Ask HN: Newly Remote Workers – Where Are You Moving?
281 comments
For me, this is the number one reason that I work remote. Here was my thought process:
- Identify the thing you really want to do most in life.
- Find the place in the world where you can do that the best.
- Find a house there.
For me, as a rock climber, that meant moving to a little village near Fontainebleau, France, where they keep the best Bouldering in the world.
For you, it might mean finding the best concentration of snowboarding, a really good surf break that somehow has affordable houses near it (which probably means Puerto Rico, from my research), a cheapish southwestern Austin'y town with a good music scene, or if you're lucky in choosing your hobbies, a beautiful, unknown trout stream way up in the hills.
It could also turn out that the place you want to be is "The Road". There's something to be said for flying one-way to a strange corner of the world, and slowly making your way through it while working from the laptop (3G is ubiquitous nearly everywhere you'd expect it wouldn't exist). You might need to choose your spot carefully this year in particular, but this was what I did for 10 years or so before settling on that house.
The important thing is that it's actually somewhere you'd rather be spending your time, so make sure you really know what it is that you want out of life. Because if there's no reason to be near an office, it only makes sense to be near something better.
- Identify the thing you really want to do most in life.
- Find the place in the world where you can do that the best.
- Find a house there.
For me, as a rock climber, that meant moving to a little village near Fontainebleau, France, where they keep the best Bouldering in the world.
For you, it might mean finding the best concentration of snowboarding, a really good surf break that somehow has affordable houses near it (which probably means Puerto Rico, from my research), a cheapish southwestern Austin'y town with a good music scene, or if you're lucky in choosing your hobbies, a beautiful, unknown trout stream way up in the hills.
It could also turn out that the place you want to be is "The Road". There's something to be said for flying one-way to a strange corner of the world, and slowly making your way through it while working from the laptop (3G is ubiquitous nearly everywhere you'd expect it wouldn't exist). You might need to choose your spot carefully this year in particular, but this was what I did for 10 years or so before settling on that house.
The important thing is that it's actually somewhere you'd rather be spending your time, so make sure you really know what it is that you want out of life. Because if there's no reason to be near an office, it only makes sense to be near something better.
But what if the place you really want to be is... wait for it... the office. I get that's not a popular choice, but there's few things I love more than going to work. I know, I'm in a niche, but it's a thing. I am a passionate workaholic, I can do a lot of it from home, but I do my best work in the office with others and, damn, do I miss it.
That's fine, just dont expect everyone else to change their lifestyle to accommodate you.
This is a delicious reversal of common wisdom :)
Perhaps you would move to wherever the world's best co-working spaces are concentrated?
The thought just crossed my kind, will they have to institute hazard pay for office workers?
Nothing bad about that
Hey!
Would you mind detailing a bit of your process. Indoors climber here, and planning a vacation trip to Fontainebleau in the next 1-2 years (depending on state of pandemic).
Few questions come to my mind: - Where was your initial setup (France, EU, overseas)? - How much savings did you have? - Which industry? - Are you working remote as FTE, or are you freelancer/consulting/having your own company? - How's the internet, doctors, infrastructure?
Thanks!
Few questions come to my mind: - Where was your initial setup (France, EU, overseas)? - How much savings did you have? - Which industry? - Are you working remote as FTE, or are you freelancer/consulting/having your own company? - How's the internet, doctors, infrastructure?
Thanks!
I started doing this back before Remote was really a thing. So initially, I'd work short 3-6 month contracts on-site in the 'states with 9-12 month stints of travelling in between.
Eventually, as it became more possible, I started lugging a laptop along and doing client work from the beach on rest days from climbing. I'd sometimes stop in one place for a month or so just to go heads down for a client or on my own project stuff.
In 2011, I took a full-time contract for a fully remote company in the 'states, while living in England. I was their furthest "remote" employee at the time, though they quickly started hiring more once they realized that it worked. There were guys on the team working poolside while digital nomadding around the world by the time I left 5 years later.
France happened after a long search to find a good surf break to set up shop at. The issue there is that surf always happens right next to the beach, where they keep all the $5M houses. Or in places full of grumpy expat American surfers that we decided we didn't want to be our sole source of potential friends.
Climbers, on the other hand, don't get grumpy and territorial over climbing areas. They're just generally lots of fun to be around, so the only real trick is to find a place that you won't climb out. Most crags have only a few hundred routes at the level you'll be operating at (even factoring in improvement from living next to said crag), so lots of cool places (including Tonsai beach iteslf) got ruled out on those grounds. Font, however, has 30,000 problems recorded and new 7th grade lines going up at the rate of about one every 3 days. It'll be tough to catch up.
As to living, it works itself out. They have doctors, grocery stores and schools everywhere in the world. Do what the locals do and you'll be fine.
Hope to see you out here one of these days!
EDIT: It occurs that I actually wrote a whole article on this once. Shoulda just linked it:
https://expatsoftware.com/articles/guy-on-the-beach-with-a-l...
Eventually, as it became more possible, I started lugging a laptop along and doing client work from the beach on rest days from climbing. I'd sometimes stop in one place for a month or so just to go heads down for a client or on my own project stuff.
In 2011, I took a full-time contract for a fully remote company in the 'states, while living in England. I was their furthest "remote" employee at the time, though they quickly started hiring more once they realized that it worked. There were guys on the team working poolside while digital nomadding around the world by the time I left 5 years later.
France happened after a long search to find a good surf break to set up shop at. The issue there is that surf always happens right next to the beach, where they keep all the $5M houses. Or in places full of grumpy expat American surfers that we decided we didn't want to be our sole source of potential friends.
Climbers, on the other hand, don't get grumpy and territorial over climbing areas. They're just generally lots of fun to be around, so the only real trick is to find a place that you won't climb out. Most crags have only a few hundred routes at the level you'll be operating at (even factoring in improvement from living next to said crag), so lots of cool places (including Tonsai beach iteslf) got ruled out on those grounds. Font, however, has 30,000 problems recorded and new 7th grade lines going up at the rate of about one every 3 days. It'll be tough to catch up.
As to living, it works itself out. They have doctors, grocery stores and schools everywhere in the world. Do what the locals do and you'll be fine.
Hope to see you out here one of these days!
EDIT: It occurs that I actually wrote a whole article on this once. Shoulda just linked it:
https://expatsoftware.com/articles/guy-on-the-beach-with-a-l...
> don't get grumpy and territorial over climbing areas
Surfers too were once stoked to share. I imagine climbing will soon reach that critical mass?
Nice of you to share this. I'm moving nearer to the coast for the surf/climbing/hiking. (2020 plan, pre covid, now accelerated!)
edit:
> "I suppose", I said, "I could stick around on a Contract..."
Nice article, I like the pic of you doing support on that sailing boat
Surfers too were once stoked to share. I imagine climbing will soon reach that critical mass?
Nice of you to share this. I'm moving nearer to the coast for the surf/climbing/hiking. (2020 plan, pre covid, now accelerated!)
edit:
> "I suppose", I said, "I could stick around on a Contract..."
Nice article, I like the pic of you doing support on that sailing boat
I don’t disagree with you but I want to highlight a similar-but-different choice. For me, remote work (years ago and now financial independence) has meant staying close to my family, in the same neighborhood I grew up in.
I still take a few months off to go live in Japan or wherever every year, but I mostly use freedom to optimize for relationships instead of activities. I still see the same group of highschool friends every week - going on 25 years now.
It’s not as adventurous, but this is what my life is about.
I still take a few months off to go live in Japan or wherever every year, but I mostly use freedom to optimize for relationships instead of activities. I still see the same group of highschool friends every week - going on 25 years now.
It’s not as adventurous, but this is what my life is about.
Indeed, you're actually following the 3 steps. Your "thing" just happens to be family & friends, so naturally the best place to live for doing that is where those people are.
Saves a lot of work with step three! All the best.
Saves a lot of work with step three! All the best.
Chattanooga most likely. My company is doing 85% base salary with no adjustment to RSUs. Tennessee is a great place to save money due to 1) no state income tax, 2) no capital gains taxes, and 3) low cost of living. I estimate I’ll be able to save ~$100k more per year than I currently am in the Bay Area. Plus Chattanooga is known for having some of the fastest internet in the country, rolled out by the city a few years ago. Signal Mountain has great schools for when my kids are older, and it doesn’t hurt that it’s a naturally beautiful place as well (https://i.pinimg.com/originals/66/c2/24/66c22405229f125fea23...).
I’d really like to move to Asheville or Charleston, but the taxes make it a bit too much of a premium over Chattanooga.
I’d really like to move to Asheville or Charleston, but the taxes make it a bit too much of a premium over Chattanooga.
