Advice Wanted On Living in America

You'l get different responses from everyone. I prefer not to live in any of these cities. (I grew up in the NYC area)

This varies greeatly--would help to provide more informaiton. Is it just for you or do you have a family to insure? Many employers pay a portion of the premium.
Depending on your situation, insurance for you alone could range anywhere from $30 per month to, perhaps, hundreds per month, depending on your health.

Easy to open an account, assuming you'll have a visa of some sort.
Establishing credit will take time. Make all your payments on time.

Again, varies greatly depending on your income and you deductions.
I would guess most Americans pay somwhere between 20% and 30% of their income to taxes.

Don't know how to answer that. You could skim through the constitution. :browani:

 

Each of the name brand cities that you mentioned are expensive if you want to be in the Central areas. For instance like Kensington in London compared to the outskirts.

Boston is a nice walking city, with fairly good train service similar to the Tube. Not the most expensive but expensive in town. And with the many high end Universities some surrounding areas are also expensive. Like Cambridge. More compact than the others.

San Francisco is perhaps the most expensive in housing costs and rents. It is not a walking city unless you are in great shape. The steep hills are an experience. The upscale part of town are the most expensive to live in. Many who work there commute on the BART (the train). It is a great place to visit.

New York, if you mean New York City, Manhattan that is right up there in costs with the most expensive in the world. It is a must visit for theater, dining and the din of a city. Living in Manhattan is really expensive. Rents can be double of that in other cities. Small apartments can sell for over a million dollars. It is the " Big Apple".

There are other cities you may wish to explore. Philadelphia, Baltimore, or if you like warmer climates Atlanta, Charleston, Orlando etc. It a really big country with a lot of great places. The cities you mentioned are on either coast. There are many in so called Fly over Country, that is between the coasts. Others will elaborate, i hope.

Banking: That is similar to what you would expect at in the UK. They want to see assets to give credit. Each has it own rules. your UK card wil work here. I use my cards in Europe.

Health Insurance, is based on age and condition. A young person will pay less for really good coverage with a low deductible. It can cost about $2000.00 a year per person. An older person will pay more. About $7,000.00 to $10,000 per family for good coverage.There are cheaper plans with less coverage. The good news is unlike England and Canada is that you can get quick service and choose your provider to a larger extent.


You rights:That is a big question. Just like England to a large extent. Of course you need a work Visa for employment. A so called Green Card (its not green) to get a job. As to getting employment that depends on what field one wishes to engage in. People with special needed skills go to the front of the work permit line. A good immigration lawyer could answer all of that. May I suggest that you stop by the American Embassy office nearest to your home. They have the information available.


Tax. We have no shortage of taxes. Today is April 15th. That is the day we get to pay our income tax. The tax rate varies with the amount earned. There is a FICA tax too, that is for pension benifits etc. Also there is a tax on dividends and interest earned. Overall taxes are much less than in the UK.

 

Personally, I would not recommend a large city, but maybe a small or medium sized city. Personally I hate traffic and not being able to find parking. Fredericksburg, Virginia comes to mind. It is a small historic city with lots of character, and many parks and historic sites to visit. Its cheaper to live there than in the larger cities. There is bus service, and should you wish to visit (or work in) DC there are several daily commuter trains that leave from downtown Fredericksburg to Washington.

As far as taxes go, you're used to high taxes living in Europe, its not likely that taxes here would shock you. If anything the taxes are probably cheaper. The main taxes you would pay would be income tax (if you get a job), Personal property tax (House, condo, business, cars), and sales tax (retail purchases). The various taxes will vary depending on state and locality you live in. Some areas charge personal property taxes on homes & vehicles, some do not. Most states have a state income tax in addition to the federal tax, others do not.

I As long as you are here on a valid visa then rights should not be a problem. If you somehow got in trouble the legal system will work. Several of my employees are foreign nationals and they do not have any problems. Of course as you mentioned earlier you would not be able to participate in our elections or political process.

-Jay

 

Great area. Good idea. Really depends what industry he is in if he intends to work here, start a business etc. If well funded and just visiting for a year or so or a student not working, the tax impact would be minimal.

 

If you want History its on the East Coast. Washington DC, Philadelphia, Boston. Films as you mentioned, show only a snap shot. The West Coast has natural beauty on a par with anything world wide. New England (East Coast) Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts may be more what your looking for, if you want some place similarity to Scotland. If you hold a degree in history, perhaps investigating a University level,teaching situation would be a good start. And the New England Universities are among best. Of course the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia is right up there with Harvard,Yale and Princeton. If you go to the West Coast, To Seattle, you will see almost a mirror image of the Coast of Maine in the East. I would say check them both out. The good part about Seattle vs. Maine (New England in general) is you won't see snow in Seattle. Did you consider Canada? Montreal for instance is more European.

