Boston or New York?
 

We are doing our research and preparing in case we get all the way through the Green Card process (DV2010 winner), save some money, and work out where to live! At least for the first year or so, we would not be able to live in the US fulltime due to business commitments (we only just moved to the UK!)

So we're in need of a place that we can easily get to and from London while maintaining US ties. Does the US really expect you to keep an address if you're out of the country for a few months at a time? I've never been a homeowner in any country I've lived, and I could not afford to buy a property in the US right away.

We are thinking of Boston or New York, the closest big cities to London, but sadly a comparable cost of living! Any thoughts on ease of setting up your life in either state? Ease of getting your bank accounts and finances set up? Finding short term lets? Taxes?

Ignoring the job situation just for the moment - once we move fulltime we will probably have to move somewhere else in the US but for the moment, we want to spend our US time somewhere big!

Re: Boston or New York?
 

Yes. Once you enter the USA using your Immigrant Visa, the US becomes your permanent home. You will be a permanent resident of the USA at that point. You don't have to own your property in the USA, but you have to maintain a place to live, even if you rent it.

Rene

Re: Boston or New York?
 

oh no! I guess I'll be moving to Podunk, USA, I can't afford both London and New York/Boston rent at the same time! :(

Re: Boston or New York?
 

You do not have to own property, you have to maintain the US as your principle residence.
We were out of the country for months at a time before naturalization, but we did own a home in the US.

This is one, very brief document that dicusses your rights/responsibilites as a PR. If you go further down this road, you should take a personal consultation with a US immigration attorney to make a plan for YOUR situation.

Now That You Are A Permanent Resident

Had your thread started out in the Immigration forum, you'd have found lots of discussion on 'abandonment' (you can use the search to find some of the better ones; drill down for posts from Folinskyinla).

Re: Boston or New York?
 

Thanks very much, I will check the other forum. I do know that I have to make some serious efforts on this, and I am quite likely to get a lawyer.

But for now, I suppose I can pretend to put aside all that and return to the 'where to live' question!

Re: Boston or New York?
 

Not easy to set up a life anywhere in the US in the terms you are thinking of. In the NYC area a small one bedroom apartment (not in Manhattan btw) is going to run you well over $1200 a month without utilities.

If you can't make the US your home, then why did you apply for the lottery? Seems like a waste IMHO. Could have been a spot for someone who wanted to be here.

Re: Boston or New York?
 

It sounds like it's just a short term problem for you; if you haven't found it yet, the site craigslist.org is a great way to find out what's going in a particular town. I leased out my US house when I was overseas and there is always someone doing the same. Maybe you can find a year-long arrangement like that which will help you manage the costs of keeping two homes going.

You'll be able to leave the country freely (if trips of 6+ months, do more research) and go back & forth, it will just take a little planning.
There are a lot of 'city' type threads in this forum if you have a scan through (or I might use that city-data site as a search term because it almost always gets mentioned) but if you're set on a big city (hey, I'd do it for a year) you already know which ones interest you.
There's a good thread going on the Boston/Mass topic right now.

Re: Boston or New York?
 

I do want to be there, which is why I've applied for the past 5 years. I just happen to be working in the job of a lifetime right now that I need to have a bit more time in before I can get a similar job in the US (but things may change by the time the visa is in hand, oh, just under a year from now, fingers crossed it all goes to plan!!)

Re: Boston or New York?
 

Great tip, thanks!

Re: Boston or New York?
 

Boston. (Since you asked).

Re: Boston or New York?
 

Though if your not living then, get a place way the puck out in western mass, Northampton or so and suck up the couple hour drive into beantown.

I've got a mate living in Jamaica Plain (Boston), the shit end mind and that's $1500 a month for a 2 bed dump of an apartment and no parkinig.

Cousin in law, in Fenway is dropping $3000 a month and it's a shit hole 1 bed closet, again no parking.

Re: Boston or New York?
 

Your cousin is being ripped then.... we lived in a 2 bed 2 bath luxury downtown Boston apartment with view of the Common/Charles River/Skyline and it was not much more (no parking either).

That aside, I would defo recommend Boston. I have lived in both cities and I found you have a better quality of life in Boston and can make friends a lot easier.

Re: Boston or New York?
 

Boston is better than New York.

However, that's the wrong question. West Coast wins every time. Bugger the extra few hours on the plane - it's worth it.

For me Seattle no1, with San Francisco not far behind. Even Southern California ain't too bad when you figure out how to work it. And the weather here...... my god..... why everyone wants to go to Florida is beyond me!

Re: Boston or New York?
 

Boston wins hands down :)

Spent lots of time in both cities and Boston is by far the better place to live and work.

Re: Boston or New York?
 

Boston is a good city. while its not as expensive as NYC, its still very much on the expensive side. I always though that NYC would be the place for me, but I got a job in Boston after I go my GC so thats why I am here. I would like to do a year or two in NYC, just for the hell of it, but I have my sights set on CA in the long term. At the moment I am waiting out this recession here, I guess the job situation over on the west coast is not great and hopefully in a year or two I might give California a try, unless any one knows any companies in the Bay area hiring software engineers ;-)
NYC is hands down a more exciting city then Boston, but I agree with the general sentiment that the quality of life is probably better in Boston. I also like having a car, which is handy in Boston, but a total luxury (liability) in NYC