Chattanooga and EPB (our aforementioned fast internet) are both pretty awesome. I see a definite uptick in people from out of state moving here over the past 6 months, which is stretching the area's housing supply. We also had a tornado come through in April and damage or destroy several hundred homes. So if you do end up moving here, just beware the housing market is a little hectic at the moment.
I’m sorry to hear about the tornado. That’s devastating. I hope the repair efforts are going well.
Wife and I chose to move back to Knoxville a year or two ago for similar reasons. Have looked at moving to NC or GA but the extra taxes don't make it that appealing.
I think if I hadn't known Knoxville before, I'd have chosen Chatt due to the internet and vibe. But I can't complain as I've always loved Knoxville.
I think if I hadn't known Knoxville before, I'd have chosen Chatt due to the internet and vibe. But I can't complain as I've always loved Knoxville.
Saving 100k more! Wow, that's an impressive difference.
To be fair, a lot of that is due to us paying much more than we should be at the moment for a nice two bedroom apartment for our family.
I've thought about eastern TN as a place to move. I would prefer a slightly cooler climate though. Eastern KY would be good for me, but they don't have the same tax benefits. It's tough to find a place that checks all the right boxes. I guess it really doesn't matter for me because my wife won't move anyways.
What? No Capital gains taxes? Sounds too good to be true. Can you elaborate more?
Edit: California doesn't distinguish between income and capital gain. Federal, though, you would still have to pay even if you go to Tennessee, right?
Edit: California doesn't distinguish between income and capital gain. Federal, though, you would still have to pay even if you go to Tennessee, right?
He meant no Tennessee state capital gains taxes. You still have the Federal capital gains taxes.
Sounds Awesome! How did you decide to move to Chattanooga? Where can I learn more?
[deleted]
We tried to move to Santa Cruz. My significant other grew up near there and desperately wants to be near her friends again. Turns out, all the Bay Area peeps wanted to do the same. Rents haven’t gone down there and the competition is really fierce. (“Honey, what if you got a job at Looker/Google?! We could be in Santa Cruz forever!!!”)
Started thinking about moving to Denver...
But, I don’t really want to move yet. See - the thing is - I’m in the Bay Area because I want to make it. I came here because I needed /a/ job. Then I got sucked in and decided I wanted /the/ job. I want to get the big $$$ and be able to afford that nice house in Los Gatos with a 911 in my driveway. Doesn’t mean I would pull the trigger if I had the money - I won’t know until I’m there. But moving away - well, it means that’s definitely never going to happen. I’m not ready to accept that level of failure yet. After all, I’m not even 30 yet. I got a few days left. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.
Started thinking about moving to Denver...
But, I don’t really want to move yet. See - the thing is - I’m in the Bay Area because I want to make it. I came here because I needed /a/ job. Then I got sucked in and decided I wanted /the/ job. I want to get the big $$$ and be able to afford that nice house in Los Gatos with a 911 in my driveway. Doesn’t mean I would pull the trigger if I had the money - I won’t know until I’m there. But moving away - well, it means that’s definitely never going to happen. I’m not ready to accept that level of failure yet. After all, I’m not even 30 yet. I got a few days left. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.
What's "the" job? Are we talking founder or corporate ladder? How much does this dream house cost?
Having heard this conversation enough times, here is some data:
> The median home value in Los Gatos is $1,984,735.
https://www.zillow.com/los-gatos-ca/home-values/
L6/E6/etc... should do it
https://www.levels.fyi/
> The median home value in Los Gatos is $1,984,735.
https://www.zillow.com/los-gatos-ca/home-values/
L6/E6/etc... should do it
https://www.levels.fyi/
Pretty sure the writer’s being sarcastic.
There's comedic embellishments in there but it's all painfully true...
Where from? SF?
In the same situation also trying to climb the corporate ladder but more interested in early retirement than material wealth. I'm guessing that the FAANG that I work for will go to commute-one-day-per-week for everyone when this is all over so we're taking that bet and moving to Napa this week. 1.5 hour commute one day per week (when we eventually go back) is doable in exchange for the huge decrease in cost vs Santa Cruz (where we also looked). If it doesn't work out, we'll reevaluate in a year and maybe move again. Worst case: we saved a ton of money on real estate for a year.
1.5 hour commute is remote? I have done that for years. I would consider 3 hours one way remote as I have done that too but couldn't last more than 6 weeks before being burned out.
Don't ruin your life for materialism.
You don't need to own a 911 and a nice house in a super expensive part of the world to be happy and have a very successful life.
It's nice and important to have goals, but it seems like you are falling for a classic capitalism trick : you always want more expensive possessions and you keep working hard for that. Overall, nobody really cares about what you are driving and how nice is your kitchen.
You can rent a 911 and a nice house for holidays if it's your dream. And move on.
You don't need to own a 911 and a nice house in a super expensive part of the world to be happy and have a very successful life.
It's nice and important to have goals, but it seems like you are falling for a classic capitalism trick : you always want more expensive possessions and you keep working hard for that. Overall, nobody really cares about what you are driving and how nice is your kitchen.
You can rent a 911 and a nice house for holidays if it's your dream. And move on.
The only thing good about los gatos is that you might see Woz riding around on a segway. That place sucks!
I'm not newly remote as I made the move a little over 3 years ago. That said, I moved to Northern Georgia specifically to work remotely. I have an incredible (inexpensive) house that gets fiber internet, live in an inexpensive area, have luxuries pretty close (Apple store, Wholefoods, Tesla, etc), 45 min south of the mountains, live just off a lake and I'm only an hour outside of Atlanta.
There are very few places in the country that can give me all of these things I want at a bargain value. Even though I'm 100% remote, I always have Atlanta to fall back on if remote work dries up. I can't stress how important that peace of mind is (pun intended). I've lived and worked in the Pacific Northwest and just couldn't make it work financially.
There are very few places in the country that can give me all of these things I want at a bargain value. Even though I'm 100% remote, I always have Atlanta to fall back on if remote work dries up. I can't stress how important that peace of mind is (pun intended). I've lived and worked in the Pacific Northwest and just couldn't make it work financially.
Are you at the top end of Lanier? I'm in midtown Atlanta now and looking to buy a place outside of town I can escape to.
Yup, I'm in Gainesville. Not directly on the lake, but it's across the street and I have easy access to the water.
Ahh Gainesville, the poultry processing center of the universe.
Good place to be, as long as you're not a chicken.
Good place to be, as long as you're not a chicken.
Lol, yeah. I live on the edge of Chattahoochee Estates so I'm pretty far from downtown. I used to live in Cumming and the protein plant in Northern Cumming was brutal... smells there are unlike anything I've experienced. Big reason why I moved to Gainesville.
Lake Lanier is amazing, get a boat. All of the islands just waiting for you pull up to a secluded beach on and spend the day.
I don't have a dock myself, but I do live very close to a boat launch. I'm planning to get a battery powered boat (evaluating the options now) at some point... not sure how far out I'll be able to safely go.
That sounds great! What are the winters like? Does it snow there? Do the roads ice up?
I’ve always wanted to buy some land there to recreation. I’d love any advice you want to share.
I’ve always wanted to buy some land there to recreation. I’d love any advice you want to share.
Moved to Reno, NV. Already sold all my property in the bay area and went back to renting. No state income tax in NV! and we have lake tahoe close by. I sold my property because I'm figuring that the bay area is going to be less appealing from a property investment stand point, so I cashed out while prices are still high.
I honestly don't see companies going back to in-office stuff, at least not as much as it was in the past. I could see meetings and stuff like that being in-person. My company has already basically transitioned to 100% online and our productivity has increased overall so no way we are going back to in-office working exclusively.
I honestly don't see companies going back to in-office stuff, at least not as much as it was in the past. I could see meetings and stuff like that being in-person. My company has already basically transitioned to 100% online and our productivity has increased overall so no way we are going back to in-office working exclusively.
What are you going to do if your company makes an adjusted cost of living to your compensation? My company is already advising people to come back near our address due to tax reasons.
> What are you going to do if your company makes an adjusted cost of living to your compensation?
Move to Hawaii? :)
Move to Hawaii? :)
If you get a cost of living adjustment, you still live in a place with much lower cost of living which gives you way more flexibility.
If 50% of income goes to rent, you burn right through your savings if you want some time off.
If 50% of income goes to rent, you burn right through your savings if you want some time off.
Or, you change jobs :)
I would file my resignation immediately if my employer tried to do "regional" pay. An employee is worth what they are worth, locale shouldn't effect that.
What's your definition of 'worth' though. Dev salaries are way inflated in very specific regions due to high demand and low supply. If location becomes less important, salaries will normalize... which means down if you're from the Bay area.
I'm all for normalizing pay, then all the talent won't go to the Bay, stack cash, then move back to middle America? Worth it determined by the market, of course.
Yeah, I don't want to be an employee all my life.
