Live data from Hacker News

Ask HN: Europe to East Coast, does it make sense to move at 50?

news.ycombinator.com

41–50 of 274 posts

Re: Ask HN: Europe to East Coast, does it make sense to move at 50?

#41
post #7

Hello there, I live in Berlin now and used to live in the United States. My family is there, and I go back to the east coast of the US often. The degenerating and dystopian quality of the United States is difficult to overstate, but almost impossible to capture verbally. Whatever one cause attributes to the systematic breakdown of the US, it is difficult to deny the realities of the decline -- massive alcohol and nar…

This is hilariously inaccurate and essentially a stereotype perceived from the Reddit front page. Europe is experiencing legions of issues including runaway inflation, a government and social safety net that is rapidly becoming unaffordable, a migrant crisis that is causing their own racial issues that they pretend don’t exist but are causing huge polarization and the rise of right-wing parties, a business climate that has produced essentially zero large companies in decades, and on and on.

Re: Ask HN: Europe to East Coast, does it make sense to move at 50?

#42
post #26

Lots of anti American comments in this thread, so I’ll attempt to actually answer your question. Background - I’m an American who moved abroad for 12 years (UK) and returned after Brexit. Salaries are much higher than the EU. But in some cities cost of living is high. Coming from Berlin, you’ll have an easier time finding an apartment, but it will be expensive. I’d expect to pay $2000 to $2500 per month for a decent…

> Lots of anti American comments in this thread Probably the time zone. Better to ask this question in the afternoon in europe.

So you can get a bunch of American nationalists who have never been to Europe answering? You're dismissing people who have actually lived in both places.

Re: Ask HN: Europe to East Coast, does it make sense to move at 50?

#43

Lots of anti American comments in this thread, so I’ll attempt to actually answer your question. Background - I’m an American who moved abroad for 12 years (UK) and returned after Brexit. Salaries are much higher than the EU. But in some cities cost of living is high. Coming from Berlin, you’ll have an easier time finding an apartment, but it will be expensive. I’d expect to pay $2000 to $2500 per month for a decent…

Calling out obvious issues one needs to be aware of is not anti American.

I could find lots of things wrong with both US and Germany. Everywhere has its problems and nowhere is perfect. I’ve spent time in just about everywhere and lived in a multitude of environments and cultures. I’m happiest living in Rochester, NY than I was anywhere else. It’s all personal preference, but the “issues” mentioned in other comments were not constructive nor related to the OPs questions.

Re: Ask HN: Europe to East Coast, does it make sense to move at 50?

#44
post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’ve been to the US a couple times for work (all over), always travelled around a bit. I found the people to very, very warm and kind everywhere. Racial segregation is sometimes too real in some places but the black people there seem so positively surprised and very kind when you ask them something as a white dude, it’s easy and rewarding to just be the change you want to see in that respect. The only reservation I’d…

Federal government literally spends over $1T on healthcare for the elderly. The healthcare issues in the country have never been about the old.

What are you talking about, health care for the elderly is terrible! I guess you've never had to take care of an old person in the US? And never been exposed to northern European healthcare?

Re: Ask HN: Europe to East Coast, does it make sense to move at 50?

#45
post #4

Two neighbors, ex-USA Citizens have give up the Citizenship to cut their tie with the IRS... They often say "America is here" (France). IME if you plan a short migration for a project, witch means go, earn enough money, come back and you do not need ANY KIND of health services in the foreseeable meantime it's ok. If not... USA level of services is third world compared to EU, bureaucracy is byzantine, surely you might…

The inherent view so many Europeans have of the US based solely on news or anecdotes from expats is pretty amusing sometimes. Nobody is getting a lawyer just to sign up at a gym, and our incomes are comically higher for skilled persons than European salaries. I literally make 10 times what my French counterpart would in my profession and with a much lower tax rate so the real difference is even larger. I could work f…

> Would I rather be disabled or unemployed in France? Probably, but that's not exactly the HN audience.

But it's also about knowing that your friends, your family, the people who make your coffee, the people you meet in the park etc. will have a safety net to fall back on.

I do think that I'm not the only person who finds that reassuring.

re. the "I make more money", I realise as a person without kids, I have a skewed perspective but I don't find myself lacking a lot in life. I don't understand the obsession with wanting to get as rich as possible, and if society provides for a lot of things (including kids' college tuition) you may not need to save as much.

Re: Ask HN: Europe to East Coast, does it make sense to move at 50?

#46
Concrete data point: My neighbor (a German) moved to the East Coast a year ago (for wife’s job) and has zero intention of moving back (they have bought a house).

Obviously lots of details; they are in academia, have an 8yo, were most recently in the UK, etc. But they have their skin in the game and made choose USA.

Re: Ask HN: Europe to East Coast, does it make sense to move at 50?

#47
post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’ve been to the US a couple times for work (all over), always travelled around a bit. I found the people to very, very warm and kind everywhere. Racial segregation is sometimes too real in some places but the black people there seem so positively surprised and very kind when you ask them something as a white dude, it’s easy and rewarding to just be the change you want to see in that respect. The only reservation I’d…

Federal government literally spends over $1T on healthcare for the elderly. The healthcare issues in the country have never been about the old.

Medicare still has costs to the policyholder and it also requires supplemental insurance for coverage of things like eyes, teeth, hearing aids, long term care, etc.

Re: Ask HN: Europe to East Coast, does it make sense to move at 50?

#48
post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My wife's company will provide a work permit.

I would double check this - assuming your wife will be going over on an H1B or L1 visa (edit: correction: L1 can get you an L2 as a spouse), as a spouse you would not be allowed to work in the US.

As the spouse of L1 you get an L2 which lets you work for any employer including yourself as long as the L1 is active. With the L2 you get an EAD on arrival and do not have to wait for months to get it.

Re: Ask HN: Europe to East Coast, does it make sense to move at 50?

#49
I would closely research the health care situation. When you're young, white, male and invincible the US may well be a good choice, but later in life when a bad health care bill is typically just around the corner you will want to be very careful about such decisions.

In Germany not a whole lot can happen, in the United States you may well be on the receiving end of the stick.

And that's before we get into the speed with which the whole of the world as we knew it seems to be unraveling, including the USA, but I can see some arguments for being safer there than in Berlin.

Re: Ask HN: Europe to East Coast, does it make sense to move at 50?

#50
post #4

Two neighbors, ex-USA Citizens have give up the Citizenship to cut their tie with the IRS... They often say "America is here" (France). IME if you plan a short migration for a project, witch means go, earn enough money, come back and you do not need ANY KIND of health services in the foreseeable meantime it's ok. If not... USA level of services is third world compared to EU, bureaucracy is byzantine, surely you might…

You also "need a lawyer" to cancel gym memberships in Western European countries. Do some minimal research yourself.

[deleted]
Post reply on HN