I want to relocate to California. (San Francisco, Santa Cruz: rentals, find a job, purchase)

[JMR77]

Advise regarding my dream to move to California.


Hello everybody!
I am 32 y.old gay single man. I presently live in Detroit suburbs. After this school year I'll have my bachelor degree in psychology with some background in social work and biology. I seek an advise from all of you, especially people living in California. I want to move out from Mi. I do want to spent my life where I can appreciate nice weather and place that supports piece of mind. I can see myself in some nice small town in countryside with shops for a basic living necessities. I do not have resources to purchase my own property but I would like to rent cozy place (1-2 bed.max) where I can work (perhaps not in my particular field) but make money to pay bills. I will have some $$$ saved but not much tho. It is very important to me to live in gay friendly community. I am looking to find a place where people can think, feel and enjoy their being, behind running city life and their busy schedules. I live this life now and I truly want change in my life. If you guys can and would take a little time to respond with your suggestions; please know I greatly appreciate it!!!

[coyoteskye]

Originally Posted by JMR77

Advise regarding my dream to move to California.


Hello everybody!
I am 32 y.old gay single man. I presently live in Detroit suburbs. After this school year I'll have my bachelor degree in psychology with some background in social work and biology. I seek an advise from all of you, especially people living in California. I want to move out from Mi. I do want to spent my life where I can appreciate nice weather and place that supports piece of mind. I can see myself in some nice small town in countryside with shops for a basic living necessities. I do not have resources to purchase my own property but I would like to rent cozy place (1-2 bed.max) where I can work (perhaps not in my particular field) but make money to pay bills. I will have some $$$ saved but not much tho. It is very important to me to live in gay friendly community. I am looking to find a place where people can think, feel and enjoy their being, behind running city life and their busy schedules. I live this life now and I truly want change in my life. If you guys can and would take a little time to respond with your suggestions; please know I greatly appreciate it!!!

You may like Santa Cruz and county or somewhere in this vicinity ... unless you're attached to So. Cal.
This (Santa Cruz) is the central coast ... at the top of Monterey Bay.
San Francisco is less than 2 hours to the north.
S.C. is very tolerant, diverse, open and liberal.
Though i do not know the population regarding gay men, you will be free here to be yourself.
I do know that there is a large population of lesbian women here for what that's worth.
Someone told me a few years ago that Santa Cruz has the highest population of lesbians in the country (per capita? i dunno these terms).
And i don't know if that's true or not but regardless, this area is certainly non-judgmental and live and let live.
The weather here is beautiful from April - end of October (roughly) with fog rolling in and out along the coast (and that varies) but with many, many places in the county where the fog does not reach and actually, the fog is lovely ... good for the hair and skin too.
Winter brings the rain but with many stretches of beautiful days in between.
S.C. is a small city (pop. around 55,000).
The pop. of the whole county ( around 260,000?) but S.C. is the largest "city" in the county.
Santa Cruz County, California - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In the county (and consider the whole county although personally, i prefer to be closer to the coast and there are just a couple areas where you probably don't want to be) there are opportunities to live in very rural places, semi-rural, sub-urban, etc.
You can "do" small town and/or rural living here without feeling isolated and far away from shopping etc.
Rents are expensive here as they are all along the coast until you get quite a bit north of S.F. but if you can swing it, it may be worth it.
Here's a link to Santa Cruz Craiglist so you can get a sense of rental prices and a sense of the area (of course through the often less-than-clear lens of Craigslist but it's good for getting an idea of cost of living)
craigslist: SF bay area (Santa Cruz)
Good luck in your search and welcome to California in advance.

[10,000Lakes]

I don't know if it's to hot in the summer but Palm Springs has a huge gay frindly community.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by JMR77

Advise regarding my dream to move to California.


Hello everybody!
I am 32 y.old gay single man. I presently live in Detroit suburbs. After this school year I'll have my bachelor degree in psychology with some background in social work and biology. I seek an advise from all of you, especially people living in California. I want to move out from Mi. I do want to spent my life where I can appreciate nice weather and place that supports piece of mind. I can see myself in some nice small town in countryside with shops for a basic living necessities. I do not have resources to purchase my own property but I would like to rent cozy place (1-2 bed.max) where I can work (perhaps not in my particular field) but make money to pay bills. I will have some $$$ saved but not much tho. It is very important to me to live in gay friendly community. I am looking to find a place where people can think, feel and enjoy their being, behind running city life and their busy schedules. I live this life now and I truly want change in my life. If you guys can and would take a little time to respond with your suggestions; please know I greatly appreciate it!!!

Are you going to secure a job before you move?
Have you any idea what your housing budget is?
Have you researched the prices for housing?

[coyoteskye]

Originally Posted by Charles

Are you going to secure a job before you move?
Have you any idea what your housing budget is?
Have you researched the prices for housing?

Charles is the protective and practical "father" of the California forum.
(teasing you again charles )

[nmnita]

Charles has said it best as usual. It doesn't make much difference what field you are in, trying to find a job will be a challenge and living costs probably higher than you can imagine. As for your degree, I am glad you may not plan to work in your field because even in a good market, without a masters you will find little in work in the sociology or psychology field.

If you still wan to move and can afford to re-locate, I would agree with those recommendations above, Santa Cruz or Palm Springs. Most other gay friendly communities are very pricey (not that those are not) or are much larger than a small town.

Nita

[Danoliafoya]

Santa Cruz... Most other communities are very pricey

I was always under the impression that Santa Cruz and the Monterey Bay in general were very pricey.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by Danoliafoya

I was always under the impression that Santa Cruz and the Monterey Bay in general were very pricey.

Monterey is for certain, I am not sure about Santa Cruz.

Nita

[coyoteskye]

Originally Posted by nmnita

Monterey is for certain, I am not sure about Santa Cruz.

Nita

very pricey here ... i think it's safe to say that rentals in most of santa cruz county (particularly near the coast and in santa cruz proper, capitola, aptos and soquel) are actually higher than rents in monterey but i'm not sure.
if not, their certainly in the same range.
it's very expensive to find a place to rent here.
it's my one and only complaint regarding the santa cruz county.
but it's the price you pay to live on the coast of california.
and it's worth it for me but a drag as well.

[Boompa]

See what the Veterans Administration has on their job site. They have five hospitals and many clinics in California. That way you can have a job and pay equal to the area.