Think hard before you "escape." (Pocatello, Idaho Falls: house, wedding)

[StampinTami]

Originally Posted by MagpiesMagpiesMagpies

Very well thought out piece, but honestly struggling Californians should be the last of anyone's concerns. For someone who can cash out a 2br bungalow for a cool $half mil, if they can't make a go at it just about anywhere else they deserve the misery they put themselves into.

Magpies

But not all Californians own a home or one that is cashing out at that...

[Marks]

Originally Posted by StampinTami

But not all Californians own a home or one that is cashing out at that...

Very true.

As I mill my way around other state forums here on city-data, I find other states becoming more upset with outsiders moving in. For various reasons, mostly driving up the housing cost, many of the other states have a dislike for Californians doing this. Try as I might to convince people "we" (my family and I) are not like that they still dislike Californians. To be honest, even though I lived here 33 of my 43 years, I don't consider myself a Californian--because this state does not reflect my values, ethics, or beliefs. I would say I'm more southern than anything else.

I really had not thought that this was still happening. I remember when my sister moved from CA to Washington state in the 80’s they were disliked, had nasty messages left on their answering machine, yard vandalized, etc. eventually it passed and they have been fine ever since.

So, I guess my point is we do still need to be conscience about where we move, how we “might” be treated, and how we represent ourselves once we do we move. For us we just need a quieter and slower lifestyle, religious folk, less cost of living, and be ready to actively give to the community instead of take away.

Can anyone relate to this?

[williamter]

I liked very much what you said, and my story is a little different although similar in way's. I was born in the Bronx, New York in 1952 10 blocks from Yankee Stadium where I used to walk to on weekends and sit in the "bleachers" for .75 cents, and wait for a Mickey Mantle homer to come my way. I went to the Public School on my street and I played stickball in the same schoolyard. My summers were spent next to an open fire hydrant, and on the roof at night to get the breeze. Snowstorms had us on our sleds racing through an intersection trying to avoid traffic. Roller Skating was the craze along with collecting comics. My father was a Bellhop in Manhattan and we did not own a car, so we travelled by subway to shop for groceries, and anything else we needed. There were no super centers just small stores where the owner added up everything with a pencil on the paper bag that was your receipt, and he was never a penny off. I stayed in New York as an adult and raised my son there when everyone was fleeing to the suburbs. I became a New York City Police Officer (1982) and policed those same streets I grew up on in the South Bronx. The ethnicity had changed but I always said there are good people in every neighborhood and that held true then and still does. I have seen what happens to a great place when it becomes unaffordable to live in and it is not pretty.

[shades_of_idaho]

Marks I think the biggest thing about moving into a new area is just do it and accept the area for what it is and do not try to turn it into what you are running from in Calif. YES the people moving in from Calif seem to be raising housing prices and that is hard but I think it would happen no matter where the people are movig in from. I worked hard did without and saved my money for years to get out of California. I was ready and never looked back or missed what I left behind. BTW Give old CK McClatchy high School a wave for me. LOL Been awhile since I graduated from there, like 39 years. I bet the old school is still standing.

Chris

[BryanN]

As a life long resident of Idaho now for over 40 years, I have to say that most if not all of the people I personally know that have moved into my area of the state (Twin Falls) have just been families looking for something better for themselves and thier kids. I have seen kids bringing thier parents with them too, as they all want to escape the crush of people and enjoy a little wide open spaces before they die. Nothing wrong with that as far as I can see. I'm just thankful that I did'nt have to experience what many of them had to before I was able to enjoy the good life in Idaho. I say, if you come into my town with the right attitude, the willingness to work with us and contribute to our community, then you are welcome. Town's that don't grow, die, and town's that grow too fast, die also. City leaders that embrace and plan for growth are a benefit to all, both those that live here, and those that want to live here...

[MagpiesMagpiesMagpies]

Originally Posted by StampinTami

But not all Californians own a home or one that is cashing out at that...