Reno is a very big change... Did you grow up there or? I’ve never really met anyone who said they were moving to Reno and works in tech (especially from the Bay Area).
Also, how much did you sell in the Bay? I’m just kinda like... “why live in Reno if you sold Bay Area property and therefore could easily buy a house in Lake Tahoe proper...”
Also, how much did you sell in the Bay? I’m just kinda like... “why live in Reno if you sold Bay Area property and therefore could easily buy a house in Lake Tahoe proper...”
Not moving at all because I'm remote temporarily and I'll likely have to move back to a big city in a few months.
Another thing to consider is that if you're young and don't have a family yet, moving to a remote location where you'll be completely alone just so you can pay less for rent seems kind of dumb.
Yet another thing - nobody's job is all that secure right now. Even if attitudes towards remote work have changed, a big city is still your best chance of finding work. So if you're laid off in near the future, living in the middle of nowhere will only make things worse.
Another thing to consider is that if you're young and don't have a family yet, moving to a remote location where you'll be completely alone just so you can pay less for rent seems kind of dumb.
Yet another thing - nobody's job is all that secure right now. Even if attitudes towards remote work have changed, a big city is still your best chance of finding work. So if you're laid off in near the future, living in the middle of nowhere will only make things worse.
> moving to a remote location where you'll be completely alone just so you can pay less for rent seems kind of dumb.
I’m sorry but this just strikes me as an extremely black-and-white view of the world. I for one moved to a village after college, work remotely for about 10y, and couldn’t be happier. I have a decent sized house, my backyard is the start of a small forest, and I’m in a city in about 1h of traveling.
To each their own, I guess, but I can equally make a case why moving to a city to pay high rent prices seems kind of dumb.
I’m sorry but this just strikes me as an extremely black-and-white view of the world. I for one moved to a village after college, work remotely for about 10y, and couldn’t be happier. I have a decent sized house, my backyard is the start of a small forest, and I’m in a city in about 1h of traveling.
To each their own, I guess, but I can equally make a case why moving to a city to pay high rent prices seems kind of dumb.
> but I can equally make a case why moving to a city to pay high rent prices seems kind of dumb.
No one moves to a city to pay high rent prices. The higher rent is a tradeoff that you make for certain benefits of living in a big city (which may or may not be worth it for each individual). My point was that when you move to a remote location purely for the lower cost (which people do), you're making another set of tradeoffs that are often ignored.
No one moves to a city to pay high rent prices. The higher rent is a tradeoff that you make for certain benefits of living in a big city (which may or may not be worth it for each individual). My point was that when you move to a remote location purely for the lower cost (which people do), you're making another set of tradeoffs that are often ignored.
It seems the people making out most are the ones moving back in with their parents. Rent free and social interaction.
I don’t think social interaction with parents is what young people are after.
Social interaction outside one’s household is banned and will remain banned for a long time. You could meet people illicitly but I’d expect a selection bias against conscientiousness in the pool of people up for meeting strangers right now. That doesn’t bode well for stable relationships.
What area are you in where you're not allowed to meet your friends? It's not banned where I am. You're just supposed to wear a mask and maintain distance.
San Francisco. Some outdoors activities are permitted if you wear a mask and maintain distance from other groups, but within your group it's only supposed to be members of your own household.
Obviously no one is going to check whether a couple is actually cohabitating or whether a group of friends are actually roommates. Compliance is low. But that's why this mess is dragging on forever.
Obviously no one is going to check whether a couple is actually cohabitating or whether a group of friends are actually roommates. Compliance is low. But that's why this mess is dragging on forever.
There are health officials (I don't know what to call them) going around Mission Dolores Park handing out masks to groups sitting together that don't cohabitate. Banned implies they would have park rangers instead going around issuing tickets like they do for having glass, etc.
While I agree that lackadaisical response is making this drag on, I don't think San Francisco contributes much to that.
While I agree that lackadaisical response is making this drag on, I don't think San Francisco contributes much to that.
The public health order says "recreating only with people in the same household" [0]. I have seen similar signage for outdoor dining
Prioritizing harm reduction interventions (e.g. handing out masks) over punitive enforcement (e.g. tickets) is more of a general San Francisco policy. Still illegal.
[0] http://sfrecpark.org/AlertCenter.aspx?AID=June-1-Health-Orde...
Prioritizing harm reduction interventions (e.g. handing out masks) over punitive enforcement (e.g. tickets) is more of a general San Francisco policy. Still illegal.
[0] http://sfrecpark.org/AlertCenter.aspx?AID=June-1-Health-Orde...
Depends entirely on where you live.
In Denmark, private meeting has never been banned, and public meeting was limited to 10 at the strictest point.
In Denmark, private meeting has never been banned, and public meeting was limited to 10 at the strictest point.
You would have to be insane to move because you've recently been given remote work privileges, especially in the middle of a recession caused by an ongoing pandemic.
Companies provide remote work options all the time and once you move they ask you to come back into the office out of the blue thenlay remote workers off if they cant come back into the office.
The other thing you need to keep in mind is a lot of the places you want to live have people who don't want you living there. If they find out you work remote and don't need anyone they will start screwing around with your life.
If you move and work remote be extremely careful, dont assume you're welcome anywhere in the countrh a lot of places are filled with backwards luddites who hate anyone in STEM fields. Yes, this is a real thing.
Companies provide remote work options all the time and once you move they ask you to come back into the office out of the blue thenlay remote workers off if they cant come back into the office.
The other thing you need to keep in mind is a lot of the places you want to live have people who don't want you living there. If they find out you work remote and don't need anyone they will start screwing around with your life.
If you move and work remote be extremely careful, dont assume you're welcome anywhere in the countrh a lot of places are filled with backwards luddites who hate anyone in STEM fields. Yes, this is a real thing.
> If they find out you work remote and don't need anyone they will start screwing around with your life.
I've lived in po-dunk farmlands in flyover states and actual swamp towns of 900 residents during my time as a remote software developer, and have never experienced any of this. I don't understand why it would ever come up. Can you elaborate?
I've lived in po-dunk farmlands in flyover states and actual swamp towns of 900 residents during my time as a remote software developer, and have never experienced any of this. I don't understand why it would ever come up. Can you elaborate?
If you start a trend and the cost of living goes up, it will cause some tension.
It would also increase local demand and revenue for whatever businesses they frequent. But nowadays that’s less of a given than ever before for sure.
I will warn you though that if you move from population centers you will soon discover a lack of the stores and entertainment venues from them.
I will warn you though that if you move from population centers you will soon discover a lack of the stores and entertainment venues from them.
Exactly, a lot of people move into small towns and then unintentionally create tension with locals because they have purchasing power that is 3 to 20x anyone in the surrounding area. Most people don't factor in envy when they move someplace.
They also don't realize there could be some cultural differences and push for changes that the original people don't want.
It's common sense but spending time listening and learning before spouting opinions will probably help smooth relationships with the locals.
Absolutely.
On a side note, I have a neighbor that decided to run for local office the first year he moved to our town. I found it interesting that someone would want to run for office before getting to know the people, not to mention that's a pretty quick time to form opinions about the town's politicians to the point of wanting to take their office. I guess it doesn't matter since he wasn't elected.
On a side note, I have a neighbor that decided to run for local office the first year he moved to our town. I found it interesting that someone would want to run for office before getting to know the people, not to mention that's a pretty quick time to form opinions about the town's politicians to the point of wanting to take their office. I guess it doesn't matter since he wasn't elected.
> ask you to come back into the office out of the blue
I watched this happen a few jobs ago. New CTO came in and changed everything. Fired all the Business analysts and gutted a few other teams. The few remote workers were told to move back or say goodbye.
I watched this happen a few jobs ago. New CTO came in and changed everything. Fired all the Business analysts and gutted a few other teams. The few remote workers were told to move back or say goodbye.
>"If you move and work remote be extremely careful, dont assume you're welcome anywhere in the countrh a lot of places are filled with backwards luddites who hate anyone in STEM fields. Yes, this is a real thing."
I imagine if that's your attitude then you are pretty much guaranteed to experience that wherever you choose to move. Even another big city.
I imagine if that's your attitude then you are pretty much guaranteed to experience that wherever you choose to move. Even another big city.
I agree with this, but would also add that it might not be STEM related. If one moves to an area with a cultural views different from their own, they may see some backlash, especially if they are pushing for changes or show support for those changes (like political bumper stickers).
Please, stay right where you are.
>The other thing you need to keep in mind is a lot of the places you want to live have people who don't want you living there. If they find out you work remote and don't need anyone they will start screwing around with your life.
>If you move and work remote be extremely careful, dont assume you're welcome anywhere in the countrh a lot of places are filled with backwards luddites who hate anyone in STEM fields. Yes, this is a real thing.
I've never experienced this, especially renting long term 3months + or airbnb for weeks-monthly.
