Is California Worth The Hype?

[alkemyst]

Well, I've lived in Chicago for a few years. I was paying ~$800/month in one of the better (meaning: fun) neighborhoods (Lakewood) for a 1 BR.

Those extreme south Chicago neighborhoods where crime is truly bad, though, that is barely Chicago, tbh. You might as well be in Winetka.

I just really, really want to say these kinds of posts without mentioning the year(s) are worthless.

 

[Ns1]

Life in not-CA = dump all your money into your giant house because 1) you'll fucking need it when the polar vortex shits on your lawn and/or 2) there aint shit to do in your town

Life in CA = dump all your money into living life cuz you'll never be able to afford a fucking house here

 

[zinfamous]

I just really, really want to say these kinds of posts without mentioning the year(s) are worthless.

fair enough. I moved in 2008. My rent didn't really climb in the two years of that last place, and for 5 years in Chicago, they were mostly the same for that area.

Of course, that is right before the market bottomed out and rents went nuts, so I'm not sure what is going on there now.

In Berkeley, shit is just expensive...though not nearly as expensive as other parts of the Bay Area. Not even close. However, rent hasn't really changed for me--well, assuming one stays in the same place, which I never do. Rent control over here is rather nuts.

 

[zinfamous]

The political Climate in the People's Republic of California isn't great if you're into freedom.

that's cute. your backwoods state might be shitting on freedoms that other people would otherwise have.

 

[alkemyst]

fair enough. I moved in 2008. My rent didn't really climb in the two years of that last place, and for 5 years in Chicago, they were mostly the same for that area.

Of course, that is right before the market bottomed out and rents went nuts, so I'm not sure what is going on there now.

In Berkeley, shit is just expensive...though not nearly as expensive as other parts of the Bay Area. Not even close. However, rent hasn't really changed for me--well, assuming one stays in the same place, which I never do. Rent control over here is rather nuts.

I agree. I have been in conversations with people above my pay grade and they like to throw out things like "You paid that much there! I was paying less than half that!"

When I have extrapolated it, "OH CRAP! I thought you were living there [10+ years ago]!"

 

[RockinZ28]

You can live cheap in many places. The problem is that you have to live in that area... You couldn't pay me to live in Indiana.

Sometimes you have to pay to get things of higher quality. Who cares how big your house can be if you live in a crappy state/location? You are simply trying to justify the fact that you cannot afford to live in a more desirable area. Of course your friends who also can't afford the better area will be saying the same thing.. No one likes to admit failure.

Higher quality is insane home prices and rage inducing traffic? I'll pass.

Didn't realize their 6 figure salaries were considered failures these days. That money just goes a whole lot further away from "desirable" areas, which makes it pretty damn desirable. Plus we enjoy 1-2 hours extra of life each day not spent in traffic.

 

[Ns1]

Plus we enjoy 1-2 hours extra of life each day not spent in traffic.

It's the non-CA lifestyle - buy bigass house so you can go home immediately after work and enjoy satellite tv in your bigass house.

People in CA are in traffic all the time cuz they got shit to do, places to be.

 

[zerocool84]

Higher quality is insane home prices and rage inducing traffic? I'll pass.

Didn't realize their 6 figure salaries were considered failures these days. That money just goes a whole lot further away from "desirable" areas, which makes it pretty damn desirable. Plus we enjoy 1-2 hours extra of life each day not spent in traffic.

We get to wear a t-shirt and shorts 12 months out of the year. We don't have to worry about shoveling our driveway or winter proof anything. We can go to the beach anytime during the year. Sure it's the price we have to pay but the great weather and gorgeous women are worth it.

 

[Staples]

Been living in the Bay Area for the past 4 years. Nights are cold (I am from a hot climate) which I don't care for. Cost of living is very expensive. Climate is great for gardening if you are into that. Lots of parks and bike trails.

The city is what you make of it. I don't think the atmosphere here is any better than any other place I have lived.

 

[QueBert]

I've lived in CA most of my life, I don't even want to leave here when it comes time to vacation. So most of my vacations are elsewhere in the state. Live in another state? FUCK THAT I don't even want to visit anywhere else, thanks.

