California..Dream or Nightmare? (Boston, Lexington: real estate, condo, house)

[puffle]

I definetly see more Californian's considering moving to Ma. than the other way around which made me wonder....if you had the funds would you leave Ma. and move to California and if you wouldn't,why? People are always commenting on what they perceive people from Boston to be like, so I wanted to know what Ma. people think of Californians. Promise not to take anything personally, just curious.

[Baltic_Celt]

Hi Puffle -

I lived in Long Beach/L.A. in the mid-90's & have since spent time in San Diego. If I had a guaranteed job, enough money to live comfortably & a significant other, I'd move to San Diego or the Carlsbad area in a heartbeat. I've visited northern CA, over the border from Ashland, OR & it's lovely, as well, but I'd imagine far less jobs. The Enchanted Forest is a magical place. It's aptly named.

L.A. to me, when I lived there, was a mix like any other large city. Some dangerous areas I wanted to stay out of, some beautiful areas I'll never be able to afford to live, awful traffic, rude people & lovely, friendly people. The main difference than other cities is, S. CA has gorgeous weather everyday, where one needs not consider it prior to leaving the house each day. And, driving is a must, not an option. Here, we carry umbrellas, just in case; warmer jackets, just in case we're caught out in the cooler evenings; baseball caps just in case it's too windy to use an umbrella. That's what I loved the most about CA - no worry of weather.

I'm about to embark on finishing a medical career (2-3 years before I can finish) & if I make enough money where I could buy a small house/condo, I'd definitely be San Diego County bound. Part of the pull is having some family there, but if they moved (unlikely), I'd still highly consider it. The most gorgeous American men I've ever seen were in San Diego, IMO. I've seen far more handsome, healthy looking, vibrant men there, regardless of age. Men all seemed to look 15-yrs younger than they were, for many reasons, not all cosmetically enhanced reasons.

Before I moved there what did I think about S. CA's? Physically fit, laid-back, happy people who make alot of money. After I moved there what did I think about S. CA's? Mainly I met physically fit people who either made alot of $ or were trying to make alot of $. In the areas I lived, I didn't see too many laid back folks (too many worries/problems), but in wealthier areas, I did. Happy? That was individual, as in every area. The rudest people I met in S. CA? Not joking, transplanted Bostonians & very wealthy people who carried an air of snobbery about them. Not all, but enough that I noticed both. Santa Monica/Santa Barbara were gorgeous, but I'd never be able to afford either.

What do I think of N. CA? I know little about it, save for passing through Carmel/Marin County area (lovely, but I'll never be able to live there), wine country (beautiful, would be lovely to live there, yeah?) & San Francisco (which I never visited, but of course has a reputation for being an odd, slightly off-kilter melting pot which I'd like to visit, probably not live).

Surprises? Food in markets, particularly produce, was cheap compared to Boston. Restaurants? Don't know, couldn't afford them. People? A little more self-absorbed than I'd initially thought. Not quite as friendly as I'd thought, but friendlier than Boston. I felt a definite class system there, just like in Boston. Just my opinions/observations... Depends on which section of the city you live in, on either coast.

Overall, I loved CA, but didn't like being poor in CA. Maybe next time...

Have fun... VV

[NY'er lost in MA]

East vs. West.

I think CA is a great place, but growing up in NY and going to college in Boston, I could never see myself out there. Beyond leaving family and friends, the cost of living is horrendous out there and I usually make a trip to Europe at least once a year. I guess I feel that more of my life is accessible from the east coast.

Out of all the CA cities, I thought San Diego was the nicest. LA was not likable at all for me. The people all seemed like they thought they were soooo important. But that was just my impression.

Overall, it is hard to take a true east coaster and relocate them to the west coast. Many try it, but move back

[puffle]

Originally Posted by NY'er lost in MA

East vs. West.

I think CA is a great place, but growing up in NY and going to college in Boston, I could never see myself out there. Beyond leaving family and friends, the cost of living is horrendous out there and I usually make a trip to Europe at least once a year. I guess I feel that more of my life is accessible from the east coast.

Out of all the CA cities, I thought San Diego was the nicest. LA was not likable at all for me. The people all seemed like they thought they were soooo important. But that was just my impression.

Overall, it is hard to take a true east coaster and relocate them to the west coast. Many try it, but move back

Even a West Coaster like me moves back. I made the mistake of going back on the Los Angeles posts....it's scarey over there. Good example..."Are people in L.A. really pretentious and phoney" was a thread that had me running for cover.

[Urban Boys]

California is not a nightmare. It has just become unaffordable in most areas. There are good jobs, good salaries, but the cost of housing (and rents) has absolutely no relation to income. I moved back here (I grew up in California) 2 years ago, and unfortunately, I cannot even consider buying anything in San Francisco. Where to go?

