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Good points. And please don't base your decision on the beautiful clear skies seen during the Rose Parade!
Yes and i think one of the reasons people are often drawn to California and then find themselves disillusioned / disappointed is that their perceptions are based on the media ... t.v. and movies.
Is there any other state in the country (or any place in the world for that matter) that attracts so many people based solely on the images and fantasies of Hollywood?
It's strangely abstract.
And then to add to that, they want it all (me, me, me ... i want, i want, i want) ... clean streets, no crime, museums, good schools, etc., etc., etc., but no taxes! (geez, you've got the bucks lady), and my god .... not even enough respect for some of the essential "elements" of California so that you want to avoid "hippies and extreme liberal types".
Bleccchhhhh. Luckily i live north so i want have to run into you.
Good lord ... stay in Virginia .... stay in the controlled and conventional and boxed in mentality of the east.
If you can't come to CA and be open to IT (and not what youwant it to be) and go through some changes in a new and different land, why come at all?
So you can say you live in California?
Why bother?
For sunny skies?
There's always Florida.
It's closer and CA is overpopulated as it is.
I'm tired of reading peoples posts who want to bring their precious past and their precious entitled needs with them.
California doesn't need that.
You can save a huge amount of your precious money by not moving here and not buying your way inflated "dream home" and then you can give a big chunk of that money to your favorite charity.
How 'bout that?
That's my little rant.
Last edited by coyoteskye; 12-28-2009 at 06:03 PM..
If museums and fine dining is towards the top of your list then you definitely shouldn't completely rule out the L.A. area. L.A. is home to may museums and, in my opinion, is up to par with and competes with NYC and Washington D.C. area in terms of culture and museums. Orange county doesn't even come close to L.A. in this regard. From the Huntington Library and Museum to the Getty Villa and Museum, L.A. boast some of the best and most exclusive private galleries and botanical gardens.
I strongly agree with Suzie02 and NmNita and think that moving across the country will most likely be socially detrimental to your 11th year old son. But I have compiled a list of cities those cities in L.A. country you should keep in consideration.
The following cities have similar demographics to McLean. All lean republican with Rolling hills being a republican stronghold and guess what they are all located in L.A. county,
1)Rolling Hills (Palos Verdes Peninsula)- 27.5 mi commute to downtown L.A. – about 35 mins (up to 1 hour 0 mins in traffic)
The racial makeup of the city was 79.80% White, 2.03% African American, 14.00% Asian, 0.48% Pacific Islander, 1.18% from other races, and 2.51% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.54% of the population. The median income for a household in the city was in excess of $200,000, as is the median income for a family.
Rolling Hills has the third highest percentage of registered Republicans of any cities in California, with 61.3% of its 1,441 registered voters registered as Republicans. 19.4% of voters are registered Democrats, and 16.3 % are "decline to state."
The city is served by Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District. PVPUSD schools have constantly ranked among the best in California and the nation. The Washington Post once ranked Palos Verdes Peninsula High School as the 8th best public or private high school in the nation.
2) Hidden Hills (San Fernando Valley) 28.2 m - About 30 mins (1 hour 20 mins in traffic)
The racial makeup of the city was 88.70% White, 0.44% Black or African American, 0.12% Native American, 2.71% Asian, 1.55% from other races, and 1.83% from two or more races. 6.24% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
The median income for a household in the city was $200,000+, as is the median income
for a family. In the 2004 presidential election George W. Bush won 52% of the vote, compared to 44% statewide, while John Kerry won 46% of the vote. In the 2006 state governor election, Arnold Schwarzenegger got over 72% of the vote, while Democratic opponent Phil Angelides got nearly 25%.
I believe Hidden Hills is in the Las Virgenes Unified School District, which also includes Calabasas and nearby Agoura Hills.
3) Calabasas ( San Fernando Valley) 27.1 mi- 28 mins (1 hour 20 mins in traffic)
The racial makeup of the city was 85.92% White, 2.18% Black or African American, 0.13% Native American, 7.71% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.31% from other races, and 2.71% from two or more races. 4.74% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. According to a 2007 estimate, the median income for a household in the city was $104,935, and the median income for a family was $122,482.
