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I really shouldn't reply to you and give you my time but if your idea of "natural beauty" is a bunch of dead trees and brown grass or dirt then California is the place for you. I've never understood the appeal of that place.
They have In-and-Out Burger. That's the only reason to go there.
Having lived ten minutes from the beach in Southern California all but 3 of my 60 years, I will tell you that you need to take your rose colored glasses off and do some research.
Politically and economically the state is almost beyond help - you really need to do your homework. There is major competition for decent paying jobs and not a lot of them - now if you want to flip burgers, then you may be in luck...people are leaving California in droves.
We sold our modest 1700 sf home on less than 1/4 of an acre almost 3 years ago for $600,000. The people who bought our house are paying around $11,000 in property taxes each year and they are paying higher utilities than we do here in KY. We did not have air conditioning in California - we only needed it about two weeks a year and most of our neighbors didn't have it either. We used fans in the summer when needed and the furnace in the winter....our utility bills were higher in So. California - keep in mind we had no air conditioning (which we run 24/7 here in Kentucky from Spring to Fall) and in the winter we run our furnace 24/7. Our utility bills are cheaper here in KY.
I would say that a family of 4 needs to make about $160,000 a year to live extrememly modestly and not in the nicest areas. You are taxed to death at every turn in California - there are taxes on everything - 5 or 6 taxes just on your utility bills each month. Sales tax is nearly 10% in some areas....remember that we pay 6% here in Kentucky - that makes a big difference over time. Nearly every single thing you consume or use in Caliornia will cost you more than it does in Kentucky.
California is the #1 worst state for retirees. The state gives alsbolutely no tax breaks to retirees. Kentucky allows us a $41,000 (about) deduction off our state taxes each year - that is a big help to most and means that many pay no state taxes at income tax time.
The whole state of California is most definitely not "breathtakingly beautiful." There are many, many run down areas - crime ridden junk towns. At least half of California is desert - and not pretty dessert. You have to water your lawn and garden almost daily in order to get half the green that is here in Kentucky naturally. The beaches and mountains are packed with people - if the weather is good, or there are bodies of water involved, then you better like crowds, traffic, noise and trash and really enjoy hunting and paying for parking spaces.
I spoke with a friend the other day who lives in our old neighborhood in California - she told me how lucky we were to have sold our home and gotten out. The houses that were for sale in our neighborhood three years ago are mostly the same houses that are for sale today.
Unless you move to Laguna Beach or Beverly Hills or a similar very expensive neighborhood, you will not find the pride of ownership that we see in the majority of Kentucky. Our old neighborhood had homes that ranged from $300,000 to $800,000 and half the people didn't plant flowers, keep their homes in good repair or mow their lawn often enough.
Now education - in the area where we live in Kentucky (Prospect), the number of high school graduates and those holding advanced degrees is much higher than where we lived in So. California. We have never met so many doctors, dentists, lawyers, CPA's and CEO's as we have since moving to Kentucky. We have also never met as many kind and funny people.
Be prepared for crime in So. California. Our crime rate in Prospect is miniscule compared to most areas in California. The air quality here is much better also.
I realize that not all of Kentucky is filled with educated people - if that bothers you, why not move to a place like Oldham or Henry County where you can live near educated people who take care of their homes and farms and where you will be near enough to the nice restaurants, culture and night life of the city and all the recreational activities of the River, biking, hiking, etc.?
We have taken day and weekend trips throughout much of Kentucky and we find people here generally the nicest of any state. What you call "backward" we call charming and refreshingingly different.
In our experience (we spent many vacations here visiting with friends before moving here), Kentucky is completely superior to California in everything but weather and beaches. We had a good life in California but it in no way compares to the quality of life we have here in Kentucky.
I respect your opinion and perspective and thank you for sharing it. Please know, however, that I have spent the equivalent of weeks studying the cost of living, educational programs, propositions, gerrymandered district politics, cost of utilities, tax rates, and DMV regulations in California that would be beneficial when I become a new resident.
Kentucky does provide an easier way of life, yes, and in large part by virtue of being a smaller, Southern/Midwestern hybrid state. However, even though the job market is terrible and much more competitive in California, that is where I want to be. The career opportunities in the field of city planning are tremendous when you consider its population, which continues to grow (if even b/c of illegals), position as a Latin American and East Asian port of entry, and the fact that some of the best colleges in the world for that career are out there (i.e.: Berkeley, UCLA, UC-Irvine, etc.)
