PLEASE HELP - Planning a Road Trip, and eventually want to move to the "Best Spot" in CA... (San Jose: real estate)

[Angels Earn Their Wings]

First, THANK YOU for taking a minute to help us out with info for our big move to CA

WHERE ARE THE GREAT PLACES TO LIVE?...My husband, 17 year old daughter and I are interested in moving to CA. I have been on a "spiritual journey" for some time and have recently been feeling that we are being "called" (on an intuitive level) to re-locate to California... just not sure where. So far my intuitive sense is north to central CA, on or near the ocean or lake(s).

BUSINESS PROSPECTS?... As my husband and I are both self insured in the medical insurance field, we are flexible with opportunity for work. However, our work is conducive to small, med and large business - just not government, military or mega size companies.

UNIQUE TOWN OR CITY FOR NEW BUSINESS... My daughter and I are extremely interested in opening a retail store with unique art, jewelry, select women's clothing, and locally made items, etc....So, an pretty town/city with unique "flavor", attractive to local shoppers, as well as tourists would be ideal.

Also, a general feeling of "spiritualism" would be great, but not a deal breaker. I can travel to spirit is I need too though!

Where to find GREAT Fly Fishing Spots, and Art Classes/Organizations and Motorcycle Clubs... We are looking for suggestions?

Thanks again for your help and suggestions!

[greatbasinguide]

First, let me redirect you. If you are an outdoors person, Elko Nevada is where you want to be, anywhere else is second best.
Second, expect to be shocked at the price of CA real estate, including retail space rental.
Third, California is a large state with enormously varied climates and environments. You need to narrow the field.

Fourth, California has over 30,000,000 people.

Fifth, spiritual towns with quaint retail, south to north: Halcyon, Cambria, Big Sur, Santa Cruz, Occidental, Mendocino, Nevada City, Arcata. An yes I missed a few.

[nclora]

There are lots of great places to live in CA. Spiritually vs. business though, may take you in different directions.

In Northern CA, Mendocino and surrounding towns such as Philo, Elk, and Gualala are all beautiful in scenery and attract spiritually oriented folks.
Mendocino gets quite a bit of rain, is geographically isolated and is limited in "entertainment". However if you like rural lifestyle it is very pleasant.
It is foggy along the coast in summer esp. but not so foggy a few miles inland. Real estate is pricey, but not as pricey as Sonoma county towns mentioned below. Unless you can telecommute however, you would not find it a good fit for your business if you are relying on working with a large quantity of medium and large businesses.

In Sonoma county,Petaluma, Sebastapol,and Cotati still have some small town charm and are close to bigger metropolitan areas such as San Francisco and Santa Rosa so they might be worth checking into.

The Sierras are also very beautiful, Placerville and Auburn, are at the foothills of the Sierra, not a lot of snow, more conservative than the coastal areas, more economically feasible for your type of business than further up into the Sierras. Also any of these locals would be good for a retail shop, attracting both tourists and locals, but the real estate costs will vary widely. You would be relatively close to Lake Tahoe and Yosemite.

Santa Cruz (vicinity)has some very beautiful areas to live in...Corralitos, Boulder Creek (in the mountains outside of Santa Cruz, lots of redwoods)
You could commute to San Jose for business (45 min-1hr) or run your business in Santa Cruz. You could do a retail business in Capitola, Santa Cruz, Aptos or many other coastal towns in the immediate area...again, both locals and tourists. Santa Cruz is warmer than the Mendocino area.

Spend some time ...visiting an area and living there can be quite different.

[gizmo980]

Though I could suggest a hundred places, the first one that comes to mind is Eureka/Arcata... it's a little coastal college town, way up by the Oregon border, and I've always loved it there. Unique is definitely one word to describe it, and it could also be called "artsy", "hippie/liberal", etc. Right up my alley, LOL. I don't know much about living there with kids, but it's overall a very safe place... and being a college town, I think it should have good schools & educational opportunities. But like other posters said, you should definitely take a long trip here! There's soooo much to explore, and it would be impossible for us to know the best fit.

A few more suggestions - Lake Tahoe/Truckee, Petaluma, Sonoma, San Luis Obispo, and Monterey/Carmel. And while this isn't in California, I think you'd also love Ashland, Oregon... it's right at the border of CA, and is a great little town!!

[Leasure]

We live in the coastal town of Los Osos. It is quaint and artsy (my husband and I are both artists) Also, Cambria is a nice place but a bit isolated. Ojai fits the description but pricey. Hope you find what you are looking for!
Susie

[beachwizard]

There are many great places in California. My favorite is where I live, Nevada City. I've been all over the state and no place has all that Nevada City has. Listen to kvmr.com, our community radio station, to get a feel for the place.