--
>thenlay remote workers off if they cant come back into the office.
Agreed, this is the IBM and Yahoo plan all over again.
>If you move and work remote be extremely careful, dont assume you're welcome anywhere in the countrh a lot of places are filled with backwards luddites who hate anyone in STEM fields. Yes, this is a real thing.
I've never experienced this, especially renting long term 3months + or airbnb for weeks-monthly.
--
>thenlay remote workers off if they cant come back into the office.
Agreed, this is the IBM and Yahoo plan all over again.
You would have to be insane to move because you've recently been given remote work privileges, especially in the middle of a recession caused by an ongoing pandemic.
This is why I'm staying put in San Jose, at least for now.
This is why I'm staying put in San Jose, at least for now.
[deleted]
Do you have personal experience with the Luddite situation? Could you elaborate how you got that view?
Either coastal Carolinas or Hawaii. We like living near the ocean and access to good outdoors activities on land.
Coastal Carolinas is much more affordable than Hawaii and more access to certain outdoor activities (hunting and freshwater fishing). Also not as isolated as Hawaii.
But Hawaii looks incredible. I hope to visit them both and make a decision when more things are open in both places to get a feel for them.
I think both are probably close to tech wastelands so will need to have employment that allows remote from those states to do it.
But Hawaii looks incredible. I hope to visit them both and make a decision when more things are open in both places to get a feel for them.
I think both are probably close to tech wastelands so will need to have employment that allows remote from those states to do it.
I live in Hawaii. I've found that even though most companies are used to working across Pacific through Eastern time zones, they still want me to be online earlier, even though they don't expect someone in California to be online for an East coast morning. It feels unfair.
And you're right, it's definitely a tech wasteland here. And the predominant culture of locals and hippies is anti-intellectual. But it's great to live near the ocean, hiking trails and one of the safest places in the US (if you're not directly in Honolulu)
And you're right, it's definitely a tech wasteland here. And the predominant culture of locals and hippies is anti-intellectual. But it's great to live near the ocean, hiking trails and one of the safest places in the US (if you're not directly in Honolulu)
> anti-intellectual
What does this mean to you?
What does this mean to you?
It means people don't value curiosity, don't care for science or anything that requires intellectual rigor. You'll never be able to host any kind of technical meetup here, no one would care to come. At least on the outer islands, maybe in Honolulu on O'ahu you could.
Are you on the Hawaii Slack? https://www.hawaiislack.com/
It's a small community but not totally a wasteland
It's a small community but not totally a wasteland
Thanks I didn't know about that!
If you like Hawaii and the Outer Banks area, you may want to visit the FL Keys if you have not been here. It is almost like you took the two places and blended them together. As well, no better fishing in the world other than maybe the Bahamas. Cost of living here is more than coastal Carolina, but less than Hawaii.
There is not much hunting on the islands, other than iguanas, but there is a big spearfishing community which is a lot like hunting underwater. That being said, there is hog, duck, python and alligator hunting 2 hours up the road in the everglades.
There is not much hunting on the islands, other than iguanas, but there is a big spearfishing community which is a lot like hunting underwater. That being said, there is hog, duck, python and alligator hunting 2 hours up the road in the everglades.
The traffic gets so bad in the keys though. Especially on weekends.
Depends on where you live in the Keys, Islamorada is horrible, Marathon can be bad, but the Lower Keys usually flows, it may be at the speed limit or a little under but it does flow. Key West is hit or miss, usually once you get past the triangle, it flows decently and it is only bad half the year.
do people really go python hunting?
Yes it's become a big sport due to the fact that the State of FL issues bounties where you can claim a cash prize, or a coin, or various other things for proof of a Python kill. Plus you get to keep the snake and sell it to a tanner, who will butcher it and provide you with the meat if you want it. They have dedicated agents now for eradication, but the cash bounties used to be available to the general public. They still offer them from time to time.
I am a hunter (I eat what I kill, I don't kill for the sake of getting the kill), and I will tell you, Python hunting ranks up there as one of the craziest, scariest hunting I have ever done. They just don't die, their nervous system takes over when you shoot them and they are pissed, they know who shot them, and they want payback. They come straight for you and you have to get enough shots in a fast moving snakes head before he gets to you, to stop them. I have literally had to shoot one with my sidearm, as he latched onto my leg and was winding up on me. Python hunting is not for the faint of heart.
https://www.sfwmd.gov/our-work/python-program#:~:text=An%20a....
I am a hunter (I eat what I kill, I don't kill for the sake of getting the kill), and I will tell you, Python hunting ranks up there as one of the craziest, scariest hunting I have ever done. They just don't die, their nervous system takes over when you shoot them and they are pissed, they know who shot them, and they want payback. They come straight for you and you have to get enough shots in a fast moving snakes head before he gets to you, to stop them. I have literally had to shoot one with my sidearm, as he latched onto my leg and was winding up on me. Python hunting is not for the faint of heart.
https://www.sfwmd.gov/our-work/python-program#:~:text=An%20a....
The main problem i've heard from working remote out of Hawaii is the time difference. but maybe companies are more lenient about that in covid-times
Left my $500k TC job because my remote offer got rescinded mid-move when a new VP abruptly took over our BU. He didn't "believe" in colocated teams. This was right before COVID hit and everyone was forced remote. Wish I could laugh in his face over the fact that the pandemic doesn't give a shit about his opinion on remote workers.
I'm so sorry that happened, were you able to find something else in that range quickly?
Staying in Brooklyn, but without a commute. New York is still a nice place to live, and rent prices seem to have come down 10-20%.
Let’s see how things are looking come winter though. Could be pretty grim without bars/restaurants to go to.
Let’s see how things are looking come winter though. Could be pretty grim without bars/restaurants to go to.
In Brooklyn too and this summer's been great. Don't have to take the subway. All the bars and restaurants have patios, and my friends and I can get together for hikes and BBQs every weekend. However, I'm worried the QoL is gonna tank once the weather stops being so nice because I every one of these pandemic-resistant activies is weather-dependent
Wow - are we living in the same borough? Brooklyn has been a nightmare for me. It's gone downhill fast in my area - horrifyingly dirty streets and sidewalks, junkies laying around everywhere, there's even a pile of stolen belts being watched over by homeless people on my corner. This is in an area where a 3BR apt is at least $3k/month.
I can't wait to get out. Been here ten years, working remotely for the past five. Can't really justify it anymore unless things improve quickly. Got randomly assaulted outside my own building a few weeks back - the guy didn't even try to take anything. Just punched me in the face five times and ran off. I went through a similar wave in the late 80s as a kid, I don't like the looks of all this.
It may get bad for you quickly as well. Consider being ready with a plan B.
I can't wait to get out. Been here ten years, working remotely for the past five. Can't really justify it anymore unless things improve quickly. Got randomly assaulted outside my own building a few weeks back - the guy didn't even try to take anything. Just punched me in the face five times and ran off. I went through a similar wave in the late 80s as a kid, I don't like the looks of all this.
It may get bad for you quickly as well. Consider being ready with a plan B.
What neighborhood?
What do you think the reason is? I assumed this would happen.
It's gonna be terrible once November comes. I'm not renewing my lease, just gonna go home and live with the parents, buy a car with the savings and drive around, camp, airbnb. Chill. save a ton, etc.
cause of the election?
No just because the weather. In the winter, all the best stuff to do in NYC (indoor cozy dates, raves, jazz bar, museum, parties) are not gonna be happening much at all.
What's the point of paying 2k+ to be there if you're just gonna sit inside all day.
What's the point of paying 2k+ to be there if you're just gonna sit inside all day.
We're now selling almost everything we own on the East coast. We're planning a six month stop in Austin, TX, on our way to our final destination: Yucatán, Mexico.
The financial leverage of USD is great there, and the last few years have led me to believe I'm not a good culture-fit in the US.
The financial leverage of USD is great there, and the last few years have led me to believe I'm not a good culture-fit in the US.
That's very interesting. What made you choose Yucatán specifically in comparison to other parts of Mexico or Central/South America?
My partner has family in the area, and the infrastructure (ISPs, city-wide wifi, power grid) is supposedly some of the best in Mexico (which would probably make it on-par or better to where I currently sit.)
Tourist and expat investments have brought money to the area, and the city we're headed to is considered notably safe for North America generally, let alone Mexico.
Tourist and expat investments have brought money to the area, and the city we're headed to is considered notably safe for North America generally, let alone Mexico.
Do you have any concerns about Crime and corruption on the rise in Mexico?
Not really.
Doesn't the Yucatan have a similar topography to Florida? Are you concerned at all about sea level rise?
https://ss2.climatecentral.org/#7/18.579/-91.967?show=satell...
https://ss2.climatecentral.org/#7/18.579/-91.967?show=satell...
