[frankrj]

Originally Posted by Mergoatgirl

Help a girl out. I'm a single 32 year old teacher (so consider the salary) stuck in the awful desert state of Arizona. So I've always been west coast. I am half Greek and born in New Zealand. I've been in love with San Diego my whole life visiting it. Fed up with this existence of hiking as the only hobby here when I want water hobbies, I'm moving. This summer I visited a friend in Tampa and unexpectedly fell in love with it! Beach, Disneyworld, and a Greek community! I don't have those things here and San Diego doesn't have the last 2. Help convince me to let Cali go or choose it.

I'm from So.California (SoCal). I'd say moving to California or Florida depends on your lifestyle and job.
My job actually allows me to be located anywhere in the states. I chose Florida because it resembled California the most except for the mountains and humidity. I also like parts of Dallas and Austin, Texas (downtown and Westlake areas).


Weather - California's weather is nice but in the last 10 years they had higher heat waves, 113 degrees in OC, 117 in L.A.. That used to be limited to Vegas or Phoenix. They do get cooler summer evenings than Florida in the 60s vs. 80 in Central & South Florida. More comfortable to go out. I can honestly say Florida (west coast) has 3 months that can be considered comfortable (Dec. to Feb). The rest are 80s to 90s. I always hated he Santa Ana dry winds in So.Cal and the smog smell. I do outdoor sports and notice the weather a lot. I have never seen or felt smog in Florida. Yet, I still really miss cool nights in the 50s and 60s.


Parks - Florida has lots of parks but it can get humid. By far Florida has more wildlife from what I've seen with snakes,panthers, bears, gators, flamingos, eagles, vultures. They had a gator climb a chain link fence from the highway taken from a camera phone. Strangely the insect or mosquitos don't bite me as much as California.



Jobs - I relocated with my same job from California and no drop in income. Actually, it's better since I am lic'd in multiple states. The no state income tax savings by living in Florida can really help grow your retirement investments.



Housing - It's a lot more costly to rent or buy in decent or expensive parts of California. If you want to pay less, get a better quality home, better area, then Florida has it. More for your money. Although, the a/c will be on a lot, it is not expensive as it would be living on Phx or Vegas. $100-$120 for 75 degrees thermostat in a 1200-sq ft home.
The homeless are spreading around too. I went to to San Diego ComicCon a few years ago and blocks away were streets filled with homeless tents. In L.A., it has spread into the nicer areas in West L.A. and Venice. Residents who own a $750k to $1million homes have homeless tents, sleeping bags, tarps, & shopping carts just outside on the residential street sidewalks. So, residents have constructed plants and enclosures to leave no space for them to put their stuff or claim an area.
Imagine, you're paying $1400 rent with a roommate (or two) or $4-$5k for a mortgage and you have homeless or mentally ill people roaming freely right outside your home or a block away leaving bottles of urine and fecies. There's been more crimes (robbery,assaults) but police have their hands tied as local elected officials keep lessening these as crimes if they did not see it happen. Growing up in Cali, I am pretty liberal but the lack of solutions and enforcement has become illogical.


Commuting - This is probably the worst aspects of living in California. So much precious time is lost by dealing with traffic. I would not accept a 6-figure job in downtown L.A. and deal with 40-60 minutes of traffic to go 12-14 miles. These traffic jams have happened at anytime of the day or night.


Orange County is a little better but same BS. San Diego including North SD has people reporting hour long commutes. Sorry, it is not worth it when you can do your same job from another location. I grew up there and knew what traffic was like in mid-80s and 90s. Plus there's a lot trash on the sides of the roads. Not so much to zero in Florida. At least where I've driven through I-75, I-4.

People - Overall, people have been more friendly in Florida and will strike up a conversation easily with you at a market or waiting among others at a store. Possibly due to more people from densely populated Illinois, Michigan, and northeastern states in Florida. Californians tend to be more guarded and analyze you first vs. a Floridian or southern-born person who is just content. This is not an advantage or disadvantage as each has their positives and reasons. It's just something I noticed and I'm a minority.


If I had to choose now, I'd say No to California due to its housing costs and traffic and no to Florida for the 9 months of mid-80-to 90s weather and this will be my second Hurricane. Perhaps, north Florida or Austin, TX is better suited for me.

[Fleet]

Originally Posted by frankrj

I'm from So.California (SoCal). I'd say moving to California or Florida depends on your lifestyle and job.
My job actually allows me to be located anywhere in the states. I chose Florida because it resembled California the most except for the mountains and humidity. I also like parts of Dallas and Austin, Texas (downtown and Westlake areas).


Weather - California's weather is nice but in the last 10 years they had higher heat waves, 113 degrees in OC, 117 in L.A.. That used to be limited to Vegas or Phoenix. They do get cooler summer evenings than Florida in the 60s vs. 80 in Central & South Florida. More comfortable to go out. I can honestly say Florida (west coast) has 3 months that can be considered comfortable (Dec. to Feb). The rest are 80s to 90s. I always hated he Santa Ana dry winds in So.Cal and the smog smell. I do outdoor sports and notice the weather a lot. I have never seen or felt smog in Florida. Yet, I still really miss cool nights in the 50s and 60s.