Health insurance comes in all kinds. The more you pay, the more coverage you get. Many people prefer to save and agree to pay some degree of the medical bill up to a given dollar amount then the insurance covers anything above that agreed amount to a maximum agreed amount. Many employers pay insurance or part of it. Yes, you can get denied coverage for things that are not in the contract. For instance cosmetic surgery or things deemed to be experimental. I suspect that you are more limited now than you would be here in permitted coverage. That we pay for health insurance is another reason why we are taxed less than those in Europe.

 

If you like the mountains I could suggest Winchester, Va, Leesburg, Va, Warrenton, Va, or Martinsburg, WV. If you decide on the Leesburg area I know a good drycleaner in the area... I live & work about 10 miles from Leesburg. Leesburg is also close enough to commute to DC if you wish to work in DC or Northern Virginia. Health insurance is usually a benefit you get from your employer. If you do get a job here in the US make sure there isn't a requirement that you be employed for 6 months or a year before you qualify for that benefit. It varies from company to company. You may want to even speak to your own government. You may be able to get a job at your own embassy in DC.

-Jay

 

New England tax rates are usually pretty high, but I have some family and friends in Connecticut, and it is a beautiful place. Personally, I don't think I'd want to permanently live there, but I did enjoy my visits there to my grandparents when I was a child.
If you were in Connecticut then you have everything New York has to offer as well, but the ability to escape the city to a nice, peaceful area at night.

-Jay

 

Taxes:

Fall into really several categories:

1. Income tax: depending on how much you make and what deductions you have. Most "professionals" pay in the 25% bracket to the federal government. Some states -- Florida and Texas, for example -- have no state income tax. Others -- like California -- have a very high state tax (9.3% in California for the vast majority of people, 10.3% for truly high earners). If you own a house your *income* tax burden goes down significantly.

2. Sales tax: we do not have a VAT system in the US. Goods and services are taxed at rates set by the states, counties and municipalities and average 7%. Some places, like New Jersey, do not tax groceries, medicine or clothing. Other places have local taxes added to state taxes, so that the tax rate in Berkeley, CA is 8.75%, but in Los Angeles is 8.25% and here in Orange County, CA is 7.75%. Some places (Delaware most notably) have no sales tax. Hotel rooms, rental cars, alcohol and cigarettes are all heavily taxes.

3. Capital gains tax: 15% of any capital gains (meaning the difference between what you sell something for and what you bought it for).

4. Fuel tax: depends, again, on the state, but there is a federal fuel tax too of 18.4c per gallon. The average seems to be 25-30c per gallon tax.

5. Utility taxes: some places have taxes on electricity, gas, telephone, mobile, etc. Los Angeles has a 9% or 10% Utility Users' Tax (UUT). Anaheim, where I live, has no utility tax.

6. Property tax: only really if you own property (real estate). The amount can be stunningly high (Florida, Texas) or artificially low (California is limited to 1% plus local options, normally around 1.25%).


Banking -- you must have a tax ID number (ITIN) which you can apply for at places like post offices. You also need to show your passport and be subjected to questioning, and they can monitor your account freely since you are not a U.S. citizen. You should be prepared for a two-hour session to get your banking set up.

Rights -- you do not get "resident rights" unless you have your "green card", meaning that you do not qualify for subsidised ("in-state") tuition at schools (UCLA, for example, is about $5,000 per semester for residents and over $20,000 for non-residents). You cannot apply for the dole, or any kind of public assistance (including Medicare or Medicaid); in some places you may be unable to enroll children for school without proof of their visa status.

None of the rights enumerated in the Constitution and its 26 Amendments are limited to US citizens, so you are entitled to the same freedom of speech, religion, assembly, freedom from cruel and unusual punishment, etc. as anyone born here.

Note that if your children are born here, even if you and your wife are British, your children will have American citizenship as well as British and thus are entitled to these things.

COSTS -- any large American city (New York, San Francisco, Miami, etc.) will cost as much as London. Flats are paid for monthly, not weekly, and you will have to pay first and last month's rent, as well as any security deposit, before you get the keys. Leases are typically one year and many places have rent control ordinances to limit increases to once per year. (Santa Monica also sets the increase limit).

