What is it like living in california

[bumper]

Born and raised in Southern Cal from that I offer this.

The housing crunch has sent many recent arrivals back to wherever they departed from. We are experiencing negative migration, more leaving the state then entering.

Cost of housing in the L.A. and Orange County proper is still high and adjusting down. While that runs it course rental prices are beginning to rise because of increased demand. Check realtor.com for average prices. In the outlying areas of San Bernadino and Riverside Counties housing prices have taken substantial hits and are still adjusting down.

Weather is always good and because of that we are spoiled in that we have so many activities from which to choose, beaches, mountains, hi and low deserts..

As for as teaching jobs go...math and science are always in demand as are special ed teachers conversely liberal arts are a dime a dozen..somebody correct me if I am wrong.

Living well in California translates into having good paying jobs. It is not cheap and is getting more expensive.

Traffic is and will always be a major consideration. Usually takes me 45 minutes to go 20 miles conversely a friend of mine in Orange County has a 45 minute, 11 mile ride. Does not get better then that only worse.

[Mottola-Buffett]

My husband and I lived in Laguna Beach then Laguna Niguel for a few years a while back. My thoughts on CA are this: Well-educated, open-minded people. Health-conscious, outdoor, active people. Friendly people. Fashion conscious, consumer minded people (at least in Orange County). Beautiful people (don't forget, every girl across the US from a small town that was told she was beautiful or talented, moved to CA). Lots of good restaurants. Let's see, what else... I lived near the water so the atmosphere was beachy/nautical. Other than the beach, there is NO NATURE (unless you like dry desertish mountains). It's very expensive. Everyone lives on top of eachother and no one has much of a yard. The traffic is pretty horrendous, but pretty typical for a major metropolitan area.
I never seemed to get anything accomplished inside the house when I lived in CA. Because it was sunny all the time, I only wanted to be outside.

No nature? You have got to be kidding me. Maybe we have different definitions of the word. There's plenty of nature in CA, and not just desertish mountains. I'm really sorry you didn't know where to look...you missed out on a lot.

To clarify... regarding nature... I live in Washington. To me, nature is lush, green, grassy, mountains - sparkling lakes - natural verdure. So. CA, by fact, is a low desert climate. All the green, palm trees, golf courses, manicured lawns, etc. are a fabrication of the diverted Colorado River. So. CA is not lush, it is dry. I used to mountain bike in the canyons outside of Laguna. I used to arrive home covered in desert dust and dirt. There is tumbleweed for God's sake. A different kind of nature, yes.. just not a lush verdant landscape.

[bumper]

My husband and I lived in Laguna Beach then Laguna Niguel for a few years a while back. My thoughts on CA are this: Well-educated, open-minded people. Health-conscious, outdoor, active people. Friendly people. Fashion conscious, consumer minded people (at least in Orange County). Beautiful people (don't forget, every girl across the US from a small town that was told she was beautiful or talented, moved to CA). Lots of good restaurants. Let's see, what else... I lived near the water so the atmosphere was beachy/nautical. Other than the beach, there is NO NATURE (unless you like dry desertish mountains). It's very expensive. Everyone lives on top of eachother and no one has much of a yard. The traffic is pretty horrendous, but pretty typical for a major metropolitan area.
I never seemed to get anything accomplished inside the house when I lived in CA. Because it was sunny all the time, I only wanted to be outside.

No nature? You have got to be kidding me. Maybe we have different definitions of the word. There's plenty of nature in CA, and not just desertish mountains. I'm really sorry you didn't know where to look...you missed out on a lot.

To clarify... regarding nature... I live in Washington. To me, nature is lush, green, grassy, mountains - sparkling lakes - natural verdure. So. CA, by fact, is a low desert climate. All the green, palm trees, golf courses, manicured lawns, etc. are a fabrication of the diverted Colorado River. So. CA is not lush, it is dry. I used to mountain bike in the canyons outside of Laguna. I used to arrive home covered in desert dust and dirt. There is tumbleweed for God's sake. A different kind of nature, yes.. just not a lush verdant landscape.

A Rose my any other name.......


I imagine you spend many hours doing stuff inside your house since you now live in a rainforest

[Mottola-Buffett]

My husband and I lived in Laguna Beach then Laguna Niguel for a few years a while back. My thoughts on CA are this: Well-educated, open-minded people. Health-conscious, outdoor, active people. Friendly people. Fashion conscious, consumer minded people (at least in Orange County). Beautiful people (don't forget, every girl across the US from a small town that was told she was beautiful or talented, moved to CA). Lots of good restaurants. Let's see, what else... I lived near the water so the atmosphere was beachy/nautical. Other than the beach, there is NO NATURE (unless you like dry desertish mountains). It's very expensive. Everyone lives on top of eachother and no one has much of a yard. The traffic is pretty horrendous, but pretty typical for a major metropolitan area.
I never seemed to get anything accomplished inside the house when I lived in CA. Because it was sunny all the time, I only wanted to be outside.

