Where in CA suits me? (Los Angeles, San Diego: home, school, college)

[kayy911]

for $650 after utilities and everything, all you're going to get in California is Cheap and nasty.

[MtnSurfer]

Originally Posted by kayy911

for $650 after utilities and everything, all you're going to get in California is Cheap and nasty.

To be fair to the OP I don't really think you read his post entirely. He stated he will have roomates, not rent an apt for himself. So $650/mo and sharing a place isn't that unheard/uncommon of for college students, etc... It doesn't mean he has to live in Bakersfield.

Check Craigslist in the areas mentioned for roomates and I think you will see what I mean. 4 guys can split a 4BR house and get a pretty decent place even in Monterey.


Derek

[kayy911]

I missed the part about roomates, yeah, $650 for a room with 3-4 other people will suit you nicely, I know people in Oxnard that pay $550 each for a nice big house, $650 will go far IF you have roomates.

[raz_nj]

Santa Cruz seems really nice. The job section on craigslist for that area seems really scarce compared to some other places. I will definitely add to the places I'm going to check out during my visit in two weeks.

[raz_nj]

I will definitely be living with roommates. I have used craigslist before here in NJ to find somewhere to live.

[mysticaltyger]

Originally Posted by raz_nj

Santa Cruz seems really nice. The job section on craigslist for that area seems really scarce compared to some other places. I will definitely add to the places I'm going to check out during my visit in two weeks.

Yes, Santa Cruz typically doesn't have a lot of jobs and the wages are low while the cost of living is as high or higher than NJ.

Also, be aware, a lot of people from the East Coast don't realize the beach weather and the ocean temperatures in CA tends to be cool/chilly. Even as far south as San Diego, summer temperatures near the ocean typically only hit the 70s. This year we are having a cold summer, with areas near the ocean only hitting the 60s even as far south as San Diego.

[raz_nj]

Originally Posted by mysticaltyger

Yes, Santa Cruz typically doesn't have a lot of jobs and the wages are low while the cost of living is as high or higher than NJ.

Also, be aware, a lot of people from the East Coast don't realize the beach weather and the ocean temperatures in CA tends to be cool/chilly. Even as far south as San Diego, summer temperatures near the ocean typically only hit the 70s. This year we are having a cold summer, with areas near the ocean only hitting the 60s even as far south as San Diego.

You should see the nasty summer we are having this year in NJ. In the 90's and very high humidity since June. Was too hot and humid last night to even sit outside for some beers.

[MtnSurfer]

Originally Posted by raz_nj

You should see the nasty summer we are having this year in NJ. In the 90's and very high humidity since June. Was too hot and humid last night to even sit outside for some beers.

Yeah, we moved from CO back to CA and really like the cooler summers along the Central Coast. Compare 60-70s to most other places in the nation which hover in the 90s -100s. I'll take cool summers any day of the week over that kind of heat. I actually like the June gloom Summer fog. It's nature's air conditioning - no A/C required. Lately it's been foggy in the AM with sun breaking out in the afternoon. He is a recent shot taken July 5th:





Regarding jobs you may find more in the Monterey area than in Santa Cruz. I know I did for my field - software engineering. There are a lot of jobs generated from all the events we sponsor as well. This weekend is a prime example. We have the MotoGP going on at Laguna Seca. It's a world class motorcycle race which brings in millions of dollars to the local economy. Add to that other races, the Monterey Jazz Festival, Blues Festival, the US Open and many more events. Plus the Pebble Beach Corporation which employs many locals. Cannery Row also brings in many visitors who frequent local businesses and the aquarium.

It really depends on the type of work you will be looking for. But there are jobs to be had depending on your skills. And although we have a lot of young college students a good number of them are in the military. So they are not all looking for work. I think Santa Cruz has fewer jobs along with more young people competing for them, similar to San Luis Obispo.

Derek

[kayy911]

Check out Southern California, Oxnard, Thousand Oaks, Ventura County area.

[sjnative]

Where ever you go, you'll have to look at which community college will put you on track to getting the upper division university program you want. Cabrillo may offer that, as may the community college/s in the Monterey area. You need to know which one offers what you want, though.

I know that people have recommended Santa Cruz/Monterey/Pacifica, but while those are right on the coast and therefore desirable places to live, they are both expensive and not as close to most of the employment in the SF Bay Area, that employment being found in San Francisco, the (east side of) peninsula, the Silicon Valley, and perhaps in the East Bay as well.

So the question to ask yourself is- do I need to live on the coast itself, or would I be content living within about 1-1.5 hours from it so I could hit it on the weekends?

If the former, then you might be driving from Santa Cruz or Pacifica to the Silicon Valley or San Francisco to get to work. Driving from SC to the SV involved using Highway 17 which often experiences accidents and when it does, it is slowed to a crawl and that alone could result in commuting form SC to the SV taking up more hours of your work week than you anticipate.

So, if you can find both the employment and the community college you want in Monterey/Santa Cruz, then you're set. However, there isn't much employment in those areas, and few community colleges.

If you can't find both, you may want to consider living within the Bay Area itself, i.e. in the Silicon Valley or the Peninsula (between the SV and San Francisco) as they won't be right on the coast but you'll have ample access to the nearby low-lying Santa Cruz as well as the Diablo mountains. That means lots of hiking, mountain biking, road biking and even bouldering opportunities (Castle Rock State Park). You'll also have many more community colleges to choose from, as well as much more employment and housing opportunity.

(I can't believe I listed the impractical considerations before the practical)

You could still go to the beaches on the weekends- just be sure to leave the house by about 9am as at 11am+, HW17 from the SV to Santa Cruz becomes very congested every weekend with everyone else going to the coast.

The last and perhaps most sobering consideration is how much time you'll actually have for recreation. Your days may be consumed by work, your nights by college night classes. A good portion of your weekends might be consumed by schoolwork as well. You may not have as much fun time as you expect. You can read a lot of people on this board complaining that while living in the SFBA, they didn't have the opportunity to take advantage of the attractions here because they could barely afford to live, much less afford it and have fun money left for the weekends.

It's expensive just being here.