For people who have lived in SoCal and NoCal... (Los Angeles: neighborhood, contractor)

[Pequeño_Bonsai]

I am struggling with where I should move and need your help.

I have decided to try my luck on the west coast; however, my problem is that I am not sure if I should relocate to SoCal or NoCal... I work as a defense contractor/consultant within the IT industry and while I plan on waiting until the economy has recovered before making plans, I am trying to decide which part of CA I should focus on. (I'm very versatile so I don't have to remain in the private sector.)

I plan on taking a trip from San Fran to San Diego to scope out and experience the different areas but I am hoping you folks could share your experiences... Which place do you prefer living and why? Are there any parts of California I should avoid?

I'm looking for a professional yet laid-back culture and would prefer an area that hardly/never drops below the 60s.

Thank you for all of your help!

[moved]

I lived in Sacramento for about nine years, and it gets pretty cold in the winter. The first winter that I lived there, the pond in McKinley park froze. Here in San Diego, it's gets cold at night, but it's warmer during the day.

[ferretkona]

In the southland we get a few weeks of hot weather, in 2005 it reached 125 in Oceanside. That was a week of record heat. I found on the northen coast a lot of fog year long and a week of 90 in August.
You just have to find a balance.

[sav858]

Originally Posted by ferretkona

In the southland we get a few weeks of hot weather, in 2005 it reached 125 in Oceanside.

uhh not true at all, it's never gone over 108 in Oceanside. Anything over 110 is nearly unheard of along the coast.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by sav858

uhh not true at all, it's never gone over 108 in Oceanside. Anything over 110 is nearly unheard of along the coast.

Maybe he was talking about a particular neighborhood but not the official weather.

Nita

[sav858]

SD would be a professional yet laid back type of place. High temps always stay above 60. Bay Area is more professional and less laid back, winter highs tend to be in the 50's though.

I grew up in the Bay Area and came here for college and have been here 9 years now. The Bay Area is a great place to live, lots to do, SF is a really cool city, nice scenery, culture, etc.. San Diego has a more laid back, beachy atmosphere. I love living in both places and could be happy in either one but if it wasn't for all my family and childhood friends being in the Bay Area I'd probably wouldn't care for it as much. The Bay Area is bigger, has more opportunities, and has more going on but honestly I like it down here just as much, if not slightly more. I think there is more to do in Southern CA than Northern CA overall with LA just to the north of us. But the natural scenery and surroundings is nicer up there; more trees and more lush. The coast is nicer down here b/c the weather is much better and the water gets warmer in summer. Some people prefer the Bay Area's liberal culture, San Diego is more moderate/conservative.

If you have questions or want to tell more about yourself please do, might give us a better idea which place would be a better fit.

[sav858]

Originally Posted by nmnita

Maybe he was talking about a particular neighborhood but not the official weather.

Nita

Either way it's an exaggeration, only the deserts get that hot.

[californio sur]

Originally Posted by sav858

Either way it's an exaggeration, only the deserts get that hot.

I'm sure we could look it up but I think it is highly unlikely that any city on the coastline has ever reached 125F. Even Los Angeles downtown has only hit 112F. Any city in California outside the desert have likely not reached 125F but I could be wrong about areas in the Central Valley.

[evolve]

anything over 80 sucks for me
so 108=125 in my book

[Ceece]

My advise is to just flexable, go where you can find work and then worry about what neighborhood to live in. The SoCal/NorCal thing doesn't really matter, you can always move again if you don't like where you end up. If you can keep finding jobs that is.