Salinas? Monterey? Help pls (Stockton, Sunnyvale: apartments, travel, income)

[GypsyHeart]

I would appreciate any info about Monterey County/ Salinas, Ca in particular. I've done a search and found a few posts....most of them were not very encouraging.
I am looking at a great re-location package, but don't want to move somewhere I will hate!
The job is located in the town of Salinas....but I could consider surrounding areas of Monterey, etc.
Any info would be great....even if it just on living and working in Salinas/Monterey cty......

[Wisteria]

I live in Felton, a rural town above Santa Cruz -- very pretty, clean and safe. I have friends in Monterey. I'm from New York State, originally, but have lived in AZ, CO and Seattle, too.
Salinas -- no, no, no. I understand there are "some" okay parts, but for the most part, it is gangs, gangs, gangs. I won't even drive through there. I understand Salinas somehow made a "best of Calif." list someplace, and wondered who in the world did that?
Monterey, yes, yes, yes. Pretty, safe, clean, small but lots there. A lot of summer fog, but still a pretty place. It has a great aquarium and Cannery Row. Nice beaches, biking and hiking trails. Close to Carmel -- gorgeous there but designed for millionaires.
Watsonville, no, no, no. More gangs, and more gangs, and more gangs.
Sorry to be discouraging, but those are the facts.

[Yaeneth]

I live in Salinas, Ca and my husband and I are on the way out. It's sad here. Crime is everywhere. It's almost a big NO NO to go out past a certain time of night. I'm currently trying to get out and trying to convince my family and his family to get out as well.

[Wisteria]

Yaeneth, are you from the Salinas area, or from out-of-state or somewhere else? Yes, crime in Salinas is awful -- I'm surprised it's even a town anymore -- seems more like a big jail. Good luck to you!!

[Yaeneth]

Originally Posted by Wisteria

Yaeneth, are you from the Salinas area, or from out-of-state or somewhere else? Yes, crime in Salinas is awful -- I'm surprised it's even a town anymore -- seems more like a big jail. Good luck to you!!

Yes, I live in Salinas. I actually live a little off main street. It is awful and I can't wait to get out of here!

[Tere21]

You really don't want to move to Salinas. I lived there as a single mom with young children. The crime rate is bad. Gang activity is constent. I left when they where shooting people while the victims where driving and stoped at a red light.
Now they have even had shootings INSIDE the mall.

Housing prices made the highest in the nation compared to the average earning income of most people.

Monterey is a lot better.

[MsMuir]

HI Gypsy...Hubby and I are from Prunedale, CA. It's north of Salinas by about 10 miles. Hubby worked in Sunnyvale
(the commute on 101 became a nightmare!), and I worked in Carmel. Prunedale is semi rural....or, WAS...we've only been gone 2 years, but in CA things change FAST! It's nothing like Salinas, and it's not far into Monterey from there either. We had a small house on 5 acres...loved it! Didn't do much shopping in Salinas..
the mall there is crazy...I went into Monterey to that mall and anyway, that's where the Whole Foods Market is...my
favorite!

If hubby is going to work in Salinas, Prunedale would be an ideal commute....it's very easy. Google Prunedale, CA
and see what you come up with. I really do miss CA....well, some things about living there, anyway. We're in FL now and really can't take the heat!

Good luck!

[Wisteria]

Boy, choosing Salinas for a job? Wow, I hope it's a super, duper job to live in Salinas!! Seriously, you must consider the extremely high crime factor! Maybe go online and check out the Monterey, or Salinas newspapers.

Prunedale is nice (I am a therapist and once worked in a group home out there), but it IS country. If you're looking more for a town with amenities, then you'd be wiser to check out Monterey -- maybe Carmel Valley.

I don't know -- I hope that job package is really, really good!! Personally, I'd never live there; I wish these travel/tourist ads would be more honest. It is Gangland there. Really, it is. It's no joke. And you have to be careful of colors you wear because they are gang related (like blue or red), and hand gestures, and all sorts of things. Kids get misidentified as gang members and shot...oh the list goes on. It's very depressing. If we haven't turned you off by now, then maybe you are meant to go there. Let us know if you do!

Good Luck!

[ksl]

Salinas -Do you speak spanish fluently? Even as a Bond/Blue eye, they still try spanish on me first. I can go days and weeks without overhearing English spoken in public. Thought it was a petty annoyance having teenagers hop my fence and cut through my yard, until I realized the jackets, hats and headbands weren't from the local high school. Oh, a glorified dorm room (studio apartment) starts at $900 /month. You can go cheaper if you don't have much stuff, or if you don't want to have much stuff...
Monterey -Stupid expensive. Two bedroom house in Pacific Grove is 1.7 million. More if you expect to have a view of the ocean or if you want new. Monterey has passed restrictive laws on new construction. If you want a "new" house on an old lot, you have to save at least one old wall. Studio apartments you'd want to live in start at $1200/month.
Check www.rent.com, www.apartments.com, www.salinaspd.com, http://www.salinaspd.com/Wanted.html.

[catpiperx]

I hate to also be on the discouraging band wagon, but Salinas would be a great big NO! We lived in Monterey for 2 years--it was beautiful--VERY expensive-2 bd/1ba was $1300 a month-in Seaside! But, I did have a great job and my husband was working in radio broadcasting---seeing the ocean every single day and being in the cool/fog was awesome! We are now back in Stockton-and I swear-Salinas/Stockton---both the same type of cities(crime infested).......

If you do move there-stay out of Salinas--PERIOD---we left that area in 2000--and only go back to visit friends in Monterey--if you don't mind the commute-Monterey would be the way to go.....