Best city for us in California? Help? (Los Angeles, San Francisco: homes, safe neighborhood)

[gryffindorscasper]

Hey there, my husband really wants to move to California to peruse his passion in film, so I want to do some research on where the best place would be for us to settle down. We are on a 5 year plan for moving there so by then we would like to have kids or be trying to have them, so please keep that in mind.

We currently live in North Carolina. I LOVE the Asheville area! I love the unique-ness of everyone and all of the art that you can find in the culture there, so essentially I would love to live somewhere that has an Asheville vibe.

We like cold weather. We would prefer to live somewhere where we can see a beautiful, colorful fall, and a snowy winter (but not abundantly, just a few inches).

We are in our 20's so somewhere that has a vibrant culture with a lot to do would be perfect! (movies, malls, restaurants, downtown area, etc.)

Job wise, as I mentioned he wants to work in film and start at a studio somewhere to get his foot in the door. I am perusing a nursing degree and a PA degree so I'd like to be working at a hospital.

As far as housing goes, we mentioned we'd be thinking about kids by then so a good school and safe neighborhood would be important! Also, affordable housing is a plus if we need to pay or film school!

We's like to be within a reasonable drive of a big city but not living smack dab in the city. we would like to be within a reasonable drive of a beach for some summer fun and a snowboarding area for winter fun.

I know it may not be possible to meet all of these wants because that's asking or a perfect city, haha, but a close match would be perfect and I know NOTHING about CA.

Thanks in advanced!

[Chuck5000]

For film? No choice, no question: it's the Los Angeles area. Also, the LA area is considerably less expensive than the SF Bay Area. LA has the only serious films schools as well. Note that they are super competitive to get into.

You need to state a budget specifically, and what you expect to be earning. You should also let people here know if you have money in the bank....CA is not a state that is easy to move to without having a very marketable professional background or cash.

FYI you will not find anything resembling a colorful fall (on the scale of the East coast) and even a slight version of a "real" winter anywhere within a half-day's drive of the coast. That part is not achievable.

You will not find a place like Asheville anywhere in CA that is near a major job center that doesn't cost 3x+ (or more than that? I"m not looking it up) as much, unfortunately. LA does have many very interesting and cool neighborhoods, though. I suggest you hit up some LA experts here for help with that. Silver Lake, Echo Park, etc....

Another suggestion to explore: New York. Live in the lower Hudson Valley, maybe, and work in the City.

[Ceece]

Following dreams is best done BEFORE having kids. Once they arrive your dreams may take a back seat. Keep that in mind. 5 years from now will be a different world.

[gryffindorscasper]

Originally Posted by Chuck5000

For film? No choice, no question: it's the Los Angeles area. Also, the LA area is considerably less expensive than the SF Bay Area. LA has the only serious films schools as well. Note that they are super competitive to get into.

You need to state a budget specifically, and what you expect to be earning. You should also let people here know if you have money in the bank....CA is not a state that is easy to move to without having a very marketable professional background or cash.

FYI you will not find anything resembling a colorful fall (on the scale of the East coast) and even a slight version of a "real" winter anywhere within a half-day's drive of the coast. That part is not achievable.

You will not find a place like Asheville anywhere in CA that is near a major job center that doesn't cost 3x+ (or more than that? I"m not looking it up) as much, unfortunately. LA does have many very interesting and cool neighborhoods, though. I suggest you hit up some LA experts here for help with that. Silver Lake, Echo Park, etc....

Another suggestion to explore: New York. Live in the lower Hudson Valley, maybe, and work in the City.

Thanks! I'll post a thread in the LA part (I am really not forum savvy!)

[Ruth4Truth]

I'm not able to reconcile your love of Asheville with your preference for malls, and other big-city things. Those two seem to be in conflict.

But I was going to recommend Marin County. It's near San Francisco, which has been a regional center for the film industry, yet its more rural, full of picturesque small towns, also has outlet malls, cute downtowns in the small towns, proximity to beach and redwood forests. Sure, LA is the obvious option, but the SF area could also work. You might also consider Santa Barbara, on the coast in southern CA. A lot of film industry people have homes there.

I'm not quite getting your concept, though, of starting a family while your husband "explores" a new vocation. You're not going to be able to support a family in CA on just your nursing income, especially if you're at the beginning of your career. So from that standpoint, your plans aren't terribly practical, unless you own your home in Asheville, and could sell it for good money. Even so, whatever you get for the Asheville home would only be a downpayment on a place in CA. So it really wouldn't work, unless your hubs has inherited money, or something.

[enlightenme]

Are you dead set on CA? Where do you currently live in NC? Have you ever looked into Winston-Salem or Wilmington NC? Winston-Salem is close to Boone and Asheville, has the School of the Arts and tons of hospitals. It is going to be a financial shocker going to CA and the weather you are describing isn't really where the jobs/funkiness are located in CA. The film industry is primarily in Los Angeles. I never thought I would say this to someone, but you may be better off in NC!

[Bluefox]

My advice (as an ex-Californian) - Don't. Far more people move TO Asheville FROM California nowadays than move to California from Asheville. California is very expensive - if you aren't making minimum 150-200k year- forget about having a "normal" life w/children in any of the large metros except Fresno, Bakersfield, Inland Empire, maybe Sacramento. None of those places will offer what your husband is looking for and are frankly all pretty awful compared to Asheville (except Sacramento). I would seriously love to live in Asheville but unfortunately couldn't make a living there in my line of work. But it beats the heck out of most of CA for what you pay for it.

[sourdough]

this might help…. Living Wage Calculator

[blueskywalker]

You have some conflicting criteria.
You want seasons and cold and even snow but your husband wants to move to CA for film making?
That implies the L.A. area (yes?) but you want a vibe like the Asheville area? You won't find that there.
My cousin is a very successful / award winning film maker (documentaries). I'm name dropping without dropping a name.
He lived in S.F. for many years but tired of what's happening in the bay area (thanks Silicon Valley idiots ) and moved to Portland, Oregon a few years ago.
He was already quite established but i imagine he moved there because it seems to be a thriving area for film. Some of the articles that i gave a quick look at via google indicate as much.
Portland (and areas surrounding it) will be a better fit for you who really likes the Asheville area.
Consider it.
And it may be a much more accessible way for him to enter the world of film making. At least there will be a lot fewer jerks!.
Who in the world would want anything to do with the Hollywood scene? And the L.A. area is, imo, crazy. But i'm biased.
And you'll be on the west coast (not so, so far from L.A. if that ever becomes important) and Portland is a progressive city. I've known a few people who have relocated there and really like it a lot.
Also, if you ever do feel the need to move to L.A. you will have started in a place that will ease you into this side of the country with less of a cultural shock.

Portland Film Community

[NoMoreSnowForMe]

A friend of mine's son moved to Colorado to a college where he could study animation, if I remember correctly. They lived in the Folsom area of California. I'm wondering if your hubby might be interested in that course/college. You'll have to google it.

There is nowhere in CA with film studies that would be anywhere with snow, etc.

If you could get to CA, your hubby could go to community college here pretty cheap, even with out of state residency tuition. For instance the community college in Santa Barbara is amazing with great film studies curriculum. Santa Barbara is not cheap, though. None of the areas with good film programs are cheap. And none have snow.