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Hey folks need some input on possible relocation from one coast to the other because of job opportunity. The two locations would be in Northern California and "New England". My question is for those who have experienced both coasts and how do the lifestyles differentiate between themselves. My concerns would be for my family (including 3 kids under 10 years). Topics would be: cost of living, weather, state politics, acceptance of out of staters, kids in new schools, sense of neighbor and community. General observations and if you have made this move what cities did you come and go from. Would you make that move again?
To piggyback on Beulah, you need to get more specific than "New England" too. As has been debated over and over on this forum, the difference between different parts of Maine are substantial.
I have lived in Lake County in California, as well as in Stanislous, Merced and Fresno Counties. The regions of California are entirely different from each other.
I have also lived in Connecticut and now in Maine; these two are entirely different from each other.
I live in Northern CA, I have lived in Central CA, and I was on the East Coast for 7 months. I was in Rhode Island and we were on the border of CT and MA, so I would go to the malls in those states sometimes just to explore.
My opinion may be bias because I am a Californian who moved to the east coast. I hated it. The weather was either Freezing or Humid. The food was different, All there restaurants were Dominican , I wanted to eat mexican...I went 7 months with out eating Nachos (real nachos) I just could not adapt. The land scape and everything was so different.
It is no secret that Northern CA has the best weather in the US period. Of course you have to pay through the nose to live here and be a part of it. The weather is not free, thats for sure. I dont know, I think Gangs and Drugs are on both coasts equally but I think CA is more violent.
Heres another thing to consider:
Snow is an option in CA, you want to play in the snow? Then you drive to the snow and play.
The East Coast does not have an option, You will be in the snow, like it or not. ( lots of it )
Also CA is close knit. In the middle of CA is Fresno. This is a Large city with about 600,000 people there. 3 Hours south of Fresno is So CA... LA, Long Beach, San Diego, etc.
Now 3 Hours North of Fresno is Nor CA..San Jose, San Francisco, Oakland, and 1 hour away from that Is Sacramento. So you have a lot to see in short travel time. So if your one who likes to take the family out to the beach and such, CA is the place. CA has such diverse landscape, we have the woods with deer, we have the beach with sealions, from yellow foothills to stone mountains to grass valleys, its all here in one package.
New England is not like that, its rural and far from attractions, You have to drive out to Boston, You have to Drive out to NY. All the cities in between are the same.Its quite far from one attraction to the next. The east coast is very country and woods like. This could be a good thing or a bad thing depending on your lifestyle, and what makes you happy.
Another thing...In the east coast you get all 4 seasons, a lot of people love that. In CA you go from Summer to Winter over night. I'm Serious. Yesterday you were in shorts, Today you need a Jacket.
CA does seem crowded and people are fast and are not friendly in my opinion. The east coast , I'm not sure if they are fast like us or as crowded as us and Im not sure how there attitudes are, I did not really observe that so I cant tell you how they operate. I can tell you , Here in CA you are just another number.
Politics..CA is much more a liberal state, activist, go green, gay Pride parades, I mean all political view's are here in CA and you will meet people on both sides of the spectrum, but you will see things here more so then on the East Coast.
Schools....I think Both coast's have the same school issues. Budget cuts, Minimum Education Requirements, and Kids will be kids all over.
Out of State Welcome. Yes, Only a jerk would not welcome you because your from out of state. chances are people will love to hear about where your from and it will be a great conversation topic. people will really want to help you get acquainted.
cost of living....the best parts of CA are the most expensive. the east coast cost less to live there no doubt.
neighbors and community.......depends on your neighborhood. if its a bad neighborhood, then you already know what your neighbors are going to be like and visa versa. If your in a middle class one people will be friendly but you may not see them much because of work. The rich are the rich and will either be nice or ignore you.
I also have 3 kids 10 and under, I think either state will be the same for them, when they get older though who knows. Both Coasts will have gangs, CA and its gangs, The East Coast and its Gangs. Drugs are State Wide. Just depends on them and you raised them.
I live in the Bay Area. I live in the middle of San Jose and San Francisco. I can not afford to live here. I pay 1550 a month on rent. I have 3 boys all in one room ( the master with its own bathroom ) while me and My Wife have the smaller room. I live here because Its safe and beautiful. When the kids Get older, They can get good jobs here. We are in the Silicon Vally and I live here for my Boys. I also live here because I am 31 and its great for me and my wife to have fun here and take the kids to the great places we are so near.
I moved us here because I was living in another city that was plagued with Gangs and Drugs and saw many of my friends children starting to get a little rough around the edges. I also moved them here because ,had my parents not have raised me in such a bad city...my life would have turned out differently. I did not want to make the same mistake my Parents made with me. the city and neighborhood you live in will dictate your children's Life! Good luck with you and your family.
