Leaving La / California - Asap (San Diego, San Jose: clubs, beach, food)

[BayAreaHillbilly]

Originally Posted by Curmudgeon

We'll be moving back to "America" in about three months. For us it will be Missouri which is a nice mix of mid-western and southern with four distinct and definable seasons, rivers lake and streams, the Ozarks, tons of greenery, a slower-paced lifestyle, friendliness and a much lower cost of living.

I'm originally from southern CA and now live in Sacramento which is like a microcosm of L.A. There's lots of diversity, tons of local governmental pandering to minorities to capture their votes and more gangs than I care to count. Like the OP, I'm a former peace officer from SoCal. No one can escape all the societal ills anywhere but one doesn't have to settle for being immersed in a seething pot of them.

An ideal, safe, white-picket-fence scenario is something I cherish, especially now that I'm retired, and it doesn't have to be segregated. However, I also see nothing wrong with wanting to live somewhere in my own country in which I haven't become a minority. I don't care for that and I don't have to prove how progressive and accepting I am by pretending otherwise.

I've lived in three other countries and enjoyed each one of them, even when there were people shooting at me. The experience of other cultures was invaluable. But it's now time to leave California and return home, back to America. My wife agrees and we're both natives. There are worse things in life than safe and sane surroundings where our own language is spoken in our own country.

By the way, for the foodies, my wife and I both cook in several languages so we won't be doing without!

Whereas this state used to tolerate nutballs, Communists, radicals, etc, it has now become something more ... something I call the "Un-Free State Project" (no doubt you've heard of its antipode, the Free State Project). It seems that those of a radical persuasion are specifically targeting coming here. Sort of like a Cuba where they don't take you out to the wall and blow your head off (yet) - Viva La Revolucion!!!??

[Curmudgeon]

Originally Posted by BayAreaHillbilly

Whereas this state used to tolerate nutballs, Communists, radicals, etc, it has now become something more ... something I call the "Un-Free State Project" (no doubt you've heard of its antipode, the Free State Project). It seems that those of a radical persuasion are specifically targeting coming here. Sort of like a Cuba where they don't take you out to the wall and blow your head off (yet) - Viva La Revolucion!!!??

I will thoroughly enjoy sitting on my porch or deck, which may be overlooking a lake or the Mississippi River, sipping my coffee, powering up my laptop and pulling up some of my state and political sites on California to see what new madness will prevail.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by saguarodave

Just about everything in life has its trade-offs. I have a season subscription to the L.A. Philharmonic, go to many Dodgers and Kings games, regularly attend the L.A. County Art Museum and the Pacific Asia Museum, and love to go to the UCLA Library as well as our world-class public library. I also enjoy being able to eat Chinese, Thai, Indian, French, Mexican, whatever I want, there is an excellent restaurant not fay away. Such things are important to me.It would be hard to find such amenities in Appleton or Boise. So in the end it depends on what you prefer.

I completely agree with this but you have to admit, getting to all these interesting things is such a hassle. I wanted to go to a Dodger game last month (driving from my parents' home in Calabasas). I just couldn't convince myself that the traffic was worth it. It is just so painful. But I too miss all the ethnic foods and diversity and endless retail like Fry's electronics, Trader Joes, etc. It is impossible to find a kabob place in Huntsville. Most Mexican food is "gringo" style. Greek food is chain and prepared by high school kids. Everything else is "Meat and three" or BBQ. Probably because Huntsville is like 65% white, 30% black and basically nothing else.

[EscapeCalifornia]

Originally Posted by Charles

I completely agree with this but you have to admit, getting to all these interesting things is such a hassle. I wanted to go to a Dodger game last month (driving from my parents' home in Calabasas). I just couldn't convince myself that the traffic was worth it. It is just so painful.

Yeah I'd say traffic is a close second to cost of living on my list of reasons to leave. Just this last Sunday, I went from South Coast Plaza area to the northern part of Irvine to see a friend and got stuck in bumper to bumper traffic on the 55. At 4:00pm on a freaking Sunday! So plan B was to get off the freeway and zig zag my way on surface streets. But of course the surface streets are busy too and there's stop lights every 1/4 mile or less. By the time we got there, I was so disgusted with the journey that I could hardly enjoy myself. And OC traffic isn't even close to being as bad as LA's.

[Curmudgeon]

Originally Posted by EscapeCalifornia

And OC traffic isn't even close to being as bad as LA's.

And I know I'm just going to have to accept occasionally getting stuck behind some farm implement on a two lane road.

But wait. I'm retired. I don't have to get anyplace in a hurry.

