[irvine]

Originally Posted by bibit612

CT School Districts are smaller since they are town-based as opposed to county-based like CA. As such, it is easier to get information disseminated, and easier to get to the people at the Board of Eds. Because it is also county run, no matter how great your city is, if you are next door to a less desirable area, your children would still go to the same schools. When we were there, they were talking about installing metal detectors in the schools where my children would have gone to, and we lived in a very nice town.

I don't exactly know what you mean by county-based. In Southern Califronia school districts often cross jurisdictional boundaries (i.e. serve neighboring towns), but they are not run by a county school board, nor do they approach the size of the counties.

In Anaheim for example, there is the Anaheim Union High School District, a junior high and high school district, whose schools serve Anaheim and neighboring communities like Cypress, La Palma, et al. Cypress High School is much better academically than Anaheim High School largely due to demographic factors, but both schools are in the same district. The Cypress school district is a separate elementary-only district that serves the City of Cypress. Most towns in the LA and Orange counties have this small, decentralized structure for the public schools. So, I'd say the majority of school districts in Southern California are actually quite small, but not as small as the school districts of the CT towns, like Greenwich, Darien, Norwalk, New Canaan, Fairfield, etc.

Some cities like Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Long Beach, Pasadena et al have a "unified" school district that includes elem, jr high, and high schools. In LA Unified, many schools have "open enrollment" so families from less desirable areas often send their kids to schools in wealthier areas. LA Unified is definitely too large for its own good, but in the far western areas of the city and the San Fernando Valley there are a few good schools. The Brea-Olinda Unified School District, in north Ornage County, is an example of a small, suburban school district with elem, jr hi, and high schools that are quite good.

Originally Posted by need2m0ve

Important things to us:
a. Schools... Schools... Schools. Good schools are a must
b. Economy (being able to find jobs in IT)
c. Low-crime, safe neighborhoods
d. Family friendly (parks, things for kids to do etc.)
.

Look into Brea and Fullerton in north Orange County: Excellent schools, pedestrian friendly, established and attractive neighborhoods, vibrant downtown neighborhoods for shopping, eating, entertainment, and basic errands. Downtown Fullerton also has a Metrolink/Amtrak station.

In north LA county, check out Santa Clarita/ Valencia. Valencia is an attractive, planned "new town" much like Irvine in Orange County. Irvine is particularly well known for its schools. If you want to be close to the coast, Irvine is an excellent choice. Bike trails meander through Irvine from the wilderness areas all the way to the coast.

In eastern LA County/ Inland Empire look into Glendora, Claremont, Upland, La Verne. All are attractive, established towns with very good schools. Raging Waters in San Dimas is close by as are the wilderness areas of the San Bernardino Mts. In the winter, skiing resorts are less than an hour away.

Closer to the Disneyland Resort in Orange County, check out Cypress and La Palma. The Oxford Academy, a public magnet high school in Cypress is one of the highest ranked secondary schools in the nation. Cypress is close to Long Beach, Seal Beach, etc.

Huntington Beach might have some homes in your price range, but there are some sketchy areas. Further south is San Clemente. Closer to San Diego and along the coast, there's Carlsbad.

And there are many, many other excellent areas to choose from. One thing you might want to consider is the size of the high schools. Many high schools in California approach 3 or 4,000 students. My cousin's senior class (in an LA suburb) had over a thousand students.

And concerning Connecticut, all the towns previously mentioned in this thread are great. Check out Darien and Westport as well. A drive along the Merritt Parkway will take you through many attractive communities. And perhaps look into suburban New York as well (New Rochelle, Mamaroneck, Larchmont). And the Metro-North RR (New Haven line/ Harlem line), which connects these towns, is great for trips into Manhattan.

[renovating]

Originally Posted by irvine

I don't exactly know what you mean by county-based. In Southern Califronia school districts often cross jurisdictional boundaries (i.e. serve neighboring towns), but they are not run by a county school board, nor do they approach the size of the counties.

In Anaheim for example, there is the Anaheim Union High School District, a junior high and high school district, whose schools serve Anaheim and neighboring communities like Cypress, La Palma, et al. Cypress High School is much better academically than Anaheim High School largely due to demographic factors, but both schools are in the same district. The Cypress school district is a separate elementary-only district that serves the City of Cypress. Most towns in the LA and Orange counties have this small, decentralized structure for the public schools. So, I'd say the majority of school districts in Southern California are actually quite small, but not as small as the school districts of the CT towns, like Greenwich, Darien, Norwalk, New Canaan, Fairfield, etc.

