Reviews & Comments
Charlottesville, VA
Great Area But Cost of Living is Expensive -
8/27/2014I came to Charlottesville for a new job opportunity working at NGIC as a Software Engineer. I stayed there for about a year till my job ended. While I was up there, I noticed there is a huge cap with income inequality. Most of the middle class people lived outside of Albemarle County due to the high cost of real estate and taxes. Most of the jobs do not pay enough to justify for the high cost of living. Unless, you get a job at the hospital, UVA, or NGIC (like me) that pays well, you will be struggling living in Charlottesville. Now Charlottesville does have a lot of history here; however, I do not think most people are willing to pay for the high cost just to live in. Yes the sales tax on merchandise and stuff is 5.30%; however, if you dine out at restaurants a lot like me the sales tax is 9.3%. All groceries you purchase at the supermarkets there is a 2.5% sales tax, even on water and milk which I think is crazy. Also, if you are new to Virginia like me to register your car in the state you have to get your car inspected and pay a high registration tax base on the value of your car, which could cost you over $1,000 per year just to register it. So I just left my license plate in Florida which only cost me $50 a year.
In my opinion, I would only move here if you have a very good paying job or if you really want to go to UVA for college. I believe UVA is too pricey for the middle class families and is over rated. If you really want to stay in Virginia, I think you should check out Lynchburg. The cost of living is a lot cheaper and it’s still a college town. Also if you really like history, then it is only an hour drive to Charlottesville whenever you want to visit Monticello. For me, I have moved back down to Florida to appreciate the low taxes and the beautiful weather.
Charlottesville, VA
Real Estate is Expensive When Comparing to Income -
8/14/2014I came to Charlottesville for a new job opportunity working at NGIC as a Software Engineer. I stayed there for about a year till my job ended. While I was up there, I noticed there is a huge cap with income inequality. Most of the middle class people lived outside of Albemarle County due to the high cost of real estate and taxes. Most of the jobs do not pay enough to justify for the high cost of living. Unless, you get a job at the hospital, UVA, or NGIC (like me) that pays well, you will be struggling living in Charlottesville. Now Charlottesville does have a lot of history here; however, I do not think most people are willing to pay for the high cost just to live in. Also, another thing this site does not mention is yes the sales tax on merchandise and stuff is 5.30%; however, if you dine out at restaurants a lot like me the sales tax is 9.3%. All groceries you purchase at the supermarkets there is a 2.5% sales tax, even on water and milk which I think is crazy. Also, if you are new to Virginia like me to register your car in the state you have to get your car inspected and pay a high registration tax base on the value of your car, which could cost you over $1,000 per year just to register it. So I just left my license plate in Florida which only cost me $50 a year.
In my opinion, I would only move here if you have a very good paying job or if you really want to go to UVA for college. I believe UVA is too pricey for the middle class families and is over rated. If you really want to stay in Virginia, I think you should check out Lynchburg. The cost of living is a lot cheaper and it’s still a college town. Also if you really like history, then it is only an hour drive to Charlottesville whenever you want to visit Monticello. For me, I have moved back down to Florida to appreciate the low taxes and the beautiful weather.
Jacksonville, FL
Economy is bad here -
3/8/2011Driving from South Florida, I took a vacation up to Jacksonville for a week and based on my visit to Jaks this is my opinion about the city. First, I noticed that the city is quiet and the economy is poor. According to this website it is at over 10% unemployment rate, but I think it is more like 20%. In addition, the city is so space out that you have to drive pretty far just trying to get somewhere. The population density level is only 1,113 per square mile which is very low. A city this size should be above 3,000. Since Jaks is so close to Georgia state line, many people work in Georgia but lives in the Jaks area trying to avoid the Georgia's state income which is at 6%. Maybe that is why the unemployment is so high in Jaks?
The city is lacking entertainment like events, bars, nightclubs, and etc. I have been to downtown Jaks. There is really nothing interesting to do here. Downtown area wasn't that big. Then I went to Jaks beach one day and there is only a few little bars there. There is no nightclubs here. I guess I got spoil living in Miami for a long time. Down here we have a lot more entertainment and the economy is more alive.
Now, Jaks is a very good city if you want to start an industry business since the cost of living index is low. The cost of having an industry is very low and plenty of land to decide where you want it. However, it will not be a good city for the commercial sector since the population density is very low. Better go down south like Orlando, Daytona Beach, or South Florida area.
I have noticed the culture here is more low class here. Down in South Florida, it is more classy and multi culture; however, the cost of living is much higher down here too.
If anybody is looking for a low cost of living city like Jaks but has a great economy, I would have them check out Austin or San Antonio, Texas. I have been there before and I love it, the economy, the culture, and the nightlife. Now I know why Texas is number 1 for business and economy. Awesome.
Gainesville, FL
Is Gainesville a good city to live? -
6/28/2006Hello everyone, I wanted to know more about Gainesville. I am a single young man and originally from Fort Lauderdale, FL. The cost of living down here is too much and there is too many old people down here. So when I look at Gainesville, I see that there is a lot more younger people here and cost of living is reasonable. If I moved here, I can easily buy two duplexes here. But I wanted to know other things like how is the society in Gainesville, the economy, and any other things that I should know about this city before I deciding to move here? Please let me know. Anything will useful to me. Thanks.
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Still Nice people here, but high real estate cost -
6/20/2006Hello everyone, I am a white South Florida native. Yes, I know you are shock that I am a native, wow. 16 years ago, South Florida was paradise. There was friendly people (even the African American people was kind), affordable housing, no traffic problems, and beautiful weather. Unfortunately, now because people from all over the country heard what a great place this was, those people has corrupt it over the years. As the years go by everything change. Like they say "nothing last good forever". Now, South Florida is becoming more like New York City everyday. I even heard people calling it "The Big Orange". The cost of living has skyrocket. Higher home insurance. The traffic gets worse by the day. If you are a tourist, this is a good place to visit, but not a good place to live and raise a family. I cannot stress this enough, do not live here if you want to raise a family here!
For those who were born here, the people are still very nice and kind. Those who are not from here (Ex. New York City, or up Northeast region), they are not so kind. So this is my opinion of this place, but you really need to visit this place to check it out for yourself.