Leaving California (Los Angeles, Sacramento, Glendale: rent, crime, how much)

[Sassberto]

Thinking about moving away? Already made the big move? Discuss why, where, and how you left or plan to leave California.

[morefromcali]

Ok, I'll bite

I've lived in LA all my life and I really did love it until I had kids. But I don't think I'm meant to be an urban mom. We moved within LA to "one of the best schools" but it still hasn't met my child's needs and for this we are paying an outrageous amount of money for a beautiful house on a crazy busy street that needs $100K or so in repairs. The kids can't walk anywhere because of the traffic, and the community we live in isn't one in which people know each other. My husband used to be able to take three or so jobs in a day and now, because of traffic we are lucky if he can get in two which is effectively a 30-40% pay decrease all because of traffic not because the jobs don't come in. So we are moving so that I can continue to stay home with my kids and we can continue to send them to public schools -- hopefully in a district that will meet their needs -- and we can actually afford a beautiful house in a nice neighborhood. It saddens me to leave, and we did spend two years trying to figure out how to stay but moving is right for our family.

[EscapeCalifornia]

As my uncle (who moved to Austin in 92) told me, "When you have kids, the weather is a lot less important." Yeah, California has its pluses, but if the overall quality of life isn't there, why send yourself to an early grave for a sunny day?

[stellar9]

We're trying to leave CA. I've been raising my kids here, but grew up in the midwest. We weren't ready to buy a home before the boom, so we're out of the market. Our income isn't that good, so we've had to move farther away from the coast to afford rent and the weather is miserable in the summer. So we are no longer living in paradise.

The only thing keeping us here right now is that we don't have the financial stability to move. With the COL so high here, getting stable is very difficult. I feel like I'm in a Catch 22. We're planning to leave August 2008; we're deciding between Eau Claire, WI and St. Joseph, MO.

My kids are excited about moving; they want to experience 4 seasons. I want to be able to afford to provide more for them that just absolute necessities.

[ibarrio]

Moving to Phoenix (Surprise). Last day in California is June 28th

Why?

Crime
Rush...Rush...Rush
No family
Expensive (Everything is)
Illegal Aliens (I know AZ has a lot but LA is the Capital)
Poor Quality of Life (Good money zero time to spend it)

One may see that my last name is Barrio, well I'm from New Mexico not Mexico.

How?

Started planning last Nov. Job search and searching areas and homes. Secured my Job in March. My boss happened to know someone selling a home in Surprise...job is Glendale so I went to check it out. Knew immediately this was the house.
Everything worked out fine and just fell into place.

[CityGirl72]

I moved away in 2004 - I grew up in So Calif, but was living in Sacramento for ten years before the move.

I moved to Seattle, what a mistake. I can't believe how much I miss sun and being warm and everything about Sacramento "fit" me. But why did I move? I had kids. Not a good place for kids.

We left and bought a house right before the biggest part of the boom, so we are sitting pretty IN SEATTLE. It's an okay school he's in - supposedly the best for the area. My son loves it here. Jobs are great here - we're making good money.

I'm miserable. I never seem to warm up. It too cold and cloudy for too long. I used to be one of those people who said "I love the rain" - we;; now I scream I HATE CLOUDS AND COLD.

I don't know how to move back. We'd have to take a pay cut, probably rent, and who knows about the school situations for the kids

Catch 22

[G4inMO]

Stellar9 - Good luck on your future decision. Move to MO.
My family moved from CA and landed in SW Missouri in Aug. 2005. We moved for quality of life with the family. Tired of driving on the freeways for hours at a time each day. We love the change of seasons. This last winter with the ice storms was hectic, but we made it through.

[Twinkle Toes]

Okay people - I'M BAAAAAAACK!!!!!

Most of you know my story - I moved from Palm Desert, CA to San Antonio, TX. Was there for 9 months and I just got back to Palm Desert. Boy am I happy to be back home!!!!! I will never leave here again. I won't even get into fights or arguments with everyone who says they hate CA and are leaving. Just leave! I am just sooooooo incredibly, incredibly happy to be back HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[junkman18]

Originally Posted by Twinkle Toes

Okay people - I'M BAAAAAAACK!!!!!

Most of you know my story - I moved from Palm Desert, CA to San Antonio, TX. Was there for 9 months and I just got back to Palm Desert. Boy am I happy to be back home!!!!! I will never leave here again. I won't even get into fights or arguments with everyone who says they hate CA and are leaving. Just leave! I am just sooooooo incredibly, incredibly happy to be back HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But you live in Palm Desert it's a nice desert town but you still have to pay california taxes.

It looks like most people that can't wait to get out of their live in the Los Angeles area or places like that.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by EscapeCalifornia

As my uncle (who moved to Austin in 92) told me, "When you have kids, the weather is a lot less important."

Actually our (my wife's) experience has been the opposite. We are both from Thousand Oaks and moved to near Colorado Springs last year. With three kids 3, 5, and 7 (and another due 10/2007) she has found it more challenging to take the kids outside to play in the winter. More coats, damp playground equipment, fewer neighbor kids outside playing, etc. (Honestly though, the weather here is prohibitive probably less than 20 days a year due to cold or storms.) In Thousand Oaks you can go outside and play at the park 12 months of the year. I really do miss lap swimming and sunning at Calabasas pool at lunchtime in February.

I think when you "don't" have kids, weather is a lot less important. As an adult I enjoy the interesting weather and change of seasons (I don't enjoy driving on the occasional icy roads - it's flat out frightening.) I love the cooling afternoon summer thunderstorms when the temperature literally drops from 80 to 60 in a half an hour. It is never humid here.

Overall it's a trade off to leave California. For us it was worth it. Bought 2200 sqft in the Lang Ranch area of Thousand Oaks in 1997 for $330K; Sold in 2006 for $920K. Got a relocation package so I didn't pay any closing costs or moving expenses. More jobs here for me - about halfway between Colorado Springs and Denver. No traffic, no kidding, I have not been in traffic since I've moved here (with the possible exception of a five or ten minute jam due to the I-25 construction). Produce in winter is slightly older looking than California produce. Gasoline is much cheaper. We don't need A/C at 7300 feet but I had a $400 natural gas bill one month last winter. I can get to downtown Denver or Denver airport faster than I could get to downtown LA or LAX even though Denver is farther. Just as many soccer teams, basketball teams, YMCAs, summer camps, etc for the kids here. Very few people have swimming pools since it is sort of a short summer. But there are community pools with slides and "sprayground jungle gym" type things.

I cannot understand why a couple with or planning for kids who don't own a home would consider staying in LA unless they were in an "LA only" profession like the movies.

For us, leaving California was one of the best financial moves we could ever make. It was a no brainer. Even if we didn't get the sweet deal it would have been worth it. Is is just more pleasant to live here than in today's Southern California.