Where in CA should I live

[jaijai]

Originally Posted by 80skeys

No I haven't. Is it equallly as arduous?

Most of the stretch over the mountains is narrow and winding with narrow shoulders and no center dividers and definitely shouldn't be driven fast (although if i'm remembering correctly the speed limit is 55 .... way too fast for that road!).
It's the most direct route from Gilroy to Watsonville but it doesn't make sense as a route from San Jose to Santa Cruz.
And it can be trafficy.
And also, 101 can be a real drag.

[country boy from MA]

Anyways I'm not too concerned about the drive. If I lived in San Jose I would probably visit Santa Cruz once or twice a month or if I lived In Santa Cruz I would probably visit San Jose once or twice a month. I wouldn't live that far from my work and do that kind of commute everyday. Thats what I got stuck doing here. Driving 45 minutes each way to work. And in the winter with ice and snow storms it is dangerous and not fun at all. But back to my original thread. I do wanna move out west one day. Denver, Albuquerque, Phoenix, San Diego, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, San Jose, Oakland, Sacramento, Santa Rosa. I would like to visit all those cities and areas (I know I'm dreaming). I would like to see which fits best for me. I would be willing to hop around a little bit too. By living in any one of those areas I would be closer to most of the others than I am now. So I could
start out at one and it would be easier to explore the others than from here (3000 miles away), and if I wanted to move around I could. Im just saying that wherever I start doesn't have to be permanent. Although all of those areas are interesting to me I tend to gravitate towards the bay area and surroundings. So any more advice or opinions would be much appreciated. Thanks again. Just sitting here coping with the rain. It doesn't stop here from may to october like it does there. Its 12 months.

[80skeys]

Originally Posted by country boy from MA

I do wanna move out west one day. Denver, Albuquerque, Phoenix, San Diego, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, San Jose, Oakland, Sacramento, Santa Rosa. I would like to visit all those cities and areas (I know I'm dreaming). I would like to see which fits best for me. <snip ...> Although all of those areas are interesting to me I tend to gravitate towards the bay area and surroundings.

Just my two cents, I've lived in Denver/Colorado, Washington D.C. area, Austin TX, Honolulu, NYC .... and the Bay Area is my favorite. (NYC a close second).

[country boy from MA]

Originally Posted by 80skeys

Just my two cents, I've lived in Denver/Colorado, Washington D.C. area, Austin TX, Honolulu, NYC .... and the Bay Area is my favorite. (NYC a close second).

Wow, thank you. When I was in the bay area I fell in love with it. I have not yet been to denver or those other places. NYC is great but the weather is ****ty. My
mom is from NYC.

[80skeys]

Originally Posted by country boy from MA

Wow, thank you. When I was in the bay area I fell in love with it.

There's so much to do out here and the mild weather makes it so pleasant.

[country boy from MA]

Originally Posted by 80skeys

There's so much to do out here and the mild weather makes it so pleasant.

Oh yeah!!!!

[KMG00]

Country Boy, if you liked Oakland, you might consider the Lake Merritt area. It's a decent area of Oakland with lots of fun things going on, a relatively young crowd of different cultures, and rental prices that aren't too bad (it's still the Bay Area so don't expect cheap). There's a nearby BART station to get you into the city, too. The "Oakland sucks/Oakland's great" debate has been done to death here on CityData so I'm not going to perpetuate it in this thread. I'll just encourage you to do your own research, look at the crime stats (Crimemapping is a great one), and use Citydata and Yelp to talk to several people who live in Oakland.

Yes, you can move to coastal California if you plan carefully and accept that you may have to make sacrifices to get where you want to be. Lots of people told me it wasn't possible, that I'd have to be crazy to move out here where the cost of living is so high. I visited many times, did a lot of research, and talked to people who lived where I wanted to be. I developed a two-year plan of saving money and boosting my career skills. And here I am doing great. It can be done with enough patience.

[bigdumbgod]

Originally Posted by KMG00

The "Oakland sucks/Oakland's great" debate has been done to death here on CityData

Yes it has. Nice to see that acknowledged.

[RebekahOwen]

Union Square area of Oakland, for three reasons; 1) super cool, trendy coffee shops, restaurants, nightlife, on Bart line to SF or ??, 3) Great cap rates on income property within 20 miles of home.