anyone here lived in Santa Cruz and Asheville, NC?

[jrhamp]

Lived in both San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara, plus a few others..but, now in AVL. Santa Barbara is far and away the best option for weather, location, amenities, and beaches. but, very pricey..very! If money is no object, then consider SB. The schools (Santa Barbara HS) is mostly Hispanic...in Goleta, the adjacent bedroom community of SB has several schools which are pretty good. Then there are private schools..which are expensive.

SLO is a great city in part because Cal-Poly University is located there. So, basically a college town. Weather good and with decent schools. Beaches...no! The nearest beaches are in Morro Bay area and up the coast to Cambria..but, water very cold and the weather pattern includes alot of fog. Up the hill to Atascadero is another option...much cheaper in terms of housing...normally a "ranch" style community...But, hot/warm in the summer and colder in the winter.

Also, consider beach communities north of San Diego..but, again, housing is expensive...alot of people and very urbanized.

Compared to AVL..all those cities mentioned are OK..but, AVL has alot going for it as a town...housing is not that expensive compared to California..there is not a real problem with immigration issues and crime seems to be modest.

Good luck

[blueskywalker]

Originally Posted by 04kL4nD

blueskywalker, are you a Santa Cruz native? Just wondering.

I wasn't born here (from Truckee originally) but i've lived in the county for many years.
I'm getting ready to leave as it's over here. It has been for a long time but in the last 3 or so years particularly it's gotten really yuck! Or just really noticeably way more yucky i should say. Way, way over-populated and with a particular ilk of human i don't care for at all.

[NatureYogi]

Also I'll add that part of my experience living in Santa Cruz awhile was just enjoying a smaller town, milder weather and my first time living so near to a beach... cause I went there straight from living in very urban, crowded cities with much harsher weather. It was also my first time living so long in California and having grown up mostly on the East Coast then Midwest, and having fairly "hippie" values, California holds huge idealistic mystique for me and Santa Cruz culture was really exciting for me to experience. (Though it then stopped fitting me so I moved.)

My point being where you lived in the past has big effect on how much you like or don't like a new city. I can see how someone could have either a magical or awful experience in the Santa Cruz area (and by the way drugs are no joke, saw way too many drug problems there like acid and heroin for me personally ever feel too comfortable raising kids there...and I'm not very sheltered or close-minded). Though I bet everyone there benefits (whether they know it or not) from the weather and beach and trees and relatively clean air and slower pace and abundance of holistic wellness practitioners. There are probably many nice beach cities though.

Anyway I'm rambling

[jukes]

Originally Posted by jrhamp

Lived in both San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara, plus a few others..but, now in AVL. Santa Barbara is far and away the best option for weather, location, amenities, and beaches. but, very pricey..very! If money is no object, then consider SB. The schools (Santa Barbara HS) is mostly Hispanic...in Goleta, the adjacent bedroom community of SB has several schools which are pretty good. Then there are private schools..which are expensive.

SLO is a great city in part because Cal-Poly University is located there. So, basically a college town. Weather good and with decent schools. Beaches...no! The nearest beaches are in Morro Bay area and up the coast to Cambria..but, water very cold and the weather pattern includes alot of fog. Up the hill to Atascadero is another option...much cheaper in terms of housing...normally a "ranch" style community...But, hot/warm in the summer and colder in the winter.

Also, consider beach communities north of San Diego..but, again, housing is expensive...alot of people and very urbanized.

Compared to AVL..all those cities mentioned are OK..but, AVL has alot going for it as a town...housing is not that expensive compared to California..there is not a real problem with immigration issues and crime seems to be modest.

Good luck

rather late reply, sorry! How are you finding Asheville now? We do love Asheville, life is easy for us here, BUT I feel kind of in a bubble, as I don't love anywhere else anywhere close to here. I don't like the humidity, the far away distance from the ocean, and potential lack of opportunity for the kids once grown. The mindset of people outside of Asheville in surrounding areas is SO very different to mine. I just fear I will out grow Asheville
We stayed in Santa Barbara last summer for a week and visited SLO, lovely, but very expensive, and very 'polished' so pretty and too perfect perhaps!
Santa Cruz has that character we like, and the trees we love, and the proximity to other nice areas, and San Francisco. SO, I am revisiting this yet again, probably out of fear for the humidity that is about to be upon us lol.