Boulder, CO climber moving to East Coast

I lived in North-Central NJ 13 yrs, CT 25 yrs and retired to NH 5 yrs ago. Here's some Beta not mentioned:
1) Sounds like a pretty good job, probably pays pretty good to. CT has a up-to-6.85% Income Tax plus sales Tax, Ditto for NJ and NY. NH has no income tax and no sales tax !

2) When we moved to NH my wife was still "commuting" to SFC and we were surprised at how FEW non-stops fly out of Boston to the West Coast (at least to SFC). Boston, in the bigger scheme of things, is not really that large a population center...about the same size as Charlotte, NC. Southeastern NH (Durham / Rochester area) is about 1 1/2- 2 hrs from Boston's Logan, 1 1/2 from Portland (ME) airport, and about 1 to 1 1/2 from Manchester's airport, and 1 1/2- 2hrs from North Conway and other WMNF climbing areas. If we didn't just love it where we were, this is where we would be.

We live in North Conway, and while this is a bit out-of-the-way from "airline commuting" Portland (ME) airport is 80miles and 1hr 20-30minutes and a breeze to get too (great secondary roads) while Logan is 3 hrs and Manchester is 2 1/2 hrs. West coast is a "one change" in either Atlanta, Detroit (Delta), Baltimore (Southwest) or Chicago (United).

If possible, get your company to agree to pay for limo/shuttle service to and from the airport (If they are reluctant, maybe compromise and get 'em to OK $'s for flights that take off before 7am or arrive after 10pm.) because that REALLY makes a difference when you arrive "time- warped" from the West Coast, or have to get up early for a flight and still "function" that afternoon at your destination.

As someone who has spent about equal amounts of time living in third world countries and new york city, I would rather live in a third world country than new york city. Don't do that to yourself.

I also currently live in Connecticut and think you'd be making a huge mistake to live her if New Paltz is on the table.

New Paltz is heaven on earth.

climbing friend,

how would you be surviving outside of the boulder without your white person dreadlock and your marijuanas?

Aleks Zebastian wrote:climbing friend, how would you be surviving outside of the boulder without your white person dreadlock and your marijuanas?

That's a stupid question.

Of course they get their head shaved and sprinkle some coke on the bowl.

Or just say fuck-it and go trendy with some H.

He brings up a good point though - Boston will have legal weed soon.

Ana Tine wrote: In case anyone cares this puts Marc at 60 years old. You've lived, now let someone else discover for himself the good and the bad of the East. He doesn't have to stay there forever. I'm beginning to feel like OP is Dorthy in "the Wizard of Oz." I love ice cream, but ice cream every day for the rest of my life would be boring. Btw I spent a summer at Choate Rosemary Hall in Wallingford, CT, and it was beautiful. Yes there has been a Southwest trend of migration in the United States. But that has little to do with OP's life. Why follow trends esp since he is in a trend area. Weird so many people move to Texas, and no one moves to West Virginia. I lived in Texas for 15 years, visited West Virginia many times and would prefer West Virginia. To me almost any WV city feels more wild (true to their slogan) than the Denver area, every time I hike around Denver or Colorado Springs there are throngs of people and I feel like an ant following all the other ants in a pilgrimage. There is more rain in WV though and at first I was afraid I'd get eaten like in the movies but that didn't happen. The United States takes in more Migrants than any other country in the world by more than double, over one million immigrants per year. Then a net of 1.35 million people also born each year beyond the number who have passed, for an increase of 2.35 million people in the United States each year -and increasing, because more people mean more births. The ports of entry include New York, and then they discover the humidity, gray skies, and mosquitoes and from there eventually flood southwest as the map Kevin linked to shows.

People move to TX and not WV, because there are jobs in TX, relatively low cost of living and good public school system. There has always been migration from NY to warmer states, mostly retirees fleeing to warmer climates. As the real estate in FL went up people started looking more west (particularly Phoenix/Scottsdale area). The largest population influx into SW states comes from California, not NY (because of cost of living). And the weather in the North East is not as half bad as you describe (your description sounds more like TX weather). It's true NE weather is not ideal for climbers (not as consistent as in dryer Western states), but at least there are true spring and fall and the summers are way shorter and more bearable than in TX. As far as mosquitoes, there are mosquitoes even in Indian Creek, UT, FYI. Black flies is a different matter, but there are none in NYC.

All the links in Kevin's post point to the population decline of New York S-T-A-T-E (which for people from not around there might as well be Ohio in terms of demographics and economics), not the city.

climbing friend,

the "good public school system" in the texas they are governed by the greasy flaccid members who vote to not allow textbooks or teachers to be speaking of evolution?

how you say "yee-haw!!!"

