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

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

#71

Post by morelisp »

raverbashing wrote: post #56
orzig wrote: post #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.

> they are in academia, Makes me wonder if they draw a lucky ticket like tenure. Because for most cases, the opposite would make more sense.

If anything goes wrong (or they realise what that kid's college education will cost) they have the option of pitching the house, likely with a gain large enough to buy anything they'd like back in Germany, and move back to the social safety net without much fuss.

Especially well-played to move to the US as soon as the kid is old enough to no longer need special medical care or a daycare.

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

#72

Post by guerrilla »

nbzso wrote: post #63
guerrilla wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> anti American comments in this thread It's weird that describing things accurately is considered "anti-American." The question was answered multiple times though: If he does get a higher salary, much is going to be wasted on making up for deficiencies of the US that may be invisible to a German (especially wrt. health, food quality, security, social services, etc.)

It is not weird. It is normal. Billions of dollars spent for propaganda of American dream. And it is global. This is the power of an utopian idea. People need belief in the success. Critical thinking was never popular, but nowadays is the exception of the rule.

> It is not weird. It is normal. Billions of dollars spent for propaganda of American dream. And it is global. This is the power of an utopian idea. People need belief in the success. Critical thinking was never popular, but nowadays is the exception of the rule.

Yeah, definitely, but you'd still expect people here to do better. Nobody who hasn't lived in both even needs to comment really.

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

#73

Post by heavyset_go »

Realistically, you will need to earn NYC wages to afford living in NJ, but employers in and around Princeton expect to pay workers half of those wages. It's also a culturally devoid area and highly car dependent. You'd have a better bet freelancing in either Philadelphia or New York.

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

#74

Post by jules »

sdfjkl wrote: post #25
bjornsing wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Interesting work? A love for liberty? Less crab mentality? Sorry, as a somewhat disgruntled European I couldn’t resist.

That'd be France you're describing. Plus, the food is better there :)

Is it? This may be heresy, but I found the food in the US to be better than in France. If you're willing to spend a lot of money it may be better in France, but for ordinary eating out I've found the US to be better. Patisserie is better in France, though.

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

#75

Post by orzig »

morelisp wrote: post #71
raverbashing wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> they are in academia, Makes me wonder if they draw a lucky ticket like tenure. Because for most cases, the opposite would make more sense.

If anything goes wrong (or they realise what that kid's college education will cost) they have the option of pitching the house, likely with a gain large enough to buy anything they'd like back in Germany, and move back to the social safety net without much fuss. Especially well-played to move to the US as soon as the kid is old enough to no longer need special medical care or a daycare.

There are worse descriptions of a country than “Zero risk shot at huge upside“!

I’m certainly glad my ancestors took it.

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

#76

Post by guerrilla »

seibelj wrote: post #67
guerrilla wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> including runaway inflation The same as everywhere... due to a war and pandemic . > a government and social safety net that is rapidly becoming unaffordable Completely false. Do you even read our budgets? Your debt-to-GDB was literally 3x ours last year. European countries aren't even allowed to deficit spend more than a few percent (which is what got Greece in trouble, for example.) > they pretend don’t exist I'm…

I find lectures about American society from Europeans, as the parent comment did, exceedingly ironic and misinformed considering the same issues plague both sides. Even more so as American armed forces and weapons (and our tax dollars and political system) are what protect all of you from annihilation. The grass is always greener but I prefer it here.

I lived in both, each for the same amount of time, and the US is a wasteland compared to this in many ways. Both sides are effected by the global economy and geopolitics, but things are handled much better here.

> Even more so as American armed forces and weapons (and our tax dollars and political system) are what protect all of you from annihilation.

This is delusional. All you've ever done is make the world more insecure for your own gain[1]. You invade and overthrow everyone who ever disagreed with you and scream "freedom" at everyone.

> The grass is always greener but I prefer it here.

You've never lived here, that's why.

1. https://github.com/binka/essays/blob/master/us_atrocities.md

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

#77

Post by sam_lowry_ »

pkb wrote: post #68

Do not go. Here's why: 1) You have no network in the US. You will have to start from scratch. Remember how you started. Multiply difficulty level by 2. And you're not going to be any younger. 2) Salaries for perm positions being "significantly lower" in the US than in EU. This nullifies gains from moving to the US. Add cost of moving everything over long range by plane/cargo ship. 3) Healthcare cost. My friend asked…

>Salaries for perm positions being "significantly lower" in the US than in EU

On HN, we hear all the time that the inverse is true. Is it because high salaries are limited to Silicon Valley?

In Western Europe, freelancers with good credentials and a large network can have yearly gross revenuу of 100..200k€. Is this comparable to US freelance revenue?

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

#78

Post by koevet »

heavyset_go wrote: post #73

Realistically, you will need to earn NYC wages to afford living in NJ, but employers in and around Princeton expect to pay workers half of those wages. It's also a culturally devoid area and highly car dependent. You'd have a better bet freelancing in either Philadelphia or New York.

Hi, ok I thought that Princeton was everything but "culturally devoid". Do you mind elaborating on that?

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

#79

Post by morelisp »

Omniusaspirer wrote: post #20
kkfx wrote: 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…

You've begged the question a little by choosing France, a country with roughly the same cost of living as the US or Germany, but with programmer salaries more in line with smaller or eastern European countries.

It's true French programmers may be able to swing 10x in (parts of) the US, but they can find 2-5x just by moving to Germany or northern Europe.

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

#80

Post by binarymax »

guerrilla wrote: post #70
binarymax wrote: post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The top comment is about as anti-American as it can get. Apparently we’re all drug addicts and burning our own houses to the ground. It’s important to generalize for the sake of the OPs questions, but saying nonsense doesn’t help anyone.

That's what I'm talking about, it's just a completely accurate description and you're freaking out saying it said things that it didn't say! Zero things in it are false, but what you're claiming is: > massive alcohol and narcotic dependency issues This is a fact and it's not "[you're] all drug addicts and burning your own houses to the ground." The only way you can get upset is to straw man it really hard.

I find it hilarious that you think I’m freaking out.

I’m laying in bed listening to the birds chirp, trying to provide some level commentary.

I read the top comment and chuckled hard. It’s not even close to real. Social media is amplifying some really skewed info.

Try living here, it’s beautiful.

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