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Old 09-28-2017, 05:37 PM
 
3,437 posts, read 3,258,671 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by russlancea View Post
My friend got a Master's in teaching a couple of years ago and is still making around $45k as a new F/T teacher. Not sure the opportunities for interior design or CAD work.
pay is based on salary grade.
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Old 09-28-2017, 08:41 PM
 
Location: North Carolina
626 posts, read 620,707 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by WMak70 View Post
We did exactly the move you are thinking about years ago......moved from Winston Salem to Rancho Cucamonga Ca. I wanted to live in Ca all my life, and got the chance at a much bigger pay rate.
We lived there a year and couldn't get out fast enough. The cost of living was horrible, my wife made good money and so did I, and we were just making it. Life was a rat race, and it took me an hour and a half each way to get to work. My kids hated it, and so did we, so we fled after a year.

That is just our experience, but I thought I would mention it.
Did you guys move back to the Triad or somewhere else? We are planning on moving back to the Triad this year and moved out here 5 years to Pasadena. Sorry I don't feel like spending $5-600k for a house here, I will gladly move back and buy a house for $300k.
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Old 09-28-2017, 08:47 PM
 
Location: North Carolina
626 posts, read 620,707 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by russlancea View Post
I have a number of friends who are public school teachers. Pay ranges from $35 to $80k, depending on when they started teaching. I heard teachers are still having trouble finding work here.

Daycare could be $1000/month when your wife goes back to work here. Afterschool programs also cost quite a bit.

Lucky for me, I work from home and have flexible hours to allow me to pick the kids up, etc. I still think you can definitely survive out here, but question is your quality of life.

Worth a try when the kids are young. If it doesn't work out, can you move back to NC or elsewhere and get a house, job, etc?
I second this as well. I had a co-worker here at Caltech whose wife got laid off by LB Unified only to be hired back as a Contract teacher out at Catalina, so she had to travel back forth everyday. Luckily she was hired back as a Permanent Teacher with Long Beach Unified right about the time he was laid off due to the budget. It took her almost 3 years to find another permanent teaching position. It can be tough here in CA for teachers.
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Old 09-28-2017, 09:27 PM
 
298 posts, read 624,391 times
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Sorry I don't have time to read all the responses (popular thread) but wanted to give my opinion. We did the opposite move from South OC to Charlotte area last year. CA is home so I am biased. There was a thread early on which seemed inaccurate as to what I've experienced in both places. You will love the CA lifestyle if you are outdoorsy people. So much to do without the cost, but also lots to do that is pricey. I do prefer CA weather overall, but NC fall and winter are a nice change. Yes, OC traffic is awful. Only you can decide if that part is worth it to you. I can say Charlotte traffic is pretty bad too. Groceries: OC is cheaper (so miss the produce), Insurance: seems similar. Electricity: Higher in CA. Gasoline: Higher in CA. Taxes: Higher in CA. Housing costs: much higher in CA for a smaller house and lot. With all the negatives I just wrote if someone said we could move back to CA I'd say, when can I start packing? I'm not used to being inside as much as NC requires. I do get outside more than most in NC but nothing like I did in CA, and I miss that. If I were you, with your kids the ages that they are, I would look at South Orange County, if your job is drivable from there. There are so many families and you will meet so many people through schools and sports/activities. I would say anywhere south of Lake Forest would be a good fit. Not really a bad one in the bunch. Good luck.
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Old 09-29-2017, 09:26 AM
 
Location: Raleigh, NC
3,655 posts, read 3,901,847 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pacific2 View Post
Too funny. I sorta doubt that AV maintenance crews are still like that, but Aliso is well-maintained. We also have plenty of trees and flowers since the little trees from years ago (Aliso incorporated in 2001) have matured. AV is definitely a green city.

Still, you don't get the feeling that everything has to be perfect around here, just clean and well-maintained, and that's a good thing. If you ever encounter a maintenance problem, you just zip off an email to the city and it's taken care of right away. I know because I have done it.

Aliso is also one of the safest cities in the country; and we have good schools. What's more, we are a mini tech and biomed center with a heavy emphasis upon entrepreneurship (SoCal's most entrepreneurial city, or something like that, per MIT).

Not to forget, the budget is balanced, trees are trimmed, parks are in good shape, roads are in great, and people are friendly. So, life is good, but not "perfect."

Traffic within the city is a cinch since everyone lives within about 1.5-2 miles from Town Center, and there are no traffic jams within the city proper. Even if the OP commuted to Huntington Beach, it would not be a nightmare. The 405 can be like a parking lot, but perhaps he could time things so as not to be stuck; or, take the 73.

Actually, your commute would be shorter than mine since I work in SD County, but not every day.

OP, don't get discouraged about moving to OC. Give it a try since every region has its problems, and you can always move back to NC if things don't work out.

Oh, and you can get to the beach in about 10-15 minutes. We also have a city pool that's open every day of the year. What's more, there are plenty of recreational and sports facilities all throughout the city.

