The Truth about California from a former west coast Girl... (Orange: crimes, home)

[Raelyn28]

I have made my point and been vindicated... Thank you to all of you who are not in denial. I forgot to mention the helicopters.. And oh yeah, wasn't OJ Simpson driving down the 91/5??? freeway back in 1993 trying to escape the Police. I actually was standing over the bridge as his car drove underneath with a score of police cars chasing him? And of course the helicopters overhead. Oh a typical day in sunny southern cal...

Originally Posted by ZhugeLiang

Property damage and theft? Uhhh.....not exactly what I would call the next Compton. Those things happen anywhere. Save the drama.

[Raelyn28]

I would have been a couple two three decades ago. Of course I am not a good fit, I have blonge hair, blue eyes and speak English...

Originally Posted by OC2Jax

It sounds like you were never a good fit for California.

RE: Football...

1) Many people in CA moved from elsewhere....and they bring the love for their team with them.

2) With so many other cool things to do in SoCal, why waste it on football?
People who live in cities with snowy winters and nothing to do the rest of the year eat and breathe football. (And they're usually way overweight because they don't exercise...people in SoCal get out and do things plus exercise).

3) LA has the Lakers....that's REALLY the only sport that SoCal cares about.

[ZhugeLiang]

Originally Posted by Raelyn28

I have made my point and been vindicated... Thank you ZhugeLiang. I forgot to mention the helicopters.. And oh yeah, wasn't OJ Simpson driving down the 91/5??? freeway back in 1993 trying to escape the Police. I actually was standing over the bridge as his car drove underneath with a score of police cars chasing him? And of course the helicopters overhead. Oh a typical day in sunny southern cal...

You made claims with very shaky premises and haven't been vindicated for squat. You're just another dime-a-dozen anti-OC troll and it's a wonder you haven't been moderated yet.

[ZhugeLiang]

Originally Posted by Raelyn28

I would have been a couple two three decades ago. Of course I am not a good fit, I have blonge hair, blue eyes and speak English...

Sometimes the jokes write themselves.

[MisterDuke]

Within 30 miles of each other in the LA/OC area are 9 professional sports teams (I include USC and UCLA football), that average sales of around 11 million tickets a year. There is no other region in the country that attends sporting events as much as LA/OC.

The Dodgers and Angels are both in the top 5 of total attendance in MLB. The Kings are one of the worst teams in the NHL. Both they and the Ducks are in the upper percentile of attendance in the NHL. The LA Galaxy always has the highest attendance of any MLS team. USC and UCLA football combine for 1 million tickets sold each year. SC average 85k a game at the Coliseum. The Clippers stink on an annual basis, but they draw fairly close to the Lakers, who are one of the leaders in the NBA.

So excuse me if I don’t get all weepy because there is no NFL team.

The NFL is a bunch of billionaire freeloaders expecting taxpayers to give them corporate welfare. They expect taxpayers to foot the bill for a billion dollar stadium that they are only going to use 8 days a year. It's a waste of money. The rubes in the Midwest fall for it, but give us some credit.

As far as crime in OC…. According to the City-Data crime index, every city in OC is below the national average for reported crimes. That includes Santa Ana and Anaheim. The crime rate in Anaheim is 17% lower than the national average. Santa Ana is 10-12% below the national average. And that’s with police forces that are one-third the size. I’d say that’s pretty good. Maybe if the local cities were to staff the police departments more in line with the national average, OC could make a dent in the gang issue.

But yes, there are gangs and very bad traffic, and yes everyone should do research before they move anywhere.

[CaliDude1]

Originally Posted by Raelyn28

There are some very beautiful people in California. What does "being fat" have to do with football? Whether fat or not the Truth again remains. L.A. and Orange county lost their pro football teams. The team support there is NOTHING like other parts of the country. Which again goes to prove my point. Southern Cal is NOT just about pretty post card pictures which depict beautiful beach scenes and sunsets. The entire picture needs to be disclosed on this forum to help those with a relocation choice. I think finally the Truth is coming out.. Which is my passion for writing on this forum.. California DOES NOT need anymore people moving there with false expectations...

I agree with you on the false expectations part. But that is not California's fault. People often come here and think all that Hollywood stuff is real. The people that come here thinking everything will be a day at the beach have to bear some responsiblity, too.

But lets not get too carried away with this football thing. Support of pro sports teams is in no way an indicator of the health of a community. Both Al and Georgia were horrible owners and cared nothing about the fans as evidenced by their actions. There should be no surprise that many people in LA and OC stopped supporting them.

Also, people out here are just not fanatical about sports teams like folks in the South or Midwest. College teams like USC and UCLA are the exception. Magic Johnson made me a Lakers fan for life. However, my fanship (is that a word?) has limits. I refuse to pay an insane sum of money to take my family to a game. Also, I will never pay $70+ for an "authentic" Lakers jersey. That is the difference between people here and people in many other places. We like our sports. We just don't worship sports and sports figures. Unfortunately, many people here worship Hollywood types, but that is another conversation.

[Raelyn28]

No wonder I moved away from that area... Look people.. be aware, this is what takes place in Southern California.. Now run as fast as you can

Originally Posted by ZhugeLiang

Sometimes the jokes write themselves.

[that1guy]

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 agree with most of what was said, except the crime part and education.

Irivine, Anaheim Hills, are two of the safest communities in the nation. Also Mission Viejo, Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks, Yorba Linda, Chino Hills, Murrieta, Poway...The crime in CA is about average nationally.

Education does need to be overhauled greatly. With that said, it is also home to some of the best school districts in the nation.

California, as you said, is great if you have the money. Inland California is perfect for the middle class.

[ZhugeLiang]

Originally Posted by Raelyn28

No wonder I moved away from that area... Look people.. be aware, this is what takes place in Southern California.. Now run as fast as you can

Yep, troll confirmed, please leave.

[Raelyn28]

I hate to burst your denial bubble. But Yorba Linda is listed as the top 35 city as far as being the highest in murders. Do your homework. And also I did do my homework in regards to the Rams. I was upset and I investigated. Maybe it was due to a money issue but it was also because of the lack of fan support. I was shedding tears because I know how to support a team win or lose, good or bad.. which is unfortunately not the case in most California cities. Don't get me wrong there are good fans but there are those who could care less.

There are gangs and crime ALL OVER.. Not just in Santa Ana. If you want to live in denial go ahead. I am not going to argue with you anymore. I have said enough and said a lot of good with the bad. Take it or leave it. I'm not living there anymore and I am not trying to hurt anybodies feelings. I am just trying to help outsiders make a choice. They can do want they want to do as far as moving there or not, but at least I gave them my experience. If your experience is better than good for you.. Share it... No big deal. But please do not attack my character anymore. I haven't done that to anyone here... I ask that you not make judgments about me as a human being.

Originally Posted by ZhugeLiang

Rae honey, I hate to have to do this, but you need to be called out for not knowing what the hell you're talking about. Your rationale behind the Raiders and Rams leaving SoCal don't mesh with reality very well. Al Davis is a money grubber first and foremost while Georgia Frontiere took the movie Major League and made that her business model, we didn't bite and when it came time for the team to leave, we were all too happy to help her pack. No one was shedding any tears over those teams leaving since we don't support mediocrity. Gangs, maybe in Santa Ana, but even they're not much to lose sleep over. As far as the crime level, do your homework. The areas you cite have among the lowest crime rates in the country. South OC cities rank among the safest in the U.S. You're not being honest, because why? Oh yeah, you don't know what you're talking about. Funny you bring up feeling like an alien, because your time in OC is just as fictional as alien life. Go troll another board sweetheart.