22 year old female from Portland Oregon. wants to get some opinions (San Diego: crime rate, college)

[thelotusshop]

Hi everyone!
my name is Cassi, and lam 22 years old. I currently live in Portland Oregon. My best friend and I are trying to decide to move to either LA area, or phoenix Arizona. any opinions? tips? tricks?

[Count David]

1. Decide on a city
2. Save tons of money to get there/and get started (no matter where you move)
3. Find jobs that will support yourselves (do this before you get there if possible).
4. Enjoy

I prefer LA to Phoenix, but prefer Portland to both of them.

I have made three long moves, the first when I was 23. Be prepared, and make sure you have more than enough money to do it.

[MattJones]

What do you like about Portland? If you like the music scene, trendy walkable nabes, hip restaurants and bars, etc., then you will like LA. I find Phoenix is more similar to Orange County than LA...not much going on unless you want to raise a family or are in college.

[bbussard]

come from a young person, from my personal experiances i wouldn't move to la, i lived there for about six months before i had to move. some areas are really nice don't get my wrong, but the majority of them are just scummy. i definitely would not want to walk around la at night by myself, the crime rate is just way too high. plus la is really expensive, especially if you're coming from portland. i'm actually moving to portland with my husband next year, southern california is way too expensive and really isn't that great once you live here. if you're dead set on moving to california, move to orange county or san diego county. much nicer places to live, but i hope you like earth quakes! i honestly would stay in portland, it seems like a much nicer place to live than here.

[True Freedom]

In case you are confused by the bright round thing in the sky... it is the sun.

[kttam186290]

You would love L.A.! L.A. has a Mediterranean climate influenced by the Pacific Ocean. L.A. cools down considerably at night, especially along the coast where the marine-layer rolls in.

L.A. has similarities to Portland as far as its diversity goes: you have Asians, Russians, Persians, Hispanics and Armenians -- all of which are also found in Portland.

L.A. also has plenty of culture and can easily match Portland (if not out-match it) for the amount of culture. Portland has a thriving bohemian scene and so do many parts of L.A. (Venice, Echo Park, Silverlake, North Hollywood, Eagle Rock).

Another poster said that Phoenix is "like Orange County", yes, very true! But to be equivalent to Phoenix - add 35 degrees of heat to whatever the current temp is in Santa Ana!

[nighthouse66]

Originally Posted by bbussard

come from a young person, from my personal experiances i wouldn't move to la, i lived there for about six months before i had to move. some areas are really nice don't get my wrong, but the majority of them are just scummy. i definitely would not want to walk around la at night by myself, the crime rate is just way too high. plus la is really expensive, especially if you're coming from portland. i'm actually moving to portland with my husband next year, southern california is way too expensive and really isn't that great once you live here. if you're dead set on moving to california, move to orange county or san diego county. much nicer places to live, but i hope you like earth quakes! i honestly would stay in portland, it seems like a much nicer place to live than here.

the crime rate is the lowest its been since the 1950's. you are about twenty years behind on your figures.

los angeles is dirtier than alot of cities, but you get used to it. i am always shocked when i come back to atlanta, which is well-scrubbed next to los angeles. its also not nearly as interesting or as full of opportunities.

and i am a female who has taken walks up sunset at 1 in the morning with no problems. move to orange county if you want boredom, safety (in terms of culture and cleanliness) ....but then again, you could always move to utah.

and the pacific northwest is no stranger to earthquakes.

[Samoi137]

You have job offers in both places and have determined you can afford to live in either place? Cool! Since you give no interest on your interests, what parts of either city you've found appeal to you, etc., I'd say L.A., since it gets more rain, is more liberal than Phoenix, and you can get back to Portland by either plane or train (or car, of course). Of course, Phoenix has desert and mountains nearby for outdoor activities . . .

Why not Sacramento or Reno or Flagstaff or San Diego?