Bay Area (CA) to Austin questions (San Diego, Combine: foreclosures, house, neighborhood)

[tacticool]

Hey folks, long time lurker first post. I've read lots of threads with a similar title but I wanted to go beyond the standard climate, culture, etc. and get some feedback from people that have move to Austin and left family behind.

I have a wife and 2 kids (18 mo. & 4yrs) and have never moved out of CA. My wife and I both have lots of family here that we are pretty close to as are the kids. We both work for the same company which is in BK and my wife was laid off earlier this month. I expect to be next. We have our house listed (shot sale) and are looking at this as an opportunity to make a positive change for our future. We are both actively applying for jobs in Austin. We have friends in Austin (Steiner Ranch area) that moved there a year ago but their roots weren't as deep here.

Sorry for the long background but just wanted to get that out. I don't expect a transition like this to be easy but was hoping to get some feedback from others that have moved to Austin and left family behind. Good decision? Still Happy? How was the adjustment? et. Guesswork tells me it will be a trade-off, losing the importance of having the kids grow up close to uncles, cousins, and grandparents for a more financially secure and family friendly culture in Austin. We're ready to get out of this state! Any feedback would be much appreciated!

[XLadylawX]

Sacramento is not the Bay Area but my comments may be relevant. We did the move and even though we had started to pick up the threads of a social life, we could no longer take the distance from our friends and family. Combine that with the relative lack of outdoor activities as compared to Northern Calofornia, it was a dealbreaker. We lasted 2 years.

I don't want to digress into the whole climate and physical geography thing but it is pretty ****ty as compared to home so you should not take that for granted.

Back to your question, our Christmas this year was amazing. Our house was loaded with aunts, uncles, cousins, etc... They were so happy to see us and our toddler and even writing this post I get misty eyed thinking about seeing them.

SO GLAD TO BE HOME.

[tacticool]

Originally Posted by XLadylawX

Sacramento is not the Bay Area but my comments may be relevant. We did the move and even though we had started to pick up the threads of a social life, we could no longer take the distance from my our friends and family. Combine that with the relative lack of outdoor activities as compared to Northern Calofornia, it was a dealbreaker. We lasted 2 years.

I don't want to digress into the whole climate and physical geography thing but it is pretty ****ty as compared to home so you should not take that for granted.

Back to your question, our Christmas this year was amazing. Our house was loaded with aunts, uncles, cousins, etc... They were so happy to see us and our toddler and even writing this post I get misty eyed thinking about seeing them.

SO GLAD TO BE HOME.

Thanks for the response! Not what I wanted to hear but I need to have real feedback like this so thank you.

As for outdoor I know I will miss Tahoe, cliff jumping, hiking, etc. I know it will be a loss on that but I was hoping the people and culture would make up for it a bit. I'm a fairly avid shooter and would love to live in a free state where I can get out and shoot without driving hours to get on free land.

The bay area is just getting unbearable, job security is scary, taxes on the rise, etc. Very tough to have the family and geographic beauty/convenience as the only things to counter balance the decision scale here.

So even after 2 years you weren't happy for missing the family interaction you left huh?

[Rose Red]

I moved from the Bay Area to Austin 5+ years ago and I don't miss CA. I have a better family life here and made great friends. I don't have any family here, but then again I did not have family in CA since I moved there from MA.

My husband on the other hand made the move with me and I felt guilty in the beginning for talking him into it. He is extremely close to his family and the move was initally really hard on him. He is used to going over to his parents on Fridays and just stopping over whenever. The first few holidays were hard for him. He also had to transition to working in an office to working from home so the isolation in that was not easy.

It took him close to two years to adjust. He joined a soccer team, we started celebrating holidays with friends who also lived far away from their families. The second year it was a visit to CA that made him finally appreciate where we live. Our old neighborhood was hit with some foreclosures and the schools that my daughter would have went to were not good in the beginning but were worse. He looked around at where we live, saw the amount of time he can actually spend with his daughter and myself (no traffick) and he realized we have to choose quality of life.

This year we went to CA for Christmas. Our old neighborhood is pretty bad. Our old house was broken into twice and two of my old neighbors got divorced. I think we dodged a bullet.

Home is what you make of it. If you are moving for a better family life, that's as good a reason as any. I am biased and think that is the best reason to move. Just don't expect the new place to be the same as the place you left, keep an open mind. You may not be able to do the outdoors stuff you did in CA. You will have to find new outdoor stuff to do. If you are moving for change, expect to be changed, expect to change your mind.

