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Indeed, as much as I loved the benefits of CA-living for all those years (except for my Long Beach days), if I ever decide to go back for any reason, it will be hard to give up this view from my front yard.
It's not world class or anything, and the lake is small - less than 50 acres - but they stock it a few times a year, and I see folks pulling decent sized fish, mostly rainbow, but also a growing population of pike, almost every time I go down there.
I can drive up into the mountains a bit and get to the South Fork Platte in less than an hour which is highly rated for fishing, though I've never fished it myself. Most of the deep water wild trout rivers are a few hours drive from here, at least.
It's not world class or anything, and the lake is small - less than 50 acres - but they stock it a few times a year, and I see folks pulling decent sized fish, mostly rainbow, but also a growing population of pike, almost every time I go down there.
I can drive up into the mountains a bit and get to the South Fork Platte in less than an hour which is highly rated for fishing, though I've never fished it myself. Most of the deep water wild trout rivers are a few hours drive from here, at least.
My favorite lakes and rivers were high up into the Rockies and the San Juans. It was usually a long drive and/or hike but well worth it once there.
I'll probably have to come out for Fall colors at some point. That was my favorite time of the year in CO.
5) The Diversity - Didn't I say I missed that? Yes, I did, and I do. Yet, even though I'm white and whites are never really recognized a minority, in the Bay Area, or at least in my neighborhood, I was a minority there. And like any real minority would say, it has certain challenges. Mainly what was difficult at times for me was sharing public spaces - stores, transit, the sidewalk, or whatever, with many people from other cultures who don't really have the same sense of etiquette or other social rules as i was raised with. FOR EXAMPLE, trying to check out at a store and someone is standing like one foot away from you with smelly curry breath because they just don't understand that that is not polite here. Did that sound racist? Possibly. Perhaps it's just a mater of overcrowding and race should have nothing to do with it, but I just don't experience the same thing here, even in the city.
[rant mode on]
Umm... OK, don't take it personally but, yeah, that last part is kind of "interesting".
The great thing about the bay area is that we can learn that people from different parts of the world have different concepts of personal space, ideas of what's most important, and we can learn tolerance for people who are different. I can guarantee you that white people "smell" too and have odors no matter how much they bathe. Why do Caucasians always assume that we smell better than everyone else? That curry breather (who could be a vegetarian) might consider the smell of curry less offensive than the body odor of someone who eats dead animals. (I'm just guessing.)
[rant mode off]
But, I do agree with you on a lot of the other things. I like where I live now but I miss the ocean and don't miss the traffic. I do wish I had more curry breathers in my neighborhood, but that will change once I move into the new house I just bought. I know because one of them waved to me the last time I went to see the neighborhood.
Umm... OK, don't take it personally but, yeah, that last part is kind of "interesting".
The great thing about the bay area is that we can learn that people from different parts of the world have different concepts of personal space, ideas of what's most important, and we can learn tolerance for people who are different. I can guarantee you that white people "smell" too and have odors no matter how much they bathe. Why do Caucasians always assume that we smell better than everyone else? That curry breather (who could be a vegetarian) might consider the smell of curry less offensive than the body odor of someone who eats dead animals. (I'm just guessing.)
There's a satirical website called 'stuff white people like' and #101 is 'Getting Offended', which states: "Naturally, white people do not get offended by statements directed at white people. In fact, they don’t even have a problem making offensive statements about other white people (ask a white person about “flyover states”). As a rule, white people strongly prefer to get offended on behalf of other people."
I think you've proven that to be more truth then satire. You might find #32 interesting as well.
I'm hardly intolerant of said ethnicity... It's not like I was pushing and shoving and throwing out racial slurs every time I smelled curry in the air. I really do miss the overall diversity of the bay Area, including the large Asian Indian population... just not that particular aspect of it. I would expect people of another culture to feel the same if I visit their homeland and acted (or smelled, as the case may be) outside their common rules of etiquette. If that's racism, then I'm guilty.
One year ago, as I was preparing to move away from my long time home in Silicon Valley and out of California for good, I wrote some of my thoughts I would and would not expect to miss.
