Actually, the Trader Joe’s in Chapel Hill opened at the end of November, so we’re all good to go there. Though it is still a mystery to me why everyone thinks it’s so wonderful … but anyway. The Triangle area of NC has pretty much everything you’d mentioned in your OP, kayT, but the weather on this side of the Mississippi is nothing like Southern California’s, so yeah, you might want to look for something in the West if you are really attached to the climate where you are.
Hawaii?
Fiji?
An island in the Carribean?
Costa Rica? (seriously, my tax lady lives down there 6 months out of the year and loves it, everything is cheap and weather is great.)
Why do you want to stay? Why does he want to leave?
I have to recommend Austin based on what you have said. The weather is great, it is a liberal college town (though in the middle of Texas, which might as well be called Republicanville), there is lots to do and the cost of living is incredibly cheap. To be fair, the cost of living almost everywhere in Texas is incredibly cheap so keep that in mind as you look around for places to live. There is no trader joes but it is more than made up for by the deliciousness that is Miles of Chocolate that is available all over down there.
I just moved away from Dallas to NYC 6 months ago and I have never made a better decision in my life. I am truly happy here except for some crap with my roommate (though even that is slowly getting better) but if I hadn’t had the opportunity and funds to move across the country Austin is where I would have gone.
Somebody needs to acknowledge this, so let me be the first to do it: bravissimo!!
Oh and, speaking as a Seattle transplant, let me add that the beloved Chapel Hill NC sucks ass, in case you were wondering.
Really? Did you grow up in that area or have you lived there long? The only reason I ask is, as someone visiting NYC from Southern California. . . NYC has a monopoly on angry, busy, scowling people. I always thought that was just some silly stereotype, but when I actually spent some time in NYC, I was totally blown away. I have a personal theory that it has to do with the lack of sunshine 
I thought that maybe it was just me, that is until I had a friend from NYC come to CA to attend a debate tournament. He called me and said, “Diosa. . . this place is so WEIRD. Why is everyone so friendly? They keep wanting to talk- like they ask how I’m doing and seem genuinely interested. Everyone is happy and NO ONE is all hurried. Don’t they have places to be?” That cracked me up, because it was the exact opposite that I had said about NYC.
I agree with Ellen Cherry- I think the primary difference is just that Southern folks (I’m from Bakersfield, CA so everyone is very Southern here) tend to want to chit chat and have a general interest in what is going on with everyone. If you move into a Southern town and maybe aren’t used to that, you probably aren’t going to seem interested, and they may take that as rude. Just like when I go to NYC, someone asks how I am, and proceed to tell them, all while they roll their eyes that I dared to answer something other than, “GREAT!” 
Anti-Californianism seems to be largely the domain of neighboring states and the Pacific Northwest ( east to Idaho, at least ).
I liked Columbia well enough when I was visiting, pretty little city. And you do realize that southern Appalachia in general is the area of peak salamander diversity in the world!
But I’d never move there myself for two reasons - humidity ( ugh ) and that abomination called “sweet tea” :D.
I was born in the Bronx, I visited often as so many of my relatives, including both Grandmothers lived there and I still go to The City 6-20 times per year.
It is very different from SoCal. I lived in San Diego for 3+ years. The people were more laid back, but less talkative. New Yorkers like to talk, they just like to do it on the move or while doing something else. It is a very different vibe. San Francisco was similar for striking up conversations, but yes, less scowling.
New Orleans was probably the best mixed, friendly, talkative, helpful, laid back, slightly intoxicated quite often and just very fun.
By the way, NY Cabbies, will make up for any non-talking New Yorkers you run into, no one on Earth can be more effusive, except maybe those Glasgowians*.
Southerners in the places I visited, especially Florida, can’t seem to talk and do anything else at the same time. So, from a New Yorker’s perspective, it can be very odd. Especially when you are just trying to get your groceries and pay. I’m happy to talk, but can’t you talk and bag at the same time? (I am one of the nasty Yankees that end up bagging my own stuff, I do it here in NJ anyway.)
Jim
- Base on only two days in their fair city. Well actually not so fair, more like the Scottish Milwaukee, but still a nice place.
