Living in SC and I'm thinking about moving to CA but where?? (San Jose: schools, college)

[TLB76]

Hey everybody!

I'm 32, single, straight and have no kids. I've been out of the bar scene for years and love participating in hiking and other outdoorsy activites in my free time. I've been in Greenville, SC for 2 years and have the itch to move again. It's very conservative here and people my age are married, drunks, or weekend southern baptists. It's beautiful here but connecting with people my age is the problem. I love the weather; we have 4 seasons, winters are pretty mild here. I love the fall, so where I move there must be dramatic autumn colors! I love the mountains and the beach and that's what I love about the west coast! Where to move is the question...I enjoy holistic health, famers markets, kind people, health conscious and green communities, quaint cool towns with not much traffic. High traffic areas give me anxiety!

My family is in WA state and I tried it for 3 years but it rained too much for me and I also did some traveling in OR and the climate seemed similiar to WA. About 7 years ago I took a bus from RI, 'that's where I grew up' to S. Lake Tahoe and hitchhiked up to Bear Valley to attend the High Sierra Music Fest and it was gorgeous and have been thinking about CA since then. Currently, I'm working on prereqs for dental hygiene program and searched for schools in CA that offer the program. I narrowed down places to live by schools and here is what I have: Aptos, Fresno, Oxnard, Sacramento, Santa Rosa, and Redding. Out of those places which one do you think would fit my lifestyle and interests? Any suggestions would be helpful. Thank you! ~Tania

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by TLB76

Hey everybody!

I'm 32, single, straight and have no kids. I've been out of the bar scene for years and love participating in hiking and other outdoorsy activites in my free time. I've been in Greenville, SC for 2 years and have the itch to move again. It's very conservative here and people my age are married, drunks, or weekend southern baptists. It's beautiful here but connecting with people my age is the problem. I love the weather; we have 4 seasons, winters are pretty mild here. I love the fall, so where I move there must be dramatic autumn colors! I love the mountains and the beach and that's what I love about the west coast! Where to move is the question...I enjoy holistic health, famers markets, kind people, health conscious and green communities, quaint cool towns with not much traffic. High traffic areas give me anxiety!

My family is in WA state and I tried it for 3 years but it rained too much for me and I also did some traveling in OR and the climate seemed similiar to WA. About 7 years ago I took a bus from RI, 'that's where I grew up' to S. Lake Tahoe and hitchhiked up to Bear Valley to attend the High Sierra Music Fest and it was gorgeous and have been thinking about CA since then. Currently, I'm working on prereqs for dental hygiene program and searched for schools in CA that offer the program. I narrowed down places to live by schools and here is what I have: Aptos, Fresno, Oxnard, Sacramento, Santa Rosa, and Redding. Out of those places which one do you think would fit my lifestyle and interests? Any suggestions would be helpful. Thank you! ~Tania

Tania, first off, I will say what everyone else is saying on all these threads, don't be crazy, unless you have a job and a good paying one forget moving especially right now. There are literally no jobs and the cost of living is out of sight not to mention CA is going under. Now, as for where to live if you are hell bent on doing something so crazy, if you can get a job I would suggest Oxnard, Santa Rosa or Redding for the life you seem to want, but even if you don't need a lot of money and are trying to finish your education, Ca is not the place to re-locate to at this time.

Nita

[TLB76]

Thanks Nita! I'm trying not to be hasty but I hate being so far away from my family.

[Kibbiekat]

From your list, Aptos. If you have any specific questions about Fresno, I can probably help with that.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by TLB76

I enjoy holistic health, famers markets, kind people, health conscious and green communities, quaint cool towns with not much traffic.

You know, you might want to think about South Carolina.

[Steve97415]

Originally Posted by TLB76

Hey everybody! I narrowed down places to live by schools and here is what I have: Aptos, Fresno, Oxnard, Sacramento, Santa Rosa, and Redding. Out of those places which one do you think would fit my lifestyle and interests? Any suggestions would be helpful. Thank you! ~Tania

You're right to put the school first and lifestyle choices second. I think if you do a bit more research, you would probably find that there will be quite a bit of difference in cost as regards attending some place like Shasta College vs. some place like Cabrillo. I would agree that Aptos would be more preferable with all other things being equal, but I don't think that all other things are.

Redding is probably the only location that is within a single day's drive of your family, if proximity to them is a major consideration.

