Marin County vs Monterey vs San Jose vs Fort Worth, TX
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Chipping in as a resident of neither California nor Texas, I voted for Fort Worth. Yes, even over Monterey and Marin.
You see, California and Texas are my two favorite states and I enjoy them both very much for what they are. Both are diverse in every sense of the word's definition. I would pick Southern California, though, over all other areas in California as well as all of Texas.
I enjoy the vibe of SoCal and, believe it or not, I find the people down there overall friendly. I can't say I got that vibe with I visited the Bay Area in September; beautiful area, and I would live there if the right job opportunity came along and I could probably even learn to enjoy it. I will admit, the wine history of Napa County is fascinating and I love some of the charming small exurban towns. However, it just doesn't "do as much" for me personally as SoCal, or even Fort Worth and Austin.
Fort Worth is a literal gem, a diamond in the rough of flat prairie land and much faster-paced Dallas just to its east. I enjoyed my one visit there ten years ago enough that I've always wanted to go back! And, from a job market/opportunity and urban planning standpoint, the Metroplex in general and especially Fort Worth is doing some wonderful things.
thanks, tim, derek, and newtoca! i appreciate your comments and helping me obtain an accurate assessment of these areas.
yikes, sorry if this poll seems silly to you. moving is a big decision, and i want to make sure i move to a place that i think i'll be the happiest. but that's hard to figure out when i don't know these places very well, and i don't have the funds to visit every place. i currently reside in cleveland. it's alright, but i'm ready to move on. i've played out all my options here, and want to move to a place with a lot of young professionals like myself, a warmer climate, and possibly other career opportunities, such as art, biotech, research.
- monterey seems nice, but i was afraid it was too remote? and full of retired ppl, tourists, and military families? plus, it is expensive...
- fort worth seems nice, too. i visited. it dispelled some stereotypes i admit to having about texas. very new and developed.though it has a history of being a "cowtown," i thought it was alright. i liked the proximity to suburban amenities and bike paths. the one con i saw was that it was really hot even when i was there in feb, the dead of winter! i can't imagine what the summers are like..the heat must be oppressive....not sure if i'd be able to handle 105 degrees for 5 months straight!
- san jose is probably 1 of my top choices..but i'm not guaranteed full-time hours, there...so it's risky..
- marin county would be one of my top choices, too, but it's also very expensive and not that diverse, i think? seems pretty white, privileged, and progressive...
overall, i think i want to try living in california cuz it's always been my dream--living near the ocean and mountains, with hipsters...but it's very pricey and i'm not sure if it's worth it?
please feel free to let me know if these assumptions are not accurate.
thanks, tim, derek, and newtoca! i appreciate your comments and helping me obtain an accurate assessment of these areas.
yikes, sorry if this poll seems silly to you. moving is a big decision, and i want to make sure i move to a place that i think i'll be the happiest. but that's hard to figure out when i don't know these places very well, and i don't have the funds to visit every place. i currently reside in cleveland. it's alright, but i'm ready to move on. i've played out all my options here, and want to move to a place with a lot of young professionals like myself, a warmer climate, and possibly other career opportunities, such as art, biotech, research.
- monterey seems nice, but i was afraid it was too remote? and full of retired ppl, tourists, and military families? plus, it is expensive...
- fort worth seems nice, too. i visited. it dispelled some stereotypes i admit to having about texas. very new and developed.though it has a history of being a "cowtown," i thought it was alright. i liked the proximity to suburban amenities and bike paths. the one con i saw was that it was really hot even when i was there in feb, the dead of winter! i can't imagine what the summers are like..the heat must be oppressive....not sure if i'd be able to handle 105 degrees for 5 months straight!
- san jose is probably 1 of my top choices..but i'm not guaranteed full-time hours, there...so it's risky..
- marin county would be one of my top choices, too, but it's also very expensive and not that diverse, i think? seems pretty white, privileged, and progressive...
overall, i think i want to try living in california cuz it's always been my dream--living near the ocean and mountains, with hipsters...but it's very pricey and i'm not sure if it's worth it?
please feel free to let me know if these assumptions are not accurate.
If California, then I think your three choices all have good merits. No place is perfect. There will always be some pros/cons to deal with wherever you move. So its good that you are trying to understand them before making a decision.
Of the three California areas Monterey would be the smallest and yes, more remote. Its kind of like small town living with most the modern conveniences of larger cities. This can be both and bad depending on your perspective and what you are really looking for. For me its a good thing since I've lived in huge cities most of my life - LA Primarily. Its just far enough from San Jose that we don't have many commuters to or from SJ unlike Santa Cruz. Yet its close enough to drive to any day of the week if/when needed. For example where I work we have at least 30+ van pooling in from San Jose and the greater SF Bay area. So some ppl do commute. And if you lived somewhere in between like Gilroy or Morgan Hill you could potentially work in either market, depending on your tolerance for traffic.
