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How the hell can I afford to live in California?

2

Posts

  • MuddBuddMuddBudd Registered User regular
    edited February 2011
    MuddBudd wrote: »
    MuddBudd wrote: »
    Where the hell did this $700/month health insurance quote come from. I've never heard of a monthly payment that high.

    I certainly have, but only for COBRA coverage. Which is not intended to be a long-term situation, but with unemployment being what it is, it's suddenly a special new hell many Americans are discovering.

    Yeah this is why I didn't bother with COBRA during my current unemployment. I wasn't paying hundreds of dollars a month for a shitty ass plan that barely covered anything. I'd like to be able to you know, eat, while I try to get another job.

    Pro-tip: I've been advised that failing to maintain COBRA (or otherwise allowing your coverage to lapse) between jobs can render any chronic, but previously covered, ailments you have as 'pre-existing conditions' when you eventually get new coverage. Ex: Diabetes, Thyroid stuff, etc.

    It is a wonderful system.

    I don't have any of those, fortunately. A fact for which I am very grateful.

    If I did, I would have shelled out for COBRA most likely.

    MuddBudd on
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    The harder the rain, honey, the sweeter the sun.
  • AlthusserAlthusser Registered User regular
    edited February 2011
    Have any of you seen Reservation Road? I'm feeling a bit like them right now. It's their lifelong dream to move to Paris but they keep finding excuses not to, and when they finally decide to go everyone just tells them how stupid and crazy that is.

    The movie you're thinking of is the similarly-titled Revolutionary Road, and it may or may not be relevant to your current situation that the saddest part about April's obsession with Paris is that even if they had moved there it wouldn't actually solve any of their problems. Might be a bad omen, picking that movie as a point of reference!

    Althusser on
  • adytumadytum The Inevitable Rise And FallRegistered User regular
    edited February 2011
    My individual health plan for two young adults runs about $600 a month.

    FWIW.

    adytum on
  • DeebaserDeebaser on my way to work in a suit and a tie Ahhhh...come on fucking guyRegistered User regular
    edited February 2011
    Thanks for the insight, guys. I know that I get annoyed when someone comes here and asks for advice and then ignores it. On the other hand, what's so damn sweet about the status quo? :) Have any of you seen Reservation Road? I'm feeling a bit like them right now. It's their lifelong dream to move to Paris but they keep finding excuses not to, and when they finally decide to go everyone just tells them how stupid and crazy that is.

    I've pretty much always played it safe and saved my money. But there are all kinds of people living in desirable coastal California cities. I (only?) make $55,000/year but I'm sure many of those people manage to get by on less. I've got some money in savings as a safety net and I'm very tempted to accept the risk and go for it. My fiancee will hopefully find a job there semi-quickly and maybe her California-based employer will offer us better California-based benefits such as health insurance.

    There's nothing inherently sweet about the status quo, but if you're staying with your job, your standard of living will be drastically reduced.

    A quick internet check shows Irvine, CA is 22% more expensive to live in than Scottsdale, AZ.

    In addition, your sales tax will be half a percent higher and your marginal state income tax rate will be 2%. higher. That may not seem like much, but over the course of a year you will be paying an extra $1000 in state taxes alone.

    Seriously dude, get a job in the area before you think about moving to that area.

    Deebaser on
  • jclastjclast Registered User regular
    edited February 2011
    California is (or was 7ish years ago) a great state to start a career in and then transfer somewhere cheaper while maintaining your salary. If I moved back now (I lived in San Jose for 18 months or so) I'd have to make 110,000/yr to maintain my cost-of-living. Sadly, the going rate for my job there is about 95,000/yr.