[mysticaltyger]

Originally Posted by CESpeed

It's amazing to me how that the only truth people ever want to hear about LA is how nice the weather is, how many celebrities one can meet or how one can make tons of money just by moving here.

The reality is most of the people who live here are struggling to make ends meet. Just yesterday I was at the Century City mall and saw two security guards chasing this kid who apparently robbed a store in the mall. All over the city, except for the most affluent areas, there is graffitti on the walls and anywhere the monsters can write or scratch on. English is quickly becoming an endangered language. And yes, violence is on the rise.

Two women at USC were raped withing the past month. In Inglewood, four people have been killed by Inglewood PD in a six week period. A mother and three of her children were killed in Palmdale. Robberies and thefts are on the rise.

And people keep moving here thinking it's utopia. Raggedy isn't that why you're moving here? You think LA is utopia but PacifiCop is right there are other areas of this State and this Country that offer the same financial opportunities that Los Angeles does. The fact is if people who are flocking to LA stayed and built up the places they are from, there would be more jobs, etc. All over the country.

I work for a high end cruise line where cruises cost an average of $30,000 per couple most of our guests come from small towns not LA, NY or other big cities. Most people living in big cities are too busy working to make money to enjoy the money they make.

This post has a lot of truth to it mixed with some glaring errors. The crime rate in Los Angeles is actually FELL between 2007 and 2008 (see link). It's possible it's begun to rise in 2009, but a few anecdotes about crime does not prove it.

Table 4 - Alabama through California

[YoungSanDiegoDude]

Originally Posted by Pacificop

This country's landscape is gorgeous everywhere east of the Southwestern United States. If you are a desert lover, I mean no offense, but our transplanted greenery is in no way comparable to absolute beauty the rest of this country has.

But more to the point, as a career law enforcement officer in Southern California for a large agency, I have had the great fortune to work all crimes including a 6 year stint in homicide. I have been to all four corners of this country and places in between on business and pleasure trips. I’ve spent time with cops in other major, moderate and small towns. Even some Chicago cops couldn’t fathom some of the experiences I’ve had. There are cities and regions in this country (not Simpletown with 5,000 pop or less) that are dumbfounded at what goes on here. I finally figured out what seemed different on a recent trip to Appleton, Wisconsin. It was that the people seemed relaxed. They enjoyed living there, therefore they enjoyed each other, their jobs, parks and downtowns. They don’t live in constant fear.

I think the difference here is that we have a large populous who are nervous and fearful most of the time. You don’t know how abnormal that is until you visit some other city of 50,000 – 75,000 people and realize, life isn’t supposed to be scary. Is any place perfect – NO! But come on, LA and a growing number of its people enjoy the Gotham mentality. Well, this isn’t the movies; Batman, Superman and all of the other superheroes aren’t going to instantly restore order to a place that has taken decades to deteriorate.

The kind of crimes that get reported and printed on the front page of newspapers in other areas, I wouldn't bother to even prepare a press release for here - the local press would laugh at me for trivializing their work. We take for granted and think it is normal that everyone everywhereis wallowing in the same despair as we are; living in fear just going to the mall or grocery store. But it ain't so.

You see, even if you are wealthy and live in a gated community or mansion, you still need a hair cut, toiletries from the local drug store, milk, bread and eggs from the market and (over priced) gas from the local pumps. It is there that the fight for your life, the fear of being robbed and catching a disease from some virus infested goober trying to get money for drugs - they're not going to buy soup. (Try this social science experiment for those bleeding hearts out there. Next time you are hit up by someone who needs money to eat - offer to buy them a sandwich and see how much hostility you are met with. I've done it.)

I'm pulling an early retirement and moving away from Liberal Angeles to a place where family values are important and part of the city/county goals, being held accountable for ones actions is still regarded, school grades are important to the family and the grass is actually green. The only complaint I hear from people or POSTs about the southern region of the US is the humidity.

Point of fact: Humidity doesn't spray paint on walls, sell drugs on the street corner, offer to put your 12 year old daughter in a sex movie, etc. etc. etc. (I'll just have to lather up on "Bug Off" and carry a fly swatter I guess. Not a bad trade off.)

Can I get an AMEN!! I don't care what anyone says, this place (as in So Cal; not just LA/OC) is completely lacking in morals and family values.

This is a place where it's OK to be a bad parent. A place where it's OK to dress in a very innapropriate way in public. A place where it is OK to skip school, join a gang, and do drugs. A place where it is pretty much OK to treat others with disrespect. A place where it is OK to be a worthless, stuck-up, shallow, needy, materialistic, superficial loser (and I' am not just referring to women) who does nothing but mooch off of others (i.e. mommy and daddy) for their own benefit, and does nothing with their life but party, go to clubs, and act like they are entitled to something.

