Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > California
 [Register]
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
Closed Thread Start New Thread
 
Old 11-22-2012, 04:48 PM
 
5,951 posts, read 13,032,881 times
Reputation: 4803

Advertisements

Why did you move to where you moved to and live now??

Thats what I'd like to know.

This isn't a thread about Californias problems, or about what pushed you away from California, what you didn't like about the direction it was going, etc., etc.

This is a thread about why you chose your destination to move TO.

The reason I ask, is because of the choice of destinations. There seems to be many of you that pick some of the places that are the absolute most polar opposites of places to move to, places that really don't really have a lot of appeal. From what I can see, from those of you who fled California, you moved to -

Rural Missouri
Arkansas
Tennessee
North Dakota
Montana

My question is: why?

If one is tired of the high taxes, expensive cost of living, non business friendly environment, over crowding - I can understand Californias moving to Arizona (Phoenix, Tuscson), Nevada (Vegas, Reno), Texas (DFW, Houston, Austin, San Antonio), New Mexico (Albequerque, Santa Fe), Oregon, Washington, Colorado.

Many of these areas have great weather, abundant outdoor recreation, good economies (Texas) similar career opportunities as California. (Aerospace, technology, etc.), Texas, particularly has very cosmopolitan cities, with great Mexican food, etc. similar to California. High number of transplants.

I could even understand a midwestern city: Chicago, Minneapolis, St. Louis, Cleveland, Detroit, as these cities have a lot of cultural amenities and a low cost of living, although they may in certain cases have economic issues/stagnation.

I could go on. Point is, I can understand people moving to these areas, as I can understand an argument that there are certain things that a Californian would comfortable and familiar with.

But what I want to know, is what could possibly make a Californian move to NORTH DAKOTA! Or the Ozarks or Appalachians??

Why?? Did you deliberately choose places that have changed the least and are stuck in the 50s? Because you idealize some Andy Griffith Show Mayberry mythical place??

I'm just curious, I am not judging your decision . . . just fascinated by your choices.

 
Old 11-22-2012, 05:08 PM
 
24,324 posts, read 26,701,005 times
Reputation: 19745
In 2008 I moved to South Florida because I missed sun tanning on the beach, having easy free parking everywhere, and affordable housing with a nice pool. However, I moved back to San Francisco because I missed it in 2011. I also spent a year and a half living in Alaska between that time for work.
 
Old 11-22-2012, 05:10 PM
 
5,951 posts, read 13,032,881 times
Reputation: 4803
South Florida makes sense.

I am waiting more specifically for those posters who moved to the aforementioned areas. They know who they are.
 
Old 11-22-2012, 05:10 PM
 
Location: Loudoun County, VA
1,148 posts, read 3,725,784 times
Reputation: 408
We moved to Northern Virginia 8 years ago, only because of husband's job. Two years unemployed in Silicon Valley made us grab the first job opportunity (I had just immigrated and was still a student). The move was supposed to be only for two years. Here we are, wondering how to move back.
 
Old 11-22-2012, 06:17 PM
 
Location: SW MO
23,593 posts, read 37,308,419 times
Reputation: 29336
First of all, some caveats. Perhaps the chief of which is that we didn't "flee" California. We simply moved to somewhere else that we wanted to be more. Also, we're retired so the jobs markets didn't really concern us. We are both native Californians and we were both military brats. I also spent eight years in the military myself. Consequently we both lived other places both thanks Uncle Sam and on our own. In my case, I have lived in a total of nine states. Five of them have been southern, one Midwestern, obviously California and Missouri and even Texas, twice. My wife has also lived in Texas, Massachusetts, Florida and northern Arkansas.

Having said all that we made a conscious decision to retire somewhere other than California for a large variety of reasons. I fell in love with the Missouri Ozarks back in the 1950s while moving cross country several times following the original Route 66. The Ozarks are both unique and beautiful. The karst formations unselect be breathtaking, the thousands of natural springs and many rivers have carved a beautiful landscape and rather than our hills growing up, our valleys continue to grow down. Interestingly enough, my wife had lived and farmed just 40 miles south of where we now live for seven years back in the 1970s. She missed the Ozarks and it always wanted to move back. I, in turn, missed having four distinct seasons all in one place and certain forms of wildlife not found on the West Coast. So moving here turned out to be a win-win for both of us.

Of course there were trade-offs. We knew there would be. But we very much wanted to trade a more urban lifestyle for a predominantly rural one. That's all!
 
Old 11-22-2012, 07:12 PM
 
Location: The High Seas
7,373 posts, read 15,937,261 times
Reputation: 11865
I moved to Taos, NM because I wanted better working conditions in my profession. I got them.
Probably be back at some point though as the sailing is better in CA than in NM.
 
Old 11-22-2012, 07:38 PM
 
Location: San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties
6,390 posts, read 9,627,860 times
Reputation: 2622
Quote:
Originally Posted by Snort View Post
I moved to Taos, NM because I wanted better working conditions in my profession. I got them.
Probably be back at some point though as the sailing is better in CA than in NM.
Sailing in NM, pretty much non existent, Elephant Butte is about it eh? We sort of gave up sailing upon moving to CA. We sailed Tahoe, and Mexico, but, horses and mules take all our time and money these days.
 
Old 11-22-2012, 08:16 PM
 
Location: Cushing OK
14,539 posts, read 21,160,638 times
Reputation: 16936
First is breathable air. I visited my friend here in OK and saw crystal blue sky and no smog and unlike in the IE, could fully breath. And the uncrowded area outside of OKC and Tulsa. I've long wanted to move where the population was much much lower. I liked the slower pace of life though admit its taken time to get used to it and there ARE times.... (especially when waiting for repair guys who'll be there 'soon')

The cost of living is also a bonus as its a lot lower. It's true a lot of people are poor here, but either from that or that it just isn't important the competition for the snazziest looking house or car or clothes is also absent, which I much like. Even if I could afford it, I like simple, plain, functional.

What made up my mind was not my friend telling me about it or reading about it but actually coming here and seeing it for myself. The day set to look at cheap houses just turned out to be the day my apartment was sold, meaning the already inflated rents would be going up, so it became a much more serious persuit.

I miss a few things in California, and a few people, but overall not so much and less and less. And I do consider this *home* over where I live.

I have to admit it was fun watching certain faces when I told them and they said you want to move there?????
 
Old 11-22-2012, 08:22 PM
 
Location: San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties
6,390 posts, read 9,627,860 times
Reputation: 2622
2.59 % of Oklahoma is public land, available for your recreation.
42% of California is public land available for your recreation.
 
Old 11-22-2012, 09:00 PM
 
Location: SW MO
23,593 posts, read 37,308,419 times
Reputation: 29336
And that has what to do with the question asked and anyone's answer to it?
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Closed Thread


Settings
X
Data:
Loading data...
Based on 2000-2020 data
Loading data...

123
Hide US histogram

Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > California

All times are GMT -6.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top