Now, one year later, I would like to record a few more thoughts about the reality of what I miss (or don't) after actually being away for a while. This is not in any meant to be a bash on the valley or on CA in general, but hopefully some of you who find yourselves thinking of moving away at times may glean a little insight from my experience.
Things I miss about SV (and CA)
1) Swimming - The South Bay Area was not exactly a swimmer's paradise (like say, the Big Is. of Hawaii), but there are so many out door pools around and they can really be used year round. In my new home I would not even know where to find an outdoor pool and even if I could, it's only really swimmable for a few months out of the year, and would probably be completely packed with kiddies. No thanks.
2) The Coast - Even though I never really went out there more than a few times a year, and it was often fogged in when I did, it was still just nice knowing that there was an ocean there and that I could go visit when I wanted without having to book an airline ticket.
3) Paddling - I am a (flatwater) kayaker and the Bay Area is fantastic for that as long as you don't mind driving a bit. Especially Monterey Bay where, conditions permitting, you could always see seals, seal lions and otters from a few feet away. (are you sensing a water theme here?)
4) The rest of the state - Further afield... Yosemite, Lake Tahoe, Napa, Sonoma, Redwoods, Big Sur, and so on... Need I say more?
5) San Francisco - I'm not a huge SF fan and I had no interest in living there, even when my job opened an office right in downtown. BUT, liek the coast, it was just nice to know it was there. Also, seeing Bonds hit balls into the coves is one of the greatest things in sports. But those days are over anyways nd Coors Field is pretty nice too.
6) The Food - Mainly of the ethnic variety. Most of it we have here in CO if you don;t mind driving a ways, but it's just not the same. (on the upside i save a lot of money by eating at home a lot more)
7) The diversity - It is good to get to see other cultures right in your own area and to appreciate the differences but also see that we're all essentially the same. CO does not seem like a racist place to me, but many folks have limited excperience in dealing with neighbors from so many different backgrounds.
Things I DON'T miss about SV (and CA)
1) Housing - In CA, I had a mobile home and a driveway which (including space rent) cost me over two thousand a month. The nearest of my 1000+ immediate neighbors was about 30 feet away. In CO, I have a beautiful lakefront home on 1/4 acre with the nearest neighbor 300 feet away and it costs me just over $1000 for everything. (part of the reason it's so cheap for me here is I was able to put my CA equity to good use, if you know what I mean, but you get the point...)
2) Mountain Access - The Bay Area is nice, but even to go on the simplest hike I usually had to drive between 20 minutes to an hours, and in the summertime it was often was hard to find parking at the trailhead. Now I have Open Spaces, Regional Parks, National Forests and su much more, located between 100 feet and 5 miles from my front door.
3) The Weather - Don't get me wrong, I had no complaints about CA weather when I lived there, and there are days that I wish I did not have to worry whether my BBQ might be interrupted by a thundering hailstorm or not. However, now that I've experienced some real seasons, I'm really not missing that yellow dot inside a blue square that you see in the Bay Area forecast EVERY SINGLE DAY for months on end.
4) Hustle and Bustle - That goes without saying. We have our own urban sprawl along the front range, which I fortunately manage to avoid 90% of the time, but even when i do have to go to the city, it seems tame compared to the bay Area.
5) The Diversity - Didn't I say I missed that? Yes, I did, and I do. Yet, even though I'm white and whites are never really recognized a minority, in the Bay Area, or at least in my neighborhood, I was a minority there. And like any real minority would say, it has certain challenges. Mainly what was difficult at times for me was sharing public spaces - stores, transit, the sidewalk, or whatever, with many people from other cultures who don't really have the same sense of etiquette or other social rules as i was raised with. FOR EXAMPLE, trying to check out at a store and someone is standing like one foot away from you with smelly curry breath because they just don't understand that that is not polite here. Did that sound racist? Possibly. Perhaps it's just a mater of overcrowding and race should have nothing to do with it, but I just don't experience the same thing here, even in the city.
We share a lot of the same feelings, and I've been out of NorCal for 4 years now. Though I really like the consistency of NorCal weather, I do enjoy the 4 seasons out here in the Denver area almost just as much. I really miss the ethnic food, the various NorCal attractions (Napa, Monterey, SF, the coast, etc), the CA car culture, the different ethnic cultures, and the family we have out there.
