Tell me about Visalia, please (San Diego, Long Beach: college, pros and cons, allergies)

[yosemitelover]

Hello.

I'm from the east coast, but half of my extended family is in CA. I have family in Hesperia, Long Beach, Fresno, Mariposa, and San Diego. I've visited them all and I love CA. I especially love the mountains.

I also have a good friend from college who moved to Visalia and loves it there. He says it's basically like anywhere in middle America...a small city with lots of charm that's a good place to raise kids. He's been there for over a decade.

I just had a job opportunity open up in my field in Visalia. It's good pay and it's a good job to stay in until retirement.

I've done a lot of research on the internet and people seem to really like Visalia...the only big complaint I see is the air quality. Is it really that bad? Is it a cancer hotspot because of the bad air? I see that it's one of the top cities on all kinds of poor air quality rankings.

What are your pros and cons of the area? If we moved, we would stay for good. We have 2 young kids.

We'd be fairly close to most family. And we love the mountains and the beach. (And in all my visiting of CA, I don't mind the dry heat at all...I actually didn't mind the 110 degree days in Hesperia at all...)

Thanks for your thoughts. (We'd be making around $87k...enough for a $250k house.)

[Csonka]

Visalia has its charms

an agricultural area

but it's a different world from the major cities

Fresno is the largest city nearby

Bakersfield is in the south direction and I know Bakersfield has its proponents but it's not a very charming city

I'd say the pros are affordability

the cons are it's sort of a migrant center so the Mexican lifestyle and culture is going to be pronounced, which is something some people like but others don't. I happen to find it relaxing

[janellen]

Visalia is a pretty nice town to live in and raise a family. It has all the amenities you'd want or need. It's an easy day trip to get to the coast if you need some ocean time. Since you stated that you like mountains, know that Visalia is the closest city to two big national parks, Sequoia and Kings Canyon Parks. Lots of recreational things to do.
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[yosemitelover]

Thanks all. We have lived in a migrant ag center before, so we don't mind that at all...

My only issue, I think, is the air quality. Does that really matter? None of us have asthma, but we all have seasonal allergies that we have to take over-the-counter meds for.

[septuagenarian]

I live in Fresno and IMO Visalia would be a good choice. It's a delightful community.

[Des-Lab]

Posted about a year ago. Lots of info here.

Another.

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