Of course, NOT EVERYONE IS LIKE THAT out here , so MAJOR kudos to all of you who are not ! However, anyone who doesn't think that most of the popluation out here fits that profile (btw, I' am only referring to So Cal, not the entire state of California) is in serious denial. I have lived out here now for several years, so I have seen it for myself. In fact, I pretty much see it everyday since I don't have the luxury of having a car to drive everywhere that I need/want to go.

Don't get me wrong, Southern California has excellent weather, scenery, recreational/entertainment/shopping opportunities, and a very vast/good selection of restaurants with food from all over the world. However, the social atmosphere out here sucks and coupled with the cost of living out here, it's just not worth it. I prefer to attend college, start a career, and raise a family elsewhere.

There are too many people with personality issues (or other issues, for that matter) out here. Overall, when it comes to people, I would take the south over So Cal ANYDAY. In fact, I believe that the place I' am moving to next year (Tulsa, OK) is techically in the south. Anyway, the people in that area are genuinely nice people, and the culture there is not dumbed down and seriously lacking in the morals department. Also, the weather there actually has some variety to it. As for the humidity, it doesn't bother me that much unless it's extremely bad (i.e. like Southern Mississippi in August).

However, if I did decide to stay in Cali, I would move to the Northern Part of the state (i.e. Tracy, Redding, Turlock, Chico, San Jose, Sacramento, Eureka, ect.). The people and the culture up there are MUCH different (in a good way, of course). I can't hate on the entire state of California (a State that I really like, btw) just because of one messed up little corner of it.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by YoungSanDiegoDude

this place (as in So Cal; not just LA/OC) is completely lacking in morals and family values.

This is a place where it's OK to be a bad parent. A place where it's OK to dress in a very innapropriate way in public. A place where it is OK to skip school, join a gang, and do drugs. A place where it is pretty much OK to treat others with disrespect. A place where it is OK to be a worthless, stuck-up, shallow, needy, materialistic, superficial loser (and I' am not just referring to women) who does nothing but mooch off of others (i.e. mommy and daddy) for their own benefit, and does nothing with their life but party, go to clubs, and act like they are entitled to something.




I prefer to attend college, start a career, and raise a family elsewhere.


I would take the south over So Cal ANYDAY.
the people in that area are genuinely nice people, and the culture there is not dumbed down and seriously lacking in the morals department. Also, the weather there actually has some variety to it. As for the humidity, it doesn't bother me that much unless it's extremely bad (i.e. like Southern Mississippi in August).

Sounds like you are blowing off steam. Still, I can understand moving to a lower cost of living place. I did it.

But seriously, how many people who post on City-Data have kids that have even a remote possibility of joining a gang?

I don't think you'll find a whole lot of differences between people in the same socioeconomic stratus, at least not as significant as you write. The housing prices are better, getting into a neighborhood with good schools is probably easier, and the traffic has to be better and the people might be a little bit different, but not much.

[ToadB]

I lived in Missouri for six years. It's a nice place to live as long as you are white. It might be your "America," not mine.

By the way, out of the four seasons only spring and fall are worth anything. Summers are unbearably hot and humid, and winters are messy and miserable snow/slush/ice cycle. The only thing I miss is the big summer thunderstorms.

One of the many things I love about LA is how close wilderness is. I can drive 20 minutes and be out the hills somewhere where it feels like I was million miles from civilization. I love wandering around the Angeles National Forest, or the area North of Malibu, between the 1 and 101.

I recently took the scenic route back from Palm Springs. It went from desert to rocky mountains to sparse pine forest to thick, lush mountain forest by Idyllwild back to rocky mountains in the span of a few hours. It was fantastic.

[jc76]

Originally Posted by Charles

I completely agree with this but you have to admit, getting to all these interesting things is such a hassle. I wanted to go to a Dodger game last month (driving from my parents' home in Calabasas). I just couldn't convince myself that the traffic was worth it. It is just so painful. But I too miss all the ethnic foods and diversity and endless retail like Fry's electronics, Trader Joes, etc. It is impossible to find a kabob place in Huntsville. Most Mexican food is "gringo" style. Greek food is chain and prepared by high school kids. Everything else is "Meat and three" or BBQ. Probably because Huntsville is like 65% white, 30% black and basically nothing else.

Errr, Charles, we lost 5% there

*and you KNOW you miss the west coast*