4) La Canada Flintridge ( Foothills/ San Gabriel Valley) 14.2 mi- 19 mins (30 mins in traffic)
The racial makeup of the city was 65.53% White, 0.36% Black or African American, 0.18% Native American, 31.57% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.01% from other races, and 3.31% from two or more races. 4.80% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race. Not exactly around 80% white compared to McLean but it is still a very affluent city with great schools.
The La Cañada Unified School District serves most of the city. The district is now 2nd in the state.
5) San Marino (San Gabriel Valley) 11.8 mi- 17 mins (30 mins in traffic)
The racial makeup of the city was 51.98% White, 0.15% African American, 0.05% Native American, 48.4% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 1.04% from other races, and 2.30% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.25% of the population. The median income for a household in the city was $147,267, and the median income for a family was $155,708.
As of the 2009 API school reports, San Marino Unified school district is the top performing school district in California, followed by La Cañada Flintridge, and Palo Alto. Its high school consistently ranks as one of the highest API scores among public high schools in California. Each of its public schools are honored as a California Distinguished School and a United States National Blue Ribbon School.
San Marino is a conservative community in the midst of a mostly liberal state. Elected positions are often held by private citizens who show no ambition for higher political office. Political participation generally lies in the form of donations for political parties and candidates. It is also mentioned in Mike Davis's City of Quartz and James Loewen's Sundown Towns for its past racially
exclusionary practices.
6) Manhattan Beach (South Bay) 21.9 mi - 26 mins (50 mins in traffic)
The racial makeup of the city was 88.99% White, 6.04% Asian, 5.19% Hispanic or Latino of any race, 0.61% African American, 0.21% Native American, 0.12% Pacific Islander, 1.23% from other races, including 2.81% from two or more races. The median income for a household in the city was $100,750, and the median income for a family was $122,686 (these figures had risen to $124,048 and $149,396 respectively as of a 2007 estimate[19])
Public education in Manhattan Beach is provided by the Manhattan Beach Unified School District, received a score of 906 on the 2006 California Academic Performance Index, making it California's 5th best performing district.[35]
As of 2002, 46% of Manhattan Beach residents were registered Republicans and 35% were registered Democrats.
So again, I wouldnt give up hope on L.A. quite yet. I have narrowed your list down to 6 affluent cities that met most if not all of your expectations. These cities are truly wonderful and are definite potential contenders to their Orange County counterparts. Good Luck. Hope all of this helps out and all ends up working out for you.
Oh, I almost forgot. The gold line recently opened up. This light rail line takes you directly to Downtown L.A. If you choose La Canada Flintridge or San Marino area then public transportation is certainly a viable option. With a $1.25 a way fare it very friendly on your pocket/wallet. haha! The orange line/D.C. metro cant beat that!!
Last edited by ValleyBoy85; 12-28-2009 at 05:58 PM..
My name is Kate. I would like to take this time and thank you ahead of time for you help.
My hubby has been offered a fascinating opportunity to promote however doing so would mean relocating to California ( southern).
We visited San Diego five years ago while on vacation and fell in love with the city. Loved the weather and enjoyed spending time at the beach even though it was February! We would've chosen the San Diego office but that position has been recently filled. Bummer.. He has the option to work out of the Downtown L.A. or Irvine office. We have been to neither cities so this is where you folks come in.
Before I continue further let me make myself clear and point out that we are perfectly fine where we currently live (McLean, VA). We dont need the extra money from the promotion but year after year of watching the Rose parade and noting the sunny clear skies my hubby has suggested that a change in scenery might be good for the whole family. We wont make the move unless doing so has a positive impact and improves the quality of life for the whole family ( no more shoveling snow).
1) Safe and clean neighborhoods is a must!!!! Want to be able to walk my dog at night without fearing getting mugged. We would like to find a place comparable to McLean (would prefer same demographics).
2) My hubbys current commute time is under 10 minutes as his firm is based out of McLean area. I work from home (own my own business) so commute time is not an issue for me. Ideally we want to keep the commute under an hour (30-45 minutes preferred). Accessibility to public transportation is a plus.
