$125,000 a year in NYC or $250,000 in North Dakota? - Page 3

North Dakota is where they keep the ICBMs.

^shhhhhhhhhhhh.

i agree. before you get married or need to purchase a house or sth like that, it may not be that bad at all. but with time going on when you are at your 30s, that is probably gon be some tough situation

id rather live in NYC off the $50k a year I make now than move to north dakota for any amount of money. Yikes. You cant get your 20's back, no matter how rich you are.

Rube, what's real estate like? Say, 3.5-4k sq ft, in what passes for a good urban area in ND?

You can so. You just look sort of silly doing it, if you're not careful.

NYC hands down for me. No one says you have to live in Manhattan.
This is a good idea in theory, but it's not happening in reality. Have you ever lived in an outlying suburb of a major city? You intend to go into the city on a Saturday night, but for whatever reason (too tired, don't want to pay for cab fare, can't find a designated driver), you spend the evening crashing at home or at a nearby bar. Imagine that multiplied by many orders of magnitude.

Jack Astors/Montanas/Outback Steakhouse in the middle of a big-box shopping center ain't so bad...

My parents live in the burbs of a big city. Whenever I visit and I'm having a night out, I just get a hotel room in the city, its actually more fun that way.

It wouldn't be more fun if you were paying $350 a night every time you wanted to visit NY.

eh, at $250k a year that isn't a prob. not just NYC, go to Vegas Chicago, Miami or wherever...on 125k a year in NYC...you're stayin' in NY with a trip like every 3-4 months. In N. Dakota you can prob. afford a trip every other weekend with all the money you save.

I'm selling a 3000 square foot (plus 1200 s.f. basement) with custom tile baths, incredible kitchen, half-acre lot on a private country club lot for under $400K.

Our ytd average sale price here is only $177K. $250K will buy a lot of house here; not "mansion" but very, very comfortable living.

I think North Dakota would be a beautiful place to live....that said...I don't know why people think that $125k is not enough to live in NYC. I would agree that you don't live as "well" as you would in other parts of the country but statistics clearly show that most people here do not earn that. The prime areas near the Park etc. are insanely expensive, but I bet that is true of any large city's best area(s). The city also present many more ways to spend your money...where else can you have a 5 star meal, visit a world class museum, go to a top level show and have a new option every night of the year? The same place that you can go to free shows (i.e. movies in Bryant Park, street performers in Union Sq. etc.) have great cheap food (outer boroughs esp.) take a train 15 minutes to a new part of the city every week, visit parks etc. NYC is not for everyone, in fact, I get sick of it myself. That said, I don't make close to $125k and even with loans and a ridiculously expensive apt. I still manage to live allright...I just need to be smart about it, eating at home during the week, finding cheap bars etc. If in 2/3 years I am still earning the same amount...I'll leave...but I believe the experience (read the letter of recommendation I will get from a federal judge) will help me segway into a career that ultimately pays more than $125k. I readily admit that it would be strange for me to raise kids in NYC. If you are making bank you are likely working far more than normal hours and no child benefits from absentee parents. Furthermore, with so many kids coming out of NY it is practically a disadvantage to say you are a NY native. Ultimately I would love to invest in a small NYC apt and have another residence in the 'burbs...but that is many years off.

Noice.

Well, probably at this point in my life, if a gun was placed to my squash and I had to chose, ND. I could have some nice digs, drive nice cars, dress well, play well, and afford to party a few times a years in whatever city I wanted.

I would probably have picked NYC 20 years ago though.

At some point, creature comforts become more important than "exciting."

Dude, I'm 25 and looking to get the hell out of NYC. That said, I have been here for 7 years and would never move to the countryside, but rather to a foreign city.