Thinking about moving from Chicagoland to South. California

[SOON2BNSURPRISE]

Originally Posted by eureka1

Yes,they do. Read the Trib.

What is the Trib?

[CA4Now]

Originally Posted by SOON2BNSURPRISE

What is the Trib?

The Chicago Tribune. (I have never heard of it being called "Chicagoland" and both my parents grew up there and half of my cousins live there.)

[SOON2BNSURPRISE]

Originally Posted by CA4Now

The Chicago Tribune. (I have never heard of it being called "Chicagoland" and both my parents grew up there and half of my cousins live there.)

My mom is from there and my uncle still lives in the home that they grew up in and I never heard it called that accept for here on CDF. LOL

[Lovehound]

I don't understand the negativity in this topic. Tex, if you think you'll like it in So. Cal. then come on out and try it. You can always move back or move elsewhere if you don't like it.

I don't know about employment for you. I don't know anything about your field/profession. Jobs are slow everywhere, might as well be slow in California instead of being slow in Chicago. At least we don't have to shovel our sunshine! You should of course come out with ample funds to supply you until you can find a job. Even better you should have a job lined up before you move. If you are lucky and skillful you might be able to get your employer to provide relocation assistance.

It's my opinion that many of the naysayers about California are natives and long time residents who bemoan what California has changed into, wishing it was like it was "back then." I'm one of those people. If you discount the long time naysayers like me I bet you'd find a lot of people who are more favorable and more positive about So. Cal., accepting it for what it is rather than crying for what it used to be.

Come on out and try California.

[Tex?Il?]

Originally Posted by Lovehound

I don't understand the negativity in this topic. Tex, if you think you'll like it in So. Cal. then come on out and try it. You can always move back or move elsewhere if you don't like it.

I don't know about employment for you. I don't know anything about your field/profession. Jobs are slow everywhere, might as well be slow in California instead of being slow in Chicago. At least we don't have to shovel our sunshine! You should of course come out with ample funds to supply you until you can find a job. Even better you should have a job lined up before you move. If you are lucky and skillful you might be able to get your employer to provide relocation assistance.

It's my opinion that many of the naysayers about California are natives and long time residents who bemoan what California has changed into, wishing it was like it was "back then." I'm one of those people. If you discount the long time naysayers like me I bet you'd find a lot of people who are more favorable and more positive about So. Cal., accepting it for what it is rather than crying for what it used to be.

Come on out and try California.

Thanks for being positive despite being "one of those people." I think when you are a long time resident of an area, one is MUCH more attuned to, and sensitive to the negative aspects of wherever you are.

I know California has grown so much more in the past 30 years, than Chicagoland, and so consequently that translates to much more negativity out there.

In Chicagoland they just sanitized all the areas, around downtown, so people think its the emerald city now, even though, many are unaware that the problems of the city 20 years ago, are just more spread out now.

[ladoll]

Originally Posted by mysticaltyger

OP, don't kid yourself about this. I know Chicago isn't dirt cheap, but it's not expensive like LA is.

Housing costs in CA are very high and the higher prevailing incomes do not come to making up the difference.

I don't visit Southern California all that often, becuase I live up north in the Bay Area. But I have gotten caught in traffic jams ther at 9PM on a Sunday night & 11AM on a Friday morning. The freeways are so busy, it doesn't take much for them to jam up and that is no joke.

I don't want to be uber negative, but the general tone of your post is a little too rosy.

Life in the California coastal metro areas may look easier on the surface, and in some ways it is (nicer weather, culturally tolerant, etc). But beneath the surface, it's expensive and competitive.

The problem is that California is a "dream" place for a lot of people and as is the case with any "dream" place with nice weather, the downsides are not always readily apparent like they are in places like Chicago.

As for community college employment--I've heard the same thing others have said...It's basically becoming a part time job, so you end up working at 2 or 3 community colleges to make ends meet--and commuting a lot because you'll have to take whatever job you can get.

Not the OP...

I think you bring up many good points, but I also don't think you are really thinking of just how expensive it can be to live in Chicago/northeastern Illinois. Don't let yourself be fooled, Chicago will give LA a very good run for its money.

[Tex?Il?]

Originally Posted by ladoll

Not the OP...

I think you bring up many good points, but I also don't think you are really thinking of just how expensive it can be to live in Chicago/northeastern Illinois. Don't let yourself be fooled, Chicago will give LA a very good run for its money.

Actually the difference from what I think between the two areas is that:

Its kind of expensive all over LA county/orange county because it is "southern California" that is the attraction, a bit more so than "LA".

In Chicagoland, it is the "city" that is the attraction, because the heart of the desirable neighborhoods where everyone wants to be is the attraction, and therefore costs of housing drop quite a bit more from the center of the city, to the suburbs and to the south side.

Chicagoland is all about a world class downtown area, in a more typical average-American suburban region, versus SoCal/LA is an average downtown area in a world class region.

This is where the differences lie.

People who love exploring what a region has both natural and cultural would probably like LA/Socal more, people who could care less and would rather have a downtown, urban core area with everything at their finger tips, and don't care that the surrounding region, looks like that of any midwestern metro area would like Chicagoland, because they don't really care so much about the "Land" part, at least not until they have kids.

For me personally, given me interests/personality, I feel like LA/SoCal is a more fun, interesting, place to spend single years, although I think the Chicago suburbs (especially south-Chicagoland, where good suburbs are a bit cheaper) might be better places to grow up/raise families. I also extend this region up to and including Milwaukee, as my family went there almost as often as Chicago.

I think LA relationship to San Diego, is similar to that of Chicago relationship to Milwaukee.