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Currently live in Lake Oswego OR. I'm about ready to leave OR, in large part because of the weather, but also because this particular town is so unbelievable snobby.
Why are they leaving CA, a place that seems so wonderful? CA is a clear winner on weather. Is it strictly the cost?
If one of the goals in leaving OR is to find a friendlier, more easy-going and family friendly place to live, am I crazy for thinking CA? Californians have a terrible reputation here in OR. I get that CA is a big place and it largely depends on where in CA we are talking. Personally, I can't do LA or SF - those are not my "people." We are thinking Temecula or Granite Bay - nice weather, reasonable cost of living, good schools/parks, reasonable (1-2 hour) access to amenities like big city sports and culture, beaches, and mountains. Anyplace else I should consider?
I guess you don't care about sticker shock. Either that or you plan to move to a more blue collar area down here.
CA weather not directly on the coasts has gotten hotter and hotter over the years. It's still miles ahead better than the Deep South or the rest of the country BUT the weather tax premium to live in SoCal is starting to not be as worth the cost as it once was. San Diego seems like a way better bet than LA for someone trying to get the most bang for their buck. Temecula is gorgeous. I love that town. I visit it all the time. Friendly people, weather is hot, and great wineries.
So Lake Oswego is snobby??? It's so beautiful over there. Why would you want to leave? Portland has to be hands down the nicest city I've ever been to. The people were awesome when I visited last summer. The place has a completely chilled vibe.
Oregon has to be one the most beautiful places I've ever been to.
Why are they leaving CA, a place that seems so wonderful? CA is a clear winner on weather. Is it strictly the cost?
Yes, it is mostly about cost, not simply the cost to live in California, because there are many inexpensive places to live in California (inexpensive for Californians), but the nicest areas (close to San Francisco, in our case) are overrun with foreign money that the homes where many of us native-born Californians want to live is no longer within our price range, unless we stay put where we are.
I live in a desirable area, though not one of the "must have" addresses, and the weather is mostly excellent (this year's weather has been odd, to say the least); however, I can't move "up" to a larger, executive level home in the SF Bay Area in a community where I would prefer to live without throwing a whole lot of cash into another home which will also mean a new, far higher tax bill than I currently pay, due to our wonderful Proposition 13 benefit and having lived here so long.
At my age, cashing in retirement investments to buy my ideal home in the SF Bay Area isn't wise.
Other friends are in a similar situation.
One friend moved up to Northern Oregon and disliked the dreary, overcast weather. She then moved to several other cool weather states and finally returned to California. She says she will never move out of the state again.
I'm from San Diego and have been living just north of Seattle for the past 14 years. I have family in SoCal and NorCal and have continued to visit 4-6 times a year since I left. I still know what's going on down there and am able to compare the PNW to California pretty well.
You are looking at Temecula, essentially a suburb of San Diego, so in SoCal and then Granite Bay, a high-end suburb of Sacramento in NorCal, and you say they have nice weather. You must like the heat because both get extremely hot in the long summers, 100+ is common, and the 90s is normal for weeks to months. Temecula is warm year around, but Granite Bay does have a mild winter, so it's not so extreme.
That weather is one downside of California. In the time I've been gone, it's warmed up A LOT, and it's just going to get hotter. If you like a lot of heat and sun, then that would be reason for you to move there, but for some, that's the reason to leave. It's one of the reasons why I left.
Another reason I left, and why others are leaving, is the crowds. It is densely populated no matter where you go. Everywhere there are people. Last March I went to San Diego, and by the 4th day there, I was feeling off balance, and I realized that there had been NO time at all that I hadn't either had someone in my visual space or I hadn't heard them. I was up one morning at 5am and looking out the window, and I heard the trolley going by, a horn honking in the distance. That was when I realized how little "space" one has in California - even at 5am you can't get away from people. Now if you like to always be around people, then again, this would be a great place to move to.
With so many people, there must be MANY rules. No glass on the beach, no dogs, no alcohol, no bonfires, no smoking. Really - can you believe no smoking? I don't smoke, so it's no skin off my back, but geez...but when you're this close to someone else on the super wide sands of the beaches that are COVERED with people, I guess you need to think about everything.
Um, what else? It's no exaggeration that you essentially live in a dump there for an average home elsewhere. I've been pricing properties for the last year because I may have to move back to CA, and to get what I have here, I'll have to pay almost twice what my home and property will sell for, and that's east on I-80, not in Granite Bay. In Granite Bay, we're looking at 1.5 to 2 million.
