Is the state of California A Great Place to Visit, but Terrible Place to Live? (rentals, how much)

[Rwarky]

Originally Posted by EscapeCalifornia

People who are in a worse place than California (ie peasants from dirt poor countries) or young people from small town America who've watched too much TV and think California is the place to be.

Definitely true. California alone has over 10 million Latino/Hispanic inhabitants. Plus, television and film, along with California's isolation from the Mid-west and Eastcoast & the South are a few reasons California's population has exploded to its current position.

[majoun]

Originally Posted by EscapeCalifornia

People who are in a worse place than California (ie peasants from dirt poor countries)

or Midwesterners - the Midwest is the only region of the US that is still sending more of its people to California than recieving Californian transplants

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by Rwarky

Californians, past and present, do you consider the state of California a great (maybe, even spectacular) place to visit, but terrible place to live? Moreover, with a population of more than 36 million inhabitants, and growing, how could one consider this state an undesireable place to live? Who's moving here? Further, to those whom left California for "greener pastures," do you regret your move from this political constituent? And, for people who have moved to California, has this state exceeded or underwhelmed your expectations?

wow have you opened up a can of worms;; my opinion is just that, an opinion and certainly not the final word::

I was born and raised in so Ca, lived all over the state and left 30 years ago (almost) we do go back quite often to visit friends and family..It was a great place to live for many years, but then got crowded, crime was on the uphill swing, cost of living became an issue and traffic as well as smog was unbearable. My husbands cardiologist said the smog may have contributed to his heart problems. We left, he had trouble, but hasn't had any problems for over 20 years: coincedence, who knows?/

We left for a job opportunity but never had any desire to return..

Yes, it is a great and fun place to visit and yes, sometimes I kinda think, wow, we gave this all up..Then we get on a major highway, even in the nothern part of the state and we say, thank God we don't have to live here.

Who are moving in today? Many are illigals, some are moving as a result of jobs transfers and there will always be some that come to make it big in the movies or because they think it is all beaches, parties and free spirited people.. These are the ones who watch too much TV.

Nita

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by Charles

Politics never factored into our move; Only economics (and the unhealthfulness of traffic) did. But, things are changing big time economically. Traffic will probably always be bad though. There are some bad places to live and there are some good places to live. If you move to California, move to the good places (job, schools, not ugly).

wanted to rep you but have to spread it around I am told. AL or AR, both have a lot to offer, hope not too many people find this out..

[SOON2BNSURPRISE]

I for one grew up in the state and the only reason I considered leaving was the cost of homes. Now that the problem I faced has been corrected for the most part, I plan on remaining for the next 30 years or more. After I retire we will decide what to do next.

[Steve97415]

Originally Posted by Adriatica

I think CA is a wonderful place to visit.

I think CA has wonderful places to live and some undesirable places to live. There's no way to discuss the state as a whole in this sense.

If I had to discuss it as a whole, I still think it's a pretty good place to live. Certainly not perfect, but good. I've liked everywhere that I have lived in this state.

Exactly. Too many posters try to broad-brush the entire state based on their experience with one small part of it. They are like the six blind men of Hindustan who all have a hold of a different part of the elephant and think that the whole animal can be pigeonholed by that one part of its anatomy they have their hands on. People who live in L.A. tend to conceptualize "California" through the lens of living in L.A. Same in the Bay Area. I'm sure others think that "California" is in the desert, on the coast, or in the mountains. California is highly urbanized and very rural. It is frost-free and very snowy. It is foggy and overcast much of the year and the sun is always shining. It is overwhelmingly Anglo and Spanish is the predominant language spoken. Job opportunities are wonderful and hopeless. Some parts of the state are grossly overpopulated, yet the northern third of the state is one of the most sparsely populated areas of the U.S. An average 3bd, 2ba home on an 8,000 sq. ft. lot goes for $170,000 or $700,000. Taxes, fees and policies at the state level are the one thing that are more or less uniform, but even there, the way that you are impacted by them will depend on where you live. There is no objective set of criteria as to what makes any given place a "great place to live." One person's idea of California hell might be being stuck in urban freeway gridlock. For another it might be living out in the sticks surrounded by nature and with no Trader Joe's within 300 miles. California has great places to live and lousy places to visit and vice-versa.

[dweej]

To drive home the fact that California cannot be generalized in terms of weather, quality of life, recreation opportunities or attitudes (state mandated things like taxes, as well as representation on a federal level are, of course, the things that *do* apply to the entire state): The northernmost part of California is on the same latitude as (among others) Nebraska, Illinois, and Pennsylvania. The southernmost part of California is on the same latitude as Missisippi, Alabama, and Georgia.

No one would dream of putting all those places into the same category, so there's no way to answer a question like this about all of California. I have friends who might say something like "Hey, I'm going to be in Sacramento. Maybe we can find a way to get together." and I'll say "That's like visiting Virgina and trying to get together with a friend who lives in southern Georgia!".

[Just One of the Guys]

I think California is a great place to visit, and even a greater place to live. A few years back, I was back east in the middle of July. It was very hot, and humid. I flew out and had layover in Pheonix where it was very hot! Then we finally landed in Santa Barbara where it was 80 deg. no wind, and not a cloud in the sky. I just thought Ahh, this is why I live in So. California!!

[Rwarky]

Originally Posted by Steve97415

Exactly. Too many posters try to broad-brush the entire state based on their experience with one small part of it. They are like the six blind men of Hindustan who all have a hold of a different part of the elephant and think that the whole animal can be pigeonholed by that one part of its anatomy they have their hands on. People who live in L.A. tend to conceptualize "California" through the lens of living in L.A. Same in the Bay Area. I'm sure others think that "California" is in the desert, on the coast, or in the mountains. California is highly urbanized and very rural. It is frost-free and very snowy. It is foggy and overcast much of the year and the sun is always shining. It is overwhelmingly Anglo and Spanish is the predominant language spoken. Job opportunities are wonderful and hopeless. Some parts of the state are grossly overpopulated, yet the northern third of the state is one of the most sparsely populated areas of the U.S. An average 3bd, 2ba home on an 8,000 sq. ft. lot goes for $170,000 or $700,000. Taxes, fees and policies at the state level are the one thing that are more or less uniform, but even there, the way that you are impacted by them will depend on where you live. There is no objective set of criteria as to what makes any given place a "great place to live." One person's idea of California hell might be being stuck in urban freeway gridlock. For another it might be living out in the sticks surrounded by nature and with no Trader Joe's within 300 miles. California has great places to live and lousy places to visit and vice-versa.

Thank you for the insightful comment!

[Heiwos]

Originally Posted by Just One of the Guys

... Then we finally landed in Santa Barbara where it was 80 deg. no wind, and not a cloud in the sky. I just thought Ahh, this is why I live in So. California!!

I melt in such weather! (Seattleite here.) When I land in California in the summer, I immediately head into the fantastic Sierras to get to cooler temps. I visit lowlands only during other times of the year. I used to live in L.A. with its heat waves & winds, and my perma-tan. Now I'm a sun weenie.