Some cities like Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Long Beach, Pasadena et al have a "unified" school district that includes elem, jr high, and high schools. In LA Unified, many schools have "open enrollment" so families from less desirable areas often send their kids to schools in wealthier areas. LA Unified is definitely too large for its own good, but in the far western areas of the city and the San Fernando Valley there are a few good schools. The Brea-Olinda Unified School District, in north Ornage County, is an example of a small, suburban school district with elem, jr hi, and high schools that are quite good.



Look into Brea and Fullerton in north Orange County: Excellent schools, pedestrian friendly, established and attractive neighborhoods, vibrant downtown neighborhoods for shopping, eating, entertainment, and basic errands. Downtown Fullerton also has a Metrolink/Amtrak station.

In north LA county, check out Santa Clarita/ Valencia. Valencia is an attractive, planned "new town" much like Irvine in Orange County. Irvine is particularly well known for its schools. If you want to be close to the coast, Irvine is an excellent choice. Bike trails meander through Irvine from the wilderness areas all the way to the coast.

In eastern LA County/ Inland Empire look into Glendora, Claremont, Upland, La Verne. All are attractive, established towns with very good schools. Raging Waters in San Dimas is close by as are the wilderness areas of the San Bernardino Mts. In the winter, skiing resorts are less than an hour away.

Closer to the Disneyland Resort in Orange County, check out Cypress and La Palma. The Oxford Academy, a public magnet high school in Cypress is one of the highest ranked secondary schools in the nation. Cypress is close to Long Beach, Seal Beach, etc.

Huntington Beach might have some homes in your price range, but there are some sketchy areas. Further south is San Clemente. Closer to San Diego and along the coast, there's Carlsbad.

And there are many, many other excellent areas to choose from. One thing you might want to consider is the size of the high schools. Many high schools in California approach 3 or 4,000 students. My cousin's senior class (in an LA suburb) had over a thousand students.

And concerning Connecticut, all the towns previously mentioned in this thread are great. Check out Darien and Westport as well. A drive along the Merritt Parkway will take you through many attractive communities. And perhaps look into suburban New York as well (New Rochelle, Mamaroneck, Larchmont). And the Metro-North RR (New Haven line/ Harlem line), which connects these towns, is great for trips into Manhattan.

Nice post!

I think its absurd to think one can't have a great quality of life in either state. Both have a lot to offer and are great places to raise a family.

Certainly your career opportunity would be a factor, as well.

I want to add that off the topof my head, in addition to Carlsbad: Encinitas, Solana Beach, La Jolla, Del Mar and Coronado are great places to live.

CT also has many great towns to live. I would secure employment before anything, though.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by esmith143

Well, I was exagerrating. But I think that the point should be clear.

Hartford is sorta the equivalent of Murrieta. The only cities nearby with seven-digit populations are NYC and Boston. Hartford is 120 miles to NYC, 100 miles to Boston, so it's much further from both than Murrieta is from LA and SD. (Murrieta is 50 miles from the outskirts of LA and 50 miles from San Diego city boundaries.) You might manage to commute to one or the other, but it's really tough. So you have to depend on scarce local jobs.

You can buy a big house on acreage for 800k in Hartford and you can buy a big house on acreage for 800k (less, actually) in Murrieta. Whether you can earn enough in either place to afford a 800k house - that's a big unknown.

Murrieta is kinda hot in summer, but 270+ sunny days in a year can't be beat.

The equivalent of Poway is Greenwich or even Rye - a place from which you can commute to a place with ample supply of six-figure jobs (San Diego or Manhattan). Housing wise, your dollar goes further in Poway than in Greenwich.

If you're fortunate enough, say, to choose between a faculty position at Yale (New Haven) and a faculty position at UC San Diego ... CT is clearly better, because Yale is sufficiently in the middle of nowhere to keep your cost of living down, and UC San Diego is in a very expensive area.

If you are an engineer ... you might find a job in Hartford or Murrieta, but that's not very likely. Most likely, your jobs would be in San Diego and Manhattan, and not only is Poway cheaper than Greenwich, but the climate is better too. And, if you dislike public school system in CA so much, you can use the money saved to send your kid to a private school.