Newly remote here. I'm a "Sr. BI Programmer Analyst" working in Walnut Creek, CA paying about $2,700/month for an apartment. I plan to move to Pittsburgh, PA and move in with my little brother into his newly purchased house where I'll make more money due to much lower state income tax and rent that will fairly be about a third of what I pay now.
The motivating factors for me are money and family (though I would argue that my brother more importantly means friendship to me).
The motivating factors for me are money and family (though I would argue that my brother more importantly means friendship to me).
4.5-6% (depends whether you’re within city limits or not) flat tax between state and local is not much different than CA’s progressive (but stupid high) tax, especially for incomes in the low hundreds.
Was working in Toronto, covid19 happened, moved back to Montreal, and work agreed I could permanently stay there even after covid19.
I bought a boat and made the driving license right when the lockdown started in March. Put solar panels up, big batteries and a 4G hotspot. Been living on the boat ever since. Best decision ever.
How cool!
Would you mind sharing your experience with 4G connectivity? Where do you get service? Is it good enough for video conferencing?
Would you mind sharing your experience with 4G connectivity? Where do you get service? Is it good enough for video conferencing?
Yes, completely. Running on a t-mobile world flat. None of the people I talk to has any clue where I am. I tend to not show video.
I was already remote, but I’m moving from Seattle to Denver.
Combination of family and a more favorable climate. The somewhat lower cost of living doesn’t hurt, but it’s not like Denver is cheap.
Combination of family and a more favorable climate. The somewhat lower cost of living doesn’t hurt, but it’s not like Denver is cheap.
What about the climate in Denver is better than Seattle? Less rain, or at least rain less often? (Not saying you're wrong, I just wonder.)
Denver gets a lot more sun
Denver only has 30 to 40 days a year without at least partial sun.
300ish days of sunshine a year in Denver versus about half that in Seattle.
And cold as hell winter 5 months of the year.
Yes its freezing and icy for 7 months actually.
I'd take 20F in Colorado over 50F on the east coast anyday. The dry air insulates amazingly.
No East coast is better. If you want dry, check out Arizona or New Mexico.
I'll second that. The lack of humidity really helps keep things comfortable outside when it is cold. That specific heat of water is killer in a Midwest winter.
Low humidity is also why we get the really powdery snow that is great for skiing.
Low humidity is also why we get the really powdery snow that is great for skiing.
Dude, no. Its always miserable. I have lived in CO for over 30 years and I wouldn't wish it on anyone. Worst place ever.
I just spent my first winter in Boulder (moved from NYC) and thought the winter was incredibly mild. All my friends and family back home kept asking how I was handling the cold, but I thought it was worlds better than slushy, frigid NYC.
Cold is okay as long as you're prepared for it. Wet is annoying even if you're prepared for it.
The best summer in north west is in Seattle.
I work at a non-profit and all back-end office workers are going to be WFH for the foreseeable future.
My MIL has been living on her own for a while now, so my wife and I will be moving in with her to help her out, be close to family, and save $.
My quick estimate is that it'll save us ~24K/year. I used to be able to justify rent and other expenses but it's never seemed dumber to me. If/when we move back to the city where I work, we will do so when we can buy a house/condo.
We will use this saved money to pay off debt, save, and help out our family.
P.S. I should clarify that we are moving from a large city to a very small town in a nearby state where COL is significantly lower.
My MIL has been living on her own for a while now, so my wife and I will be moving in with her to help her out, be close to family, and save $.
My quick estimate is that it'll save us ~24K/year. I used to be able to justify rent and other expenses but it's never seemed dumber to me. If/when we move back to the city where I work, we will do so when we can buy a house/condo.
We will use this saved money to pay off debt, save, and help out our family.
P.S. I should clarify that we are moving from a large city to a very small town in a nearby state where COL is significantly lower.
I'm surprised no one has mentioned Phoenix yet. Folks are definitely flooding in that's for sure. Housing prices were already climbing for years but now they're rocketing. Maricopa County is the fastest growing in the US.
Phoenix is great for about six months of the year, but man is it hot in the summer. It is a dry heat, yes, but 115 is 115, humid or not.
I think it's great 8ish+ months! Very hot right now but it's what kept things great. But I think more people are starting to trade bitter cold Minnesota winters for hot summers. It's also a quick hop back to California when needed.
I live on an island on the coast of Norway. It's kinda weird with all the bird life and postcard-like views. Also, there is a family of grouses (is this the right word?) living in the bushes outside!
A little bit lonely, too. But, the cities are too expensive and everything is so compressed. Maybe if I could afford an actual house in a city that would be OK.
A little bit lonely, too. But, the cities are too expensive and everything is so compressed. Maybe if I could afford an actual house in a city that would be OK.
Company offered permanent remote work, thought through career trade offs and whether we wanted to stay in the Bay Area forever.
Picked suburbs between Denver and Boulder. Good tech jobs, similar sunshine and outdoor activities as the Bay Area (but with snow also! we’ll see how that goes), affordable housing and better COL.
Picked suburbs between Denver and Boulder. Good tech jobs, similar sunshine and outdoor activities as the Bay Area (but with snow also! we’ll see how that goes), affordable housing and better COL.
Welcome to Westminster?
No where. My company came out with remote pay tiers and it's much more lucrative for me to stay put. They say there is a potential savings by moving away to lower CoL but I can actually save more absolute $ per month by living here. I'll move away _after_ I've stashed some money.
If location did not affect my career I probably would move around a lot. (Sans covid19) I'd like to go to Mexico, Italy, SE Asia ... many places in the US too.
If location did not affect my career I probably would move around a lot. (Sans covid19) I'd like to go to Mexico, Italy, SE Asia ... many places in the US too.
I work remotely and have done so for a couple of years. Recently moved to the country side of Sweden. I have fiber connection, cheap housing and lots, and lots of space.
It affects my well being in a very positive way. I can walk my dogs without breathing in polluted air. I sleep great since it's very silent and get to do other stuff than just sit by the computer.
It affects my well being in a very positive way. I can walk my dogs without breathing in polluted air. I sleep great since it's very silent and get to do other stuff than just sit by the computer.
Nevada. No state taxes. Friendly gun laws. Less BS.
Also - companies that are doing salary "adjustments" because employee wants to move to another location needs to be publicly shamed.
Also - companies that are doing salary "adjustments" because employee wants to move to another location needs to be publicly shamed.
Temporarily moved from Seattle to Camano Island, abt 60 miles N of Seattle. Telecommute from my office with a picnic table and a wrought iron chair under a soccer shelter served by an indoor access point sheltered under a green plastic bucket. Walks on the beach instead of another cup of coffee. Heaven to me!
Florida or TX, no state tax and relatively warm weather than NY where I stay now.
There might not be any state tax, but the property taxes are nuts.
15k a year for me. Approx 7.5 to the various Governments and the other half to schools. Those 5 million $$$ sports complexes and artificial turf football fields at the middle school (Grade 5-8) aren't going to build themselves....
Meanwhile they can't create a decent online curriculum so kids can learn from home.
It's a joke. Teachers and the School Districts get whatever they ask for because voters are too stupid to figure out what it costs them. I guy I work with doesn't even know how much he pays in tax every year since it is in escrow with his mortgage payment. He just votes yes because it's for the kids you know.....
Meanwhile they can't create a decent online curriculum so kids can learn from home.
It's a joke. Teachers and the School Districts get whatever they ask for because voters are too stupid to figure out what it costs them. I guy I work with doesn't even know how much he pays in tax every year since it is in escrow with his mortgage payment. He just votes yes because it's for the kids you know.....
Not looking forward to the dystopian future when the econ theory of "price discrimination" is adopted by state and local governments, and they target people who pay property taxes through an escrow account. Once the mortgage is paid off just bump up the property tax to match the amount of the previous monthly mortgage payment and see who notices. Instead of a 30 year mortgage, it can be called in infinite mortgage at which point 99% of people will all effectively be renters
[deleted]
Truth. I don't believe there is any way my home appreciation will outpace my property taxes.
It of course depends on where you live, but if you want to live anywhere that's desirable near city centers..
It of course depends on where you live, but if you want to live anywhere that's desirable near city centers..
You still pay less money for a comparable property even though the rates are higher.
interesting, looks like some big variability on property taxes. Would be great to see these things in a histogram.
https://smartasset.com/taxes/california-property-tax-calcula... https://smartasset.com/taxes/texas-property-tax-calculator#t...
https://smartasset.com/taxes/california-property-tax-calcula... https://smartasset.com/taxes/texas-property-tax-calculator#t...
Why not Nevada then? The humidity in either is brutal.
Choose Texas, couldn't pay me to choose the pneumonia capital of the world, lol
If I could, I would move to Medellín, Colombia. It's beautiful modern city with friendly people and there seems to be a lot of digital nomads there to connect with.
