who else wants to move out of Sacramento? (San Francisco, Rocklin: salons, rent)

[KidBlue]

Wylde, the two areas are very different. I'm guessing (and may be wrong) that you work in the technology area if you are from Bellevue. You may want to check out Roseville or Folsom (HP and Intel). The Sacramento area has more job opportunities than Santa Barbara. The cost of living in Sacramento was recently ranked just slightly higher than Seattle, so it will be close to what you are used to. Santa Barbara is much higher (but many people consider it more desirable). The weather in SB is cooler and there's more overcast--more coastal influence.

Sacramento will be much hotter in the summer (feels like 6 months) and very dry. It's a much bigger city (2 million if you consider the surrounding areas). If you want to get out of the overcast, Sacramento is your kind of town! I'm retiring in Olympia or Elma. Forty years in Sacramento and 13 in Los Angeles is enough for me. I'll be buying an older home, so I promise not to drive housing prices up too much.

[Gubbinsgal]

Yep...me too!! Moving to Washington State - I miss the rain and slower pace of life. Sac just isn't the same old town any more....the attitudes are worse and quality of life just not worth the high prices.

[Kingsnkali]

All you folks clamoring for Washington will end up in traffic worse than Sacramento by far. Seattle/Tacoma and even Olympia are getting like the Bay Area (with trees). Traffic is horrible. I was stuck in the town of Shelton a few weeks back and it took me nearly 10 minutes just to turn onto the main drag in town. Frustrating. The last time I was in Shelton a few years back, it was like a ghost town.

And that drive from Tacoma to across the Narrows Bridge is a real treat! I could have rowed a leaky boat faster against the swift current. EVERYWHERE you go the traffic is bad and getting worse everytime I visit up there. Purdy, Key Peninsula and Bremerton. Traffic. Traffic. Traffic.

On top of the traffic is the rain and trees. They just seem to close in on you. Your windshield wipers groan day after day after day. Your eyes become mole-like if the sun ever does appear and blinds you.

And the people drive like SLUGS. S-L-O-W. Of course, there's a reason for it, because the Washington police write speeding tickets like it's the only thing they do 24/7. I've been pulled over for going 46 mph in a 45 mph zone. My California sister received 5 speeding tickets her first year after moving there.

Sometimes, Californians just don't appreciate what they've got until they leave.

Sure Sacramento had turned into a megalopolis and spread out. Well, so has just about every place else.

[Gubbinsgal]

Originally Posted by Kingsnkali

On top of the traffic is the rain and trees. They just seem to close in on you. Your windshield wipers groan day after day after day. Your eyes become mole-like if the sun ever does appear and blinds you.

Ah, Kingsnkali, I shouldn't have any problem with the rain and trees. I was born and raised in Britain so am used to all the constant rain and abundance of trees. That's the appeal of Washington for us. When we flew back to Sac it just seemed so barren in comparison, I'd almost forgotten how much I missed the greenery everywhere. But I can appreciate, having lived a few different places now, that a lot of it comes down to what simply feels like home to you. If I'd grown up in sunny climes without as many trees I'd probably feel more at home here in Sac. I used to live in AZ and felt lost in the openness of the desert, longing for structure, hedges, grass all those things that made me feel comfortable. Isn't it great that we don't all like the same things in life...or else the traffic in WA would be even worse

[karena]

Originally Posted by KidBlue

When you say you like humidity, is this the hot kind or the cold kind? If it is the rainy cool kind of humidity, Olympia, WA would meet your needs. It's fairly liberal, much less crowded and expensive than Sac. The drivers are courteous and public transportation is safe. It's also a large enough town that services are available (even Macy's!!!), but it's not as much of a zoo as Sac.

It is the hot kind. Also I have been checking the EPA reports on clean air and Washington has gotten moderately polluted. That saddens me because Washington always had such clean air. BTW, somewhare on this site I've seen A ULR for a site listing the cities with the cleanest air. Does any one have it.

Karen

[spulla]

Originally Posted by Gubbinsgal

Ah, Kingsnkali, I shouldn't have any problem with the rain and trees. I was born and raised in Britain so am used to all the constant rain and abundance of trees. That's the appeal of Washington for us. When we flew back to Sac it just seemed so barren in comparison, I'd almost forgotten how much I missed the greenery everywhere. But I can appreciate, having lived a few different places now, that a lot of it comes down to what simply feels like home to you. If I'd grown up in sunny climes without as many trees I'd probably feel more at home here in Sac. I used to live in AZ and felt lost in the openness of the desert, longing for structure, hedges, grass all those things that made me feel comfortable. Isn't it great that we don't all like the same things in life...or else the traffic in WA would be even worse

Pacific Northwest is depressing. The overcast clouds and the rain for about 9 months a year is pathetic. If you got kids, it is extremely boring for them being confined to indoors for the most part of the year. I'll take 300 days of sun over 300 days of rain, wet ground and overcast. The rest of the 3 months are the best, there is no doubt about it.

[CityGirl72]

I love Sacramento - it was a good town for me.

3 years ago I moved to Seattle. And I hate it here. I'm usually an upbeat happy peppy person - and I've never been so depressed in my whole life.

I miss the Sacramento weather (no matter how hot) It's so damn cold here in Seattle and dreary YEAR ROUND...and in August it MIGHT get to 80 degrees here...10 months of the year I don't come out of my house. My kid is going nuts because mommy won't leave the house. I have yet to ever wear shorts here.

The schools are a bit better, and yes not overrun with hispanics, but I cry every month missing Sacramento. But the houses there are too expensive to move back - and my income has doubled in Seattle. I can't find that in Sac to be able to move back.

I'm stuck

Consider yourself lucky, I didn't know how much I loved Sacramento til I moved.

[renngrrl]

Actually, the NW was my first choice but there are no jobs for me there so we started looking at NC and then decided on Lexington.

If money were no object, I'd be living in Portland in a hot second.

[jguillot]

Originally Posted by leavingcali

I have a year left on my Master's degree and then I want to move. Who's with me? Actually, it isn't just Sacramento that I want to get a way from, but CA in general. Who can afford to live here anymore? I want affordable housing, a picturesque town, and summers that aren't miserable. Any suggestions? Anyone else in this town looking to leave?

I would like to move out of California today, but I will unfortunately have to wait until I can retire in 7 years. For any of you considering moving into California, be prepared for a high cost of living, high taxes, some of the highest priced gasoline in the nation, unaffordable housing, horrible traffic, highways full of potholes, and rude drivers who show no courtesy for others on the road. I will not stay in this state one day longer than I absolutely have to.

[yellowbird]

We have been in Sacramento for two years and we really, really dislike it! It's boring, boring, boring and yes it's ridiculously expensive to buy a house but we lived in SF before this so it's much cheaper, however, you get what you pay for. In SF I was never bored and I did not feel like I live in an oven for five months of the year! I was ready for a quieter lifestyle but this is just yucky. It's not a city or small town-it's VERY suburban. People go to the mall, I can't get a decent haircut and we're in Land Park where residents think they're better than other people! HA!! I have no idea why-it's cute but very podunk-my husband and I are always laughing about it. He's a native San Franciscan & I'm a born and raised Chicago girl and we've seen the real thing-Sack of Tomatos does not have it. I hate being negative but I really think this city is an ARMPIT!