Pros of living in California...are there any? (Los Angeles, San Francisco: appointed, transplants)

[MyersLady]

There seem to be quite a few articles about why I should'nt move to/live in,California. Many reasons I've come across for people leaving/wanting to leave/hating it there(both from articles&comments therein&actual people I know),are: being heavily taxed for everything except breathing,having daily in your home encounters with scorpions,centipedes,roaches,etc&not being able to walk barefoot inside your own home due to that,infestations of dogs&immigrants&crime/criminals,that you are essentially told how to live your life there(a babysitter/nanny state)&that you are hassled/ostracised(Sp?)if you don't do as they say concerning your own life,that there is a lot of hidden stress&pressure in those who live there,that they are reusing sewer water&dirty water,ridiculous amounts of 'parking lot traffic',that everything is off the charts expensive(food,bills,etc),too many 'eco-nuts',that cops will follow you around for no reason no matter your race or what you're doing,that animals have more rights than do the people that live there,smog,homeless people/drug addicts everywhere,that it is a cesspool,that California is no longer America/American,among other things that people have expressed a lot of unhappiness about&have given as reasons why they don't care for California living at all/why they moved ASAP. So what I want to know is...are there any pros to living in sunny California,besides the beautiful ocean views,mostly warm temperatures year round,nice beach homes&good food? Quality of life&such? Because it has been something I have wanted to do for a while(move to central coast California,that is),but going by what many others say about it,both those that do live there now,or have,that I would'nt really care for it,at all. I ask my question of those that do live there now&those who have lived there for at least 5 years within the past 10 years...is it worth it in any way for me to move there,or should I stop 'California dreaming'&move elsewhere?

[CaliRestoration]

Answer this question first.

Do you make over $300,000 per year annually?

[flyoverdeplorable]

Originally Posted by CaliRestoration

Answer this question first.

Do you make over $300,000 per year annually?

I think that's high. It also depends on what type of income one has (w-2 or 1099), what one's balance sheet looks like, and if dependants are involved.

I think a single bachelor earning 80-120k at the age of 30 would do just fine.

You want a family of 4 you would have to double that.


To answer your actual question, op, I have never had to deal with any of those problems that you mentioned.

Here are some actual problems you may or may not have to deal with:

Drought/ water restrictions
Traffic
Huge crowds at the beach, mall, restaurants, theme parks, movies, etc
Cost of buying a house

Cali's post about income may be a high depending on your actual financial situation. But it's no joke. If you come here poor with no job, then no it's not worth it and it will suck.

[cylater]

There are two perks

Weather on the coast
Scenery on the coast

Everything else, and really it is just about everything else, is a con for the place. Uhaul's head one direction in CA - east.

[flyoverdeplorable]

Originally Posted by cylater

There are two perks

Weather on the coast
Scenery on the coast

Everything else, and really it is just about everything else, is a con for the place. Uhaul's head one direction in CA - east.

So why do 2 million people live in the IE?

[Vision67]

My 2 kids live in the Bay area. Why?

-Job opportunities. Both are extremely well educated. They easily make enough to afford it.

-The weather. nice year round.

[CaliRestoration]

Originally Posted by flyoverdeplorable

I think that's high. It also depends on what type of income one has (w-2 or 1099), what one's balance sheet looks like, and if dependants are involved.

I think a single bachelor earning 80-120k at the age of 30 would do just fine.

You want a family of 4 you would have to double that.


To answer your actual question, op, I have never had to deal with any of those problems that you mentioned.

Here are some actual problems you may or may not have to deal with:

Drought/ water restrictions
Traffic
Huge crowds at the beach, mall, restaurants, theme parks, movies, etc
Cost of buying a house

Cali's post about income may be a high depending on your actual financial situation. But it's no joke. If you come here poor with no job, then no it's not worth it and it will suck.

There are dozens of post in the California main and sub forum where people are complaining about how hard it is to make it in California, 95% of them transplants. I'm just trying to head this one off at the pass.

Lots of transplants have the "California dream", I don't understand it, I think it's based on an imaginary fantasyland that hasn't existed for 30+ years.

If you want the good weather, avoid the crime/illegals, avoid traffic and a 2 hour round trip commute, enjoy everything California has to offer without all the headaches, you need to make lots of money. Plain and simple.

I'd say if you come here, even with a job, and you're making sub-$100,000, you're going to have to be very frugal. Yes you can live here comfortably, but you'll be driving a Chevy Aveo or a Prius C, and will probably be living in a small apartment and not saving as much money for anything else as you would in other states. You can still make it here but you have to be very disciplined about your spending. Not a lot of people can do this for very long.

Car registration alone (going up this year) will cost you a couple of hundred dollars depending on your cars model year and value.

Rent and food will eat up half of your pay.

Going out on the town? Money.

