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Location: Monterey Bay, California -- watching the sea lions, whales and otters! :D
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Wow, QTpie -- what a post! Good for you, too. I agree -- there's lots of nice things about California, especially if you're in the right place. Northern California is probably a little easier to deal with than Southern California/LA. There are pros and cons to everything, the con here being the cost of living, the pros, all the things you mentioned.
When I travel, people often think it's so cool to know I live in California. Good for you -- finally someone who sticks up for us who live here. Thanks!
People are leaving because it costs too much to raise a family here. Housing is ridiculously high.
I'm a 53 yr old Californian born and raised here. My husbands job is here - he works on the water. We rent by the way- No way, we could afford a home in this beach city we live in.
I am disheartened by the crime and the fact that it is moving closer and closer to where we live. Right on the border of Torrance you have gang related shootings now. I grew up in Torrance-
Re: the Latinos (illegals) in California. They have overtaken our hospitals and have caused many hospitals to close up shop. A pregnant Latino can cross into California - have a baby for free whereas you and I have to pay. That should be enough to irritate the good citizens of California. You go to the ER because you are very ill and you wait and wait and wait. It was never like this.
This is America and people need to fight to keep it America otherwise we will really be in dire straits. Has nothing to do with hating Mexico or their people. Mexico needs to fix Mexico!
People are leaving because it costs too much to raise a family here. Housing is ridiculously high.
I'm a 53 yr old Californian born and raised here. My husbands job is here - he works on the water. We rent by the way- No way, we could afford a home in this beach city we live in.
I am disheartened by the crime and the fact that it is moving closer and closer to where we live. Right on the border of Torrance you have gang related shootings now. I grew up in Torrance-
Re: the Latinos (illegals) in California. They have overtaken our hospitals and have caused many hospitals to close up shop. A pregnant Latino can cross into California - have a baby for free whereas you and I have to pay. That should be enough to irritate the good citizens of California. You go to the ER because you are very ill and you wait and wait and wait. It was never like this.
This is America and people need to fight to keep it America otherwise we will really be in dire straits. Has nothing to do with hating Mexico or their people. Mexico needs to fix Mexico!
And dont you notice in the ER they are in there for some of the most ridiculous situations that could have waited untill they saw a Doctor the next day?
I wonder where to start...
I am a 30 year transplant here form the east coast.. I came seeking the California dream.. I found some of it... and some of it is not attainable
When I moved to L.A. I had the idealistic belief I could really make it a better city if I just worked hard enough.. not all of it.. but the areas I worked in.
I moved to Marina Del Ray.. lived by the UCLA boat dock.. ran everyday on the bike path.. and thought I lived in heaven..
I worked at Firestone Station in South Central L.A. ...I loved my life...
I believe living in California in geneeral, and Los Angeles specifically, is about utilizing internal blinders.. when you are young and living in an apartment, have a good job, drive a nice car,, enjoy the materialism and lifestyle L.A. exudes you are invested in the community in one sense... if you are trying to raise a family.. work a modest job you see living there in another light... I think what cannot be disputed about California living is that it has changed rapidly for most of us in our lifetimes... or the past 25-40 or so years.
As I began to age I realized L.A. was changing.. seemingly geometrically.. the proliferation of cocaine saw vying for its illegal dollars create skyrocketing crime. The building of the Crips, (bye bye tookie williams,, good ridance), created gang violence unseen before... and the city suffered.. miserably...
but I went on with my happy life,, now owning a home in Santa Monica, still running everyday on the beach.. life was still good.. but the seams of L.A. began to bulge for me.. the traffic.. the pollution.. the crime... the overcrowding.. thats what really started to takes its toll... by this time I had several stations under my belt.. West "Hollyweird", SEB (East L.A).. and assigned to a special detail I got to work just about every station in the county. From a policeman's perspective you get to tear off the fabric of a neighborhood and see the nitty gritty right away.. some neighborhoods were nicer ..La Canada/Flintridge, Malibu/Lost Hills... but most all were in the grip of too many people.. too many illegal aliens.. and broken infrastructure..
But I marched on.. 25 years approaching.. now my thoughts were no longer thinking about the positive aspects of L.A... great art,,, lots to do.. beautiful women (and that observation is subjective, for as one matures beauty goes inside, as physical traits become less important),, no... my thoughts started focusing on getting out of L.A ... for solitude .. for peace.. for safety.. for sanity
I staved off the draw to flee.. as many write about.. by moving out to Ventura County, Camarillo... living in one of the nice homes on one of the mountaintops.. and by moving to my last station.. Malibu.. It regenerated me and for a couple of years the old feelings of excitement for L.A returned... but it didnt last long for the march of overcrowding sprawled out to "my" mountaintop....
One day driving to work down the 101 in my back and white.. sitting in the summer heat.. stop and go traffic.. looking at my dog in the back seat I realized my time in L.A had come to the end.. I couldnt take the B.S. anymore.. not the difficulties of being a policeman there.. but the lack of being able to seek a sane life... too many external influences that made it impossible,, for me
So I retired.. the next day...
I moved up to Northern California.. I still love the state.. its been good to me... and I got what I thought would help me find sanity.. a large chunk of land... life has been good again.. well until recently.. when the growth that California sees is comng here.. and the same B.S. from before is happening.. and it is disturbing.. enough that we are developing our land.. to take the money.. and move on... out of California
I guess you could say I burned out on California,, the dream is no longer here... but for those of you that still seek and find it here.. I applaud you... saves the rest of the world for people who think like me
Last edited by notmeofficer; 02-05-2007 at 09:43 AM..
