Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > California
 [Register]
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
 
Old 01-15-2009, 11:13 AM
 
1 posts, read 6,290 times
Reputation: 10

Advertisements

I'm originally from California. I grew up all over the Bay Area in the 80's and early 90's, Redwood City, Palo Alto, Menlo Park, Santa Cruz (when it was awesome)...I'm very familiar with Northern California and I moved to Chicago from San Diego 5 years ago. I miss the ocean terribly and am constantly torn between the fresh ocean air, easy going , warm southern and the foggy, red-wooded artsy northern California. Ideally I'd love someplace like 80's Santa Cruz before the quake, still coastal and cut off, old artsy, unassuming locals, fogy mornings and surf...

I'll be moving back in a year but where? I want SUPER cheap, like $900 or less 1 bedroom, coastal and safe. I was thinking Long Beach since there are still some old school surfer pockets. Any thoughts? Northern vs Southern, cities, areas, anything...?
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 01-15-2009, 11:35 AM
 
Location: South Bay
7,226 posts, read 22,187,529 times
Reputation: 3626
there is actually no surf in long beach because of the breakwater for the ports. however, seal beach is nearby and has a break.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 01-15-2009, 11:02 PM
 
Location: Vancouver, WA
8,213 posts, read 16,686,935 times
Reputation: 9463
I am an old surf dog who grew up in Southern CA - Hermosa Beach. Then I moved with my family to CO. But I missed the coast too much. So I can totally relate with where you are coming from. It seems like you sometimes have to move away from CA to really appreciate what this state is about.

Now we are back in Cal. (Monterey area). We love it here. It is not as crazy crowded as the Bay area or even Santa Cruz. But I can be to Santa Cruz in 1 hr or Moss Landing in 30 minutes. Plus there are surfs spots here as well. I mostly enjoy landscape/seascape photography as my main hobby now, but still hit the waves on occasion.

So back to your question. Obviously Monterey isn't 'Cheap.' But there are definately cheaper places to live near Monterey like Seaside, Marina, Prunedale, Watsonville, Hollister, etc...

I guess I am wondering why the emphasis on cheap? And more importantly what will you do for work? If funds are really tight like living on a fixed income you have two basic options:
1. Live in less desirable area
2. Use roomates

Roomates can be a good way to go as long as you get a decent one.

I would recommend against Long Beach. I know that area well since I grew there - the South Bay. Unless you have a really good reason to live in LA come back to the NorCal coast. For all the things you mentioned anywhere in LA, OC or SD is not really a good fit. It is WAY too crowded. The whole 'coastal and cut off, old artsy, unassuming locals, fogy mornings and surf...' just aint happening there seriously. It is far from it now.

You need to focus on Central Cal - Morro Bay, Pismo, etc... or NorCal - Monterey in the southern boarder. Then above SF in places which are cheap but kinda depressed economies like Mendocino, McKinleyvillle, etc... The small coastal towns above SF are a throwback to the past in many ways.

I 'Really' like Brookings Oregon for rugged coastal beauty. And yes they do surf up there. And it is Cheap by CA standards.







Derek
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 01-16-2009, 01:17 PM
 
Location: Brisbane, Australia
961 posts, read 2,565,301 times
Reputation: 213
Where exactly were these photos taken? They are breathtakingly beautiful. Thanks for sharing!
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 01-18-2009, 11:04 PM
 
Location: Vancouver, WA
8,213 posts, read 16,686,935 times
Reputation: 9463
Thanks,

These photos were all taken along the southern Oregon coast. The first one is Port Orford. The second is Humbug Mountain SP which is just below Port Orford. And the third is Samuel Boardman SP in Brookings.

I drove the whole coast with my family last Spring. And I would have to say it exceeded our expectations in almost every way. It is the most beautiful coastline I have ever seen. And then if that wasn't enough Oregon has the Columbia River Gorge and all kinds of other parks with waterfalls like Silver Fall SP:





Oh yeah and Crater Lake and Mt Hood as well. There was so much to see while we were there it was mind boggling in a good way.

If it wasn't for closer proximity to family reasons we would be living there now. What a beautiful state!

Derek
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 01-19-2009, 12:48 PM
 
Location: Santa Cruz
4 posts, read 10,660 times
Reputation: 17
Default Santa Cruz is still great!

Hi there, I'm a native Santa Cruzian and have lived many places and always find myself coming home. Santa Cruz had definitley changed in the past 20 years, it is more crowded, real estate prices are higher (but have been declining over the past year, some places drastically). But the geographical area can't be beat, the weather is warmer than Monterey and the people are great. Also it is mid-Jan and about 75 degrees. There are places in the Soquel, Scotts Valley, San Lorenzo Valley hills where you can have more privacy and a country feel but still be close to town and surf.
Attached Thumbnails
Northern vs Southern, cheap and still awesome. Still exist?-its-january.jpg  
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 01-19-2009, 12:50 PM
 
Location: Brisbane, Australia
961 posts, read 2,565,301 times
Reputation: 213
Is that New Brighton beach?
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-15-2010, 12:32 PM
 
42 posts, read 108,058 times
Reputation: 45
Default The Breakwater WAS NOT Built For the Port

Quote:
Originally Posted by BRinSM View Post
there is actually no surf in long beach because of the breakwater for the ports. however, seal beach is nearby and has a break.
Correction, the eastern portion of the breakwater which prevents waves from reaching the shore was NOT built for the ports. The Long Beach Breakwater does not protect the ports, it was built for the Navy base that is no longer there.

Good news is a lot of progress has been made and it looks like Long Beach may again have waves and clean water one day.

City of Long Beach, CA - Breakwater Reconnaissance Study
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-15-2010, 12:41 PM
 
Location: California
37,121 posts, read 42,189,292 times
Reputation: 34997
Humbolt county perhaps.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:


Settings
X
Data:
Loading data...
Based on 2000-2020 data
Loading data...

123
Hide US histogram


Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > California

All times are GMT -6.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top