Traffic is miserable, but I have to say, if you drive in off-peak hours, you can can anywhere in San Diego in a matter of minutes. The freeways in the San Diego region are absolutely amazing, and there are so many fast surface roads if the freeway is jammed for some reason. If you know your way around, you can get just about anywhere in San Diego without getting stuck in traffic - well, in off-peak hours, but even in peak hours, I rarely get stuck in stopped traffic. It might be heavy, but I'm always moving. LA has the worst traffic, but I think San Diego learned from LA's mistakes, and SD built some exceptional freeways and back roads. And Temecula IS San Diego, worse, actually. You'd be off 15, which gets very jammed up. Sacramento doesn't seem to have the horrible traffic San Diego and Portland have, but it can get bad, just not as bad, unless you get stuck on I-80 when there's a lot of snow in Tahoe, and lots of people from Sacto and the Bay Area are off for a ski weekend or coming home on Sunday from skiing. Oh, then, Sacramento can have some serious traffic. But not much on I-5.
So that answers why people are leaving California. If crowds energize you, if you thrive with lots of activity and noise doesn't bother you, and you don't mind leaving the house no later than 10am to go shopping in order to get a parking space, then California would be great for you. If money isn't an issue for you and you can live in a community like Granite Bay, then you can be sheltered from some of the downsides of living in such a densely populated place. But in SoCal, you can't get away from the daily irritations that come with so much density. Long lines at the DMV, the Del Mar Fair, the horse races, the football game, parking, having to sit through 3 lights before you can get into the Costco parking lot, having to park seemingly a half mile away to even get INTO Costco...this kind of stuff wears on you after a while, and it doesn't matter how much money you have if you aren't absolutely IN LOVE with people and crowds and noise and heat and smells and ...you get the picture.
As for Sacramento area, you wont' have anywhere near this level of crowding, although I'd recommend you stay away from Roseville if crowds aren't your thing. But there are so many nice areas in the Sacramento area to choose from depending on what you're looking for in housing.
Both areas will give you what you're looking for regarding entertainment and amenities you mentioned. As I try to think of other areas in CA that might give you what you're after, I can't think of any place that fits your mentioned criteria better than the Sacramento area would.
Good luck!
not true at all, had a lovely condo central int he Haight -Ashbury district- I worked swing shift and one of the perks was getting off at midnight and running the dogs off leash through Golden Gate Park- so lovely and abandoned after hours- running through Museum Square - so peaceful (the dogs ran, I walked)
the Sutro baths after hours was also nice...
we also bought a home in Nevada city (north of sac, in Nevada county) plenty of quiet places there, have friends in BlueLake (near Arcata)- don't kid yourself CAis a huge state, theres still space to be had...
So Lake Oswego is snobby??? It's so beautiful over there. Why would you want to leave? Portland has to be hands down the nicest city I've ever been to. The people were awesome when I visited last summer. The place has a completely chilled vibe.
Oregon has to be one the most beautiful places I've ever been to.
Lake Oswego is as close as metro PDX gets to Beverly Hills, which really isn't that close.
Yeah, Portland is pretty. IMO that big metro 3 hours north of there is a twinge prettier (PDX looks more wet, SEA looks more refined by the gods). And I think Portland people are weird (I have biz ops there).
OP isn't crazy. The weather will be an improvement as long as he doesn't move to far NW CA. I do think he's throwing the baby out with the bathwater, I mean he could move to Gresham if he wants to keep it real. And they hate CA'ians in every state in most every state in the west, OR doesn't have the edge on that. OP clearly implies he is conservative, so if those tract home suburbs on the fringe are his deal, he could find that on the edge of any of CA's major cities and be happily ever after.
Another reason I left, and why others are leaving, is the crowds. It is densely populated no matter where you go. Everywhere there are people. Last March I went to San Diego, and by the 4th day there, I was feeling off balance, and I realized that there had been NO time at all that I hadn't either had someone in my visual space or I hadn't heard them. I was up one morning at 5am and looking out the window, and I heard the trolley going by, a horn honking in the distance. That was when I realized how little "space" one has in California - even at 5am you can't get away from people. Now if you like to always be around people, then again, this would be a great place to move to.
You're talking about downtown San Diego. Go to the downtown of any major city in the U.S. and you could say the same thing.