And since I would only get to stay 180 days per year in Colombia, I would probably spend a few months in Costa Rica and in the Peruvian Amazon.
And since I would only get to stay 180 days per year in Colombia, I would probably spend a few months in Costa Rica and in the Peruvian Amazon.
Las Vegas, Nevada!
- super cheap cost-of-living
- no state income taxes
- cheapest flights in the US
- no natural disasters
- close to Los Angeles (where all my friends/family live)
- no grafitti or litter in most places
- reasonable traffic
- plenty of things to do (shows, Red Rock, conferences)
- friends from across the US will visit once or twice per year
- lots of open space
---
But I guess the REAL reason I moved is because I wanted a chance to reinvent myself. My friends weren't helping me grow, I developed some terrible habits, I felt "trapped", etc.. Changing cities gives me another chance to be intentional about my time, career, and relationships.
---
If there are any other current/future Vegas locals out there, I'd love to meet you! Feel free to reach out with an email or DM.
- super cheap cost-of-living
- no state income taxes
- cheapest flights in the US
- no natural disasters
- close to Los Angeles (where all my friends/family live)
- no grafitti or litter in most places
- reasonable traffic
- plenty of things to do (shows, Red Rock, conferences)
- friends from across the US will visit once or twice per year
- lots of open space
---
But I guess the REAL reason I moved is because I wanted a chance to reinvent myself. My friends weren't helping me grow, I developed some terrible habits, I felt "trapped", etc.. Changing cities gives me another chance to be intentional about my time, career, and relationships.
---
If there are any other current/future Vegas locals out there, I'd love to meet you! Feel free to reach out with an email or DM.
I just dropped my group of friends of 25 years because all they talk about is going out drinking. Even the one that just bought a house, is married, has small child and another one on the way. All they want is to hanh out drinking beers. like multiple times a week. That shit ain't normal lol. And I agree, Vegas ticks all the boxes.
I moved back to Austin, Texas when this all started. Family, breakfast tacos and more living space were all factors.
I moved out of Austin, Texas because it's pretty awful on rent these days... $2100 for a 1 BR in the Domain... oof.
I mostly lived around the city center in a house until the high rise condo developers came.
I mostly lived around the city center in a house until the high rise condo developers came.
Fucking hell, I grew up in NW Hills, are those garbage Domain Apts really $2100 for a 1Br? That's absolutely bonkers!
I like visiting Austin, but after spending time in Boston and NYC Austin is flat out boring and self-centered.
It pains me, but for the past 2-3yrs I candidly refer to my home-town as quote "a shittier less cool version of LA that somehow manages to try harder".
I like visiting Austin, but after spending time in Boston and NYC Austin is flat out boring and self-centered.
It pains me, but for the past 2-3yrs I candidly refer to my home-town as quote "a shittier less cool version of LA that somehow manages to try harder".
That's where I'm looking at as well! Nothing has ever felt like home like Austin has for me.
If it were just me and I could go anywhere:
In US, I would get somewhere with a lot of land. Montana, ND, Wyoming, something like that.
Outside US, Probably Norway for a while. Would also love to try out New Zeland or SE Asia.
In US, I would get somewhere with a lot of land. Montana, ND, Wyoming, something like that.
Outside US, Probably Norway for a while. Would also love to try out New Zeland or SE Asia.
Well, if you go to North Dakota live near Fargo but far enough west of town to get the fast internet. Also, pick a higher area in case the 500 flood returns.
ND has quite a lot of Norwegians. Since I cannot eat potatoes, I fear their cuisine.
ND has quite a lot of Norwegians. Since I cannot eat potatoes, I fear their cuisine.
If it was just me: Lyon, Tokyo, Barcelona, Hokkaido, Auckland, Chile, or somewhere in Norway (summers only). Since it’s not just me, somewhere in the southeastern U.S. close to family.
Have to look out for all the fracking especially western ND. Looks like a war zone at night with all the flames from burning off the gas.
Montana, ND and Wyoming are pretty seriously different than Norway or New Zealand.
If I am staying in the US, want somewhere with a lot of land and outdoors. With a real winter. And affordable prices so that's just geographically what fits the bill. Norway is for family history, and New Zealand is probably mostly appealing because of how well they have handled the current situation.
[deleted]
Montana has terrible internet, no local tech jobs, and is below zero for weeks in the winter. I recommend Colorado.
ClassPass HQ is in Missoula. Bozeman has fiber internet and a good sized tech community that’s growing by the day. Plus Montana’s outdoor rec access is a great complement to sitting on your computer all day.
Sssssshhhh. Giant bears roam the streets and everyone walks around with guns.
Is that supposed to scare me off? It doesn't.
Wait, you’re OP so this really happened. Well played
It really doesn’t. But why would you tell the internet if it did?
I cannot stress the fact that sometimes you will have to go to war with 4ft+ of snow and it will not be enjoyable at all.
I've considered Montana a few times, but flights are such a pain. I'm at a regional airport that only flies to Seattle currently and it's annoying as heck. Montana seems worse, almost no direct flights to anywhere I go frequently.
Curious why Norway? Which city?
Not the OP, but of all the places in Europe where I have been, Norway just feels the most comfortable to me. My city would be Bergen.
Family history, my name (first middle and last) is Norwegian, and I can trace back my father's side to the Kvinnherad municipality. Bergen is the closest big city there I think. I guess I want to find more about my history. And its a beautiful country.
Staying in Bay Area for now. If I move away, I am concerned that my career progression will stagnate - not just at my current company, but also the opportunities that would be available if I decided to switch companies.
My plan is to work here for a few more years. If the trend continues and remote working proves itself, we are dreaming about moving to Asheville NC. Cheaper CoL, beautiful scenery, and a microbrew scene that is awesome. Also close-ish to Charlotte if you want to go to a "big city" for the day
My plan is to work here for a few more years. If the trend continues and remote working proves itself, we are dreaming about moving to Asheville NC. Cheaper CoL, beautiful scenery, and a microbrew scene that is awesome. Also close-ish to Charlotte if you want to go to a "big city" for the day
Same here. Staying in NYC to have access to headquarters and better tech opportunities. If remote continues after Covid passes, the Research Triangle sounds fun.
I've been working in the RTP area for a few years now. There are decent tech opportunities, relative to the lower COL. However I got bored of the area pretty quickly - my goal is to move somewhere closer to outdoor recreation like AVL.
Probably Porto, Portugal.
Coolangatta, Queensland - Australia. World famous surf spots + easy going lifestyle + affordable real estate by the beach.
Didn’t expect to read this in this thread. I was there yesterday! Are you from Australia? Why not Gold Coast further north?
Born in Brazil, settled in Australia. Coolangatta is a suburb from Gold Coast, but it does feel like another city. Just a different vibe, feels like a smaller town, with all the perks of having everything close enough. I lived in Sydney for five years and moved here a month ago.
That has to be one of the most competitive places to surf in the world. Hope you are good!
Say hello to Cheyne Horan (from Stan) if you meet him on a wave.
Kira beach is amazing.
Stan
Kira beach is amazing.
Stan
[deleted]
I'm not newly remote but have been remote since pre-COVID in San Antonio, Texas.
Relative to the Bay Area and other major Texas cities, it has a really low cost of living. We also have great parks, great food, less traffic than Austin, and it's only about 2 and a half hours from the beach. In non-COVID times the social life is pretty great too.
There aren't a lot of tech companies, but there are enough jobs for me not to worry if for some reason I couldn't do fully remote in the future.
It's generally just a laid back place to be, and I enjoy living in a place where the cost of living is low enough that people in a variety of non-corporate careers can do pretty well.
The only downside for me is the brutal heat, but you kind of get used to it.
Relative to the Bay Area and other major Texas cities, it has a really low cost of living. We also have great parks, great food, less traffic than Austin, and it's only about 2 and a half hours from the beach. In non-COVID times the social life is pretty great too.
There aren't a lot of tech companies, but there are enough jobs for me not to worry if for some reason I couldn't do fully remote in the future.
It's generally just a laid back place to be, and I enjoy living in a place where the cost of living is low enough that people in a variety of non-corporate careers can do pretty well.
The only downside for me is the brutal heat, but you kind of get used to it.
I've been in San Antonio for the past 5 years and love it, even the heat. I actually got a job in NYC and was planning to move up, but my first day was the day they started wfh.
Saugerties, NY (already moved). Close enough to Boston, NYC, Philly to make day trips if necessary. Cut cost of living by 50% over where I was. Employer has cut 75% of office space in NYC already, holding onto remainder as hot desk space.
I'm jealous. My in-laws live in Woodstock and I love visiting that part of NY, especially when it's not Winter.
It's not too bad most winters, just either have 4WD or pick a place with minimal hills / decent plowing.
I am not who you are asking about because I went almost completely remote like ten years ago.
