who else wants to move out of Sacramento? (Redding, Folsom: low income, sale)
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You have to remember for some california is a home. I did not mean to come off as rude, but you know how people can get when you talk about their home. Most of us did not ruin California, and a lot of us never knew the california you knew. I moved here when i was 13 in the 90's, so the California you speak of was well long gone. The only constant thing in the universe is change. That does not mean we don't want it to improve or do not want it to be better. Some of us like my self do volunteer, we get up saturday and pick up the garbage from parks we clean up graffiti, we go to our city council meetings, we do care. But for every old timer with a plethora of knowledge and know how moves away, we are left with one less person to fight the good fight.
I think people get classified as california haters because rather than just pack up leave and move on, we have to be updated, some times in a rather tounge and cheek matter, about every little thing they hate about the state and every little iota of the greener pasture they move to. Complete with weekly updates on showings, closings, escrows, new neighbors, you name it.
Go to a Tex, Illinois, or Michigan board. You just don't see the "nanana", "neener neener neener", "look at me" threads that you see when people announce they are moving to other states. I am new to this board but there are several threads I can remember off the top of my head where you have made a point to let everyone know you are a native and you are not looking back and you have found your happiness out in the ozarks or where ever. We get it. But than again I suppose we wouldn't be a California message board with out these type of posts.
I think this a great post. It's not so much that Californians are ignoring the negatives of the state. It's that so many people choose to rehash all of those negative aspects, and in some cases, exaggerate them while posting all of the positives about the areas they're considering moving to. As if any area is perfect. I can see why some have grown tired of it. I think it's these attitudes that drive away people who might be able to share some of the positive aspects of California in this forum. Why would they want share their good experiences with so many bitter people who appear to be waiting to pounce and insult them?
We all know California has its problems. But many of us who grew up there know plenty of people who would never leave the state despite those problems because of how much they love living there - I'd say 75% of the people I know in CA fall under that category. So for as great as all the alternatives sound coming from a disgruntled Californian who has chosen to move out of the state, rest assured there is almost certainly going to be a story about someone who wouldn't want to live anywhere else - even if they don't spend the time to post that opinion here in this forum.
And for others, the time has come in their life to experience a new area outside CA. That doesn't automatically make them a California hater. But it also doesn't make the people who love living in the state any less normal either (as some of the California haters would have you believe). It's not what it was 50 years ago, but that doesn't mean plenty of people don't still love it for what it is now, as crazy as that may seem to some.
I moved to Massachusetts earlier this year, because I hated Cali so much, for all the usual reasons, crime, expensive, crowded, illegal immigration, bankrupt, pollution, not enough nature, bad schools, lack of water in many parts of the state.
Well let me tell you Mass has its own set of problems. The trees didn't get their leaves here until the THIRD WEEK OF MAY. Fall colors peak on Oct 15. You do the math...that's only 5 months where the trees have leaves. The rest of the year the leaves are bare, the ground is either brown or covered in snow, it's slushy icy and too cold to do anything for very long outdoors. So when good weather finally arrives, you get humidity so thick you can cut it with a knife, and mosquitoes everywhere. I have so many mosquito bites I have SCARS now. Oh, and ticks. My son was bitten by a tick and had to get on antibiotics for Lyme disease. The cicadas and the wasps and the giant carpenter ants are a daily nuisance in the "good" months. Everything is tame back here, not very wild at all. There's always a house not far away. They say you have to like winter sports to live here, but hockey and skiing are expensive, not to mention thousands per year just to heat your home with stinky diesel fuel. Frankly, I like to be outside for more of my life than 5 months of the year, and I don't enjoy myself if I'm too bundled up to even see my friend. The thunderstorms are cool but dangerous for kids to be in. You have to take a lot of one lane roads to get anywhere, and stop frequently for school buses, trash trucks, trains and any other road repair trucks. Shoveling snow in winter (7 months) ain't exactly fun either. And I miss the grandeur that is California nature. Nothing back here is exceptional, or stunning. Yeah, there are some trees and a pretty pond. It's all so....pleasant. In California, there is the STUNNING Yosemite valley, deep gorges in Kings Canyon, the cliffs at Big Sur, the HUGE trees in Sequoia, the stark beauty of the desert, the wild and free feeling of the Sierras in general. I never thought my soul would be so tied to the NATURE of California. Maybe it just depends on where you are raised, that place always sticks with you. I want my son to have his soul connected to the nature in California as mine is, not this tame pleasant postcard part of the country. Oh, and home prices aren't any cheaper here - they are actually MORE expensive. I can't even buy a decent 3 bedroom house for under $300k in most areas. It's easier to reach government offices here...i guess, but not by much. I'm just rather underwhelmed by my time here on the east coast, and I am currently plotting my way back to Cali.
