NEED ADVICE: Looking to relocate from Indiana to Northern California (Fresno: unemployment, allergies)

[Snort]

Ah! School psych here myself. When I get home, I'll give you some specifics that should be helpful for finding a good district in this part of the country. I'll send info in a private message as it won't be of much interest to anyone else.

[MtnSurfer]

Originally Posted by DerbyFever

We're looking to relocate from Southern IN (just outside Louisville, KY) due to our 2-year old son's severe allergies. Never been to CA, but it's an area we're considering (along with OR, ID, and CO). We will be flying into Portland in a week and driving all over OR then to Boise to fly home.

We love the stats. on OR but don't like the idea of a lot of rain & cloud, so are looking seriously at southern OR, say the the Ashland area. Given its close proximity to CA, we were wondering whether there are any places in northern CA that would meet our "wish list" and should considering visiting during our upcoming trip (though our itinerary is getting crammed):

HERE'S OUR WISH LIST: (in order)
1.) Low allergies (I suffer as well--Louisville, KY is current reigning allergy capital)
2.) Good schools
3.) Weather (want change of seasons with no prolonged extremes...I hate IN's scorching hot summers with high humidity, husband doesn't want weeks of snow on ground)
4.) Landscape/Scenery (would like lush green with pretty mountain views...don't like extreme flat, barren/brown, or desert/canyon look)
5.) Access to water for powerboating (within hour, water warm enough in summer for skiing, decent size body of water)
6.) Family/kid-friendly place, low crime/safe, etc.

We are late 30's and like being close to city with amenities but not necessarily living "in" big city (outskirts is fine as long as meets other needs). We currently live in town with "small town" feel within 15 minutes of Louisville, KY, and like the benefit/comfort/safety factor of living in smaller town.

We will be travelling with our 2-year old and my elderly parents (late 70's) so we definitely want to see all areas of strong interest but need to keep the # of places to the lowest possible. We're looking seriously at Hood River, Bend, Ashland, OR as well as Boise. We'd appreciate any & all suggestions of northern CA cities that we may be overlooking as we've never been to any of these places. THANKS!!!

With regards to CA there are number of nicer locations in the northern part of the state. We live in Monterey (technically Central CA) and ocean breeze blows most junk inland. And while there is some fog in the summer I actually like it in that it keeps the temps mild. Overall there is much less fog and rain than the OR coast.

Above SF there are some nice smaller towns outside the larger cities such as Sonoma, Petaluma, Windsor nearer the coast. Then inland CA has the Sierra foothill towns such as Sutter Creek, Sonora. If you go more north there is places Oroville. I have relatives in Windsor and Petaluma.

With regards to CO we lived there and still have family there - Denver and Colorado Springs. The Rocky Mtns. are truly a beautiful place. But the weather will get snowy, icy and cold anywhere from Oct-May. There are many sunny day but the weather can be a bit extreme and change rapidly near the continental divide. The old saying is 'If you don't like the weather in CO wait 10 minutes.' And it really can turn on a dime like that. Blizzards in Oct and April are common. And the temps are below freezing for much of the winter. Summer has some of the most dangerous spectacular and thunderstorms. The thunder shakes your house. Ppl die every year from lightning strikes - it is 'serious' there. Then living one mile high+ has its own challenges. The sun is much more intense and the skin gets 'very' dry year round. I have never had allergies. But the intense sun and dryness caused my eyes to be red and irritated year round. I used to 'long' for cloudy days when the sun wasn't so blinding. Lawns turn brown and stay that way on the Front Range for at least 7 months as it is really high desert. I wouldn't call it green unless you are there in the summer or you live up in the mtns.

Oregon is beautiful and really *Green*. We almost moved to Portland. But with family closer to CA we chose Monterey. If that wasn't a consideration we probably would have headed out there. OR's economy is weaker than most. But ppl do find jobs there. If you can find work there it would probably be very nice. Of course climate does vary a lot based on location - west vs. east of the cascades and proximity to the coast.

Derek

[kettlepot]

Originally Posted by DerbyFever

HERE'S OUR WISH LIST: (in order)
1.) Low allergies (I suffer as well--Louisville, KY is current reigning allergy capital)

DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES MOVE TO THE CENTRAL VALLEY OF CALIFORNIA!!!! (Redding, Corning, Orland, Yuba City, Davis, Sacramento, Stockton, Modesto, Merced, Visalia, Fresno, Bakersfield)

These areas have some of the worst concentrations of allergens in the country in the spring and fall. You have the combination of a large agricultural economy in conjunction with stagnant air that has no escape route. It is HELL ON EARTH in regards to allergies. The itching can be so bad you will literally rub your eyes until a blister forms on the surface of your eyeball.

2.) Good schools
3.) Weather (want change of seasons with no prolonged extremes...I hate IN's scorching hot summers with high humidity, husband doesn't want weeks of snow on ground)

Scorching hot summers, but the humidity is quite low. No allergy problems in the summertime as everything dries up to a crispy, tinder dry brown.

