Why is California so worshipped by people? (San Diego, Fresno: movies, university)

[sheri257]

Originally Posted by sav858

Then why do LA and San Diego have a lower average salaries than places like Houston, Dallas, Denver, etc...?

San Diego has always had lousy pay (at least in my profession) ... I'm not sure why.

The BLS, of course, has a different set of numbers where ... LA and SF do somewhat better than Houston and Dallas ...

May 2007 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

Although not by much. So why isn't the pay better? More people want to live in California than live in Texas.

[orangeapple]

Originally Posted by sav858

Yes and those other places many times pay even less. CA ranks behind many other states for median income, even Hawaii has a higher median income than CA. Also you act like everyone in CA moved here or is here for the "weather, being by the ocean, cities, etc.." when that is BS. Realize some of us live here b/c it's where we are from, maybe you're a transplant or something, I don't know. But it can be very frustrating to natives to see what has happened to their state and how much it costs just to live here. Also realize that weather, scenery, and cities doesn't put food on the table, a roof overhead, or your child in a GOOD school.

I love CA and being by the ocean, all the things to do, etc.. but I'm young and when it comes time to settle down, this state is very inhospitable to young families and the middle class. This state has just so many problems, more than many other states. If we're going to pay this much to live here then we should have much better schools, better roads, not have $15 billion budget deficits and a overall better quality of life to go along with everything else. I don't mind living in a smaller apartment, condo, or townhome or paying more to live here but we should be getting something out of all the taxes and what not we pay for too. And that is what my gripe about CA is, we pay a lot and receive so little overall.

No, I was born and raised here, moved out of LA to the suburbs as a child, where I went to a good public school. The state of CA & some scholarships I earned paid for my entire college education, with money to spare, and I now I have a fair paying job & support myself comfortably. You can make it here just fine if you are smart. I know other people who took advantage of similar opportunities, and yes we are white and come from lower middle class to middle class families. I got my scholarships & grants based on achievement, not race or anything like that.

I actually earn less than what the average person with my skill & degree earns in the county I live in (experience is part of it...I only have a little as I am young). If I earned what the average income is, then I'd really being doing well for the area. However, I feel that the "middle class lifestyle" is bloated compared to what it used to be anyway. People spend a lot more money on things that were not considered standard for middle class in the past. When my mom grew up, her middle class family had one TV. Now people have several TVs in a single family. Just one example of how the standards of what is "normal" for a middle class family has increased, and not in a way that really betters the quality of life. That's a tangent though....
I personally don't want kids, but if I did, the area I live in is very hospitable to families & middle class. The trade off for me is that there is far less to do than in LA. However, I am reasonably close enough to go to LA when I want to spend a day at the Getty or go to a concert at night.

Could Cali improve in many ways? Absolutely, but that doesn't mean you are going to find some utopia outside of Cali. Depending on your needs and interests, you may find somewhere else you prefer, but that doesn't diminish the appeal of Cali to many, and I don't see what is so hard to grasp about that appeal. I'm not saying Cali is the best place in the world to live or that there aren't a lot of other great places, but it is attractive to many for some very good reasons.

As a native, I get frustrated when people move here from other places & complain. If they dislike it so much, please leave it to those of us who want to take advantage of what Cali offers. If anyone has a right to complain it is natives, but many find they didn't appreciate Cali til they left. And the ones who leave & are happy, good for them, & good for us still here

[chuck22b]

Originally Posted by sheri257

That's why I chose nursing. By the time I hit my '40s I was tired of being laid off. I had a chance to go into real estate during the boom but I figured the market would crash so ... you've got to do your homework.

Yea, but not everybody can go into nursing/medical. America needs to produce something and have other jobs too.... or else who's going to be able to afford to go see the doctor/nurse

[rkb0305]

Originally Posted by sheri257

That's why I chose nursing. By the time I hit my '40s I was tired of being laid off. I had a chance to go into real estate during the boom but I figured the market would crash so ... you've got to do your homework.

Sheri - I have a degree in Health Science, and am considering becoming an RN as my sort of second career once my kids are in school. I know nurses are in demand, but is that only true for middle of the night, blood and guts hospital shifts; or are they in demand for doctors offices, school districts, County public health positions too. Sorry to highjack the thread.

[rkb0305]

Originally Posted by sav858

Yes and those other places many times pay even less. CA ranks behind many other states for median income, even Hawaii has a higher median income than CA. Also you act like everyone in CA moved here or is here for the "weather, being by the ocean, cities, etc.." when that is BS. Realize some of us live here b/c it's where we are from, maybe you're a transplant or something, I don't know. But it can be very frustrating to natives to see what has happened to their state and how much it costs just to live here. Also realize that weather, scenery, and cities doesn't put food on the table, a roof overhead, or your child in a GOOD school.