    The salary site linked on the first page is great. It shows the difference between cost of living (last I knew San Jose was around 140% of average for CoL but only 120% of average for pay). It would make for a phenomenally difficult time to live there and make wages designed for another state. Hell, it was hard to live there and make wages designed for CA.

    jclast on
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  • King of KickassKing of Kickass Registered User regular
    edited February 2011
    The best bit of advice I can give you: "It's not how much you make, it's how much you spend."
    If Rent + Bills < 2 weeks income; you're fine. Maybe living a little tight, but comfortable enough. I thought I was going to be broke and starving when I moved to Boston (top 5 for most expensive cities to live), but im doing fine. The reality is I don't eat out, I don't have any lavish expenses, I make a modest living and I pick and choose what and where I want to spend my money.

    Take the plunge, youll be happy you did, and if it doesn't work out, AZ isn't going anywhere. Best of luck!

    King of Kickass on
  • bowenbowen How you doin'? Registered User regular
    edited February 2011
    You may consider moving somewhere in the midwest that's nice. Mainly because you could probably afford a mansion.

    bowen on
    not a doctor, not a lawyer, examples I use may not be fully researched so don't take out of context plz, don't @ me
  • November FifthNovember Fifth Registered User regular
    edited February 2011
    You're giving up too much money to live in Irvine. With the money you'll be saving each year you could be in a house sooner, having kids sooner, affording better day care, driving more reliable cars, eating out more, etc.

    You could probably retire a decade earlier if you invested the savings in health care alone.

    Promise the fiance a really great vacation every year and move to Nevada or Washington State.

    November Fifth on
  • Jimmy KingJimmy King Registered User regular
    edited February 2011
    bowen wrote: »
    You may consider moving somewhere in the midwest that's nice. Mainly because you could probably afford a mansion.
    For reals. I grew up in the midwest and still have a lot of friends back there. It makes me want to cry when I see the houses and other stuff they can afford on their salaries compared to me and I'm not even in all that high of a cost of living area. If you get yourself into a mid-sized city it's really pretty nice and if you pick wisely there's a ton of entertainment nearby.

    Jimmy King on
  • FeralFeral MEMETICHARIZARD interior crocodile alligator ⇔ ǝɹʇɐǝɥʇ ǝᴉʌoɯ ʇǝloɹʌǝɥɔ ɐ ǝʌᴉɹp ᴉRegistered User regular
    edited February 2011
    Die-hard Californian here. I live near San Francisco and I love it.

    However, I'm going to agree with November Fifth and Regina Fong. If you can live anywhere you want but maintain your salary, you should be moving somewhere cheap.

    Don't assume that cheap = bad. There are places with active cultural and social lives, but aren't going to cost you half your salary just for rent and bills. Do some web searches on "most affordable cities" and "best cities to live" to get some ideas. If I do those searches right now, Ann Arbor, MI; Corvallis, OR; Santa Fe, NM; and Austin, TX all pop up as possibilities.

    Besides... out of all the places in California... why Irvine? :P

    Feral on
    every person who doesn't like an acquired taste always seems to think everyone who likes it is faking it. it should be an official fallacy.

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  • MichaelLCMichaelLC In what furnace was thy brain? ChicagoRegistered User regular
    edited February 2011
    Feral wrote: »
    Don't assume that cheap = bad. There are places with active cultural and social lives, but aren't going to cost you half your salary just for rent and bills. Do some web searches on "most affordable cities" and "best cities to live" to get some ideas. If I do those searches right now, Ann Arbor, MI; Corvallis, OR; Santa Fe, NM; and Austin, TX all pop up as possibilities.

    Besides... out of all the places in California... why Irvine? :P

    Nashville would be good too.

    MichaelLC on
  • mrt144mrt144 King of the Numbernames Registered User regular
    edited February 2011
    Feral wrote: »
    Die-hard Californian here. I live near San Francisco and I love it.

    However, I'm going to agree with November Fifth and Regina Fong. If you can live anywhere you want but maintain your salary, you should be moving somewhere cheap.