No nature? You have got to be kidding me. Maybe we have different definitions of the word. There's plenty of nature in CA, and not just desertish mountains. I'm really sorry you didn't know where to look...you missed out on a lot.

To clarify... regarding nature... I live in Washington. To me, nature is lush, green, grassy, mountains - sparkling lakes - natural verdure. So. CA, by fact, is a low desert climate. All the green, palm trees, golf courses, manicured lawns, etc. are a fabrication of the diverted Colorado River. So. CA is not lush, it is dry. I used to mountain bike in the canyons outside of Laguna. I used to arrive home covered in desert dust and dirt. There is tumbleweed for God's sake. A different kind of nature, yes.. just not a lush verdant landscape.

A Rose my any other name.......


I imagine you spend many hours doing stuff inside your house since you now live in a rainforest

Not that I'm choosing an arguement here because I believe every part of the country/world has its own natural beauty, BUT, the temperate rainforest is a 3 1/2 hour drive west of Seattle. And Seattle ranks as #17 in regards to the amount of rainfall received per year in all major US cities. In fact, our good friend Jimmy's hometown of Mobile receives more rainfall than Seattle!! (The rain-talk is just a way of dealing with overcrowding in Washington)

[Elrod]

What's it like living in California?

I had to get up early every morning - very early. It's a very active state, I exercised nearly every day.

Traffic was bad. Sometimes I went weeks, even months without driving my own car.

Some are slaves to fashion, but it seems like everybody I saw was dressed exactly alike.

People complain about the prices, but I found some real bargains. Haircuts were only $1.20.

[bumper]

My husband and I lived in Laguna Beach then Laguna Niguel for a few years a while back. My thoughts on CA are this: Well-educated, open-minded people. Health-conscious, outdoor, active people. Friendly people. Fashion conscious, consumer minded people (at least in Orange County). Beautiful people (don't forget, every girl across the US from a small town that was told she was beautiful or talented, moved to CA). Lots of good restaurants. Let's see, what else... I lived near the water so the atmosphere was beachy/nautical. Other than the beach, there is NO NATURE (unless you like dry desertish mountains). It's very expensive. Everyone lives on top of eachother and no one has much of a yard. The traffic is pretty horrendous, but pretty typical for a major metropolitan area.
I never seemed to get anything accomplished inside the house when I lived in CA. Because it was sunny all the time, I only wanted to be outside.

No nature? You have got to be kidding me. Maybe we have different definitions of the word. There's plenty of nature in CA, and not just desertish mountains. I'm really sorry you didn't know where to look...you missed out on a lot.

To clarify... regarding nature... I live in Washington. To me, nature is lush, green, grassy, mountains - sparkling lakes - natural verdure. So. CA, by fact, is a low desert climate. All the green, palm trees, golf courses, manicured lawns, etc. are a fabrication of the diverted Colorado River. So. CA is not lush, it is dry. I used to mountain bike in the canyons outside of Laguna. I used to arrive home covered in desert dust and dirt. There is tumbleweed for God's sake. A different kind of nature, yes.. just not a lush verdant landscape.

A Rose my any other name.......


I imagine you spend many hours doing stuff inside your house since you now live in a rainforest

Not that I'm choosing an arguement here because I believe every part of the country/world has its own natural beauty, BUT, the temperate rainforest is a 3 1/2 hour drive west of Seattle. And Seattle ranks as #17 in regards to the amount of rainfall received per year in all major US cities. In fact, our good friend Jimmy's hometown of Mobile receives more rainfall than Seattle!! (The rain-talk is just a way of dealing with overcrowding in Washington)

my only arguement with you was taking my comment seriously

[Mottola-Buffett]

My husband and I lived in Laguna Beach then Laguna Niguel for a few years a while back. My thoughts on CA are this: Well-educated, open-minded people. Health-conscious, outdoor, active people. Friendly people. Fashion conscious, consumer minded people (at least in Orange County). Beautiful people (don't forget, every girl across the US from a small town that was told she was beautiful or talented, moved to CA). Lots of good restaurants. Let's see, what else... I lived near the water so the atmosphere was beachy/nautical. Other than the beach, there is NO NATURE (unless you like dry desertish mountains). It's very expensive. Everyone lives on top of eachother and no one has much of a yard. The traffic is pretty horrendous, but pretty typical for a major metropolitan area.
I never seemed to get anything accomplished inside the house when I lived in CA. Because it was sunny all the time, I only wanted to be outside.

