Moving with husband and 2 kids... Need HELP!! (San Diego, San Francisco: apartment, to rent)
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My husband and I would like to move to California with our 2 kids (4yr sold and 4 months). I need advice, we are moving from Louisiana to California and know nothing about any of the cities there, hopefully others who know about cities there could help me pick the city for us.
Looking for:
1. I am still pursuing my degree in Biology and Psychology in hopes of going to medical school, so we need a place within 30-45 minutes commute to a good 4 year college (hour at the most).
2. good public schools for my children
3. low crime rate
4. not more than 30 minutes to stores, restaurants, malls, and other entertainment
5. close to a big city
6. don't want a country feel (red-neck or houses too far apart), more like suburban, with houses closer together in neighborhoods
7. family-oriented and diverse (i'm mixed with black and white, my children are light skinned, but I don't want any problems with interacial relationships)
8. middle class affordability (we want to rent first and then buy when we get settled)
9. no traffic
10. hot weather most of the year, snows very seldom (if possible)
11. job oppurtunities (for myself to get maybe a part-time job)
*would be nice if the beach was 2 hours or less away and if it is possible for a carpenter to get jobs there- not necessary though*
1) UCI (Irvine) is a big bio school
2) See map: California School Performance Maps
3) Generally in the same areas as good schools
4) I don't think its possible to be over 30 minutes from all those in OC unless you hike into the mountains
5) This is one big city
6) Lots of sububs here. You can even have zero lot lines if you want.
7) Yep
8) Not so much unless your idea of middle class means making over $150k
9) LOL, Not going to find that here
10) No snow. Inland areas are warmer, coastal areas cooler.
11) What's the unemployment rate? 11%?
11a) Beach is close. Carpenter jobs would be in competition with illegals working under the table for cash and living 10 to an apartment.
It would be helpful if you posted your budget, in other words, how much can you spend to rent if you move here? Often, when people understand where their budget will put them, they can make the rest of their decisions based on that.
Why the rush to move to California? It would be, IMHO, a huge mistake for anyone, especially someone with dependents, to move here without first having a well-paying job lined-up.
1. I am still pursuing my degree in Biology and Psychology in hopes of going to medical school, so we need a place within 30-45 minutes commute to a good 4 year college (hour at the most).
It seems that it would make sense, at the very least, to first finish your pre-med studies in Louisiana. Next, comes the very difficult job of being accepted into medical school; and there is no guarantee, were you to move to California and finish your undergrad studies here, that you would not find yourself moving across the country in a few years to work on your medical degree in another state (or, in another nearby country).
Also, since California is so very expensive, have you given any consideration to how difficult it would be for you to make it here on a resident’s salary once you finish med school? What about future child care expenses while you are in training? Of course, your husband may have a good-paying job by then, but you didn’t mention his professional qualifications.
6. don't want a country feel (red-neck or houses too far apart), more like suburban, with houses closer together in neighborhoods
For the time being, is this option available in Louisiana? Can you tough it out there until you have better resources and a more solid plan?
IMO, undergrad school is a walk in the park compared to the challenges presented by attending a doctoral (medical or other) program. So, there is much to consider, and careful planning will make your life easier.
Looking for:
1. I am still pursuing my degree in Biology and Psychology in hopes of going to medical school, so we need a place within 30-45 minutes commute to a good 4 year college (hour at the most).
IRVINE OR ANYWHERE IN SOUTH COUNTY - GO TO UCI
2. good public schools for my children
IRVINE OR ALMOST ANYWHERE IN SOUTH COUNTY
3. low crime rate
ALMOST ANYWHERE IN SOUTH COUNTY
4. not more than 30 minutes to stores, restaurants, malls, and other entertainment.
ANYWHERE IN SOUTH COUNTY. IN FACT ANYWHERE IN OC EXCEPT MAYBE SILVERADO CANYON YOU WILL BE AMAZED AT THE NUMBER OG GOOD RESTURUANTS AND STORES WITHIN TWO OR THREE MILES OF YOUR HOME.
5. close to a big city
WHAT IS CLOSE? LA IS BETWEEN 45 MINUTES AND TWO HOURS DRIVE DEPENDING ON TIME OF DAY/TRAFFIC. SANTA ANA IS A BIG CITY BY SOME DEFINITIONS (ABOUT 350,000 - 400,000 PEOPLE) WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR IN A BIG CITY? IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A BIG WALKABLE DOWNTOWN, THEN YOU NEED TO GO TO SAN FRANCISCO (ABOUT 4-5 HOUR DRIVE). SAN DIEGO IS NOT BAD FOR WALKABLE DOWNTOWN (ABOUT 1.5 - 3 HOURS DRIVE)
6. don't want a country feel (red-neck or houses too far apart), more like suburban, with houses closer together in neighborhoods
SOUTH COUNTY, INCLUDING IRVINE, IS ONE GIANT SUBURB. THIS IS FUNNY. HOUSES TOO FAR APART IS THE LAST PROBLEM YOU WILL FIND IN OC. IN MANY PLACES, YOU MEASURE THE DISTANCE BETWEEN HOUSES IN INCHES (EXAGGERATING, BUT NOT BY MUCH).
