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Go back and read my original post. I stated the good and the bad according to my experience. I also suggested that people do their own research. I truly believe that I was balanced and informative and gave newbies some direction. At the current time my family is looking at a possible move to another state and I am going to different forums asking the same questions that people are asking on this OC forum.. So I have tryed to give people recommendations on what I am looking for in my search as well.
If people are thinking that I am wrong or negative with my accessment and thread than that is fine. It is their opinion. It doesn't make my opinion or experience right or wrong. You are correct when you talk about everyone having different perspectives and likes and dislikes. Hopefully people that are coming to this OC forum are aware of that and they will take my perspective along with yours and a few others, put them all together and then for themselves along with doing research make an intelligent decision. You know what I mean?
My experience with or without stats is my experience. Stats will DO NOTHING to change the fact that I did not personally like living in OC. If I noticed and smelled smog than with or without stats there was smog. If I witnessed and heard a drive by shooting that resulted in a teenager lying dead in the street a block away from my home, then I witnessed a crime. If I participated in bumper to bumper freeway jams causing me to be late for work, once again who cares about statistics. Statistics will not prevent someone from struggling with certain characteristics of a given area.
All in all, my experience was not worth the headache of living there. Disneyland and all the beautiful sunsets would not bring me back. By moving out of the area I have witnessed cleaner air, less congestion, less racial tension, and a beautiful 3600 square ft. home that I never would have been able to afford in OC. So In my experience of living in four different states OC falls very short on the list of great places to live. In fact it is at the bottom of the list with Nebraska of all places as one of the states to use as a comparison. Do you see what I mean???
If I had to go back there and there were no other options I would try and live in the areas south of Irvine (which I have mentioned in several threads). See my pics in the OC pic thread. I would rather downsize, live in a cramped space in a decent area than move to one of the areas that have bad neighborhoods. But then again if I had the choice to move to OC or Arizona I would pick Arizona. Hopefully this helps... And may all the newbies or OC want ta be's do your homework first or better yet go visit and then make your decision if possible.
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Originally Posted by that1guy
The source is really important. If it's a respected institution (FBI, the census, Morgan Quitno, anything found on Jstor...) Then the stats typically will be accurate. Anything that has no stake in the bias of the stat is typically accurate and fair.
Personal experiences are liable to be tainted with bias. If I don't like vegetables and you never had cotton candy...I will most likely spin it to seem that vegetables are bad. Once you taste one, studies have shown that this will taint your own personal perception. The person will more likely (not every time) have a negative experience. So if somebody hates SoCal and presents their personal views without any stats...this will most likely taint the experience of the newcomer.
A truely fair approach is do have stats (from a reliable source) to back up statements.
By moving out of the area I have witnessed cleaner air, less congestion, less racial tension, and a beautiful 3600 square ft. home that I never would have been able to afford in OC.
Raelyn - where do you live now? I'm just merely curious, not going to try to slam you on it. LOL
I lived in Oregon for several years and now I live in Eastern Washington on the border of Idaho. And please do not say that there isn't air pollution in OC because I remember the Stage alerts very well.
I realize there is smog in every city but when you can smell it when you step out of the airport it is bad. My husband recently took a trip to OC in August of 2008 and told me the air smelled horrible. He said he had a headache and sinus problems the entire time he was there.
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Originally Posted by thepinksquid
Raelyn - where do you live now? I'm just merely curious, not going to try to slam you on it. LOL
I lived in Oregon for several years and now I live in Eastern Washington on the border of Idaho. And please do not say that there isn't air pollution in OC because I remember the Stage alerts very well.
I realize there is smog in every city but when you can smell it when you step out of the airport it is bad. My husband recently took a trip to OC in August of 2008 and told me the air smelled horrible. He said he had a headache and sinus problems the entire time he was there.
I would agree the air quality in Orange County isn't great, but I find it a little bit unfair to compare a region like east Washington of less than one million people to a county of 3 million people in a region of 18 million people. Eastern Washington has probably 15 times the land area as Orange County for much less people to live, with most of the land there being rural (beside the small city of Spokane).
I just don't understand how people can compare developed metropolitan areas to small towns, small cities, and rural areas. They are totally on opposite ends of the lifestyle spectrum. I think it would be better to just say that urban or suburban cities of large metropolitan areas aren't your cup of tea. Do you think you would like Houston, Atlanta, New York, Dallas, Chicago, Miami, Boston, Philadelphia, etc....???? These all have traffic and endless concrete, poorer air quality than rural areas, crowds, smaller lots, higher costs of living, etc... than a rural area like East Washington.
I would agree the air quality in Orange County isn't great, but I find it a little bit unfair to compare a region like east Washington of less than one million people to a county of 3 million people in a region of 18 million people. Eastern Washington has probably 15 times the land area as Orange County for much less people to live, with most of the land there being rural (beside the small city of Spokane).
I just don't understand how people can compare developed metropolitan areas to small towns, small cities, and rural areas. They are totally on opposite ends of the lifestyle spectrum. I think it would be better to just say that urban or suburban cities of large metropolitan areas aren't your cup of tea. Do you think you would like Houston, Atlanta, New York, Dallas, Chicago, Miami, Boston, Philadelphia, etc....???? These all have traffic and endless concrete, poorer air quality than rural areas, crowds, smaller lots, higher costs of living, etc... than a rural area like East Washington.
Ummm...I don't remember her comparing OC to Oregon. She moved there to escape S. Cal, but never compared it to where she lives....
Go back and read my original post. I stated the good and the bad according to my experience. \
All in all, my experience was not worth the headache of living there. Disneyland and all the beautiful sunsets would not bring me back. By moving out of the area I have witnessed cleaner air, less congestion, less racial tension, and a beautiful 3600 square ft. home that I never would have been able to afford in OC. So In my experience of living in four different states OC falls very short on the list of great places to live. In fact it is at the bottom of the list with Nebraska of all places as one of the states to use as a comparison. Do you see what I mean???
