The Truth about California from a former west coast Girl... (Santa Ana: transplants, subdivision)

[yukiko11]

I was born in and lived in So Cal for 40 years. You pretty much nailed it, but Irvine and Anaheim Hills? That is the rich part of town so I don't know about nobody speaking English unless it was your maid, your nanny or your gardner. As for sports teams, there are a lot of venues spread around the LA basin and one of the problems is the hassle of getting there and the expense once you get there. Also some of the venues are not in good neighborhoods so people are fearful of getting their cars broken into or getting physically harmed. It is so much easier to watch it on TV.
The rest of your advise is spot on. Nobody should come to SOCAL based on what they see on TV unless they have a high 6 figure income. Every average 30-50K person who comes here today pretty much lives in roach infested apartments and worries about crime. Also, houses here are between 30-80 years old and there is not a lot of new construction so maintenance is very high. I moved to WA 18 years ago, but I remember a couple of years before I left, in Hollywood they put theft detectors at every cashiers stand to stop people from stealing groceries and there were metal bars 6 ft in front of the store entrance so you couldn't take the cart into the parking lot to your car. You had carry everything or leave it there and hope nobody stole it while you went to get your car. Heck, where I live in WA, I don't even have to lock my door at night, and most people don't lock their cars when they go into the store. Of course, in this financial climate, I am being a lot more careful, as I learned from my experience in the past, but so many people who grew up here don't have a clue because it is not their experience.

[Ultrarunner]

Originally Posted by dancingirisheyes

Real Estate is certainly still a major gripe. CA is pricing mediocre suburbs like coastal estates.

I have absolutely no intention of paying $350K for a large condo when I have 3 children. We'd be tripping all over each other. Nor do I think it is wise to pay $350K and receive so little in return. I don't value smog, traffic, earthquakes, or a government that values our law enforcement and education so very little (thanks to the new budget, my husband has suffered two demotions in less than 4 months and he was once considered on the path to the highest ranking position in his institution. His demotions were all decided on county financial needs, not his performance.) I don't value over-development so that I have a Target and a Starbucks within 5 miles of my home in every direction.

When you add those into the equation, I'm not willing to pay $350K for a small place and in no world am I willing to pay $500K for what the rest of the country would classify as a modest, average American family home. Because honestly, what are the benefits of living in CA? Nice winters? Nice springs? The summer and fall are not really nice here. We're smoked out every fall by the wildfires. The summers are so hot that unless you have a pool, you're holed up in your home with the a/c cranked on and bemoaning your extraordinary energy bill from the cost.

What in the world are we paying such high real estate prices for??

If I could find a home for $350K, 3-4 bedrooms, in a nice neighborhood with a good school, a decent sized yard and at least 2000 sq. ft. (like I'm finding by the boat load in WA), then I'd stay in a heartbeat. I'd continue to live with the smog and the traffic, etc. etc. But I'm not paying $500K AND being subjected to those things.

I just don't get why CA real estate prices are not representative of what you're really getting.

Funny thing is my friends in WA are saying the exact same thing about home prices there... just substitute 200k for your 350k

Went to a wedding over the weekend and met a number of new Californians... most from the mid-West like Illinois, Iowa, Ohio and Missouri and 2 from WA... common complaint about home was the weather... especially the never ending days of grey or shoveling snow...

[yukiko11]

Originally Posted by Ultra runner

Funny thing is my friends in WA are saying the exact same thing about home prices there... just substitute K for your K

Went to a wedding over the weekend and met a number of new Californians... most from the mid-West like Illinois, Iowa, Ohio and Missouri and 2 from WA... common complaint about home was the weather... especially the never ending days of Grey or shoveling snow...

I disagree. This last winter we had an extremely harsh niter which resulted in a lot of people being showed in. I live in a rural lake community, I was snowed in for 18 days and I drive a 4X4 but couldn't get out. The snow was so deep, I could not get to the road because my driveway is 200 ft long and when the snow plows finally came after 5 days the wall of snow across the drive way was 4 ft tall. It was so bad, the usual infrastructure could not support Seattle or our county. That is the first really impossible harsh winter I have ever experienced since 1991 when I first moved here.
There are definitely dark and rainy days, however my experience has been that they clan asst from about October to June. This month in June the weather has been clear and fair for the last 4 week. This is like the summer weather in July or August. Maybe the weather is changing in our favor. I hope those who love agree with me.
If you are willing to pay 300-400 K in N snohomish county where I live you can buy a 3-4 bd home built recently on a 1/4-1.0 acre lot or more. There are a lot of issues with the weather which can be drizzly and dark. You can research this on the Washington posts. However, You have to decide for your self if this place is for you.