NOT MANY RED-NECKS (I THINK THAT THEY ARE REQUIRED TO LIVE IN HUNTINGTON BEACH), HOWEVER SOME AREAS ARE DOMINATED BY HISPANICS AND THE HISPANIC CULTURE WHICH SOME PEOPLE DO NOT LIKE, OR AT LEAST DO NOT LIKE ELEMENTS OF THE CULTURE (LETTING CHILDREN PEE ON YOUR LAWN FOR EXAMPLE). THE CULTURE ALSO HAS SOME REALLY NEAT ELEMENTS THOUGH. IF YOU STAY IN SOUTH COUNTY, YOU WILL NOT ENCOUNTER HISPANIC DOMINATED AREAS THAT I CAN THINK OF EXCEPT PARTS OF SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO.
7. family-oriented and diverse (i'm mixed with black and white, my children are light skinned, but I don't want any problems with interacial relationships)
IRVINE OR ANYWHERE IN SOUTH COUNTY. PEOPLE ARE MORE CONCERNED WITH HOW MUCH MONEY YOU MAKE OR HAVE THAN WITH YOUR RACIAL BACKGROUND. NEWPORT BEACH IS NOTORIOUSLY PREJUDICED, BUT IT IS NOT ANYWHERE NEAR AS ABD AS THE REPUTATION. HONESTLY, I CANNOT THINK OF ANY AREA THAT IS LIKELY TO BE MORE OF A PROBLEM THAN OTHERS. YOU CAN ENCOUNTER PREJUDICE AGASINT BLACK PEOPLE ANYWHERE, BUT THAT IS NOT ONE OF THE MAJOR PREVAILING PROBLEMS IN MOST OF OC. MOST PREJUDICE ISSUES ARE AGAISNT OR FROM HISPANICS. THERE ARE NOT VERY MANY BLACK PEOPLE IN OC.
8. middle class affordability (we want to rent first and then buy when we get settled)
THIS IS HUMOUROUS. ORANGE COUNTY IS ONE OF THE MOST EXPENSIVE PLACES INT HE COUNTRY TO LIVE. DEPENDS ON YOUR DEFINITIONS. HOUSING FOR A FAMILY OF FOUR, IS GOING TO RUN IN THE REALM OF $2500 A MONTH OR MORE. A DECENT STARTER HOUSE WILL COST $450,000 TO $750,000. THE AVERAGE HOUSE SIZE HERE IS SMALLER THAN IN MANY PARTS OF THE COUNTRY. THE NICE THING IS THAT YOU CAN SPEND A LOT OF TIME OUTSIDE AND YOU DO NOT NEED A LOT OF SPACE TO STORE COLD WEATHER CLOTHING, SO YOU CAN GET BY WITH A SMALLER HOUSE.
9. no traffic
YOU ARE JOKING RIGHT? TRY SOME PARTS OF TEXAS. MINNESOTA. MONTANA, MICHIGAN, NEW MEXICO.
IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA TRAFFIC WILL DOMINATE YOUR ENTIRE LIFE. TRY TO LIVE NEAR WORK AND ELIMINATE YOUR COMMUTE. TRAFFIC IS TERRIBLE. THERE ARE TRAFFIC LIGHTS AT ALMOST EVERY INTERSECTION, SO STREET TRAVELLING CAN BE VERY VERY SLOW. MANY OF THE FREEWAYS ARE PARKING LOTS FOR A SUBSTANTIAL PART OF EACH DAY. THE GOOD THING IS THAT THERE IS SO MUCH STUFF HERE, THAT YOU CAN USUALLY STAY WITHIN A FEW MILE RADIUS OF YOUR HOME.
10. hot weather most of the year, snows very seldom (if possible)
NEVER SNOWS (EXCEPT IN 1988 OR 1989 WHEN JOHNNY CARSON AGREED TO SIGN A NEW CONTRACT IF IT SNOWED IN LA). OTHERWISE, NONE. GO TO THE MOUNTAINS IF YOU WANT TO SEE SNOW FOR A WHILE. IT IS ABOUT 2 HOURS DRIVE, EXCEPT ON FRIDAY EVENINGS. THEN IT IS 5 HOURS. SOMETIMES IN THE WINTER, THE SMOG CLEARS ENOUGH THAT YOU CAN SEE THE MOUNTAIN TOPS FROM OC. THEN YOU CAN SEE SNOW FROM A DSITANCE AT LEAST. IT IS VERY PRETTY.