I am from San Diego. It took me awhile but I eventually got the courage and circumstances to move to Tijuana a few years ago. I couldn't really afford to stay in the US anyway unless I got a different job.
Its a tiny startup and very low pay but I have plenty of energy on the weekends etc. for my own projects and it's low stress. Also have the ocean a block away and convenience store downstairs and very low rent.
If I had a real salary I would probably move back to the US though. Somewhere that they don't turn the water off multiple times during the summer.
I am from San Diego. It took me awhile but I eventually got the courage and circumstances to move to Tijuana a few years ago. I couldn't really afford to stay in the US anyway unless I got a different job.
Its a tiny startup and very low pay but I have plenty of energy on the weekends etc. for my own projects and it's low stress. Also have the ocean a block away and convenience store downstairs and very low rent.
If I had a real salary I would probably move back to the US though. Somewhere that they don't turn the water off multiple times during the summer.
I started working remote 2 years ago. Last year I moved to the Greater Sacramento area. I grew up in the bay area and worked in SF tech cos for 10+ years before this, so I still have lots of friends and family in the bay. Sacramento is a great balance between moving away to somewhere with more space, less crowd, less expensive, and still being close enough to drive to see friends and family. COVID happened soon after I moved and sheltering in place here is much easier than the bay given that outdoors/parks etc. have so much less crowd.
Dallas. Have friends there, wife went to college there. I'm in the PNW right now, and I'm not really that confident that this area will manage the recession very well. Plus home prices in Texas are way more reasonable (and logical, imo), and no state income tax as well. Have talked to a realtor, but kind of hard to actually see something in the current environment. If I was to pick my dream house and location it would be a ranch in South Dakota or something.
Montana would be nice however my company refuses to announce any firm dates on when we possibly might need to return to the office which makes signing a lease troublesome
Bozeman is great if you can make it happen.
Only a matter of time :) Thanks for the tip, it's exactly where we're thinking!
Hawaii if flying didn't feel risky(virus) and logistics were easier. The 2 week quarantine makes a hard move harder. I'm not sure I actually want to be in a hotel. I am "settling" lol for Santa Cruz. I really thought I wanted to live in so cal for awhile too but watching the reactions to blm and covid makes me second guess that. Actually made me really unsure where I might want to live. Also thought about Florida in the future.
Isn’t Florida, in most places, worse than SoCal in terms of response to BLM and Covid?
Your definition of “worse” may be other peoples’ definition of “better”.
but based on tayo42's initial comment they'd probably regard FL on the "worse" end of the spectrum. It's fair to say much of Florida is Orange County, CA on steroids (with all of the rage and none of the potential covid prevention benefits)
Yeah that was probably weird wording on my part. I meant Florida was also a contender in the future, but due to recent events it's not really any more.
Born and raised in FL, my family has been here since the 1600's and my personal opinion is most of FL is a festering poop hole. Pretty much the eastern seaboard is gone, from Florida city thru Miami up to West palm, is a mad house of thousands of cars who all think they have the driving skills of Dale Earhart. Many times Miami has been voted the city you are most-likely to have someone blatantly steal your parking spot. Police corruption their is bad and there is limited mass transit. If you get into a fender bender you will need to get a picture of the other persons licence plate as fast as possible as there is probably a better than 50% chance they are going to flee the scene of the accident.
Moving up from there you have the no-mans land of the beach rich that spans from Jupiter to Sebastian. This is a nice area, has a bit of a drug problem but not that bad. But if you don't like the rich socialite yacht club type, there is not much in this area.
From there you get into what I consider to be one of the worst areas of FL and that is Melbourne and the blight pretty much runs all the way up to Jacksonville. It is littered with Meth heads, Oxy, joblessness, economic depression and suburban blight. Think a run down suburbia of central New Jersey in FL and that is pretty much what it is. The only city in that swath that is nice is St. Augustine, I got married there and honestly it is the only city on the east coat that I would consider moving to.
Central Florida is pretty much all the same as Miami with the exception of Police corruption, the cops there are generally pretty decent. The one bad thing about Central Florida is the shear sprawl of it, no mass transit and every bad driver in the world wants to go to Disney so they bring all their different ways of bad driving to Central Florida for a grand demolition derby.
North FL and the panhandle are nice, but you have to be the type that can deal with the people there. They are ultra-conservative but generally have a live and let live attitude. For example, say 2 gay guys went into a diner in NF, they would most likely be greeted with some kind of slang like what will you have fruitcakes and stuff like that, Think being welcomed in by Andrew Dice Clay with a southern accent. Manytime's these people think they are generally being funny, but what you won't see is them following them down the street, harassing or assaulting them. But if you trigger it is not the place for you, they will say sexist, racist, and homophobic stuff a lot of times just as jabs to see if they can ruffle your feathers. But they would not go and burn down their house just because they are gay, black or lesbian. That being said, they like their sleepy little towns sleepy so if you started instigating for change, you might ruffle some feathers in that area. Point being, it's nice, it's quaint, the people are not hate mongers, but they are also not politically correct. They kind of live by a motto of don't cause a problem and their won't be one. If you can live in those parameters, North Florida is a nice place.
Now and I hate to even put this on the net, the real gem of FL is the west cost. It has it's pockets of blight like Polk and Hernado county but pretty much all the way down, you will find beautiful, old Florida towns, where the people have the old Florida attitude of live and let live. Of note some of the really nice places are Cedar Key, Hommossassa, Crystal River, Tarpon Springs, Tampa (the only big FL city I would ever consider living in again), Sarasota, Ft. Myers, Punta Gorda and Port Charlotte. If I went back to the mainland it would be to the west coat. That being said, I live in what I consider to be the best part of FL, the Keys.
Moving up from there you have the no-mans land of the beach rich that spans from Jupiter to Sebastian. This is a nice area, has a bit of a drug problem but not that bad. But if you don't like the rich socialite yacht club type, there is not much in this area.
From there you get into what I consider to be one of the worst areas of FL and that is Melbourne and the blight pretty much runs all the way up to Jacksonville. It is littered with Meth heads, Oxy, joblessness, economic depression and suburban blight. Think a run down suburbia of central New Jersey in FL and that is pretty much what it is. The only city in that swath that is nice is St. Augustine, I got married there and honestly it is the only city on the east coat that I would consider moving to.
Central Florida is pretty much all the same as Miami with the exception of Police corruption, the cops there are generally pretty decent. The one bad thing about Central Florida is the shear sprawl of it, no mass transit and every bad driver in the world wants to go to Disney so they bring all their different ways of bad driving to Central Florida for a grand demolition derby.
North FL and the panhandle are nice, but you have to be the type that can deal with the people there. They are ultra-conservative but generally have a live and let live attitude. For example, say 2 gay guys went into a diner in NF, they would most likely be greeted with some kind of slang like what will you have fruitcakes and stuff like that, Think being welcomed in by Andrew Dice Clay with a southern accent. Manytime's these people think they are generally being funny, but what you won't see is them following them down the street, harassing or assaulting them. But if you trigger it is not the place for you, they will say sexist, racist, and homophobic stuff a lot of times just as jabs to see if they can ruffle your feathers. But they would not go and burn down their house just because they are gay, black or lesbian. That being said, they like their sleepy little towns sleepy so if you started instigating for change, you might ruffle some feathers in that area. Point being, it's nice, it's quaint, the people are not hate mongers, but they are also not politically correct. They kind of live by a motto of don't cause a problem and their won't be one. If you can live in those parameters, North Florida is a nice place.
Now and I hate to even put this on the net, the real gem of FL is the west cost. It has it's pockets of blight like Polk and Hernado county but pretty much all the way down, you will find beautiful, old Florida towns, where the people have the old Florida attitude of live and let live. Of note some of the really nice places are Cedar Key, Hommossassa, Crystal River, Tarpon Springs, Tampa (the only big FL city I would ever consider living in again), Sarasota, Ft. Myers, Punta Gorda and Port Charlotte. If I went back to the mainland it would be to the west coat. That being said, I live in what I consider to be the best part of FL, the Keys.
I'd add Saint Petersburg, FL to the nice list, may be include in your Tampa post since it is part of the Tampa Bay region, but St Pete is a nice city, very progressive and liberal, lots to do, nice art scene and lots of restaurants. As any place in Florida, the heat may not be for you, the summer months are hard but if you adjust your schedule to early mornings and late afternoons is generally a nice place to live. There is some local startup scene here but i've met lot of remote people on coffee shops around here before COVID-19. There are decent amount of tech meetups as well.
Yep lived there in the early 90's, it was a little rough back then but it was still a cool place to live, I did kind of wrap it up with my generally Tampa area along with Clearwater, I really don't make a distinction between the 3, until you get north to Tarpon Springs or south to Ruskin, it's kind of all the Greater Tampa area.