Gas is cheaper in the US than in Britain, averaging 50-60p per litre ($3.75-$4 per gallon). Public transit passes in most large cities are around $70 per month, more if you are commuting from the suburbs.

A two-bedroom, 1100 sqft flat in most cities will run you $50 a month for electricity, $30 a month for natural gas (more if it's cold and you have gas heat), $50 for television (satellite or cable), $30 plus call costs for telephone, $30 for internet, etc.

 

If you choose to live in a city or a close lying suburb of a major city then public transport should be available. Small cities, outlying suburbs, and rural areas are likely to not have public transportation. In these areas having a vehicle is pretty much a necessity.

You're young, and if you are in good health insurance would not be too expensive. When I was your age I think I paid $80/mo for my health insurance, and I had really good coverage.

You may want to contact the British embassy here in the US as they may have some recommendations for you, and maybe even be able to employ you for the time you are here.

-Jay

 

The need for a car depends greatly on your location. Here in CA (San Francisco Bay Area) life without a car is very challenging — less so if you live & work within walking distance of BART or Caltrain station. If you can't take the train to get where you're going, buses are much less convenient and don't work late into the night.

When you go to the doctor's they'll want to know everything about your insurance. I've never gone without an insurance, so I can't answer what'll happen exactly, but I suspect they may want their money upfront, they may come after you and damage your credit history by sending your bill to collections and so on.

Can't speak for all states, but one of the benefits of being employed full time here in CA by a large company is that you will automatically have health insurance with very small co-pay (and possibly a small premium in addition to what company pays). I have been here for over 16 years and never had to buy my own insurance.

 

Wirelessly posted (LGE-VX8700/1.0 UP.Browser/6.2.3.2 (GUI) MMP/2.0)

Regarding education--it is "free" until grade 12. Secondary education is not free. Subsidised means one may earn money towards an education via academic or sports achievements. There are no free colleges.

 

It depends. From working in EMS for 10 years I know that if you arrive at a medical facility with a life threatening condition (or in labor - I doubt you will be in that condition though) you cannot be refused care, even if you do not have the ability to pay.

-Jay

 

Some minor things:

People in Britain use SMS to pay for absolutely everything -- parking, congestion charges, even small purchases. This is unheard of in the US. We do not use SMS as a payment scheme. There are some pilot programmes for this but they have not really taken off.

The only place I have ever seen a chip-and-PIN credit card machine is at the Virgin Megastore. It is not used in the US, and US cards are not issued with chips (they are issued with PINs, but it's so that you can withdraw money from an ATM). You or the merchant will slice your card through the reader, you'll likely be asked to show the signature panel on the card with your ID (either a local driver license or your passport), and you'll sign the machine or the receipt.

You must show ID in order to drink. Prepare to have your passport scrutinised, because as a former doorman at a bar, I can tell you we didn't get very many passports. You must be 21 in order to drink. There are no exceptions. You must also be 18 or 21 to gamble (depends where) and you must be 18 or 19 to purchase tobacco or certain drugs.

Paracetamol is called acetaminophen here and goes by the trade name Tylenol. It is exactly the same, and produced by the same firm, as Panadol. Ibuprofen goes by the trade name "Advil".

Most states have not yet banned talking on your mobile while driving. New York, New Jersey and California have for sure.

Smoking is just "not on" anymore. Most states have banned smoking in restaurants and public buildings; some, like California, New York and Massachusetts, have banned smoking in bars and pubs as well. In California, you cannot smoke in a car when a minor is in the car, even if you open the window, and you may not smoke in forests (for obvious reasons, I should think, given that we live in a desert). This includes Los Angeles between Sunset/Los Feliz and Ventura Blvds -- no smoking outside. If you smoke in San Francisco you will probably be scolded, even if you're within your rights to do so.

If you are arrested, you will be read your rights, called "Mirandizing" you after the Miranda case which caused the cautioning. As a British subject you also have the right to consular representation. Chances are they will call the British consulate for you in order to complain about yet another hooligan. You are innocent until proven guilty -- meaning that the burden of proof is on the prosecutor, who has wide discretion to wheel and deal, and there must be positive proof that you did what you are accused off "beyond a reasonable doubt" -- and you have the right to have an attorney (what a Briton would call a solicitor -- Americans do not distinguish between solicitors and barristers) present during questioning and in any interaction with your accusers. If you cannot afford an attorney (on your say-so) you will be assigned a public defender.

