In other news (apolitical thread)...

[ELA]

yup, visit Iowa for ribeyes and porterhouse - twice as good and half theprice

Put it in the strip club thread

[FearlessF]

I'm a strip fan.  NY, Kansas City, whatever
the side opposed to the fillet on the porterhouse

[Cincydawg]

Bar Margot Report - C+.

I got the bouef bourgignon, which was pretty good, it filled me up.  I ordered a bottle of "champagne" for $99 on the menu.  It was pretty good.  My wife had steak tartare which was blended tableside, she said it was decent, not great, and she had some vegetable side dish which she didn't eat, said it wasn't cooked enough.  She said it was worth trying, once.  Bill came to over $200 with tip.

An odd thing, all the servers were wearing jeans.  The place had a midscale vibe, wasn't pretending to be high end.  There was one couple when we were seated but it got near half full later.  I ended with a glass of suze, which I had never had before and rather liked, $15.  On the whole, for the price, we can do better easily.  Service overall was "OK", we waited a while on l'addition, but they got a bit busy.  This is in the Four Seasons hotel and I figured many diners were guests.

We both though the old place we went, Atmosphere, that didn't make it, was better, more authentic, more "real" somehow.

We walked out and it was pouring rain.  We waited a couple minutes and she asked me to call Lyft, for a half mile journey, which worked out "OK" though it was a bit pricey, but it was pouring rain.  Forecast said scattered.   We looked around the hotel slightly, it's clearly upscale.  They have condos on the top floors and folks to park your car if you're an owner there.  You drive up and they take care of it and bring your groceries up later.  High HOA of course.  We have carts here and DIY.

So, interesting, worth a try, won't go back I suspect.  The C+ is a bit generous.  The champagne of course doubled the price, my bad.  I did get my 10% discount at least.

[Cincydawg]

Quite a large spread.

[MikeDeTiger]

Middle class is quite a large spread, seems like.

$67k/yr where I am in Texas will get you by, but you're not going to have much discretionary income, you'll drive an older vehicle you're hoping stays out of the shop a few more months, and you won't be putting away much for retirement, if anything.  

But you won't be impoverished either, which I guess is the point.  

We were "middle class" growing up, but there were other middle class families with far more means than we had, and far nicer homes, cars, etc.  I wouldn't call them "rich," just as I wouldn't call us poor.  

[847badgerfan]

I grew up in a 2BR apartment with my parents and two brothers.

[Cincydawg]

Same same, growing up our family was very middle class.  But we had a nice home, nothing fancy, 4 bedrooms OTP.  My parents watched their spending, very few "vacations" as such, my Dad bought a new car when the old one hit 50 K.  College was paid for, and I got occasional help in grad school.  I learned a bit about being poor there, but never went hungry and had a few "luxuries" on occasion.

And $67 K is probably decent in a small town in GA, not really great for living where I am.  You'd be in an older apartment here, at best, maybe a studio, maybe $850 or so.

After taxes and FICA, you're down to not much extra if any.

[jgvol]

A household income of 60k in Tennessee is what I'd call near impoverished, unless you are retired to the farm in a very rural area.

60K may get you a very modest house, or apartment, in a fairly high crime, low desirability location, with garbage education -- and violent schools.

The definition of middle class ain't what it once was, or at least how I perceived it.

[SFBadger96]

That's a silly chart for California, at least. I imagine for several big states. Middle class in Sacramento is different than San Francisco, Fresno, Corning, Bakersfield, etc. Depends entirely where one lives. It's probably reasonably consistent between Los Angeles, The Bay Area, Orange County, and San Diego County, but a significant part of the state doesn't live in those metro areas. I assume the same is true in Texas, New York, Illinois, Florida, and probably lots of other states.

[847badgerfan]

That's a silly chart for California, at least. I imagine for several big states. Middle class in Sacramento is different than San Francisco, Fresno, Corning, Bakersfield, etc. Depends entirely where one lives. It's probably reasonably consistent between Los Angeles, The Bay Area, Orange County, and San Diego County, but a significant part of the state doesn't live in those metro areas. I assume the same is true in Texas, New York, Illinois, Florida, and probably lots of other states.

For sure in Illinois and Florida.

Someone making those amounts wouldn't be able to live where I did in Illinois and where I currently live in Florida.

[Cincydawg]

Urban cost of living >>> rural COL.

Everywhere.

Just rent alone is a major aspect, maybe THE major aspect.  I think food costs etc. don't vary much.  Gasoline near me off the freeway is still $4 while at Costco I filled up for $2.70.  Taxes tend to be higher in urban areas obviously.

I found a one bdr near me in a 1950s apt building for $785 a month.  Then I clicked on it and it suddenly was $1300.

[OrangeAfroMan]

For sure in Illinois and Florida.

Someone making those amounts wouldn't be able to live where I did in Illinois and where I currently live in Florida.

Let's all remember this for the service workers.  Enabling all the places we go to to exist, while not being able to afford to live in the area.  

[847badgerfan]

There is a lot of new affordable housing near the services here.

[OrangeAfroMan]

I found a one bdr near me in a 1950s apt building for $785 a month.  Then I clicked on it and it suddenly was $1300.

This was frustrating during my recent move.
I expect SOME bullshittery with advertised prices, but it was a joke this time around.  As bad as the rental car pricing discrepancy (which should be outlawed - give the actual price, not the pre-fees and service charges nonsense).

it's all a big lie and the customer has to guess how big of a lie it is with each individual place.

Why is upfront honesty just not even an option?!?!  Fuck.