travelrn

It has always been a dream of mine to live in california...yes part of it is the "star attraction" it looks so beautiful and inviting on TV....now I know that TV is not reality but I have always had a strong urge to move there..can't explain it. I am a registered nurse and get many offers daily to come and live and work in California....the only drawback is that it is not just me...I am married and have a 10 yr old son. I have been following posts on Fodors and know that the LA area is out of the question...we have a friend in long beach and he loves..San Diego seems to be the ideal place...can anyone give me any other suggestions of places to live in California that are not so "touristy", places that are more "suburban"...OR talk me out of it...Is there anybody out there who has lived in NC? Do you regret the move? Raleigh, NC is a beautiful place with great weather and terrific people but I just can't seem to shake this desire to go west....thanks!

malvado

Are you prepared to pay close to a half million dollars for a detached house?

If the average home cost in the area you might be considering is not closer to $500K, I would seriously consider the quality of life there.

Barbara

And condos are about $350,000 and up.

SAB

I moved to Northern California in my 20's from Chicago--it was a choice between SF and NYC and I chose SF. I have never regretted the choice, however I did not come for some TV version of California. I knew people who lived here and I knew I liked SF for it's liberalism and spectacular setting. Do you have a realistic view of CA? Have you been here an number of times and have fallen in love with an area and are willing to deal with the downsides? There are numerous surburban areas in CA that are indistinguishable from other subsurbs elsewhere in the US, and except for the weather and some palms trees you could be anywhere, so being close to what you love about CA is important. So what is it that attracts you? The mountains, the coast? If it is some idealized LA image of a glamorous life, you will be disappointed.

J_Correa

I love living in California and couldn't imagine ever leaving. It's damn expensive to live here so most people have a lower standard of living here than they would elsewhere, but to me it's worth it. The natural beauty, the weather, the cultural and geographic diversity - it's a great place. Many of the world's natural treasures are in my own backyard. We also have traffic and some air quality issues which decrease the quality of life. Taxes are high. Unemployment is a problem right now. Like anywhere else, there are pros and cons to living in California - it's just a matter of what your priorities are.

bmillersc

..."heads Carolina, tails California..."

easytraveler

Have you ever been out to California?

Why not come here for a visit?

There are lots of places for a nurse to practise her profession. WE NEED YOU!

Southern California tends to be the greatest attraction for most - at least, more people move there from out-of-state, but the rest of the state can be attractive too! There are lots of small communities - especially along the coast - where prices have not hit the ceiling. I won't recommend moving into the Central Valley, even tho prices there are less than metropolitan LA or SF. Or, you can consider some mountain community along the eastern part of the state.

Come and visit! Bring your son too!

rjw_lgb_ca

I live in Long Beach and can honestly say I don't regret moving here for one millisecond. I was born in the South and grew up in western PA, and I'm much happier here.

HOWEVER... To say this region isn't for just anybody is a vast understatement. Mother Nature spares the cold in wintertime (at least on the coast-- the mountains get Real Winter Weather), but when she feels like doing something, it can be a doozy. Downpours with mudslides, heat and wind that turn brush to kindling for raging wildfires, earthquakes.... California ain't for sissies.

It's expensive, there are a huge number of people to contend with, you have to be proactive from the outset in finding good schools for your kid (love Long Beach or not, I recognize that the schools vary wildly in quality and atmosphere), you can't live without at least two cars, relatives will be visiting and wanting to see celebrities, etc., etc., etc. The last thing is more a southern CA thing, but the rest is pretty much universal throughout the state. This will be a tremendous culture shock to you if you are born and raised in the South. Cultural diversity is a point of pride here, although Identity Politics can get in the way of everyone getting along every so often. When people remember the Golden Rule, it's wonderful; someone must have indoctrinated my neighborhood, cuz everyone gets along beautifully.

Why do I stay? I live in a great neighborhood, with great friends nearby. I'm in an area with innumerable cultural attractions and practically countless venues for entertainment. Within four hours driving time I have mountains, desert and beach, whenever I want. And my closest airport with coast-to-coast service is ten minutes from my home. The closest international airport is twenty minutes away. And no shoveling snow! And no sour-faced, provincial, small-minded people sitting in constant judgment of anyone who doesn't come from the right ethnicity, the right families, the right part of the country, etc.