    Don't assume that cheap = bad. There are places with active cultural and social lives, but aren't going to cost you half your salary just for rent and bills. Do some web searches on "most affordable cities" and "best cities to live" to get some ideas. If I do those searches right now, Ann Arbor, MI; Corvallis, OR; Santa Fe, NM; and Austin, TX all pop up as possibilities.

    Besides... out of all the places in California... why Irvine? :P

    What college is in Sante Fe ;-)

    mrt144 on
  • HambrabaiHambrabai Registered User regular
    edited February 2011
    Jimmy King wrote: »
    bowen wrote: »
    You may consider moving somewhere in the midwest that's nice. Mainly because you could probably afford a mansion.
    For reals. I grew up in the midwest and still have a lot of friends back there. It makes me want to cry when I see the houses and other stuff they can afford on their salaries compared to me and I'm not even in all that high of a cost of living area. If you get yourself into a mid-sized city it's really pretty nice and if you pick wisely there's a ton of entertainment nearby.

    This is a big one a lot of people forget about, everyone is talking about just squeaking by on 55K a year in CA and in South Dakota someone who makes 55K a year is wearing the big pants. Heck one of the highest paying jobs in our entire city pays 85,000 a year and he lives in a 6000sq/ft house with a couple acres of private lawn.

    Sure the enviroment sucks (a lot) but the cost of living is immensely lower than the coasts.

    Hambrabai on
  • TrillianTrillian Registered User regular
    edited February 2011
    Oregon is nice and cheap.
    Seriously what more do you want?

    Trillian on

    They cast a shadow like a sundial in the morning light. It was half past 10.
  • HorusHorus Los AngelesRegistered User regular
    edited February 2011
    MuddBudd wrote: »
    Where the hell did this $700/month health insurance quote come from. I've never heard of a monthly payment that high.

    My coworkers who are freelancers pay from $550 to $850, yes it can go this high but also age contributes. They are older than $40

    Horus on
    “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go...”
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  • MrIamMeMrIamMe Registered User regular
    edited February 2011
    The american healthcare system must seriously suck if its a factor in choosing where to live :|

    If you cant afford to live where you want, live somewhere cheap but safe, save, skillup, and try and get a job that will afford you the lifestyle you want.

    MrIamMe on
  • ImprovoloneImprovolone Registered User regular
    edited February 2011
    MrIamMe wrote: »
    The american healthcare system must seriously suck if its a factor in choosing where to live :|
    Yup

    Improvolone on
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  • mugginnsmugginns Jawsome Fresh CoastRegistered User regular
    edited February 2011
    One small thing to consider is how your car insurance will change as well if you change locations.

    mugginns on
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  • jclastjclast Registered User regular
    edited February 2011
    Car license and registration as well. CA charges based on the value of the car so expect to pay more than in most other states when you need new stickers on your license plate.

    jclast on
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  • witch_iewitch_ie Registered User regular
    edited February 2011
    Currently, health insurance in the United States is state based, which means that national employers have to have a separate contract with an insurer in each state if they want to provide that kind of insurance for their employees (many of them provide coverage through self-funded arrangements as well). If your company doesn't currently have a contract with a California insurer, this may be a reason the CFO is citing it as a reason not to move. Additionally, the state of California requires more services be covered even in a bare bones plan than many other states, which could actually make it cost more than in Arizona. However, just as an fyi, a friend of mine has an individual plan in San Diego that costs her $87/month. If you're both healthy, you might consider subscribing for individual insurance and dropping your employer based coverage, but be sure to check any changes in your benefits before you do. Do not let your coverage lapse if you plan to pursue individual coverage in the future.

    Also, moving to new places is great fun imo. Just remember, that if it ends up not working out for you, you can always move back.

    witch_ie on
  • the wookthe wook Registered User regular
    edited February 2011
    Is there anybody here that has had to temporarily go without health insurance because you couldn't afford it? Got any info or advice about how that has worked out when health issues come up?