Location: Monterey Bay, California -- watching the sea lions, whales and otters! :D
1,918 posts, read 6,785,636 times
Reputation: 2708
Northern California
Notmeofficer -- good post! I can understand your point of view, and I'm sorry you had to be an officer in L.A. -- that has got to be one of the most difficult jobs. I work in a County Probation Dept., so I understand what you are referring to. And as a former therapist for delinquent teens, I also understand the gang issue (unfortunately, that, too, has spread throughout the U.S., even to the midwest and quieter places).
I, too, live in northern California, and it definitely is not L.A. However, I live in a more rural area, with little public transportation, and gangs or crime, even, isn't much where I am -- which is nice because I raised my daughter here. I, too, am from the eastcoast, originally.
And I do agree that California has some great things going for it, but it is in the midst of trying to figure out how to clean up messes already begun. Fortunately, you are now able to pick and choose where you want to be, and I'm so glad you got out of L.A. I've been to L.A. a number of times, and I admit it has never held any attraction for me.
So, I do understand your mixed feelings, but it sounds like you've had a good ride. There are always pros and cons to anything, and I think California is a skewed dream -- too many fantasies, not enough reality. But my daughter, I having moved her from an old rustbelt city in the northeast, is very glad to be here -- in spite of flaws. I now try to moderate my own ambivalence because her life in California has been good.
Always good to hear from people who work in the community and have an inside look at how things work. Thanks!
Los Angeles has never been the place I wanted to live. But I lived in Big Bear Lake CA and after high school wanted to go to college. That ment having to move "down the hill". Dread!! I went for a few years of college and married. I had two children and lived in the outskirts of Los Angeles. Actually I lived in National Forest up in a cyn. That wasn't bad. But eventually moved to the San Fernando Valley. This was at one time a lovely area. Now it is full of gangs, drive by shootings and few people even speak english. To top this all off the price of living here is way beyond expensive!! It's almost impossible unless you have six different families in one home or are a millionaire. I don't have the million and refuse to have 20+ people living under one roof. CA was once a beautiful place to live...and if you are very rich it still can be nice in some areas. People are not that friendly and the weather is hot with a lot of smog. No, it's time to move on.
there used to be orange groves in san fernando valley.. and when you told someone you lived in the "valley" that meant you lived in a nice place....
but today.. well today its the wild stepchild of its former self... the heat/pollution.. overcrowding.. the humanity.. struggling for a piece of the pie
the orange groves are long gone....
I was sad to see orange groves in Fillmore, Camarillo. and Santa Paula bulldozed for subdivisions... the place used to be beautiful.. the weather was awesome... definately (used) to be out of the pollution of L.A... but now the 101 is a nightmare.. and the 118.. all the outlying freeways are bsuy all the time
I think the best way to be happy living in a city anymore.. and this includes "anycity USA" is to live local/work local.. and be satisfied with what the city offers... for me I realize my weekends were spent trying to get out of the city,, I found it compressing.. so I always seemed to be seeking solitude on my days off...city living was all about work for me....
To contrast L.A. I moved up to Redding.. its about 120k now... and is beginning to see the ills of other California cities... traffic/ pollution ,,,, the great thing about up here is that there is so much open space beyond the city limits that sanctuary is easy to find
Why are we leaving California...well.. the bottom line is the "search" that is within all of us.. to find a place we feel a part of.. to find a community that is both healthy, and sustainable. I have lowered my standards as to what I need, or want, from government (no kids so school is not an issue)... I dont use social systems.. I dont call for government service .. so I would like to find a place where that is reflective of my belief in the taxes that are levied... so I look to states whose taxes are lower...
I also want some more green.. not dry green but real green.. and while I dont miss the snow of the east coast (and couldnt go back to that) I do miss the trees... so some places with more diverse trees would be nice...
We are looking at Missouri, Texas, Arkansas,,, I already have a home in Florida.. and its like California east.. each of those states have their own problems ..some similar to California.. some unique...
This year we are taking another road trip... when thats done I will report back as to whether the elusive Nirvana is out there... and if it is,, trust me... Ill only tell a select few...
My last observation about California... if "it" is "nice" in anyway.. it probably wont last long.. once "it" is discovered people will flock to it like bees to wildflowers
Probably posted in this thread already, but oh well...too lazy to search and find out :-D
We moved out because of the taxes (as far as I know, the highest in the nation) mostly, but also the general cost of living - property, gasoline, etc. We're also not too thrilled with the politics in the state, and I think the Alternative Energy tax and the proposition to require energy-saver bulbs are two examples of the kind of stuff we got sick of.
Not only that, but my Father is a Texas naitive, so...it was a simple choice for us. And it doesn't hurt that gas is cheap here and the roads and schools are better, all for no income tax whatsoever.
Despite that, I do miss the weather, the cosmopolitan culture, the music. There's a lot wrong with California...but it's where I'm from, and I love it. I imagine I'll eventually end up back in California, but there's no 100% on that.
Property taxes in NY, NJ, Mass, and most of the northeast corridor are much higher than CA
That may be true, California had a tax revolt in the 70's and the property tax was capped (I believe at 1%?). However, it's being paid on enormously inflated property prices, so it's by no means cheap. And don't forget the income tax, which was mostly what I was referring to. Add 8.25% state sales tax and the overall tax situation is not nice.
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Northern California