4.) Landscape/Scenery (would like lush green with pretty mountain views...don't like extreme flat, barren/brown, or desert/canyon look)
5.) Access to water for powerboating (within hour, water warm enough in summer for skiing, decent size body of water)

Actually much of the Central Valley fits the bill if you live close enough to the mountains. Lots of reservoirs in California that allow for a lot of boating. Maybe if you don't live in the Valley itself, but in some of the foothill communities it might be okay.

6.) Family/kid-friendly place, low crime/safe, etc.

We are late 30's and like being close to city with amenities but not necessarily living "in" big city (outskirts is fine as long as meets other needs). We currently live in town with "small town" feel within 15 minutes of Louisville, KY, and like the benefit/comfort/safety factor of living in smaller town.

I was going to suggest the Sierra foothills outside of Sacramento, but it looks like that is too far south. The higher elevations outside of Redding might do the trick, but it will be a fine line between being high enough to avoid the 100+ summer temperatures (though really it IS a dry heat) and low enough to avoid the 10 foot snow pack.

Also, there are no jobs in Northern California, and unless you are in medical, there never will be. Unemployment is currently in the 15% range, and typically runs 5% above the national average. Wages hug the California minimum, however, that is about $8/hr.

[FresnoFacts]

Originally Posted by kettlepot

DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES MOVE TO THE CENTRAL VALLEY OF CALIFORNIA!!!! (Redding, Corning, Orland, Yuba City, Davis, Sacramento, Stockton, Modesto, Merced, Visalia, Fresno, Bakersfield)

These areas have some of the worst concentrations of allergens in the country in the spring and fall. You have the combination of a large agricultural economy in conjunction with stagnant air that has no escape route. It is HELL ON EARTH in regards to allergies. The itching can be so bad you will literally rub your eyes until a blister forms on the surface of your eyeball.

Louisville KY is much, much worse than the Central Valley. It is currently worse in the country on the Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America's ranking of Springtime Allergy capitals.

The highest (worse) ranked Central Valley city is Modesto, but it is only ranked #62 worse in the country. They rank San Jose worse at #58.
http://aafa.org/pdfs/FINALpublic%20LIST2009.pdf

There are many places in the country tougher for people with allergies than the Central Valley.

The key is the specific allergans in a region.

[DerbyFever]

Originally Posted by Snort

Ah! School psych here myself. When I get home, I'll give you some specifics that should be helpful for finding a good district in this part of the country. I'll send info in a private message as it won't be of much interest to anyone else.

WOW! Another school psych. out there--thanks so much for the wonderful ideas!!

[DerbyFever]

Originally Posted by MtnSurfer

With regards to CA there are number of nicer locations in the northern part of the state. We live in Monterey (technically Central CA) and ocean breeze blows most junk inland. And while there is some fog in the summer I actually like it in that it keeps the temps mild. Overall there is much less fog and rain than the OR coast.

Above SF there are some nice smaller towns outside the larger cities such as Sonoma, Petaluma, Windsor nearer the coast. Then inland CA has the Sierra foothill towns such as Sutter Creek, Sonora. If you go more north there is places Oroville. I have relatives in Windsor and Petaluma.

With regards to CO we lived there and still have family there - Denver and Colorado Springs. The Rocky Mtns. are truly a beautiful place. But the weather will get snowy, icy and cold anywhere from Oct-May. There are many sunny day but the weather can be a bit extreme and change rapidly near the continental divide. The old saying is 'If you don't like the weather in CO wait 10 minutes.' And it really can turn on a dime like that. Blizzards in Oct and April are common. And the temps are below freezing for much of the winter. Summer has some of the most dangerous spectacular and thunderstorms. The thunder shakes your house. Ppl die every year from lightning strikes - it is 'serious' there. Then living one mile high+ has its own challenges. The sun is much more intense and the skin gets 'very' dry year round. I have never had allergies. But the intense sun and dryness caused my eyes to be red and irritated year round. I used to 'long' for cloudy days when the sun wasn't so blinding. Lawns turn brown and stay that way on the Front Range for at least 7 months as it is really high desert. I wouldn't call it green unless you are there in the summer or you live up in the mtns.

Oregon is beautiful and really *Green*. We almost moved to Portland. But with family closer to CA we chose Monterey. If that wasn't a consideration we probably would have headed out there. OR's economy is weaker than most. But ppl do find jobs there. If you can find work there it would probably be very nice. Of course climate does vary a lot based on location - west vs. east of the cascades and proximity to the coast.

Derek

Thanks, Derek. Though CO is intriguing, the more I learn about it, the more I think it would not be a good fit for us. I hadn't heard about the severe lightning/thunderstorms. It's the tornadoes we have in our area, I guess there's going to be some severe weather risk everywhere. And yes, we're discovering how variable the weather is in Oregon depending upon the factors you described...factors that are completely foreign to Midwesterners. Guess it has it's pro's & con's.

