Thinking about moving to the midwest late this year

orange

orange

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nMy colleagues and I found out recently that our cushy jobs may be coming to an end either late this year or early next. We worked for one of the biggest Wall Street companies out there but our department got sold late last year. The company that bought us is planning to use their own analysts to do the heavy lifting (pricing, biz analysts, trading, IT), and export most of the other jobs to India, Ireland, and Israel because foreign workers are more economically viable for them.

Anyway, if it happens (there will be some people spared as I understand), I'm thinking about taking my substantial severance and moving to the Midwest. I'm tired of the hustle and bustle of the big city, everybody always in a big hurry. I'm type A but I need a change, it's tiring. I never bought into the notion that NY'ers are ass--holes but recently I started noticing that many kind of are. I'm looking to settle down in a quiet community outside the big city where my kids can have a more peaceful life. I don't expect that I'll be able to make the money that I'm making now but cost of living is lower also, so it all balances out. I'm looking at suburbs around Indianapolis, Chicago, maybe even Wisconsin. While availability of rentals, costs, airports, etc is something that I want to look at, it won't be a deal breaker.

I know it's a very generalized question, but with that said, which of these areas are best for GA?

I've been with the company right out of college, since 2000. My only job and never needed to look for work or thought about moving. I'm sure you guys have gone through moves to different parts of the country and job changes. Any advice?

Thanks in advance.
 
orange said:
nMy colleagues and I found out recently that our cushy jobs may be coming to an end either late this year or early next. We worked for one of the biggest Wall Street companies out there but our department got sold late last year. The company that bought us is planning to use their own analysts to do the heavy lifting (pricing, biz analysts, trading, IT), and export most of the other jobs to India, Ireland, and Israel because foreign workers are more economically viable for them.

Anyway, if it happens (there will be some people spared as I understand), I'm thinking about taking my substantial severance and moving to the Midwest. I'm tired of the hustle and bustle of the big city, everybody always in a big hurry. I'm type A but I need a change, it's tiring. I never bought into the notion that NY'ers are ass--holes but recently I started noticing that many kind of are. I'm looking to settle down in a quiet community outside the big city where my kids can have a more peaceful life. I don't expect that I'll be able to make the money that I'm making now but cost of living is lower also, so it all balances out. I'm looking at suburbs around Indianapolis, Chicago, maybe even Wisconsin. While availability of rentals, costs, airports, etc is something that I want to look at, it won't be a deal breaker.

I know it's a very generalized question, but with that said, which of these areas are best for GA?

I've been with the company right out of college, since 2000. My only job and never needed to look for work or thought about moving. I'm sure you guys have gone through moves to different parts of the country and job changes. Any advice?

Thanks in advance.
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If you don't mind winter, Wisconsin has many lovely small towns where one can still raise a family in relative peace and quiet. I lived there for 30 years.

I eventually decided that cold and snow were no longer worth the hardship, and now live in the Sunbelt, in the smallest town I've ever lived in, and am loving it. With the internet, it is now possible to live anywhere and still be fully connected, socially, culturally, and economically, so any advantages of big city life are, for me, anyway, gone. YMMV.
 
I don't have any advice on the mid-west except I was born in Michigan. I will say that after only moving as far as northern Virginia: take the opportunity to get out of the NYC area if you find yourself considering the possibility. There are "lifers" there that can't imagine living anywhere else and that works for them, but if you have the oppertouity to get out, do it! I didn't realize how stressed commuting into NYC for almost 20 years made me until I left.
 
I recently moved to SW Michigan and work doing sales in N Indiana. Anywhere around south bend would meet your quiet community and slower pace. I'm next to an Amish buggy right now in a grocery store parking lot.

I woukd never move into IL as they are tax greedy and will be bankrupt in a few years. But you can get to chicago from here in under 2 hrs by car.

Good luck with the move.
 
I grew up in the Midwest. Got out of there just as quick as I could. Hot humid summers, cold winters, no mountains, no oceans and an extremely boring locale. A few nice people but a lot of rednecks and NASCAR wannabes driving enormous and inefficient pickup trucks. Best BBQ in the world though - I always try to end on a positive note.
 
orange said:
nMy colleagues and I found out recently that our cushy jobs may be coming to an end either late this year or early next. We worked for one of the biggest Wall Street companies out there but our department got sold late last year. The company that bought us is planning to use their own analysts to do the heavy lifting (pricing, biz analysts, trading, IT), and export most of the other jobs to India, Ireland, and Israel because foreign workers are more economically viable for them.

