Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > California
 [Register]
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
Reply Start New Thread
 
Old 09-11-2007, 12:13 PM
 
Location: Maryland
5 posts, read 11,452 times
Reputation: 11

Advertisements

i am contemplating leaving Maryland where i have lived all my life 31 years to move to CA to pursue my dream in the fashion industry. I know nothing about California other than it's opportunity there. I have a 9 year old son and feel like this is the next move i need to make to better my life. i need all info about schools, jobs, middleclass areas to live etc. Please share your knowledge...
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 09-11-2007, 12:48 PM
 
Location: Northern California
3,722 posts, read 14,722,363 times
Reputation: 1962
Can you be a little more specific about where in California you want to go to? It's a big state!
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-11-2007, 01:49 PM
 
Location: Maryland
5 posts, read 11,452 times
Reputation: 11
i am trying to go where ever fashion/ clothing is relevant or close to it.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-11-2007, 02:03 PM
 
9,525 posts, read 30,473,115 times
Reputation: 6435
Quote:
Originally Posted by wonderfuloutfit View Post
i am trying to go where ever fashion/ clothing is relevant or close to it.
Fashion biz exists in only 2 places in the country: LA or NYC
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-11-2007, 02:59 PM
 
Location: Maryland
5 posts, read 11,452 times
Reputation: 11
can you tell me some things about LA?
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-11-2007, 04:17 PM
 
9,525 posts, read 30,473,115 times
Reputation: 6435
Quote:
Originally Posted by wonderfuloutfit View Post
can you tell me some things about LA?
LA?

It's gorgeous, exciting, cutting edge.
It's also massive, spread out, insanely expensive, and has terrible traffic.

It's simultaneously heaven and hell, depending on who and where you are.

Do some homework, then come back and ask us questions.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-11-2007, 06:00 PM
 
2,197 posts, read 7,392,121 times
Reputation: 1702
Not to belittle your dream, but I would check and make sure opportunity really is here before you move 3,000 miles to chase something that might not exist. L.A. is hideously expensive... and equally competitive... and the people who have the best shot of making it are those that come prepped and prepared. It's difficult for a family, so try and make some fashion contacts, make some exploratory trips to get to know the city and get your foot in the door before you commit to a move.

Middle-class areas here are not normal middle-class areas, most public schools are iffy, at best, crime and safety are real issues and rents are expensive. There are many benefits-- the weather, the culture, the beach, the jobs. This isn't meant to deter you, just to help you objectively figure out a plan, if this truly is the place for you.

That said, NYC really is the fashion hub. Good luck!
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-12-2007, 12:02 AM
 
Location: zooland 1
3,744 posts, read 4,086,140 times
Reputation: 5531
I left my police job in Maryland (MSP) to work for LA Co Sheriff and pursue the California dream more than 30 years ago....

LA was overwhelmingly different than Maryland... you'd better come for a visit for a couple of weeks and get your eyes opened... wide...

there are numerous posts about L.A. on here... use the search feature and you will learn anything and everything about it...
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-12-2007, 06:54 AM
 
Location: Maryland
5 posts, read 11,452 times
Reputation: 11
Thanks for alll the tips, i am researching....please keep the info coming in
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-12-2007, 11:01 AM
 
Location: Maryland
10 posts, read 25,073 times
Reputation: 22
Default West to east

I grew up in SoCal (Ventura County), went to college there (UC Santa Barbara) and lived there for about 26 years. We moved to Maryland (Potomac) 4 years ago due to a job opportunity (cushy govt job) and we haven't looked back.

We love Maryland, especially where we live in Montgomery County. It has a lot of green countryside, lots of trees, lots of lakes and hills, close enough to big cities (DC, Philly, NYC, VA, PA) and the bay (Chesapeake) and the ocean (Ocean City), okay weather and mild winters, great family-oriented neighborhoods, great schools, etc. I'm sure you all know this already.

SoCal is expensive, loud, polluted, illegal-infested, high-rents, high-mortgage, and definitely not a place to raise your son. The weather is great (we used to live next to the beach in Ventura County), but that's about all you are going to get. SoCal schools are absolutely the pits...they cater to illegal immigrants who can't speak English. Here in MD, my son goes to a nice Catholic school, where the education system is top-notch and where actual learning takes place.

Traffic is about the same for CA and MD - BAD, but if you ever wander around the 405 on rush hours, forget it...its a mess.

Now, I don't know what you have waiting for you in CA, but please reconsider and weigh all your options...If you really need to go there, check out Ventura County (Camarillo, Thousand Oaks, Westlake, Ventura, etc) - its a fairly nice place, with great jobs, close to water, and away from the polluted mess that is LA...Good luck!


Quote:
Originally Posted by wonderfuloutfit View Post
i am contemplating leaving Maryland where i have lived all my life 31 years to move to CA to pursue my dream in the fashion industry. I know nothing about California other than it's opportunity there. I have a 9 year old son and feel like this is the next move i need to make to better my life. i need all info about schools, jobs, middleclass areas to live etc. Please share your knowledge...
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:


Settings
X
Data:
Loading data...
Based on 2000-2020 data
Loading data...

123
Hide US histogram


Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > California

All times are GMT -6.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top