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Ask HN: Has remote work made you move to a new location or consider it?

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Re: Ask HN: Has remote work made you move to a new location or consider it?

#21

Post by closeparen »

I am strongly considering Manhattan. The cost of living is similar to SF but the urban amenities and energy are on a whole other level.

However it’s a bit daunting to get an office or an extra bedroom there at my own expense. I’m not sure I’m up for working from my living room or bedroom.

Re: Ask HN: Has remote work made you move to a new location or consider it?

#22

Post by drakonka »

I have considered it and can imagine myself moving for short bursts to different parts of the country. I have cats, so I can't go full nomad and don't want to uproot them too much, but I can totally imagine moving between a couple of locations 1-2 times a year if my partner and I felt like it. It just feels so freeing to have the option, even if I don't end up doing it.

Re: Ask HN: Has remote work made you move to a new location or consider it?

#23

Post by globular-toast »

I moved to a cheaper, more remote area. But as a single person, I feel more isolated here and I'm now considering moving again. I don't want to start paying silly money to live close to work again, though (nor do I want to commute).

Re: Ask HN: Has remote work made you move to a new location or consider it?

#25

Post by refurb »

I didn’t permanently move, but took advantage of WFH to spend 9 month closer to family in Eastern WA/Idaho.

I’m not going to lie, it was a pretty eye opening experience going from the Bay Area to a small town. The pace was more calm and I realized I could still get access to 80% of what I had in the Bay Area. Walking by the lake and having people say “good evening” was a nice change. Being able to drive 10 min and be in the middle of nature was great.

I eventually returned to SF, and I’m not sure right now in my life is a good time for a permanent move, but it certainly had its appeal.

I feel like a mid-sized town - has most amenities, some places to splurge and access to an airport would be ideal - the best trade off between what SF offers and what smaller towns offer.

I think the problem is the travel disruption has reall LT thrown things off. If I were to be stuck for 12 months in one place, I’d take SF (or another big city). If I knew I could easily jump on a cheap flight, the smaller cities start to seem much more appealing.

Re: Ask HN: Has remote work made you move to a new location or consider it?

#26

Post by DFHippie »

I moved from DC to Vermont about 15 years ago. I lost the job I had when I first moved when they eliminated remote work and I refused to move back, and for a while I struggled a bit to find remote work. Ultimately I found a local job which I love and I loved walking in to work every day in all weather, about 2.5 miles. Then COVID struck and the company went remote and has decided to stay remote. As it grows its workforce is ever more dispersed (we intend to stop growing in the near future to preserve the character of the company). I have never regretted my decision. I make much more use of the opportunities the country provides than I did of the opportunities in the city. Also, the rest of the members of my immediate family, and much of my extended family, have made the same decision, so I now live closer to them.

Re: Ask HN: Has remote work made you move to a new location or consider it?

#28

Post by likeabbas »

closeparen wrote: post #21

I am strongly considering Manhattan. The cost of living is similar to SF but the urban amenities and energy are on a whole other level. However it’s a bit daunting to get an office or an extra bedroom there at my own expense. I’m not sure I’m up for working from my living room or bedroom.

I did this move right when the boosters were rolling out and got a relatively good deal on a two bedroom apartment near midtown. It was the best choice I’ve ever made! I never felt like I belonged in SF, but in New York you can be who you want to be.

Re: Ask HN: Has remote work made you move to a new location or consider it?

#29

Post by thelastknowngod »

pnut wrote: post #18
thelastknowngod wrote: post #16

I left the US ~5 years ago after getting a fully remote position. I'd probably quit if they ever told me I had to come back. I miss family and old friends of course but I can't deny that I live a significantly better life now. It's one of the best decisions I've ever made.

Are you bouncing between countries as your tourist visa expires in each place, or are you a citizen of somewhere other than the US?

Pre-covid I bounced but also set myself up to have relatively stable home bases. This includes resident visas in countries that do not require me to spend a lot of time in those specific countries and international real estate.

At the moment I am mostly stationary but I still have projects and/or goals in at least 4 different countries.

Re: Ask HN: Has remote work made you move to a new location or consider it?

#30

Post by philote »

Yes, just before the pandemic we moved from a major city out to a rural, mountainous area. The area we moved to is much quieter and more full of nature, and yet we can somehow get fiber/gigabit internet while we could only get cable in the city. I hope to never have to go back. I don't miss the traffic or airplanes or crime. I do miss some of the entertainment opportunities, but it's only 2 hours to the city and there are plenty of outdoor activities to do now. My biggest complaint is lack of good restaurants, though this has prompted us to learn to cook better.
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