Considering Moving to California -SD or Orange County?

[loveautumn]

I think the #1 dream place was Denver (believe it or not)!

[panngarcia1019]

Hi There:

I hate to get all mom on you, but being from CA, I must say that getting a job before moving would serve you well. As you may already know, CA is in a huge recession/de with no sign of bouncing back. My best advice would be to do up your resume like never before and invest in a good headhunter. One who actually works and lives in the area where you are most interested in residing. I moved from San Francisco to Denver to be closer to my family and this is the route I took. I hired a professional to assist me with my resume and then I took six months and conducted mostly on-line job search. I was hired over the phone after a third interview by a government agency - where I am currently employed.

I lived in both San Diego and Orange County and they are both beautiful. If you plan on starting a family relatively soon, I would move to Orange County, but if you still have some "party" left in you, I would go for San Diego. I lived in Mission Beach and Pacific Beach, but if you can't afford the beach or downtown any of the nearby "burbs" will be OK. You need a good car too for all of that freeway driving you'll be doing.

In a nutshell, use some of the money that you saved up to take a couple of trips to the CA areas you most wish to live in, check out the job situation, develop a good strong impressive resume and include trusted references, your cover letter must include an impressive reason for why they should hire someone from out of town when so many residents are in need of a job, after you've moved, rent for a year or two, so that you are not stuck in an area where you are not happy.

Good luck, and happy surfing, Pg

[deuterdu]

San Diego all the way! I personally prefer Northern beach areas Carlsbad, La Jolla, Del Mar etc...

[Encinitan]

I, too, have lived in both The OC and San Diego, and I prefer San Diego. OC has nice areas, don't get me wrong, but generally speaking, SD is less crowded, less smog, further from Los Angeles, not as many freeways and built out communities.

[EricJess123]

N. San diego, or North OC.... HUntington Beachh Bebe!

[T. Damon]

Originally Posted by Encinitan

I, too, have lived in both The OC and San Diego, and I prefer San Diego. OC has nice areas, don't get me wrong, but generally speaking, SD is less crowded, less smog, further from Los Angeles, not as many freeways and built out communities.

Orange county has more population that San Diego county and is only about 1/5 the size. Thats why it feels exactly what it is, a crowded collection of similar boring suburbs.

[thatguy1]

I am also moving to SD sometime around August. I'm a 25 single male from Omaha and would like to move somewhere close to downtown and the beach. Bars, restaurants, and entertainment within walking distance is a must. Also, looking to purchase a condo. Any suggestions for condos and locations would be greatly appreciated. Thanks guys.

[JL]

I visit my friend in Encinitas every year and love the place. Nice apartments around there from what i saw.

[SEAandATL]

I would choose San Diego. San Diego at least is a big city with a downtown and a few other eclectic neighborhoods. Orange County is nothing but cookie-cutter suburban homes, shopping malls, strip malls, and theme parks. Orange County's largest city is Anaheim, and all that has is Disneyland, Angels Stadium, Arrowhead Pond, and the Crystal Cathedral. Also, people in San Diego aren't as snotty and traffic is not as bad as in the OC. As someone mentioned, the only thing good about the OC is that it's closer to L.A., but it's still a whole different world. Even though the OC is considered a suburban county of L.A. as part of the Greater Los Angeles area, they don't want to have any association with L.A.