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Old 06-20-2008, 02:48 PM
 
11,715 posts, read 40,359,370 times
Reputation: 7585

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Quote:
Originally Posted by CalGal953 View Post
Well I wasn't exactly a kid (I was 21) when I last visited. And just because you don't like it there does not necessarily mean I won't either. Different people have different desires. I actually do not want a big house. I'll be just fine in a modest apartment with my boyfriend.
Visiting and living in a place are not the same thing. And what happens when you want kids? How's that little apartment going to work out? I don't need a 4,000 sqft house either, but who wants to still be in an apartment or maybe a condo at best when they're 40?

 
Old 06-20-2008, 02:56 PM
 
Location: Las Flores, Orange County, CA
26,338 posts, read 93,530,714 times
Reputation: 17829
Quote:
Originally Posted by CalGal953 View Post
the prevalence of so much religiosity here making life not-so-comfortable for atheists like myself and my boyfriend are just a few reasons why I've never been able to be happy here.
I can understand this. Colorado Springs is sort of the same way (probably worse than Texas I'd bet). However, a relatively religious environment like you write about in Texas and also here in the Springs (and Huntsville, AL where I am moving to), isn't that big of a deal. I think it is becoming less of a big deal as people are moving all over the places and people are mixing. For instance, I am involved with the Colorado Springs Freethinkers, a bunch of agnostics and atheists in a reputably religious town.

We support the separation of church and hate.
In god we doubt.

Check this out:

58 Texas (USA - Atheist Organizations)
 
Old 06-20-2008, 03:12 PM
 
Location: Central NJ, USA
218 posts, read 437,133 times
Reputation: 66
This is an interesting thread.

My wife and I left California for the east coast about two years ago, and the main reason is we think that it is a terrible environment to raise small children. This is not a comment on the politics or culture, mind you. It's a comment on the generally horrible schools, high cost of living, traffic that makes you feel like you've been through an audit when you get home, lines lines LINES of people everywhere.

YES, California has great weather (well, in the SF Bay area where we lived). The choice of ethnic restaurants is better than we have here (though, New York City is less than an hour away by train, and NYC makes San Francisco look like little league by comparison). Other than that, I don't really see that California has a great deal to offer that I cannot get here, and that means the tradeoff (i.e., ridiculously expensive real estate) is just not worth it.

I would say that if you have lots and lots of money, and can afford to live in a city like, say, Palo Alto, then California is a great place. If your income is not executive level, then it is not.

In short, we've been gone two years, and I really don't miss it much. Maybe when I get older and my son is in college, we will come back and try to settle in Monterey area. He's three, so we have to see how things look in 15 years.
 
Old 06-20-2008, 03:18 PM
 
11,715 posts, read 40,359,370 times
Reputation: 7585
Baron- How are you handing the winters in NJ? Are you and your spouse native Californians?
 
Old 06-20-2008, 03:20 PM
 
Location: Central NJ, USA
218 posts, read 437,133 times
Reputation: 66
Quote:
Originally Posted by EscapeCalifornia View Post
Baron- How are you handing the winters in NJ? Are you and your spouse native Californians?

The winters here are not as bad as we expected. Two winters thus far; it's colder of course, but we've missed the snow mainly.

Neither is a native of Calif. In fact, moved to Calif from Singapore, so the winters in California were much colder than we are used to.
 
Old 06-20-2008, 05:50 PM
 
580 posts, read 1,677,560 times
Reputation: 108
I ran into a few people from California here in Michigan, tells me they wish they was raised here, and ofcourse others said what a great state I dont plan on leaving it.
 
Old 06-20-2008, 09:47 PM
 
Location: San Antonio Texas
11,431 posts, read 18,947,860 times
Reputation: 5224
Quote:
Originally Posted by sheri257 View Post
Actually, this is a myth. The incomes in Texas are not high .... about $10K less on average. However, the money you make goes a lot further due to the cheaper COL.
i second that. the wages here in texas are lower than so cal's. the rents/mortgages are lower. i was struggling paying $900/mo in long beach for a simple 1 BR apartment without parking. I have a 1BR with parking here in san antonio for $520/mo. However, electricity is more expensive due to the necessity to use air conditioning. the gasoline (87) is currently $3.89/g. i hear that it's about $4.30-4.40 in so cal now.
 
Old 06-21-2008, 05:19 AM
 
Location: Irvine, CA to Keller, TX
4,829 posts, read 6,914,034 times
Reputation: 844
Quote:
Originally Posted by CalGal953 View Post
My boyfriend has a bachelor's degree in computer science and hasn't had any luck finding work here because his GPA wasn't that great and the competition for the few remaining computer jobs here is extremely fierce, with many applicants having far more experience than him, and he has not had a chance to get any since he started college right before the dot-com boom went bust. And graduate school is out of the question for him since he has more than plenty of college loans to pay off right now.

As for me, I am looking at entry-level jobs suited for people interested in biology and environmental science, and the few jobs I found there, including so-called "entry-level" jobs like lab technicians, required at least 1 year of experience, which I never had a chance to get either. And I am broke, though without loans, so graduate school is out of the question for me too, with tuition and fees at colleges here sky-high.
I can't believe with the tech companies in the DFW area that there are no jobs out there. I work at Microsoft in Las Colinas and they are constantly hiring. I am not saying that what you say in your instance is not true but since DFW has been lauded for its job growth and being one of the best job markets in the US there may be other issues.

Maybe you guys need to get with a good recruiter/placement company. Looking for years and not finding work in this area is, well, a rarity.
 
Old 06-21-2008, 05:26 AM
 
Location: Irvine, CA to Keller, TX
4,829 posts, read 6,914,034 times
Reputation: 844
Quote:
Originally Posted by CA4Now View Post
I don't think it died; it just changed. That undeveloped land, the easy access to beach and mountains, the lack of oppressive traffic congestion, a state that led the country in public schools......that's really changed. It's definitely much more difficult, economically, to live here now. But it appears that for anyone who grew up here and enjoyed it, it would require a lot to leave.
When you can remember Lake Arrowhead once had wonderful coves and beach areas and yet today has almost no public access. When the bulk of your beaches can only be visited if you get your towel down by 9:00am. When going out for a weekend drive up/down the coast on a nice summer day means a 10 mph parking lot. When night skiing is the real only time unless you love crowds. This is when you know it it time to leave.
 
Old 06-21-2008, 05:52 AM
 
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
7,731 posts, read 13,403,282 times
Reputation: 5983
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rwarky View Post
Why are so many Californians moving to other States, and what can local governments and citizens do to reverse this trend?
I think the main reason is the extremely high cost of living.
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