New England seems to be the best place. Many of us are liberal and accustomed to living in a large urban area. I don't want to live in the hot desert or in the middle of the continent (I like the idea of being near the ocean). The South has little appeal (too hot and a really different life style). The obvious cities in the west have been flooded by refugees from California, and the price of housing has gone up dramatically in these cities-Portland, Seattle, Denver, etcetera).

Plus New England is affordable for many of us to buy a house and have a good lifestyle. And it is a really physically attractive area of the country.

[skytrekker]

Good luck Urban boy (s)
we have chatted before about Rhode Island

do consider eastern Connecticut again- you guys are smart- New England offers much. PM me sometime- perhaps we could meet at one of the wineries in eastern Connecticut. And I agree I love California as well- so much there- costs are so incredibly prohibitive now.

[twinpod]

I've lived half my life in MA and half in CA (grew up in MA) and now living back east again. I don't know much about southern CA, visited a few times...mainly know the Bay Area and above. I miss friends (of course), good food (the food here is getting better, but you have to pay more), farmers markets, good weather in February. What I don't miss: earthquakes, crazy people (I lived in Berkeley), people in your face about whatever their agenda was (MA is liberal overall but in a more subtle way) and the nutty real estate prices.
There's yuppies there and there's yuppies here...bmw's, hummers etc.
The beauty in CA is mind-boggling. Here it's quaint and melancholy. Overall, CA is like an attractive person blinding you with their stud-muffin body and glaring white teeth, while New England is a plain, but well-chiseled face...sturdy and healthy. (Unless of course, you frequent some of the run-down urban areas...then there's decay that you rarely see in CA).
My dream would be to live in NE 9 months of the year and spend Jan-Mar. somewhere more hospitable...maybe Sonoma/Napa area. Even though I've been back now 3 winters I'm still overcome by the end of it!

[puffle]

Originally Posted by twinpod

I've lived half my life in MA and half in CA (grew up in MA) and now living back east again. I don't know much about southern CA, visited a few times...mainly know the Bay Area and above. I miss friends (of course), good food (the food here is getting better, but you have to pay more), farmers markets, good weather in February. What I don't miss: earthquakes, crazy people (I lived in Berkeley), people in your face about whatever their agenda was (MA is liberal overall but in a more subtle way) and the nutty real estate prices.
There's yuppies there and there's yuppies here...bmw's, hummers etc.
The beauty in CA is mind-boggling. Here it's quaint and melancholy. Overall, CA is like an attractive person blinding you with their stud-muffin body and glaring white teeth, while New England is a plain, but well-chiseled face...sturdy and healthy. (Unless of course, you frequent some of the run-down urban areas...then there's decay that you rarely see in CA).
My dream would be to live in NE 9 months of the year and spend Jan-Mar. somewhere more hospitable...maybe Sonoma/Napa area. Even though I've been back now 3 winters I'm still overcome by the end of it!

I have lived all of my life in Southern Ca. except for a year in Va. and Ma. The most beautiful areas in my opinion are up north from the Central Coast all the way up to Oregon. Unfortunetly, not something one can do regularly living in S. Ca. on a tight budget. I definetly do not look at New England as just "quaint and meloncholy". The first night that my family drove through Mass. Ave. in Lexington made me cry. It was mid Nov. and close to snowing and I was hit with the charm and storybook quality in such a profound way that I had never experienced before. Everything here is fairly new, stucco, and boring. No great architecture in Los Angeles, in my opinion, and therefore is fairly mediocre at best. The color of the trees in the fall as we drove from Va. up through Ct. to Vermont was astounding. No real color in Ca. although the lawns stay greenish brown in the winter. The foliage reminded me of a box of Trix cereal. It's all relative, isn't it. I say tomato and you say to-ma-to. It's what makes the world go round.

[sally0]

That's interesting because since I was born in MA, I've always wanted to get to California to live. I'm wondering the same thing, is it better. I can say this, the winters are too damn long and the summers are too damn short. The cost of living is about the same. All the utilites prices went sky high in recent years. But since I was a kid, I've heard constantly, people calling MA, "taxachusetts". For instance they still charge you to use the Mass Pike roadway. It's been paid off for decades but they still charge. MA is one of the tough "police state" kinda places. I'd take California anyday.

[twinpod]

Actually one of my favorite months here is October because I love the contrast of the red/orange leaves with the intensely blue sky. Plus, it can still be warmish and there are no mosquitos. I also enjoy the first month or so of snow where it's fresh and not sub-zero slush. The springs in New England have changed from my childhood. They are definitely shorter and rainier. But when the tulips and crocus come out it's "gawgeous".
If you like NE and are in California, check out Mendocino...it's the closest thing to NE architecturally. And Sonoma when the grape leaves turn...there's a bit of the orange tinge to the leaves.
I don't think I could've endured southern CA. My sister lived in San Diego for 2 years and left due to "flaky people" and the street layout being so grid-like among other reasons.
There's plusses and minuses to both areas. I just know I couldn't live in the middle of the country...I'm a coastal gal.