Is the "California Dream" still alive? (Los Angeles, Fresno: transplants, real estate)

[jc76]

I am 32 years old. I live in Northern Indiana. I have attempted to live in Los Angeles 3 times and due to cost of living and other circumstances I always end up back here. Good thing though really, because I found that L.A. was NOT for me. I traveled up to other parts of CA and found it much more "down to earth" with "normal people" and nice towns. I found that even after coming back to Indiana my dream of living in California is far from dead. Even with the economy and all the nay say I still want to live there someday, just not in trendy L.A. Right when I got back to the Midwest I enrolled in college and will be getting my degree in Surgical Technology. After that I will apply in Fresno or Sacramento or some other towns in CA and make my dream come true once and for all. Hopefully in 3-4 years when I have my degree the economy will be a little better.
So, is the "California Dream" still alive for many people? Or am I one of the few strays left still pushing to make this happen?
Also, can some of you natives tell me the names of some smaller towns (150,000 people or less) that would be a good place to check out?
FYI: I am white, 32 (will be 36 when out of school), no kids, straight guy who like camping, hiking, and a little of the night life. Looking for a town to fit my taste. Thanks for reading this!

[Dean Trails]

Originally Posted by jc76

I am 32 years old. I live in Northern Indiana. I have attempted to live in Los Angeles 3 times and due to cost of living and other circumstances I always end up back here. Good thing though really, because I found that L.A. was NOT for me. I traveled up to other parts of CA and found it much more "down to earth" with "normal people" and nice towns. I found that even after coming back to Indiana my dream of living in California is far from dead. Even with the economy and all the nay say I still want to live there someday, just not in trendy L.A. Right when I got back to the Midwest I enrolled in college and will be getting my degree in Surgical Technology. After that I will apply in Fresno or Sacramento or some other towns in CA and make my dream come true once and for all. Hopefully in 3-4 years when I have my degree the economy will be a little better.
So, is the "California Dream" still alive for many people? Or am I one of the few strays left still pushing to make this happen?
Also, can some of you natives tell me the names of some smaller towns (150,000 people or less) that would be a good place to check out?
FYI: I am white, 32 (will be 36 when out of school), no kids, straight guy who like camping, hiking, and a little of the night life. Looking for a town to fit my taste. Thanks for reading this!

My grandparents were originally from Indiana and we used to visit quite often. I liked the snow but never the hot,sticky summers. We came to California when Dad got a job transfer.
I have lived all over the State and still think the dream is alive even with all the problems.
Right now is an excellent time to purchase real estate as the prices have dropped so much in most parts of the state.
There are so many nice towns left. I personally would stay out of the big urban areas.
I have done quite a bit of research and have settled on some small towns that I like and have gotten some positive feedback from the nice folks here in the forum.

Here are a few I like....

Healdsburg
Chico
San Luis Obispo
Folsom
Carlsbad
Thousand Oaks

Not all of them are perfect but they all have the nice climate and friendly people.

[jc76]

Dean- Thanks alot for your post!!! I am going to follow those links. Yeah the Summers in Indiana are sooooo humid that usually your stuck inside in the AC...and in the Winter your stuck inside to stay out of the 5 degree temps. It's just never felt like home here. Hopefully I can find a nice town in mid/upper CA to settle in.

[cabolissa]

You're not the only one. The state's full of transplants. We Californians are the ones leaving!

With a degree in Surgical Tech, you'll be able to work anywhere, so that's good. Now what you need to consider are: cost of living, weather, recreation. Since you like hiking/camping you're able to take advantage of the great trails CA has to offer. I grew up in Ventura County (Thousand Oaks/Oak Park) and we used to hike to the beach on the weekends. There's great nearby camping as well. But it's suburbia for sure. Not much night life. Santa Barbara is beautiful, and since the University is there, you'll find more night life. Granted, it'll be co-eds though.

What climate are you looking for? California's climate changes vary widely, from arid to sub arctic, depending on latitude, elevation, and proximity to the coast. Some of the state has a Mediterranean climate, with rainy winters and dry summers. The influence of the ocean generally moderates temperature extremes, creating warmer winters and substantially cooler summers, especially along the coastal areas.

[jc76]

Originally Posted by cabolissa

You're not the only one. The state's full of transplants. We Californians are the ones leaving!

