I’m a former corporate pig (internal auditor), and in May I’ll finish grad school - library and information science. If I’d been able to afford the plane ticket/hotel, I’d be in SD this weekend for ALA midwinter. But I couldn’t.
As far as lifestyle, I’m simple. Single, 30, I mostly enjoy simple stuff - 2 years on a grad students income has taught me to be frugal again. No dependents, apart from 2 cats (both declawed before I got them, so that’s not an issue with apartments, generally). I own a car already - one that runs well and is easy on gas, plus I’ve got no car payments. I’m happy with a group of people that I hang out with, but I don’t need a huge club scene or the like, but going out is nice at times.
I’ve lived in the South most of my life, except for four years in Maine, but I keep trying to get out of the south, really. It just hasn’t happened permanently yet.
Well, San Diego is a pretty simple town. (wait for laughter)
Anyhoo, SD is an excellent place to work in the high-tech industry; at least, that was my impression. There are quite a few wireless-communications and computer-type big-name companies with major facilities in the area. Lousy place to work in the arts, though, which is why I headed back north, to where it rains all the damn time. Also, given the relatively high density of colleges and universities, your graduate degree could actually lead to work in your field (gasp).
The people who I knew down there who seemed to be happiest with their jobs and careers were frequently employed in some kind of university setting (disclaimer: most of my time in San Diego was spent getting my undergrad degree at UCSD. Go Tritons. Go where, I’m not sure). Many of the more appealing activities in San Diego involve leaving the immediate area (camping in Mexico, trips to Tijuana to places other than the dirty bars, Julian, etc), so the flexibility of a school-based schedule can be nice.
I don’t know if Southern California qualifies as “The South.” It certainly seems like a different state if not a different country from Nor Cal, though, and if they seceeded, I for one would probably wave goodbye and wish them good luck, collectively.
1st things 1st. Go to LA Times and check out the classifieds (they will make you register but it will give you prices in the LA area). Then go to San Diego Union.
I live in Long Beach. You can rent an apartment here for $700/month. It would be in a decent neighborhood and close enough to other cities to not kill you on the commute.
Next, well just come visit us. You can email me for LA/Orange county area.
My opinion is that you should be applying for those jobs California. You can always check out the place when they fly you out to interview.
I’m in San Diego and lived very comfortably for years making far less than the OP in Mira Mesa. I went to Texas, got an MBA and came back, and now make much more, but I never felt like the cost of living was unreasonable. Traffic is starting to get to be like LA though with terrible commutes, so you’ll want to live near where you work if at all possible, and what has been said about our lack of public transportation is 100% true…it sucks. Keep your car.
The higher costs of gas, rent, food, etc. I think are more than made up for by the perfect weather year round which minimizes your heating/ AC costs substantially.
You could live very comfortably for $40-$45K a year here if you’re renting. Buying? Well, that’s a different story. My wife and scraped together everything we had to but a house in 2000 that we paid $300K for. That same house not even four years later is now $550K!!!
[sub]Re:How expensive is California, really?[/sub]
[Woody Guthrie]
California’s a garden of eden
A paradise to live in or see
But believe it or not you won’t find it so hot
If you don’t have the do-re-me
[/Woody]
I know nothing about California living. I just couldn’t pass up the opportunity to post the lyrics of that 1930’s song.
San Diego has a “sunshine tax” because of the great weather here on the coast. Saleries are slightly lower than in LA and Orange Co… Gas is 15 cents / gal. more expensive than 25 miles north in Orange Co. Remember that it is a desert here so inland rents are cheaper but the heat gets up in the high 90’s during the summer. You get spoiled living near the beach. The temp rarely reaches 80 degrees in the summer and we rarely see below 50 degress in the winter.
There is big secret about the weather the chamber of commerce doesn’t want the tourist to know. In the months May thru July, the hot desert air hits the cold ocean air and the overcast stays along the beach all day. If ya drive a few miles inland it will sunny and in the mid 80’s.
Good luck looking for work. I’ve been unemployed for two years. I can’t even get an interview. After 30 yrs as a software geek, I’m repeatedly told that I’m “over qualified” for every position I send in a resume.
At least they’ve got the Timken Gallery in Balboa Park. Though not a large museum I think the quality of its collection equals that of any museum in the state.