MN nurse looking into california (Los Angeles, San Diego: how much, house, university)

[aecp]

Hello... I am posting this message because I am curious about california... I have lived in minnesota my whole life and mainly want to get away from the cold and be near the water. I have never been to california and am just begining my search of where I would like to live.. its so huge and I have no clue where would fit me best
A little about me:
Like I said I have lived in minnesota my whole life.. I love the outdoors but it is so cold here that I dont get to enjoy it for long.
I like to visit the bigger cities but know it would not be somewhere I would want to live... somewhere in the middle sizewise would fit me best

I know the cost of living is very high there... where could I find a safe place and still have manageable cost of living?

My husband and I are both nurses so the option of taking a travel assignment before actually moving somwhere appeals to me... I just have no clue where! California is so big and I want to take a trip there within the next 6months just to get a better feel for it but feel a little lost.

I woulnt even mind a winter that got a little snow and chilly but am sick of the temps being below zero for weeks at a time!
My husband and I are both into sports and like to be active.. we are just looking for a change
Any info would be helpful especially if there are any nurses out there!
Thanks a bunch

[happ]

There's plenty of work in the nursing field so you can live wherever you want. As far as the weather, you will never experience even a little snow unless you live in the mountains. The middle-sized cities aren't in the mountains. Anywhere in the Central Valley would probably be fine though the more exciting cities [San Francisco\Los Angeles\ San Diego] are expensive but have nice suburbs. If you don't mind a very long\hot summer than living in Palm Springs would be nice since it is fairly small compared to the larger cities but safe & lots to do outdoors all year [so long as it is before sun-up or after sundown during summer.

[sheri257]

If you're both RN's you won't have any problem living here. There's plenty of work ... take your pick ... and the pay here is better than anywhere else in the country. The only issue is how much money you want to save on cost of living versus quality of life. Like anywhere else ... pay rates vary by area but, generally, the money is good because of the shortage.

Travel assignments are great ... that way you can figure out where you want to live and what's going to work for you.

I'm an RN and just moved to the Central Coast after living in the Cali desert for five years. I make $110K base salary with plenty of overtime. How much is a house going to cost me? I could go for the ritzy areas but, I've found a community I like that's much more affordable at $250K. I'm just waiting to see if prices drop further before I buy.

So yeah ... you can definitely make it work. I absolutely love it here.

[FresnoFacts]

The Central Valley from Sacramento to Bakersfield has a cost of living similiar to cities in the midwest.

Although 2 to 3 hour drives from the coast, cities like Fresno, Modesto, etc are only an hour from hiking and skiing in the mountains. My wife and I will drive less than an hour this weekend to spend time just outside Yosemite.

Snow in the Central Valley itself is rare, a light dusting about one day every 5 years or so.

The trade-off in weather is a period of high temps in the summer and thick fog in the winter. Fresno averages about 35 days a year over 100 degrees and about 35 days a year of very thick fog.

But working at an indoor job I don't feel that losing a few weekend days a year due to heat or fog is bad. We still see 10 months of great weather. I've spent time in winter in Wisconsin and Minnesota and understand the winter cabin fever there quite well.

You will also hear about problems with air pollution in the Central Valley, but if you are looking at all of California the smog levels are lower here than in Southern California. But both are also cleaning their air quality.

[humboldtrat]

Check out the Sacramento area. Housing is cheaper there than along coastal cities. There's no snow with highs in the 40's - 50's during the winter, but it gets into the 90's, sometimes over 100 during the summer, tolerable since the humidity is low.

It's less than 2 hours to San Francisco to the west and about 2 hours east to the Sierra Nevada Mtns and Lake Tahoe and many ski areas. The Napa/Sonoma wine country is about 90 minutes away.

[happ]

Further up the Sacramento Valley is Chico & Redding [lovely towns w/ huge trees & a university in Chico]. Only draw back is very hot summers [warmer than Sacramento by 5+ degrees]. But both areas have incredible small rivers\ huge lakes nearby to swim in & just about everybody owns or is near a swimming pool.

I've worked in hospitals & know that nurses can work 12 hour shifts with high salaries & a strong union.

[aecp]

I would take 100 degree days over 50 below =)

[DMenscha]

Originally Posted by aecp

I would take 100 degree days over 50 below =)

And when it's 100 it's not 90% humidity either!

I'd suggest you do a traveling assignment to both S CA and to N CA. They're very different places. My wife is an RNP. Nurses rock!

[CA central coast]

You and your husband are nurses. Well., I'd say the possibilities here are endless then. This is a big state and you can probably find work most anywhere. Since you can write your own ticket, just keep researching for your perfect place. Deserts, mountains, beaches, it's all in CA, so there is a lot to take into considerationI think travelling around and working is a good idea. I live in San LUis Obispo County, great place to live, not the cheapest, but with your dual income, it shouldn't a problem. 4 hospitals in the county and a prison and mental institution. The nurses in the state facilities make huge amounts of money.

[aecp]

Thanks for the helpful info everyone! I think I will make a trip to northern california and see it for myself. I cant wait