Merced vs. Flagstaff? (Fresno, Sacramento, Santa Cruz: 2014, houses, schools)

[Fiddlehead]

I recently saw an interesting job at UC Merced. I presently live in Flagstaff, which I like.

They seem to have a number of parallels:
1. University towns.
2. Close to beautiful places (Grand Canyon for Flag., Yosemite for Merced) and diverse scenery.
3. Have a lot of ethnic diversity (Native American and Hispanic in Flag., Hispanic and Hmong in Merced)
4. Somewhat isolated, but county seats, and not far from larger cities.
5. Nice, historic downtown areas.


I like the climate Flagstaff, but I can do heat, so long as it is dry. Mostly, we love the outdoors, good libraries, barbecues, and goint out with our dogs. We have school age child, so decent schools are a concern.

Anyone have experience with both places and care to weigh in?

FH

[roadwarrior101]

Personally, I think Merced and most of the central valley is a pit. Yes, you are two hours from Yosemite, Bay Area, etc. But, you have to live your day to day in a not so nice location. I would go with Flagstaff in a heartbeat.

[Fiddlehead]

Originally Posted by roadwarrior101

Personally, I think Merced and most of the central valley is a pit. Yes, you are two hours from Yosemite, Bay Area, etc. But, you have to live your day to day in a not so nice location. I would go with Flagstaff in a heartbeat.

Thanks road warrior. I know the valley pretty well, but appreciated others' viewpoints. Flagstaff is a nice place, that is very true.

[Ruth4Truth]

If I had a job in Flagstaff, and liked the town, I'd stay put. You can always go to Yosemite and the coast, the beaches, for vacation.

BTW, since you're in Flagstaff, what restaurants would you recommend for dinner? I'm not looking for ethnic food (Indian, Chinese, whatever), just good American fare. Everytime I pass through there, finding a place for dinner is a struggle. I end up at Howard Johnson's. Any ideas? Maybe I should just try one of the steakhouses, or something. A quality burger would be fine.

[Fiddlehead]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

If I had a job in Flagstaff, and liked the town, I'd stay put. You can always go to Yosemite and the coast, the beaches, for vacation.

BTW, since you're in Flagstaff, what restaurants would you recommend for dinner? I'm not looking for ethnic food (Indian, Chinese, whatever), just good American fare. Everytime I pass through there, finding a place for dinner is a struggle. I end up at Howard Johnson's. Any ideas? Maybe I should just try one of the steakhouses, or something. A quality burger would be fine.

If you like burgers, I would try Diablo Burgers downtown. Another good American joint is Collins Pub. And I like Fratelli's pizza too!

[jas75]

Flagstaff has drastically better air quality than Merced or anywhere in the San Joaquin Valley. I'm not sure Merced can really be considered a university town either - unlike in Flagstaff, the campus is removed from the city. Plus Arizona would probably feature lower taxes across the board than California. Just my opinion, but it's no contest between these two locations.

[Chimérique]

Originally Posted by Fiddlehead

I recently saw an interesting job at UC Merced. I presently live in Flagstaff, which I like.

They seem to have a number of parallels:
1. University towns.
2. Close to beautiful places (Grand Canyon for Flag., Yosemite for Merced) and diverse scenery.
3. Have a lot of ethnic diversity (Native American and Hispanic in Flag., Hispanic and Hmong in Merced)
4. Somewhat isolated, but county seats, and not far from larger cities.
5. Nice, historic downtown areas.


I like the climate Flagstaff, but I can do heat, so long as it is dry. Mostly, we love the outdoors, good libraries, barbecues, and goint out with our dogs. We have school age child, so decent schools are a concern.

Anyone have experience with both places and care to weigh in?

FH

Like other Californians my first reaction is, "oh no" not the San Joaquin Valley. But your list is interesting, and I would personally take a trip and explore the Merced area, if the job offer is exceptional.

If I recall UC Merced is sort of in the lower foothills and maybe the air quality is not so bad. Also consider the air quality might get better as agricultural production lessens and more non-polluting cars hit the road.

Also, look at the air quality stats, see how many actual days in a year are considered "unhealthful", maybe its a lot less than you think. Also, consider, a place like Santa Cruz(coastal Cal) or Flagstaff may have 350 days of good air quality, and Merced has 350 days of moderate quality...maybe moderate is something you can live with. Over the long haul, not sure if "good" will guarantee any less cancer than "moderate".

The San Joaquin Valley is still greener and wetter than many desert areas, and not as hot. For comparison sake, Phoenix and Tucson are a lot hotter for a longer period during a typical summer day, and the number days of high heat are more frequent in Phoenix or Tucson, than SJ Valley.

I know Flagstaff is very high in elevation and much cooler.

Bay Areans and other coastal Californias have, "forever" hated on the Central Valley and some have never even spent much time in the SJ Valley, or their only experience is driving down highway 99 in the middle of August and they base everything on that.

[Fiddlehead]

Thanks for the posts!

I looked at the air quality a while back, and it appears that Merced area is quite a bit better than Sacramento and the counties from Fresno south. The pollution seems to blow south through the valley and form an eddy that recirculates up to about Fresno. So, it is bad, but not as bad as some other places in the valley on the pollution front.

California - State of the Air 2014 | American Lung Association

I have not yet looked up water quality stats.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by Fiddlehead

Thanks for the posts!

I looked at the air quality a while back, and it appears that Merced area is quite a bit better than Sacramento and the counties from Fresno south. The pollution seems to blow south through the valley and form an eddy that recirculates up to about Fresno. So, it is bad, but not as bad as some other places in the valley on the pollution front.

California - State of the Air 2014 | American Lung Association

I have not yet looked up water quality stats.

Sounds like you really have your heart set on Merced. I guess if you've been offered a job there, you're right to check it out thoroughly. But don't sell Flagstaff short. You might discover a new appreciation for it once you're gone...

[eccotecc]

I took this photo about a mile from UC Merced.