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....If this is the only state you can be happy in, and you are bound and determined to make this move good luck to you. I just hope you and your family do not live to regret your decision.
I love your idea of the DC area, but I also think if, for whateve reason, which the OP hasn't mentioned he wants to bring his family to California he will do it regardless. I too can think of many places, in America, that would offer a better chance for finanual security, welcome new families and have a lot to offer. Of course D.C. would be at the top of my list (we love it) also Dallas and Houston come to mind. Both cities are fairly diversified, have good schools and a large population of people from other countries. I don't know about areas along the Atlantic coast but I do think he has other options.
I hope he keeps us informed about what he decides.
I think if you are relocating right now, and it has to be right now, and you are a white-collar professional (especially a techie, IT pro, engineer), DC would be at the top of the list along with Dallas and Houston. Even NYC, Philly, RTP (Raleigh), Chicago have not been hit as hard since they are not so dependent on residential housing construction for their economy.
I think that CA would only work if you had a job lined up. San Diego is somewhere in the flotsam with places like Portland or Denver or Albequerque. You really wouldn't want to land there and have to scramble to find work.
I am near the top of the labor market in San Diego. I am in a high-income, talent-constrained, competetive field. I work for one of the largest private employers in the city: a billion-dollar San Diego-based corporation has been laying off for almost 6 months. Our business is closely tied to the labor market in the thought-to-be recession-proof healthcare industry. Our major market is California, primarily Southern California, with Florida the secondary market. Our business has been essentially halved and there is no expectation that it will *ever* rebound. That is a radical change that has affected hundreds of lives, and that is just one company. Many of us that have kept our jobs, in particular those with young familes, the renters, and especially the immigrants (H1-B's, Indian and Chinese), are looking elsewhere right now. The ones who seem committed to stay are the childless, single, or well-established boomers and natives. But everyone else... maybe 50% of my circle of colleagues... are planning an escape.
And just to clarify something - I have no doubt CA and San Diego will recover and rebound. However the question remains: what will that recovery really mean to me? Will the schools get better? Will neighborhoods improve? Will crime, poverty, overcrowding decrease? Will the infrastructure be repaired, even improved? My opinion: no. Those things will *never* happen. Some people will move away from it - to the other side of town, or to a new development, to some place where the pace of decline is slower or non-existant - but there is no wall, no gate, no freeway boundary that can insulate them forever. Those that will benefit will be those that have always benefitted - local governments, wealthy investors, commercial and retail developers. Housing prices will rise despite the fact that the neighborhoods are declining. That is just CA and that is how it works here. That doesn't mean it's good for me.
I think if you are relocating right now, and it has to be right now, and you are a white-collar professional (especially a techie, IT pro, engineer), DC would be at the top of the list along with Dallas and Houston. Even NYC, Philly, RTP (Raleigh), Chicago have not been hit as hard since they are not so dependent on residential housing construction for their economy.
I think that CA would only work if you had a job lined up. San Diego is somewhere in the flotsam with places like Portland or Denver or Albequerque. You really wouldn't want to land there and have to scramble to find work.
I am near the top of the labor market in San Diego. I am in a high-income, talent-constrained, competetive field. I work for one of the largest private employers in the city: a billion-dollar San Diego-based corporation has been laying off for almost 6 months. Our business is closely tied to the labor market in the thought-to-be recession-proof healthcare industry. Our major market is California, primarily Southern California, with Florida the secondary market. Our business has been essentially halved and there is no expectation that it will *ever* rebound. That is a radical change that has affected hundreds of lives, and that is just one company. Many of us that have kept our jobs, in particular those with young familes, the renters, and especially the immigrants (H1-B's, Indian and Chinese), are looking at Texas right now. The ones who seem committed to stay are the childless, single, or well-established boomers and natives. But everyone else... maybe 50% of my circle of colleagues... are planning an escape.
And just to clarify something - I have no doubt CA and San Diego will recover and rebound. However the question remains: what will that recovery really mean to me? Will the schools get better? Will neighborhoods improve? Will crime, poverty, overcrowding decrease? Will the infrastructure be repaired, even improved? My opinion: no. Those things will *never* happen. Some people will move away from it - to the other side of town, or to a new development, to some place where the pace of decline is slower or non-existant - but there is no wall, no gate, no freeway boundary that can insulate them forever. Those that will benefit will be those that have always benefitted - local governments, wealthy investors, commercial and retail developers. Housing prices will rise despite the fact that the neighborhoods are declining. That is just CA and that is how it works here. That doesn't mean it's good for me.
wanted to rep you, they won't let me, we think alike more than not.
I think if you are relocating right now, and it has to be right now, and you are a white-collar professional (especially a techie, IT pro, engineer), DC would be at the top of the list along with Dallas and Houston. Even NYC, Philly, RTP (Raleigh), Chicago have not been hit as hard since they are not so dependent on residential housing construction for their economy.
I think that CA would only work if you had a job lined up. San Diego is somewhere in the flotsam with places like Portland or Denver or Albequerque. You really wouldn't want to land there and have to scramble to find work.
I am near the top of the labor market in San Diego. I am in a high-income, talent-constrained, competetive field. I work for one of the largest private employers in the city: a billion-dollar San Diego-based corporation has been laying off for almost 6 months. Our business is closely tied to the labor market in the thought-to-be recession-proof healthcare industry. Our major market is California, primarily Southern California, with Florida the secondary market. Our business has been essentially halved and there is no expectation that it will *ever* rebound. That is a radical change that has affected hundreds of lives, and that is just one company. Many of us that have kept our jobs, in particular those with young familes, the renters, and especially the immigrants (H1-B's, Indian and Chinese), are looking at Texas right now. The ones who seem committed to stay are the childless, single, or well-established boomers and natives. But everyone else... maybe 50% of my circle of colleagues... are planning an escape.
