Looking for advice on good places to live in CA - Page 2 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

ah-kay · #16 01-04-2013, 01:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JB3

Considering remotely a permanent relocation with the GF. We are going on a fact finding mission next month to check out areas of CA, and im curious if anyone has any recommendations on cities or areas to check out or avoid.

Putting together an itinerary for our road trip.

CA is a big state and looking for a place to live sounds like you are 'retiring' in CA. There is no better place than San Diego. Escondido in north SD is once rated good retirement community.

On the other hand, if you wait long enough then you may get beach front property in Arizona.

SwampYankee · #17 01-04-2013, 08:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dynalow

# 4 in the 10 worst places to work.

#3 in worst states for credit. (2011)
10 Worst States for Credit | CardRatings.com

# 1 in the 10 worst states for business (2011)
Top 10 worst states for business. Is yours on the list? - CSMonitor.com

49th out of 50 in best run states. (iow, next to last)
The Best and Worst Run States In America: A Survey of All Fifty - 24/7 Wall St.

What exactly is your motivation to move there?

I question the validity of any polls that don't rank CT near the bottom.

Phillytwotank · #18 01-04-2013, 08:48 AM

I've never lived in California, only in the Carolinas.

Last year I was out working in the Sacramento, Lodi, Stockton, Jackson area for a while.

I really liked it there. Kinda like home in some ways but COMPLETELY different.

Lots of recreational activities. DG, hiking, bikeing, nature N'all that.

I'm sure there would be plenty of pains involved in living in that state.

catmandoo62 · #19 01-04-2013, 08:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4x4_Welder

The best place to be in CA is two states away

only two more like 4 will do it.

HuskyMan · #20 01-04-2013, 09:27 AM

I recently spoke with someone whose son had a business in California. He got to checking around and found by merely relocating to Texas he would save major $$$$$$ in business taxes. So he made the move and she said he has a LOT more $$$$$ in hip national bank.

Pooka · #21 01-04-2013, 10:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HuskyMan

I recently spoke with someone whose son had a business in California. He got to checking around and found by merely relocating to Texas he would save major $$$$$$ in business taxes. So he made the move and she said he has a LOT more $$$$$ in hip national bank.

Texas lacks a lot of the climate pluses that California has, but on the other hand it has air conditioning!

If you are looking at relocating then you should check out Texas. It is cheaper than California in many, many ways and you might think this would translate into a lower living standard but nope, there are lots of great places to live.

Taxes are weird in Texas, though, so check out everything you can about them before you move there. A friend of mine owns a home in Sugarland and pays about $8,000 a year in property taxes. Another guy lives just eight miles away in Stafford and pays Zero.

Some Texas cities have a city personal property tax, some don't. I think the same is true in California.

Before you invest, investigate.

Txjake · #22 01-04-2013, 10:49 AM

a beautiful state, filled with interesting, sometimes friendly people led by a world class nutcake state government that is dead set on running anything out of the state that they don't like. Expensive to live, ridiculous regulations; I'd stay far away, at least until the coming revolution cleans the place up a bit....

Mr.Kenny · #23 01-04-2013, 11:33 AM

I was was born in the coastal town of Ventura and lived most of my life there.

What I know is California is a very diverse state, physically and culturally. So big and varied; is a country by itself.
California is divided culturally, politically and physically into many regions; each region quite different than the next. (nocal dislike socal.)
Growing up and living in Ventura; people could drive up 40 minutes to the snow, bring a pick-up truck load of snow down to the beach for a surfer's snowball fight on the warm beach. It was kind of surreal.
Life in Ventura was wonderfully surreal... But L.A. moved in and it got crowded.
There are plenty of great places to live in California, mountains, coastal, city, rural,...wages are good but never seem to be enough in an Expensive State.
Many Californians smugly don't ever think of other States; because they seem to know they are the hippest place on earth with the hippest people on earth and don't need other states. California has it all; so there is a smart smug factor to be aware of. If you have a strong accent from another part of the USA; that accent can handicap you, so will 'out-of-state' plates.
I miss a lot of things about California; but I love Springfield, Mo and the Ozarks..... It is so easy and nice to live here; no hustle or hassle. Taking off work to go hunting of fishing is quite acceptable & expected. Cost of living is low and you can live any life you want.....But I would gladly move to Carmel/Monterey or Santa Barbara Calif if I was richer.

elchivito · #24 01-04-2013, 11:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TnBob

2 much better options:
Nevada
Arizona

Tennessee
Nevada

Not AZ. You'll hate it. There are no jobs. The capital sucks. Nothing but desert and chain restaurants and prickly things. Nothing to see here. Forget it. Please.

