East Coast to West Coast- HELP. (Santa Cruz, Monterey: how much, home, living)

[kg777]

Hello! There is a very good chance that my husband and I will be moving to the South Bay area in a month or so, due to a job offer. Neither of us have ever been to California, or anywhere else on the West Coast. What are some similarities and differences between East and West Coast. Am I going to stick out like a sore East-coast-girl thumb?

I already know one of the biggest differences is cost of living, and weather. I'm looking forward to weather! But what about other cultural, way-of-life type things?

Thanks

[jaijai]

You might notice, relative to others around you, that you're moving really fast (at that east-coast hyper push-push speed).
You might notice the lack of the eastern sarcasm and the biting wit.
You might notice a lack of the quickness of speech (and quickness of thought for that matter) that you're used to in the east.
I love the weather (just a bit south in Santa Cruz county) but remember, this isn't southern CA so you'll experience a lot of coolness and fog if you're near to the coast and a lot of rain in the winter.
You're moving to the S.F. bay area so there will be plenty of people who are from other parts of the country and the world.
The best advice i can give you is to be open and fluid and flexible and adopt a "live and let live" / "go with the flow" attitude, be yourself and don't be defensive about not being a homegrown CA girl.
You're moving to one of the best areas in CA (imo) but it's also hectic, crazy, over priced, too impacted and rather chaotic.
It's more wild than the east and if you're open to that, it's a good thing ... gets and keeps the creative juices flowing and can help you to be more open and free if you're wanting that.
Don't worry.
Be yourself.

[humboldtrat]

No Dunkin Donuts

[Nell Plotts]

Just because the pace, on the surface, is not frenetic - brains are functioning at the speed of light.

[jaijai]

Originally Posted by Nell Plotts

Just because the pace, on the surface, is not frenetic - brains are functioning at the speed of light.

some are.

[carmel123]

Welcome to California. Expect it to take a year or more to adjust. It is a big move. Northern California ocean waters are cooler in temperature in the summer than east coast ocean water, that is an adjustment. It is foggy on the coast here in the summer, so summer can be our coldest weather. Fall and spring can be really warm for a few days at a time. People here acknowledge people they come in contact with. We say things like, "How is your day going?" to the clerk at the grocery store or the gas station. We are seemingly more friendly than east coast people. I don't think we are really more friendly, it just seems that way. You might want to get skype or a skype like product, so that you can talk with and see your family and friends. That will help you with the adjustment. The biggest mistake you can make will be to talk about how much better the east coast is compared to the west coast. Keep those remarks for your family and friends back home and you will do fine.

[jaijai]

Originally Posted by carmel123

Welcome to California. Expect it to take a year or more to adjust. It is a big move. Northern California ocean waters are cooler in temperature in the summer than east coast ocean water, that is an adjustment. It is foggy on the coast here in the summer, so summer can be our coldest weather. Fall and spring can be really warm for a few days at a time. People here acknowledge people they come in contact with. We say things like, "How is your day going?" to the clerk at the grocery store or the gas station. We are seemingly more friendly than east coast people. I don't think we are really more friendly, it just seems that way. You might want to get skype or a skype like product, so that you can talk with and see your family and friends. That will help you with the adjustment. The biggest mistake you can make will be to talk about how much better the east coast is compared to the west coast. Keep those remarks for your family and friends back home and you will do fine.

The fog comes and goes and it's more and less depending on where you are on the coast.
My main experience is with the most "northern" part of the Monterey Bay in Santa Cruz county.
The Monterey area has its particular fog "patterns" and the same is true in the S.F. bay area.
Unlike the east coast, the west coast is very varied so when one asks about the California coast, it's appropriate to say, "well, which coast?".
In S.C. county during the summer months, the fog rolls in and out and often just hugs the shore for a good part of the day.
And when that fog is hugging the coast and the beaches aren't bright, sunny and sparkly (which they can be), just a few miles inland it will be sunny and warm and sometimes quite hot.
Just 6 miles from the coast where i am, the mornings in summer will often (but not always) be foggy but then the fog will burn off by noon (or sometimes sooner), then it will be sunny and warm for the entire day until the fog rolls back in during the late afternoon or early evening hours or even late evening.
It varies.
The winters are rainy but there are stretches of days when there is no rain at all and you can walk on the beach with just a light jacket or sometimes even a t-shirt.
And every winter is different with more and less rain and weather patterns all over the country (the world) are changing.
Like it just rained hard here and it's almost July!
I think it's true that people are generally more open on the west coast but it can be a kind of surfacy openness which is still nice.
It's a cliche that west coasters are superficial relative to other parts of the county and there is some truth to that in my opinion and experience.
The friendliness doesn't necessarily mean that the heart is more loving and sincere.
It may or may not be.

[80skeys]

Originally Posted by kg777

Hello! There is a very good chance that my husband and I will be moving to the South Bay area in a month or so, due to a job offer. Neither of us have ever been to California, or anywhere else on the West Coast. What are some similarities and differences between East and West Coast. Am I going to stick out like a sore East-coast-girl thumb?

I already know one of the biggest differences is cost of living, and weather. I'm looking forward to weather! But what about other cultural, way-of-life type things?

Thanks

I'd say it's more laid back out here. The South Bay is interesting because the population breakdown is about 30% India, 30% Asia, 20% Caucasian, 20% Latino. The South Bay is also interesting because there's a lot of trees, very pretty, tons of high tech business parks, lots of people driving BMWs, Lexus, etc.

[80skeys]

Originally Posted by humboldtrat

No Dunkin Donuts

I knew something was missing but I hadn't put my finger on it.
There's nothing like Dunkin Donuts, is there. Seems like a place just isn't whole if it doesn't have DD

[AllenSJC]

More laid back, but really, the Coasts aren't that different.