Matthew
Touchdown! Greaser!
Best drive I had through Denver on I-25 was on a Sunday afternoon during a Broncos game. The highway was deserted.
On the plus side, you can buy enough property in Detroit to make a rather large airfield for like 600 bucks. The pricey part would be demolishing the 60 homes on that land you just bought.Most big cities are a hassle. Every last one of them has traffic problems. Other problems will weed out the worst of them you wouldn't consider living in. Detroit thinks, and advertises, that it is making a come back but the population exodus continues and there are vacant areas there in which one could do considerable farming. The suburbs as far north as Pontiac are getting crowded and with that comes traffic woes. Being honest, I can only say Michigan roads, especially in the metro area, suck big time. In the rural counties roads are much better and there is far less traffic. Smaller towns-Ann Arbor comes to mind- fare much better but the influx of people and the attendant traffic is making that city much less than desirable. Freeways in the metro area are a challenge even to the State Police. They sit and watch them for the most part. Smart move for them because some folks drive like fools on them.
Got caught in the Denver rush hour while returning from Salida to Fort Collins. Getting through Denver took longer than the rest of the trip.
Best drive I had through Denver on I-25 was on a Sunday afternoon during a Broncos game. The highway was deserted.
On the plus side, you can buy enough property in Detroit to make a rather large airfield for like 600 bucks. The pricey part would be demolishing the 60 homes on that land you just bought.
My badI guess you missed my post.
I loved Cali,
The cost of living is comparable to New York but the Ocean is waaaaay too cold for me. You have to wear a wet suit to go in every time!
Speak to me of these place were no wet suites are required....
I lived in Virginia Beach for 20 years and Tampa for 10 so I got a pretty good handle on humidity.
When I was up in the Chicago area, I was 50 miles (west) of Lake Michigan. It was so dry, I had to install a humidifier in our house otherwise the wood floors (and our skin) would dry out and crack.
So I don't know where you were around Chicago, but it must have been a pocket of humidity.
Considering the OP is coming from NYC, that hardly seems relevant.Here in Reno, the humidity today is 20% and it looks like rain. Anywhere near Chicago is humid.
While not what people think of "Midwest" Pittsburgh is far more Midwestern-like than east coast. Plus you keep your closer proximity to the ocean, mountains an hour away, Lake Erie 2 hours. GA out of AGC, BVI, etc. is not bad. Traffic sucks at times but nothing like NYC. Humidity is less than the true "Midwest." I've been in the Dayton area for 10 years now (wife is from here) and still haven't gotten used to the humidity when the corn tassles out here compared to back home in PA.
KC 'burbs right now: 5:40pm, 78F with a feels-like of 78F.
Sitting on the deck, the bourbon is being sipped on the rocks, the breeze is nice and cool, the sun is warm, the birds are trying to tell each other who's boss, Pandora is tuned to Depeche Mode, getting ready to fire up the grill for steaks, and a train is going by about 2 miles from here.
Life is good.
The steaks are on. A chicken is on, too, for another night. The herb butter is made, the salad is made, the balsamic vinaigrette is made, life is good.Matthew,
From a man whose hobby is full sized trains and has some friends who ply the rails and do other things to keep trains running I think you need to get closer to the tracks to really appreciate and enjoy them. That from a guy who used to lie in bed waiting for the lonesome sound of a steam whistle when he was a kid of that era in the fifties and early sixties. Back then each engineer had his own signature with steam whistles , and some could almost play a tune on them.
Those sounds of yesteryear are now mostly relegated to history but the memories will never be forgotten and live in the minds of those old enough to remember them. The horns on diesels just don't cut it in my mind. While not aviation related, those sounds from the past give all of us some fond memories. I will drive a long way to watch the Iron Horse behemoths of yesteryear put on a good show and I have lots of photographs of them in action. I turned wrenches on airplanes but always wondered what it would be like to deal with 76 inch tall wheels and driving rods that weighed in thousands of pounds.