"yippie cay yay you are in love with the jesus!!!"

Robert Hall wrote: I lived in North-Central NJ 13 yrs, CT 25 yrs and retired to NH 5 yrs ago. Here's some Beta not mentioned: 1) Sounds like a pretty good job, probably pays pretty good to. CT has a up-to-6.85% Income Tax plus sales Tax, Ditto for NJ and NY. NH has no income tax and no sales tax ! 2) When we moved to NH my wife was still "commuting" to SFC and we were surprised at how FEW non-stops fly out of Boston to the West Coast (at least to SFC). Boston, in the bigger scheme of things, is not really that large a population center...about the same size as Charlotte, NC. Southeastern NH (Durham / Rochester area) is about 1 1/2- 2 hrs from Boston's Logan, 1 1/2 from Portland (ME) airport, and about 1 to 1 1/2 from Manchester's airport, and 1 1/2- 2hrs from North Conway and other WMNF climbing areas. If we didn't just love it where we were, this is where we would be. We live in North Conway, and while this is a bit out-of-the-way from "airline commuting" Portland (ME) airport is 80miles and 1hr 20-30minutes and a breeze to get too (great secondary roads) while Logan is 3 hrs and Manchester is 2 1/2 hrs. West coast is a "one change" in either Atlanta, Detroit (Delta), Baltimore (Southwest) or Chicago (United). If possible, get your company to agree to pay for limo/shuttle service to and from the airport (If they are reluctant, maybe compromise and get 'em to OK $'s for flights that take off before 7am or arrive after 10pm.) because that REALLY makes a difference when you arrive "time- warped" from the West Coast, or have to get up early for a flight and still "function" that afternoon at your destination.

This is really good advice, and really relevant.

doligo wrote: All the links in Kevin's post point to the population decline of New York S-T-A-T-E (which for people from not around there might as well be Ohio in terms of demographics and economics), not the city.

Dude's got an axe to grind. Concrete jungle got him shook worse than a Gunks climber on a sandstone splitter. Looking to justify his fear and paranoia by slandering the urban folk. Dog whistlin'. Disgraceful.

There's always the Providence RI area....pretty good bouldering, a decent airport and really good food !

I grew up in Seattle, have family in Montana and used to live in Bozeman, and live in Boston now--for 2 more years, until I finish medical school. I am literally counting down the days until I leave.

DO NOT move out here. You will regret it. The resort skiing is garbage, basically tilted hockey rinks. Backcountry skiing consists mostly of attempting to navigate impassable birch groves. The climbing is excellent, but compared to Boulder, it's a LOOOOOOONG drive from any of these places and the weather is total crap. That's coming from someone who lived in Seattle and Bozeman, which are not known for being sunny and warm. It's hot, humid, and rainy in the spring and summer. The winter is basically unclimbable--I have a harder time climbing rock out here in winter than either Seattle or Bozeman.

The traffic in Boston is barely better than in Seattle. It's impossible to bike anywhere here without fearing for your life. People maladaptively cope with pent-up rage by driving homicidally. They salt the roads so much that anything you own made of metal will basically disintegrate in 5 years. People are RUDE compared to the PNW/MT/Colorado, even at the crags. Places are crowded--there are something like 50 million people in the DC-Boston corridor, and there's not nearly as much public land to handle the crowds. To cap it off, it's EXPENSIVE af to live out here.

If you consider yourself an outdoorsman first, DO NOT MOVE TO A BIG CITY IN THE NORTHEAST. I can't emphasize that enough. You will be unhappy and regret it. Places like North Conway, New Paltz, Burlington, Portland, etc would probably be a mild disappointment rather than soul-crushing but those sound like they are impractical for you with your travel requirements.

Meanwhile everyone in The South is silent because they're outside climbing.

WTylerOsborne wrote:Meanwhile everyone in The South is silent because they're outside climbing.

I'd choose the South in a heartbeat over the Northeast but he said he needs to be between Boston and Baltimore

City Dweller wrote: Dude's got an axe to grind. Concrete jungle got him shook worse than a Gunks climber on a sandstone splitter. Looking to justify his fear and paranoia by slandering the urban folk. Dog whistlin'. Disgraceful.

We all missed you and your high brow name calling.

