3 years of LA is enough, where to go next??? (best city, condo)

[ExeterMedia]

Seattle!

[radiolibre99]

Austin. Cali vibe with a Texan twist. Friendly ppl, a bit lower cost of living and better job market.

[radiolibre99]

Seriously though I can't imagine any city topping LA. I do agree that the ppl can be a bit of a challenge here but other than that its a fantastic city. The best the US has to offer.

[PDF]

Originally Posted by radiolibre99

Seriously though I can't imagine any city topping LA. I do agree that the ppl can be a bit of a challenge here but other than that its a fantastic city. The best the US has to offer.

Yeah, but the OP is looking for something less expensive, and has stated that while they enjoy LA, they are looking for something different. A more suitable place could top LA for the OP.

[ElysianEagle]

Originally Posted by st3350

... (midwest values and openness)...
Does this exist? help!

by "openness" do you mean wide open spaces for nature? or open mindedness of the people?

i'm not sure that "midwest openness" in the sense of open mindedness actually exists...

[thelopez2]

Originally Posted by st3350

(that stick around LA and live nearby) has not been my experience here.

What you say makes a lot of sense, if you think about it, if you follow the advice of people, and the advice is for transplants to come live in a certain area, there will be high turnover, high COL, and bitter people who couldn't "make it" and forced to leave. With 3 years of LA in the data industry, coming from a small town, you either have a huge purse to buy a nice place somewhere else or lived it up and took what LA had to offer and LA changed you.

Originally Posted by st3350

Here's my question...

where can I move next that will be large enough to have diversity and culture of it's own, provide a job in the data industry, include people that are easy to get along with (midwest values and openness), cost of living is affordable, and has mild weather?

Does this exist? help!

It really sounds like the real issue is with the people, if you still have a job here, like the weather, move to a different part of the city, less city and more suburb. I could be totally of base since I have no idea what midwest fells like, but the friends that I've made here, have grown up around here, some from childhood to retirement.

[theother]

I didn't read through the whole thread so I don't know if this was mentioned or not but if you want to stay on the west coast I would look at San Fran, Seattle or Portland.

[radiolibre99]

I think the mistake a lot of transplants make is they move to high cost areas to try to live the "LA" life, usually places on the Westside and Hollywood. They find that with a city that has a high COL and 11% unemployment, I think the 2nd worse for a major city after Detroit, can be a bit of a pill. No offense to anyone who lives in those areas but at the same time the transplant has to deal with a host of people who seem utterly insufferable. Not everyone of course but the stereotype lives there in droves.

Now you tell the stubborn guy or girl to start off slow and move to the Valley, save up, have a job lined up or get ready to look for work the day you move, etc. Its almost as though it goes one ear and out the other. They want to be near the beach, they want a cool stable roommate, they want cheap rent and job waiting for them. LOL.

Next thing ya know they're going through like eight roommates in six months, they're meeting crappy people, getting burnt out at work, and they end up going home.

[jm1982]

Originally Posted by radiolibre99

I think the mistake a lot of transplants make is they move to high cost areas to try to live the "LA" life, usually places on the Westside and Hollywood. They find that with a city that has a high COL and 11% unemployment, I think the 2nd worse for a major city after Detroit, can be a bit of a pill. No offense to anyone who lives in those areas but at the same time the transplant has to deal with a host of people who seem utterly insufferable. Not everyone of course but the stereotype lives there in droves.

Now you tell the stubborn guy or girl to start off slow and move to the Valley, save up, have a job lined up or get ready to look for work the day you move, etc. Its almost as though it goes one ear and out the other. They want to be near the beach, they want a cool stable roommate, they want cheap rent and job waiting for them. LOL.

Next thing ya know they're going through like eight roommates in six months, they're meeting crappy people, getting burnt out at work, and they end up going home.

They were sold on the phoney California dream that was fed to them through television , films ,etc.

Also an issue of people wanting instant gratification with no real plan.

I've heard people on hear talk about wanting to move to L.A , with no education, little money and they'll just "live in their car" if things don't work out. That type of plan is just setting you up for disaster.

Even with a college degree you are still competing with tons of other people that want to get out of their hometowns and has the attitude that they have now "arrived".

Unemployment is high in Detroit, but you can BUY a place to live with a min wage job. Even in the worst 'ghetto' area of L.A you are looking at what 200k+ now?..
Also many people don't realize but the whole gentrification thing is happening in Detroit too.. hipsters are not just in L.A,NYC and SF,Portland ..they are a thing in Detroit too.

The area I live in and around where people from the Westside wouldn't set foot in ,homes look to be going for $350k.

The problem I see is that even if someone has a job, they can't save any money or buy any real assets after expenses. It all goes to high rent, car , gas to commute to job, food,etc.

This is ok if you just wanna 'experience L.A" for a year or something but most people just continue to stay and stay , struggling and struggling. For some it might be worth it though because they couldn't live anywhere else.

[radiolibre99]

I'm one of those types that couldn't see myself living anywhere else but I'm not a glutton for punishment and would gtfo if I needed to. I just do not get those people who literally come out here with NO plan. The kids who come out here and think its ok to live three to a one bedroom just to live near the beach when they could afford a place in the valley. I've met these dummies countless of times and still do not get how they function or survive.

I only get frustrated about them because they take all the good stable part time work in the city which I need to go back to school to get a viable trade, otherwise I'm gonna be stuck making a medium wage in full time office work forever. Lol.