Relocating to California?

[TomServo]

Benicia, California

[theCryptofishist]

It's a real list. I grew up in and live in the inner bay area, and we get kinda spoiled and kinda arrogant... It's nice to see soemone who's not jsut trashing home...

[stinkyfoot]

It's a good life, just get yourself adopted by a real Californian and you should be all set. (Note: This is hard to do because most people in California seem to be from out of state lately.)

One thing to know about Universities in California is that despite the recent bullshit that the State system has been going though, it's still pretty easy to get a decent education if you use all resources available to you, check out what's available in the JC system, and start looking at schools based on the program you want to attend, because there are too many to choose from. Here's a list of colleges both state and private in California.


Oh, and just remember that, contrary to popular belief, the great majority of short, brown, latin looking people are actually from here, not Mexico.

[Elliot]

Theatre and music? Davis is also home to the Mondavi center for performing arts.

[1durphul]

Here's what you should know about California:

Parts of Los Angeles are very liveable, larger parts of Los Angeles are not. Liveable places: Westwood, Brentwood, Santa Monica, West Hollywood, Silverlake, parts of Hollywood (NOT NORTH HOLLYWOOD), Echo Park is newly gentrified.

San Francisco has great weather year round. It is always "cold" even in summer, cold means around 60 degrees, year round, with a few weeks above or below that temperature every year. San Francisco is a small city, and it's art scene has been moving across the bay to Oakland for years. We are probably nearing a tipping point where Oakland will overtake SF in cool factor in the next 10 years. You can live in SF without a car, and your life would be ok, but not great without a car in Oakland and Berkeley.

San Diego: A boring city full of Republicans. Nice beaches, faux neighborhoods that require a car, the population is either military, tweaker gays, wealthy assholes (think Real Housewives of Orange County), or beam bums.

Fresno, Bakersfield, San Jose (or anywhere in the southbay): Move here if you like feeling empty inside. Like your soul has been sucked out of you and you are nothing but a drone who lives to make other people wealthy by being cogs in their machine.

Sacramento: Almost a real city, but not quite. Downtown Sac is nice with older victorian/edwardian style homes, and walkable neighborhoods. The burbs around sac though are festering shit holes.

Nothern notherns of the North: Trees. Lots and lots and lots of trees. It is pretty. It is also pretty boring. Good pot is easy to come by, so I guess if you're in a boring place you might as well do a drug that makes you a boring person too.

[gyre]

Do not move to a place you haven't visited and researched in detail.

Same goes for jobs and schools.

[Ugly Dougly]

Bodega Bay was nice until the birds took over.

[ygmir]

Bodega Bay was nice until the birds took over.

where did Norman Bates live?

and this:
historical precedent for driving fast over the Golden Gate Bridge:

[Ratpick]

There's always someone to find negatives about wherever you want to go. Damn skeptics. I moved from central Oklahoma(bleh capital) 6 years ago to Los Angeles and loved it right away. From the barrio in Boyle Heights (only white couple around!) to Armo- ville in Glendale. Now live on outskirts- Altadena. Beautiful mountain range with awesome mountain biking trails practically my backyard. The big city or beach still just a short drive away.
Research a good school, then go there. Be safe and enjoy all the good and bad your new neighborhoods will offer. There is work to be had too, despite what you hear, you just have to be a little flexible maybe. You'll find some great outdoorsy activities nearby wherever you end up. Go for it! Get out of Ohio!

[theCryptofishist]

Bodega Bay was nice until the birds took over.

where did Norman Bates live?

Originally? Rural Wisconsin.

[ygmir]

Bodega Bay was nice until the birds took over.

where did Norman Bates live?

Originally? Rural Wisconsin.

oh,.........for some reason, I thought the Bates hotel, was in CA. From whence the infamy sprang.
But, ok, I'll go with Wisconsin for 400, Jack.

[theCryptofishist]

Bodega Bay was nice until the birds took over.

where did Norman Bates live?

Originally? Rural Wisconsin.

oh,.........for some reason, I thought the Bates hotel, was in CA. From whence the infamy sprang.
But, ok, I'll go with Wisconsin for 400, Jack.

Yeah, he also ended up in Texas, so he was one all over the map dude...
you do know I was talking about Gein, not Bates, didn't you?

[ygmir]

Bodega Bay was nice until the birds took over.

where did Norman Bates live?