If you have a non-pretentious job ... you can't afford San Diego and you can't afford Greenwich, and Murrieta is probably a better place to live than Hartford. Not now, not with double-digit unemployment in IE, but in general.

I am glad that others have noted that your comparisons are not accurate. The City of Hartford is small in both area (17 square miles) and population (122,000) people. The metropolitan area though has over 1 million people. Unlike cities out west, the cities in Connecticut are small in area and surrounded by small independent towns. You really can't compare crime rates since cities like Hartford would be higher because it is denser and not spread out over more population.

I have never heard of Murrieta. Where is it? It certainly is not a major city like Hartford. How can you compare it? I am also not sure why you are comparing Poway to Greenwich. Greenwich is one of the country's most desirable communities, more along the lines of Beverly Hills. And your characterization of Yale "being in the middle of nowhere" is completely off. Yale is located in the middle of New Haven which is the second largest city (128,000) in the state. The metro New Haven area has a population of about 800,000 so it is not no where. Please get your facts straight before posting. Jay

[missionhome]

One factor to consider in the long run for California schools is if you do pick an area with good schools and your student does well, your child can apply for resident tuition at the University of California campuses. Some of these campuses are among the nation's best and the University of California system is internationally respected. Of the top public universities in the country the best UC school's rankings are: UC Berkeley (#1), UC Los Angeles (#3), UC San Diego (#7), UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC Santa Barbara (all three tie at #12).

Expected costs at top private universities is often $50,000 a year today. The UC system's full cost is $25,000 with room/board/books/fees, etc....

When ranked up against the private universities Berkeley ranks #21, UCLA ranks #25, UC San Diego #35, UC Davis, Irvine, and Santa Barbara tie at #44. That is 6 campuses in the top 50 in our country that your child might have the opportunity to attend at a bargain price for college. The public University of Connecticut ranks #66.

Just something to think about in the long term.

[wavehunter007]

Originally Posted by Cooler_King

Good schools...great neighborhood would be tough to find at any price in Southern CA, let alone $500K-$800K. I just moved my family from San Diego to a small town near Hartford CT. I lived in Southern CA for 40 years and I have family going back three generations in San Diego & Los Angeles. I implore you to investigate CT and strongly suggest avoiding So CA. So CA doesn't fit any of your criteria... in CA schools are a joke, economy is in the tank, crime most everywhere, & is not kid/family friendly. We've been in CT for a month and my wife & teenage daughter are blown away with the lifestyle here in CT. We are loving it. We kick ourselves for not getting out of San Diego sooner. We feel like we wasted so many years there now that we see how life is here in CT. Not only is the quality of life so much better than So CA but we've found the the wages to be more in CT then San Diego. And of course houses are twice in San Diego than what they are in CT. Even with the prices coming down in real estate you won't be able to find a decent home in a good neighborhood for $500K in San Diego. No way. Maybe $800K, but you will most likely get a track home on 0.2 acres. For that price in CT you can have a home that will knock your socks off and acres and acres of land. You just can't compare the two. You mention schools 3 times, so it must be top of your list. If that is the case, then it is a no brainer... CT over CA. Talk to most people that know San Diego & New England and the only advantage they will say about CA over CT is the weather. Well the weather just isn't worth it. And the weather is highly overated. It gets uncomfortably hot in the summer time if you live inland. Which for $500-$800K you most likely would be. The San Diego weather quoted in the news is usually taken from the San Diego airport which is next to the bay. Go inland and it isn't quite so moderate.

I think you pretty much nailed my issues with SOCAL.

In the end you’re trading about 90 days of mild weather in SOCAL …for all the other lifestyle issues: cost, crime, traffic, schools, time in the car (always hated that about CA – everything is a long drive, on the East Coast you save on gas). As far as cost, you do get more for your money in CT than in SOCAL. Once you get out of Fairfield County (near NYC), home prices are cheap compared to CA. I love that fact that most of Connecticut is not so crowed like SOCAL, I love that fact you can look up hillsides and see green and grass.

In Connecticut I think we are so laid back and live and let live becomes we are close to the huge cites like NYC…but far enough away that it’s not crushing. In CA it just seems like a mass of confusion and traffic by comparison…I’m not cut out for that type of stress. Also, I love all the green in Connecticut and the East Coast in general. The West seems so stunted and barren. Still, they do have mild winters out there; you can’t take that fact out of the equation.

Well, it’s June and I can’t complain now, another sunny day today and we’re heading up to 85 F… so I’m headed to the beach again. Maybe I’ll just move to Florida when December rolls in (lol).

