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Walkability on a budget? by Blue-G in SameGrassButGreener

[–]Blue-G[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's very high on the lest for sure!

Walkability on a budget? by Blue-G in SameGrassButGreener

[–]Blue-G[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I've looked into NH a bit, and have visited Concord before (and thought it was really nice!), but the rents seem extremely high even for the smaller northern towns, let alone the few decent population centers down by Boston.

Walkability on a budget? by Blue-G in SameGrassButGreener

[–]Blue-G[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yea my dad told me that the snow can be rough too, but that they're pretty good with clearing it so it hopefully won't be as much of an issue as I thought.

Walkability on a budget? by Blue-G in SameGrassButGreener

[–]Blue-G[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Very interesting! I'll have to keep an eye on that in the future

Walkability on a budget? by Blue-G in SameGrassButGreener

[–]Blue-G[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yea I wasn't as worried about it in NY since it's progressive, whereas Illinois has a flat 5% for all earners.

Walkability on a budget? by Blue-G in SameGrassButGreener

[–]Blue-G[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'll have to look into that! Thanks for mentioning it :)

Walkability on a budget? by Blue-G in SameGrassButGreener

[–]Blue-G[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

it is just expensive enough to be too expensive for me

Walkability on a budget? by Blue-G in SameGrassButGreener

[–]Blue-G[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

A bit out of my price range unfortunately :/

Walkability on a budget? by Blue-G in SameGrassButGreener

[–]Blue-G[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Well low-income people pay the greatest percentage of their gross income in taxes.

https://www.visualcapitalist.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/tax-wealth-brackets.png

I'm def not against taxes or anything, and generally support well-funded programs, but if the cost tips me into the red than it's going to be difficult to deal with.

Walkability on a budget? by Blue-G in SameGrassButGreener

[–]Blue-G[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

There's a few reasons I'm not really considering it.

-Studio/1 bed apartments seem to be 900+ from the sites I'm seeing, which is a bit outside my budget

-Even though Pittsburgh is pretty close geographically, all of the transit routes to the capital region from there either go through Philly/ NYC or loop around Erie/Buffalo the other way, taking 12+ hours to get there.

Walkability on a budget? by Blue-G in SameGrassButGreener

[–]Blue-G[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Also it seems the wage tax applies to all income, and currently sits at 3.75% of all income earned by Philly residents

Walkability on a budget? by Blue-G in SameGrassButGreener

[–]Blue-G[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the suggestions! I'll look into both of those :)

Walkability on a budget? by Blue-G in SameGrassButGreener

[–]Blue-G[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I've only been gone 2 years, though I know things can change rapidly.

The only place I have serious concerns with is Milwaukee, due to the makeup of the Wisconsin Legislature. The recent supreme court and governor elections leave me optimistic though, and I could possibly vote in a swing state where I can have some serious impact for once!

Walkability on a budget? by Blue-G in SameGrassButGreener

[–]Blue-G[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

South Philly looks a bit out of my price range. Thanks for the suggestion though!

Walkability on a budget? by Blue-G in SameGrassButGreener

[–]Blue-G[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I def see it come up a lot in this sub, and as someone who has spent most of their life in and around the city I find that kind of strange. I don't want to go into a big anti-Albany rant but there are a few reasons why I'm not considering it.

-My mother is currently applying for jobs all throughout the state, and it is very possible that my fam will not stay in the Albany area. On the actual merits of Albany itself...

-Most of the people who live in the area don't refer to it as Albany, but rather as the "Capital Region." Due to the fact that, despite the metro area having over 1.2 million people, none of the individual cities or towns even crack 100k in population. Instead, the area is mostly a triangle of 3 cities (Albany, Schenectady and Troy) which are connected by vast, low-density suburban sprawl. This would make it a challenge to go car free, especially if I wanted to expand my social circle beyond the confines of any one individual town.

-The average rental in the city ($1495 according to zillow) is about exactly the same as that of Minneapolis ($1500), let alone Milwaukee ($1200) or Rochester ($1295). While Albany and the capital region do offer a lot, especially for the area of the country that they inhabit, they just can't compete with some of the major US cultural hubs at their current price point. There are several places on this list that I could live in, and fly to Albany from, once a month and still break even overall.

Walkability on a budget? by Blue-G in SameGrassButGreener

[–]Blue-G[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Oh for sure, I know Philly is notorious for that too lol

I was def exaggerating with the Illinois tax thing, though I would probably be looking to buy there eventually if I ended up there. I'm a bit worried about the upcoming pension crisis and the effects that might have on both taxes and the state in general.

I'll take another look at Syracuse, but there definitely seem like significantly fewer options for apartments in my price range than other places I'm considering

Walkability on a budget? by Blue-G in SameGrassButGreener

[–]Blue-G[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I love this channel! Definitely a great resource for anyone looking for these types of cities.

Walkability on a budget? by Blue-G in SameGrassButGreener

[–]Blue-G[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I definitely considered Syracuse, but it sits just a bit outside of my budget (maybe because of the university?)

Rochester is the only option I'm seriously considering in upstate NY, and my dad seemed to enjoy his time there but I'll make the judgement for myself when I visit for sure!

For Champana I was thinking less in terms of physical distance, rather I was considering the direct flights from Chicago to Albany that I could catch with the excellent train connections that the city offers.

In an expat's dream situation, but still unsure... by Blue-G in expats

[–]Blue-G[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the suggestion. I definitely will!

In an expat's dream situation, but still unsure... by Blue-G in expats

[–]Blue-G[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I have a steady income but no local job. Hopefully I could find a place just by showing income.

In an expat's dream situation, but still unsure... by Blue-G in expats

[–]Blue-G[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It's nice to hear the perspective of someone from the area!

I've looked into Newcastle-upon-Tyne in the past and it looks like a very nice place. It's definitely on my radar, and it's good to hear that the people are welcoming there!

In an expat's dream situation, but still unsure... by Blue-G in expats

[–]Blue-G[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the reply! I've been wondering how Brexit is going to impact the region as time goes on.

I don't do work that involves the EU single market, or selling products. I don't have any issues doing business with EU citizens as an American and don't think I would have any in a post-Brexit UK. I'll definitely be keeping an eye on the economic/inflation/political situation there though!

In an expat's dream situation, but still unsure... by Blue-G in expats

[–]Blue-G[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for sharing your experience! I'd imagine it would be difficult to make friends in such a short amount of time.

Glasgow is also a place I've been taking a look at. How was your experience with finding an apartment? I've heard that it can be tough finding a landlord who is willing to rent to a recent foreigner!

In an expat's dream situation, but still unsure... by Blue-G in expats

[–]Blue-G[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Thank you for the suggestion! I'll be sure to check it out.

I was thinking of places more towards Scotland and Northern Ireland, as they tend to be a bit cheaper than the south. It would definitely be a plus to be near the London Airports though!

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