Yeah I was sitting in traffic on the 91 the other day, like WTFBBQSAUCE bad (1 hour to go 15 miles) it made me think about how I could live for pennies on the dollar compared to here in a state like Wisconsin and not have to deal with traffic. I spent a good minute dwelling on it, but then I ponder how it was probably freezing, or colder there. So as I sat in traffic in my roadster with my top down, I looked up into the 72 degree sky and just had to crack a smile.

Even the traffic is worth it imho.

 

[RockinZ28]

We get to wear a t-shirt and shorts 12 months out of the year. We don't have to worry about shoveling our driveway or winter proof anything. We can go to the beach anytime during the year. Sure it's the price we have to pay but the great weather and gorgeous women are worth it.

I'll give you that, the women are way hotter in LA. Some real beasts out here. I'm married though so meh. And I do miss wearing my beloved flip flops all the time.

Actually prefer the cold though. Not sub zero bs, but a nice 20-30 F. All the locals out here gripe about how horrible this winter has been. Has been weak sauce here imo save for a few days.

 

[AznAnarchy99]

I've lived in CA most of my life, I don't even want to leave here when it comes time to vacation. So most of my vacations are elsewhere in the state. Live in another state? FUCK THAT I don't even want to visit anywhere else, thanks...

Yup, born and raised here. I lived abroad for half a year in Rome and traveled around Europe. Don't get me wrong, I would live in Paris and New York for maybe a year, potentially London and Milan but there really is nothing like Cali. My main home will always be here.

 

[AViking]

Interesting summary AViking. Does San Diego have the smog problem LA area has?

First off smog in LA was a thing I dealt with as a kid but they cleaned it up probably in the 90's so 20 years ago. It's got the same air as pretty much any major metro area nowadays. Not great but not as bad as it used to be. I remember the days where you could barely see the sun thought this thick haze. Unfortunately LA is kinda in a bowl so there's always going to be smog. If you're coming from a small town in the midwest then just about any city in CA will be smoggy to you.

I used to go whale watching in San Diego and off the coast you could clearly see a thin layer of smog over the city but it's not that bad. I'd call it pretty clean.

 

[AViking]

We get to wear a t-shirt and shorts 12 months out of the year. We don't have to worry about shoveling our driveway or winter proof anything. We can go to the beach anytime during the year. Sure it's the price we have to pay but the great weather and gorgeous women are worth it.

Slightly misleading. San Diego? Yeah I wore a t-shirt, shorts, and flip flops about 360 days a year. I lived there during droughts though and it only got 1 inch of rain or maybe less per year. I never had that kind of luck in LA. Those aqueducts are there for a reason. That water needs to get out of the city.

On a normal year LA gets about twice the rain San Diego does. Both have about 40 days of rain. Still amazing.

So the stereotype is really only applicable to drought years.

I used to surf in LA and the winter months had a lot of empty beaches. Yeah Santa Monica had some tourists and I'm sure there were a few others but the water is cold and it's not exactly beach weather for a bunch of months of the year. It's a bit better in San Diego. Kinda surprising how much different really considering how close those two cities really are.

Northern CA is wet and cold for months on end. San Francisco can be very cold year round. I used to keep extra clothes in my trunk for when I went into the city. Just crossing the bridge is a complete climate change.

As far as what we get to worry about lets be realistic about life in CA. Forrest fires, Earthquakes, Floods. I had to deal with them on a regular basis. Doesn't bother me one bit but for others they might rather shovel snow and freeze their ass off.

 

[AViking]

Oh and gorgeous women? Yeah. Although Stockholm is a giant step up

 

[uclaLabrat]

Oh and gorgeous women? Yeah. Although Stockholm is a giant step up

How can you tell when they're bundled up for like 9 months out of the year?

 

[Tweak155]

First off smog in LA was a thing I dealt with as a kid but they cleaned it up probably in the 90's so 20 years ago. It's got the same air as pretty much any major metro area nowadays. Not great but not as bad as it used to be. I remember the days where you could barely see the sun thought this thick haze. Unfortunately LA is kinda in a bowl so there's always going to be smog. If you're coming from a small town in the midwest then just about any city in CA will be smoggy to you.