Hey folks need some input on possible relocation from one coast to the other because of job opportunity. The two locations would be in Northern California and "New England". My question is for those who have experienced both coasts and how do the lifestyles differentiate between themselves. My concerns would be for my family (including 3 kids under 10 years). Topics would be: cost of living, weather, state politics, acceptance of out of staters, kids in new schools, sense of neighbor and community. General observations and if you have made this move what cities did you come and go from. Would you make that move again?
Um,this thread was posted earlier today on the Mass. forum. It's very redundant to post in multiple states in NE. Before posting,ppl check the MA one b/c it's already pages long!!!! Same OP,I think. But no further info about 'where' in NE...and no specific questions. ie,is he thinking portland or boston area,for ex,and can choose where to live? sfo or sacramento,and he can choose?
more details would be helpful,and not posting the same thread in 6 strands of NE states.
Politics..CA is much more a liberal state, activist, go green, gay Pride parades, I mean all political view's are here in CA and you will meet people on both sides of the spectrum, but you will see things here more so then on the East Coast.
Schools....I think Both coast's have the same school issues. Budget cuts, Minimum Education Requirements, and Kids will be kids all over.
Out of State Welcome. Yes, Only a jerk would not welcome you because your from out of state. chances are people will love to hear about where your from and it will be a great conversation topic. people will really want to help you get acquainted.
cost of living....the best parts of CA are the most expensive. the east coast cost less to live there no doubt.
neighbors and community.......depends on your neighborhood. if its a bad neighborhood, then you already know what your neighbors are going to be like and visa versa. If your in a middle class one people will be friendly but you may not see them much because of work. The rich are the rich and will either be nice or ignore you.
I also have 3 kids 10 and under, I think either state will be the same for them, when they get older though who knows. Both Coasts will have gangs, CA and its gangs, The East Coast and its Gangs. Drugs are State Wide. Just depends on them and you raised them.
I live in the Bay Area. I live in the middle of San Jose and San Francisco. I can not afford to live here. I pay 1550 a month on rent. I have 3 boys all in one room ( the master with its own bathroom ) while me and My Wife have the smaller room. I live here because Its safe and beautiful. When the kids Get older, They can get good jobs here. We are in the Silicon Vally and I live here for my Boys. I also live here because I am 31 and its great for me and my wife to have fun here and take the kids to the great places we are so near.
I moved us here because I was living in another city that was plagued with Gangs and Drugs and saw many of my friends children starting to get a little rough around the edges. I also moved them here because ,had my parents not have raised me in such a bad city...my life would have turned out differently. I did not want to make the same mistake my Parents made with me. the city and neighborhood you live in will dictate your children's Life! Good luck with you and your family.
The 'east coast' is a huge term.
NH,VT and ME are regularly on national 'safest place to raise kids' lists....
And in NE,you can live in a 'town' or even a 'village' and have your life,even your job,though many commute. It's not the same as CA which is one metro area surrounded by sprawl,and you have to commute. It's completely different. so to say there are 'gangs on both coasts',is not quite accurate. NE has only a few locales where this would be a huge concern. Lowell,Haverhill and Boston MA [maybe springfield area now?],providence and maybe woonsocket RI,and several places in CT.
But,the area is literally one small town after another,overall,so the optoins are varied and liveable.
Not like CA,where if you are not in SFO,SAC,SD or LA,you are in a rural or remote place with no resources.
In fact,in NE you find many college areas that are in small towns.
Just to outline the differences-you are right though,your location does determine your children's future in large part-or at least paves the way for them/makes it easier. And in NE,many towns are dead-end places full of 'townies',yet the town next door may be posh and highly desireable.
good luck to OP either way;both are good places,if you do your research first,which you obviously are.
I was born and raised in California, and now live in Maine. Here is my two cents:
The to two big differences between California and the East Coast (New England in particular) are geography and culture. California has mountains, desert, valleys, deltas, foothills, farmland, forests, ocean and beaches, as well as major urban areas and small, out-of-the-way, unincorporated villages. New England has a few large urban areas, a handful of decent sized cities, but is mostly rural with smaller towns. Of course there is also mountains, forests, the ocean, some farmlands, and a few valleys, but the area is predominantly rural.
California is also heavily diverse. Think of a country or state and there will more than likely be a representation of that location somewhere in California to some degree. Hmong, Laotian, Cambodians, Chinese (although not as many as you may think), Japanese, Russian, Ukrainian, and of course, Mexicans are common place, just to give you an example. Not only that, but you have a good mix of rich and poor and everybody in between as well as all types of politics including extreme right and left wing, anarchists, communists, and anything else you can think of.
New England is primarily white, Catholic, and either rich or poor. The minorities here are literally the minority in every sense of the word. Living here feels really homogeneous in that everybody is almost the same, at least on the outside. I use the word poor loosely here as there is a middle class, but the middle class is more dispersed and the disparity between the rich and the poor is greater here than it is in California.
