OK. For a while I was entertaining thoughts of moving to TX. But now the pipe dream du jour is moving to CA.
Problem is I’m not that knowledgeable about the state. Luckily (or not) it’ll probably be at least another year before I can even think about moving, so there’s time to research.
So what say? Where’s the best place to live in CA? From a culture/scenery/ over-all quality of life perspective.
Spoke at length with a friend from San Fran who swears she’ll never move. Heard it’s pretty wonderful there but expenses are crazy. Would it be worth it? There ARE something like a million and a half people living there. I can’t imagine they’re ALL millionaires… Are there more reasonable suburbs surrounding the city?
How about San Diego? Heard conflicting reports about that town as well. Beautiful beaches and architecture vs touristy, polluted and too much crime.
So where shall I live, people? Still open to other locations, BTW.
The person with the winning suggestion gets to crash at my new place anytime. 
If you voluntarily move to LA, I will track you down, beat you aboout the head and face, and throw all your possessions into that brine they call a “beach” 
Seriously, SF is very nice, though rather expensive. There are some nice places nearby, though.
LA beats all other cities in California. Screw the rest of the hick bastards in California.
Riverside is really cool, though don’t go for the beachside houses…they’re small and expensive. Orange County is pretty awesome, but it can get rather hot. Most of the LA counties are pretty good…Woodland Hills, West Hills, Canoga Park…they’re all nice places.
San Fran sucks hippie cock.
Riverside is really cool? Wow. Can’t say I share that sentiment, but eh, to each their own. It just seemed exceptionally smoggy, hot, and plain in lifestyle when I went there…but that’s a pretty limited experience, granted.
LA is great in that there is indeed so much to do…and it is culturally fascinating (and fun!). However, I do see it as a somewhat dirtier town, in the sense of smog, asphalt, and building conditions. I’m not a big fan of that. San Francisco is very different weather-wise: it’s much cooler, foggier, rainier. However, the culture there is very laid-back, tolerant, and overall enjoyable. I love “northern” (it’s more in the center of the state) California.
Then again, San Diego is one of my favorite cities, anywhere. Downtown still feels quaint, despite the size of the city itself, and the city has a newer, cleaner look to it. It is great fun going to Colorado Island, Belmont Park (not the racetrack), and…speaking of racetracks…nearby Del Mar is the most beautiful I’ve ever seen. I’ve spent many a weekend in the San Diego area, especially when the Llama was living there, and I have to say–I love it!
Be prepared: cost of living is obscene here. . I’m not sure where you are moving from, but I know my parents got the shock of a lifetime when they saw property and insurance costs (car insurance alone tripled). The good news is salaries around here are typically adjusted to accommodate the a cost of living…I know that what I make as a teacher here would make me a very well off person, elsewhere.
Ventura County–Thousand Oaks, Camarillo, Newbury Park, Ventura, Oxnard–is nice living as well. It remains cool there as it is by the ocean; the apartment I had in Camarillo had no air conditioning simply because it wasn’t needed for 11 1/2 months out of the year.
Orange County is good. I like it here. Long Beach is just a step away along with all the beach communities like Seal Beach, Sunset Beach, Huntington Beach, etc.
Humble tourist’s opinion:
First of, don’t work under the assumption that LA is part of California. It’s not. It’s a country unto itself. And it’s very very strange. I kind of enjoyed it (in a Carrolian way) but live there? shudder It’s very inetresting.
Sacremento? so so
San Fran was fun but I was in a partying mood (and there are a lot of single women there).
And have to agree with Ruffian: San Diego is a very nice place.
Before I moved into the San Francisco Bay Area, I lived in Tracy, which is about an hour east. It’s at about 50,000 people now, but it’s growing like a weed because of all the Bay Area refugees who want to buy a house and don’t have 10 gazillion dollars socked away. It’s not that far removed from being a really small town, so you will run into some ridiculously provincial attitudes – I mean, about four years ago, there was a huge hoo-ha in the papers concerning the first psychic to open up a business, with religious types getting their undies in a bunch about psychics being contrary to God or whatever. But the relative closeness to the rich pleasures of the Bay Area is a definite plus. And they opened up a 14-screen theater a couple of years ago – that can’t hurt.
