east coast v west coast (San Diego, Long Beach: job market, schools, live)

[Trasferirci_a_SD]

Hi, we live here in New England since 2007, I am from Italy, from a big city, and a nice life, but my husband is from around here and we owned a house so we decided to moveback here, after having the kids in Italy, and trying to stay in his country....he is not so surprised about how rude, unpleasant, stuck-up are the people here in NE, and after living back in Italy for few years, where all my family/friends still are, he is finally seeing this huge difference in people. I totally have to agree with someone who wrote about people driving Jaguars with very visible roots growing, or the refusal of greeting people, there is rarely eye contact and beware if you do, they attack you with a mean "what's up?", and the racism that is very very subtle they wouldn't never admit that... EVER, and I am talking about people whose ethnicity is not "white", that is even worse I think. (In fact some of the people around here STILL think and "TELLING" me I am either a native american/from any south american country/defintely not "american" and when sometimes I say "I am actually from Italy" they become speecheless, to some I don't bother to reply to this kind of ignorance, and intolerance.... it just disgusts me, I am just a "dark haired woman" with an accent ...some peopel around here need to travel a little bit :P )The neighborhood we live is suburban and very, very nice, nice schools, criminality ZERO basically (if driving at 40 mph is not a "felony")....I always thought there were a lot of racist people in Italy, and when I was younger, watching all the tv show or movies ...well everything pictured there was everybody-loves-each-other-nomatter-howyoulook-whatisyour-religion but I STILL didn't see much of it, so definitely in Italy there is less racism/intolerance than NE and less strict rules about immigration (in fact they are kinda loose) I am very disappointed about the personality of the people here, well maybe I should say the obsessive need to look and sound like all the others because you could become an outcast (OMG! what a horrible nightmare ... :| ) so in the end are all rude and cold (I come from a very laid back lifestyle, nice weather (I come from Sicily, which is the big island south of Italy) good and healthy food where biological is the ordinary choice. My husband and me, along with our three children, were thinking to move to San Diego, being tired of the nonexistent summer, which btw is super humid, and whoever disagree...GET A CAR/TRAIN/ better a PASSPORT and leave New England and your jobs for *a minute* and SEE OTHER PLACES first, and you will understand HOW SILLY is the statement "Summer is nice though!" We are tired of plowing snow, paying high heating bills, not be able to smile because it would make our face "look weird". We are dying to find good weather and because of the sun in San Diego healthier foods, I suppose. I trust America, my children are all under 6 and still dont get that, but I trust America, I think I can find nice people here too right? I know I can, moving to San Diego would help a very cheery italian woman trying to make her family happy?

[Smallville]

I've lived on both the west coast and east coast. I only lived in California for a year though. I'm originally from the Northeast, so when I moved out to California, I was surprised how lax most people were. They never seemed to be in a hurry and they're a lot more patient than some of us Eastcoasters. The only reason why I'm here and not on the west coast is because the west coast is so expensive. I'd love to live in SoCal again, if given the opportunity.

[soymabelen]

Originally Posted by Trasferirci_a_SD

Hi, we live here in New England since 2007, I am from Italy, from a big city, and a nice life, but my husband is from around here and we owned a house so we decided to moveback here, after having the kids in Italy, and trying to stay in his country....he is not so surprised about how rude, unpleasant, stuck-up are the people here in NE, and after living back in Italy for few years, where all my family/friends still are, he is finally seeing this huge difference in people. I totally have to agree with someone who wrote about people driving Jaguars with very visible roots growing, or the refusal of greeting people, there is rarely eye contact and beware if you do, they attack you with a mean "what's up?", and the racism that is very very subtle they wouldn't never admit that... EVER, and I am talking about people whose ethnicity is not "white", that is even worse I think. (In fact some of the people around here STILL think and "TELLING" me I am either a native american/from any south american country/defintely not "american" and when sometimes I say "I am actually from Italy" they become speecheless, to some I don't bother to reply to this kind of ignorance, and intolerance.... it just disgusts me, I am just a "dark haired woman" with an accent ...some peopel around here need to travel a little bit :P )The neighborhood we live is suburban and very, very nice, nice schools, criminality ZERO basically (if driving at 40 mph is not a "felony")....I always thought there were a lot of racist people in Italy, and when I was younger, watching all the tv show or movies ...well everything pictured there was everybody-loves-each-other-nomatter-howyoulook-whatisyour-religion but I STILL didn't see much of it, so definitely in Italy there is less racism/intolerance than NE and less strict rules about immigration (in fact they are kinda loose) I am very disappointed about the personality of the people here, well maybe I should say the obsessive need to look and sound like all the others because you could become an outcast (OMG! what a horrible nightmare ... :| ) so in the end are all rude and cold (I come from a very laid back lifestyle, nice weather (I come from Sicily, which is the big island south of Italy) good and healthy food where biological is the ordinary choice. My husband and me, along with our three children, were thinking to move to San Diego, being tired of the nonexistent summer, which btw is super humid, and whoever disagree...GET A CAR/TRAIN/ better a PASSPORT and leave New England and your jobs for *a minute* and SEE OTHER PLACES first, and you will understand HOW SILLY is the statement "Summer is nice though!" We are tired of plowing snow, paying high heating bills, not be able to smile because it would make our face "look weird". We are dying to find good weather and because of the sun in San Diego healthier foods, I suppose. I trust America, my children are all under 6 and still dont get that, but I trust America, I think I can find nice people here too right? I know I can, moving to San Diego would help a very cheery italian woman trying to make her family happy?

