patrick.net

bmwman91 says

Running, biking, hiking, climbing...you can do it year-round here.

With the proper clothing, this can be done anywhere. I bike year round except when there is snow.

I live here out of habit, since I was born here. I never wanted a house with two acres and 5,000 square feet. Sounds like a lot of upkeep and cleaning to me. I will stay here since my house is steps away from being paid off, and I have a good situation with my job.

I don't know how anyone can say Las Vegas has good weather. You must like it hot. I like everything to be 68 degrees and sunny.

Yeah, I never got my dream home living here.

I would like to check out a few places for retirement, like Nevada, where taxes are lower, but I doubt I will make the move. I have a friend who grew up in a small town in Oregon. From the way he tells it, there are a lot of white-trash type people there. Glad I raised my child where intelligent people live.

nw888 says

After hearing friends tell me how foggy and cold it is all the time I think I'll pass!

It is foggy and cold, even here in SoCal (worse in NorCal from my experience). Though during July there were a lot of outright sunny beach days, even in the early morning.

That being said, I actually like the marine layer, and the smell of salt water.

Glendora doesn't seem to be badly located. Still close enough to L.A to work.

My friend bought a huge house in Fontana. He's a pharmacist and commutes 5 min to work.

The entire 18 member side of my mother's family began their slow exodus to Texas and Colorado starting in the mid90s and they couldn't be happier. But between work and family, I'm stuck here. If the stars ever lined up and gave me an opportunity to move, I'd take it. California still has a lot to offer but in 20-30 years, I don't see how we can keep up our higher quality of lifestyle compared to other more responsible states.

I don't know how anyone can say Las Vegas has good weather. You must like it hot. I like everything to be 68 degrees and sunny.

You need to talk to the locals. The strip is hot because it is all concrete. Go a few miles west into summerlin and you will find a green lush landscape that is 10 degrees cooler and an absolute paradise.

I have a friend living in Irvine right now, he's thinking of moving to Henderson. How is that city?

Henderson is nice and it is the second safest city in America. Hundreds of new jobs are coming to that area. The only downside is because it is in the low in the valley it is 5 degrees hotter than summerlin.

Goran_K says

New Renter says

Without those I'd be in Oregon by now.

Why Oregon if you don't mind me asking?

Isn't it obvious?

zzyzzx says

As bad as it's getting to be in Oregon, would you really want to go there?

I'm unemployed now and the market is full of un- and underemployed people in my field. How much worse can it be?

On the plus side my wife is employed and my family is a bike ride away, so we stay here for now.

Family and in laws are number one, two, 3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,...dozens... scores...

New Renter says

I'm unemployed now and the market is full of un- and underemployed people in my field. How much worse can it be?

On the plus side my wife is employed and my family is a bike ride away, so we stay here for now.

What industry do you work in?

Goran_K says

(New Jersey/New York).

Goran, it's good you clarified. Almost all the East Coasters I know in the Bay Area are from the east coast of Asia.

B.A.C.A.H. says

Goran, it's good you clarified. Almost all the East Coasters I know in the Bay Area are from the east coast of Asia.

I actually have family and own property out there, so I'm still sort of tied to that area.

Goran_K says

New Renter says

I'm unemployed now and the market is full of un- and underemployed people in my field. How much worse can it be?

On the plus side my wife is employed and my family is a bike ride away, so we stay here for now.

What industry do you work in?

Biotech. Lots of companies in my area too.

Weather. I grew up in the midwest, so i've had enough snow and/or high humidity to last me for a lifetime. It's great that in the summer I can plan an outdoor activity, camping, etc, and know that it won't be rained out. And it's great to go biking, hiking, etc in the "winter". Lots are smaller here than TX, but we can use then 300+ days per year. So the net usability is better. I talked to a colleague in Austin who said it was 100+ for many days in a row last summer. To me that's not comfortable.

Yes, with proper clothes one can go bicycle riding in rain, sleet, etc. It's not very fun for me, but for those who like it, that is great.

Goran, for some reason this year and last year seem to be cooler than historic, at least in SJ. So if you recently moved to CA it might be atypical.

Jobs. For an MD or some other job where there's not a local concentration, the opportunities and salaries will be similar across the usa. For high-tech there's definitely more opportunities here. I'm sure we will see posted articles about how silicon valley is doomed, yet the posters are still here. And there are other frequent posters who looked elsewhere, and found that it's better here, even with the drawbacks.

I'm not that excited about having a 5k sq ft house, so that's not attractive. Perhaps sour grapes :)

I like the diversity of the neighborhoods. I can talk to my neighbors and co-workers and hear fascinating life stories from around the world.

New Renter says

Biotech. Lots of companies in my area too.

Yeah I was going to mention that. Did you punch out an executive at your last job? What gives?