Two words. Santa Monica, at least if you have the means. I live in L.A.'s beautiful San Fernando Valley, but it is unbearablely hot in the summer. Where as Santa Monica is always temperate and windy. And you’d still be pretty close to Dodger Stadium!
Don’t listen to any losers who’d tell you otherwise.
I’m not going to mention any names, but I understand one of the critics of LA in this thread lives in Baltimore. That’s right: Baltimore. Which, according to Jim Rome has:
–A higher per capita murder rate than New York City
–A mayoral candidate who was arrested on national television (I believe she was on a campaign related event!) for something or the other. She’s now in jail.
–More barbed wire per acre than Sarajevo (my favorite).
So, if you don’t like LA, I suggest you live someplace cool. Like Baltimore. I admit their football team is pretty good, but they have the Orioles (snicker) and the Washington Wizards (guffaw), and it’s a cool place to live with the best politicians in the country (ROTFLMAO)
Seriously, I love LA, but San Diego and the Bay Area are appealing as well.
And I’d be shot by my fellow LA citizens if I publically admitted the latter)
Well, it’s true that there’s a homicide problem, but there is an explanation for that. Baltimore is one of only two (I think?) major cities where the county and city are completely separate entities with no affiliation whatsoever. So the city doesn’t get the benefit of suburban areas bringing down the stats on crime, like almost every other city in America. This is also relecant to DC
Well, this was one of the Republican candidates, I believe; they aren’t even bothered with. In fact, the only reason she got any press was because of the arrest (breaking and entering, IIRC). It’s only the Dems that have any relevance to the mayoral race.
Wha? Where? I see almost none (of course, I dunno how much is in Sarajevo).
Exactly how drunk are you? The day that that pathetic excuse for an NFL franchise is “pretty good” is the day that it is magically something other than the Baltimore Ravens. But, as mentioned, nobody likes em anyway.
Now then, back to the OP and bashing LA.
- Santa Monica is very nice; Santa Monica is therefore far beyond the means of most people
- Some bits of Venice are also pretty nice, and less expensive
- Woodland Hills sucks hard. I lived there for a while. You have to drive forever to get to anything, and it’s hot but not nearly humid enough (110 degrees is par for the course). BAD!
- Orange County = Hell. Sure you can live there, but you have to sign away your soul first. And once there, you get all the drawbacks of living in an inferno with none of the benefits.
I know a few people from San Diego, and they all recommend it highly…
To summarize:
Baltimore GOOD.
LA BAD.
I grew up in the Long Beach area, and have been around here for most of my life. Just like any large metropolitan area, you’re going to have the good and the bad.
There is a wonderful diversity here in L.A. county–we have all kinds of different cultures and cuisines from all over the world; the museums here are fantastic; you cannot beat the availability of music & plays (ok, maybe except for NYC); and there are, of course, wonderful beaches around here. The cost of living can be high here, but Ruffian is right, most of the salaries also match what you need. It’s expensive, but certainly not as expensive as SF (although a very nice place to visit).
Of course, there are things to consider, too: congestion, smog, earthquakes, police chases on the freeways, very hot summers, and the occasional gang shooting. But, isn’t that the same for every major city?
I guess i’ll throw my hat into the ring for the Monterey area.
This is a beautiful area, but if you think it has “typical” California weather, you’re wrong. It’s usually foggy and cool in the summer. Spring and Fall are pretty nice seasons, since we get most of our sun then. Overall, i’d say the weather was moderate and somewhat Fall like year round (cool, but not too cold).
The beaches near Monterey, Pacific Grove, Carmel, and Big Sur are absolutely beautiful (none too suited to just laying out on them, unless we have a rare hot day). The hills above Monterey are covered in Pine and Oak forests, and look quite different from the lower areas which are grassy oak woodland. Big sur is stunning any time of the year, but is lush when the winter rains come. There’s also some beautiful redwood forests in Big sur. Point Lobos is spectacular as well (just 20 minutes from here).
