Any opportunities to move to california (Los Angeles, Orange: apartment complexes, how much, houses) - (CA) - City-Data Forum

Ellyk · 05-24-2008, 05:45 AM

I desperately want to move to california - I don't know where, I don't know how but, basically, the UK is small and massively congested and I would give anything for the opportunity to live, even for a short while, somewhere as wonderful as california. I am a part-qualified accountant with a young son and as I say I have no idea how to make anything happen but any suggestions would be very welcome.

Employers in the US, quite rightly, are unwilling it seems to arrange visa's for applicants from outside the US. I have equity in my home and I can afford to move (although not too extravagently).

Anyway, basically if anyone knows anyone who, say, wanted to swap homes for a few months or any business owner just desparate for an english member of staff (I'm a very hopeful person) then please let me know. I will do absolutely any job (as long as its legal and ethical). It would be an amazing opporunity for my son and I - he would have the chance to experience a totally new way of life, more than likely a superior education system and good weather and beautiful outdoors !!

Feel sorry for us in the UK - it really is no life!

Thanks in advance for any help and advice you can give me.

Charles · 05-24-2008, 06:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ellyk

I desperately want to move to california - I don't know where, ....somewhere as wonderful as california.

Why do you want to move to California?
Have you ever been to California? Where (from what source) did you get your information about California?
Does it make a difference where you live in California?

Ellyk · 05-24-2008, 08:36 AM

I have an uncle who lives in California, I don't get to speak to him very often but he constantly raves to my father about how much he loves it, how wonderful it is, etc - I can't actually remember which part at the moment, so I'm not much help. I also have a lot of friends who have been - and show me amazing photos! I have never been (unfortunately). It's not even that I necessarily need to live there permanently, I would just love the chance to spend 6 months or a year there, exploring, or just being somewhere where you can wake up every day and have the excitement of somewhere or something new to discover and being in a place you can appreciate and think is beautiful in some way. I think california has the best of every thing - amazing coastlines, mountains - and in general you live on a much larger scale in the us and have much more wide open space - which means less cramped living and much much more to explore. I don't know if you've ever been to the UK. I live in Wales, on the south coast which is pretty, but it's a very small coast and so crowded with cues of traffic and far too many people for such a small place that you can't go anywhere and can't enjoy it when you do because you are constantly bumping shoulders with masses of other people - and, aside from the coast, the rest of Wales - and most of England is pretty grim. Scotland is beautiful in parts but so so cold (all year round) it's painful - and I like to be warm!

If I did have the chance to move there, i wouldn't mind where - my only concerns would be safety and good schools.

EscapeCalifornia · 05-24-2008, 10:52 AM

Well California is pretty crowded too. Everyone crowds into the cities because that's where the jobs are. The beautiful, wide open spaces are uncrowded for a reason: There's really no way to make a living there. This board is full of people complaining about the same things you do in Wales and wanting to move to other states. So if you can find work in an uncrowded part of California, that's great. Otherwise, you may be trading one expensive overcrowded place for another. I'd really like to know where your uncle lives because California is so varied, it'll help to know what area he's experiencing.

Ellyk · 05-24-2008, 12:01 PM

I'll have to check with him. I think the main problem with wales is that it's such a very small place, there is only one city - cardiff. And honestly, swansea, where I live, is probably the next most major town and it's tiny. One main street of shops, one small pokey shopping centre and one small street with a row of bars and clubs and that's pretty much it. And a population of about 300,000. You live in Orange County - what's it like?

EscapeCalifornia · 05-24-2008, 03:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ellyk

I'll have to check with him. I think the main problem with wales is that it's such a very small place, there is only one city - cardiff. And honestly, swansea, where I live, is probably the next most major town and it's tiny. One main street of shops, one small pokey shopping centre and one small street with a row of bars and clubs and that's pretty much it. And a population of about 300,000. You live in Orange County - what's it like?

OC is nice but expensive. Its nothing like the TV show except in a few small areas. The northern part of the county is a seemingly endless sea of tract homes, apartment complexes, and strip malls and blends into Los Angeles. The southern part of the county is more traditionally American suburban feeling but still filled with housing tract after housing tract.

The Los Angeles area is different than most American cities. Most cities have an urban downtown where the businesses are, surrounded by an often decaying ring of older houses, surrounded by a larger ring of nice suburbs. Beyond the suburbs is the wheat field, corn field, forest, etc. And the distance from urban core to undeveloped land usually isn't that far. Southern California is a huge area stretching about 100 by 100 miles covered by an urban/suburban hybrid that I like to call urbanized suburbs.

Ellyk · 05-25-2008, 02:03 AM

I've never seen the tv show (the only tv I really watch is reaper) but the suburbs sound good. Is there anywhere in california you would recommend?

CA central coast · 05-25-2008, 03:14 PM

I live on the the Central Coast of California, which I think is one, if not the best area to live in California in many ways, but not all. This is a big, beautiful state. Everything you can imagine is in California. I'm familiar with the state, but most familiar with my area if you have any questions.

loveCali · 05-25-2008, 03:34 PM

Socal is beautiful too. You have only to look for nicer, quiter, safer places and you won't regret.

Ellyk · 05-26-2008, 02:54 AM

My only question is can we swap places???

It sounds perfect. Are there many jobs there? Particularly in accounting and finance? Having said that, I would do absolutely any job if it meant I could live somewhere that lovely! I am just feeling at a bit of a loss as to how to make it happen - it's almost impossible to get a visa without having employment and very few employers want the hassle of bringing in staff from overseas and it is absolutely right that jobs should go to local people first. Any suggestions? Do you know of any companies that are willing to recruit from the UK? I've looked on every website I can find but I'm not having much luck.

Thanks