I can see how moving from Sicily to the NE must have been a shock to the system! I have never lived in the NE but I lived in the UK for 12 years and this is my 10th year living in the Mid Atlantic region. I first experienced that kind of shock when I moved to the UK from Spain, my home country. The move from the UK to the Mid Atlantic region was easier. I had to learn again to look at people in the eye and smile! I think San Diego will be definitely a better fit for you. As far as racism, I think you will find some to some degree anywhere you go. My husband is South Asian and obviously our two daughters are biracial, so we have some experience with this issue.

If you make your way down to San Diego, please look me up. I have many fond memories of my Italian friends when I lived in England. We are relocating at the end of the school year and are looking into the inland North County areas of San Diego to settle down.

[tuteishungry]

I hear that East Coast is a little rough around the edges whereas the West Coast is somewhat phony.

[MantaRay]

Northern East Coast- Expensive, cold, and urban. Northern West Coast- Expensive, cool & wet, and urban. Southern West Coast- Expensive, warm, and suburban. Southern East Coast- Affordable, warm & wet, and suburban.

[Smallville]

It's not only cold in the Northeast! But we also have a subtropic climate in the summer. Some days are just unbearable. We get a lot of humidity (but not too many thunderstorms). It depends on where you're from.

[Coolhand68]

East vs West is a very broad comparison to make. I grew up in NYC, I've lived in upstate NY for a few years, California central coast for 7 years, Massachusetts for almost 5 years, and several months at a time in Mississippi, Texas, Florida and NJ. Each place had a different flavor. Upstate NY was much more hokey than NYC and I found the people in upstate NY (Rome/Utica) to be less friendly than people in NYC. Same with Mass, people are a little harder around the edges in New England until you get to know them. What's funny is that the majority of outwardly friendly people I've met in Mass (not many) were from someplace else, usually down south like Virginia or North Carolina. NYC is much more fast paced than California or Washington, but out west there is a very prominent gang culture. That said, I still wouldn't want to put my kids in public schools in NYC, DC, Baltimore or many places in NJ.

So I guess there's good and bad about anywhere you go in this country. Just depends on what you're looking for and what your priorities are.

[Trasferirci_a_SD]

Hi Smallville, do you think compared to SoCal, the East coast is cheaper? in which ways? bills, house taxes, groceries? I live on the water, in RI, and the taxes are pretty high so are the groceries and the bills. We lived a couple of years in MA, near Boston, and the bills were somewhat cheaper. And btw I never experinced heat here in New England :P Sicily is really...REALLY warm and dry, average summer (considering that temperature wise our spring is the NE summer) temp 95 degrees and we have, during very hot summer days, the famous, at least for us mediterreneans, the Scirocco wind that blows from north Africa, reaching easy 110 hope you get the chance to visit it but NOT in july or august for people that don't like superhot weather... it would be a "temperature shock"...in fact I was wondering what temperature the Santa Ana wind reaches? I knwo I have a lot of questions :P

[Axeslinger754]

[quote=leighland;2549916]east coast - Very Liberal, left leaning. I have had so many racists things said to me and around me here, vs. Jews and African Americans. quote]

MAJOR contradiction. Wow... think before you post.

Ive lived in both and people are people everywhere. They think differently. It's more beautiful on the west coast though, and the weather is better, IMO.

[Oerdin]

The east coast sucks and the west coast rock. That's all you need to know.