Cyprus-Forum.com

[Londonrake]

My only experience of New York was a 5 day stay in the Waldorf Astoria back in 2009. It was rough but ...................... somebody had to do it.

[repulsewarrior]

...an experience is by the Port Authority,

i wonder if the cockroaches scatter in the thousands with the light, in those Hotel rooms.

...an experience is five days in a Hotel room off LaGuardia Airport,

where the doors open and close quite regularly, all night long.

...although i would take the Waldorf any day, if someone "had to do it".

[Londonrake]

I only went to enjoy Cole Porter's piano. Ohh - and the house salad of course.

[Paphitis]

I believe you are on your way to the USA soon. As long as you have a job offer and a contract, immigration is just a formality as long as your (family) health and criminal backgrounds check out.

How long notice do you need to give to your present employer to terminate your contract with them?

Perhaps if you have an overnight layover in one of the cities in the Bay Area (SFO, OAK, SJC, SMF) during one of my frequent visits to San Francisco, we can meet for dinner. We’ll keep in touch.

Enjoy harsh winters and humid summers in the New York area.

Last time I was in New Jersey was 40 years ago, as I was hitch hiking across the country to San Francisco via Seattle. That was a very interesting experience.

I have to give a months notice. I have not done that yet as it's a little premature.

Yes there will definitely be layovers in California. One hing I need to get use to is all the ICAO codes. The only one I know off hand is SFO, but there will be layovers in all the places you mention as well as LAX. Layovers all over the USA. Also to Anchorage, Alaska and Montreal and Vancouver. Honolulu as well but that is pretty much it.

New Jersey is interesting. It's big. It's the real world. Can be good and can be rough. But New York is definitely the heart of the US if not the world. I would love living there for a while, and I have chosen Newark?NYC because it will make my wife very happy. From day 1, she has her friends and family, and there is a massive Greek Community which is tightly knit and a community feel so the kids can go to school and feel like they haven't left Australia.

They are also offering free global travel. I free with any IATA partner per year for all the family and free within the airline's network. So if it gets too much, they can just board a plane for Sydney or Melbourne then Adelaide or to Athens and then the Greek islands or Cyprus. I think she is going to love that.

[Paphitis]

Paphitis, it’s a bit of an irony you wanting to move to the states where there are over 300 million people living all over. Recently when I stated that Australia needs another 100 million people to make the country function better economically, you were adamant that the present 26 million was just fine as you all needed your space.

To think that the New York area has half of Australia’s population alone!

Word of advice. Never get into an argument with someone on a Road Rage fix. Don’t get out of your car at the next light to give them a piece of your mind! Many have guns in their cars. Americans are very friendly people, but it is also a violent society. Just swallow your pride and let the idiot go with your blessing.

Kikapu,

there is no doubt in my mind that as a country, Australia has better standard of living and a better quality of life than the USA. Australia is easier, has better health availability to all its citizens and education is better as well (although standards in America can be high too). So for the citizen, Australia's 25 million trumps USA on pretty much every Human Index possible.

Where America excels which others don't, is opportunity, career prospects and of course, as far as I am concerned the American way of doing things.

Out of every nationality I have been exposed to, Americans are very humble, and their corporate system is very gun ho. They are results driven. Not driven by personalities, race or politics. They are such a massive melting pot. They celebrate diversity and they will mentor everyone onto the road of success. Doesn't matter if you are Italian, Irish, German, Greek, Jewish, Black or whatever. If you bring the goods to the table, they will nurture you and help you.

Whilst the USA has some shortcomings, they can be overcome with Health Insurance and selecting your children's schooling.

It's a big country. So plenty that is good and plenty that can be also bad such as crime.

If you were to ask me about coming to USA or Australia, in my personal view I think Australia is a better country to go to especially for families and quality of life. If you are a pilot, then USA is a better place.

[Paphitis]

...who did my son meet because of a snow storm visiting in New York, Jerry Seinfeld; the Big Apple, small town, eh.

...just over the bridge in Queens, is nice, and convenient; but don't take my word for it, that was thirty years ago; good luck.

My wife likes Queens too and it's close to Astoria where all the Greeks hang out.

Yeh, Queens would get some close attention by us.

[repulsewarrior]

...do they still have seven Greek daily newspapers, in Astoria? You may find a Cypriot under the elevated trains who has outdoor tables, interesting and good food cheap.

[Paphitis]

Paphitis, it’s a bit of an irony you wanting to move to the states where there are over 300 million people living all over. Recently when I stated that Australia needs another 100 million people to make the country function better economically, you were adamant that the present 26 million was just fine as you all needed your space.

To think that the New York area has half of Australia’s population alone!

Word of advice. Never get into an argument with someone on a Road Rage fix. Don’t get out of your car at the next light to give them a piece of your mind! Many have guns in their cars. Americans are very friendly people, but it is also a violent society. Just swallow your pride and let the idiot go with your blessing.

Oh BTW, I'm not one to get into any road rage situations or massive arguments. I certainly don't even get out of my car in Australia.

I rarely find myself in such situations but if I do, I also know how to get myself out of any situations. Plus, there are police everywhere. Pretty sure any road rages in NYC or Jersey won't last very long before they are dealt with.

NYC would be fairly OK but there are areas in the US where people carry handguns in their cars. Which is why the police are always on edge. Even on a routine traffic stop the police almost have their hands on their guns. So no, you won't get any wise guy antics from me.

USA is a very safe place in my opinion. Got to put things in perspective. In my opinion, places like London, Athens, Paris and Rome are a lot worse than Jersey, NYC, and Chicago.

I mean seriously, there are places in Athens that are just totally shit and that's because of the 1 million Albanians, and Illegals from Turkey. They put any US Gangs to shame.

[Paphitis]

...do they still have seven Greek daily newspapers, in Astoria? You may find a Cypriot under the elevated trains who has outdoor tables, interesting and good food cheap.

Yes the do. My wife is good friends with the Editor.

I ask her for the name of it. I think its The Greek National Herald.

The Greek Community is very vibrant. Also there is a rather large Cypriot Community. Many Greek Restaurants and there is a popular Cypriot Restaurant called "The Vraka" Saint Dimitrios Church is there and there is a private school that is run by them as well. It could be the school our children will attend. We will see. Athena Park is across the road, named after Goddess Athena.

Shop after shop selling Greek products, Greek accountants, lawyers, groceries where you can buy any imported item from Greece and Cyprus. Night time entertainment, lots of Greek Clubs, and after hours Bouzoukia as well.

Astoria is quite good. First stop across the Brooklyn Bridge over the Hudson from Manhattan, so basically in the thick of it.

Use to be very working class but because of its proximity to Manhattan, it is highly sort of area, as is Queens.

Property is quite cheap in USA in general. You can actually buy a terrace house on the west side of Manhattan within walking distance of Wall Street for 1.5 million USD. Can't do that in Sydney or Melbourne for that money. And that is prized real estate to say the least in Manhattan.

[Paphitis]

...who did my son meet because of a snow storm visiting in New York, Jerry Seinfeld; the Big Apple, small town, eh.

...just over the bridge in Queens, is nice, and convenient; but don't take my word for it, that was thirty years ago; good luck.

One of the things I will find hard to get use to is the brutal cold and snow. Minus 20 is going to be hard...

I think after the first white Christmas, the novelty will wear off after that very quickly.