I'm here for the weather, the jobs, and because my wife and kids and I have all friends here now.

But even more than that, I just love the Bay Area. I was stunned when I first saw San Francisco and still haven't gotten over it.

1) Diversity. Food, culture, religion, occupations and the different people you meet.

2) Outdoor Recreation - Beaches, Oceans, Mountains, Deserts, Forests. The excellent weather lets you enjoy all of them nearly year-round.

3) Entertainment Options - Music, Sports, Museums, Bars, Arts

4) Weather - Rarely am I trapped at home due to extreme heat, humidity, rain, snow, cold etc.

5) Religion. I don't know if I could send my kids to a school that threatens to teach intelligent design every couple years.

If I could be happy sitting indoors in my McMansion with the A/C on full blast eating food from restaurant chains every night, I might be ok with Texas.

Goran_K says

New Renter says

Biotech. Lots of companies in my area too.

Yeah I was going to mention that. Did you punch out an executive at your last job? What gives?

If only.

No its a matter of supply and demand. Too many people competing for the same few jobs. Its also a problem of logistics. We live in SJ but most biotech companies are either further up the peninsula in the unaffordable RBA or in the east bay which would double my wife's commute time.

I spoke with a recruiter a few weeks ago. He admitted the hiring is slow out to the foreseeable future. Most of my former coworkers are under-employed. One a former senior scientist is now a research associate. Another was laid off a few months ago - not sure if he's had any luck yet.

During cannibal anarchy, due to chintzy construction and the fact that Californians are often in the open, flushing, sighting and removing your target with extreme prejudice is a lot easier.

In the rest of the country, with its array of excellent construction, storm shelters, pill boxes and fallout shelters, it requires a much more sophisticated array of smoke bombs, tear gas, flash bangs, bunker busters and heavy, all weather gear to gain on your quarry.

Ceffer says

During cannibal anarchy, due to chintzy construction and the fact that Californians are often in the open, flushing, sighting and removing your target with extreme prejudice is a lot easier.

In the rest of the country, with its array of excellent construction, storm shelters, pill boxes and fallout shelters, it requires a much more sophisticated array of smoke bombs, tear gas, flash bangs, bunker busters and heavy, all weather gear to gain on your quarry.

Yet you live in Pleasanton...

There are only three major reasons NOT to live in many parts of California -cost of living, taxes and earthquakes.

Of course there are bad parts/cities with more reasons

On most other counts California is a great place and you can understand why from 1945-1990 people moved there in droves

you forgot it is a crime ridden cesspool.

I'm here for the weather, the jobs, and because my wife and kids and I have all friends here now.

But even more than that, I just love the Bay Area. I was stunned when I first saw San Francisco and still haven't gotten over it.

SF is easy on the eyes but can be hard on the nose. Or have you grown accustomed to the stench of rancid free-range urine?

lakermania says

If the stars ever lined up and gave me an opportunity to move [to Texas or Colorado], I'd take it. California still has a lot to offer but in 20-30 years, I don't see how we can keep up our higher quality of lifestyle compared to other more responsible states.

I would not call Texas responsible at all. They mismanage water and pollution, some areas are literally drying up and won't have tap water anymore. Their current finances result from high oil prices and a race to the bottom in working conditions, but you can see the potentially explosive consequences in one example after another: refinery explosions, the Deepwater Horizon disaster, etc. The world might be going to hell in a bucket, but Texas is speeding to Mad Max in an SUV limo with cattle horns on the hood.

California is actually more responsible in many ways, though I do worry about a culture of reckless spending - both public and private.

I love the climate here and most of the people. Every day in SF, I see something that makes me smile. I can walk to great cuisines from around the world. Almost everything other than housing and the insurance-driven side of the medical sector is reasonably priced. (As covered in another thread, Americans have the lowest prices for OTC drugs, but the highest in the world for Rx, where insurance and government programs "help" by shifting costs around and making them larger at every stage.) There are many good people in Texas, for example Austin and Houston and San Antonio, but the majority in Texas are horribly bigoted irresponsible nuts and I wouldn't want to be stuck with them. California has a better balance.

smaulgld says

earthquakes

smaulgld-imo, the small ones are actually cute, the lights way, it's a gentle rocking motion. Near the epicenter, it's only terrifying for less than a minute. With the California building codes, chances are your body will survive. Depending on your circumstances of course, some financial hit will occur, again, near the epicenter.

David9 says

smaulgld says

earthquakes

smaulgld-imo, the small ones are actually cute, the lights way, it's a gentle rocking motion. Near the epicenter, it's only terrifying for less than a minute. With the California building codes, chances are your body will survive. Depending on your circumstances of course, some financial hit will occur, again, near the epicenter.

Never heard of anybody being killed by a falling popcorn ceiling.