Cheers

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by missionhome

One factor to consider in the long run for California schools is if you do pick an area with good schools and your student does well, your child can apply for resident tuition at the University of California campuses. Some of these campuses are among the nation's best and the University of California system is internationally respected. Of the top public universities in the country the best UC school's rankings are: UC Berkeley (#1), UC Los Angeles (#3), UC San Diego (#7), UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC Santa Barbara (all three tie at #12).

Expected costs at top private universities is often $50,000 a year today. The UC system's full cost is $25,000 with room/board/books/fees, etc....

When ranked up against the private universities Berkeley ranks #21, UCLA ranks #25, UC San Diego #35, UC Davis, Irvine, and Santa Barbara tie at #44. That is 6 campuses in the top 50 in our country that your child might have the opportunity to attend at a bargain price for college. The public University of Connecticut ranks #66.

Just something to think about in the long term.

Yes but outside of the public universities, aren't there very few choices. That is a complaint my friend that lives out there has. Very limited choices and these public schools are hard to get into. Jay

[renovating]

Originally Posted by JayCT

Yes but outside of the public universities, aren't there very few choices. That is a complaint my friend that lives out there has. Very limited choices and these public schools are hard to get into. Jay

Well, the CA schools must be doing something right since the top rated public universities are filled with graduates of the CA public school system.

[JViello]

Originally Posted by renovating

Well, the CA schools must be doing something right since the top rated public universities are filled with graduates of the CA public school system.

Who's rating system? I meant to ask that yesterday. There are tons of "best" lists and all seem to have different universities.

Ever wonder why CA is bankrupt? Just something to think about...

[MetsNY]

UConn is #66 and California has some universities in the top 50, that's great, you're trying to say that all those Cal schools are better than our state university. There is no denying Berkeley and UCLA, but to be quite honest, I gurentee UConn can compete with the others with no questions asked. Public Universities are great but outside Berkeley and UCLA not many people from other areas of the nation are going to care if you attended UC Davis. Going for a job in Chicago, you'll have more of a chance coming from UIllinois then from either UC Davis or UConn, no matter what the ranking systems are.

In Cali, its better to go to UC Davis or San Diego. In the NE its better to go to UConn.

I think the only reason Cali has so many schools in the top 50 is because let's be honest there is a much bigger population. More big time research universities, more smart kids willing to go to those in-state schools rather than opt out for private schools which many do in Connecticut. In Connecticut most kids choices are private schools such as BC, BU, Villanova, Fordham, Pace, QU, UHart, Sacred Heart, Fairfield U, Springfield, Trinity, Williams, Wesleyen, Middlebury, Bates, Providence, the list goes on and on.

[waterlily1010]

Personally, we would move back to OC in a heartbeat, ideally back to Irvine (safe, good schools, nice new houses). Newport Coast seems to have become affordable now. Ideally, work near home to avoid traffic (which I think is as bad as around where we are now in Mass.). In any situation, you can always take the toll road which runs across OC and is a real alternative to the interstate. Brea's nice too, it has a downtown area which Irvine is lacking. Not much culture though but the outdoors activities make up for it. The weather is fantastic all year-round, it's quite dry near the coast in the summer (I think it's different, more humid if you go more inland), fewer mosquitoes too and no weird insects. I had forgotten what coats/sweaters were, T-shirt all the time! I dread our first winter in New England (driving on icy roads, shoveling) but coming from IL, you've seen it all...

People like to flash their shiny foreign cars but I don't find them snobby (just roll your eyes at them ;P - we drove German cars but always thought we were down to earth). Weird yes especially Newport Beach (Fashion Island in Newport = nip/tuck central), 80 years old trying to pick up my 25 year old friend in her apartment complex.... In general people always seem happy to be there though.

Well things might be different now several months later with the state running out of money and California being so hard hit by the recession (subprime exploded in Irvine). I know taxes are much lower in CT (we're looking at moving there now), you get more for what you pay with houses, gas is cheaper etc... No earthquake, no wildfire.

I don't know about crime near Irvine, we always felt so safe in tame Irvine (lots of young families and students) or Newport Beach (lots of retired people and trust fund kids). Not much of a nightlife there. LA is 45 mins away and San Diego 1 hour away.

Good luck in deciding! Both places are $$$. Just make sure that whereever you go, there's more opportunities around should the job not last.