And just to clarify something - I have no doubt CA and San Diego will recover and rebound. However the question remains: what will that recovery really mean to me? Will the schools get better? Will neighborhoods improve? Will crime, poverty, overcrowding decrease? Will the infrastructure be repaired, even improved? My opinion: no. Those things will *never* happen. Some people will move away from it - to the other side of town, or to a new development, to some place where the pace of decline is slower or non-existant - but there is no wall, no gate, no freeway boundary that can insulate them forever. Those that will benefit will be those that have always benefitted - local governments, wealthy investors, commercial and retail developers. Housing prices will rise despite the fact that the neighborhoods are declining. That is just CA and that is how it works here. That doesn't mean it's good for me.
Good post, a couple of thoughts:
Dallas is a much cheaper place that pays good wages. You can make 120k and buy 120k house. And when I say house I mean 2400 square ft 1980 brick.
Now,
Dallas, the city, has absolute awful schools. Texas ranks last as a state in many ways. The crime is rampant in Dallas, and I mean shootings, rapes, burglary, the hole 9 yards. At Dallas best state university a student slashed another students neck on campus and it barely made news. Was not main story and got no attention. You also pay tolls regularly for roads, it's not uncommon to pay $100 a month in tolls. In summer your ac on that 2400sqft home will be $300 bucks.
So, while I ***** and moan about SD I still haven't pulled the plug here. SD is a nice to place live. Even in Chula Vista down by the border is much nicer than many 'nice' areas in big cities across the nation.
Hence the dilemma of SD- you can't escape it's faults, but every other place has faults.
So, while I ***** and moan about SD I still haven't pulled the plug here. SD is a nice to place live. Even in Chula Vista down by the border is much nicer than many 'nice' areas in big cities across the nation.
Hence the dilemma of SD- you can't escape it's faults, but every other place has faults.
Absolutely correct. That is why I am not moving to Dallas either. But I need to find somewhere, because I'm not finding it in San Diego. Chula Vista, for a number of reasons, is just not an option for me.
The one thing I really question about SD is 10 years from now what job opps will there be here? It's not just SD, but also Irvine, and LA... So even if you make it through this rough patch, really what will be here? I've heard people say this is a resort town, but I do not buy that. Resort towns don't have massive highways and skyscrapers, and football teams and aircraft carriers.
I think what they mean is like in many resort towns which are in third world places, the top SD people can live good and everyone else suffers. So perhaps they should say it's more like a third world town where only the top live comfortably.
Southern California has something happening to it and I can't tell how it's going to play out. You wouldn't think America would allow such a disparity among rich and poor...
Thanks JSD02 for adding some balance!!
Nmnita sure I'll keep you guys informed.
Sassberto I never realised that you also had plans to leave. what would your options be?
I had a long chat to a friend of mine in SD today discussing the various issues raised here. He has lived in SD for about 5 years and still remains very positive. He loves the weather, way of life, things to do etc etc. Like everyone else, he cant say how badly the infrastructure is going to suffer while the state tries to get back on its feet. I already live in a country that's essentially 3rd world but trying to be first world. Even at its worst SD cant get as bad as here!!
SD is not a forgone conclusion yet. We could look at the NE where we also know some people and have a family connection but long cold winters and humid summers are not something we think we could get used to. We also thought briefly about Florida, again, humidity, hurricanes, poor schooling and crime. As has been rightly said one needs to so a SWOT analysis for each potential place and see which comes out tops.
The large ex SA community in SD some of whom we have met is a big attraction and could make the landing a lot easier.
There has been a lot of negative selling going on here which in a way is refreshing rather than everyone waxing lyrical about where the choose to live (unless of course you are trying discourage more foreigners from settling in SD!!!!!).
Thanks all for your input so far. I certainly hope that at least somewhere there is a tunnel and hopefully some time soon a light at the end of it!!!
"If we chose for example Philadelphia, Boca or Atlanta the only difference is that we may get a better home for the same money as well as perhaps slightly lower (or no) state tax and a state that it not bankrupt for now."
Let me say one thing, and I've been to all three plus more. There is something else that you won't realize until you get to SD. Those three you site will offer you a rising standard of living above San Diego assuming you make under 250k per year.
I realize your situation is unique and I believe you can never know for sure if you made the right choice until you see for yourself. Welcome to being human and making mistakes.
But eyes wide open you should know economy wise Southern CA is hit in a way some cities, the ones you mention are not. Boca maybe an exception, but it is even richer than SD even though you can live cheaply around FL.
Also be aware the good temps in SD are only along the coast. 10 miles inland is F90+ now
Sassberto I never realised that you also had plans to leave. what would your options be?
Hard to say, I have been here 15 years through two recessions and never seen it this bad. It's hard to uproot your lifestyle and move anywhere.
Texas and the southeast are culturally just too different for me (and I am not a big fan of the heat and humidity). We are looking closely at Denver CO, WDC/NOVA or Philadelphia (suburbs) and the NYC metro. I am originally from the northeast, know the areas and, would like to have easier access to my family. A lot will depend on my job situation in the next few years, I might be able to nail down a telecommute job which would allow me to live well outside of a major city.
I basically need to either radically increase my salary potential or radically decrease my housing costs. Not interested in any more small lots, tract homes or condo living.
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