Anyway, if it happens (there will be some people spared as I understand), I'm thinking about taking my substantial severance and moving to the Midwest. I'm tired of the hustle and bustle of the big city, everybody always in a big hurry. I'm type A but I need a change, it's tiring. I never bought into the notion that NY'ers are ass--holes but recently I started noticing that many kind of are. I'm looking to settle down in a quiet community outside the big city where my kids can have a more peaceful life. I don't expect that I'll be able to make the money that I'm making now but cost of living is lower also, so it all balances out. I'm looking at suburbs around Indianapolis, Chicago, maybe even Wisconsin. While availability of rentals, costs, airports, etc is something that I want to look at, it won't be a deal breaker.

I know it's a very generalized question, but with that said, which of these areas are best for GA?

I've been with the company right out of college, since 2000. My only job and never needed to look for work or thought about moving. I'm sure you guys have gone through moves to different parts of the country and job changes. Any advice?

Thanks in advance.
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Sorry to hear about your job loss.

The company's loss though. From a person born and raised in New York I'm going to tell you wherever you go it's going to be a culture shock there isn't a city like New York anywhere in the world, don't get me wrong I wouldn't live there again....even if they paid me...oh wait they did...I STILL wouldn't live there again. After I left New York I lived in the other three corners of the United States. Seattle, Los Angeles, Now Florida. I finally found the place I love. I LOVE Florida you have to go where YOU feel comfortable it's different for everyone. No matter where you live there is going to be trade offs.

I personally love Florida because:

#1. No state income tax, (In New York I had to pay, city, state AND Federal taxes).

#2. The tolls are inexpensive, (In New York the tolls are 15 dollars now...one way)

#3. The people that I have come across have been pleasant

#4. GA is here, (But pricey) and you can pretty much fly all year around here.

#5. No snow to shovel.

#6. The Beach and the Bahamas is 1 hour away depending on where in Florida you live.

#7. Cost of living is fairly low in the country, (Gas is 2.30 a gallon here, 100LL is 3.50 here)

Here are the trade offs:

#1. The Job market, (Depending on what position) is not very good here and they don't pay very well (Best you start your own business)

#2. Hurricanes and tornadoes are always a threat to you and your property, (But at least you know it's coming)

#3. The summer months are hot AND humid. Vacation up north during the summer months.

#4. Insects are plentiful here, but there are ways to avoid them.


Find your bliss....Good Luck!
 
Art VanDelay said:
I grew up in the Midwest. Got out of there just as quick as I could. Hot humid summers, cold winters, no mountains, no oceans and an extremely boring locale. A few nice people but a lot of rednecks and NASCAR wannabes driving enormous and inefficient pickup trucks. Best BBQ in the world though - I always try to end on a positive note.
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heh - I could nearly go word for word, except I'd delete your second sentence.

I'm much farther west than Orange is looking (KC area). But I like Chicago, my folks came from there and I spent a lot of time in the 'burbs as a kid. Not sure how GA friendly the skies are around there, seems like it would be pretty busy.

Can't say much about Indianapolis or Wisconsin.

One advantage of moving like you are doing: It's easier to move a second time if you decide wherever you end up just isn't for you.
 
@FloridaPilot I've lived in Florida for about 23 years now and I've been looking at jobs in the northeast actually heh..I hate this state. Can't wait to get out of here.

Yes there are some pros, but the job market S.U.C.K.S unless you are one of those folks that likes cleaning up old people poop or serving drinks to retirees for $5/hour.

Florida is the place for the newly wed and nearly dead.

Midwest sounds nice, I guess it depends on what you've been doing with the last 20 years as to what you want as an alternative. Wisconsin sounds like a really interesting choice, and Oshkosh is EAA's home so it would definitely be GA friendly I would presume.

The guy that bought my plane lives in Iowa, that seems to be a great place for GA and lots of opportunities for gliders there.
 
KC area is where I would go if I had to move to the midwest. Overland Park or Lee's Summit.

