Central Cali - Best Cities - Which ones do you prefer??

[cynscooking]

Hi Snort, Thanks for all your info, I will visit this year and hopefully we will enjoy it. o you have farmers market in the summer?
Do you really want to live in France? If you live near Monaco you can get away with just speaking english even at work, depanding at your profession. Where did you live in Spain? What did you do there? I have lived in London for two years and then France, near Nice and now in the south west. It is beautiful here but its not home and it is hard finding a community that we can afford and be just as beautiful. My husband loves Santa Barbara and we hear Boulder Creek is nice but its too expensive... Do you know anything about Chico? It looks nice and its affordable and just hope the people are open minded and nice.. Thanks again for your help

[Snort]

I taught university and private schools for ESL in Soria and Tenerife, lived in Venice, Italy and Ireland also. Spent years in Europe and now back in the States for about six years.
I don't know Chico well, but it's a party college and the place gets very hot in the summer. Lots of orchards still around that area though. Someone mentioned Visalia. Hadn't been there in about 20 years, but wasn't all that impressed when I visited a few days ago. It was also about 102 degrees, so that didn't help.

[cynscooking]

Was it hard to move back to the states? How do you find the difference in mentality? Things have changed after the Euro in Europe and France's new President is different then what the country is use to, people are not to happy with the changes but I think it will make our move back to the US easier for my husband. So, out of Italy, Spain and Ireland what was you favorite? I think you were lucky, it seems like a good mix.. Thanks again for your help...

[Snort]

I'd move to Madeira, Portugal in a heartbeat if I could find a way to make a living there.
As for moving back to the States, in general there are pros and cons with Europe and the States. I love being back on the California coast, but miss certain things about places I know in Europe.
I've got to run to work now, but will have more time later to write.

[cynscooking]

It would be great to here your thoughts about moving back to California. Europe vs. the states ect.
I have never been to Portugal maybe next vacation...

[keriish]

Originally Posted by itlchick

San Luis Obispo has great air quality and is a really nice place to live. There is very little crime here, and I haven't seen any evidence of gangs. There is cultural stuff here, and I believe the schools are good. Now, affordable housing? No, lol, I think not.

Maybe Paso Robles would be a good fit???

I define "Central Cali" (I hate that term) as anything in Monterey, San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties (north to south) and east to Kern County.

I live in Paso... I love it here. It's about 30 minutes from the coast (east from Morro Bay as the crow flies). Rural town, though lots of amenities and close enough to San Luis if you want more shopping. Cost of living is relatively high here though, and the heat in the summer is... well, very hot. The winter is relatively mild though.

Paso is in wine country and there's lots of that kind of atmosphere, along with farmer's markets, events in the park and the mid-state fair.

When you ask about Central California (i think only people who don't live in california call it cali), are you talking about the valley, or the coast?

If you want something more urban toward the coast, you're going to look at San Luis Obispo, Monterey, and Santa Barbara (which are probably all more expensive than you're looking for but very, very nice). If I could afford to live in Monterey, I would. It's WONDERFUL there.

If you want something urban in the valley, you're looking at Bakersfield or Fresno. I wouldn't live anyfurther east than Shandon if you ask me. Air quality in the valley is terrible, and it NEVER cools down at night there... just stays hot. It's common for it to be 90 degrees at 11 at night there. In Paso, it may get to 110 in the day time, but at night, it cools down to a beautiful breezy 70 or 65. Perfect.

I love the central Coast!

[happ]

Originally Posted by impala666

Central Cali - Best Cities - Which ones do you prefer??


Confites...San Antonio...San Nicolas.

Where are these towns? There's Mission San Antonio in Jolon [west of King City] & San Nicolas is an island off the coast of Santa Barbara [hardly what the OP is looking for

As others have said the Central Coast is near-perfect for weather\air quality but Santa Cruz & Monterey are expensive. Stay away from Salinas due to out-of-control gang problems. The rest of the Salinas Valley is OK but around Paso Robles\Atasadero are best [though a little hot during summer]. I prefer San Luis Obispo\Santa Maria or any town in between [ie Pismo Beach\ Nipomo].

Inland in the Central Valley are many fine cities but air quality has been a sad reality that the pollution from the Bay Area is blown into Fresno & Bakersfield. Aside from that most cities are worth looking into & not as expensive as the coastal cities [Visalia\ Porterville\ Madera\ Modesto\ Merced\ Los Banos [Coalinga is too small & very hot & Stockton has many problems].

[17271]

Sacramento is pretty nice. There is a lot of things to do, like going to Old Sac and the many restaurants in the city. Stockton is also nice if you stay on the North side only. As for Modesto, I wouldn't recommend it; ugly design for a city.

[ronja cen cal]

Check www.gorp.com and do a search on central california. You'd be surprised where it starts and ends. Makes sense to me. I've definetly embraced it.