Anti-Californian ism is alive and well in the South. Probably started in the 60’s with all the hippies.
Sweet tea is great, McDonalds has a large cup of it here for $1.00. Of course I go 100 miles north and the (usually Mexican) employees can’t understand what I’m asking for. Oh, and they don’t know what a “ham biscuit” is either. They do ham bagels and ham whatevers, but not ham biscuits. And it’s not country ham either.
Some one once told me that Chapel Hill is very West Coast… five years ago.
I want to stay because I hate change; because I love our house and after 14 years have it mostly exactly how I want it; because my friends are here (all 3 of them); because the climate is perfect and I have a lemon tree, tangerine tree and orange tree in my back yard and grow spinach in pots all year round; because I can look at the ocean whenever I want to; and because this is the first place I have ever lived that I like.
He wants to leave because the city of LA is governed by morons, spends too much money and provides too few services; because it is too expensive here; because it takes hours to get out of the city and the traffic is horrid; because he wants to go fishing without having to drive for 2 hours; because there are too many people in our immediate area that are noisy, messy, dirty, and generally don’t give a shit about anyone but themselves.
I think some if not all of these drawbacks will exist anywhere in the US pretty much (the cost, the morons, the messy noisy etc) if not anywhere in the world. But I could be wrong.
kayT,
You may want to look at South Carolina’s coast, specifically the Charleston area. You’ll have ocean vistas, the modern shopping you expect, and a 12,000 student liberal arts college, among other universities in the area. The city has a cosmopolitan atmosphere from 300 years of international trade and tourism, a gracious host to visitors for hundreds of years.
The arts scene is pretty good, too. After all, the first opera house in the western hemisphere was located in Charleston. There’s always something going on, from the oyster festival in January through the Spoleto Festival in May onto the Scottish Games in September, not to mention the many other events in between.
Charleston also has lots of great restaurants. A major cooking school was located there and still has ties to the area, so you can find more adventurous meals than you may at other areas of the state. There’s a Mobil Five-Star Award-winning restaurant, one of only 14 in the United States, located in the Charleston area. Can Aiken say that?
Quick weekend trips are just an easy drive away. Remembering that the entire state of South Carolina has less than half the population of Los Angeles county, driving is much more enjoyable. You’ll find rest stops (free public bathrooms) along the way, quite unlike most southern Californian freeways. You’d be less than 2 hours to Columbia, the state capitol, another couple hours beyond that to the Asheville in the mountains. Try about 2 hours up the coast to Myrtle Beach if you want tacky (hey, it was in USA Today!). Beaufort is, what, 3 hours or so to the southeast. Atlanta is about 6 hours drive in the other direction from Charleston.
Like others have said, visit the area and experience all that the New South has to offer. You may like it or you may hate it but you’ll never know until you try.
PS-For those who are wondering, no I’m not on Joe Riley’s payroll. I have relatives in the area and always enjoy my visits.
Beaufort (Bew-fort), SC is about one hour SW from Charleston. Maybe you are referring to Beaufort, NC (Bow-fort) which is NE from Charleston?
No, yes, no, no.
Well, I guess if you’re going to rush right down without enjoying the beautiful scenery, yeah.
What - you mean take a detour to visit the Walterboro mafia?
We have family friends in Summerville (just N of Charleston) SC. It is a very nice town, with passible italian food (even decnt pizza). The people seem quite nice. Anyway: DO NOT live in isolated rural areas-there is a LOT of crime, much of it not reported. N Charleston is also a bad area-it has a lot of drugs.
The problem is; a lot of the rural areas are policed by corrupt count sheriffs-and they turn a blind eye to a lot of illegal activity.
Stick to a suburb or urban area!
Mona,
What??? I can get to Beaufort without going through Walterboro? Next you’ll tell me I can get to Orangeburg without going through North. [chuckle] However she routes her drives, I think kayT would enjoy the Charleston area.
There is also a lot of meth out there in the country. Evidently once you cross the county line in to Lexington it’s meth city - here in Richland crack is our drug of choice.
For many years, the police chief in Charleston (not N. Charleston) was a Black chap named Reuben Greenberg.