    Don't ever ever do this. Not only are you not covered for your basic medical costs, but anything chronic that begins during that period might NEVER be covered even after you get insurance, as it can be classified as a preexisting condition.

    the wook on
  • DoxaDoxa Registered User regular
    edited February 2011
    Is there anybody here that has had to temporarily go without health insurance because you couldn't afford it? Got any info or advice about how that has worked out when health issues come up?

    I did and so did many of my peers. Here's what happened: I did fine because the only times I got sick were fairly mild. I try really hard to take care of myself, but I attribute my health to luck moreso than my activities.

    One friend of mine broke his hand in a fight and got set back a few thousand dollars.

    One friend of mine wrecked his car (his fault), suffered some major trauma, and will be paying off that debt for decades.

    The others I don't know.

    Would not recommend if you can get on without. Especially if your family has a history of medical problems if you currently have medical problems.

    Doxa on
  • Jimmy KingJimmy King Registered User regular
    edited February 2011
    Doxa wrote: »
    Is there anybody here that has had to temporarily go without health insurance because you couldn't afford it? Got any info or advice about how that has worked out when health issues come up?

    I did and so did many of my peers. Here's what happened: I did fine because the only times I got sick were fairly mild. I try really hard to take care of myself, but I attribute my health to luck moreso than my activities.

    One friend of mine broke his hand in a fight and got set back a few thousand dollars.

    One friend of mine wrecked his car (his fault), suffered some major trauma, and will be paying off that debt for decades.

    The others I don't know.

    Would not recommend if you can get on without. Especially if your family has a history of medical problems if you currently have medical problems.
    I also did that several years ago. I too would not recommend it. Everything worked out ok for me, but only through luck.

    I dumped a bowl full of boiling bacon grease on my hand. It deep fried my entire hand. It turned brown and crispy (and delicious looking) and bubbled up a bit and the skin flaked off over the next few days. I should have gone to a doctor immediately. I had no insurance, though, so I stayed home and sat with my hand in a bowl of water for two or three days until it stopped hurting too bad for me to think about anything but the pain whenever I took my hand out of the water and just hoped I wouldn't get some horrible infection and lose my hand.

    Crazy shit happens. Don't take a risk on having it happen when you can't afford to deal with it if you don't have to.

    Jimmy King on
  • Pinch-a-LoafPinch-a-Loaf Registered User regular
    edited February 2011
    Yeah my company uses Aetna and I noticed that I can get an Individual/Family quote for health insurance on their site. I got quotes on plans in my current AZ zip code, and then opened a new tab and got quotes for the Irvine, CA zip code. Honestly, they were not worlds apart. In fact, the plans at the low end of each -- like the $180-$200 range for my wife and I -- were quite similar.

    VP/CFO is going to be in the office next week starting Monday so I will try and get him to help me out some more, or at least find out what the big issue is. A co-worker did tell me today that years ago she had a problem with VP/CFO telling her she could not enroll for insurance for her family through our company because he had not included the cost of insuring family when he was doing some company budgeting or something. Our HR guy (we no longer have one) had to step in and say that our company is responsible for providing insurance to her and her family just as they were for every other employee.

    He made it an issue when she decided to move her family to San Francisco last year too. I may have mentioned that already. So I have confirmation that he has tried to force her hand in insurance-related situations twice in the past.

    Wish me luck talking to him next week. Some of the info you guys have given me so far will be really helpful whether I stay with the company's insurance or get my own. Either way, I will make sure we do not go without insurance for any period of time.

    Pinch-a-Loaf on
  • mugginnsmugginns Jawsome Fresh CoastRegistered User regular
    edited February 2011
    So you're still planning to move to California even though everyone told you how bad of an idea it would be?

    mugginns on
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  • SheepSheep Registered User, __BANNED USERS regular
    edited February 2011
    Move to Oxford, MS


    Everything here is dirt cheap. 50K a year would be very very comfortable.

