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Old 10-01-2013, 12:41 PM
 
5 posts, read 10,596 times
Reputation: 15

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Hi

My husband has the chance to apply for a job in the following cities:

Merced, California
Bakersfield, California
Mammoth Lakes, California
Inyokern, California
Visalia, CA
Fresno, CA
Santa Ana

Any YES? Any HECK NO? Any anything?

Have a middle school aged daughter so that is a consideration both for schools and other kid type things (drugs, gangs etc). Air quality (understand some of these aren't so great), schools, safety, crime etc obviously are all things we're looking at. Commute is fine as long as it's not toooo long or horrible. We're from nowhere small(ish) town midwest America but have lived in a large city in the past. (Orlando....before parenthood)

Any info or opinions welcome!

Thanks!

Last edited by NannerOJMH; 10-01-2013 at 01:10 PM..
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Old 10-01-2013, 12:58 PM
 
1,714 posts, read 3,842,601 times
Reputation: 1146
Google Mapped Inyokern... wow.

Who? Why? What do Inyokernians aspire to achieve by living there?
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Old 10-01-2013, 01:02 PM
 
5 posts, read 10,596 times
Reputation: 15
Quote:
Originally Posted by genjy View Post
Google Mapped Inyokern... wow.

Who? Why? What do Inyokernians aspire to achieve by living there?

HA! I don't know. That's why I'm asking
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Old 10-01-2013, 01:11 PM
 
Location: Monterey, CA
40 posts, read 50,502 times
Reputation: 67
Merced, California - Noooo
Bakersfield, California - Heck Nooo
Mammoth Lakes, California - Not bad
Inyokern, California - Interesting place to visit. Dont think Id want to live there
Visalia, CA - Noooo
Fresno, CA - Noooo
Santa Ana - OC is no good in my book.

Maybe your husband should apply to elsewhere.
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Old 10-01-2013, 01:19 PM
 
Location: SoCal
542 posts, read 1,545,530 times
Reputation: 756
Quote:
Originally Posted by NannerOJMH View Post
Hi

My husband has the chance to apply for a job in the following cities:

Merced, California
Bakersfield, California
Mammoth Lakes, California
Inyokern, California
Visalia, CA
Fresno, CA
Santa Ana

Any YES? Any HECK NO? Any anything?

Have a middle school aged daughter so that is a consideration both for schools and other kid type things (drugs, gangs etc). Air quality (understand some of these aren't so great), schools, safety, crime etc obviously are all things we're looking at. Commute is fine as long as it's not toooo long or horrible. We're from nowhere small(ish) town midwest America but have lived in a large city in the past. (Orlando....before parenthood)

Any info or opinions welcome!

Thanks!
Well I think it's only fair that I only comment on the cities I have actually been to myself. Although, from what I hear, most of the central valley towns are not so great....

Mammoth Lakes is a nice mountain town, but expensive, since it's touristy. Definitely look into cost of living. I don't know what kind of income you will have. Lots of snow in winter, great air quality. I'm not familiar with their schools.

Santa Ana might be ok to work in (depending on area and type of job), but I wouldn't live there. Fortunately there are many areas nearby that offer a short commute and much better schools and safety. Orange, Tustin, etc. have pretty good schools and are much safer (in general). Villa Park is great if you have the big bucks.

Have you been to any of the cities you listed? Or to CA at all? Your list includes quite a variety of climates, population sizes, etc., so perhaps that will help you narrow it down.
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Old 10-01-2013, 03:26 PM
 
Location: San Francisco
8,996 posts, read 10,439,802 times
Reputation: 5752
Quote:
Originally Posted by Galaxie Girl View Post
Lots of snow in winter
That's the understatement of the year. In 2010-11 it received 55 feet of snow.

Mammoth Lakes also has the unfortunate distinction of being the only place on the list whose city government has filed for bankruptcy. I'm not sure what effect this has on day-to-day life there, though.
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Old 10-01-2013, 03:30 PM
 
5 posts, read 10,596 times
Reputation: 15
Quote:
Originally Posted by Galaxie Girl View Post
Well I think it's only fair that I only comment on the cities I have actually been to myself. Although, from what I hear, most of the central valley towns are not so great....

Mammoth Lakes is a nice mountain town, but expensive, since it's touristy. Definitely look into cost of living. I don't know what kind of income you will have. Lots of snow in winter, great air quality. I'm not familiar with their schools.

Santa Ana might be ok to work in (depending on area and type of job), but I wouldn't live there. Fortunately there are many areas nearby that offer a short commute and much better schools and safety. Orange, Tustin, etc. have pretty good schools and are much safer (in general). Villa Park is great if you have the big bucks.

Have you been to any of the cities you listed? Or to CA at all? Your list includes quite a variety of climates, population sizes, etc., so perhaps that will help you narrow it down.

I've only been to Anaheim a few times. Don't think the mouse is a good indication of true CA. Does the ride from the airport count? I do have a couple of friends but they are in different areas also. One by San Fran and the other about an hour from LA.

Yes, quite the variety. I know. It's just job listings for a certain positions that he has the option to apply for. There are others around the country. Wanted to check into CA because the idea of the state appeals to me. OK....maybe not so much these cities but new places are posted weekly...So far he hasn't applied to any CA locations.

My friend nearest to LA (Lake Elsinore....but she grew up in San Diego) said the same thing about Santa Ana....ok place to work but do not want to live there.

Being from the midwest snow is both a plus and a minus.
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Old 10-01-2013, 03:34 PM
 
1,420 posts, read 3,177,506 times
Reputation: 2257
Quote:
Originally Posted by NannerOJMH View Post
Hi

My husband has the chance to apply for a job in the following cities:

Merced, California
Bakersfield, California
Mammoth Lakes, California
Inyokern, California
Visalia, CA
Fresno, CA
Santa Ana

Any YES? Any HECK NO? Any anything?

Have a middle school aged daughter so that is a consideration both for schools and other kid type things (drugs, gangs etc). Air quality (understand some of these aren't so great), schools, safety, crime etc obviously are all things we're looking at. Commute is fine as long as it's not toooo long or horrible. We're from nowhere small(ish) town midwest America but have lived in a large city in the past. (Orlando....before parenthood)

Any info or opinions welcome!

Thanks!

Santa Ana yes. Lots of nice homes within 15-20 miles of there: Irvine, Costa Mesa, Newport Beach, Mission Viejo, Laguna Niguel, Rancho Santa Margarita, Ladera Ranch, Las Flores, Tustin, Huntington Beach . Lots of Plan B jobs should he get fired or want to look at other opportunities.

the rest of those places are nowheresvilles or the weather sucks and there may not be a plan B job.

Santa Ana schools are poor performing but you don't have to live in SA. Stay south of the 55 or near the coast.
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Old 10-01-2013, 04:40 PM
 
Location: I'm around town...
764 posts, read 2,030,261 times
Reputation: 979
You could take the Fresno job and live in Clovis. Good schools, nice town, and low cost of living. Northeast Fresno is also a nice place to live and lies within the Clovis Unified School District.
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Old 10-02-2013, 03:23 PM
 
Location: The High Seas
7,372 posts, read 15,976,804 times
Reputation: 11866
That's a very diverse list.
Of all those places, I'd pick Mammoth Lakes, if I had to live in town, but the weather in winter is as described above.
If I could commute, I might live in Mariposa, CA and work in Merced....or I'd be inclined to live on a boat on the coast and commute to Santa Ana (and I'd hate that commute).
Do you want city or country?
Inyokern (never been there) has the best conversation-starting name.
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