That's if you make $100,000. If you work in a less in-demand industry and have a less desirable skill set, and realistically unless you're in FinTech, moving into a director/VP position, a good union gig, or work in Hollywood, you're not going to be making $100,000, or even close. Realistically California wages aren't that much higher than other states once you get into more common jobs, if you can find them. California has one of the highest U6 employment rates in the country. The competition for regular common W2 jobs is insane. Think 100 applicants for an admin assistant job at an accounting firm, remember there are 40,000,000 people in this state. There are people who literally have been unemployed for months, looking for work, taking part-time gig, just trying to survive. Many of them are qualified, but the jobs simply aren't there.

So if you are realistic, you may enjoy California, but I'm just trying to give you the a picture of how it really is in California, rather than the "California dream" people try to portray in their minds. If you have lots of money, then by all means, make the move and enjoy. In reality, a lot of people move here and quickly become disappointed. Just read the main California forum or Los Angeles, San Francisco or OC forums once in a while.

[nightlysparrow]

Prop 13

[expatCA]

Originally Posted by MyersLady

There seem to be quite a few articles about why I should'nt move to/live in,California. Many reasons I've come across for people leaving/wanting to leave/hating it there(both from articles&comments therein&actual people I know),are: being heavily taxed for everything except breathing,having daily in your home encounters with scorpions,centipedes,roaches,etc&not being able to walk barefoot inside your own home due to that,infestations of dogs&immigrants&crime/criminals,that you are essentially told how to live your life there(a babysitter/nanny state)&that you are hassled/ostracised(Sp?)if you don't do as they say concerning your own life,that there is a lot of hidden stress&pressure in those who live there,that they are reusing sewer water&dirty water,ridiculous amounts of 'parking lot traffic',that everything is off the charts expensive(food,bills,etc),too many 'eco-nuts',that cops will follow you around for no reason no matter your race or what you're doing,that animals have more rights than do the people that live there,smog,homeless people/drug addicts everywhere,that it is a cesspool,that California is no longer America/American,among other things that people have expressed a lot of unhappiness about&have given as reasons why they don't care for California living at all/why they moved ASAP. So what I want to know is...are there any pros to living in sunny California,besides the beautiful ocean views,mostly warm temperatures year round,nice beach homes&good food? Quality of life&such? Because it has been something I have wanted to do for a while(move to central coast California,that is),but going by what many others say about it,both those that do live there now,or have,that I would'nt really care for it,at all. I ask my question of those that do live there now&those who have lived there for at least 5 years within the past 10 years...is it worth it in any way for me to move there,or should I stop 'California dreaming'&move elsewhere?

Weather
Beaches
Variety in Terrain
you can snow ski in the morning and be at the each in the afternoon if you wish in Winter (Done it)
Just about every type of restaurant and activity imaginable is close by.

However to really enjoy all of it, bring lots of money and lots of patience. Expensive and congested in the most popular areas, though some small parts are not that bad, but then again not as much to do and further from the beaches and amenities.

CA Native and have lived in other States as well.

[seain dublin]

Originally Posted by MyersLady

There seem to be quite a few articles about why I should'nt move to/live in,California. Many reasons I've come across for people leaving/wanting to leave/hating it there(both from articles&comments therein&actual people I know),are: being heavily taxed for everything except breathing,having daily in your home encounters with scorpions,centipedes,roaches,etc&not being able to walk barefoot inside your own home due to that,infestations of dogs&immigrants&crime/criminals,that you are essentially told how to live your life there(a babysitter/nanny state)&that you are hassled/ostracised(Sp?)if you don't do as they say concerning your own life,that there is a lot of hidden stress&pressure in those who live there,that they are reusing sewer water&dirty water,ridiculous amounts of 'parking lot traffic',that everything is off the charts expensive(food,bills,etc),too many 'eco-nuts',that cops will follow you around for no reason no matter your race or what you're doing,that animals have more rights than do the people that live there,smog,homeless people/drug addicts everywhere,that it is a cesspool,that California is no longer America/American,among other things that people have expressed a lot of unhappiness about&have given as reasons why they don't care for California living at all/why they moved ASAP. So what I want to know is...are there any pros to living in sunny California,besides the beautiful ocean views,mostly warm temperatures year round,nice beach homes&good food? Quality of life&such? Because it has been something I have wanted to do for a while(move to central coast California,that is),but going by what many others say about it,both those that do live there now,or have,that I would'nt really care for it,at all. I ask my question of those that do live there now&those who have lived there for at least 5 years within the past 10 years...is it worth it in any way for me to move there,or should I stop 'California dreaming'&move elsewhere?

Really? I think you're getting CA mixed up with other states. Perhaps FL for Palmetto bugs(flying roaches) and AZ for scorpions.

Long time CA resident here, have seen ants and spiders in the house. Ants when things got very dry and they were looking for water(that is no longer an issue) and an occasional spider( I mean one every couple of months).

Why are you interested in CA( I will play along as if you're really serious, I suspect this is just a hit and run bash CA thread), but why do you want to live here? Have you ever even visited? Have any family or long time friends here?

Now you will have to excuse me, I have to crawl across the floor so I don't get shot by the gangmembers driving by, and crawl over two homeless people who broke in took over my living room floor.