Moving out of California...

[valleygalbabs]

Moved to Texas from North Los Angeles County April of 06. Love it. Yeah Summers are hot but the rest of the year is just fine. I love the open spaces, parks, water and all.

We sold a house in LA for an unbeleivable amount.... totally crazy. Who bought it? Immigrants and a total of 3 families were moving in. Our once middleclass neighborhood was changing and multiple families taking up in homes. A changing scene.

We bought in Northwest San Antonio in a new neighborhood. I myself would have preferred land but I moved with my elderly folks and they don't want the work aand milage to stores and docs. Having suffered a heart attack at 51 in LA I really couldn't deal with the work eaither.

Well we bought a house that would have cost us 3 times as much in LA. Yeah Yeah the taxes. Well be what they maybe in Texas we are going to owe around $6k... house at LA prices would cost us $10K there in taxes.

Our neighborhood, located outside 1604 off of Braun is totally intagrated. Our block has 5 black families, 7 white, 7 hispanic. Many of the families are ranking military ready to retire. There are 3 retired families and the rest young families.

Hispanics in San Antonio have been in the country for a very long time. Unlike their Los Angeles counterparts, they are educated and living in a very healthy blend of both Texas and hispanic culture. I did not feel the same about hispanics in Los Angeles... it was apparent there were a lot more illegals in LA and they did not have any desire to assimilate to the culture around them and instead brought and forced their culture on California.

Texan friendly.... Try trying to change lanes in LA and have someone let you in! Not happening. In TX put your signal on and they let you in. People are freindly and helpful. Neighbors come running to help unload heavy stuff. Strangers do the kindest things. Folks are the best. Neighbors are neighborly and actually know your name! I love it.

Have you folks forgotten [i]No state taxes[i] Hellooooooooooooo

Okay good restaurants are few and far between. There is an over abundance of chain restaurants. Baja style mexican food is non existant... but fruit cups are terrific. There are better places outside of town and some unique places. Great pies and kolaches. Forget delis... not a single Italian of Jewish Deli to be had!

Medical is great. This is where they did the first heart/lung transplant. Cardiac care is wonderful here. The doctors are all wonderful and I really enjoy it.

Grocery stores suck. H.E.B. has the monopoly on it. They chased out every Albertsons, and anyother store near by.... You can't get much in the way of cuts of meat other than brisket. Which is served all year. Hams at Easter are best found at Costco. We get tritips (which we use for Santa Maria Style BBQ) at Costco as well. The selection at the stores is really poor. It looks like you have miles of choices, but if you look closely, it's all the same thing. I am researching and learning where to buy stuff off the farm.

This gal doesn't think the BBQ is all that great either. I prefer a BBQ tritip - Santa Maria style.... or Missouri or Kansas City style!


Yes California is beautiful but it has become a land of haves and have nots. It is hard to make a good life unless you have a huge paycheck. The weather is good, the ocean a delight, the mountains gorgeous and the deserts fasinating..... but a ride up or down the 405 will age you a couple of years.

[leaving_la]

I have lived in California for about 12 years but before that I lived in the Washington DC area for 30something years. I'm really stumped about the comments about heat in mid-Texas. I have extensively researched the weather in areas that I would like to move to and, after a visit to Austin, we are moving to the Kerrville/Fredericksburg area.

Although the summer temperature is relatively high, the humidity is lower than in Wash DC and you've never experienced HOT until you get temperature AND humidity. Feeling like you just got out of the shower all day long is just not amusing. Wash DC was humid all day long and I'll take morning high humidity and lower afternoon humidity any time. Morning humidity is about the same in both Wash DC and in the Kerrville/Fredericksburg area. Since I'm not a morning person anyway, I can wait to do my outside activities in the afternoon.

As for moving to VA, you need to check the areas carefully. The suburbs of Wash DC experienced at least 4 hurricanes and 1 tornado while I lived there. At least, I guess it was a tornado since it took the roof off a high school. But every year there is the damned snow to deal with. Between the snow and humidity, I would never move back there. Texas is as far east as I will go.

Comparing it to southern California, I miss the seasons a little bit. I hate the fires. I can't grow anything in my garden because the neighbor's tree in his yard is so close, it shades my raised beds. Walking my dogs is a crap shoot if they are off leash. I can't wait to move! BTW, I'm in Ventura Co., north of LA and it's like this.

[ripa]

My wife and I moved 4 years ago from Sacramento to Port Angeles, Washington. No smog, no crime, little traffic, small town atmosphere. NO INCOME TAXES, but property taxes are about the same with Sacramento.

There are plenty of opportunities for farm/open land, or if one prefers, you can live in or near the city. The Olympic Peninsula is a great choice, and no it doesn't rain that much here -- in fact, the total output is just a little more than Sacramento.

If you would like more information, just let me know.

[patrickmich]

haha ron prudential, you're banned? You must use a proxy.