[Den Mathias]

Oxnard is probably your best bet for finding a job and being near the coast.

Aptos is a nice town but you probably need to commute to San Jose for a job.

Santa Rosa is a great for jobs and such but an hour from the coast.

These towns are far inland and a couple of hours from the coast. Also the weather is very warm in the summer. Jobs are obtainable.

Fresno
Sacramento,
Redding- downright hot in the summer!

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by Den Mathias

Oxnard is probably your best bet for finding a job and being near the coast.

Aptos is a nice town but you probably need to commute to San Jose for a job.

Santa Rosa is a great for jobs and such but an hour from the coast.

These towns are far inland and a couple of hours from the coast. Also the weather is very warm in the summer. Jobs are obtainable.

Fresno
Sacramento,
Redding- downright hot in the summer!

you are right, Redding is hot and inland, but it is also a pretty cool area. Fresno would not be a good choice and as much as I happen to love Sacramento it wouldn't be a good choice either.

Nita

[TLB76]

Thanks everybody! Out of those places which would have the most choices of good restaurants, health food stores, and farmers markets? I worked in the service industry for years and heard that CA pays servers and bartenders a decent hourly wage. Here in SC it's a measly $2.13/ hour! Thanks again! ~Tania

[coyoteskye]

Originally Posted by TLB76

Hey everybody!

I'm 32, single, straight and have no kids. I've been out of the bar scene for years and love participating in hiking and other outdoorsy activites in my free time. I've been in Greenville, SC for 2 years and have the itch to move again. It's very conservative here and people my age are married, drunks, or weekend southern baptists. It's beautiful here but connecting with people my age is the problem. I love the weather; we have 4 seasons, winters are pretty mild here. I love the fall, so where I move there must be dramatic autumn colors! I love the mountains and the beach and that's what I love about the west coast! Where to move is the question...I enjoy holistic health, famers markets, kind people, health conscious and green communities, quaint cool towns with not much traffic. High traffic areas give me anxiety!

My family is in WA state and I tried it for 3 years but it rained too much for me and I also did some traveling in OR and the climate seemed similiar to WA. About 7 years ago I took a bus from RI, 'that's where I grew up' to S. Lake Tahoe and hitchhiked up to Bear Valley to attend the High Sierra Music Fest and it was gorgeous and have been thinking about CA since then. Currently, I'm working on prereqs for dental hygiene program and searched for schools in CA that offer the program. I narrowed down places to live by schools and here is what I have: Aptos, Fresno, Oxnard, Sacramento, Santa Rosa, and Redding. Out of those places which one do you think would fit my lifestyle and interests? Any suggestions would be helpful. Thank you! ~Tania

Aptos, no question (in my not-so humble opinion) ... but you will not have dramatic falls like the ones that you are used to in the east. However, they are equally as powerful but much more subtle.
I would definitely avoid Fresno, Sacramento, and Redding and i don't know about Santa Rosa although i much prefer S.C. county to that area.
I imagine you're considering Cabrillo college in Aptos. It seems like that college is getting better and better.
Also, UCSC is here so that's another option.
Santa Cruz county is a very liberal, very tolerant, diverse and easy going (for its size) place and it's an environmentally friendly / very green place with a lot of organic gardening/farming, etc., many really good community health food stores and there are a lot of young people here and those who are older are still pretty young.
The traffic is a pain in the a## on HW1 for those who commute over the hill to and from San Jose during rush hour.
You learn quickly how to avoid traffic here if you're local and it's not a big deal. And it's rare to hear a honking car even in the worst of traffic.
It's a very easy place to get around with and excellent public transit system. Other counties from around the country have used it as a model because it's so good.
It's very easy to take a bus anywhere in the entire county.
Holistic health, in all of its variety, has a strong presence here.
It's healthy living and the air is good (unless you're on HW1 at rush hour) and it's a beautiful place.
It's a lovely combination of "mountains" (more like hills if you know what a real moutain is), redwoods and ocean and if you want some winter and/or high altitude Truckee/Lake Tahoe area is less than 41/2 hours from Santa Cruz county and it's an easy drive (just avoid the traffic times).
Doesn't UCSC have a really good dental program?
I have the greatest dentist in the world here (in Capitola) with amazing hygenisists as well. <sp? and her father was a dentist and taught at UCSC.
It's my sense that the whole area, as well as Monterey county to the south is very strong in good and cutting edge dentistry.
Good luck and Happy Trails.