With a degree in Surgical Tech, you'll be able to work anywhere, so that's good. Now what you need to consider are: cost of living, weather, recreation. Since you like hiking/camping you're able to take advantage of the great trails CA has to offer. I grew up in Ventura County (Thousand Oaks/Oak Park) and we used to hike to the beach on the weekends. There's great nearby camping as well. But it's suburbia for sure. Not much night life. Santa Barbara is beautiful, and since the University is there, you'll find more night life. Granted, it'll be co-eds though.

What climate are you looking for? California's climate changes vary widely, from arid to sub arctic, depending on latitude, elevation, and proximity to the coast. Some of the state has a Mediterranean climate, with rainy winters and dry summers. The influence of the ocean generally moderates temperature extremes, creating warmer winters and substantially cooler summers, especially along the coastal areas.

I hear that alot, about Californian's leaving. I have even met a few CA transplants here in my small town in Indiana. They usually move back to CA though, at least the 2 couples and 1 guy I met did.

Well, as far as weather I'm really not looking to be overly spoiled with sunshine and warm air, that would be nice but I'd settle for no or very little snow. Rain is fine. Winter temps dipping into the 30-40 range is ok. But the -11 BS is going bye bye after I get my schooling done. These long Indiana winters are just too much, tired of being constantly held indoors year round. I love the outdoors and I can't enjoy that here, so anywhere in CA is better than what I have here.

Santa Barbara- I actually drove up there from LA a few weeks ago the day before I came back to the Midwest. That is quite the perfect town they got going, SB. However, the COL made me physically cringe when I looked into the price of apartments. No way. Not even as a Surg Tech would I be able to pay those prices, nor would I even let myself if I could afford it, that's just plain crazy.

Ventura County seemed nice, but I am thinking of going even further north, perhaps the Napa Valley area, or Healdsburg. Dean Trails, thank you for that link! Healdsburg seems really nice! I will be doing alot of research on that area in the next couple weeks.

Strange, 3 years ago I was dead set on L.A. and now I can't stand the place. My few friends in LA told me "it's the place to be", but I found that CA has so much more to offer than "LA". Trial and error I guess. Beautiful state and lots to explore beside LA.

[FresnoFacts]

Also look into the Fresno/Clovis area. Clovis is adjacent to Fresno State and is only 90,000 people. It allows easy access to the Sierras via highway 168, 180, and 41. There are several large hospitals in the area, plus several free-standing surgical centers, and UCSF has a medical residency program site.

Another thought would be Visalia (population about 105,000). Easy access to Sequoia via highway 198. It has a downtown area with lots of restaurants and live music. Only one hospital with 500 beds but it is also expanding rapidly, it just opened a new wing and is now pursuing trauma center status.

[phloxy]

Originally Posted by jc76

Well, as far as weather I'm really not looking to be overly spoiled with sunshine and warm air, that would be nice but I'd settle for no or very little snow. Rain is fine. Winter temps dipping into the 30-40 range is ok. But the -11 BS is going bye bye after I get my schooling done. These long Indiana winters are just too much, tired of being constantly held indoors year round. I love the outdoors and I can't enjoy that here, so anywhere in CA is better than what I have here.

That's my feeling, too, jc76. I don't mind having a cold season, but I'd much rather deal with extreme summer temps than the extreme winter ones I have to contend with in upstate NY, and for a good part of the year, too, it seems. Not to mention the drear. You're going to love the outdoor opportunities in CA. I've only just had a little taste of backpacking in the high Sierras, but it is awesome. And there are tons of other places to explore, too. There are other mild places to live, but CA just seems to offer the most variety of opportunities for outdoor types.

Good luck!

[jc76]

Originally Posted by phloxy

That's my feeling, too, jc76. I don't mind having a cold season, but I'd much rather deal with extreme summer temps than the extreme winter ones I have to contend with in upstate NY, and for a good part of the year, too, it seems. Not to mention the drear. You're going to love the outdoor opportunities in CA. I've only just had a little taste of backpacking in the high Sierras, but it is awesome. And there are tons of other places to explore, too. There are other mild places to live, but CA just seems to offer the most variety of opportunities for outdoor types.

Good luck!

Thanks! I agree. Right now it's -30 degrees with the wind chill and this is just crazy. People are falling over dead from the cold, that's sad. This is no quality of life in these parts. It's un-inhabitable.