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Old 03-02-2010, 04:52 PM
 
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I am sure there are a million threads about moving to California from all over let a lone the east coast but I have a few questions that I was hoping to have specifically answered. First everyone knows that earthquakes are common place in CA but with all the different fault lines I am wondering if there are places where even small earthquakes are less likely?


How are bugs/spiders compared to a place like Florida?


I am really looking for some nice active cities with mild winters and low crime rate. Something within 10-40 miles to the coast would be fine


I have a bunch more question but any help on ones asked is appreciated
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Old 03-02-2010, 05:02 PM
 
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You are right-a million threads. please search forum for earthquakes in CA;you'll find more info that way. small earthquakes can be felt anywhere there's a major metro area/desireable place to live in CA. sfo,santa cruz,LA,SD (you feel minor ones in SD;has never had a 'big one' and is not considered likely to,as SFO and LA are]. Also,search the fault lines for maps and info. you will see the large sfo one goes all the way to mendocino. Also,hundreds of miles from the epicenter can be affected by a major earthquake. It's a risk in moving to Ca,as well as the pacific northwest.

Bugs in so cal are almost non existant,unless you go into the desert proper. NOTHING like fla-it's a dry mediterranean climate in so cal. ie,not humid,and not tropical or even semi tropical. No Cal has more critters-but from the moist,damp weather-nothing out of hand.
Having lived both parts of the state,and also having lived in co,mt and from the NE,CA has the fewest bugs and particularly few mosquitos [none in SD that i've experienced in 8 yrs]and biting bugs/stingers.

I have not had issues with roaches of any kind,though i know they do exist,but not like in FLA. I have had ants in the house,but they are the ones that come in when it rains hard-not biters,small,attracted to water,and easy enough to get rid of.

Snails come out when it rains-you see them on the outdoor walls and sidewalks. slugs in nor cal. again,outside.

jellyfish ocassionally in certain waters,when i'ts warm enough,but you pay attention to the reports and avoid those beaches for that week or few days. I have seen a couple of dead ones in la jolla on the sand,but never been bitten or stung,and most of the year,they are not present in the water near shore whatsoever.

I saw a dead,rotting great white shark at torrey pines beach a couple of months ago. that's a sight to behold! it was huge. again,you hear of sightings,once in awhile. and they are monitored so you can be updated. mostly,you see seals,dolphins,etc swimming with the surfers.
Lots of hummingbirds,ravens,hawks,occasional rattlesnakes-from mar-oct,on the hiking trails or inland in yards [ie,el cajon,escondido-east county inland in the summer]...that's about it!
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Old 03-02-2010, 05:18 PM
 
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Thanks for that info and I will have to do some more searching on earthquakes even though I know it will be something I will just have to get use to.


Around what cities does it start to get away from the nice warm weather and get cold? How high north do you have to go so I know to stay below a certain point
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Old 03-02-2010, 06:14 PM
 
Location: Santa Cruz, CA
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Regarding bugs, the number and variety vary depending on where you live (and how immersed in nature your home is, ie; how rural) but of course California has creepy crawlers ... Southern CA too.
I'm on the central coast in an area that is very fecund / fertile and if you want a sterile environment you'll want to avoid such a place although what a bummer of a trade off, imo.
Once you get used to the nature of things, you'll realize that you don't have to be afraid ... you just need a bit of common sense.
As a dog person, ticks (tics?) are my least favorite creature in the world (they're the only "thing" that i killl - pull one off my dog and if it's still alive, down the toilet it goes) and they are rampant in the redwoods and in many coastal areas (when they're swarming).
And yes, they are in southern CA too.
Mosquitoes abound when and/or where it's wet.
Spiders of all kinds (including deadly ones) are everywhere ... including Southern California.
We've got scorpions too.
Oh yes, and the oh so lovely potato bug (they're in SoCal too).
Isn't he cute?
But they are harmless ... just really freaky until you get to know 'em - then they're like bulldogs ... so ugly they're beautiful.




Regarding earthquakes ... if you have a fear of them and yet want to be on the coast, you'll need to just let that concern go otherwise you will go nuts.


Moving to CA From East Coast-potato-bugs.jpg

Last edited by coyoteskye; 03-02-2010 at 06:22 PM..
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Old 03-03-2010, 12:08 PM
 
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Bugs like that dont bother me too much especially when you compare them to Florida where I am also considering.