To expand on what 408Guy wrote:
Politics: California is not as liberal as outsiders tend to think. Republicans have dominated the office of Governor in California since 1900. Something like 1 in 4 governors are Democrats. The rest, Republican. I am honestly surprised that it is considered a blue state when it comes to presidential elections.
Yes, the gay population is out loud and out proud and other groups such a PETA will get in your face, but that does not represent the whole state politically. It just shows you the typical Californian attitude. Which is:
Californians do not take crap and they do not hold back what they are thinking. Native Californians do not have a problem speaking their mind, even if you did not ask for their opinion. Much in the same way as native New Yorkers.
Californians also admit to their own faults. New Englanders tend to blame somebody else or sweep the issue under the rug; out of sight, out of mind kind of thing.
Cost of living: It is both higher and lower in California. This will depend on where you live. San Francisco, Oakland, Santa Cruz, and San Diego are on the whole going to be more expensive than Boston. Parts of LA and certain areas such as Palm Springs, Silicon Valley, and a grip of other places as well. Sacramento, Stockton, and a few other large cities are cheaper for the most part. Berkeley is about the same as Boston.
But, commodities are cheaper in California than they are here and jobs in California tend to pay a wage that is more in step with the cost of housing. For example; in SF you can get paid $12 an hour starting pay to work in a donut shop.
Neighbors and community: Hmmmm.....Californians tend to keep to themselves. Your neighbor will gladly loan you their lawnmower, but if you are out mowing your lawn at the same time that your neighbor is mowing his lawn the two of you might say hi to each other but nothing else. If your neighbor feels that you are about to strike up a conversation, he will go inside and finish mowing his lawn after you are done.
Outside of Boston, New Englanders are more outgoing and will have a real conversation with a complete stranger.
Weather: This will depend on where you live in California. If you live in the mountains or the northern-most portion of California, the climate is akin to the typical New England climate; warm and humid in the summer, cold and snowy in the winter. The Bay Area is cool year-round. LA, SD, and Sacto get really hot in the summer during the day, but cold enough to warrant a sweater at night. The winters can dip into the low 40s or high 30s, but a typical winter day is around 55 or so and the winter is the rainy season.
The main difference with New England is that no matter where you live it is going to be cold and you are going to receive snow in the winter and it rains during the summer here.
California is only crowded around the major cities; the Bay Area, Sacramento, LA-SD-Riverside (and maybe the entire Inland Empire), and possibly Fresno and Bakersfield. But California is a huge state and you will find more uninhabited land than habited. It just so happens that the state's population is generally only attracted to certain pockets. The overwhelming majority of the state is open space.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lrmsd
Um,this thread was posted earlier today on the Mass. forum. It's very redundant to post in multiple states in NE. Before posting,ppl check the MA one b/c it's already pages long!!!! Same OP,I think. But no further info about 'where' in NE...and no specific questions. ie,is he thinking portland or boston area,for ex,and can choose where to live? sfo or sacramento,and he can choose?
more details would be helpful,and not posting the same thread in 6 strands of NE states.
I looked in the Mass forum, but no dice. However, this thread does appear in California forum, and what is wrong with that?
By the way, NO ONE ever refers to SF as SFO unless you are talking about the airport.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lrmsd
It's not the same as CA which is one metro area surrounded by sprawl,and you have to commute. It's completely different. so to say there are 'gangs on both coasts',is not quite accurate. NE has only a few locales where this would be a huge concern. Lowell,Haverhill and Boston MA [maybe springfield area now?],providence and maybe woonsocket RI,and several places in CT.
But,the area is literally one small town after another,overall,so the options are varied and livable.
Not like CA,where if you are not in SFO,SAC,SD or LA,you are in a rural or remote place with no resources.
California is not one big metro. To say such a thing, along with your comment about being in a rural or a remote place equals no resources, shows that you do not know a thing about the state.
And gangs are all over New England, even here in Maine. They may not be as prominent as they are in California or they may not shot at each other as much either, but they are here. At least Californians do not deny that they exists.
Same with CA. There's huge differences in Northern California communities. Bigger cities and more affordable cities tend to have gangs. High-income communities such as Hillsborough, with a median home price of $1M+, has zero gangs.
Political demographics are very different. Berkeley is probably one of the most liberal cities (maybe the most liberal city) in Northern CA, yet just 1.5 hours away, the Sacramento suburbs are predominately Republican. Coastal communities tend to be more liberal, inland communities tend to be more conservative. Mendocino, Ft. Bragg (coastal, but up north of the Bay Area) is artsy.
Some communities are snobbier, while their wealthier counterparts are more welcoming and community-oriented.
If you want to compare, you need to select one California city and compare it to another on the east coast.
I also wanted to comment on humidity. I have dry skin, and I LOVE humidity. My sons who tend to break out might not like it, but you can give me all you've got.
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