Pooka · #25 01-04-2013, 11:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr.Kenny

I was was born in the coastal town of Ventura and lived most of my life there.

What I know is California is a very diverse state, physically and culturally. So big and varied; is a country by itself.
California is divided culturally, politically and physically into many regions; each region quite different than the next. (nocal dislike socal.)
Growing up and living in Ventura; people could drive up 40 minutes to the snow, bring a pick-up truck load of snow down to the beach for a surfer's snowball fight on the warm beach. It was kind of surreal.
Life in Ventura was wonderfully surreal... But L.A. moved in and it got crowded.
There are plenty of great places to live in California, mountains, coastal, city, rural,...wages are good but never seem to be enough in an Expensive State.
Many Californians smugly don't ever think of other States; because they seem to know they are the hippest place on earth with the hippest people on earth and don't need other states. California has it all; so there is a smart smug factor to be aware of. If you have a strong accent from another part of the USA; that accent can handicap you, so will 'out-of-state' plates.
I miss a lot of things about California; but I love Springfield, Mo and the Ozarks..... It is so easy and nice to live here; no hustle or hassle. Taking off work to go hunting of fishing is quite acceptable & expected. Cost of living is low and you can live any life you want.....But I would gladly move to Carmel/Monterey Calif if I was richer.

I used to spend a lot of time at the Yacht Club, but it was always an oil business thing. I did think downtown was nice and the downtown park was a pretty place to kill some time.

It was interesting to walk outside of the office and pick a lemon right off the tree. You didn't see that sort of thing in Dallas or Houston or Tulsa or, well, anywhere but Ventura.

Springfield, MO, is also nice, and Eureka Springs is just a short hop away! Anyone looking to retire and relocate could do a lot worse than Springfield.

JB3 · #26 01-04-2013, 11:50 AM

reasoning is clearly described by Mr. Kenney-

As a place to live optionally (still in debate) it represents an excellent compromise between my GF who loves heat, beach, and sun, and me, who loves cold, snow, and winter. Geographically, there are not many other places in the world where a few hours will give you both, so thats a huge factor in why we would consider CA.

We currently live in RI, which I love, but she less than loves, and finds it a bit cold in the winter. Additionally, she is a RI native, and the entire state is very much a small town. Just think that kevin bacon game, but with everyone in the state.
She plans to leave her job (or will just have no choice as her employer thinks nothing of using the employees until they leave, plenty of unpaid overtime) in the next couple years, and unfortunately, she's hamstrung by a noncompete that would cut out the entire state for her for two years. It is probably arguable since RI is a blue ink state and will modify a noncompete to be legal, but shes in a small industry of skilled decorators and artisans making wedding cakes and other confections, and there is serious potential animosity and defamation when and if she leaves, which would hamper her ability to get another job anywhere near where we live right now.

Thats why we are considering a clean break and a complete move.

Meanwhile, I am a landlord and run a small shipping and receiving business. It would be more complex, but I could run the landlord gig from anywhere, and im considering closing my shipping and receiving business anyway and concentrating on property management.

JB3 · #27 01-04-2013, 11:53 AM

couple other considerations-

We both love the coast, I lived for 3 years in MO, ironically Springfield, and I had trouble adjusting, and was not happy not having access to the sea and the huge distances from everywhere. That limits us to really either coast, and im not happy about moving south on the east coast.

Mr.Kenny · #28 01-04-2013, 11:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pooka

I used to spend a lot of time at the Yacht Club, but it was always an oil business thing. I did think downtown was nice and the downtown park was a pretty place to kill some time.

It was interesting to walk outside of the office and pick a lemon right off the tree. You didn't see that sort of thing in Dallas or Houston or Tulsa or, well, anywhere but Ventura.

Springfield, MO, is also nice, and Eureka Springs is just a short hop away! Anyone looking to retire and relocate could do a lot worse than Springfield.

I had plenty of orange and lemon fights in the groves with other kids and strawberry fights too.
OIL...Yeah, I worked for Schlumberger land and offshore (oil service co) for a couple of years; that job took me to some very remote strange places.
I would gladly move to beautiful Eureka Springs; but the wife doesn't want to and she is an artist...go figure.

JB3 · #29 01-04-2013, 12:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SwampYankee

I question the validity of any polls that don't rank CT near the bottom.

x2.

I deliberated moved my business from NY to RI specifically because RI is about 50 times easier to deal with. NY isnt even on that 2nd list, and RI is #2.

martureo · #30 01-04-2013, 12:42 PM

Move to the greater Washington DC area.

Less cold in winter. Hotter in summer.

Lots of jobs. Lots of people.

Just live in the State of Northern Virginia (as opposed to anything south of Fredericksburg) or Maryland. Don't live in the Socialist idiocracy of DC.