Other remembrances of the era include the sound of B-36's high overhead. Six of those huge radials were something to behold even though they were at altitude.
Steaks: Medium rare please with a smattering of Cajun spice on each side before it is seared to perfection. I'll be right there.
That's why we fly between Salida and FNL.Most big cities are a hassle. Every last one of them has traffic problems. Other problems will weed out the worst of them you wouldn't consider living in. Detroit thinks, and advertises, that it is making a come back but the population exodus continues and there are vacant areas there in which one could do considerable farming. The suburbs as far north as Pontiac are getting crowded and with that comes traffic woes. Being honest, I can only say Michigan roads, especially in the metro area, suck big time. In the rural counties roads are much better and there is far less traffic. Smaller towns-Ann Arbor comes to mind- fare much better but the influx of people and the attendant traffic is making that city much less than desirable. Freeways in the metro area are a challenge even to the State Police. They sit and watch them for the most part. Smart move for them because some folks drive like fools on them.
Got caught in the Denver rush hour while returning from Salida to Fort Collins. Getting through Denver took longer than the rest of the trip.
While not what people think of "Midwest" Pittsburgh is far more Midwestern-like than east coast. Plus you keep your closer proximity to the ocean, mountains an hour away, Lake Erie 2 hours. GA out of AGC, BVI, etc. is not bad. Traffic sucks at times but nothing like NYC. Humidity is less than the true "Midwest." I've been in the Dayton area for 10 years now (wife is from here) and still haven't gotten used to the humidity when the corn tassles out here compared to back home in PA.
And don't forget that now the booklet is also an app called "MiAirports"...man I wish every state had one of those apps...so much more convenient than the a/fd!Michigan has a fairly reasonable DOT that supports GA and issues a paper chart annually as well as a very nice booklet containing info about state airports and facilities that is better in many respects than the A/FD (now Chart Supplement)....
Don't forget?? I didn't know they had one!! Must be fairly new, within the last 3 years. I haven't even been to the state since 2015.And don't forget that now the booklet is also an app called "MiAirports"...man I wish every state had one of those apps...so much more convenient than the a/fd!
Yes. Once updated it's like you have the complete mdot book on your device, divided up by region, selectable on a map. And the plates are updated very frequently (even more frequently than the a/fd)....So I just downloaded the app but it does not include any of the plates (which they call maps). Given I barely have enough room on my devices for all the Foreflight data, I decided not to "update" them (I assume you have to do that to get the plates in the first place). But I'm sure this is a great app if you live in MI or fly there frequently.
Bunch of Midwest haters. I like it here. I'd vote Indy myself.
Funny thing about personal perspective - I grew up mostly in MD, and have been back here for a long time, and I wouldn't put it on the list, or reccomend it. If working in the DC metro area, Northern VA would be my first suggestion. MD taxes are stiff - not the highest in any category, but well up there in every category. Also the most gerrymandered congressional districts in the country. The public service unions own the county governments in the close in jurisdictions, and the single-party system is happy to buy thier endorsements with your money. Though technically a southern state, MD operates like the NE states. Think NJ, only without NY. A popular bumper sticker is "MD! If You Can Dream It, We can Tax It". There was a close run thing on taxing "rain" (tax on your driveway and patio, for runoff). . .I'm late to the comment party here, but i'll toss in my $0.02 here.
I've had the opportunity to live in several areas of the country throughout my career, supplemented by both domestic and international travel. We have taken up residence in TX, OK, ND, FL, NH, and now MD. Of those, the best all around experience regarding family activities and QOL for us has been MD. We live in a southern suburb of Baltimore, and DC and all it offers is a 30min car ride. Winters are benign, and summers are surprisingly oppressively hot and humid, so there is that.
We enjoyed our 3 years in AK, and after the kid gets out of the house, I'd happily go back. The wife may have something to the contrary about that, though. I earned my PPL in AK, and aviation is a way of life, as well as the outdoors. We lived in Anchorage, which was a nice small city. For more city, Seattle was a mere 3 1/2-4hr 737 ride away.
