Could I do California? (San Francisco, Sacramento: student loans, buying a home, safe neighborhoods)

[waxwolf]

Hi all,

I was hoping some of you might have advice as to whether or not California could work for me as a place to live, and if so, where I might start looking.

A little about me: I will be graduating from dental school at the end of the year and will likely move within a year or two. I am a lesbian in a mixed relationship (I'm black and my girlfriend is white). I'm liberal, a bit shy, quirky, and love intellectual conversation. I'm also a vegetarian, and my girlfriend is vegan. I'm originally from New York City, but I'm currently living in Buffalo, NY for school.

Priorities in finding a place to live:

I'd like to be able to buy a 3 bedroom 2 bath for under 400K
Liberal
Diversity - I value having a variety of cultures, and I don't want to be the only black person/lesbian in town
Walkability would be great
Good food, especially good vegan food
Sunlight and some warmth - Buffalo's cold grey snowy winters have been hard for me.
Not too hot - the girlfriend gets uncomfortable above 80 degrees, so a whole month above 90 would probably be a deal breaker for her (Though I would love some time in the upper 70s low 80s, especially if there's swimming nearby)
Somewhere I could start my own dental practice (ok, most people won't know this, but maybe someone does?)
Intellectual vibe
Local businesses (ie options that aren't all chains)
Safe enough that I can walk around at night by myself
Hiking
Swimming - do you guys have warm beaches?
Within driving distance from an airport - I'd like to be able to visit my parents from time to time

Obviously I don't expect to get all those things, but hey, a girl can dream right? The priorities are roughly in order. California is so big I don't even know where to begin looking. San Fran seems obvious, but it's a bit grey from what I hear, and expensive.

Thoughts?

[sacramento916]

I think if you lived in certain neighborhoods in Sacramento such as Midtown, Downtown, East Sac, Land Park, you would have a great time. It is far cheaper than San Francisco, and we are one of the sunniest cities in the country. Although much smaller in scale and more laid back than SF, we still have a thriving arts scene, and a big gay community in the center city.

Sacramento is also considered the most racially integrated, and one of the very most diverse cities in America. You will not have any problems fitting in here, especially if you stick within the areas I suggested. There is also a wide and diverse culinary selection due to our ethnic diversity, and a growing and thriving upscale culinary scene due to our location in an agricultural region. Plus, we are only located 1.5 hours away from SF and Lake Tahoe, and the eastern foothills of the Sacramento region is beautiful if you want to enjoy outdoor activities.

The only downside is that it will be 1.5 hours away from beaches, and the beaches will be cold. Also, it can get quite hot during the summer, but it's mostly dry heat so it's not as bad as if it was humid. 100 degree dry heat is probably equivalent to 80 degrees in humidity. But hey, there's AC and you do get accustomed to dealing with it. I am originally from SF, and I do not even notice the heat anymore frankly.

[clongirl]

Oakland would work really well for you and your girlfriend. There are some great hip, affordable, artsy, diverse and safe neighborhoods there with fantastic restaurants. It would fulfill every one of your requirements with the exception of perhaps swimming.

Post this on the San Francisco/Oakland forum and you'll get a lot of great recommendations for neighborhoods from people that live there and more familiar with specifics on prices etc.

[bouncethelight]

It sounds like you need to stay fairly close to the coast - that's where the weather is under 90 degrees, year round, and it's also typically where you'll find the more diverse neighborhoods - and more vegans! And if you think San Francisco is too gray, then I'd look from Santa Barbara on south. In the southern part of the state, you can go about ten miles inland and get more sunny days that right on the beach, and the cost of homes is much lower if you go inland as well.

The only issue I see is finding a home for under $400,000 might be tough, that close to the coast. If you were willing to go a little further inland, and deal with the hotter summers, you could do it easily - but it might be challenging to find something closer to the coast.

[ferretkona]

I would look in Seaside near Monterey
Also some greatly reduced homes in Fort Bragg

[sacramento916]

Oakland sounds like a great match. The only thing would be finding a $400,000 home in a great neighborhood. But overall, I think it fits almost all the OP's requirements.

[waxwolf]

Thanks for the ideas, guys. I checked the places out on Wikipedia and they all look pretty cool, particularly Sacramento. I think my girlfriend would raise her eyebrows at average highs over 80 for multiple months, but it looks like it cools down significantly at night. We'll see. I'm also heavily considering New England, which is very cold but closer to both my folks and my girlfriend's. Also NC but the girlfriend is less into that. It's such a mind boggling decision! But I guess I still have some time to figure it out.

[sll3454]

I don't know which part of California is best for you, or whether New England is better, but I do know this:

Cross North Carolina off the list. I spent many years in California (Pasadena area) before moving to NC, and the heat in California is nothing compared to NC. NC heat stays all night, too, so no nighttime relief from June through August. GF would do more than raise her eyebrows here; she may lay down and die. (Hopefully we'll be on our way to the NW before another summer arrives, or I might too.)

[ferretkona]

I lived in Monterey for a few years. Foggy, damp and rainy. Average temp was 68. One week near Labor day it was a heatwave at 85.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by waxwolf

I will be graduating from dental school at the end of the year
will likely move within a year or two.
like to be able to buy a 3 bedroom 2 bath for under 400K


Somewhere I could start my own dental practice (ok, most people won't know this, but maybe someone does?)

Where did you come up with the $400K housing budget?

Everything comes after the stuff in bold.

Do you know anything about starting a business? Especially in a high demand region like the desirable, warm coastal areas of California? (You could probably start a dental business a lot easier in North Dakota, Alaska, or Mississippi.)
Do you have the necessary capital?
What about student loans and business loans and buying a home?