    Sheep on
  • OdjnOdjn Registered User regular
    edited February 2011
    Deebaser wrote: »
    If you can work anywhere in the country, but your salary is fixed, then logically you should be looking to move to the lowest cost of living area you can tolerate and start saving money.

    It seems like you're planning to do the opposite, which is just not a good idea.


    Yeah dude, you are doing it wrong. If you have to move, look for a new job post haste.
    If you can stall it, don't "decide" to live in CA, until you have a job that pays CA wages.

    EDIT: Anecdote about the COL discrepancy. I have a buddy in Wichitah, KA that told me he made $50,000 and my gut reaction as a NYC guy was "How the fuck do you live??"

    I lived in Brooklyn on roughly 15,000 a year. It's possible to live anywhere for fairly cheap, just not 'well' by most standards.

    Odjn on
  • TaxexemptionTaxexemption Registered User regular
    edited February 2011
    Even produce that is grown in California costs more in California than it does in other states. Businesses understand that people are willing to pay more for things simply because they live in California, even though its not that great here.


    I have lived in CA all my life, but never in Irvine so I cannot say a whole lot about the area. Your health insurance likely will be much more expensive in CA simply because it is CA. There are a lot of people that have grown up watching movies about how great California is, they have all of these crazy idea's of what people are like here that are mostly largely inaccurate. As a result businesses understand that people are willing to pay more simply because there is a prestige about the state.

    Taxexemption on
  • MidshipmanMidshipman Registered User regular
    edited February 2011
    Even produce that is grown in California costs more in California than it does in other states.

    That's not necessarily true. You might have instances where the combination of sales tax and overhead can cause an in-state-grown produce item to cost more than somewhere else, but the farther the produce travels it either comes to market less fresh or more expensive.

    Also, wine is definitely cheaper in California than in most other states, even when you include sales tax.

    Midshipman on
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  • GdiguyGdiguy San Diego, CARegistered User regular
    edited February 2011
    Even produce that is grown in California costs more in California than it does in other states. Businesses understand that people are willing to pay more for things simply because they live in California, even though its not that great here.


    I have lived in CA all my life, but never in Irvine so I cannot say a whole lot about the area. Your health insurance likely will be much more expensive in CA simply because it is CA. There are a lot of people that have grown up watching movies about how great California is, they have all of these crazy idea's of what people are like here that are mostly largely inaccurate. As a result businesses understand that people are willing to pay more simply because there is a prestige about the state.

    I don't really agree with this - for one, most produce is not only dramatically better quality here than someplace like NY, but it also tends to be cheaper (especially if you buy locally)

    and second, it really is a great place to live - just not a great place to settle down and raise a family on a middle-class income. As a single grad student, I don't have any second thoughts about moving out here - yeah, I'm not really saving much money, but I don't have much living expenses and being able to enjoy life is more important right now. However, I can already see that unless you're making 6 figures+, you'll be living in a 2 bedroom apt or a tiny crowded house, which isn't what I'd want for the future

    Gdiguy on
  • TaxexemptionTaxexemption Registered User regular
    edited February 2011
    Can you list qualities of California that you think make it better than other places? What makes California a great place to live?


    In my experience, if you go to any local chain store, the prices of most goods will be higher here in CA, including fruit that has a CA locally grown label.


    Edit: My personal opinion is that California wine is meh. If you want something good for six bucks check out yellow tail, it tastes better than twenty dollar bottles of wine I've had.

    Taxexemption on
  • emp123emp123 Registered User regular
    edited February 2011
    Can you list qualities of California that you think make it better than other places? What makes California a great place to live?


    In my experience, if you go to any local chain store, the prices of most goods will be higher here in CA, including fruit that has a CA locally grown label.