No nature? You have got to be kidding me. Maybe we have different definitions of the word. There's plenty of nature in CA, and not just desertish mountains. I'm really sorry you didn't know where to look...you missed out on a lot.

To clarify... regarding nature... I live in Washington. To me, nature is lush, green, grassy, mountains - sparkling lakes - natural verdure. So. CA, by fact, is a low desert climate. All the green, palm trees, golf courses, manicured lawns, etc. are a fabrication of the diverted Colorado River. So. CA is not lush, it is dry. I used to mountain bike in the canyons outside of Laguna. I used to arrive home covered in desert dust and dirt. There is tumbleweed for God's sake. A different kind of nature, yes.. just not a lush verdant landscape.

A Rose my any other name.......


I imagine you spend many hours doing stuff inside your house since you now live in a rainforest

Not that I'm choosing an arguement here because I believe every part of the country/world has its own natural beauty, BUT, the temperate rainforest is a 3 1/2 hour drive west of Seattle. And Seattle ranks as #17 in regards to the amount of rainfall received per year in all major US cities. In fact, our good friend Jimmy's hometown of Mobile receives more rainfall than Seattle!! (The rain-talk is just a way of dealing with overcrowding in Washington)

my only arguement with you was taking my comment seriously

All in good spirit, of course

[popcornjack]

What's it like living in California?

I had to get up early every morning - very early. It's a very active state, I exercised nearly every day.

Traffic was bad. Sometimes I went weeks, even months without driving my own car.

Some are slaves to fashion, but it seems like everybody I saw was dressed exactly alike.

People complain about the prices, but I found some real bargains. Haircuts were only $1.20.

Pretty sneaky.....

[Elrod]

What's it like living in California?

I had to get up early every morning - very early. It's a very active state, I exercised nearly every day.

Traffic was bad. Sometimes I went weeks, even months without driving my own car.

Some are slaves to fashion, but it seems like everybody I saw was dressed exactly alike.

People complain about the prices, but I found some real bargains. Haircuts were only $1.20.

Pretty sneaky.....

Do ya think maybe it was just my neighborhood?

[popcornjack]

What's it like living in California?

I had to get up early every morning - very early. It's a very active state, I exercised nearly every day.

Traffic was bad. Sometimes I went weeks, even months without driving my own car.

Some are slaves to fashion, but it seems like everybody I saw was dressed exactly alike.

People complain about the prices, but I found some real bargains. Haircuts were only $1.20.

Pretty sneaky.....

Do ya think maybe it was just my neighborhood?

Yeah, but something tells me you didn't have much say in picking out the location.

[Skibo]

There is the occasional fire storm to deal with

http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7010773557

[mason]

What's it like living in California?

I had to get up early every morning - very early. It's a very active state, I exercised nearly every day.

Traffic was bad. Sometimes I went weeks, even months without driving my own car.

Some are slaves to fashion, but it seems like everybody I saw was dressed exactly alike.

People complain about the prices, but I found some real bargains. Haircuts were only $1.20.

Pretty sneaky.....

Do ya think maybe it was just my neighborhood?

Yeah, but something tells me you didn't have much say in picking out the location.

E, did not really clarify what neighborhood he was living in at the time, but i am willing to bet, that just maybe he was stationed at a marine base in so-cal. hence, the getting up very early most every morning, dressing like every body else and cheap haircuts. ahhhhh...those were the days.



member of the parrothead nation

oh and E, tell em about the food.

[Tequila Revenge]

My husband and I lived in Laguna Beach then Laguna Niguel for a few years a while back. My thoughts on CA are this: Well-educated, open-minded people. Health-conscious, outdoor, active people. Friendly people. Fashion conscious, consumer minded people (at least in Orange County). Beautiful people (don't forget, every girl across the US from a small town that was told she was beautiful or talented, moved to CA). Lots of good restaurants. Let's see, what else... I lived near the water so the atmosphere was beachy/nautical. Other than the beach, there is NO NATURE (unless you like dry desertish mountains). It's very expensive. Everyone lives on top of eachother and no one has much of a yard. The traffic is pretty horrendous, but pretty typical for a major metropolitan area.
I never seemed to get anything accomplished inside the house when I lived in CA. Because it was sunny all the time, I only wanted to be outside.

