I know not the main topic of this thread but so true. I grew up in the suburbs of NYC and much of my family still lives in Manhattan - for years, everything else to them was unfathomable.
Even have some family friends who relocated to SF for a high-profile FAANG role. Made the most of it: bought a beautiful home and Tesla, went to lots of the top restaurants, explored amazing vineyards, etc. Hated it. Thought the whole city was dumpy and lacked interesting architecture. Also hated that people would dress down in restaurants rather than always look fashionable. To them, LA is just suburbs and Orlando is nothing.
Meanwhile, I really loved living in SF and am currently based near Irvine, which is also growing on me. I'd be open to Orlando if the cost of living stayed reasonable, but it seems like the last year has decreased the gap between desirable Florida spots and more reasonable options in SoCal.
Will be interesting to see if the 'return to work' decelerates the Sunbelt shift, or if people will remain set on Florida as an escape route from the likes of NY and CA. I know even my older sister (who was once a die-hard New Yorker) is open to South Florida now, and my dad was pleasantly surprised by Florida's Gulf Coast, so who really knows at this stage.
To all the Floridians dealing with an influx of New Yorkers, apologies.