[smilinpretty]

Originally Posted by Raelyn28

Hello, this post is for those who have never been to Southern California and are looking for information regarding the area. Please believe me... I am NOT trying to be negative because I am not a negative person. I am only trying to help you with my own experience living in Southern California. I am only doing this to help those of you who are thinking about relocating to the area and need help. Trust me I have a lot of better things to do with my time but I really feel this is important so please take a few minutes to read this.

For those of you who absolutely have to make the move then this is my advise.. do a lot of research, ask many questions and don't fall for the information that only shows you the beauty of California. The beauty is only a small part of the picture. Just so you know, I was the typical blonde california girl and totally fit the profile. At one point I was training to become an NFL Ram's cheerleader. Unfortunately, I injured my ankle in my jazz class the day before tryouts and I was unable to participate. The very next year the Rams left for Kansas City. By the way, have you ever wondered why such a large place like Orange County does not have a professional football team anymore?? Interestingly this is what I found out.. When L.A. and Anaheim were home to the Raiders and Rams they didn't make enough money because they didn't have enough loyal and supportive fans. So basically both teams packed up and left... Very sad that an area with so much status and wealth does not have any pro teams. I guess everyone is too busy in California so they have better things to do than sit at a football game??? Or there is just too much to do?? Whatever the case they lost their NFL teams. Hopefully for all you football fans like myself.. someday they can get one back..

Before I tell you more of the negative, let me begin with the positive. First of all, there is A LOT of good things about California. Primarily the weather is awesome. It is basically never too hot (unless you are inland) and it is extremely mild in the winter. The sky is blue most of the time and there are places by the beach that are amazing and breathtaking. I love the ocean and it is one of my favorite places to be.

There is a lot to do in California and many great opportunities for the young and old alike. You never get bored because if you have the money there are always fun places to go. Disneyland was a place that I visited on a regular basis. I loved to get an annual pass and go there in the wee hours just before closing to go on Splash Mountain over and over again. No lines late at night!! Knotts Berry Farm is great, six flags not too far of a drive and Universal Studios a couple of hours away. So much to do and too much to list here in this post.

I met my husband in San Diego County, had my first son in Irvine and my second son in Anaheim Hills. So California holds many precious memories for me. I would have to write a book to tell you of all the happy memories I had in California...

What disappointed me is the fact that it is extremely crowded, stressful on the highways and there is an awful lot of crime. It is so expensive that I never owned a home in the 20-years that I lived there. Half the time I couldn't understand my neighbor because everyone spoke another language. Nothing wrong with that (I have many beautiful Spanish speaking friends) but when an English speaking woman goes to the grocery store and can not find something and nobody speaks english, I have a problem with that. I really started feeling like an alien in Orange County. I actually felt very lonely at times

Another issue is the air quality. In the summer there are frequent smog warnings and you are basically told to stay inside unless you have to go out. I had terrible allergies and sinus problems while living there. I know it was the air quality because almost immediately after I moved to Oregon my problems went away.

I think there are absolutely way too many people in Southern Ca. It takes 2-3 hours to get to a 10-mile location most of the time. Even at night... My step-kids and several friends live there and they hate it. They continually tell me that it is getting worse with each passing year.

Finding a job is another problem. Jobs are hard to come by everywhere but read the statistics on California. The state is in a heap of trouble financially.

There are gangs and bad neighborhoods everywhere. You can be in a nice neighborhood and drive a half mile down the street and you will be in a bad neighborhood. For example, at the beginning of my marriage my husband and I lived in a really nice apartment. One night while we were sitting on the patio we heard gunshot. My husband ran down the street to try and help. A teenage boy was dead in the street as a result of a drive by shooting. It is very hard to find a decent place to live unless you are making a huge amount of money.

So again this is my suggestion. If you have to move there do your homework, talk to a lot of people and weigh your options carefully. If you are rich move to a beach house in Malibu, Laguna Beach, Newport, etc. Stay on the beach and don't venture too far inland. Also, there are very nice places along the coast just south of Irvine and nice places in Irvine and Costa Mesa, but then again you will be paying a high price to live there.

And also, home school your children or put them in the best private school you can find... again if you can afford it. Between the gangs and all the other problems it just wasn't worth it to me.