The penalties for drink driving are severe, moreso in some states than in others. In some states you will incur only a night in the local jail and a fine; in others your car can be confiscated and you will have to purchase an interlock device (this means you blow into a tube, it registers the alcohol level of your blood, and if it is above a certain amount, the car will not start) before you get it back. The legal limit for alcohol is 0.08% (that is, 80 mg/dL or 0.8 mg/mL) and very often this will be used as a test for public drunkenness even if you are not driving.

Some states have very strict alcohol-control laws ("blue laws"). In some states, the purchase of liquor to be consumed elsewhere ("off-license") is only possible through state-owned stores, where the selection is very small and the prices very high. In some states, on-licenses must stop serving alcohol at a certain time -- 1 AM and 2 AM are possible. Some states ban the sale of alcohol on Sundays; some restrict where you can buy liquor, allowing supermarkets to sell only wine and beer, or nothing at all. Some states impose limits on the alcohol content of beer (3.2% ABV, or 6.4 American proof, or 5.6 British proof). Utah does not permit bars; drinking can be done only at restaurants (and a specific quantity of food must be served BEFORE the liquor can be served), or at "private clubs". In reality, you walk into what looks like a bar, pay a "membership fee" of $5 or so, and get your first drink or two free. California is very relaxed; bars close at 2 AM, but there are some that close at 4 AM. Liquor can be bought at any time in any licensed establishment (meaning you can get your Scotch at Tesco Fresh & Easy), and there aren't too many restrictions on alcohol limits (the only one I can think of is that pure grain alcohol, sold as "Everclear", is banned in California). Nevada is even easier -- there are no hour limits on alcohol, and there are no laws preventing public drunkenness (the state Constitution prohibits this kind of law).

Some states allow the concealed carry of firearms -- Texas, Wyoming and Montana do for sure. Other states allow it only after a permitting process. I assume that everyone I meet in Wyoming is armed. It's usually true -- all fourteen of them. (Just kidding. There are 494,000 people in Wyoming.)

Don't mention politics until you get to know your conversation partner more than casually, eh? We all know the British hate George Bush, we don't need yet another Oxbridge accent telling us how he's ruining the world. You'll just seem snotty and you're nearly guaranteed to piss off the people you're talking to, even if they happen to agree. America-bashing in America in general is a stupid idea, but it's terribly common by those Not From Here.

And finally, drop your preconceptions. America is not what you think it is. Are there gangbanging turf wars? Sure. But not everywhere. Are there backwards hicks with four teeth with gun racks in the back of their ginormous pickup trucks? Sure, but they're practically an endangered species. You can find religious fundamentalists, obese housewives scarfing down fast food, and overbearing A-type capitalists, but you know what? You can find them in Britain too. I have a number of British friends and acquaintances and we always seem to have to have the discussion about what is America (usually after a couple of pints). Some of them have hysterically funny ideas about what "all Americans" are like -- a bit like expecting to land at Heathrow and find people acting like they'd just dropped out of some Agatha Christie 1930's aristocratic country house, "tally ho, tea and strumpets, etc.".

 

No, I have not lived in Britain. I was waitlisted at Oxford and decided not to go once Michaelmas term rolled around, but I have a fairly large number of contacts in Britain. I can even do that awful not-from-anywhere BBC accent after four semesters of RP at university.

[QUOTE[The healthcare side of things scares me a little because I am used to not having to pay for most things.[/QUOTE]

Let me put it in perspective. If you have something fairly minor like a broken bone, you're not going to go bankrupt. And if you have something major and expensive (like, God forbid, cancer) in worst case you have an 'out' -- go back to Britain and get the care there.

Education is free in the US until you leave high school -- we are not that barbaric! You will have to pay for supplies, of course (pencils, notebooks, etc.) We don't have things like O-levels and A-levels, just most states have a high-school leaving exam. New York has a series of tests called Regents Examinations that are accepted by UCAS as O-levels, and there are tests called Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) that are accepted by UCAS as A-levels. Children are required to start school by age 7 and must remain in school until age 16. Just be aware that if you send your eventual children to school here, they'll learn incorrect spelling.

Again, a bit of perspective. Most people go through their entire lives with no problems whatsoever. Some places are more "gun-friendly" than others -- for example, in Iowa, all of our sixth graders went on an outdoor education course where one of the activities was gun safety. In New Jersey the gun control laws are very strict.

It's not that big a deal. I promise.

Oh, I knew exactly what I was saying.

 

- good read...I learned a few things!

