Thinking about moving to California, but need some help (San Diego: living in, money)

[robert.t.malone]

What are some of the more walkable - smaller cities. I know all about San Francisco, but I'm looking for a city that is a bit smaller. Like I originally said something below 200,000.

Santa Rosa
Salinas
Sunnyvale
Vallejo
Concord
Roseville
Santa Clara
Berkley
Ventura
Leguna
Santa Maria
Vacaville

I just picked some random cities. This is what I am looking for and am hoping for some first hand repsonses as to why a certain city would fit the majority of what I am looking for.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by robert.t.malone

What are some of the more walkable - smaller cities. I know all about San Francisco, but I'm looking for a city that is a bit smaller. Like I originally said something below 200,000.

Santa Rosa
Salinas
Sunnyvale
Vallejo
Concord
Roseville
Santa Clara
Berkley
Ventura
Leguna
Santa Maria
Vacaville

I just picked some random cities. This is what I am looking for and am hoping for some first hand repsonses as to why a certain city would fit the majority of what I am looking for.

everyone will have a different opinion I am sure and I haven't lived there for many years (do visit at least once a year) I would suggest Santa Maria, Sant Rosa, maybe Roseville and possible Vacaville, but others will be able to make more suggestions.

Nita,

[Cassino]

You might consider checking around some cities on the Central Coast for the smaller, walkability aspect. You will not be all that close however to any of the big cities (~4 hours to either LA or SF by car).

I do second looking at San Luis Obispo however there is a university there so you will be living near lots of college students.

Thinking about this a little more...Emeryville in the Bay Area might fit your needs quite nicely. The city has an urban, more progressive feel but is smaller in size. It is also fairly easy to reach San Francisco, Oakland and Berkeley from there.

I do hope that helps as our interests are fairly different.

[BayAreaHillbilly]

Please don't move here, this state is already Blue enough. In my life time it went from Red to Blue, and folks like you are the problem. Carpetbaggers blow ...

[coyoteskye]

if money is not an issue for you then i will, once again, recommend the central coast but the more northern part of it.
carmel, pacific grove, monterey,
and in santa cruz county (just up the road from monterey) santa cruz, capitola, aptos, soquel (depending on where you live [more and less rural or close to town or in more suburban but not cookie cutter communities], the walkability will vary in all of these places).
from santa cruz, san francisco is less than 2 hours to the north and san jose is just over the hill.
or, marin county but i am not so familiar with the communities up there, and i perfer the central coast.
less frenetic than in and around san francisco (a most beautiful city) and marin county and certainly more sane and less impacted than southern california.
cambria (to the south of wonderful big sur which is just below carmel) is another possiblity but i don't know it well enough to give you specifics.
it is a place where, at least in the past and i believe still, is a supportive for artists.
anyway, stay close to the coast to fit most of your criteria and avoid southern california (in my opinion).
many of the areas inland (some of which are on your list) are hot, hot, hot in the summer and with poor air quality and not necessarily very ummm .... culturally advanced.

[mysticaltyger]

My initial thought about your post is that you are probably trading one extreme for another by moving from TN to CA. Any area you'd want to live in CA is probably going to be more liberal than TN. The downside of the liberal philosophy is that our state's finances are in horrible shape, despite taxes that are well above average. We have the worst credit rating of all 50 states and the ratings agencies are threatening to downgrade it again. And no, I don't think anyone would say our services are top notch for all the taxes we pay.

I am sure I would find the rigid conservative mentality in TN annoying.

But I can also tell you that there is also a rigid liberal mentality that prevails in many parts of CA--and I find it equally annoying. I am gay, so if you go by that stereotype, I should think the liberal/progressive philosophy in CA is wonderful. But I don't. Our state legislators see nothing wrong with allowing large numbers of unskilled illegal immigrants into our state, so that they have an underclass dependent on them for votes. They see nothing wrong with expanding eligibility for things like state sponsored health care when times are good, without thinking about how we'll pay for it when times are bad. They spend like drunken sailors and then act shocked when we're broke and blame it all on the conservatives. The conservative politicians in this state also tend to be very conservative, so the 2 parties in the legislature don't compromise on anything. Consequently, our state is late practically every year with the budget. This kind of dysfunction has been going on for 20+ years.

I'm not saying don't come here. I think if you do come here, you will like it at first. It takes about 2 years for the "honeymoon phase" to wear off. But the state's negatives tend to gnaw at people over time.

[mcorrales]

After living in (and leaving it two years ago) SoCal for the past 50 years, I would also vote for somewhere on the central coast. Paso Robles, Santa Barbara (if one can afford it), SLO (visited there in March and fell madly in love with this city on the central coast), Cambria is wonderful for artists, is walkable but is very tourist oriented, especially in summer months. I left SoCal cause after 50 years it was no longer the state that I grew up in and loved. I hope you are successful and happy there. But like the others said, it is an expensive place to live with many problems, but you seem to be aware of them so go and good luck.

[robert.t.malone]

Yes. I am really looking a SLO as my top choice.

Now, I am not just considering California. I am also considering much of the Northeast. But would prefer the absolutely perfect weather out your way. Knoxville was around 95 and 90% humidity all last week. We also had several tornadoes and several terribly rough storms.

[wikiwikirunner]

Chico meets your criteria pretty well. Far less than 200000 people, won't get the feeling of sprawl here. Countryside all around the city. It also has excellent walkability... bike paths everywhere too! Bidwell park is amazing, and one of the 25 largest municipal parks in the country. There are some very nice neighborhoods in chico where you could find a 4 bed/3.5 bath house. Both the sacramento River and Lake oroville are good for boating, and both within a 15 minute drive from downtown. While it is extremely hot in the summer (often above 100) it is very dry, so find some shade, or head to one mile recreation area and you're fine! Also a pretty artsy town, and if you don't live right downtown you will easily be able to avoid all the college kids. The only thing is unlike most of the rest of the state, chico is majorily republican, but being california i think you'll be fine since you will agree with most of the rest of the state on many issues.

Chico, California - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by wikiwikirunner

Chico meets your criteria pretty well. Far less than 200000 people, won't get the feeling of sprawl here. Countryside all around the city. It also has excellent walkability... bike paths everywhere too! Bidwell park is amazing, and one of the 25 largest municipal parks in the country. There are some very nice neighborhoods in chico where you could find a 4 bed/3.5 bath house. Both the sacramento River and Lake oroville are good for boating, and both within a 15 minute drive from downtown. While it is extremely hot in the summer (often above 100) it is very dry, so find some shade, or head to one mile recreation area and you're fine! Also a pretty artsy town, and if you don't live right downtown you will easily be able to avoid all the college kids. The only thing is unlike most of the rest of the state, chico is majorily republican, but being california i think you'll be fine since you will agree with most of the rest of the state on many issues.

Chico, California - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

you are right, Chico might be a good choice. I hadn't thought about that.

Nita