Originally? Rural Wisconsin.

oh,.........for some reason, I thought the Bates hotel, was in CA. From whence the infamy sprang.
But, ok, I'll go with Wisconsin for 400, Jack.

Yeah, he also ended up in Texas, so he was one all over the map dude...
you do know I was talking about Gein, not Bates, didn't you?

well, no, I didn't........I didn't relate Norman, to Ed.

but, I did make a cheesy Wisconsin reference, that also fell flat.

ETA: that I didn't relate Norman to Ed.....I had but "did".

[theCryptofishist]

but, I did make a cheesy Wisconsin reference, that also fell flat.

Yeah, that's cause I dated a boy from Waukesha who turned out to be a jerk...

[ygmir]

but, I did make a cheesy Wisconsin reference, that also fell flat.

Yeah, that's cause I dated a boy from Waukesha who turned out to be a jerk...

I hope you sent him off...........

[littleflower]

As a Californian who has lived in several parts of the state, i had to put in my 2 cents....

it all depends on what you are looking for. i grew up in norcal (santa cruz) but moved to LA for the combo of big city + beach + sunshine. the fog gets to me, my mood tanks when it's cloudy out all the time, and by the time i was 18 i was totally sick of it. don't let anyone tell you LA sucks! parts of it, yes, but other parts are absolutely wonderful.... that's true of any city though. of course there are plenty of snobby nor cal people around who hate LA .... i was once one of them .... don't listen! but, that said, nor cal is pretty awesome, too. san francisco is probably the most beautiful city in the US.

Expense is the main problem with california. almost everything is more expensive (except heating), especially in the cities. i just moved to idaho and am loving how cheaply i can live in this lovely place, even if i miss my home.

i think if you had a school or two in mind, and wanted tips on the areas, it might be easier to help you. CA is a very big state with a huge population.

good luck!

[forty_eight]

As mentioned ... when people say LA suck, they are ignoring the mountains and the sea! Two compelling natural features if you ask me!

[TomServo]

As mentioned ... when people say LA suck, they are ignoring the mountains and the sea! Two compelling natural features if you ask me!

because going to the mountains or the sea gets you out of LA. Los Angeles was a wonderful place in the 70's! I was born their! But I seem to remember being really excited, when we got to visit my great grandmother in the Bay Area.

[SquirrelHead]

San Francisco has crummy weather though.

San Diego is the shit.
Best Mexican food in the states, hands down
lower crime rate (i think)
best weather in the damn world
a great burner community
there's always some kind of event going on, always something to do
less traffic, better beaches
and phil's fuckin barbecue, oh my fuck

HAHAHA Dude you are in the Carolinas where there is awesome bbq everywhere.

[forty_eight]

because going to the mountains or the sea gets you out of LA. Los Angeles was a wonderful place in the 70's! I was born their! But I seem to remember being really excited, when we got to visit my great grandmother in the Bay Area.

LA was better in the 22nd Century! Or was that Burning Man?

As a kid, I was excited to see my grandparents, too ... in the freakin' Antelope Valley! lol

[Ugly Dougly]

San Francisco has crummy weather though.

San Diego is the shit.
Best Mexican food in the states, hands down
lower crime rate (i think)
best weather in the damn world
a great burner community
there's always some kind of event going on, always something to do
less traffic, better beaches
and phil's fuckin barbecue, oh my fuck

Though I can't precisely remember, I'll never forget a place in La Jolla I went in circa 98' .... was on a biz trip to Rohr Aerospace.... Went to dinner, and someone at the Holiday Inn told us to go to this KICKASS RESTAURANT for mex seafood.

Well that seafood burrito I had? I've never forgotten how good it was. Holy sheeeeeeit.

San Diego totally sucks man. Millions of people moved in from out of town and full on harshed my buzz, dude, so I had to split.
Still fucking love it though.

[Ugly Dougly]

I went to Missouri on business last year. I had forgotten how fucking bleak the midwest can be. Not going back. California is facing epic overcrowding in the next few years, and that's for a reason.
Did I say that there are jobs in Silicon Valley?

[ranger magnum]

Santa barbara. Enough said.

[burner von braun]

I would suggest narrowing the choices down to two or three based on the curriculum, and whether you think you would do better in a smaller college vs. large university, as well as location, and then, as gyre mentioned, if there is any way possible, go out and visit those schools and their environs. There is often a substantial difference between the way something appears on paper, vs. being there. Good luck!