Why? Job. Weather. Been here a long time.

Curious2 says

There are many good people in Texas, for example Austin and Houston and San Antonio, but the majority in Texas are horribly bigoted irresponsible nuts and I wouldn't want to be stuck with them. California has a better balance.

Have you been to Texas? You do know that California has over 4 1/2 times the hate crimes per 100k ppl versus Texas right, despite TX having over 50% more agencies reporting to the FBI a hate crime occurred .

http://www.businessinsider.com/fbi-2011-hate-crime-statistics-2012-12

curious2 says

but the majority in Texas are horribly bigoted irresponsible nuts and I wouldn't want to be stuck with them. California has a better balance.

Rush Limbaugh got his start in Sacramento. There's a reason for that.

New Renter says

SF is easy on the eyes but can be hard on the nose. Or have you grown accustomed to the stench of rancid free-range urine?

Every morning on my bike ride from the SF Caltrain station to work I smell piss and pot at least once each. Can't say I enjoy the piss smell, but the pot is nice. The total volume of pot smoke in SF at any one time must be really huge.

lakermania says

Have you been to Texas? You do know that California has over 4 1/2 times the hate crimes per 100k ppl versus Texas right, despite TX having over 50% more agencies reporting to the FBI a hate crime occurred .

http://www.businessinsider.com/fbi-2011-hate-crime-statistics-2012-12

Yes, and thanks for the statistics, but 1 or 2 crimes per 100,000 population doesn't provide a representative picture of life in either state. I've met fine people in Texas, and they have only good things to say in terms of their experience living there, but they aren't a representative sample either. I wish Governor Ann Richards had been re-elected. While I don't share Jerry Brown's enthusiasm for bond-driven HSR, I much prefer him to Rick Perry.

New Renter says

curious2 says

but the majority in Texas are horribly bigoted irresponsible nuts and I wouldn't want to be stuck with them. California has a better balance.

Rush Limbaugh got his start in Sacramento. There's a reason for that.

Thanks, you're right about that, a lot of inland California is that way. They have Texas house prices and California property taxes, yet I stay in SFBA rather than move in with Bop69 and postbubblesuccess.

Patrick, if you like bluegrass music, you might love bicycling to Golden Gate Park for the annual "Hardly Strictly Bluegrass" festival founded by the late great Warren Hellman. It's often called "the golden child" of SF festivals, very mellow and well behaved.

lakermania says

California has over 4 1/2 times the hate crimes per 100k ppl versus Texas right, despite TX having over 50% more agencies reporting to the FBI a hate crime occurred .

Yeah, if I lived there I might be 4.5x more afraid to report a hate crime, too.

The comments about TX are way off. I say this because I've been there a number of times and to me, the people were a hell of a lot nicer than they were in Cali. ALso- its easy for some of you who live crammed on the Cali coast to think that the whole state of CA is one big SF. Guess what? 80% of the state is totally rural and in many cases extremely conservative. I have many a friend who lives way out there and once you leave the genera; cocoon of the Bay Area and probably San Diego and LA, well it turns into rural anywhere real quick. As in you could be in rural AL, TN, NC, FL, TX, or whatever.

I like to think that most people are generally reasonable when it comes to their political views. It is ok to disagree.

edvard2 says

The comments about TX are way off.

I have to agree.

Is a place like Austin, Texas going to be full of more bigots than a place like San Bernadino County, Imperial County, or Palmdale? I don't know.

lakermania says

Have you been to Texas? You do know that California has over 4 1/2 times the hate crimes per 100k ppl versus Texas right, despite TX having over 50% more agencies reporting to the FBI a hate crime occurred .

http://www.businessinsider.com/fbi-2011-hate-crime-statistics-2012-12

I can't believe you're using that study to prove that TX is more tolerant than CA. According to your data, among the 10 states with the LEAST amount of hate crimes reported, 7 are in the Bible Belt: OK, FL, TX, AR, LA, GA, MS

And how about that, in 2011, the entire state of Mississippi had 1 hate crime reported.

I'd say it says more about the tolerance of hate than the tolerance of people.

Maybe because in CA everybody is trundling down to their local friendly litigation tick and suing their next door neighbors for hate crimes, under the "all liberal accusations are true and actionable" clause of the CA constitution. Everybody is guilty until proven innocent, and even then they are guilty.

Goran_K says

edvard2 says

The comments about TX are way off.

I have to agree.

Is a place like Austin, Texas going to be full of more bigots than a place like San Bernadino County, Imperial County, or Palmdale? I don't know.

Wow did either of you even read those comments? You start by calling them "way off," then basically repeat some of the same points from them. For example, my two mentioned both Austin TX and inland CA. The only comment about TX that was "way off" was the one that implied TX is "more responsible."