OT - Living in California

[Gambel]

I grew up in SF, went to school in Berkeley, and actually had quite a few friends in the Walnut Creek/Danville/Pleasanton area.

Pros: The diversity of culture and the variety of things to do in the Bay Area are matched by only NYC. The weather in Walnut Creek is pretty nice year round (if you don't mind some rain in the winter months and occassional fog). In the summer it can be quite warm (into the 90s), so access to a pool is probably smart. The great thing is if you get tired of the summer heat, you can head over to SF where it is usually in the 60s and even foggy (especially on the ocean side of the peninsula).

Cons: The people are not as friendly as they are in other parts of the country. Everyone is in a hurry and impatient, and a lot of people live in their cars commuting into SF every day (you'll probably meet a number of people that live in Walnut Creek but have to make the painful commute to SF everyday across the SF Bay Bridge). The bodybuilding lifestyle isn't as accepted as it is in other parts of the country (e.g., So Cal).

Overall, though, I think Northern California is a great place to live. In terms of overall quality of life, I'd probably rate So Cal, Phoenix, and Vegas slightly higher, but the pros definitely outweight the cons for the Walnut Creek area.

 

[flexingtonsteele]

Everybody is leaving Cali...!!

Thats like saying. "Nobody goes to eat at that restaurant... it sucks, because its always too crowded!". LOL!

If you're smart you're leaving.

The reason alot of people are having problems getting jobs is because alot of the companies that used to be here in cali for years and years are not here anymore because of the high cost of everything.

Like someone else said, the state is in a huge deficit and unemployment is thru the roof, and its not changing anytime soon.

Im a state employee so im feeling it bigtime, im currently getting 15% of my pay taken every month because of furloughs.

It sucks here right now.

 

[MR. BMJ]

Shelby, NorCal is Awesome, man! I live in Central Cali, but have also lived in SoCal as well. IMO, I like NorCal MUCH more. Each section has it's pros/cons though.

Sassy69 lives near Walnut Creek as well, as does a few other people i know of.

Pros:
*Away from all the border and illegals...at least better than socal.
*Cool whether, but not freezing like over in Michigan.
*Beatiful green areas, along with some city life.
*Not too far from SF, Oakland, San Jose, the beach, etc....
*Less gang shit than SoCal (Has some, but not to the extent of socal)
*Stanford hospital is nearby, for medical emergencies if needed.
*Decent restaurants
*Less traffic than SoCal...except SF...lol.
*Down to earth people.
*Beautiful Mountains are not far away (ie redwoods)

There's a lot more.

Cons: (Generally the opposite of the pros)
*Expensive to rent
*Can rain a lot compared to Socal/CenCal.


BMJ

 

[Shelby]

Anyone live in Washington state? We're thinking of eventually heading there.
Lower COL and also no state income tax.

 

[droc33]

I lived there for 3 years. In Tacoma. During the summer there might not be a better place on earth then WA...However the other 9 months blow...To be honest the COL wasn't much less then where I live in CA right now.
I am not saying I disliked living there, because it was okay...But I like CA way better..

 

[flexingtonsteele]

Anyone live in Washington state? We're thinking of eventually heading there.
Lower COL and also no state income tax.

you should really think about moving to cali before you move here. especially some place like walnut creek.

have a job lined up for sure because if you dont, you may be in trouble.

 

[MR. BMJ]

Anyone live in Washington state? We're thinking of eventually heading there.
Lower COL and also no state income tax.

All are nice places, but i've never lived in the others. Shit, why not just make your way up to live for a short while near Lynx and Jethro too?

IMO, I think you will really enjoy NorCal....i'd wait for awhile and see how that goes before you both go getting Bonnie and Clyde on us.....

You will also be close to NAPA Valley....good wine, if yer into it, at least for a good night of sex:headbang:

BMJ

 

[chrisrivers]

Im a born and raised Texan but last spring me and my fiance traveled to SF and visited parts of north cal as well.

Let me tell you i love the place. So laid back and open minded. We hope to retire there someday.

 

[latimus]

Anyone live in Washington state? We're thinking of eventually heading there.
Lower COL and also no state income tax.

washington is great. weather is not the best. there is also sales tax but you can always just drive to oregon to buy your essentials and not pay any tax. I live in OR near the border of washington. I have lived here pretty much my whole life and dont plan on leaving.

if you want more specifics let me know

 

[rochabp]

Cons:
our fucking state is in debt!

too many Mexicans (im mexican and im saying there are too many mexicans for a reason)

if you dont have cash to live somewhere decent you will end up living next to the projects and dope dealers

its getting tough to find a job

Pros:
Weather

babes

beaches

snow

the chronic

 

[BIC]

California sucks !!! Don't move here

BIC

 

[MrRage]

im a so cal boy through and through... love it, miss it, cant wait to get back

 

[cheloz28]

I live in Southern Cali(Torrance)

I agree with what everyone has already said, Cost of Living is the biggest Con. If you don't have the coin your neighborhood will be shitty.