I used to go whale watching in San Diego and off the coast you could clearly see a thin layer of smog over the city but it's not that bad. I'd call it pretty clean.

It was noticeable when I was there, although not terrible. I live (right) near Detroit so it's not like I'm in the middle of nowhere.

Overall I'm used to living in Michigan so all this complaining about freezing / shoveling snow just sounds like whining, it's really not bad at all. Unless you have some massive sidewalk / driveway to do, you can be done in 15mins even without a snow thrower.

The biggest problem to me are the idiots who don't know how to drive in the snow and cause traffic problems.

I pretty much agree with the people who stated there are pluses and minuses to any area. You guys keep focusing on winter but the fall season around here is amazing and is easily the best outdoor setting I've experienced anywhere. I'm not really promoting living here though, it's just not all bad as people try to make it sound. I stay here due to family being here.

Considering the OP has been in Chicago it sounds like for the majority of his life (?), why not give it a shot though and see what you think? Just have to stick with which you appreciate more.

 

[SlickSnake]

"Is California Worth The Hype?"

You tell me. Is radiation worth the buzz?

 

[Drako]

I moved to California right out of college in 1981, and have never looked back.

I do go back to OH/PA/NY occasionally to visit family and friends. My brother and I also do the yearly pilgrimage back to Ohio State for a football game every fall.

 

[Ns1]

This is what I'm looking at right now; only in CA: the medical marijuana dispensary next to the crossfit gym has a valet

 

[CountZero]

It is worth checking out for yourself.

Every place in this country with people living there will have folks that love it, hate it or are indifferent. Whether or not SF is a place you'd like is nearly impossible to say. No place is across the board perfect for everyone.

Since you can try it out with relatively little risk I think it would be foolish not to. If you end up hating it, great, now you know. I can't imagine constantly swapping locations but I think living in a city for a few months would be a great way to get perspective on what you do or don't like about your current living situation and a great way to explore a city in far more depth than a short vacation would allow.

 

[JulesMaximus]

It is 82 degrees and sunny here today.

 

[SlickSnake]

It is 82 degrees and sunny here today.

I'm more interested in what your Geiger counter says, tho. That might reveal 20 degrees of that ain't exactly the sun heating you up.

 

[xeemzor]

It was noticeable when I was there, although not terrible. I live (right) near Detroit so it's not like I'm in the middle of nowhere.

Overall I'm used to living in Michigan so all this complaining about freezing / shoveling snow just sounds like whining, it's really not bad at all. Unless you have some massive sidewalk / driveway to do, you can be done in 15mins even without a snow thrower.

The biggest problem to me are the idiots who don't know how to drive in the snow and cause traffic problems.

I pretty much agree with the people who stated there are pluses and minuses to any area. You guys keep focusing on winter but the fall season around here is amazing and is easily the best outdoor setting I've experienced anywhere. I'm not really promoting living here though, it's just not all bad as people try to make it sound. I stay here due to family being here.

Considering the OP has been in Chicago it sounds like for the majority of his life (?), why not give it a shot though and see what you think? Just have to stick with which you appreciate more.

Chicago has a unique living situation that makes snow far less ideal than Michigan if you don't have an indoor garage. I'm so sick of having to spend an hour shoveling out my car every 3 days or walking a mile+ back home with groceries in the snow. Even leasing garage access in my neighborhood would be of little use because Chicago doesn't plow alleys.

Either way, I have to wait until my annual review in May before I can request a winter temporary relocation.

 

[Tweak155]

Chicago has a unique living situation that makes snow far less ideal than Michigan if you don't have an indoor garage. I'm so sick of having to spend an hour shoveling out my car every 3 days or walking a mile+ back home with groceries in the snow. Even leasing garage access in my neighborhood would be of little use because Chicago doesn't plow alleys.

Either way, I have to wait until my annual review in May before I can request a winter temporary relocation.

I have an indoor garage but don't use it currently for the 2 vehicles we use...

I had to shovel one of my vehicles out once this winter and that's after we got it going. Other than that you keep your driveway cleared and park your cars in the driveway. Just takes a little bit of forward thinking and work.

It also helps to have a 4wd vehicle. I had to drop my wife off at work one day this year, but we work 3 miles apart.