Oh, there have been heatwaves just as intense years ago. Woodland Hills, in the San Fernando Valley, hit 119 degrees a couple of decades ago and also about 40 years ago.

I like the Santa Ana winds when they are warm. Kind of nice stepping outside in December at 9 pm and it's 75 degrees. I don't like the cold Santa Ana winds, though!

I don't notice smog smell... the air quality was a lot worse in the '70s and '80s.

[expatCA]

Originally Posted by Fleet

Oh, there have been heatwaves just as intense years ago. Woodland Hills, in the San Fernando Valley, hit 119 degrees a couple of decades ago and also about 40 years ago.

I like the Santa Ana winds when they are warm. Kind of nice stepping outside in December at 9 pm and it's 75 degrees. I don't like the cold Santa Ana winds, though!

I don't notice smog smell... the air quality was a lot worse in the '70s and '80s.

But it is still very bad there.



The humidity in SoCal is growing though not as bad as FL. In the other hand I live on the East Coast, Volusia County and simply going to the beach, not as crowded as SoCal and wayyyy less costly to park takes care of the heat and humidity with the ocean breeze PLUS unlike SoCal the water is comfortable, not cold.


I grew up in OC and lived in SoCal for 55 years.

[Fleet]

Originally Posted by chopchop0

Let's see.... Insane col /housing costs,, half the state is on fire, severe droughts coming, oppressive taxation etc.

Yup I'll stick with FL

Half the state on fire? Currently? I don't know of any large fires happening right now.

No one knows if or when there will be upcoming droughts. Last season, LA had above average rainfall.

[Fleet]

Originally Posted by expatCA

But it is still very bad there.

The humidity in SoCal is growing though not as bad as FL. In the other hand I live on the East Coast, Volusia County and simply going to the beach, not as crowded as SoCal and wayyyy less costly to park takes care of the heat and humidity with the ocean breeze PLUS unlike SoCal the water is comfortable, not cold.

I grew up in OC and lived in SoCal for 55 years.

Smog does vary by area. Very little of it where I live. See photo... nice blue skies. The "very bad" smog in California is usually blown out of proportion.

Yes, humidity is more but still WAY less than Florida. I just got back from a bike ride, 87 degrees F, and I wasn't uncomfortable at all.

Beaches such as Santa Monica are crowded, yes, but there are plenty more with much less people, like Leo Carrillo. As for the water, I still see quite a few people in the ocean. It's a lot colder in central California.

I am a native Californian (58 years).

[orca17]

Originally Posted by expatCA

...unlike SoCal the water is comfortable, not cold.

I grew up in northern Florida. The first time that I stepped into the Pacific, I expected water temperatures like what I was used to. Nearly froze.

[Fleet]

Originally Posted by orca17

I grew up in northern Florida. The first time that I stepped into the Pacific, I expected water temperatures like what I was used to. Nearly froze.

Yes, it does feel cold if you are not used to it.

I find after being in the water when it's 70-75 degrees I find it tolerable after about 10 minutes.

One big advantage of the 70-degree water... no hurricanes! (They survive in ocean temps above 79-80 degrees.)

[boxus]

Originally Posted by orca17

I grew up in northern Florida. The first time that I stepped into the Pacific, I expected water temperatures like what I was used to. Nearly froze.

Lol, my experience also. I run on in and nearly froze it was so cold, could not believe it. It was only after that when the guys from there told me that the water is usually on the cooler side. This was San Diego in the summer.

[expatCA]

Originally Posted by Fleet

Smog does vary by area. Very little of it where I live. See photo... nice blue skies. The "very bad" smog in California is usually blown out of proportion.

Yes, humidity is more but still WAY less than Florida. I just got back from a bike ride, 87 degrees F, and I wasn't uncomfortable at all.

Beaches such as Santa Monica are crowded, yes, but there are plenty more with much less people, like Leo Carrillo. As for the water, I still see quite a few people in the ocean. It's a lot colder in central California.

I am a native Californian (58 years).

Fly into any airport like Ontario or Burbank, John Wayne, etc., and you will see the sky covered in brown. It isn't visible from below, but it is there. Check airnow.gov and see what is happening in your city there day to day. You can also click on the words "City-Data" at the top of the page, enter you city and scroll down to the air quality listing near the bottom and you will see how bad it is. Some days not bad at all, but the majority of days it is in at least the 2nd place and that is the problem. Kinda like having a headache once in a great while, no bid deal, but having one every day or every other day is not good at all. That is what is happening there. I had considered moving back, but I need good quality air. Checked all over SoCal and especially at the beaches and ... lousy air quality everywhere in SoCal.


Mind you I still love CA, just not what it has become in quite a few ways. My wife and considered moving back 2 years go (She is a SoCal native as well), and while we have no financial issues as we would pay cash for a home, when looking at everything overall, FL was better for us. We will be in SoCal later this year as there are many things we enjoy there. However the difference in costs of a house close to what we had built here, will pay for multi week trips every year for longer than we will be alive.



What city do you live in?

[Fleet]

As my status shows, I live in Northridge/Porter Ranch. Smog does vary by location. There used to be many stage 2 and 3 smog alerts 40 years, much less now. It used to be hard to breathe when I biked back then. Has not happened in many years.