Does anyone know at what point it starts to get colder like I mentioned above^
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Old 03-03-2010, 12:53 PM
 
Location: Santa Cruz, CA
2,901 posts, read 12,690,166 times
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When does it get colder?
There are seasons on the CA coast ... they're just much more subtle than the season of New England.
So winter begins here at the same time it begins everywhere in the northern hemisphere.

You said in your previous post:

"Around what cities does it start to get away from the nice warm weather and get cold? How high north do you have to go so I know to stay below a certain point."

I'm not sure what you're asking. Maybe it's me but those two sentences have me baffled ... especially the 2nd sentence.
Are you implying that you would rather not live in southern CA but are concerned that coastal points to the north will be too cold when winter comes?What area of California are you interested in?
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Old 03-03-2010, 07:06 PM
 
10 posts, read 60,018 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by coyoteskye View Post
When does it get colder?
There are seasons on the CA coast ... they're just much more subtle than the season of New England.
So winter begins here at the same time it begins everywhere in the northern hemisphere.

You said in your previous post:

"Around what cities does it start to get away from the nice warm weather and get cold? How high north do you have to go so I know to stay below a certain point."

I'm not sure what you're asking. Maybe it's me but those two sentences have me baffled ... especially the 2nd sentence.
Are you implying that you would rather not live in southern CA but are concerned that coastal points to the north will be too cold when winter comes?What area of California are you interested in?



I wouldnt mind Southern CA but it tends to be more expensive doesnt it?
I know you guys still get mild seasons but in northern CA you get actual winters and I want to get away from that so my best area would most likely be central?
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Old 03-03-2010, 07:17 PM
 
Location: SF Bay Area
18,957 posts, read 32,406,811 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SimplexDesign View Post
I wouldnt mind Southern CA but it tends to be more expensive doesnt it?
I know you guys still get mild seasons but in northern CA you get actual winters and I want to get away from that so my best area would most likely be central?
Northern CA is more expensive, mainly the Bay Area and some areas around it.

Unless you're in the mountains, you will not get really cold temps or snow. Most of Northern Ca tends to have high temps in the 50's during winter. In Southern Ca it's mainly 60's but SoCal tends to get more periodic warm spells throughout winter than can push temps into the 70's and 80's, but the norm is 60's.

A lot of places could work for you, including San Diego. SD has a much lower risk from a large quake compared to SF and LA b/c of it's distance from the San Andreas fault. Central Valley also has few major quakes.
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Old 03-03-2010, 07:45 PM
 
Location: Santa Cruz, CA
2,901 posts, read 12,690,166 times
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Well, the whole coast gets actual winters but the temps are, like sav858 said, a bit more mild in SoCal.
And Santa Cruz is on the northern part of the central coast (at the "top" of the Monterey Bay) ... not technically northern California (where is that invisible line?) and the climate is somewhat different than the northern coast.
In the Santa Cruz area the rains come around November and last through April-ish (although it poured for a few days at the beginning of May last year and we had a deluge in October ... patterns are "off") but winters are relatively mild (50's, 60's and once in awhile even warmer during sunny stretches between the rains - i've walked on the beach in a t-shirt in February for example although usually you'd need a jacket).

Much of the CA coast is very expensive.
Rental and housing costs in the bay area and Santa Cruz county are very high but there are parts of the central coast (like the San Luis Obispo area) that are not as crazy expensive.
And it is possible to live in these overpriced areas if you're willing and able to live simply.
That's what i do.

You will never experience anything close to New England winters on the California coast.
You'll just have to deal with rain in the winter ... sometimes a lot (like this winter which was an El Nino winter) but sometimes not a lot depending on where you are and what kind of winter it is.
And if you need some snow and cold (you might just miss it every now and then ) it's a relatively short drive to the higher elevations and you can roll in feets and feets of snow in the Sierra ... in the mountains.
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Old 03-03-2010, 08:16 PM
 
Location: Pasadena
7,411 posts, read 10,315,618 times
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Frankly, anyone from the East Coast needs to be fully aware of how high the risk is for earthquakes in California. CNN ran a program that science has identifyied the 5 most high risk cities for a major earthquake. Including Tehran\ Jakarta\ Mexico City & Seattle. Unfortunately Los Angeles was identified as the city most at risk for a serious earthquake. A person has to consider this downside to California.
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