 

LOL, I'm 36, and I remember when I was in the 7th grade (mid 80's) we had an NRA gun safety course in school. It was taught because I lived in a rural area and they wanted the kids to know about guns so they didn't get hurt if they found one around the house. Personally I think gun owning parents should teach their childern gun safety, not wait til they're in 7th grade and they learn it in shcool.

-Jay

 

I agree Jay,

i learned with my uncle who is retired military and a gun enthusiast when i was 10 years old. His thoughts were that if you were big enough to hold and shoot one, then you needed to be taught the proper safety and handling of one, as well as cleaning duties. I have always respected guns and i plan to teach the children that i have, the same safety and respect for them.

 

Gun violence is only high in Large metro/urban areas usually. Essentially places you would not wanto be anyways and when you get into these areas, you will know that "your not welcome".

also you cant go by # of gun deaths alone. look at population differences between the UK and the US. im not sure off hand, but i have a feeling there is quite a difference.

seeing someone murdered with a gun is highly unlikely to be honest and even less likely for it to happen to you, but i suppose it is something to think about i suppose. honestly i cant remember the last time it crossed my mind.

 

I agree. I drove an ambulance for 10 years, and only once did I see a gunshot wound - attempted suicide.

-Jay

 

Sorry I didn't comment here sooner, but you got some great info and advice, particularly from ZaphodB.

Boston/Cambridge is definitely the most European of the bunch and I'm not saying that just because I live in Cambridge. Boston is older by far than any West Coast city (yes, I know the Spanish were there earlier) and has preserved a lot of 18th century sites and 19th century neighborhoods. Not as old as lots of stuff in Europe (not a Roman aqueduct to be found) but that's what we've got. The cobblestone streets on Beacon Hill in Boston will remind you of the UK. Commonwealth Avenue (which everyone calls "Comm Ave") is as pretty as a Parisian boulevard.

Agree with Jerro's capsule reviews. Especially about places that are great to visit versus to live in. IMHO, New York is only a good place to live if you are literally a multi-millionaire. $1million won't buy much of an apartment there these days. For a weekend or even a week, it's fantastic. Probably the only city in the US that rivals London in every way.

You mentioned that you don't drive. You may want to learn (although we drive on the wrong side of the road here) as some of the great natural wonders of America (national parks, seashores) and its fascinating rural towns are only accessible by car. However, as others have said, it's perfectly possible to live in the cities you mentioned without a car, especially Boston and New York. In New York (Manhattan) a car is actually a liability most of the time. Boston is more human scale, but if you don't have a car you will want to live near the subway (here called the "T"). This clarifies the neighborhoods you will be interested in.

Another transportation option, available in the cities you listed and some others, is Zipcar - a kind of short term rental club where you can rent a car for an hour or a day. Check out zipcar.com. This started in Boston, based on a European model and you may have encountered something like it. Did I mention that Boston is the most European?

Seattle is a great city, but one that I know less well than the others. It has a lot of natural beauty, a very outdoorsy culture (that is, when it's not raining) and healthy lifestyle (you may be shamed into giving up smoking). One issue for you may be that it will take six more hours to visit the UK than if you're on the East coast. Flying from Boston you can get an 8 PM departure, have a snack and a nap and before you know it you're at Heathrow at 6:00 AM or so. Flying to London or Edinburgh from San Fran or Seattle is a journey.

Any of the places you mentioned are very cosmopolitan and are used to people from all over the world. You won't feel out of place or be treated like an alien, although some things may be new to you. You will have one great advantage over most immigrants in that you're a native speaker. My wife is from Poland and has been here 25 years, but there are some things about English that she will never be comfortable with.

There are some smaller cities that are also quite cosmopolitan - most of the nice ones are associated with universities: Ann Arbor, Michigan; Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Austin, Texas. It really depends on what you are looking for.

West Coast mountains are definitely spectacular, and in Seattle (or Vancouver) they are quite nearby. From Boston you need to drive to mountains, but it's perfectly possible to go for a ski or hiking weekend in New Hampshire or Vermont, a few hours from Boston.

Can't help you with immigration comparisons. As far as cities, yes Montreal and Quebec City are very European, perhaps too much so. Not sure how good your French is, but I've had English-speaking Canadians tell me they feel out of place in their own country while visiting these.

Toronto and Vancouver are definitely world-class cities with lots to offer. Vancouver has perhaps the most spectacular natural setting of any city I've seen and that includes Boston, Sydney, San Francisco and Seattle, all beautiful places.

Let me know if you want more info about Boston/Cambridge. I'd also be happy to show you around if you visit.


SW