In Monterey, houses can cost around $300,000 average, last time I checked. Carmel, which is over the hill is more expensive, I think about $400,000 for a house. Average rent for a two bedroom apartment in this area is between 600 and 800, depending where you go (i’m not too sure since I havent looked, only from what friends have told me).However, cheaper housing is to be had in the towns of Marina, Seaside, and Salinas. However, in Marina and Seaside, they dont have very much to offer entertainment wise, and tend to be considered boring by teens and younger people. But, Monterey is usually the spot where people in this area go hang out at at night time (a few clubs, bars, and things).
Carmel tends to have a bit of a snobby attitude (funny, it’s pretty conservative, and it used to be a former artists colony). Carmel is thought of as having the “culture”, meaning art galeries, trendy restaurants, and the like. Monterey tends to be more tourist oriented, with lots of restaurants, and a lot of California History (buildings from the Spanish era). Overall, the area tends to be laidback and easy going.
But, it’s nice because it’s only a two hour drive from here to San Francisco (lots of friends go to clubs up there on weekends). It’s close enough for day trips. There isnt too much traffic, but around 5 PM, a lot of people clog the highways up heading home (Not too bad, like in the bay area, but the highways can get full). Traffic can get bad up around San Jose, and even Gilroy (30 minutes from here).
I like living here, because I love the beauty of the Monterey Peninsula, but it’s not at all lively like living in the Bay Area or in the LA area would be.
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Myrr21 *
**
I ask each and every one of you to read over the above words.
And give generously.
A mind is TRULY a terrible thing to waste.
…you’d be best to check them all out for yourself, but I’d say,
San Diego would be the only place I’d move to if I were to ever return to North America.
San Francisco ranks second.
Ahem Having inhabited both, I can safely say that you have inhaled waayyyy too many exhaust fumes–which are obviously causing this tragic loss of reason on your part…it’s truly sad to see the fall of such a great man into the bowels of insanity (and LA, for that matter).
Beware of LA, you either love it or you hate it. SisterRiddles lived there for 5 years, and I spent a bit of time there visiting her. It’s a nice city, the mountains are beautiful and the ocean is quite close. But the social climate takes some getting used to.
I vote for Northern Cali, it’s stunning, with cool people. I didn’t get to see San Diego (stupid El Nino. The ONE time it rains in LA, and I happen to be there.) but from all accounts it was great. I had a friend who lived there for a year while on Americorps, and she adored it.
Personally, I think the entire country is built at an angle and everything loose slides to CA.
CandyMan
I haven’t read all of the posts, but as a native Southern Californian I’ll toss in my two coppers.
I hate California. San Francisco is really really beautiful. But expensive. The northern coast is more beautiful. But the job market isn’t as good as it would be in an urban area. L.A. (or “Los Hideous”, as I call it) is where I live. There are nearly twice as many people in L.A. county than there are in Washington State. It’s crowded. It’s hot. It’s sunny all the time. I like 40º nights and lots of rain. Sure you can get the cool nights, but only in the winter.
I lived in San Diego until I was 15. I don’t really like it. My sister loves it. The beaches are better than in L.A., and you can have fires to toast your marshmallows and cook your hot dogs. But I get depressed every time I go there. Most of the people I knew are pot-heads. Most everyone else seems to be rich bastards. It’s sunny all the time down there as well.
The deserts are beautiful. Ironically, since I like rain so much, I’d consider moving to the high desert if I had another lifetime.
California has a lot to offer. A lot of people like it. But I don’t like the crowds, the weather, the traffic… When I move away, you can have my place.
Some little troll posted this gem “San Fran sucks hippie cock.”. LA sucks wannabe tv actor cock. And at least we don’t swallow. So fuck off.
Seriously Sf is my favorite place in the world. You can walk everywhere, there’s always something to do. If you likke art we have one of the best scenes in the country. Who else has an international Butoh festival? And it’s always beautiful
To see what the job market and housing market are like, I suggest you check out this site. http://www.craigslist.com
Pretty good overview of the situation.
Susanville is really nice.
But if you’re seriously considering this, you must remember the immortal words of Woody Guthrie…
California is the garden of Eden
A paradise to live in or to see
But believe it or not
You won’t find it so hot
If you ain’t got the Dough-Re-Mi.