I agree with FloridaPilot, though. Once you hit Florida (the right spots), you realize how much everything else sucks. Destin is where I'd move before anywhere else in the CONUS
 
People are people no matter where you are. Out East there are more A-holes but there are more fantastic people as well, it's just a matter of proportion. I used to work on Wall St as well and moved my family to Kansas City. My wife is an East Coast girl and it's taken her a while to acclimate to what we call 'Midwest Nice.' The lack of nearby ocean has also gotten her a bit down, but hubby is a pilot and we can get to the mountains in 5 hours and down the Gulf in 7 if we so choose.

The good: (most of the this is in reference to Kansas City but can apply to other Midwestern cities)
Access to fantastic schools (Blue Valley, Park Hill, Shawnee Mission, Olathe, Lee's Summit)
Quality of Life
Traffic is a joke compared to other cities
Enough of an urban core to feel like a 'real city' (i.e., skyline, museums, shops, nightlife, hipsters, etc)
Arts and sports scenes are equally strong
Food

The bad:
The Weather (winters cold, summers hot)
The politics
Lack of ocean/mountains (though, the ozarks are close and the Flint Hills have a certain austere beauty to them)

As for aviation. There are a number of active flying clubs at the local airports. KMKC is of the few urban GA airports left where you're literally in the shadow of downtown. KMCI is a class Bravo but is the most laid back Bravo in the system. Lots of class Delta but all are pretty sleepy. Being in the middle, you have a reasonable length flight to anything you want to do really.
 
Come on down to Indy! We have several nice GA airports to choose from. I live in Indy and have my plane hangared at Fishers (KUMP). Cost of living is very reasonable. Big enough to have plenty of dining and entertainment options without the problems of living near a large city.
 
We enjoyed OKC and COS. COS is kind of a tough job market and OKC is a tornado magnet. Lived in bedroom communities of both metro areas for the best of both worlds.

Our military career let us live in some great place. ~500K seems to have been the sweet spot for population size. Much bigger than that and the local feel went away. Much smaller and it hard to get past 'not from around here, are ya' treatment.
 
Another positive for KC if you're an IT professional, it's a really hot job market for IT in KC right now. I get recruiters e-mailing me all the time. The region has been dubbed Silicon Prairie.
 
Brookfield WI has some financial services firm and is near KMWC (Timmerman Airport) which is outside the Milwaukee (KMKE) class C.
 
Stingray Don said:
Come on down to Indy! We have several nice GA airports to choose from. I live in Indy and have my plane hangared at Fishers (KUMP). Cost of living is very reasonable. Big enough to have plenty of dining and entertainment options without the problems of living near a large city.
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I'll second the vote for Indy. It really has alot to offer, and just a couple of hours from Cinnci, or Louisville. Between Lilly and Cummins, if your background is science or engineering, they are always looking for quality people. While I am also in 'transition' looking for the next career path, I'll take what others have said about Florida and the NE having lived in or near to both. In the end, it really does get down to people and what you make of it. Good luck on your next journey!
 
Stingray Don said:
Come on down to Indy! We have several nice GA airports to choose from. I live in Indy and have my plane hangared at Fishers (KUMP). Cost of living is very reasonable. Big enough to have plenty of dining and entertainment options without the problems of living near a large city.
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Actually, Indy has a ton of GA airports for its size. Eagle Creek, Indy Metro, Indy Executive, Indy Regional and Greenwood. These are all decent sized GA airports with pretty decent facilities.

Oh, and you could also throw Hendricks County airport in there, too, I suppose.
 
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Whatever you do stay away from Illinois and California. Texas has aviation and low taxes and Austin will remind you a bit of NYC life. Nevada is low taxes and tons of GA around Vegas and Reno. Even Florida is an aviation paradise and low taxes.
 
I'll add another vote for Indy...good aviation support there...but (there is always a but), you GOTTA love the flat land. Holy cow is it flat. Guess in a way, that is another plus for aviation.
 
I grew up in Kansas City, and spent a few years living in Chicago, DC and New York. We moved back to KC after a year or so in New York. I loved aspects of living in NYC, but the cost of living and the inconvenience of doing anything outside of the City is so outrageous it's just not worth it to me. Kansas City has a lot going for it, though it's going to be a real culture shock from NYC.
 
I think you may have a somewhat romantic idea about the 'midwest'.

I like the KC area, mostly the southern Burbs. It gets awfully muggy in the summer. Not exactly small town living if thats what you are looking for.

