A common sentiment; a few co-workers have headed south in the past couple of years (and they weren’t retiring). They’ve left for Virginia and the Carolinas; it seems that young people, once their parents have passed on and there are no other ties to this area, pack up & leave.
My very much younger sister left Long Island about 2 years ago, and now lives in N. Carolina with husband and young son.
They went to a wedding in New York maybe 6 months ago, and are now certain why they left New York - - -