I also acknowledge that you realize there are less educated regions of Kentucky. But I also say that you made a good pick when you moved to Kentucky by picking a community that is one of the wealthiest in the state and nation. If you moved to, say, a small town half an hour away, you might have a different opinion of the state. Of course, I'm sure the same would apply with California if I moved to, say, Victorville or Watsonville instead of Calabasas, Rancho Santa Margarita, or Walnut Creek.
For the record, away from the urban grime, I actually do think California is breathtakingly beautiful.
Quote:
Originally Posted by kytoaz
I'm happy that your family likes it here, but try driving around my side of town and see how "nice" it is and how "friendly" the people are.
As far as Louisville's concerned, I agree with you. It's "nice" and "friendly" if you're a native and/or somehow extremely well-rooted and -connected over the course of many, many years.
Quote:
Originally Posted by InLondon
I really shouldn't reply to you and give you my time but if your idea of "natural beauty" is a bunch of dead trees and brown grass or dirt then California is the place for you. I've never understood the appeal of that place.
Your thought process? Simple.
I'll be sure to drive to Laurel County and give you a smackeroo before I move. (j/k)
Quote:
Originally Posted by kentuckydad95
They have In-and-Out Burger. That's the only reason to go there.
This is a huge boon to the restaurant scene in California. Just look for the crossed palms!
They've just opened in Texas. I wouldn't be surprised if they never open in Kentucky, but Nashville, Raleigh, Charlotte, and Atlanta are conceivable because of the California transplant population in those cities.
***
As for everybody here who has congratulated me so far, thank you!
Thank you for your nice post. I do wish you happiness in California - some people love it there. There are elements of California that my husband and I do like and do miss but we are happy with our move - I hope the same for you. Our youngest son graduated from UCLA before going to law school - he loved it....he went to a small private law school in northern California - Santa Clara University and he is now a Navy JAG. Best of luck to you.
Congratulations on your new job, EE - I hope it, and California, will be everything you want them to be and will bring you happiness.
California is very diverse geographically, so has much to offer for people with different preferences about their surroundings. While parts are quite dry and appear brown for much of the year, Northern California is wooded, wet, and spectacular along the rugged and rocky coast, while the Sierras, redwoods, sequoias, and of course Yosemite are places of incredible rarity and beauty. No doubt you'll enjoy exploring many of these natural treasures.
You have completely misquoted me - so I guess to make your point you have to lie....I'm understanding you more than I care to.
this is your response? seriously? game,set,match. good day!
p.s. I made no attacks on your character i just simply disagreed with your post. this is a forum. we can disagree without calling each other names.
liar? really?
Congratulations on your new job, EE - I hope it, and California, will be everything you want them to be and will bring you happiness.
California is very diverse geographically, so has much to offer for people with different preferences about their surroundings. While parts are quite dry and appear brown for much of the year, Northern California is wooded, wet, and spectacular along the rugged and rocky coast, while the Sierras, redwoods, sequoias, and of course Yosemite are places of incredible rarity and beauty. No doubt you'll enjoy exploring many of these natural treasures.
For those of you who want to or are in the process of leaving Kentucky:
Question 1: Where in Kentucky do you live presently?
E-town
Question 2: Where do you want to move to, and why?
Durango, CO. Absolutely the most spectacularly beautiful town in the U.S.
Question 3: Why do you want to move away from Kentucky?
The humidity, and a desire to leave the "country". I'm not "country", don't think like country-folk, but I was born into it.
Question 4: What will you miss most about Kentucky?
Family, friends, and the cheap cost of living.
Question 5: Could you see yourself returning to Kentucky in the future, and for what reason(s
Unfortunately, yes. I can foresee having to move back to care for elderly family members.
OP, it's not just your youth, as some have surmised, which makes you so antsy to leave. I'm 47 and moving away for the first time since I returned from the Air Force at the age of 21. From the moment the Air Force stationed me in California, I was smitten with the west and knew I would someday end up there. I can't describe why, I just love the west and it has pulled at me for 30 years. Well the wife and I have finally decided to quit resisting the tug. Some simply don't understand how truly behind-the-times Kentucky is because they never leave the safety of their own cocoon so they bust on you for starting posts like this, rather than summon the courage to look for their own nirvana. They live in Kentucky, not by choice, but by circumstance. For the vast majority, fate brought them here, but fear of the unknown keeps them here. Happy trails to you, friend, I hope you find YOUR nirvana.