IT GETS DOWN INTO THE 40S AT NIGHT. SOMETIMES THERE IS EVEN A HINT OF FROST ON THE GROUND. LAST WEEK FOR EXAMPLE WAS MOSTLY IN THE 80S, BUT THAT IS DUE TO SANTA ANA WINDS. IT WILL COOL OFF INTO THE 50S AND 60S DURING THE DAYTIME PRETTY SOON.
11. job oppurtunities (for myself to get maybe a part-time job)
DEPENDS ON YOU. TIMES ARE TOUGH. THE ECONOMY IS BAD (WORSE THAN IN TEXAS). HOWEVER ORANGE COUNTY'S ECONOMY IS LARGER THAN MANY COUNTRIES'
*would be nice if the beach was 2 hours or less away and if it is possible for a carpenter to get jobs there- not necessary though
IF WOULD BE PRETTY HARD TO GET 2 HOURS FROM THE BEACH AND STILL BE IN ORANGE COUNTY. UNLESS YOU COUNT LOOKING FOR A PARKING SPACE. GENERALLY YOU WILL DRIVE HALF AN HOUR OR LESS TO GET TO A BEACH, BUT IT CAN EASILY TAKE 2 HOURS TO FIND PARKING ON A SUMMER WEEKEND. IT DEPENDS ON WHICH BEACH YOU GO TO AND WHEN YOU GO. SOME BEACHES ARE NOT WELL KNOWN AND JUST AS PRETTY. FOR EXAMPLE, CDM BEACH IS MOSTLY USED BY FAMILIES WITH SMALL CHILDREN AND DIVERS (GENERALLY LOW SURF). NOT TOO MANY PEOPLE KNOW HOW OT GET THERE, SO IT IS NOT CROWDED ALL THAT OFTEN. HOWEVER ON SUMMER WEEKENDS, EVERYTHING IS CROWDED.
IRVINE IS PROBABLY YOUR BEST BET IF YOU HAVE THE MONEY. PRETTY MUCH ALL OF THE OTHER SOUTH COUNTY CITIES ARE BASICALLY THE SAME, EXCEPT FOR BEACH CITIES. JUST LOOK AT A MAP OF OC, FORGET BEACH CITIES AND LOOK AT ANYTHING IRVINE OR SOUTH. YOU PROBABLY WANT TO SKIP SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO.
AFTER YOU LOOK AT HOUSING COSTS, COME BACK HERE AND ENQUIRE ABOUT OPTIONS IN NORTH ORANGE COUNTY. IT IS SOMEWHAT CHEAPER, BUT WILL NTO OFFER AS MANY OF THE THINGS ON YOUR LIST.
Last edited by Coldjensens; 11-17-2010 at 11:46 AM..
wonder if there is a reason she has posted the exact same post 2 different times only a few minutes apart?
Nita
I'm new and thought I was posting for all California but it seemed as though it was just in OC. Sorry about that. I did get useful information from you all. thanks!!
Why the rush to move to California? It would be, IMHO, a huge mistake for anyone, especially someone with dependents, to move here without first having a well-paying job lined-up.
1. I am still pursuing my degree in Biology and Psychology in hopes of going to medical school, so we need a place within 30-45 minutes commute to a good 4 year college (hour at the most).
It seems that it would make sense, at the very least, to first finish your pre-med studies in Louisiana. Next, comes the very difficult job of being accepted into medical school; and there is no guarantee, were you to move to California and finish your undergrad studies here, that you would not find yourself moving across the country in a few years to work on your medical degree in another state (or, in another nearby country).
Also, since California is so very expensive, have you given any consideration to how difficult it would be for you to make it here on a resident’s salary once you finish med school? What about future child care expenses while you are in training? Of course, your husband may have a good-paying job by then, but you didn’t mention his professional qualifications.
6. don't want a country feel (red-neck or houses too far apart), more like suburban, with houses closer together in neighborhoods
For the time being, is this option available in Louisiana? Can you tough it out there until you have better resources and a more solid plan?
IMO, undergrad school is a walk in the park compared to the challenges presented by attending a doctoral (medical or other) program. So, there is much to consider, and careful planning will make your life easier.
Good Luck!
My husband makes enough money that I would not have to work while in school, if a part-time job would be unavailable. I could be a stay at home mom but I want to pursue a successful career, and I can't stand being in the house too long. I have thought about not being accepted into a medical school close and I would be prepared to move where ever accepts me in that case. I still have a few years left in my undergraduate program so transferring would be feasible at this piont.
It seems as though Irvine would be the place if OC is decided because it is closest to my desires. Thank You for your help!
Irvine is a family-oriented city with good schools and a solid university. Best of Luck!
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