Northern Central Valley (San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento: home, find a job, transfer)

[coolcats]

Does anyone have any inputs on the northern Central Valley area from Sacramento northward, say around Redding or Red Bluff? I'm trying to narrow down some possible places to settle after grad school. I've already crossed off the San Francisco, San Diego, LA areas because of the cost of living and quality of life for a family.

I will have an MBA with my prior experience being in the government and not really transferable to the private sector.

I want to avoid the high cost of living trap of the big cities. I'm also looking at Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, and Colorado. Want to stay out west, but exactly where depends on job opportunities, quality of life, schools, cost of living etc. Thanks in advance.

[FINSLAW]

I lived in Redding for 22 years and have mixed feelings. Recreation here is great with boating in Shasta Lake, swimming at Whiskeytown, skiing and hiking at Lassen or Mt. Shasta. The reason I left though was because the rising home prices and the ridiculously low wages in my field (psychology.) The weather can be a bit much at times with constant rain or extreme heat. I would recommend Portland or Eugene for the west coast.

[LivingLikeAGradStudent]

I also lived in Redding and share the mixed sentiment. Weather is generally OK, and the access to nearby outdoor fun is great. The town itself is plain, with a lame downtown and generic developments along the freeway. If you grab a decent-paying job, it could be doable, but don't expect to stay there forever.

[kettlepot]

I also grew up in Redding. I think Redding can best be described as a generic white middle class to lower middle class suburb plunked down into the middle of nowhere with no center city for much in the way of cultural amenities, though the town has been making a bit of an effort in recent years. (The 4th of July Fireworks display is topnotch!) If you already have a spouse and kids, Redding would be a good move IF you can find a job. FINS and LLGradstudent are on the mark in their comments, except maybe that the rain isn't that constant, but consider yourself warned about the heat. I'd say the public schools are a smidge above average for California, but be prepared to work the system for the benefit of your children, because the system isn't going to work itself on behalf of them. Also, your children will have to leave town when they graduate from high school. Red Bluff is a much smaller city that has always seemed pretty stagnant. That may be to your liking or you might feel claustrophobic.

[coolcats]

Thanks for the responses -- realistically I'll probably end up in a medium sized city outside of California, but just want to explore all options.