    The weather for starters. Does it seem like much? No, but its actually really really nice. While half the country was blanketed in a giant snow storm here in SoCal all we got was a little wind and a slight chill (Im talking 60F here, which is chilly for SoCal). There are very few places where you can wear shorts and a tshirt year round and be comfortable and not have to worry about drowning because the air is thick with humidity

    Does California have its problems? Of course. Its super expensive to buy a house (even post housing bubble, although housing prices have dropped significantly, as in the house my mother recently bought for $500,000 was worth $700,000+ at the height of the bubble), but renting is always an option and there are plenty of nice places to live for cheap.

    Car registration can also be expensive, but then again I think the registration on my 93 240sx was like $60 or something which I find completely doable. For comparison I think the registration on my 2011 Civic is $230ish.

    I have no real comparison concerning the price of groceries, since SoCal has been my residence since I was like 2 and whenever Im out of the state Ive never been grocery shopping. That said, while I find groceries to be expensive, I dont find them to be prohibitively so. While in college I think I was spending about $50 a week and thats including alcohol.

    Would I want to live in California on $50,000 supporting two people? No, not really, but seeing as my mother raised my sisters and I only slightly more than that, all while living in one of the more expensive neighborhoods in San Diego, its totally doable. You just need to prioritize.

    As for living in Irvine, my question would be, why Irvine, hahaha, its like a coastal Riverside. Actually, no, thats way to harsh. There are a lot of nice things about Irvine, but it gets completely overshadowed by a lot of its surrounding areas.

    If a raise isnt going to happen, and youre going to be semi-reliant on the fiancée getting a job Id either wait for her to get one before moving, or consider moving somewhere else.

    But like I said, its completely doable to live in SoCal on $50,000 split between 2 people.

    EDIT: To add to Janson's post, Id include cultural diversity. Its really really great to be able to go and get food/items/art/whatever from almost a wide variety of cultures. This is really the reason I dont want to leave California (Im willing to trade SoCal for Norcal, but Id still like to live in the state). Im not saying that you cant find this in other states, Im sure you can, but you almost cant not find it in California. Its inescapable and its excellent.

    Also, if you want to go to the beach in the morning and snowboarding at night you can do that, all it takes is a couple hours drive.

    emp123 on
  • JansonJanson Registered User regular
    edited February 2011
    1. The weather... it's a cliche but it's true. Until you've lived somewhere where you arrive work at a regular basis soaked to the knees (an umbrella's useless against lashing rain), or where you're digging yourself out of snow, or where you're always having to bundle up, constantly, it's hard to appreciate just what a difference it makes in California. Whenever I ring my friends in England and they tell me how rainy it's been, or whenever my boss hears how much snow they have in Quebec, we just turn to each other and say how glad we are we moved to California.

    2. The availability of things in general. I've found it easier to locate good foods, wines and teas in California than I have elsewhere. Not that things aren't available elsewhere, just that many chains I like tend to have more branches here. In the Bay Area there's also a fabulous mix of cultures; in every place I've worked Americans have been in the minority, and there's a huge variety of really good restaurants here. I've met more people born in India, Vietnam, Korea, Canada, the UK and Mexico than I have people who were born in California.

    3. Also part of the culture...I am a huge movie buff and I was fortunate to live in a city in the UK that had cinemas showing all of the small independent and foreign movies released. I feared I might not experience that living here...but even when I've noted that films have a limited release and generally aren't available to see in theaters in most states, they're available to watch in at least two local theaters here.

    4. Swimming pools! A bonus of the good weather. Even my cheap apartment complex has an outdoor swimming pool and hot tub, and even in December and January it's occasionally warm enough outside to use.

    5. Redwoods, the Sierra Nevada mountains, the beaches... if you enjoy any outdoor sports/activities you can do them all in California; no need to take a week off work to fly somewhere. While accommodation in the city is really expensive, accommodation out in the countryside tends to be pretty cheap. A lot of people own second/vacation homes and often let friends/family stay in them (as I have discovered!).