While we do have a lot of military, we also have a lot of ppl from other walks of life, professions, etc... Its a very cosmopolitan city due to the heavy emphasis on foreign languages with schools like The Monterey Institute of International Studies and the Defense Language Institute. Because of this it has been recognized as the "Language Capital of the World".
Yes, there are a lot of retirees, but also international students, as well as businessmen, IT professionals, scientists, farmers, bankers and whole range of other professionals.
By contrast San Jose is a huge spead out city - a giant suburb in many ways. San Jose actually has a larger population than San Francisico now. Then you have all the ajoining areas such as Stanford and all the research that is done there.
I only know Marin County in passing to somewhere else. So I couldn't really comment on it.
As far as expensive, all three are, more than Texas that's for sure. There is a greater cost of admission for the weather, natural beauty, professional opportunities, proximity to the ocean, cultural diversity, etc... And for us its worth it.
While you say you can't really afford to check them all out, I would say if you are serious about moving you should find a way to at least visit once. Look for a red eye or bargain fare into San Jose or SF. Then drive around and take a look at things yourself.
If California, then I think your three choices all have good merits. No place is perfect. There will always be some pros/cons to deal with wherever you move. So its good that you are trying to understand them before making a decision.
Of the three California areas Monterey would be the smallest and yes, more remote. Its kind of like small town living with most the modern conveniences of larger cities. This can be both and bad depending on your perspective and what you are really looking for. For me its a good thing since I've lived in huge cities most of my life - LA Primarily. Its just far enough from San Jose that we don't have many commuters to or from SJ unlike Santa Cruz. Yet its close enough to drive to any day of the week if/when needed. For example where I work we have at least 30+ van pooling in from San Jose and the greater SF Bay area. So some ppl do commute. And if you lived somewhere in between like Gilroy or Morgan Hill you could potentially work in either market, depending on your tolerance for traffic.
While we do have a lot of military, we also have a lot of ppl from other walks of life, professions, etc... Its a very cosmopolitan city due to the heavy emphasis on foreign languages with schools like The Monterey Institute of International Studies and the Defense Language Institute. Because of this it has been recognized as the "Language Capital of the World".
Yes, there are a lot of retirees, but also international students, as well as businessmen, IT professionals, scientists, farmers, bankers and whole range of other professionals.
By contrast San Jose is a huge spead out city - a giant suburb in many ways. San Jose actually has a larger population than San Francisico now. Then you have all the ajoining areas such as Stanford and all the research that is done there.
I only know Marin County in passing to somewhere else. So I couldn't really comment on it.
As far as expensive, all three are, more than Texas that's for sure. There is a greater cost of admission for the weather, natural beauty, professional opportunities, proximity to the ocean, cultural diversity, etc... And for us its worth it.
While you say you can't really afford to check them all out, I would say if you are serious about moving you should find a way to at least visit once. Look for a red eye or bargain fare into San Jose or SF. Then drive around and take a look at things yourself.
Derek
Thanks, Derek. Your info is very helpful. California would be my 1st choice, if it weren't for the cost of living. I'd be making only about 30,000/yr. Can you tell me what the average rent is in Monterey/SJ? I need to spend less than 1000...I was hoping to get a small single studio, and roommates only if I have to. Do you think it's possible to live there with only 30,000? I calculated I'd have net 2500/month. Also, being a single, young professional, I'm not sure whether I'd have much of a social life living amongst mainly retirees and military folks...
Thanks, Derek. Your info is very helpful. California would be my 1st choice, if it weren't for the cost of living. I'd be making only about 30,000/yr. Can you tell me what the average rent is in Monterey/SJ? I need to spend less than 1000...I was hoping to get a small single studio, and roommates only if I have to. Do you think it's possible to live there with only 30,000? I calculated I'd have net 2500/month. Also, being a single, young professional, I'm not sure whether I'd have much of a social life living amongst mainly retirees and military folks...
Well, there are plenty of young college age ppl as well as other professions in Monterey. I work with some and they are not all military. Quite a few go to CSUMB and MPC. But you will find more in SJ simply by nature of its size as well as all the .com and larger companies of the Silicon Valley. Then you have schools such as San Jose State, Stanford, etc... which also attract young ppl from all over the world.
As far as cost of living that will be your greatest challenge on 30K income in CA. It's not impossible, but you'll have to live like a starving student for a while with roomates until you grow in your profession. There are a lot of students living a similar lifestyle. Check craigslist for all three of the locations you mentioned to see what the prices are. Are you planning to go back school also?
A lot really depends on your professional and educational goals at this point in your life IMO. Where do you think you have the best opportunities to grow? Once you are more established in your career you can be a bit more selective.
Derek
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