 

[Tyrone]

Anyone live in Washington state? We're thinking of eventually heading there.
Lower COL and also no state income tax.

You get what you pay for. My uncle is in Tacoma and I've stayed with him...Hey if you don't mind the rain, go for it.

 

[sickboy]

I grew up on San Diego, but i lived in Santa Cruz for few years too.

Vegas is Vegas, its hard to explain living here. Family business brought me here. I love it and if I cant live in Cali, its the next best thing for me. Cheap housing, tons of gyms, women, food and grocery stores are excellent. Traffic isnt to bad if you live in the right area. Plus I'm close enough to Cali that its a breeze to visit back home. Come out during the USA's and look around. You would shocked to see how far your dollar goes out here compared to Cali, or even Washington i bet.

How do you like Vegas as compared to Norcal? In terms of cost of living, weather, people, etc.

Thanks for all the input so far guys, much appreciated. I don't think Cali will be a long term thing for me, but I'll be there for at least a year or so.

 

[pesty4077]

Shelby, you are asking a wide arrangement here. It depends where you lived in CA. I lived in LA and San Diego before and now Bakersfield. I like Bakersfield because the cost of living is better. However, the summers are hot and the winters are a little cooler then LA or San Diego.

Pros: You can make good money, if you are ambitious. Generally people in Bakersfield are good. Not that much crime as bigger cities. Neighborhoods are fairly new on my side of town, not much problems at all.

Cons: Hot summers, cooler winters then other parts of CA. Too many illegals living on the system with tax payers paying. Higher gas then other parts of country. CA will make it a felony for posession of 1 bottle of test. CA has way too many people in prison with small drug offenses.

 

[tazzie]

Shelby- let me chime in here.

As background - I live in Silicon Valley (Los Gatos) right now. I have also lived in Palo Alto for many years- those are both in the SF south bay.

I went to school in San Diego and have many friends who live there as well.

As far as non-CA, I have lived in Florida, Oregon and Utah and (briefly) in AZ.

Bottom line- yes, CA is fucked up right now- but that being said- there is no better place to live. In no state will you find the geographic variety you can find in CA. I can be at the ocean in 30 minutes (Santa Cruz) and in the mountains in aout 3 hours (Tahoe)- add another hour and I can be in the desert.

Are parts of CA expensive? FUCK YEAH - but there is a reason why it is expensive- cause everyone wants to live here. For a long time, I lived outside of Sacramento in a mountain town called Auburn- far less expensive than Silicon Valley- but for a reason.

So- the pro's of Silicon Valley - lots of high paying work, generally smart people. Geographic variety.

Cons- very expensive- there is a reason why the jobs are high paying. Can be crowded, but no worse than any other major city.

What I would tell you is that if you are not a professional- doctor, lawyer, engineer etc- don't think you will own a home in a desireable part of Silicon Valley- unless you have a successful startup..

So-Cal- advantages- weather, excitement, more fake tits per capita. Cons- expensive.

That being said, if I was to leave here- it would be to go live on Sanibel Island in Florida- I have been all over and from what I have seen - nothing beats Cali.

 

[ryneex]

Shelby- i second sickboy dont rule out vegas. I love it access to anything you want to do 24 hours a day. The house prices are insanely cheap like 4 bedroom house with pools in nice areas for 150k. And whenever you need a beach fix its a drive away. Gyms out here are great too.

 

[LEX]

i was just in San Diego this weekend...I lived there as a kid for a while...awesome place BUT...only way I would move back is I live right on the beach and had enough to buy the house and didn't ever have to drive that's it. otherwise its a 50 min plane just from Vegas.

 

[LEX]

Shelby- i second sickboy dont rule out vegas. I love it access to anything you want to do 24 hours a day. The house prices are insanely cheap like 4 bedroom house with pools in nice areas for 150k. And whenever you need a beach fix its a drive away. Gyms out here are great too.

we have a very different definition of a "nice area" but none the less 200 will get you a good house in good neighborhood not a hood. And if you have school aged kids make an informed decision on where you decide to live in Vegas...there is a HUGE standard deviation between the schools in certain areas of vegas. FYI