

Asheville is a great area and very scenic but as a whole western NC didn't offer much at all. The housing market is ridiculously over priced and jobs aren't plentiful unless your a college kid or self employed.

[1puttTUT]

If I were to move, the Carolinas and Denver would be tops on my list. Unfortunately my line of work really only exists in Detroit and California, and Cali is too expensive for me.

[SilverBullets]

Well someone here in Columbus reached out to me and I have interview next week. Staying isn't my first choice but this seems to be a very good opportunity so I am obviously exploring it. We'll see what happens.

[somaplr]

Boston is the best city in the world, just ask people from Boston.

 

Charlotte is awesome. Austin is awesome. Nashville is awesome (and I hate country music). Orlando is awesome. San Diego is awesome. Louisville is awesome.

well

All great golfing cities with little to no snow. Seattle is a great place to visit, but from someone who loves a tan and summer, it just isn't warm enough for me.

[Imp]

Boston is the best city in the world, just ask people from Boston.

 

:lol: While people from that town do say such things, they will then continue to say exactly what is wrong with it (which is an endearing quality to be able to speak your mind and if you don't like it, it's not their problem, vs going someplace that just says things behind your back). In no particular order... snow, winter, taxes, politics, roads, drivers.

 

That said, the diverse selection of gastro delights are bar none.

 

--kC

[SilverBullets]

I figure it's good time to bring this thread back to life. The official acquisition is nearly with proxy materials in the shareholders hands. End of the month and everything will be done (all of which is public info, none of which is private). Not sure what any of this means to my position but from all information I have, I am assuming the worst.

 

Over the past couple of months I have really been targeting Phoenix. It just feels like the right situation. Cost of living is comparable to Columbus. I already know some people living there (one of which is a close friend). The transition feels easier. I also have already been in contact with a company about a job opening there for later this year. The conversations (IMO) went really well and there seems to be, at minimum, some mutual interest there. Title was right, responsibility level was right, industry is right and the salary range is on the same playing field as what I am looking for.

 

I had written Charlotte off, but, was contacted yesterday by an interested company. Salary is higher than anticipated, relocation package is not an option, job title and responsibility are right but the industry isn't really what I want to go in to. Im going to keep talking though to see how things progress and if it becomes something worth exploring further.

 

At this point I have written off California all together. Love the weather but hate the cost of living. Not sure I want to make the concessions in quality of life from a financial perspective to have perfect weather. I would basically have to make double my current salary to break even in most instances.

 

Raleigh has been a leader in places I want to move but in the two months of searching and working with a recruiter, I just haven't found any positions which are of equal pay and level. If I start getting more desperate I am willing to make concessions in pay and level, but, I'm not at that point yet. I have also explored Austin, Portland and Seattle and have had similar results.

 

There are some options here in Columbus, but, my wife and I have really made it a point that we are ready to try something new. That could all change if the 'right' opportunity presents itself, but, for the time being we are really focused on moving.

 

Going to be an interesting summer, that's for sure...

[One_Putt_Blunder]

Gonna be 119 degrees here Sunday pro tip if possible don't plan a move to Phoenix during the middle of summer.

[1puttTUT]

Still no votes for Detroit?