    I know the post wasn't directed at me, but there are a few of my reasons :)

    Janson on
  • TaxexemptionTaxexemption Registered User regular
    edited February 2011
    Janson wrote: »
    1. The weather... it's a cliche but it's true. Until you've lived somewhere where you arrive work at a regular basis soaked to the knees (an umbrella's useless against lashing rain), or where you're digging yourself out of snow, or where you're always having to bundle up, constantly, it's hard to appreciate just what a difference it makes in California. Whenever I ring my friends in England and they tell me how rainy it's been, or whenever my boss hears how much snow they have in Quebec, we just turn to each other and say how glad we are we moved to California.

    2. The availability of things in general. I've found it easier to locate good foods, wines and teas in California than I have elsewhere. Not that things aren't available elsewhere, just that many chains I like tend to have more branches here. In the Bay Area there's also a fabulous mix of cultures; in every place I've worked Americans have been in the minority, and there's a huge variety of really good restaurants here. I've met more people born in India, Vietnam, Korea, Canada, the UK and Mexico than I have people who were born in California.

    3. Also part of the culture...I am a huge movie buff and I was fortunate to live in a city in the UK that had cinemas showing all of the small independent and foreign movies released. I feared I might not experience that living here...but even when I've noted that films have a limited release and generally aren't available to see in theaters in most states, they're available to watch in at least two local theaters here.

    4. Swimming pools! A bonus of the good weather. Even my cheap apartment complex has an outdoor swimming pool and hot tub, and even in December and January it's occasionally warm enough outside to use.

    5. Redwoods, the Sierra Nevada mountains, the beaches... if you enjoy any outdoor sports/activities you can do them all in California; no need to take a week off work to fly somewhere. While accommodation in the city is really expensive, accommodation out in the countryside tends to be pretty cheap. A lot of people own second/vacation homes and often let friends/family stay in them (as I have discovered!).

    I know the post wasn't directed at me, but there are a few of my reasons :)


    I'll give you 1 and 5, the weather is a reason, but to me it seems like a rather small one.

    2, and 3 have to do with living in big cities rather than California. In my experience people are as racist if not more racist here, we don't exactly have an impressive amount of diversity, or any real sense of community in the area that I live in. People of different races exist, and co-exist (hate crimes arn't exactly a regular occurence) most of the time, but we don't mingle.

    Taxexemption on
  • JansonJanson Registered User regular
    edited February 2011
    I'll bet you the weather only seems like a small reason to you because you've admitted that you've lived here all your life.

    I guess whether an area is racist or not really depends on which area you're talking about. I've not really seen or experienced any racism in San Jose, but maybe I'd feel differently if I were to live in, say, Oakland. I definitely feel that different cultures here mingle. I've both been asked about myself and invited to ask questions, as well as being invited to events/restaurants by people of different backgrounds, at both school and work.

    I lived in a big city in the UK. For all that the UK supposedly drinks a lot of tea, I've never come across as many tea shops as I have here in San Jose! And like I say, when a film gets a really limited release - as in only a handful or so of theaters across the entire country - I can guarantee one of those theaters will be close by. :)

    Janson on
  • emp123emp123 Registered User regular
    edited February 2011
    2, and 3 have to do with living in big cities rather than California. In my experience people are as racist if not more racist here, we don't exactly have an impressive amount of diversity, or any real sense of community in the area that I live in. People of different races exist, and co-exist (hate crimes arn't exactly a regular occurence) most of the time, but we don't mingle.

    Are you in Riverside? Riverside sucks.


    Its important to note that coastal California and inland California are basically two different states.

    Coastal California is great, for the aforementioned reasons, while inland California sucks because it lacks almost all of those things.

    emp123 on
  • TaxexemptionTaxexemption Registered User regular
    edited February 2011
    emp123 wrote: »
    2, and 3 have to do with living in big cities rather than California. In my experience people are as racist if not more racist here, we don't exactly have an impressive amount of diversity, or any real sense of community in the area that I live in. People of different races exist, and co-exist (hate crimes arn't exactly a regular occurence) most of the time, but we don't mingle.