Yeah it has changed a lot last years and definitely a different world than Tampa or Clearwater in terms of traffic and culture options
Speaking as someone in Hawaii, there isn't a lot that's great here. Predominant anti-intellectual culture, high COL, Amazon Prime can take up to 2 weeks, etc. The best thing is definitely the nature and safety, though
Based off the responses I got I should written a longer post. I figured with Hawaii it would never be a place to live forever, but maybe a year or two. Spend time checking out all of the islands. Actually getting like really good at surfing. A lot of the stuff I read make it sound unreasonable to actually settle down for a long time there. Family is no where close, not really a great place raise kids?well it's probably fun but not setting them up for success. North shore was an amazing time when I visited... I don't need hip restaurants and nightlife I'm over that.
If you are interested in Hawaii you should checkout their tech slack it's somewhat active and very friendly https://www.hawaiislack.com/
Monterey >>> Santa Cruz
I moved to a different part of SF. Around the same price for rent, bigger space (I have a home office now!), and it's not the TL. :) I'll have added ~15min to my commute when we go back in, but the other benefits are worth it - especially the home office, it's good to be able to separate my work space from my relaxation space. I don't want to move extra times, and I'd rather just lock in the ideal place now.
No where. My partner's job only extends her remoteness every 3 months and has made it clear that there will be no full time remote available post covid.
I honestly would not be surprised if they do layoffs at the end of the year. I'd flip out though. Ideally, we'd like to move to Austin to save $2k per month on rent and 13% of our salaries on state income tax.
I honestly would not be surprised if they do layoffs at the end of the year. I'd flip out though. Ideally, we'd like to move to Austin to save $2k per month on rent and 13% of our salaries on state income tax.
https://nomadlist.com/ is a good resource.
To be honest, I'd like to move back to Europe from SF. The time difference probably makes it a bit tricky to get the Silicon Valley money from there though. If I had to move somewhere else in the States, I might go to San Diego or Denver. Living in the middle of nowhere just for the money doesn't sound too enticing.
Sad irony that Thailand is definitely an amazing place to relocate, but also it's currently not letting anyone in
That’s more of a coincidence than irony.
But as I’ve said in other threads where this comes up: Working from Thailand legally is not the easiest thing in the world, and doing it long term is even harder.
But as I’ve said in other threads where this comes up: Working from Thailand legally is not the easiest thing in the world, and doing it long term is even harder.
Vancouver BC.
3/4 of the Engineers on my team have moved to the 'west end' neighborhood in the last couple years. And i'm now the 4th. Incredible nature w/ healthily-managed high population density & safety. And it's incredible being in close proximity with your team (e.g. hike/ski-meetings)
3/4 of the Engineers on my team have moved to the 'west end' neighborhood in the last couple years. And i'm now the 4th. Incredible nature w/ healthily-managed high population density & safety. And it's incredible being in close proximity with your team (e.g. hike/ski-meetings)
Think about America's heartland... Montana comes to mind, after two straight months of detailed R&D I think I put together a solid picture that make it very clear why it called America's Heartland, its perfect.. check it out
search sidneymontanapropertyforsale.com ... #sidneymontanapropertyforsale
I just drove home from cleaning out my office. I'm now officially remote. I don't plan to move. I live in Washington DC, and I found a job that would let me stay here after graduation. The rise of remote work opens up more job opportunities for me, but I'm staying here.
Big White mountain village in B.C., after my work confirmed I could continue to work remotely permanently.
Based on a lot of responses here, Santa Cruz seems really popular.:) I bet surfer dudes are getting a little nervous. I actually moved from a SF to a East Bay suburb in the Bay Area, and bought home on a 0.5 acre land. Great school, only 25 mins to SF, and all the nature
Ukraine or Colombia until Summer 2021, if I can't find a good deal in So Cal.
Colombia is still closed to all international travel.
What are your requirements? Any chance of staying in the US?
Honestly just hooked on dating foreign women and want to pay $1400 for a 2 bedroom space in a quiet decent neighborhood. Born and raised in So Cal, but feel less connected and tired of the high cost of living here. Maybe if I had a fiancé that was willing to run the race with me, but I can't seem to connect to local women anymore after being international the last 6 years.
[deleted]
I started off in Austin, TX but took a job just outside of Los Angeles about 6 years ago. When the pandemic hit I couldn’t move back to Austin fast enough! CA just wasn’t for me...
Nowhere, my friends all live here and I like the town I live in.
I was on Bali when it all started and I am still here :)
Indonesian government allowed to stay everyone until the end of the pandemic even though the country is closed.
Indonesian government allowed to stay everyone until the end of the pandemic even though the country is closed.
Montana, probably one of the bigger cities or nearby. Already in the region, but would like to be closer to the mountains.
Ask HN: Newly remote workers... Are you so dumb as to make two major life changes at once?
Ask HN: Newly remote workers... Do you work an 8 hour day and give the same effort 5 days a week, or do you lack discipline and are going on a spending spree... Hopefully you don't have a family
I'm sure you're trying to make a point but it's pretty well hidden under a mountain of what I assume is supposed to be sarcasm.
Haven't moved yet but I am planning. Hopefully somewhere warm where the cold/moisture/pollen triggered allergies don't have me pinned for months every year.
I am in Bangalore so I guess I'd be Hyderabad or Chennai. On the plus side I will also get rid of atrocious rents and traffic of Bangalore.
1-2 year plan also involves exploring options outside India. Somewhere where if something like COVID-19 hits again I won't need a politician's phone call, or a powerful bureaucrat relative's clout to get even a test done (though I've neither), let alone a hospital bed. Yeah, it's that bad here.
Maybe years/months later when real numbers come out (if it happens) the world will see on what scale it was going on in India. Is there a word for this - something like a genocide but not really genocide in literal sense?
[NSFW/L] https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/andhra-pradesh-shocker...
I am in Bangalore so I guess I'd be Hyderabad or Chennai. On the plus side I will also get rid of atrocious rents and traffic of Bangalore.
1-2 year plan also involves exploring options outside India. Somewhere where if something like COVID-19 hits again I won't need a politician's phone call, or a powerful bureaucrat relative's clout to get even a test done (though I've neither), let alone a hospital bed. Yeah, it's that bad here.
Maybe years/months later when real numbers come out (if it happens) the world will see on what scale it was going on in India. Is there a word for this - something like a genocide but not really genocide in literal sense?
[NSFW/L] https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/andhra-pradesh-shocker...
Moving to Santa Cruz temporarily!
North.
If by February there isn't a vaccine or I don't have a physical office I'll be moving back to Texas and live with my parents.
It's 100% worth the money IMO, however, I've also strongly considered New Hampshire, Utah or Nevada.
It's 100% worth the money IMO, however, I've also strongly considered New Hampshire, Utah or Nevada.
nowhere, i like it here.
and maybe the market will normalize enough for me to be able to buy in!
and maybe the market will normalize enough for me to be able to buy in!
I moved to suburbs in a mountain state. In a few years may move to a rural area if gigabit is available.
Most people have ZERO idea what this country is, how vast and unpopulated it is. You can have a mountain to yourself in many areas. The west is essentially empty. You can have 360 mountain views in a beautiful agricultural valley. You can live on a uninhabited part of a lake or river. You can live in an area that looks like a national park. Just need stable power, water, and internet which is/will be easy with solar and sat internet.
Most people have ZERO idea what this country is, how vast and unpopulated it is. You can have a mountain to yourself in many areas. The west is essentially empty. You can have 360 mountain views in a beautiful agricultural valley. You can live on a uninhabited part of a lake or river. You can live in an area that looks like a national park. Just need stable power, water, and internet which is/will be easy with solar and sat internet.
Shh we don’t want more people out here!
But seriously, has me wondering how sat net will change the RE market once people can move away and stay connected.
But seriously, has me wondering how sat net will change the RE market once people can move away and stay connected.
What do you do for groceries / food? Are there any restaurants near by? Any problems with online deliveries?
I don't live rural yet, but I would just drive to the grocery. I would say most people living rural live close to a highway. If it is interstate you will be going 85 MPH, so even if the nearest grocery is 50 miles away it is 30 minutes away. I would probably buy $200-300 of groceries at a time. Rural places are usually going to have a large freezer, backup generator, fuel supply. Rural areas are probably not going to have many restaurants, but if you are in a resort/vacation area such as around a national park like Yellowstone there are going to be more restaurants. People I have known had no problem with online deliveries if they are within a certain range of a town, say 10 miles. I will probably deliver to an Amazon locker or UPS store and pick whatever it is up there.
you sound single. are you?
It's obvious but that sounds like heaven for some and hell for others...
mnm1(4)
Stated more broadly to those who may not fall in this bucket: if location did not affect your career prospects and/or economic wellbeing, where would you move and why?