Jimmy Sledd wrote:I grew up in Seattle, have family in Montana and used to live in Bozeman, and live in Boston now--for 2 more years, until I finish medical school. I am literally counting down the days until I leave. DO NOT move out here. You will regret it. The resort skiing is garbage, basically tilted hockey rinks. Backcountry skiing consists mostly of attempting to navigate impassable birch groves. The climbing is excellent, but compared to Boulder, it's a LOOOOOOONG drive from any of these places and the weather is total crap. That's coming from someone who lived in Seattle and Bozeman, which are not known for being sunny and warm. It's hot, humid, and rainy in the spring and summer. The winter is basically unclimbable--I have a harder time climbing rock out here in winter than either Seattle or Bozeman. The traffic in Boston is barely better than in Seattle. It's impossible to bike anywhere here without fearing for your life. People maladaptively cope with pent-up rage by driving homicidally. They salt the roads so much that anything you own made of metal will basically disintegrate in 5 years. People are RUDE compared to the PNW/MT/Colorado, even at the crags. Places are crowded--there are something like 50 million people in the DC-Boston corridor, and there's not nearly as much public land to handle the crowds. To cap it off, it's EXPENSIVE af to live out here. If you consider yourself an outdoorsman first, DO NOT MOVE TO A BIG CITY IN THE NORTHEAST. I can't emphasize that enough. You will be unhappy and regret it. Places like North Conway, New Paltz, Burlington, Portland, etc would probably be a mild disappointment rather than soul-crushing but those sound like they are impractical for you with your travel requirements.

You must have an "ax to grind". lol

Ralph Swansen wrote:Hartford is a fair place and will feel more "like" Boulder than NYC.

haha i spent 22 years in the immediate Hartford area and have lived in Boulder for 10 and have never heard nor made this comparison.

Hartford is a shit hole. Sure it's got it's good and bad including one of the best art museums you can find, but it's still a hole. Don't get me wrong you can find things about it that you'll love, but there is no comparison other than it's not a huge city. It compare it more to Denver if Denver decided to be especially shitty. Don't ever leave your gear in your car for sure.

Oh if you want to get stoked on NE climbing though read this. Favorite book and will give you tons of history

amazon.com/Yankee-Rock-Ice-…

Go Huskies

Jimmy Sledd wrote: I'd choose the South in a heartbeat over the Northeast but he said he needs to be between Boston and Baltimore

Depends on a lot of things. There's even less rock in the deep south than in the Northeast, but less climbers as a percentage of the whole. The warmth and humidity though, it gets really bad. I lived a year in Florida, about half the year was the NE summer every day. I know the Carolinas and Tennessee get some relief, but they're still very warm during the May-Sept time frame.

The only benefit with the South would be the temps Dec thru early March.

Kevin Heckeler wrote: You must have an "ax to grind". lol

Certainly do. Miss the west terribly and don't want another lifelong Westerner to make the same mistake.

Scott McMahon is correct.

I'm trying to figure out how this became so NYC oriented. Sure, New York is arguably one of the greatest cities in the world, and if your priority is millions of beautiful women, amazing bars and one of the best restaurant scenes on the planet, the best live music scene hands down, it would be a great choice.
BUT, it's not all that close to climbing, is incredibly expensive, and is challenging to even have a car.

I don't love Boston nearly as much as NYC but I believe it's better in your case.
My vote would be somewhere like Northampton, MA or Nashua, NH

Scott McMahon wrote: haha i spent 22 years in the immediate Hartford area and have lived in Boulder for 10 and have never heard nor made this comparison. Hartford is a shit hole. Sure it's got it's good and bad including one of the best art museums you can find, but it's still a hole. Don't get me wrong you can find things about it that you'll love, but there is no comparison other than it's not a huge city. It compare it more to Denver if Denver decided to be especially shitty. Don't ever leave your gear in your car for sure. Oh if you want to get stoked on NE climbing though read this. Favorite book and will give you tons of history amazon.com/Yankee-Rock-Ice-… Go Huskies

Nick Votto wrote: I'm trying to figure out how this became so NYC oriented.

Kevin Heckeler wrote: Depends on a lot of things. There's even less rock in the deep south than in the Northeast, but less climbers as a percentage of the whole. The warmth and humidity though, it gets really bad. I lived a year in Florida, about half the year was the NE summer every day. I know the Carolinas and Tennessee get some relief, but they're still very warm during the May-Sept time frame. The only benefit with the South would be the temps Dec thru early March.

Florida is not the center of southern rock climbing. In the South (VA, NC, TN, WV, AL, GA) there are just as many routes on Mt Project as the North East. The difference is that the Rock tends to be bigger and better on average in the South. There is also lots of awesome sandstone along with the quartzite, granite and gneiss that the North East has. I know that Charlotte might be a bit far south but the argument can be made that its a better place to travel from as weather delays are seldom an issue. Summer climbing may not be the best, but plenty of high country stuff that's doable in the shade.