Anyone care to tell me about your experiences there, if you came from So. Cal????

[love roses]

Here's another one: Leakey (Lake-ee)

[CravenClan]

How did this thread get so off topic??

From if you are from So.Cal and your experiences to pronunciations???

[sberdrow]

Originally Posted by CravenClan

Hi there

we are looking to relocate, from Southern California (Temecula) and while we have read alot of posts about weather, housing and taxes, i just wanted to know if there was anyone on this forum that relocated from a similar place, and how you like it or don't like it???

We have 3 little ones under the age of 4, my husband is a concrete contractor, and i stay at home.

I have read the weather is horrendous, we are in a dry desert climate, today it is 105 and 29% humidity. I know that it is really dry here, so that is one thing that concerns me there......let me know what you think. What do you really like about your area and what do you miss the most?

For us, we won't miss the people here (they are sssooo rude and crappy, thinking they are better than you-sad to say but typical california attitude) We are not!! We are looking to slow down our life a little and spend more time trying to focus on raising our kids, that the rat race!

Thanks for any and all posts!!
Christina

I lived in Hemet: Just moved away from Austin because it was just too much adjustment. Want to know more, PM me and Ill give you the low down.

[another_hot-day]

Where did you move away to?

[sberdrow]

Originally Posted by muddaerf

We just moved here about 9 months ago from Encinitas, a coastal town just north of San Diego and about an hour from Temecula.

Here are the things I miss about SoCal:
-Nothing beats seeing the sun 364 days of the year
-Feeling the cool ocean breeze, even on a hot day
-low humidity
-the weather never being too hot or too cold
-the beach; diving under waves and swimming with the dolphins
-being 5 min. from the beach, an hour and a half from the mountains, and 2 hours from the desert
-being able to drive to Las Vegas on a whim for the weekend
-taking my dogs to dog beach
-being eligible for state benefits like state disability insurance and paid family leave (okay, I know that sounds weird, but I work in HR and boy will I miss those benefits when I have kids)
-downtown San Diego
-Sunday morning brunch in Solana Beach
-laid back surfing towns

Here are the things I don't miss about SoCal:
-not being able to afford a home!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
-traffic
-condo/apartment living
-expensive gas
-being bilked for everything just because you live in SoCal
-state income tax

Here are the things I like about Austin:
-being able to afford a home!!!!!!
-tubing down the Guadalupe
-the lakes
-walking around Town Lake/Lady Bird Lake
-variety in restaurants
-great friends
-the fact that we're an hour drive from the Pottery Barn Outlet (I'm addicted)
-Schlitterbahn (even though I've never been, it's supposed to be one of the best water parks in the country)
-a bit slower pace of life
-cheaper gas than what I'm used to
-no state income tax
-the Alamo Drafthouse - best place to watch a movie and eat fresh-baked cookies, even though they'll screw up your meal every time (you can't blame them; it's dark)
-the damn queso. mmm mmmmm good
-people are generally very nice
-the Arboretum
-heat lightning - had no idea what it was until I moved out here; it's like lightning without the thunder.
-SXSW and Austin City Limits (whoop whoop)
-Southwest Cedar Park (my new home)
-the yellow lab that sleeps on the porch down the street from me
-downtown night life
-armadillos (although most of the ones I've seen have been dead, sadly; they are crazy-looking buggers).
-the fact that the people who live here are NUTSO about Texas; longhorns on every car
-the fact that you can get a pint of Ben and Jerry's at the store for only $2.49
-"Keep Austin Weird" movement/the liberals
-South Congress