Let me know if you have any specific questions about Aliso Viejo.
For everyone who's not familiar with Aliso Viejo...

It's a planned community "town" tucked between the large I-405/I-5 freeway and the beach towns.

Its seems to be built from scratch back in the early '90s on what was vacant land.

The center of town is a movie theater and shopping center.

All of the roads in the town use conforming signage like you'd see in a large apartment complex, and it makes you feel as if the entire town is one apartment community!

Aliso Viejo is most famous for an additional property tax which is to be used "for the betterment of the community" "MELLA ROOS" tax.

At least in the late 90's, all of these signs were uniformly beige, just like all of the beige, stucco clusters of apartment buildings in all directions!

So, I remember Aliso Viejo being very modern and carefully planned, but as far as I know maybe it was all one big apartment complex!

As an architectural student at NC State, I remember wishing I didn't have to deal with the already-developed landscape of existing buildings by others with different tastes.

I wanted complete control over my project's surroundings, thinking that would be a good thing.

Aliso Viejo is a living monument to having too much control over the surroundings, where inescapable blandness is all that's possible from a singe person's vision.
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Old 09-29-2017, 09:44 AM
 
Location: Apex NC
547 posts, read 771,254 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by architect77 View Post

Aliso Viejo is most famous for an additional property tax which is to be used "for the betterment of the community" "MELLA ROOS" tax.
Do all cities in Orange County have these? From a quick search, it looks like mostly in South O.C.
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Old 09-29-2017, 10:01 AM
 
5,381 posts, read 8,636,980 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pjnugget View Post
Do all cities in Orange County have these? From a quick search, it looks like mostly in South O.C.
Mello-Roos was phased-out of most, if not all, of Aliso Viejo in 2016. It is very common I Irvine and newer South County cities.
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Old 09-29-2017, 10:39 AM
 
3,437 posts, read 3,258,671 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by architect77 View Post

Aliso Viejo is a living monument to having too much control over the surroundings, where inescapable blandness is all that's possible from a singe person's vision.
and they say that OC is a bastion of the GOP/libertarians
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Old 09-29-2017, 10:41 AM
 
5,381 posts, read 8,636,980 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by architect77 View Post
For everyone who's not familiar with Aliso Viejo...

It's a planned community "town" tucked between the large I-405/I-5 freeway and the beach towns...

...Aliso Viejo is a living monument to having too much control over the surroundings, where inescapable blandness is all that's possible from a singe person's vision.
That's an interesting historical perspective on Aliso Viejo. I moved here years ago from Manhattan, and I too complained about the blandness. I really missed NYC's prewar buildings, but I saw potential in AV.

Also, there seemed to be very few mature trees around at the time. Now, there are flowers, trees and parks everywhere. There are even flowers on the medians.

Regarding its location, Aliso is really not tucked between the 405/5 and beach towns. It's actually surrounded by Laguna Beach, Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel and Laguna Woods;and is built into the San Joaquin Hills. A former neighbor of mine was an early resident and told me that there were actually goats roaming the hills at that time.

Town Center is very busy and has, in addition to a movie theater, a park, a brewery, TJ's, various restaurants, etc. There are also business parks, and a number of companies either headquartered nearby, or, have offices in the area.

The city is buzzing and has evolved into a mini tech and biomed center:
Aliso Viejo is a hotbed of entrepreneurship among Southern California cities, study finds – Orange County Register

South Orange County’s Aliso Viejo is a hotbed of successful entrepreneurship compared with other Southern California cities, according to a study by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Sloan School of Management.


Aliso Viejo ranked higher in entrepreneurial quality – measured by the likelihood of launching a successful IPO or being acquired – than 121 other cities in the Greater Los Angeles area and 18 in the San Diego area, according to the MIT paper, which examined startup ventures across California.


Two hotels, including Renaissance ClubSport Aliso Viejo/Laguna Beach, have opened up near Town Center.

Nevertheless, Town Center is outdated, and the city is working with DPZ Architects, to remake it in a very major way.

About the stucco and beige apartment buildings, they are still here. But, some of the newer apartments, like those at Vantis, have moved away from that look.

Street signs are now green, instead of beige, if that matters much.

Another change, is that Soka University of America, a Buddhist-inspired university, constructed a campus in the city. It's nestled within Aliso and Wood Canyons.

Finally, Mello-Roos has been phased-out of most, if not all, of Aliso Viejo.

Cities evolve. 1990's? That's so yesterday, especially since the city was incorporated in 2001.

Last edited by pacific2; 09-29-2017 at 12:06 PM..
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Old 09-29-2017, 11:43 AM
 
5,381 posts, read 8,636,980 times
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If any present, or future, Aliso Viejo residents are interested in the very major redevelopment proposals for Town Center, they were discussed here (Put your feet up and get your popcorn).

The presentations are by DPZ Architects.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=caDTrpVtqjc


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-VZNeTLMuQ


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sce9w0KSwI

Last edited by pacific2; 09-29-2017 at 12:40 PM..
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