Shall we move from Seattle to Orange County? We're torn! Any advice on ARTESIA or SIGNAL HILL? (Long Beach: housing)

[egyptianheidi]

Hi-

We've been following several of these threads for months, and have learned so much! We currently live in rainy Seattle. We have a lovely home, drive 10 minutes to work, and are close to family and friends. However, my husband recently received a job offer in Irvine that is nearly twice his current salary. I may also have a job lined up in Monrovia earning slightly more than I do now. We would make 3-4 times the California state average as far as salaries go.

HOWEVER, where could we live??? I've researched so many places between Monrovia and Irvine, and just when I think I've found something, I realize the murder rates are high, burglary is on the rise, etc. What would you recommend? Any advice on Artesia or Signal Hill? We've found reasonably priced homes in both of those areas that are larger than walk-in closets...We do not have children, so school districts are not a huge concern.

We've only been married a year and we're attracted to the idea of starting a new adventure somewhere together. We also love the sun and the beach. This job would also allow us to be a one income family should we decide to do that when starting a family.

But, we're happy here and we're not sure if the risks are worth it. Housing? Commuting? Crowds? Is it really as bad as everyone says or would we do ok on $175 - $200k a year?

Any advice would be appreciated!

THANKS!

-EH

[OutOfSoCal]

I replied in your other thread about commutes so I leave that there BUT, you'll be fine on 175K a year, very comfortable actual. Would I move here NO !! been here 42 years adn can't take it anymore, the people, the crowds, the traffic, the weather. will be out next summer and while I will keep a house here as income property I don't see us coming back. Just not in our best interst as parents IMO.
for single people who want to "party" its a great great place. Oceas, Mountains, clubs all within an hours drive of anywhere in So Cal.

[dougnaie]

I second OutofSocal. My feelings are the same. I have been here 42 years as well, and we leave at the end of the school year. That being said, and because you are young and looking for an adventure, it may be that a year or so here would be something you might like - only you know what you can put up with. As for the locations you mention, neither are something I can honestly recommend. Signal Hill is 10 minutes from me, and I know they are building lovely homes, but the surrounding area is just not that appealing, for a variety of reasons. I cannot speak of Artesia personally, however I hear much the same about it. Good luck.

[losercore]

It sounds like you are worried about crime so I would not look at the places you are looking. They will appear better than the surrounding area but that does not mean they are better.

Both of those cities are in LA county and Signal Hill does have some nice areas. (Up top of the hill only) Nice new homes, great views but very expensive. Artesia is not a nice place to live regardless of what people on here will say. Just because it's better than some of the surrounding cities it's not a nice city. South of Atresia is very nice. Places like Cerritos, Los Alamitos, Seal Beach, Cypress.

If you can handle the commutes, look in OC. South OC is very nice (Dana Point, Laguna Beach/Hills, San Clemente)

Or stay near the beach in Costa Mesa or Huntington Beach. Newport is always nice but even $200K a year is pushing it there lol.

[slang75]

My advice is to not ignore the negative comments on these boards. We found this site about 2 months before we decided to move. Each time someone would post something negative that didn't agree with our idea of what OC would be like, we passed it off as just another angry person posting on a message board. Sometimes I would even look at past posts and make myself feel better by seeing they are posting negative stuff all the time.

Then we got here. It's not the worst place to live. But, we would not have left our friends, family and life if we have just listened to people here. I noticed in your other message thread that you did the same thing I did. You saw a negative post and just dismissed it. Please please listen to people. There is a reason that this board seems negative.

[egyptianheidi]

slang75-

Thanks for your advice. We're really not trying to dismiss the negative comments; I understand life is much harder down there.

But, how much of the dissatisfaction is due to the fact that people are living in an amazingly expensive area making $60k a year? That's what we're trying to decipher...

[slang75]

Yes, we all live on $60K per household here. You sound like you will be a perfect fit here. Money trumps all. Good luck with your move. Are you thinking about getting the Lexus S or the IS?

BTW - Adventure and OC should only be used in the same sentence when DMV is included. Outside of that it's pretty boring.

[egyptianheidi]

Wow! What a presumptious response. You'd laugh at your own comment if you knew more about us and what we do. Perhaps I'm worried more about moving there because of the chip so many people seem to have on their shoulder...

The fact that the household salary is $53k and the average home is like $530k is a huge schism. Nothing about "money trumping all" or Lexus's...

Don't bother replying further if all you can offer is sarcasm. But I guess that's California, eh?

[shania]

Sorry for that last person's sarcasm...there are nice people in so. CA, don't worry. As far as making up your mind, it's a hard choice. We have the weather, no doubt about it, but Seattle has the beauty, the trees, the greenery, etc. Can you take an extended (3-4 week) vacation to check it out first?

On your combined salaries, you have a lot of choice on where to live. I would pick eastside Long Beach (Belmont Shore, Belmont Park, Los Altos/Plaza area) or Los Alamitos or Cerritos over Signal Hill or Artesia. Less crime and better access to stores, shopping, restaurants, etc. Also, closer to the beach and parks.

[egyptianheidi]

Shania-

THANKS for your reply and advice. I'm afraid we can't take an extended vacation and be away from our current jobs for that long. We did fly down for 4 days last month and got on several of the highways during rush hour to check things out, looked at some houses, etc. Seattle also has pretty bad traffic, so it wasn't shocking, but still bad.

I haven't heard of Los Altos or Belmont Park. I'll do some research on those areas and see what we come up with. I guess I would be driving North to Monrovia - would that still be with the flow of traffic?

Thanks again!

-EH