For those of you who want to or are in the process of leaving Kentucky:
Question 1: Where in Kentucky do you live presently?
E-town
Question 2: Where do you want to move to, and why?
Durango, CO. Absolutely the most spectacularly beautiful town in the U.S.
Question 3: Why do you want to move away from Kentucky?
The humidity, and a desire to leave the "country". I'm not "country", don't think like country-folk, but I was born into it.
Question 4: What will you miss most about Kentucky?
Family, friends, and the cheap cost of living.
Question 5: Could you see yourself returning to Kentucky in the future, and for what reason(s
Unfortunately, yes. I can foresee having to move back to care for elderly family members.
OP, it's not just your youth, as some have surmised, which makes you so antsy to leave. I'm 47 and moving away for the first time since I returned from the Air Force at the age of 21. From the moment the Air Force stationed me in California, I was smitten with the west and knew I would someday end up there. I can't describe why, I just love the west and it has pulled at me for 30 years. Well the wife and I have finally decided to quit resisting the tug. Some simply don't understand how truly behind-the-times Kentucky is because they never leave the safety of their own cocoon so they bust on you for starting posts like this, rather than summon the courage to look for their own nirvana. They live in Kentucky, not by choice, but by circumstance. For the vast majority, fate brought them here, but fear of the unknown keeps them here. Happy trails to you, friend, I hope you find YOUR nirvana.
Thanks for the words of encouragement. And yes, it does make me feel better to know that there is someone else who realizes that Kentucky isn't Oz. Or, the South Park depiction of Canada. Kentucky is good about getting you stuck and I want to get myself unstuck while the opportunity is there.
I really shouldn't reply to you and give you my time but if your idea of "natural beauty" is a bunch of dead trees and brown grass or dirt then California is the place for you. I've never understood the appeal of that place.
My comments are specifically about the scenery, and nothing else, but you need to get out more, brother.
The next time the wife and myself drive the Pacific Coast Highway from L.A. to the Washington border, you should tag along and maybe then you'll understand California's appeal (don't get me started on Oregon, it's beauty would knock your socks off). Have you ever been to one of the Redwood Forests? Malibu? Big Sur? Not seen pictures, but been there? Your jaw would need to be reset. Many Kentuckians refer to the area near London as mountainous, but The Sierras beg to differ: THOSE are mountains. And I'm also partial to the desert, having spent two years in Victorville, CA while in the Air Force. The simplistic, barren beauty of the Mojave is hard to describe. On our drives through Death Valley I try to imagine the plight of those crossing to the coast: little water, scalding hot in summer, bitter cold in winter, and no surety of what they would find on the other side, but I digress. I learned to snowboard, at the tender age of 40, in Big Bear, which is a couple of hours drive from the Pacific. Whatever you want, California has it. One can snowboard in the morning, surf in the afternoon, then catch a Dodgers/Angels/Lakers/Padres/Clippers game that night. See a pattern? Kentucky simply can't offer what California can.
I'm sure there are many places one CAN live in California that offer the isolation to which you are accustomed in London, but the difference is, you can't drive far in California before you are forced to change YOUR mindset.
Question 1: Where did you live in Kentucky?
First in Northern Kentucky (Cambell county, then Boone County, then Kenton County) and relocated to Louisville in early 2007.
Question 2: Where did you move to, and why?
Moved to Texas in mid-2009, to find lower cost of living, better job market, and to escape the snow and cold winters.
Question 3: What do you miss most about Kentucky?
Gold Star Chili, White Castle,LaRosa's, & O'Charley's. Oh, I also miss friends and family, especially my dear 93-year old grandmother. I also miss how pretty areas of it are, and how people aren't extreme christians.
Question 4: What do you miss the least about Kentucky?
The nastiness that I encountered in Louisville. High auto insurance and registration rates. The snow.Traffic, especially the cut-in-the hill and the Florence/Burlington exit ramp.
Question 5: Could you see yourself returning to Kentucky in the future, and for what reason(s)?
I would come back to visit only. Now that I have experienced Texas (weather, friendliness, many up and coming places, cheaper cost of living in every way, more job options in my field, etc) I could not afford to return to KY. It is a beautiful place to visit, and I have many fond memories there, even in Louisville. Now my family is moving here to see what it's all about.
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