Not to be too redundant, but the last few posts say it well.
There simply is something good no matter where you live. You have to focus on it if there are other negatives which consume you.
I was born here, grew up here, but because the grass is always greener... Went to the East (actually the phenomenally beautiful New England states), then to the South...
...and I came back...
The East was great for the variations in weather, the history, the outdoor activities (because the weather changes so much).
The South was great for the lack of Winter, the history, the food, the stronger sense of community...
But I came back.
I absolutely love it here. That emphasized, if what is being proposed as health care reform passes, I and many I know in the medical field will have to leave. It will be economically untenable to practice here. And that is why I will have to consider moving away again, but not because I want to...
You have to remember for some california is a home. I did not mean to come off as rude, but you know how people can get when you talk about their home. Most of us did not ruin California, and a lot of us never knew the california you knew. I moved here when i was 13 in the 90's, so the California you speak of was well long gone. The only constant thing in the universe is change. That does not mean we don't want it to improve or do not want it to be better. Some of us like my self do volunteer, we get up saturday and pick up the garbage from parks we clean up graffiti, we go to our city council meetings, we do care. But for every old timer with a plethora of knowledge and know how moves away, we are left with one less person to fight the good fight.
You didn't come off as rude. That was likely my approach more than yours. You came off as caring for the state and righteously indignant. I don't blame you. I wish we had the staying power to be of help but at a certain time in life, all of us have to face our mortality and adjust from there.
All the people who are bashing California, well, they can just leave if they hate it so much.
The rest of us will be happy staying.
California is not just "another state", it's almost like another country unto itself. We have many large and diverse metropolitan regions with their own character. We have amazing natural diversity. We have the country's most vibrant economy. We have the greatest cultural diversity.
I think California's pluses FAR outweigh its minuses. I've been around the world, and frankly, I think California's pluses are far more than anywhere else's.
There will always be people who see the cup as half empty. The fact is, most of these folks will move to Arkansas and continue to feel that way.
But there is a reason why so many people in the US and around the world want to live in California.
All the people who are bashing California, well, they can just leave if they hate it so much.
The rest of us will be happy staying.
California is not just "another state", it's almost like another country unto itself. We have many large and diverse metropolitan regions with their own character. We have amazing natural diversity. We have the country's most vibrant economy. We have the greatest cultural diversity.
I think California's pluses FAR outweigh its minuses. I've been around the world, and frankly, I think California's pluses are far more than anywhere else's.
There will always be people who see the cup as half empty. The fact is, most of these folks will move to Arkansas and continue to feel that way.
But there is a reason why so many people in the US and around the world want to live in California.
This is true, I've never seen a state with such significant differences in metro areas. Even within the major population centers, the differences in major cities is significant. San Jose, Oakland and San Francisco all have completely different feels to their downtown and nearby surrounding areas, same for the LA area.
You didn't come off as rude. That was likely my approach more than yours. You came off as caring for the state and righteously indignant. I don't blame you. I wish we had the staying power to be of help but at a certain time in life, all of us have to face our mortality and adjust from there.
One of the things that many posters may not realize is that how an area looks to you can change significantly over a long period of time. What appeals to you at 25 may annoy you at 60.
This can be due to personal situations or just the change in your tolerances as you age. Finances can play a part in this too.
I have a friend who was just crazy about the Washington DC metro area, especially the side towards the Maryland seashore (Annapolis area). Had this site existed back when we were good friends, he would have been a frequent poster praising that area, and would have been "in the face" of anyone who posted negative comments. About 10 years ago he and his wife split up, and they had a major battle over finances and the kids. Since she still lived in the area after the dust settled, he hated being there and couldn't wait to get away.
I left Sacramento in 1994 and moved to Idaho. There is lots to love about California and many people in my family still live there but it lost its magic for me long ago as a state to reside in. I enjoy coming back as a visitor but don't see the lifestyle worth the price any longer.
I left Sacramento in 1994 and moved to Idaho. There is lots to love about California and many people in my family still live there but it lost its magic for me long ago as a state to reside in. I enjoy coming back as a visitor but don't see the lifestyle worth the price any longer.
Could not have said it better myself.
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