Best places to live in California (Los Angeles, San Diego: fit in, unemployment, zip code)

[mevans0522]

@ mdvaden thank you for the info. The redwoods look amazing. That's exactly what my goal is with finishing school. I want to have an outdoors type job and it comes naturally. The current job I am at, I was part of salaried management. I made great money and felt largely successful. That's not the lifestyle for us. I don't want my job to be my life and it was quickly becoming that. So I stepped down from management to focus on supporting my wife with her sickness. There are more important things to worry about than a job. We feel moving may help her especially if we can find the type of town were looking for. Spokane WA is a place we have considered. We are simple people looking for a simple life in a simple town.

[EscapeCalifornia]

You seem to want opposite things. Big cities is where all the weird looking people are less noticed and more accepted, not small towns. That's pretty much the same in any state. I love it when people do things that draw attention to themselves, then complain when people notice.

[mevans0522]

Originally Posted by EscapeCalifornia

You seem to want opposite things. Big cities is where all the weird looking people are less noticed and more accepted, not small towns. That's pretty much the same in any state. I love it when people do things that draw attention to themselves, then complain when people notice.

I think you miss the big picture here. The reason the attention is directed towards us is due to narrow mindedness. It's not like we have a huge sign across our body saying look at me. We never wanted any attention. It's more about the mentality of people in a certain area. There is a small college town about an hour from where I live it's called Boone. Home to Appalachian state university. It may have a grand total of 10000 people. Everyone is easy going. No one cares what you do. Any ideas of any towns that are this way? Otherwise the impression I am gaining from responses like this, makes the area seem like a horrible narrow minded area.

[EscapeCalifornia]

Originally Posted by mevans0522

I think you miss the big picture here. The reason the attention is directed towards us is due to narrow mindedness. It's not like we have a huge sign across our body saying look at me. We never wanted any attention.

If you have lots of tattoos and big holes in your ears, you pretty much do.

Originally Posted by mevans0522

It's more about the mentality of people in a certain area. There is a small college town about an hour from where I live it's called Boone. Home to Appalachian state university. It may have a grand total of 10000 people. Everyone is easy going. No one cares what you do. Any ideas of any towns that are this way? Otherwise the impression I am gaining from responses like this, makes the area seem like a horrible narrow minded area.

College towns would be the exception to the rule.

[DMenscha]

Sierra Foothills. But I always say that.

[Snort]

DMenscha speaks the truth! God's country is just a bit up the hill.
I know NC a bit, and I think you'd transition well to that part of CA. I find the people friendlier here and more laid back than most coastal places in the state. I say here because I'm writing from Auburn, after tooling around Lake Tahoe for a few days.

[scottfreez]

Try Eureka/Arcata. True as someone prev. stated, there aren't many opportunities in Humboldt that would suit upwardly mobile corporate types, but it sounds like you are going down a different path. I lived in that area for a while and it was well worth it just for the personal reasons of getting some psychological space. And I was able to find work and get by. Though after a while I knew it would become stifling to stay, but now, I think that knowing what I've learned since I left, I could have stayed there and made it work out. (hindsight...) In any case Humboldt is a magical place, there are few places in the world that compare, the people are generally wonderful, and like in any other place life will throw unique challenges your way. Good luck.

[Rhenzanite]

Have you looked into the San Luis Obispo area? It's really laid back, lots of people who are just a little on the weird side I'm a fairly heavily tattooed woman and I've rarely had issues with people except for the occasional dirty look or mean spirited comment, but I've had that happen in LA and San Fran too. I would take a look on craigslist to see housing prices, but you can usually find a 1 bedroom apartment for under 750 in one of the outlying areas... I know I've seen more than one in Atascadero.

Job wise, they've always been hard to find in the area, but it can be done. I've had two interviews recently (I'm fully employed but always looking) and received offers from both companies..unfortunately less money than I'd like but there are jobs out there.

Let me know if you'd like any more info

[gmccarthy]

From what it sounds like, the kind of lifestyle that you want is available in many places throughout WA, OR, and CA. You're right about many areas of Northern CA being liberal and laid-back, it's easy to find your niche, regardless of what that may be. I would initially have suggested places like Santa Cruz- openminded people, interesting things to do, beautiful location, around the same size as your current town, however you mentioned that rent-wise, you are looking for something $750/month or below. If that is really the case, then you should be looking in Oregon or Washington. Portland has everything that you are asking for and meets your price point. The climate is similar to what you have now (I've lived in NC, so I'm familiar with the weather) but a bit better as the winter season is shorter than it is in NC and you have less storms and virtually no humidity in comparison. You had mentioned Spokane, which is a very cute little town, but due to its size, there are very, very few job opportunities, and it does tend towards the conservative. (the only universities in Spokane are Catholic and Christian, respectively)

I'm generalizing a bit here, but to give you a frame of reference: $750/month in Northern CA will get you a rented room in someone's house. $750/month in Portland or Seattle will get you a 1bdrm or small 2bdrm, depending on the neighborhood. $750/month in Spokane will get you half of a small duplex.

I live in Northern CA now, and really enjoy it, but nowhere is perfect...people are still nosy, judgmental, etc. wherever you go. I think the biggest shock for you to come to CA would be cost of living. I would suggest OR or WA.

[mevans0522]

thanks for all of the suggestions. My wife and I are currently planning a weeks vacation to the eureka area and are going to visit the surrounding areas to get a feel for it. I'm keeping our options open as we are people who do not need a lot of money nor do we need a large place to live. We just want to be left alone. Portland and ashland oregon are also being considered but were thinking portland may be too large for our likings but who knows until we visit. Thank you for the suggestions. So with our trip we are planning, any tips for hotels and motels to stay away from in the general eureka area?

@escapecalifornia
I understand your perception of the description I gave and I apologize for the way I defended my lifestyle choice. It's something I have to do locally on a regular basis due to the ignorance of people here.