FL is Florida. Not bad, but otherwise, nothing spectacular IMHO. For the right job, I'd go back.
NH was great, but admittedly, I was 14 when we moved away. Worth another look in the future now that I'm calling the shots.
ND was everything "small town midwest" I had imagined. I enjoyed it, but the wife was not happy there (she's a city girl). Winters were brutal (-60*F not counting windchill) and summers were hot (90*-100*+), but not too humid. Would have to be one hell of a job to get me back there.
OK was an all around good place. Hot summers, Icy winters, and wind. Lots of wind. We lived in OKC, and loved the 2 years we were there. If all else fails, we would certainly go back. OKC has lots to offer, and a stupid low cost of living (compared to the other locales we have been).
Moving to a new area is one of the most fun and scary things we do as humans. Figure out what you want from life and go for it!
Funny thing about personal perspective - I grew up mostly in MD, and have been back here for a long time, and I wouldn't put it on the list, or reccomend it. If working in the DC metro area, Northern VA would be my first suggestion. MD taxes are stiff - not the highest in any category, but well up there in every category. Also the most gerrymandered congressional districts in the country. The public service unions own the county governments in the close in jurisdictions, and the single-party system is happy to buy thier endorsements with your money. Though technically a southern state, MD operates like the NE states. Think NJ, only without NY. A popular bumper sticker is "MD! If You Can Dream It, We can Tax It". There was a close run thing on taxing "rain" (tax on your driveway and patio, for runoff). . .
But it is pretty - mountains, Chesapeake Bay, two citys with a lot to do. Summers are hot and humid, winters cold and damp. Spring and Fall are magnificent.
Traffic in DC metro MD trades places with LA for worst in tbe country, but you don't have go very far to be in truly rural country, either.
Probably don't have a lot of hot muggy days either.Alaska. Seriously.
No state sales or income tax
Aviation is plentiful
Without a doubt the most beautiful state in our fair union
Great, hardworking, and down to earth people.
I love it here, and I'm not planning on leaving anytime soon.
Spot on - I'm departing MD myself, probably for NC. . .there was a study about taxes in the area, and NoVA came out a little better than MD, which was a wash with DC. Very subjective, of course, as it must be, based on indidual situations.
It is super easy to get to Nationals and Wizards game, if/if the Metro is working.
. Museums and Zoo are "free" (which means someone else is paying for them).
But yeah, not many people re-locate here as a final destination - the rumor is the crime figures for the Baltimore Inner Harbor are "cooked"; violent car jacking becomes "car theft", and the geo fencing is "interpreted" to minimize the stats for the Inner Harbor.
I agreed with you until you said newly wed or dead...Not true at all. Maybe in Sarasota which has a lot of retirees I live about 30 mins away north so I can understand that perspective. A lot of other parts of Florida has young people especially Tampa and Saint Pete...Have you seen Clearwater beach lately? What about Miami south beach? Clubs?
Wow, some great advice. Lots to think about. Brought out some places that I hadn't really considered (i.e. Minneapolis, KC, New England, Pitt). And some great opposing comments on several places (i.e Indy, Chicago, StL)
Thanks again all.
What changed? Was offered a relo there 20 years ago, passed and went to Beantown instead.Indy has changed a lot in the last 10-15 years. It really has grown up from the "Indianoplace" or "Naptown" monikers that it richly deserved at one time.
But at least you're allowed, as a solid tax-paying citizen, to CCW for protection. /SARCASM OFF/But yeah, not many people re-locate here as a final destination - the rumor is the crime figures for the Baltimore Inner Harbor are "cooked"; violent car jacking becomes "car theft", and the geo fencing is "interpreted" to minimize the stats for the Inner Harbor.
What changed? Was offered a relo there 20 years ago, passed and went to Beantown instead.