A town I enjoyed living in was of all places Milwaukee. Nice places can be had in the burbs. The problem with the state is that the tail is starting to wag the dog and everything gets decided based on the interests of Madison and Milwaukee. The place is going to be 'Illinois North' soon enough.

Two places I really like are Sioux Falls and Rapid City. Both smaller communities than the ones you mentioned. Rapid is a bit isolated, with a Bonanza it's less than 2hrs to Denver.
 
TCABM said:
We enjoyed OKC and COS. COS is kind of a tough job market and OKC is a tornado magnet. Lived in bedroom communities of both metro areas for the best of both worlds.

Our military career let us live in some great place. ~500K seems to have been the sweet spot for population size. Much bigger than that and the local feel went away. Much smaller and it hard to get past 'not from around here, are ya' treatment.
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Yeah, I'd go KC before OKC, and that's comin' from an Okie! KC is like a grown-up version of Tulsa, which I happen to think is a decent smaller city. I don't think I'd venture to much North of the Lincoln/Omaha area, so I'd have to pass on Chicago. Indianapolis is a fun city. It's not Midwest, but the Knoxville/Nashville areas were always nice.
 
weilke said:
I think you may have a somewhat romantic idea about the 'midwest'.

I like the KC area, mostly the southern Burbs. It gets awfully muggy in the summer. Not exactly small town living if thats what you are looking for.

A town I enjoyed living in was of all places Milwaukee. Nice places can be had in the burbs. The problem with the state is that the tail is starting to wag the dog and everything gets decided based on the interests of Madison and Milwaukee. The place is going to be 'Illinois North' soon enough.

Two places I really like are Sioux Falls and Rapid City. Both smaller communities than the ones you mentioned. Rapid is a bit isolated, with a Bonanza it's less than 2hrs to Denver.
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Ooh, yeah, Sioux Falls is a great little town. One of the cleanest cities you'll ever find.
 
I was born and raised in central Indiana and spent approximately 42 out of my 59 years there. I also spent 3 years in the Chicago area. I don't think I will ever return to either one. Sort of mad at myself for being there that long. I'm in North Carolina now and believe I have found the area where I will spend the rest of my days.
 
labbadabba said:
Ooh, yeah, Sioux Falls is a great little town. One of the cleanest cities you'll ever find.
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If you have out of state plates, you dont get a parking ticket until you 'forget' to put money in the meter for the second time.

If I was in the financial industry and wanted small town living, I would probably move to the lake in Madison, SD and commute to one of the banks or CC companies in SF.
Someone was developing an air-park south of SF. Bixler Ridge iirc. Not sure how far that project ever got.
 
Grew up in Cincinnati, lived in England, East and West Coasts and traveled all over the country.

Live in Dayton OH area now and if the kids/grandkids weren't here, I'd move back to Cincy. It's big enough to have all the big city stuff but small enough to minimize hassles. Except on Fridays whenever everybody who is from Kentucky heads over the Brent Spence bridge going south. My hangar rent is $185/month and every county has a paved airport built by the state.

Same idea for KC, St Louis, Indy, etc. You couldn't pay me enough to get near either coast, Illinois or Florida (although my BIL/SIL moved to the Tampa area and love it).

Cheers
 
Surprised no-one has mentioned North Carolina.. And considering the OP's financial background, Charlotte has become a big banking center..

About a year ago there was an opportunity open to me for North Carolina.. We actually took a trip back there and looked at some homes in Davidson'/ Lake Norman area north of Charlotte. I was pretty impressed with the prices, lifestyle, and amenities, but the comp plan was not that impressive.. Another friend of mine has been there for the past few years... they moved down from Philadelphia to the Raleigh - Durham area and are loving it. The got about the same house for half the cost and some pretty "mild: winters compared to what they were use to.

As for aviation... NC brags about being the "First In Flight"... one would hope this carries over into today's world with a strong support for GA.

As for taxes... I am in California... anywhere else in the US going to better for me :(
 
Wow, lots of great advice. Thank you.

Let me add a little more details to give a better idea what I'm looking for.

Weather- I absolutely HATE humidity. I want to avoid it. NYC has been gross for the past 15-20 years, it seems like it gets worse every year. 90+ degrees and 80%+ humidity. Gross. I didn't know that Midwest summers are hot and humid. I thought it was a more temperate climate. Snow doesn't really bother me but then again a lot of snow for extended periods would definitely suck. Not big on oceans (can't swim) and been in the mountains once or twice as a kid.