Good luck to you... Again, I hope my honesty will help you in making a decision whether or not to move to California and where to live. At least if you go there you won't be thinking it is just like the movies or a popular television series. I am just sharing my experience with you. Have a great week/weekend.

I left Southern California 16 years ago. I can relate to what you say. After 15 years being away From California, thought I wanted to move back. Well, guess what? It will never happen. Why? Because the grass isn't greener on the other side. We found Southern CA to be crowded and ugly looking. Sorry folks but it is a concrete jungle.

We live in the country, and not far from major shopping. We have the best of both worlds. On my way to grocery store, I pass antelope, cows, horses, Llama and donkeys. I look out my windows and see mountains. There is very little traffic here...and if I drive the country roads, it really is scenic.
I can be in Sedona and Grand Canyon in 80 mins.

California is changing by the minute. I am glad I have wonderful memories of it. God Bless you, California.

[Ludachris]

Originally Posted by Raelyn28

Just out of curiosity? Where is the post/posts that claim their viewpoint is the majority?? This thread was never meant to be about other people but about what I witnessed and experienced in OC. I was sort of like an eye witness to something that was happening/happened.

For example, it is much different hearing about or seeing an event (accident, earthquake, war, etc.) on the news than actually being there or participating in it.

I posted because many people are coming to this forum and trying to see OC from an outsiders position or they are viewing it in an uninvolved way. I wanted to let them know that I was actually on site as far as my involvement in OC. That doesn't make my post a viewpoint it makes it an experience, a reality or once again "The Truth". I was there, I walked and drove the streets, I smelled the air, I lived the OC life. And I lived it for a long time. Not just a few years but many. The Truth... good points and bad points, just like any other place. And I believe I have always been balanced in my posts.

Therefore, I chose to post my thread and I don't regret the name I gave it. It is me and I am free and able to do as I please. Once again it is a free country so stop trying to change my thread or it's title... If those of you do not like the title than don't read it, skip it and read something else.

Thank you

I've read a number of posts in this forum by people that would suggest (not claim or state, but suggest) that their viewpoint is the "real" viewpoint by the way they word it - these posts are not hard to find, just click around a bit. It's not just limited to this thread, but many others as well, both positive opinions and negative, but mostly the negative. I've even challenged a few people on this subject and was insulted because I knew people who still live in CA who don't share this opinion - and the people I knew were insulted too. The rebuttals always include something about how "tens of millions of Californians" feel this way (see the Redwoods thread in the CA forum) - as if there's any way to really know that for a fact. A LOT of assumptions are floated in these discussions and rarely are they substantiated outside of one person's opinion.

This thread is titled "the truth about CA..." instead of "my experience with SoCal..." - which leads some of us to believe that you want people to come away with your viewpoint of the state as the "way it really is" - as if everyone else who says something different about the area is not telling the truth. And you're really only talking about Orange County, not all of CA, which makes the thread title even less relevant. Nobody said you're not free to say what you want or title a thread the way you want, but understand that just because you perceive things a certain way, that it doesn't make it the only perception, or the perception of the majority. I don't doubt that it's "your truth" or that you're giving an honest account of your experience. But it's all in the wording and how you present it. It seems like some are simply trying to paint a picture of the entire state based on their experience in one area or region - and their choice of words tend to make it seem that they represent all but a a few in the state.

Don't take this as a bash on your opinion or assume that I'm suggesting you shouldn't share your experience. Just pay attention to the wording and you might see what I (and others) mean. The real "truth" about CA cannot be accurately derived from a thread in this forum. Viewpoints and opinions can be.

[skyway31]

Originally Posted by Raelyn28

Just out of curiosity? Where is the post/posts that claim their viewpoint is the majority?? This thread was never meant to be about other people but about what I witnessed and experienced in OC. I was sort of like an eye witness to something that was happening/happened.

For example, it is much different hearing about or seeing an event (accident, earthquake, war, etc.) on the news than actually being there or participating in it.

I posted because many people are coming to this forum and trying to see OC from an outsiders position or they are viewing it in an uninvolved way. I wanted to let them know that I was actually on site as far as my involvement in OC. That doesn't make my post a viewpoint it makes it an experience, a reality or once again "The Truth". I was there, I walked and drove the streets, I smelled the air, I lived the OC life. And I lived it for a long time. Not just a few years but many. The Truth... good points and bad points, just like any other place. And I believe I have always been balanced in my posts.