Fair enough. I should have qualified my statement. We shouldn't be boo-hooing about transplants who can afford to buy a home on a slide zone or can't hack it on the lower wages that locals themselves can manage quite contentedly.

Magpies

[huntman58]

Great post and some thing many do not look at first . I was one of them . now looking back I would never have moved to Idaho at all nor will I ever move back

[wildberries61]

I believe what makes most Idahoans disappointed in Californians is the bragging they do before they get here. I live in Mccall and not a day goes by that you don't hear people saying I can sell my place in Calif. and live high on the hog in Idaho. As most of us have struggled through small town inconvenience and long hard winters hoping we will make our next house payment on a 2000 sq ft home and maybe we won't have too shovel too much snow. They blow in build a 4000 sq ft home tear up the pasture that once had deer and elk and aspen groves and can't stand the snow and no convenience of city life sell out and let all of us know how much they hated living here.

Californians move here and what dirt roads Oh No!! we can't have that let's pave it. Hunting!! What a disguesting sport we must save all the wildlife let's change hunting laws you can't hurt the animals. Dirt bikes in the mountains this is disguesting well they moved here for the quiteness and the beauty of the outdoors and we must all jog or bicycle ever where we go. Where are the Starbucks and Wal-Marts I mean every town must have these. By the way no daycare we had a write up in our paper of people complaining we had no daycare services. When you live in a small town most of us take our kids to work or stay home with them until they can attend school.

Sorry you must live with less in the mountains and rural areas that is what brings most of us here. Californians not all but, most just want to change it all or complain about what we don't have and how backwooded Idahoans are.

Please remember living in the rural parts of Idaho is very tough and a challange not for the meek. I myself moved from Northern Calif. 14 years ago and no I didn't cash out and live here with no problems there have been many but, each problem has made me stronger and surviving the wilderness lets me know that I can do it. I don't need paved street, Starbucks, Wal-Mart , exercise gyms, somebody else to watch my kids I work full time and most of that with my kids on my hip and a vacuum in the other and lived modestly.

If you move to the rural areas come for the beauty of the wild please don't try to make it the city you came from we like our wilderness just the way that it is.

[Richard Boyer]

hey warning voice you had alot to say''' i am a so cal man I spent my whole life there ..have you ever been there? if so was it in the last year? well lt me give you a brief description of it: if you live inland from the coast you have gangs...ever see a gang fight? not to nice you have drug dealers taking over neighborhoods ..neighborhoods over ran by illegal immigrants from mexico ...homeless everywhere....smog so bad you cant see the mountains 5 miles away ...oh if you have teenage children they will most likely headed for prison if you cant watgh them 24.7 ..housing prices are way sky hi...ever sat in traffic for1 hour only to 3 miles? just to get to work on time ? lets see...oh yeah give someone the wrong look and and your throwing blows!!!! yeah I think I could sacrifice all that for a little snow , culture shock...oh and peace and quiet.... change is good! so many more are sure to come....so just remember we californians are coming from a rough environment and arent intimidated very easy.......for greateris HE that is in me , than he that is in the world!

[Marinka]

Come on people, stop being so negative. Idaho is not that bad with jobs. Since there is construction, Idaho has lots of jobs. It's a good state that will pick up economically soon. More people need to move there in order for the State to prosper. We are moving to Meridian from Sacramento, CA. Here we live in a 2 bed Apartment with a payment of $ 800.00 a month and this is not even ours. We are buying a nice home for $ 220,000 in Meridian. My hubby will be the only bread maker since I am a student and will be teaching.
I love the fact that there are so many church people. When I visited Meridian two months ago, I was shocked that most people were at Chucrh on Sundays. It's great that the state is so conservative. God will bless the whole state when people come to him. California is way too liberal and that is why everything is going down and I belive that if it does not stop the whole Sodome and Gamore, God will act and that is scary to imagine. So, I trully belive that if you want a good wholsome family, move to a conservative state like Idaho.