Traffic- I have grown tired of NYC traffic. And NY drivers in general, they are always in a big hurry and mostly classless. They won't let you merge or let u turn left if they are driving in opposite direction. Then you have morons who wait until the very last second before the exit to try and force their way in front of you instead of waiting in line like most others. And the petty accidents, luckily I've only had a couple. But I had some guy sideswipe me on Saturday. I was going to the mall with my daughter and making a right turn from the right lane. A guy comes out of nowhere like a maniac driving on the parking lane and tries to pass me on the right as I'm making the right turn. Of course he smacked right into my right side. He pulls up half a block later and I behind him. I took a picture of his car and him walking towards me, but he didn't notice I guess. He comes over looks at my car and tries to get me to not call the cops. But it's a lease. so it has to go through insurance. Once he sees that I'm calling 911, he jumps in his car and takes off tires screeching. Luckily, I had his plate and face in the pic. His insurance told me this morning that they are taking 100% responsibility and mailing me the check for the damage. This kind of nonsense where if you drive like a normal person you get cursed at by classless idiots. I have young kids, so I don't drive like a typical NY'er. Just want some more relaxed normal people to deal with. Went to a wedding in Toledo, Ohio. Seemed like a nice small city feel. Only spent 2 days there.

People- I have started to realize the truth that there are a lot of classless people here. Complete ass-holes. But like somebody said, they are everywhere, just lower proportion/numbers.

Job- I'm only 41 so retirement is not an option yet. I will have to work. I worked in financial services, and I have a degree in economics, MBA in finance, and some experience in computer science during my undergrad days. Finding a job shouldn't be hard. Finding a good, well paying job-- I have no idea. But I'm not moving anywhere without securing at least a doable job first, and can always look for the great one once there. Wife doesn't really have a career, works a dead-end job just to get out of the house. So she doesn't care where we go.

Taxes- I agree NYC 3 tax system is a joke. When single, I was paying over 50%. Now it's 40.

Aviation- it's a hobby and I'm sure I could find it in most places or near by. Not a huge concern honestly, the family is first.

Other areas- The other area that I have looked at is the mid-Atlantic I think it's called. Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, maybe even West VA. And yes, NC too. Charlotte and Raleigh)

Again, I don't know if I will actually get laid off. I feel bad saying this but I'm secretly hoping that I do, so I can take my severance and go. If I'd find something great, I may just quit and go without a severance.
 
Caramon13 said:
@FloridaPilot I've lived in Florida for about 23 years now and I've been looking at jobs in the northeast actually heh..I hate this state. Can't wait to get out of here.

Yes there are some pros, but the job market S.U.C.K.S unless you are one of those folks that likes cleaning up old people poop or serving drinks to retirees for $5/hour.

Florida is the place for the newly wed and nearly dead.

Midwest sounds nice, I guess it depends on what you've been doing with the last 20 years as to what you want as an alternative. Wisconsin sounds like a really interesting choice, and Oshkosh is EAA's home so it would definitely be GA friendly I would presume.

The guy that bought my plane lives in Iowa, that seems to be a great place for GA and lots of opportunities for gliders there.
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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?
 
I'm surprised nobody mentioned Minneapolis. If I had to give up the beach...(Which I'm not..ever) I would move there. I need to be around some sort of water Because I scuba dive as well, Schools are great and its a very clean city, people are nice, good sports town...I enjoyed it!
 
Ventucky Red said:
Surprised no-one has mentioned North Carolina.. And considering the OP's financial background, Charlotte has become a big banking center..

About a year ago there was an opportunity open to me for North Carolina.. We actually took a trip back there and looked at some homes in Davidson'/ Lake Norman area north of Charlotte. I was pretty impressed with the prices, lifestyle, and amenities, but the comp plan was not that impressive.. Another friend of mine has been there for the past few years... they moved down from Philadelphia to the Raleigh - Durham area and are loving it. The got about the same house for half the cost and some pretty "mild: winters compared to what they were use to.

As for aviation... NC brags about being the "First In Flight"... one would hope this carries over into today's world with a strong support for GA.

As for taxes... I am in California... anywhere else in the US going to better for me :(
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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!
 