Therefore, I chose to post my thread and I don't regret the name I gave it. It is me and I am free and able to do as I please. Once again it is a free country so stop trying to change my thread or it's title... If those of you do not like the title than don't read it, skip it and read something else.

Thank you

This is a perfect example of what missionhome was lamenting. You're suggesting you "witnessed" an event and are providing an objective, "eye-witness" account of such events. The reality is that is not the case. All you're giving is your impressions based on your experiences and outlook. You're NOT providing some sort of eye-witness account of anything. The bolded comments are the types of comments that many of us have problems with.

[skyway31]

Originally Posted by yukiko11

I was born in and lived in So Cal for 40 years. You pretty much nailed it, but Irvine and Anaheim Hills? That is the rich part of town so I don't know about nobody speaking English unless it was your maid, your nanny or your gardner. As for sports teams, there are a lot of venues spread around the LA basin and one of the problems is the hassle of getting there and the expense once you get there. Also some of the venues are not in good neighborhoods so people are fearful of getting their cars broken into or getting physically harmed. It is so much easier to watch it on TV.
The rest of your advise is spot on. Nobody should come to SOCAL based on what they see on TV unless they have a high 6 figure income. Every average 30-50K person who comes here today pretty much lives in roach infested apartments and worries about crime. Also, houses here are between 30-80 years old and there is not a lot of new construction so maintenance is very high. I moved to WA 18 years ago, but I remember a couple of years before I left, in Hollywood they put theft detectors at every cashiers stand to stop people from stealing groceries and there were metal bars 6 ft in front of the store entrance so you couldn't take the cart into the parking lot to your car. You had carry everything or leave it there and hope nobody stole it while you went to get your car. Heck, where I live in WA, I don't even have to lock my door at night, and most people don't lock their cars when they go into the store. Of course, in this financial climate, I am being a lot more careful, as I learned from my experience in the past, but so many people who grew up here don't have a clue because it is not their experience.

The bolded comments qualify as GARBAGE.

[skyway31]

Originally Posted by Ludachris

I've read a number of posts in this forum by people that would suggest (not claim or state, but suggest) that their viewpoint is the "real" viewpoint by the way they word it - these posts are not hard to find, just click around a bit. It's not just limited to this thread, but many others as well, both positive opinions and negative, but mostly the negative. I've even challenged a few people on this subject and was insulted because I knew people who still live in CA who don't share this opinion - and the people I knew were insulted too. The rebuttals always include something about how "tens of millions of Californians" feel this way (see the Redwoods thread in the CA forum) - as if there's any way to really know that for a fact. A LOT of assumptions are floated in these discussions and rarely are they substantiated outside of one person's opinion.

This thread is titled "the truth about CA..." instead of "my experience with SoCal..." - which leads some of us to believe that you want people to come away with your viewpoint of the state as the "way it really is" - as if everyone else who says something different about the area is not telling the truth. And you're really only talking about Orange County, not all of CA, which makes the thread title even less relevant. Nobody said you're not free to say what you want or title a thread the way you want, but understand that just because you perceive things a certain way, that it doesn't make it the only perception, or the perception of the majority. I don't doubt that it's "your truth" or that you're giving an honest account of your experience. But it's all in the wording and how you present it. It seems like some are simply trying to paint a picture of the entire state based on their experience in one area or region - and their choice of words tend to make it seem that they represent all but a a few in the state.

Don't take this as a bash on your opinion or assume that I'm suggesting you shouldn't share your experience. Just pay attention to the wording and you might see what I (and others) mean. The real "truth" about CA cannot be accurately derived from a thread in this forum. Viewpoints and opinions can be.

[yukiko11]

Originally Posted by skyway31

The bolded comments qualify as GARBAGE.

This is your chance to prove me wrong and actually, I would be happy if you would, because so many people on this site want to move to CA. But you have to have moved here within the last two years and you have to be earning wages I quoted of 30-50K/yr. Don't tell me about you living in your paid off house in the valley or orange county that you bought 30 years ago. If you have a current valid arguement, I am sure the people interested in this post will take your advice and I will agree.

[ihynes]

The U.S. seems like a giant bathtub with waves of people sloshing from one side to the other, looking for some magic combo platter of living standards. California is definitely crowded. It's strange to drive over the desert and mountains there, where you hardly see anyone, and then you cross that last ridge and there's a massive traffic jam all up and down the coast. Now they've all discovered Arizona, Idaho and of course, Seattle, which I hear is getting just as crowded.