Here are the things I don't like about Austin:
-DEAR GOD THE HEAT!
-DEAR GOD THE HUMIDITY! (I guess it's worse this year because it's been raining so much??)
-traffic - it sucks and it's only going to get worse
-scorpions
-deers in the road (it's only cool when you don't almost hit them)
-idiots who leave their yellow lab chained to the porch on a 100 degree day
-weird rules about buying booze on Sunday
-the fact that the grocery stores don't sell hard liquor; you have to go to a liquor store
-the fact that it is in Texas
-getting in to a 120 degree car after it has been sitting in the sun all day
-the Republicans and bible thumpers (yeah, they're everywhere, but their presence is more widespread down here)
-crazy high property taxes
-the crazy SUV and truck drivers
-sucky drivers (they're everywhere, but I feel like there are a lot more here than in San Diego - less road-ragers, but more stupid drivers who don't pay attention)
-the roads are weird - we have something called "business roads" or "service roads" that run parallel to the highway which makes exiting weird, plus the signage sucks so you'll get lost big time your first several months here
-highway 35 - the worst highway in the U.S.
-electricity is expensive (it's all about A/C; there are people I've talked to who have paid as much as $500 in electricity every month of summer, of course they probably have 3000 square foot houses)
-too much rain
-the fact that we arrived during an ice storm
-crappy airport


I think if you want to raise your kids in a great city with some solid schools, and be able to easily afford staying at home and raising them (which is not easy in Temecula), and cashing out and moving in to a big yet "cheap" (relative to SoCal) house, Austin is a great place.

I think I agree with nearly everything you said, except you left out one thing, although you might put it in your likes: That Lones star flag is everywhere. It feels like another country here, probably because it was another country once. It used to the be the Republic of Texas for about 2 decades I think. I do like the access roads and the U turns, its nice not to have to hit a stop light every time you have to turn around because you are new and you get lost.

[sberdrow]

Originally Posted by Phisch

We moved here from OC two months ago now. We love it, love it, love it! We did hope for more sunshine and seemed to have gotten it in the last couple of weeks.

All due respect to the poster from Encinitas...the weather back in OC was drab. The gloom that was June's had crept all the way to mid-August. Summer didn't really start until then, and we didn't get to enjoy swimming as much as we wanted to.

We were tripping out yesterday. Our neighbor's son doesn't use a bike lock when he goes to school. Negotiating the drive from where we live off Mopac to the 290 to the airport was interesting. Driving home after dropping off the hubby was more interesting since I had to do it myself in the dark plus there was fog and the ever-present threat of deer.

Yes, the freeway system is unique. While I like the frontage roads, I don't really get the way the names work. There's a 290 at the north end of Austin and one at the south end. At some points they call the south one Ben White and/or 290/71. But if you get lost, it's not hard to find a frontage road, make a U and try again.

been there done that. 290 also piggy backs on I35 (almost wrote THE 35). It does that to keep you from getting lost. Keeps your 290 continuing with out having to completely rename it. I guess that makes sense but I think someone made the freeway system while playing pin the donky

[love roses]

I just thought moving here from somewhere else, and having to learn the pronounciations for some of the towns was part of the moving experience. I guess it just ran from there (In response to why this got off topic)

[sheri257]

Originally Posted by manbehindthecurtain

My wife works with a gentleman who is a perfect example. He moved here about two years ago into a quiet, undeveloped area of Round Rock. Now he is upset because the empty lots are gone (just 2 years!!!) and it is wall to wall houses.

The quaint suburb you move into next month may be over bloated a year later.

This isn't directed to you personally, it's just a comment on the general situation that you've just described. Because I notice that people do this all the time no matter what the location is.

A trend starts where people start moving to an area. But when THEY move, suddenly everything is supposed to stop?

I'm always amazed to hear about this sense of entitlement. The attitude seems to be: now that I'VE moved here ... I and I alone should have this place to myself and nobody should else should move here either.

It's ridiculous. If they don't want people move to an area ... which they themselves moved to for the same reasons then, people should literally move out to the middle of nowhere.

[readymade]

Originally Posted by sheri257

This isn't directed to you personally, it's just a comment on the general situation that you've just described. Because I notice that people do this all the time no matter what the location is.

A trend starts where people start moving to an area. But when THEY move, suddenly everything is supposed to stop?

I'm always amazed to hear about this sense of entitlement. The attitude seems to be: now that I'VE moved here ... I and I alone should have this place to myself and nobody should else should move here either.

It's ridiculous. If they don't want people move to an area ... which they themselves moved to for the same reasons then, people should literally move out to the middle of nowhere.

Yay! I totally agree with you! Apparently people are supposed to stay where they are born. And if they're born in Nowheresville, MN... well, then they should just stay there and make the best of it! How DARE they try to move to a better place!