    Are you in Riverside? Riverside sucks.


    Its important to note that coastal California and inland California are basically two different states.

    Coastal California is great, for the aforementioned reasons, while inland California sucks because it lacks almost all of those things.

    I live near riverside... We have a lot of people that move here because they have expectations of a vibrant culture/community among other things. In reality its not uncommon to meet people here who actually believe Obama is the anti-christ, black people are a race of sub-humans, and that gays bleed a different color of blood because they are full of hate. There are also quite a few area's that regardless of race the local community is hostile to outsiders.


    As for the weather, I would rather live in a place that is cold for the next twenty years if it means the difference between putting good money away and just getting by.


    I understand that not everywhere in California like this. I freely admit I've spent very little time outside of my particular area of California. But in my particular area, we get a lot of people moving here because they have certain expectations about what its going to be like, and they are usually disappointed.

    Taxexemption on
  • emp123emp123 Registered User regular
    edited February 2011
    emp123 wrote: »
    2, and 3 have to do with living in big cities rather than California. In my experience people are as racist if not more racist here, we don't exactly have an impressive amount of diversity, or any real sense of community in the area that I live in. People of different races exist, and co-exist (hate crimes arn't exactly a regular occurence) most of the time, but we don't mingle.

    Are you in Riverside? Riverside sucks.


    Its important to note that coastal California and inland California are basically two different states.

    Coastal California is great, for the aforementioned reasons, while inland California sucks because it lacks almost all of those things.

    I live near riverside... We have a lot of people that move here because they have expectations of a vibrant culture/community among other things. In reality its not uncommon to meet people here who actually believe Obama is the anti-christ, black people are a race of sub-humans, and that gays bleed a different color of blood because they are full of hate. There are also quite a few area's that regardless of race the local community is hostile to outsiders.


    As for the weather, I would rather live in a place that is cold for the next twenty years if it means the difference between putting good money away and just getting by.


    I understand that not everywhere in California like this. I freely admit I've spent very little time outside of my particular area of California. But in my particular area, we get a lot of people moving here because they have certain expectations about what its going to be like, and they are usually disappointed.

    Yeah, the Inland Empire kinda sucks. Most of its not terrible, but its definitely not the stereotypical California people see in tv/movies.

    I remember watching a show on the white supremacist movement in the United States and it said the highest concentration of white supremacists in the US is in the IE (it may be Pomona, which is just outside of the IE, and I dont know if that statistic has changed since there was a growing neo-Nazi presence in Temecula).

    If the OP was trying to move to the IE, Id advise against it, but since he wants to move to Irvine its not something he has to really worry about. While its mainly residential, it is also a "college town" in that UCI is there, and there are several other colleges/universities nearby. My time in Irvine specifically is limited, but the areas I was in were nice (from the older homes from the 70s to the newer McMansions of the 90s-2000s). Of all the places I probably wouldnt choose to live in Irvine, probably because for me it would be a lateral move from where I am right now, but its definitely not a bad place to live.

    The biggest for me (if I was making the move) would be whether I could support a lifestyle that I want while living in an area I find acceptable. If you can do that, sure make the move, if you cant, go someplace cheap and save money until you can.

    emp123 on
  • MidshipmanMidshipman Registered User regular
    edited February 2011
    Edit: My personal opinion is that California wine is meh. If you want something good for six bucks check out yellow tail, it tastes better than twenty dollar bottles of wine I've had.

    If Yellow Tail is your suggestion for a good but inexpensive wine, then please keep your wine opinions to yourself. That stuff is like the 2-buck chuck of Australia.

    One thing that California has that not every state does is an abundance of Trader Joe's. You can find much better wines than Yellow Tail there for within a dollar or two per bottle.

    Midshipman on
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  • TaxexemptionTaxexemption Registered User regular
    edited February 2011
    yellow tail is cheap, but its also delicious.

    Taxexemption on
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