Good luck.

[waitressinthesky]

I'm from Santa Barbara, most recently (though I've lived in L.A./Thousand Oaks and Valencia in CA, too). I've been in Austin about six months, and though I miss my family/friends back in CA, I love Austin.

Only thing I really miss here is the beach.

[Exiled Texan]

Originally Posted by XLadylawX

Sacramento is not the Bay Area but my comments may be relevant. We did the move and even though we had started to pick up the threads of a social life, we could no longer take the distance from our friends and family. Combine that with the relative lack of outdoor activities as compared to Northern Calofornia, it was a dealbreaker. We lasted 2 years.

I don't want to digress into the whole climate and physical geography thing but it is pretty ****ty as compared to home so you should not take that for granted.

Back to your question, our Christmas this year was amazing. Our house was loaded with aunts, uncles, cousins, etc... They were so happy to see us and our toddler and even writing this post I get misty eyed thinking about seeing them.

SO GLAD TO BE HOME.

DIdn't know you moved back to California. Good luck and best wishes.

[Austin97]

Originally Posted by waitressinthesky

I'm from Santa Barbara, most recently (though I've lived in L.A./Thousand Oaks and Valencia in CA, too). I've been in Austin about six months, and though I miss my family/friends back in CA, I love Austin.

Only thing I really miss here is the beach.

I never even lived in santa barbara and I miss it

[N. Olikee]

Originally Posted by Austin97

I never even lived in santa barbara and I miss it

I remember the "bum problem" on the beaches of Santa Barbara, and being chased and almost attacked by a Doberman (just running free in front of his mistress' car.) I did nothing to provoke the dog and owned a Doberman previously......it kinda freaked out. Anyway, that has nothing to do with SB, other than it has always left a slight sour taste in my mouth.

[Idlewile]

I am from the Bay Area; grew up in San Jose and lived in SF for much of my 20s. My family is still in the Bay Area along with a ton of friends. My spouse's on the east coast, where he grew up. I love CA and the Bay Area but I couldn't never imagine living there again unless I -- quite seriously -- won the lottery. I really only miss the ocean.

Before moving to Austin last spring, we lived in CO for a decade -- we loved it. We had no family in CO but developed a good support system, the way anyone would after being in a place for so long. A support system which becomes exponentially more important once you have children -- especially if you do not have family near. But, after much consideration and research, we made a major lifestyle change and left it all behind to move here to allow for more financial flexibility allowing one parent to spend more time with our young children instead of both os us working 50 hours/wk. We, of course, knew no one here, nor have family here.

We have two kiddos nearly the same age as yours... THIS is what I feel makes the difference. Once you have kids, and especially when they are young, a good support system is so crucial and is usually taken for granted, especially if your family is near and you rely on them for help with the kids. When we visited my husband's parents and when they came to visit us after we moved here -- when I was starved for that support we'd left behind -- I thought I was in heaven to have the help, the trusted support with the kids... even to watch them while I put away groceries.

I think if small children arean't involved it's not nearly as scary or risky... I mean I've done it, lived in two other states across the country from my family as an adult and it was just fine, no complaints, would do it again in a heartbeat.

BUT are we happy we made the decision to come and give up so much to get something new and valuable in return? YES. Are we slowly building a support system here? SLOWLY, YES. My husband reminds me it took 10 years to build that support in CO -- we can't expect it to come overnight.

That said, if we were ever to move anywhere else (without winning the lottery) I can now say for sure it would NOT be anywhere but CO (where our support is just LIKE family) or to where either of our parents live... and that's honestly never going to happen because they are the two most expensive places to live in the country.

I truly understand the consideration here, it's tough. Good luck to you guys.

[tacticool]

Thanks for all the feedback everyone. My wife and I are coming out at the end of the month to see how we like it. We will be staying with some friends in Steiner Ranch and I'm hoping to have an opportunity to speak with some potential employers while I'm there but nothing in the works yet.

I've also have a lead on a job in San Diego which I love but obviously still stuck with all the things I hate about CA, economy, politics, etc. I have some family in OC which is not too far and I love the weather and geography there. Right now I have to follow the job leads and listen to my gut. The Mrs. and I are just praying that we will end up where He want's us and trying to do everything we can to make a well informed decision.