Southern California or Colorado...

[cornsnicker3]

Originally Posted by Sadhere

I'm currently living in Longmont which is somewhat close to Boulder, CO and there may be possible job opportunities in southern California. I used to live in the Bay area as a child and miss the beauty of it. Colorado of course is pretty too with it's majestic mountains etc but I actually find part of it really bland and dull (Eastern side)- feels like Midwest. And I don't like being in a landlocked state. As far as Boulder it's nice but feels kind of small to me. I guess in a nutshell I'm not crazy about Colorado but it certainly has some nice things compared to where we were living previously a year ago in Vermont. We now are renting a decent house in a good neighborhood and are within walking distance to some things. I do feel lucky to be where we are now as Vermont offered the opposite to us but I can't help but still long for CA. Anyone out there who has lived in both Cal and Co? And if so where were you happier. I should note that we have a toddler, 4 year old and baby. We like an area that's thriving and alive with character and is good for raising a family. While I appreciate the convenciences of suburban areas and need quick access to stores and such i don't want to be stuck living in a suburban sprawl. We like a real downtown, not just strip malls. Now I know it may very not be realistic living in California as our income may not allow it but I'd like to still look into it. We would want to rent a 3 bedroom house that would be no more than 2500. The 2 possible locations of the jobs are Camarillo and Irvine. Thoughts anyone-

I have lived a long time in both states and lived a significant amount of time in northern and southern California throughout life.

The major differences will be weather and cost of living. Colorado is quite a bit more expensive these days than in the past and the difference in COL is diminishing. Your expectations for cost of living are way off. It is far more expensive than your budget suggests that you are looking to spend. You will need to up your budget or change where in the state you would be willing to live.

For climate, the real question you need to ask yourself is if you really enjoy the 4 season climate or the Mediterranean climate. If you hate snow or cold, then Colorado is not for you. Comparatively speaking to the Upper Midwest, Colorado is pretty easy, but it is still a cold state. There are plenty of states with little snow and Colorado is not one of them.

If you issue is the sprawl and landlocked nature of the state, maybe other state to the east will suit your fancy better. Much of California is very sprawl-y.