No nature? You have got to be kidding me. Maybe we have different definitions of the word. There's plenty of nature in CA, and not just desertish mountains. I'm really sorry you didn't know where to look...you missed out on a lot.

To clarify... regarding nature... I live in Washington. To me, nature is lush, green, grassy, mountains - sparkling lakes - natural verdure. So. CA, by fact, is a low desert climate. All the green, palm trees, golf courses, manicured lawns, etc. are a fabrication of the diverted Colorado River. So. CA is not lush, it is dry. I used to mountain bike in the canyons outside of Laguna. I used to arrive home covered in desert dust and dirt. There is tumbleweed for God's sake. A different kind of nature, yes.. just not a lush verdant landscape.

No nature Where else in the lower 48 can you find lemmings by the thousands?

California has it all Oceans, islands, deserts and 14,000 ft mountains. We have one of the most diverse eco systems in the world Oh, it rains here too

Ever been on the east side of the Sierra's by Mammoth or June Lake? It's my favorite place to get a little sunburned, a little hung over, dirty, scrapped up, bleeding and smelling like fish

[Tequila Revenge]

What's it like living in California?

I had to get up early every morning - very early. It's a very active state, I exercised nearly every day.

Traffic was bad. Sometimes I went weeks, even months without driving my own car.

Some are slaves to fashion, but it seems like everybody I saw was dressed exactly alike.

People complain about the prices, but I found some real bargains. Haircuts were only $1.20.

Pretty sneaky.....

Do ya think maybe it was just my neighborhood?

Might just be the "company" you keep

You have to admit you lived on some of the nicest real estate in the United States though.

[purpleskye]

I have lived in So Cal my entire life....All i can say is I LOVE It!!!

Sure the housing market is a little higher than other places but the jobs out here pay more

Just like any city it has its bad points and good points..but the good points FAR outweigh the bad

We have the most absolutely beautiful weather in the world. I wake up every day to a blue sky and sun. I can go to the beach, go to the mountains or just sit outside in any given day...The people are wonderful and we have the most culturally diverse restaurants and places to go...Anyways I can go on and on..

Oh and on a side note, my husband is from NJ...He moved out here 4 years ago to be with me and will never turn back!!!!

[OceanCityGirl]

What's it like living in California?

I had to get up early every morning - very early. It's a very active state, I exercised nearly every day.

Traffic was bad. Sometimes I went weeks, even months without driving my own car.

Some are slaves to fashion, but it seems like everybody I saw was dressed exactly alike.

People complain about the prices, but I found some real bargains. Haircuts were only $1.20.

Hehe. My bil was stationed in Oxnard and he and my sis and family lived there for years. It's the only part I've been to.

[Tequila Revenge]

What's it like living in California?

I had to get up early every morning - very early. It's a very active state, I exercised nearly every day.

Traffic was bad. Sometimes I went weeks, even months without driving my own car.

Some are slaves to fashion, but it seems like everybody I saw was dressed exactly alike.

People complain about the prices, but I found some real bargains. Haircuts were only $1.20.

Hehe. My bil was stationed in Oxnard and he and my sis and family lived there for years. It's the only part I've been to.

hehe... she said Oxnard I've stepped in Oxnard

[Brown Eyed Girl]

Gee, whatever happened to May Gray, and June Gloom and whatever it is in April and July that there is no rhyme for?

[Lightning Bolt]

Gee, whatever happened to May Gray, and June Gloom and whatever it is in April and July that there is no rhyme for?

I don't know, but it ain't around right now!
It was 100º today just inland from San Diego, but I was still able to ride my mountain bike next to Lower Otay Lake (where a lot of our Olympic athletes are training)
then drive 12 miles to the coast to relax next to San Diego Bay where
I just lazed away the rest of the day reading and watching sailboats and pretty women float on by

got a little much sun actually...

[Salukulady]

Gee, whatever happened to May Gray, and June Gloom and whatever it is in April and July that there is no rhyme for?

I don't know, but it ain't around right now!
It was 100º today just inland from San Diego, but I was still able to ride my mountain bike next to Lower Otay Lake (where a lot of our Olympic athletes are training)
then drive 12 miles to the coast to relax next to San Diego Bay where
I just lazed away the rest of the day reading and watching sailboats and pretty women float on by

got a little much sun actually...

And just north of you in H.B. we spent the day at the beach at 85 degrees.....sat on the sand until 7:PM...it was gorgeous! Funny, has anyone noticed on this thread the people not thrilled with California either have not lived here, or have left the state.....maybe our brains are fried 'cuz we spend too much time in all that sunshine....ignorance is bliss!