Moving from NY to CA but not sure where....

[NatalieJ]

Originally Posted by lrmsd

I second Santa Barbara; But SFO is really your best/only option to live car-free or not dependent upon it,in CA,though.
But,people are not necessarily any more friendly than NYC,there. [I know there are threads about this-i've lived in sfo and san diego for ten years,and am from the east coast-so i'm just giving my experience,i don't want it turn into an SFO vs. NYC thread!] SFO is still fast paced [though you won't be yelled at for meandering,by any means.]. SFO will also give you amazing culture and food options,plus access to marin county for immediate outdoors,and beyond that sonoma and mendocino counties,wine country,etc. It is a spectacular area,and those are just starter options for you if you live in SFO.

San Diego does have great weather and beaches and is very laid back-it's fairly friendly on the whole-west coast vibe thing. It's a car dependent city-unless you live in a walkable neighborhood,but even then,you will want to drive to other parts of the city. San Diego is like a series of suburbs put together [though some are old parts of the city,so they have some character/charm and urban vibe].

SFO still pays well,and aside from rent/housing,it's actually not that expensive to live. Food/eating out is reasonable,and there are also parts of the city to live in where you have plenty of free,easy street parking. [Outer Richmond,Sunset,Parkside,etc].
I am not saying it's cheap overall,but it's do-able on the salary.
San Diego is notorious for not paying high wages,compared to cost of living. But it has always been that way in SD [my husband is a native]....yet,you can live pretty well regardless b/c of the outdoor culture whichis largely free,and the produce and food costs are decent and available year round. [sfo has great year round produce,as well.]

If you want a change from NYC,I would not pick LA.
I am not sure it is 'boring',per se,but it is still fast paced,yet also very superficial and crowded,with poor air quality.

I love LA,and it has some absolutely gorgeous areas,and I love visiting. But based on what OP has said,it doesn't sound like what she is looking for.

But if you want the LA vibe,more upscale,Santa Barbara is breathtaking.
It's smaller,so it may get old after awhile.

San Diego is not the most exciting place-but there are alot of theater groups,the art and dance communities have really grown [there have been articles about this-b/c alot of folks moved from SFO or came to SD instead,due to cost of living being less],and you can easily go to rosarito/baja mexico for adventure too.
SD has a small wine country [temecula area],which is a pretty area,and w/in an hour you are in the desert [anza borrego state park] seeing mountain goats on your hike,or in the mountains-palomar-checking out snow or the obeservatory. Less than an hour takes you to the mexican border,and two hours,sometimes less,takes you to LA,so it's entirely feasible to do day trips there,and hence, you have two cities at your disposal.

But san diego lacks the vibrancy/vitality of the bay area.
One of my husband's college professors in SD,years ago,used to refer to SD as 'lotus land',and even Lonely Planet's guide to SD says 'It won't lure you like SFO,but you will have such a pleasant time there that you won't notice it.'
It's true,it's very pleasant-i've been here 8 yrs-but that could also be considered 'mediocre',depending upon what you are looking for and how you view it.

Check out the sticky thread for San Diego pictures. It captures a range of areas.
Also,SD is hard to pinpoint 'cool areas' like LA and NYC,and even SFO. There are alot of lesser known neighborhoods with cool stuff,nice architecture,etc. that tourists have not heard about. So it can take a little longer to find your way to different areas,for example,Kensington with it's very old cinema and video rental store,catering to foreign and independent films. Yet,it's a historical neighborhood and theater.

As well,places like encinitas and solana beach,in coastal san diego,offer their own tucked away places. Yet,they are not as well known as the gaslamp or old town or seaport village [places many locals never visit.]

To some extent,this is true in SFO and LA,but in those cities,the neighborhoods are more known and written about. SD will take some time to find it's gems,for sure.

Portland,Oregon sounds like a city you would love,although the rain maybe will not give you what you are looking for? But the temps are mild,the public transit is excellent,and it's definitely lower key than NYC,but with a surprising range of restaurants and cultural options for it's size. It's also much cheaper in terms of housing,but of course jobs and higher wages are harder to come by.

In CA,San Diego is your cheapest in terms of variety of housing options and bang for the buck. Wages are also lowest of the 3 major areas.

Don't know how the job market is in santa barbara? But cost of living is supremely high-always has been.

Sounds like a good move for you-if you are looking for quality of life factors,the west coast can definitely provide for you,IMO.

Thank you for such a detailed insight. I'm planning to visit SD first and then SB. Although Pretty sure that SF will be the one but still, want to experience other cities as well. As it comes down to SF vs. NYC people, I dont believe that one crowed is better then the other, its just NYC is stressful and so are people(including me). I get stressed on almost everything because city demands it, and then its hard to deal with emotionally drained person. SF is more relaxed(in my opinion) and probably puts a lot less pressue on its residents.

thanks to all of you for your help.
Natalie

[coyoteskye]

Originally Posted by NatalieJ

Thank you for such a detailed insight. I'm planning to visit SD first and then SB. Although Pretty sure that SF will be the one but still, want to experience other cities as well. As it comes down to SF vs. NYC people, I dont believe that one crowed is better then the other, its just NYC is stressful and so are people(including me). I get stressed on almost everything because city demands it, and then its hard to deal with emotionally drained person. SF is more relaxed(in my opinion) and probably puts a lot less pressue on its residents.

thanks to all of you for your help.
Natalie

To me, San Francisco is the most beautiful (and wonderful) city in the country and also, since you are from the east, it just may suit you much better than cities in southern CA.

You're challenge will be to slow down.
After a lifetime of the NYC pace and energy, it'll be an adjustment but since it's what you want (to stress less), it'll happen ... you'll slow down and smooth out and be healthier and happier for it.