Norman said:
@orange,

Has the financial analyst in you considered Berkshire Hathaway? Omaha ain't all bad.
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I haven't. I'm more of a Business Analyst. Increasing productivity, efficiency, systems enhancements, etc. I guess it can be applied outside of financial services. Thanks
 
orange said:
Wow, lots of great advice. Thank you.

Let me add a little more details to give a better idea what I'm looking for.

Weather- I absolutely HATE humidity. I want to avoid it. NYC has been gross for the past 15-20 years, it seems like it gets worse every year. 90+ degrees and 80%+ humidity. Gross. I didn't know that Midwest summers are hot and humid. I thought it was a more temperate climate. Snow doesn't really bother me but then again a lot of snow for extended periods would definitely suck. Not big on oceans (can't swim) and been in the mountains once or twice as a kid.

Traffic- I have grown tired of NYC traffic. And NY drivers in general, they are always in a big hurry and mostly classless. They won't let you merge or let u turn left if they are driving in opposite direction. Then you have morons who wait until the very last second before the exit to try and force their way in front of you instead of waiting in line like most others. And the petty accidents, luckily I've only had a couple. But I had some guy sideswipe me on Saturday. I was going to the mall with my daughter and making a right turn from the right lane. A guy comes out of nowhere like a maniac driving on the parking lane and tries to pass me on the right as I'm making the right turn. Of course he smacked right into my right side. He pulls up half a block later and I behind him. I took a picture of his car and him walking towards me, but he didn't notice I guess. He comes over looks at my car and tries to get me to not call the cops. But it's a lease. so it has to go through insurance. Once he sees that I'm calling 911, he jumps in his car and takes off tires screeching. Luckily, I had his plate and face in the pic. His insurance told me this morning that they are taking 100% responsibility and mailing me the check for the damage. This kind of nonsense where if you drive like a normal person you get cursed at by classless idiots. I have young kids, so I don't drive like a typical NY'er. Just want some more relaxed normal people to deal with. Went to a wedding in Toledo, Ohio. Seemed like a nice small city feel. Only spent 2 days there.

People- I have started to realize the truth that there are a lot of classless people here. Complete ass-holes. But like somebody said, they are everywhere, just lower proportion/numbers.

Job- I'm only 41 so retirement is not an option yet. I will have to work. I worked in financial services, and I have a degree in economics, MBA in finance, and some experience in computer science during my undergrad days. Finding a job shouldn't be hard. Finding a good, well paying job-- I have no idea. But I'm not moving anywhere without securing at least a doable job first, and can always look for the great one once there. Wife doesn't really have a career, works a dead-end job just to get out of the house. So she doesn't care where we go.

Taxes- I agree NYC 3 tax system is a joke. When single, I was paying over 50%. Now it's 40.

Aviation- it's a hobby and I'm sure I could find it in most places or near by. Not a huge concern honestly, the family is first.

Other areas- The other area that I have looked at is the mid-Atlantic I think it's called. Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, maybe even West VA. And yes, NC too. Charlotte and Raleigh)

Again, I don't know if I will actually get laid off. I feel bad saying this but I'm secretly hoping that I do, so I can take my severance and go. If I'd find something great, I may just quit and go without a severance.
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If you are not happy at your job...do it get outta there with a plan. Life is too short, it would be an adventure to remember with the family. Get the entire family involved and come up with a plan of pros and cons and find a place that you all agree upon. Having an unhappy family on the trip is not cool.

You don't want humidity? stay away from all of the east coast states, VA, Maryland, Delaware all of them have comparable temps to NY.

Before you move someplace make sure you spend some time there, not as a tourist but doing everyday things, it's a big difference. I made that mistake moving to Seattle WA. I visited during the summer months and I thought the weather was nice all year around...silly me. Most of the year no sun, just overcast and drip, drip drip...it's like Chinese water torture. It wasn't for me!
 
So I know you didn't mention it (but X3 sort of did) but Dayton, Ohio is a nice place in the midwest for family and general aviation. With many GA airports around and a an Air Force base plus the origin of aviation with the Wright brothers, the aviation community is nice. It's not a huge city, but you have anything you could need AND you're only an hour from Cincinnati or Columbus and just a little further to Indianapolis (one of the nice perks about living in the east is the relatively close proximity to larger cities no matter where you live).