I love CA and being by the ocean, all the things to do, etc.. but I'm young and when it comes time to settle down, this state is very inhospitable to young families and the middle class. This state has just so many problems, more than many other states. If we're going to pay this much to live here then we should have much better schools, better roads, not have $15 billion budget deficits and a overall better quality of life to go along with everything else. I don't mind living in a smaller apartment, condo, or townhome or paying more to live here but we should be getting something out of all the taxes and what not we pay for too. And that is what my gripe about CA is, we pay a lot and receive so little overall.

of course there are natives and implants who didn't move to CA for the weather and ocean; but look at many of the posts on this site. It seems like everyone has this idealized version of CA, and they want to live near the ocean in an affordable place. No one wants to live in CA for the central valley or the desert.

[chuck22b]

Originally Posted by rkb0305

of course there are natives and implants who didn't move to CA for the weather and ocean; but look at many of the posts on this site. It seems like everyone has this idealized version of CA, and they want to live near the ocean in an affordable place. No one wants to live in CA for the central valley or the desert.

I wouldn't say that's entirely true. I'm a California native, and I grew up right by the ocean. The ocean is nice, but living there I hardly ever went to the beach. Most of the cities by the ocean are very congested. I like the openness and less congestion afforded to me by living more inland.

Affordable place by the Ocean can be found in Oceanside in Orange County or Oxnard in Ventura. Homes out there aren't exorbitantly expensive, but your work commute isn't as great.

Basically it's true that California is great since it offers you pretty much everything. If I feel like the ocean, I'll just go to my parent's place or drive 40 mins on a weekend to the beach. If I like the mountains and more open space I'll stay more inland. I like the open space and mountains at the moment.

-chuck22b

[sheri257]

Originally Posted by rkb0305

Sheri - I have a degree in Health Science, and am considering becoming an RN as my sort of second career once my kids are in school. I know nurses are in demand, but is that only true for middle of the night, blood and guts hospital shifts; or are they in demand for doctors offices, school districts, County public health positions too. Sorry to highjack the thread.

Maybe that's true in Denver but it's definitely not true in California. I wouldn't be living on the Central Coast right now if nurses weren't in high demand and making great money here.

That aside: my overall point is that the California community college system allowed me to do this ... for free ... since CC's are cheap to begin with and it was all paid for with scholarships I got through the CC.

IMO, California is still the great land of opportunity if you're willing to work for it. But if all you're going to do is complain about the cost of living ... that's not going to get you anywhere.

Sure ... I wish the coast was dirt cheap too but ... that's just not gonna happen. It is, afterall, paradise. Did we really believe that other people weren't going to discover this place and not pay a fortune to live here?

I can't tell you how happy I've been since I've moved here ... it's worth every penny and then some.

[Texasturkey]

Originally Posted by laysayfair

Television and Movies.

They come out here aspiring to be the next Hillary Swank, Brad Pitt, Johnny Depp or Ashton Kutcher who came from other states to Southern CA seeking fame and fortune. The majority of these young people end up on the streets homeless and getting into drugs, porn and prostitution. Many end up in the morgue. The LAPD locates their parents or next of kin to fly out and identify the body, and make funeral arrangements. Not everyone gets their Hollywood Fairy Tale. Besides $ and security, many of those celebrities would have been better off staying where they were. Fame has its downfalls.

[Texasturkey]

California has the most to offer and the most problems. The politics in Southern CA are too liberal and way too far to the left for me. Too many Americans are impartial to the serious issues that our bringing our state down and pushing people out. Too crowded, too heavy traffic and too much nationalism. Not everyone is a foreigner or immigrant. We shouldn't feel out of place in our own state and country. There are nice places in CA to live and raise a family. (South OC , West LA etc.,) But, there are starting to be fewer and fewer of those places. Most of Southern CA consists of bedroom communities, urban sprawl, ghettos and immigrants. Day trips to Disneyland, Knotts, the Beach and weekend getaways to Las Vegas, Palm Springs and San Diego are out of budget once the bills get paid. We either don't have the $ or the time to go because we are working 2 or 3 jobs to pay for this glorious Southern CA lifestyle our midwestern and southern neighbors are envious of. Give me a break. That is not how it is. Why stay here if we don't have the $ or money to enjoy it?

[ArizonaBear]

Originally Posted by Texasturkey

California has the most to offer and the most problems. The politics in Southern CA are too liberal and way too far to the left for me. Too many Americans are impartial to the serious issues that our bringing our state down and pushing people out. Too crowded, too heavy traffic and too much nationalism. Not everyone is a foreigner or immigrant. We shouldn't feel out of place in our own state and country. There are nice places in CA to live and raise a family. (South OC , West LA etc.,) But, there are starting to be fewer and fewer of those places. Most of Southern CA consists of bedroom communities, urban sprawl, ghettos and immigrants. Day trips to Disneyland, Knotts, the Beach and weekend getaways to Las Vegas, Palm Springs and San Diego are out of budget once the bills get paid. We either don't have the $ or the time to go because we are working 2 or 3 jobs to pay for this glorious Southern CA lifestyle our midwestern and southern neighbors are envious of. Give me a break. That is not how it is. Why stay here if we don't have the $ or money to enjoy it?

If I had to leave Arizona; it would probably be back to SoCal; I am from back east and the folks there can keep it.