NorCal or SoCal for a family with young kids?

[SippiStateBulldogs]

NorCal would be better.

[72bug]

I would visit both before you make a decision. Overall I'd probably pick somewhere on the peninsula as a better place to raise a family than in the middle of LA.

[WanderingFar]

Originally Posted by 72bug

I would visit both before you make a decision. Overall I'd probably pick somewhere on the peninsula as a better place to raise a family than in the middle of LA.

Someone else said this too. ... Can you say more about why?

[majoun]

Originally Posted by NYCtoBNA

Someone else said this too. ... Can you say more about why?

Southern California's lifestyle and culture are not conducive to raising a family. Very low priority on education even in wealthy areas, and way too many hard drugs and gangs. Northern CA, outside of San Francisco, Oakland, and a few smaller low income cities, is problematic but good parenting can overcome those problems. There's generally better schools and more of an emphasis on education. Also the ambiance isn't quite as hostile towards any sort of family concerns. Racial and ethnic tensions are also way too high in SoCal although this is not a concern in all areas of SoCal.

[capoeira]

Originally Posted by majoun

Southern California's lifestyle and culture are not conducive to raising a family. Very low priority on education even in wealthy areas, and way too many hard drugs and gangs. Northern CA, outside of San Francisco, Oakland, and a few smaller low income cities, is problematic but good parenting can overcome those problems. There's generally better schools and more of an emphasis on education.

There are many good schools in the LA and Orange County. The highest ranked high school in California is in LA County in Cerritos. The book "School of Dreams" was written about Whitney High in Cerritos. Also crime is way down but some people still think it is 1992.

This is a ridiculous article but has a good chart of the crime rate.

Why Has the Crime Decline in Los Angeles Slowed Down? | Mother Jones

LAPD Chief: Los Angeles the safest big city in the country | The Latest | 89.3 KPCC

The Bay area is ridiculously overcrowded. The peninsula is just a small strip of land between the bay and the San Andreas fault. Inner east bay is just another small strip of land between the bay and the Hayward fault. To get a good family environment at a semi-reasonable price one has to go out to the Tri-Valley area and then one faces a very long commute to Silicon Valley.

Originally Posted by majoun

Racial and ethnic tensions are also way too high in SoCal although this is not a concern in all areas of SoCal.

Did you mean Nocal instead?

San Jose: Police surge shows complexity of city's gang, violence problem - San Jose Mercury News

Asians cry 'hate crime' fueling Cal. black-Asian racial tensions | theGrio

Racial Tensions Boil Over at Berkeley High | News | Oakland, Berkeley, Bay Area & California | East Bay Express

[majoun]

Originally Posted by capoeira

There are many good schools in the LA and Orange County. The highest ranked high school in California is in LA County in Cerritos. The book "School of Dreams" was written about Whitney High in Cerritos. Also crime is way down but some people still think it is 1992.

Living in L.A. I think I know that it's not as dangerous as it was in the '90s or even the early '00s, although crime has gone back up again recently.

That still doesn't change the fact that it's got more hard drugs than anywhere in the US, even the Bay Area which admittedly is pretty bad. And that's an issue even where gangs are not an issue, including in most expensive private schools. (If anything those schools are the worst for drugs)

And you don't need to go to the Tri Valley area to get a "good family environment" in the Bay Area. For example Pacifica has a great family environment.

[majoun]

Originally Posted by No_Recess

If you do pick SoCal I suggest El Segundo, Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, South Redondo Beach, and the southwest/western parts of Torrance.

Those areas are just as expensive as Beverly Hills, with the exception of El Segundo. If you're talking about the parts of Torrance right next to Redondo and Palos Verdes, those are also extremely expensive, although there are less expensive parts of Torrance. (If one's moving to Torrance with kids, make sure it's in an area that's in Torrance Unified and not L.A. Unified)

[72bug]

The peninsula has small cities and little towns with great schools. More suburban but still close to urban areas of San Francisco and San Jose. Being close to LAX you will be in the center of a vast urban area. I guess it all comes down to what kind of environment you prefer for raising a family. Personally, I grew up in the safe suburbs and since college have lived in urban areas until recently. At the time I always figured I would want to raise my kids in "the city" but now that I have a kid I prefer living in a small suburban town, mainly for safety and convenience. I suppose there are areas that are like this within a reasonable commute to the LA office but I find the peninsula has better options.