Shall we move from Seattle to Orange County? We're torn! Any advice on ARTESIA or SIGNAL HILL?

[tedson]

I was born in Seattle and relocated to So Cal when I was 15 after my father was laid off at Boeing. I was extremely homesick for two years. After taking up surfing and moving to a beach area I've now been down here for 30 years plus. I moved back to Seattle briefly when I was in my twenties but moved back. If you move here expect culture shock as this place is overrun by Spanish speaking immigrants with large families.

[Casportsfan]

Hello, I am a current Norcal resident and have spent some time in SoCal. A couple things you should consider:

Your salary range of $175-200K is not going to get you nearly as much in Ca., especially Socal, when compared to Wa. I split the 33 years in my life between SoCal and Wa., so, economically speaking, I have a good perspective on both areas.

Your stastistical quote about salary is a bit misleading. You have to consider that an "average" considers the droves of impoverished, and also the middle class (which makes up the majority of California). Major cities in California are surrounded for miles and miles of suburbia in both northern and southern California. In these areas, $130,000 is fine for a couple with no kids. In pockets of SoCal though, you'll need to make that extra $70K to enjoy the same quality of life.

As you said, $530K will get you closet space. You could be looking at around $700K+, and when you consider the tradeoff in traffic and increased expense of your mortgage, in all likelihood you're going to be in the exact same position financially.

However, you also cannot put a price tag on adventure or new experiences. If you like sunshine, you'll have plenty of it year round in SoCal. In terms of nightlife, of course it is the meca of decadence and any type of scene you want probably in the entire world.

One major drawback though to consider if you are looking for nightlife specifically. SoCal and LA is HUGE and VERY spread apart (unlike San Francisco, which is condensed), and you have to KNOW where the places to go are and how to get there, which can be a bit frustrating.

In my many trips there, I've often gotten lost and stuck in 2 hours of traffic just trying to find a nightclub. Other times I have simply not known where to go or how to get there, because there is not one specific area of the city (as is the case in Seattle) where the nightlife in condensed.

Personally, I would say, why not give it a try though? If you want a change, don't be swayed by other people who have lived there their entire lives and are just now leaving because they too want a change.