Unrelenting desire to move to CA (place, job, small towns)

[aheadofthecurve]

Originally Posted by nmnita

high quality stores, can you give an example? Restaurants, same, example, better scenery, I don't think so, cheaper housing and less traffic? Maybe. How many times have you visited San Diego or when did you live there?

Nita

restaurants -- for example, there is no good mexican food in DC...its rediculous.

better scenery -- i prefer the coastline, mountains, and desert over our urban environment or hilly forests.

cheaper housing -- its difficult to get anything truly decent for under 1 million inside the beltway, whereas I can get something acceptable to me for 500k in the san diego area. All it takes is a look at redfin.com to see what I am talking about. I'm talking about a suburban sfh.

traffic -- imagine it taking 1.5-2.0 hours to get from la jolla on the 5 to downtown SD...every day.

I suppose in the end it boils down to personal preference, but there is a reason why san diego is a place that alot of people want to be. I've visited a few times...but I agree that I need to live there to really get a feel for the place.

[MrNiceGuy06]

I wouldn't listen to the negativity. Especially those who say the cost of living is higher here in SD. I'm from Alexandria, so I'm well aware of the comparison. In fact, my expenses are less than they were in NOVA w/an increase of my standard of living! Everyone has a story, some are of success, others are of failure...its obvious what their story is, but what will be yours?

[Kasey77]

If there is something calling you out here and you can do this financially without wiping yourself out....do it. If you don't, you will never know. Life is too short not to follow your heart's desire. San Diego is a beautiful city with a lot to offer. Roads go both ways. You could always go back or go on.

[YoungSanDiegoDude]

Originally Posted by mattke

Hey guys/gals!

I'm currently living in Northern VA (NoVa) where it is fairly high cost of living here. I estimated my income taxes to be just a $20 + difference between NoVa with SD just being slightly higher.

Truth be told, I'd rather be CA.

Other than escaping from the cold, snowy winters of the NE, I'm not sure why I have this strong desire to relocate to CA. I have only one relative there, but we haven't spoken in years. So, I have no ties.

I'd probably love the weather there, but I don't know why I want to move to CA despite the high cost of living, brown outs, faultering economy, earthquakes, mud slides, and brush fires.

Anyone is welcome to offer advice, suggestions, or even their insight as to why I have been wanting to move to CA so bad.

Signed - Unhappy in NoVa

If you have lots of money (which I suspect you might), then more power to you. This place will be paradise to you. However, if you are not in the upper income bracket, then your experience out here may not be as great. For me (I' am barely in the middle income bracket), it was paradise at first, but now, after living here for over 5 years, it's hell and I can't wait until I move to Dallas next year. I will never live out here again, but like I said, for you, this may be your paradise. There are certainly many things to like about this place (above all, the weather ). If my only two choices were San Diego, or Northern Virginia, I would most definitely choose the former. Good Luck in whatever you decide!

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by aheadofthecurve

restaurants -- for example, there is no good mexican food in DC...its rediculous.

better scenery -- i prefer the coastline, mountains, and desert over our urban environment or hilly forests.

cheaper housing -- its difficult to get anything truly decent for under 1 million inside the beltway, whereas I can get something acceptable to me for 500k in the san diego area. All it takes is a look at redfin.com to see what I am talking about. I'm talking about a suburban sfh.

traffic -- imagine it taking 1.5-2.0 hours to get from la jolla on the 5 to downtown SD...every day.

I suppose in the end it boils down to personal preference, but there is a reason why san diego is a place that alot of people want to be. I've visited a few times...but I agree that I need to live there to really get a feel for the place.

Mexican food, I so agree with that, but even Mexican restaurants are a matter of opinion. People in Texas and NM are not crazy over Ca Mexican food. Actually I do agree, but one kind of food does not make for bad food choices. D.C. has lots of great places to eat.

Housing, inside the beltway and outside are 2 different things. You are saying property in NO VA is much higher, that depends on what you are looking for, plus the taxes will be higher in Ca, especially now.

You prefer the coast and mountain scenery, that is an opinion and you are quoting what you consider fact. Many would tell you otherwise. The DC area has great coast line as some see it and San Diego has the same, neither place has any mountains. Of course Ca has great mountains, but unless they have been moved by a recent earthquake they certainly are not in San Diego.

Traffic in the D.C. area, like Los Angeles is a nightmare, that is why they have the wonderful metro system. It is fast, not terribly expensive and gives the riders a chance to truely relax.

Yes, what one likes and where one wants to live is a matter of preferance, my comments on this simply refer to people who list their views as fact. Often they are 2 different things.

I do think you should give it a try and see what you think. What is right for one isn't always right for someone else. Do make sure before you make the move you have enough money to keep you going for about 6 months or a job.
Nita

[lucyluc]

Stay close to the coast if you can help it.Once you get east of 5 well, welcome to Mexifornia......

[Encinitan]

Originally Posted by lucyluc

Stay close to the coast if you can help it.Once you get east of 5 well, welcome to Mexifornia......

A bit of an exaggeration, no?

[thealohaman]

Originally Posted by lucyluc

Stay close to the coast if you can help it.Once you get east of 5 well, welcome to Mexifornia......

Huge misrepresentation.

[CA4Now]

Originally Posted by MyLaMesa

Just have a job secured before you come. Best wishes.

Ditto on that. To come out here without one--at least with CA's current economy--would make it much more difficult. As much as I love this state, it's definitely not the place in which I grew up. We've told our young adult kids that if they ever want to buy a home or send their own kids to decent public schools, they're probably going to have to move out of state.

[jc76]

The OP never really states what part of CA he wants to move to. I assume SD, but whatever.
OP kinda has my same frame of mind, just a burning to go somewhere "Anywhere but here." I always think of the lyrics to the Social Distortion song "Ball & Chain" when he says, "You can run all your life, but not go anywhere." You can run to a sunnier place but true happiness comes from within. Though I know all of this I too have the never ending desire to move to CA permanently.
You just gotta keep in mind there will be A-holes everywhere. There will be rude people everywhere even in little podunk towns like mine, actually there's more of them here in small towns. I would say go for it if you have the $. Good luck. Where was I going with this?