And as much as I truly miss the ethnic diversity of the Bay Area, I grown accustomed to not having the neighbor across the street painting their house a light salmon color with turquoise trim (or some other color combo that doesn't quite fit the rest of the neighborhood), or another neighbor parking their car on their lawn, or not having converted garages into living spaces for more family members with 4 or 5 cars associated with the home, or some of the other differences in social etiquette that most Americans might find a little odd or even somewhat offensive. Those are all minor gripes though when put into perspective.
I really don't miss the traffic at all times of the day/week, the crazy housing costs, the pretentiousness, the ultra-restrictive smog laws, and the taxes.
We share a lot of the same feelings, and I've been out of NorCal for 4 years now. Though I really like the consistency of NorCal weather, I do enjoy the 4 seasons out here in the Denver area almost just as much. I really miss the ethnic food, the various NorCal attractions (Napa, Monterey, SF, the coast, etc), the CA car culture, the different ethnic cultures, and the family we have out there.
And as much as I truly miss the ethnic diversity of the Bay Area, I grown accustomed to not having the neighbor across the street painting their house a light salmon color with turquoise trim (or some other color combo that doesn't quite fit the rest of the neighborhood), or another neighbor parking their car on their lawn, or not having converted garages into living spaces for more family members with 4 or 5 cars associated with the home, or some of the other differences in social etiquette that most Americans might find a little odd or even somewhat offensive. Those are all minor gripes though when put into perspective.
I really don't miss the traffic at all times of the day/week, the crazy housing costs, the pretentiousness, the ultra-restrictive smog laws, and the taxes.
I'm not too sure I've really escaped the pretentious by coming here, but overall it's a better fit for me here.
There's a satirical website called 'stuff white people like' and #101 is 'Getting Offended', which states: "Naturally, white people do not get offended by statements directed at white people. In fact, they don’t even have a problem making offensive statements about other white people (ask a white person about “flyover states”). As a rule, white people strongly prefer to get offended on behalf of other people."
I think you've proven that to be more truth then satire. You might find #32 interesting as well.
I'm hardly intolerant of said ethnicity... It's not like I was pushing and shoving and throwing out racial slurs every time I smelled curry in the air. I really do miss the overall diversity of the bay Area, including the large Asian Indian population... just not that particular aspect of it. I would expect people of another culture to feel the same if I visit their homeland and acted (or smelled, as the case may be) outside their common rules of etiquette. If that's racism, then I'm guilty.
Hmmm... I think you might find that people from other cultures have learned to be a little tolerant, at least some of them. They've had to put up with Americans assuming that their culture and values are #1.
Why do you assume that I'm white? Your first paragraph seems to suggest that. Is that some kind of reverse psychology to suggest that white people shouldn't criticize other white people? And yes, I do get offended at statements directed at white people if someone is making fun of someone because of class, disability or other characteristics.
I really don't miss the traffic at all times of the day/week, the crazy housing costs, the pretentiousness, the ultra-restrictive smog laws, and the taxes.
Let's see here...Traffic - OK, housing costs - big time, pretentiousness - kind of (been to Cherry Creek or Lodo lately?), taxes - definitely, ultra-restrictive smog laws...what?
California's ultra-restrictive smog laws are so bad that's a major issue for you? How so? How are they different than the Denver red/blue air days, ethanol gasoline, or vehicle emission tests?
Let's see here...Traffic - OK, housing costs - big time, pretentiousness - kind of (been to Cherry Creek or Lodo lately?), taxes - definitely, ultra-restrictive smog laws...what?
California's ultra-restrictive smog laws are so bad that's a major issue for you? How so? How are they different than the Denver red/blue air days, ethanol gasoline, or vehicle emission tests?
I'm a car guy who likes to do tinkering under the hood. My car has passed emissions here in Colorado with no issue. It wouldn't even get tested in California due to visual inspections - you can't have anything under the hood that doesn't look stock or they won't test it. Doesn't even matter if it would pass the sniffer test, which my car would. It's much worse out there, trust me. And the logic behind some of it is mind boggling, and it's killing the car culture that I grew up loving out there. My street-driven car here in Denver would have to be a track-only car in CA. I know car enthusiasts are a minority though.
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