But, drive half an hour east of downtown SD and you'll find plenty of quiet space.
Now, to the original poster: I don't think you're crazy for thinking about moving from Oregon to Southern California. And, you won't be the only one. I have several friends who did the exact same thing (one of whom eventually ended up in Temecula by the way). Mainly they did it because they couldn't stand the grey weather.
But, first, rent a house or apartment for a few weeks in the places you're considering. Shop in the local supermarkets, drive during rush hour, and hang out in the local restaurants. You'll know soon enough if moving south is right for you and your family.
Two other tips: before making your final decision, ask a tax consultant who is familiar with both Oregon and California tax law to give you an estimate of how your state income taxes will compare so you can adjust accordingly. And, stock up on any major household purchases in sales tax free Oregon before your move - California sales taxes will be a shocker.
And, of course, I'm assuming you have a way to support yourself in California. You can't eat sunshine after all.
If you've done the above, and California is still calling, why not go for it? The worst that might happen is if you don't like it here, you can move back.
I am joining the CA exodus and while I can't speak for the fleeing masses I can tell you what has prompted the for-sale sign in front of my CA home.
1) Democrats in CA are not like Democrats in other states: We are home to an unreasonable group of liberal leaders and residents who refuse to embark on any journey that ends in the real world. Living in one of the more rural areas of the state, I see entire communities in ruin due to legislation being passed from far-away ivory towers, where actual real-world consequences are seemingly never discussed. Our Cal-recycle is an entity that squanders literally millions of dollars each year while passing opressive recycling legislation without a thought to the required infrastructure or cost to the average citizen or business. It is impossible to build a house or start a business here without the hot breath of Sacramento destroying any hope you had of being successful or profitable.
2) Cost of living is through the roof ... for no reason. Our state is so expensive that unless you are independently wealthy or willing to saddle yourself with insurmountable debt you have no hope of being a homeowner (let alone a land owner). In my rural town, where the highest-paying jobs are found at lumber mills and utility companies, most people are budgeted to the hild with very little hope of escaping it. Look over the fence at some other states where $500,000 gets you a spot on an episode of "Cribs" and you can see why young Californians like myself are starting to wonder why in the hell we would ever put down roots in such an expensive place ... great weather or not (mostly NOT considering the drought and flooding and drought and dams breaking and more drought).
3) We'd like to own businesses one day: California makes hiring and keeping employees nearly impossible with minimum wage and all associated taxes at an all-time high. In addition to wage-laws, regulations are enough to choke out any hope of a successful start-up, especially if that start up involves vehicles (thanks CARB).
I hope that gives you some perspective! It really varies from person to person and of course there are other elements, too. These highlights are the best I can do with the time I have between packing my bags just about as fast as I can to get the heck out of here.
There's such a thing as too much of a good thing. Too much unrelenting sunshine lead to drought. It's not clear yet if the drought pattern is over, or if it will resume after this La Nina year. Californians have been moving to WA and OR at an accelerated pace to get out of the drought (which would explain the choice of rainy climes), as well as to get to a more manageable COL area.
California's epic drought should never be considered a fluke, unless one is a climate change denier or thinks more dams will somehow create more water (they just buffer its flow and regulate snow-melt).
Oregon is also not safe from drought, as evidenced in recent years. Even in the wettest corner of Oregon, the ratio of people to fresh water is pushing limits, with takings from the Willamette that didn't used to be necessary. The whole model of economic growth, growth, growth vs. accepting nature's equilibrium is the root problem. Bring back politicians like Tom McCall who understood what was really going on.
CA weather not directly on the coasts has gotten hotter and hotter over the years. It's still miles ahead better than the Deep South or the rest of the country BUT the weather tax premium to live in SoCal is starting to not be as worth the cost as it once was. San Diego seems like a way better bet than LA for someone trying to get the most bang for their buck. Temecula is gorgeous. I love that town. I visit it all the time. Friendly people, weather is hot, and great wineries.
So Lake Oswego is snobby??? It's so beautiful over there. Why would you want to leave? Portland has to be hands down the nicest city I've ever been to. The people were awesome when I visited last summer. The place has a completely chilled vibe.
Oregon has to be one the most beautiful places I've ever been to.
I live in the western part of the IE for 30 years and really haven't noticed it has gotten much hotter. We still get the cool breezes and night to cool things down. Have noticed it's a little more humid tho in August and Sept.
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Drought is no fluke