Wright-Patterson is large employer and if government work isn't your style you can certainly find a relatively stable job at a defense contractor in the area. There seems to be a large movement toward tech companies here, as well. Cost of living is low, just like anywhere in the Midwest, but you have the flexibility to live as close or as far from a large city as you like without being in the middle of nowhere--or being in the middle of nowhere if that's your style.

The weather is fantastic (I've lived in Georgia, Alabama, Oklahoma, and Arizona to compare). There are four seasons and none are extreme. To be honest, I wasn't looking forward to moving here but now that I've been here for a couple of years it has actually grown on me.

Best of luck with your search!
 
orange said:
I'm tired of the hustle and bustle of the big city, everybody always in a big hurry. I'm type A but I need a change, it's tiring. I never bought into the notion that NY'ers are ass--holes but recently I started noticing that many kind of are. I'm looking to settle down in a quiet community outside the big city where my kids can have a more peaceful life. I don't expect that I'll be able to make the money that I'm making now but cost of living is lower also, so it all balances out. I'm looking at suburbs around Indianapolis, Chicago
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I grew up in small town Georgia. I now live in the Chicago Suburbs and since your considering that, I will comment on it.

Chicago, while not NY, is a big city. The suburbs can only grow west due to the lake and the hustle and bustle exists all over the place out here. Traffic sucks and people are always in a hurry here as well. Just like a lot of places, there are good people but there are a lot more a-holes here than small town America. With that said, there are good places to raise kids and the schools are really good in many of our suburbs. The weather here sucks in my opinion. Cold/windy and snowy winters with no mountains nearby so the only thing to do with the snow is shovel/blow it. Cost of living here while probably not NY levels are high (i.e. my property taxes are about 19K a year).

As far as GA flying is concerned, it is easy to find places to rent (prices are sort of high). Clubs are sparse but can be found. I'd suggest owning your own plane and buying a hangar at KARR (that is where I have a hangar). It is the only suburb airport I'm aware of to own instead of pay the high rental prices for many unheated and really high heated hangars (the one I own is insulated and heated).

hangar.jpg

I'd throw out my suggestion of looking at CLT, AVL, CHA parts of the country but sounds like you don't want to deal with humidity (which the Chicago area isn't completely without in the summer).
 
Humidity bothers you? Shoot for an elevation above 5,000 ft. Anything else sucks. I used to drive down about 3,000 ft to Denver and told people it was humid.

Okay, I'm no help. Just had to tell my humidity story.
 
Norman said:
@orange,

Has the financial analyst in you considered Berkshire Hathaway? Omaha ain't all bad.
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That wouldn't work. They have only about 20 employees at corporate headquarters in Omaha. It's an incredibly decentralized conglomerate.
 
Agree with the advice to stay away from California. Live here my whole life, and this state is a complete joke. If it wasn't for the fact that my wife doesn't want to leave her job, we'd have moved out of state long ago.

I'd list the reasons to stay away, but I'd by typing all day.
 
orange said:
I'm thinking about taking my substantial severance and moving to the Midwest. I'm tired of the hustle and bustle of the big city, everybody always in a big hurry. I'm type A but I need a change, it's tiring. I never bought into the notion that NY'ers are ass--holes but recently I started noticing that many kind of are. I'm looking to settle down in a quiet community outside the big city where my kids can have a more peaceful life. I don't expect that I'll be able to make the money that I'm making now but cost of living is lower also, so it all balances out. I'm looking at suburbs around Indianapolis, Chicago, maybe even Wisconsin.
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Well scratch Chicago off your list.

I did a 15 year stretch in the Chicagoland area. I've had a hangar at Dupage and Lake in the Hills. Awfully expensive hangars up there. Hell, awfully expensive EVERYTHING up there.

Two years after leaving, the smile that I got when I saw that skyline in the rear view mirror is only now starting to wear off.

If I had to go back up to that area, I would opt for southern WI. You can be out in the middle of nowhere and still be able to hit Milwaukee in less than an hour. Or if you really need something from a BIG city, Chicago wouldn't be more than a 2 hour drive. Personally, Burlington, WI is pretty nice. Cheap fuel too.
 
Fort Wayne IN.
I lived there for 10 years. 2nd largest city of IN. Schools are good.
If I can convince my wife I will go back to FW in a heartbeat
 
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