[DerbyFever]

Originally Posted by kettlepot

DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES MOVE TO THE CENTRAL VALLEY OF CALIFORNIA!!!! (Redding, Corning, Orland, Yuba City, Davis, Sacramento, Stockton, Modesto, Merced, Visalia, Fresno, Bakersfield)

These areas have some of the worst concentrations of allergens in the country in the spring and fall. You have the combination of a large agricultural economy in conjunction with stagnant air that has no escape route. It is HELL ON EARTH in regards to allergies. The itching can be so bad you will literally rub your eyes until a blister forms on the surface of your eyeball.

Scorching hot summers, but the humidity is quite low. No allergy problems in the summertime as everything dries up to a crispy, tinder dry brown.

Actually much of the Central Valley fits the bill if you live close enough to the mountains. Lots of reservoirs in California that allow for a lot of boating. Maybe if you don't live in the Valley itself, but in some of the foothill communities it might be okay.

I was going to suggest the Sierra foothills outside of Sacramento, but it looks like that is too far south. The higher elevations outside of Redding might do the trick, but it will be a fine line between being high enough to avoid the 100+ summer temperatures (though really it IS a dry heat) and low enough to avoid the 10 foot snow pack.

Also, there are no jobs in Northern California, and unless you are in medical, there never will be. Unemployment is currently in the 15% range, and typically runs 5% above the national average. Wages hug the California minimum, however, that is about $8/hr.

Thanks, kettlepot, though FresnoFacts has it exactly correct about Louisville, KY, being THE worst in the nation. Unfortunately this isn't the 1st year Louisville has received the title of being the nation's capital for allergies. It is TERRIBLE--even friends who move here from other areas who never had allergies suddenly realize they have them. Still, we have to start somewhere in looking at allergy-friendly places and ideally we'd love to find some places that are not as tough on allergies. As for getting further into Cali., our concern is that we're getting more into weather that won't have the change of seasons that we like. We'd prefer it not feel "summer" like year-round. Also don't want to be near any huge cities (like LA) due to higher crime rates. We started looking in Northern Cali. due to the promise of Ashland, OR's close proximity to the border...we just want to make sure we're not ruling anything out that might fit our criteria.

[MtnSurfer]

Originally Posted by DerbyFever

Thanks, Derek. Though CO is intriguing, the more I learn about it, the more I think it would not be a good fit for us. I hadn't heard about the severe lightning/thunderstorms. It's the tornadoes we have in our area, I guess there's going to be some severe weather risk everywhere. And yes, we're discovering how variable the weather is in Oregon depending upon the factors you described...factors that are completely foreign to Midwesterners. Guess it has it's pro's & con's.

Yes, unlike most of the midwest, extreme geographic changes such as large mtn. ranges and oceans create many varied climates and micro climates out west.

So practically speaking you can be at the coast the weather is cloudy and breezy with temps ~ 65. Then you head inland to places like Ashland and it is sunny ~ 85 degrees. You then drive into the mtns where it is drier and colder ~ 60s and much colder at night 30-40s. And then you drive to the other side of the Cascades to places like Bend at it is more like a high desert with drier climate and much warmer, maybe 90s. And this does not even cover all the micro climates in between like on the way to these varied locations when climbing a pass such as Grants Pass, or the little towns between the coast and HWY 5 which are sometimes along large rivers.

I am glad you are discovering this. Let us know how your journey goes and what you find you like/dislike.

It sounds like you have a good outlook from your previous posts in realizing that no place is perfect. Rather each location has its own unique set of pros/cons. So finding a place where you enjoy the pros and can still live with the cons is really the goal.

One last thing to keep in mind is that you mentioned you wanted to be somewhere which has seasons. Well because the terrain is so varied out West you can find seasonal changes just a short distance away even if they do not all hit your backyard. For example from Portland you can head to Mt. Hood for snow, then to the coast for the ocean. Then head to the Columbia River Gorge for waterfalls and Spring wildflowers. The Gorge also has some nice colors in the Fall. And of course if you want to experience some drier warmer weather you can drive toward The Dalles and the eastern side of the state.

Derek

[coyoteskye]

Originally Posted by kettlepot

I was going to suggest the Sierra foothills outside of Sacramento, but it looks like that is too far south. The higher elevations outside of Redding might do the trick, but it will be a fine line between being high enough to avoid the 100+ summer temperatures (though really it IS a dry heat) and low enough to avoid the 10 foot snow pack.

The air quality in the foothills is not good either.
Until you get up into the much higher elevations, it's poor.
I don't know about allergies, but anyone who has a sensitive system or a compromised immune system probably should, i imagine, make clean air a priority.

[dragonflyer]

It doesn't snow in Denver a lot, to be honest, only in the mountains.