3) We have two children. One is in 8th grade and the other is in high school ( 11th grade). Outstanding public schools is a MUST!! School districts with a science/technology based curriculum is highly encourage. Additionally, we are seeking school districts that have a partnership with local universities and offer programs where my 11th grade son can take summer college level courses. We're open to consider private schooling as a last resort. Would rather put those monies aside in a college fund.
4) Close ride away to museums, fine restaurants and attractions.
5) We would prefer an area that leans conservative although not a must. Dont want to find myself bumping into hippies and extreme liberal types.
6) Would like to pay the least amount of taxes so if the tax rate would very fom city to city please let us know.
7) With California's fiscal woes and another projected $20 billion deficit next year, would buying a house and relocated here in your opinion be a smart move?
Our combine annual income is $320k. Our house was recently appraised for $1.5 m and currently still owe approximately $250k on it. We plan to pay off and hold on to the property.
With out tight schedules we would only have weekend of Jan 15th to find our dream home. Any advice and suggestions that helps us narrow down the search would be highly appreciated. Thanks once again!! I hope this move end up working out.
Stay where you are. Please, we don't need anymore I moved to CA and hate it rants on this forum. It's already saturated.
I was the first one to respond to this post, and in the unedited version, she stated her family (only) brought in $250K a year.......for some reason she bumped it up to $320K....
Shhhhh.....please, don't let the cat out of the bag......
Thanks to all who have taken the time to give us positive and constructive feedback/criticism, especially valleyboy85 for your very thorough and insightful description of the L.A. cultural and museum scene. Museum and cultural attractions are very important to us therefore, after reading your post, I will look into your list and continue to research the L.A. area. Your list of suggested cities will most definitely give us a good starting point. It will be greatly appreciated if a detailed list of orange county neighborhood can be compiled by the locals. After all who better knows the area than the locals.
We would prefer to buy a home. We dont want to spend more than $1.3m. However, we are not opposed to renting at all. If we cant find the right neighborhood and perfect home then we may resort to renting at first. This will give us a chance to explore and get to know the area better.
As far as my 11th grade son is concerned you folks have made valid points. My hubby and I have given it some thought and we will give him the option to stay at my sisters and let him finish high school in VA if that is what he wishes.
coyoteskye: "If you can't come to CA and be open to IT (and not what you want it to be) and go through some changes in a new and different land, why come at all?"
I belief that every person is raised with certain morals and ideals, whatever they may be, that help shape and define who that person is or will become. Being "open minded" to me means "understanding" why people may act certain ways and do certain things differently, but with all do respect, that doesn't mean I have to forgo my own belief or "learn" to "accept" yours. I live by the "live and let live" mentality. I am not against hippies or the peoples republic of Berkeley and their liberal agenda I just dont want the protest, marijuana smoking, cocaine snorting in my backyard. I am not against homosexuals or their lewd conduct at the west hollywood park, I just dont want that scene at my neighborhood's parks. Simple, live and let live. Once Berkeley and Westhollywood starts to spill into my backyard then that is when I will start to have a problem because now Berkeley and West Hollywood have undermine me and my believes and disrespected my boundaries.
David Aguilar: You're right, I did change my income from $250k to 320k. That was because it was a typo. I meant to say we still owe $250k on our current home in Virginia. This whole move has caused me to suffer from insomnia lately. I posted this post late and have been sleep deprived. An honest mistake. As you can notice from my post I made other grammatical mistakes that slipped my eyes after proofreading it.
If you're pulling in nearly a third of a million per year, I don't think you need to lose any sleep. You can live in virtually any community, even in California.
Don't listen to the ne'er do wells. At your income level you'll be very happy in Southern California. Get yourself a nice home near the beach, buy a boat, get your son some surfing lessons, take some vacations around the West, and enjoy life.
...and buy CAVA and me a glass of Sonoma County red for all the good advice given in a nutshell.
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(geez, you've got the bucks lady), and my god .... not even enough respect for some of the essential "elements" of California so that you want to avoid "hippies and extreme liberal types".