If I had to go back there and there were no other options I would try and live in the areas south of Irvine (which I have mentioned in several threads). See my pics in the OC pic thread. I would rather downsize, live in a cramped space in a decent area than move to one of the areas that have bad neighborhoods. But then again if I had the choice to move to OC or Arizona I would pick Arizona. Hopefully this helps... And may all the newbies or OC want ta be's do your homework first or better yet go visit and then make your decision if possible.
Above poster, did you perhaps read this??? It is in the post above mine. Sounds like a comparison to me. Also, I don't think there is anything wrong when someone says they like some place better, it just means one lifestyle wasn't for them. Its not like Orange County is ever going to be like the Spokane area again though and it seems silly to compare the attributes of the two. I have lived in small cities in Florida, Texas, and Arizona and they were NOTHING like life in Southern California because there is a fundamental difference between big metro area and small town USA.
Last edited by missionhome; 05-29-2009 at 06:59 PM..
But those cities do not have the stigma or status of "the perfect place" like OC. My thread started primarily because I noticed a lot of pretty beach pics on the beach thread. I didn't see too many people stating the truth about everything else. Only one guy (Killer2021) and he was totally raked over the coals for making an honest comment to the silliest thread I have ever seen. Only pictures of ocean views!!
And in answer to your statement I am not comparing OC to anything else I am just letting possible newbies know what I didn't know. What is wrong with that?? I haven't been rude and I haven't been unfair. I stated the good and bad. I just think that OC is over-rated. I don't hear all those other cities being idolized like OC except for maybe Miami Beach and that is over-rated also. Like the TV series (OC) that was so popular. It cracked me up that they only showed the pretty spots with the million dollar homes and the perfect hair styles. Totally unrealistic. I have had many people in Oregon and Washington say in a totally innocent way, "why would you ever move up here when you lived in OC"?? You know why they asked that?? Because they had never been there or lived there so it was a question out of ignorance. My point, people need to know what they are getting in to!!!
If you go back to read my post I told people where and where not to go and told them to do their research if they had to go there.
One question?? You stated that OC had a lot of people there right? Why do you want more people to move in? Just curious.. It seems silly to me.
Quote:
Originally Posted by missionhome
I would agree the air quality in Orange County isn't great, but I find it a little bit unfair to compare a region like east Washington of less than one million people to a county of 3 million people in a region of 18 million people. Eastern Washington has probably 15 times the land area as Orange County for much less people to live, with most of the land there being rural (beside the small city of Spokane).
I just don't understand how people can compare developed metropolitan areas to small towns, small cities, and rural areas. They are totally on opposite ends of the lifestyle spectrum. I think it would be better to just say that urban or suburban cities of large metropolitan areas aren't your cup of tea. Do you think you would like Houston, Atlanta, New York, Dallas, Chicago, Miami, Boston, Philadelphia, etc....???? These all have traffic and endless concrete, poorer air quality than rural areas, crowds, smaller lots, higher costs of living, etc... than a rural area like East Washington.
I was only saying this about Oregon and Washington not to compare but to say that I got used to the air quality in Southern California and it was only after I left that I noticed how really bad it was in OC. I actually didn't have sinus problems or headaches anymore. Another person was posting and saying they didn't think there was any smog in OC.. I disagree with that statement.
In all honesty there are many things that would fall short regarding a comparison being made between Washington or Oregon with California. The Beach's in Oregon and Washington are colder and grey alot.. No Disneyland, Seaworld or other awesome places... Not a bad comparison just one of reality that's all.
Quote:
Originally Posted by missionhome
Above poster, did you perhaps read this??? It is in the post above mine. Sounds like a comparison to me. Also, I don't think there is anything wrong when someone says they like some place better, it just means one lifestyle wasn't for them. Its not like Orange County is ever going to be like the Spokane area again though and it seems silly to compare the attributes of the two. I have lived in small cities in Florida, Texas, and Arizona and they were NOTHING like life in Southern California because there is a fundamental difference between big metro area and small town USA.
Points made, although I've never considered Orange County a paradise, but I guess some folks do, hahaha. I think it is a nice place to live and I think it is fair for potential new residents to hear about the areas positives and negatives. The only thing I was thinking was, "of course air quality is better in Spokane, there are like 400,000 people there!" hahaha
Oh, and to clear something up, our picture thread isn't trying to "hide" the truth. Most of the pictures are from people like me and I'm not going to go out of my way to go all the way to Santa Ana, Garden Grove, Anaheim, or other North County places just to take pictures. I probably go to Santa Ana like once per year for example. I go to Los Angeles and San Diego even more often! I take pictures of places I frequent and when I have an opportunity. The same is true of most of the other people who posted pictures. We can't force people that live in Santa Ana or something to take pictures of their city to make this thread balanced between the coastal and South Orange County areas and other areas. I think it is unfortunate we don't have more members on this forum in those cities in North OC and that those residents have not posted pictures. Again, it is a community effort to make the picture thread and if part of the community doesn't add to it, it isn't the fault of those that did.
grown men would come up to me like children asking "whats the score!" because "The Game" was on.
many guys spend so much time rapped up in sports that they neglect family and the planning of there own lives. I know a few guys who are experts in sports teams however are unhappy with there lives in some way shape or form. Well, I would argue if you could see over there lifetime how many hours they spent watching "The Game" and laboring over fantasy football and transfer that time to building a life that they want I'm sure they would be much more satisfied with there life.
For every minute guys spend watching a sporting event, chicks spend five minutes with their noses stuck in some glamor or movie star magazine.
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