E

We loved living in CA, and would go back in a heartbeat if circumstances permitted, cost of living and all. (For one thing, salaries are often--not always, don't jump on me, but often!--inflated to compensate. So what may sound like an awesome salary to someone in NC won't be in CA.) But the bottom line is, you have to visit! Identify half a dozen spots in the state that sound good to you because of schools or climate or jobs, and visit them for as long as you possibly can. There's no other way to get a realisitc view of a place. Good luck!

travelrn

Thanks for all of the great input thus far...SAB..I am wise enough to know that there is not such thing as the "TV version" of california, unless of course you are on TV...I am attracted to the weather and the coast. I just think it is one of the most beautiful places in the world. I am lucky enough to be able to come out with my profession and have a free furnished place to stay for 13 weeks or I can find my own housing and receive a housing stipend which for the california area is about $2200 a month. With that in mind...what part of california would you suggest? I am thinking san diego or san francisco...

Surfergirl

For weather and coast, I'd say San Diego. The schools are pretty good there too. Does your spouse work as well? Will he or she be able to find work? Is the $2,200 for housing only, plus salary? I ask that, because if it's $2,200 for both and you have no other income, for a family of 3, that's a big problem.

We have a lot of transplanted New Yorkers here, and as much as they complain about L.A. and hysterically root for the Mets at Dodger Stadium, if you ask them, well why don't you go back, they look at you like you're from another planet. The big draw is the weather. You can suffer through a lot, but the weather always (or most of the time) snaps you back into reality.

For example, my dad was born and raised in Chicago. He missed the "four seasons" and the fun wintery stuff he enjoyed as a kid. Let me tell you, he picked up and moved to upstate New York and has been complaining about it ever since. He forgot about the shoveling snow part, the inability to get out of his driveway, the freezing up of the pipes, the mosquitoes in summer, the sweltering summer heat, and how slippery ice on the roads is.

I understand in the South you also have to contend with frizzy hair. There's something to be said about dry heat.

Barbara

Does the housing stipend last only for three months? For $2200 you can certainly find a house to rent in a nice neighborhood in San Diego. Will your spouse be able to find work in California?

J_Correa

I believe that the public schools in SF aren't great, so you might want to research that a bit if you want your kids to go to public schools. There are other parts of the Bay Area with good public school systems though.

Curious

travlrn,

On 4/14/2004 you posted the basic same question and received 30 responses.

What more do you want????

Curious

PamSF

Wages in the SF Bay Area are the highest in the state I think. But then again, you'll need those wages. Why not take a travel assignment for 12 weeks in the summer and see what you think?
The 55 bed ICN where I work will have scads of maternity leaves and vacations to cover. It's true everywhere.

travelrn

First let me respond to CURIOUS....if you have nothing positive to say please do not respond...I will take as many different views and opinions as I can get...is that not what this forum is for? To everyone else...the $2200 is strictly for housing, I would also get an hourly rate (about 30-35 depending on the hospital and type of unit) and yes my spouse does work and would be able to transfer with his job.

Curious

travelrn

I gave you several ideas and opinions on your previous post. Your responses on that post pretty much covered the entire state of California.

My previous response stays. After seeing your last response, I certainly hope you move to California. They need people with your attitude.

Curious

MoniqueU

I have lived here all my life, from San Francisco where I was born to being raised in San Diego County and living a mile from the beach in Carlsbad to living in the Inland Empire now.
I am fith generation and honestly I think I have never and I can speak for most of my family too seen my state as such an unattractive place to live.
If you have lived here for years and bought at the right time it can be a mecca with great weather a nice house etc etc.
I can't imagine starting out here unless you are moving from another high cost of living area.
I would love to pull up stakes and move to Carolina LOL! But job, home etc keeps us here for now.
I do know that there is a nursing shortage here and Riverside Community Hospital is paying up to 12 k of closing costs on home purchases to attract nurses. There is something to think about there.
Here is the link for that.

http://www.rchc.org/CustomPage.asp?P...Spotlight%20On

I know my kids school is top notch in the state ranking 9 out of 10 for state indexes and some of my friends have pulled their kids out of private to go here and say it is harder. However that comes with a huge price of bureacracy, teaching to the test, inconvenient year round schooling and high pressure tactics. However my first grader can read at Jr High Level LOL!! You win some you lose some.
It's a huge choice and a scarey one!!!