Advice on where to move to, in CA (Los Angeles, Sacramento: rent, low crime)

[PoohBearForShort]

Hello, My wife and I would like to move to California but we are not sure where. We have two kids under 3. So schools are a big factor. We would like to live near or on the coast, but could do without too. We both work in the natural medicine field as practitioners. So living in an area that has an interest in natural or alternative medicines is also important. It would be nice to not live in a large city, but next to one is ok. We are currently living in the rainy Seattle area.

We recently took a trip to visit the bay area, focusing the Santa Rosa - Petaluma area, east bay like Pleasanton - San Ramon, and briefly visited areas like Palo Alto and Santa Cruz. So far, we like the Petaluma and Santa Cruz area, as a visitor, but I am not sure they would be the best places for our family in the long term. Pleasanton seems nice on the east side, but it is a little more suburbia that we would like.

Anyone have any advice? Are there any areas that we should consider, whether it is near the bay area or some place else in California?

[Count David]

Originally Posted by PoohBearForShort

Petaluma and Santa Cruz area, as a visitor

Those are about where I was thinking you should look so long as cost isn't much of a factor. Maybe check San Luis Obispo, Monterey areas as well.

[USDefault]

Originally Posted by PoohBearForShort

We have two kids under 3. So schools are a big factor. We would like to live near or on the coast . . . . whether it is near the bay area or some place else in California?

If you are near or on the coast, and you need great schools, get ready to open the checkbook. You are looking at either very high rent, probably $3k a month if not more, or you will need over a million to buy something better than an asbestos-ridden steaming pile of crap. This is not an exaggeration. Here in Southern California, any residence under $650k with good schools is bought very quickly, and many of these places are dumps. Only properties that are sitting are both wildly overpriced and in junk neighborhoods with bad schools. It's either that, or you are going to have to purchase a hefty distance away from urban centers. If you don't need to commute to a city, that may be an option, but it won't be on or near the coast.

Also, let me dissuade you from the Bay Area. If you aren't in tech, and you don't have a trust fund or significant liquid assets, forget it. Just forget it. If you want to be within reasonable commuting distance of the city, your head will explode when you see property values, to say nothing of the increased taxes as well. Absent wallet firepower, you simply cannot compete with tech company stock options and equity grants. Heck, even third and fourth round private financings are enriching equity holders.

If you're not on or near the coast, why bother living in California? Sky-high cost of living, among the highest property costs in the nation, highest gasoline prices in the nation, highest income taxes in the nation, highest fuel taxes in the nation, and water and utility costs which are amongst the highest in the nation? California: not family friendly. Not young adult friendly.

[PoohBearForShort]

Thanks for the replies! It sounds like we are looking in the right areas then. I will check out the San Luis Obispo and Monterey areas as well.

I understand that the prices for housing is unreasonable, and some of the costs for living is higher. We can live fairly minimally. I do see that the rent can be $3k a month. That does sucks, but we are mentally prepared for it.

USDefault, let me ask you this. If you think the bay area is not a good idea then what areas would you suggest? Any areas in south CA that we should consider?

[nightlysparrow]

Look in the Ventura County forum here, especially at Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks, Oak Park, Agoura Hills. Award-winning schools, over the hills from the ocean, clean, low crime, and adjacent to Los Angeles.

You could also try the Sacramento forum. Reasonable prices, lots of parks, extensive suburbs.

[freepelican]

What type of natural medicine practitioners are you?

Have you considered Humboldt County? Some of the schools get very high ratings (Mckinleyville and two of the schools in Arcata... sorry don't remember the names... at least that's what I've read) and there is a real need for more medical personal. You can live right by the open coast and bay, not to mention the beautiful redwoods, and still have plenty of shopping options in Eureka and elsewhere. There are several very nice natural food stores (2 in Arcata and 2 in Eureka) and great farmers markets and fresh seafood. I would think this area would be quite open to natural medicine too.

Full Disclosure: I'm planning on moving Eureka fairly soon and I would personally love having natural medicine practitioners in the area.

[NoMoreSnowForMe]

Check out Folsom and Davis. Both feel smaller than bigger cities, have great schools, and educated populations that would likely be into what you have to offer.

I lived in both and really liked both of them. Davis is smaller and a little more hippy-ish - like a small Berkeley, lots of well-educated people and very bike-friendly. UC Davis is really the main focus of the town, but as it was historically an agricultural school with a vet school, as well as a medical school and engineering, etc., it's a fun mix of people and interests. Very clean, very safe.

Folsom is kind of the Silicon Valley of the Sacramento area. Also many highly educated people with a mix of blue collar folk. The prison is in town, but you'd never know it. The downtown is an old west style area with the old wooden sidewalks, very quaint, lots of parks and amazing schools. Right on the edge of gold country. Also very clean and safe.

Both have hot summers, and are not super close to the beach, but have lots of other outside activities to offer.

Welcome to CA and good luck!

[PoohBearForShort]

Thank you for all of your thoughts and advice. I really appreciate it. I will research some of these areas. Thank you again.