Tell Me What It's like.....California!

I grew up in Southern Calif and graduated from UCLA...I have roller bladed all over Santa Monica and Venice for years.

In general life is very, VERY fast paced....very competitive, being thin with big boobs and anorexic will always be considered the 'in' look.

There is way too much emphasis on looks, way too much crime, too much exploitation of the poor, horrible medical system, horrible smog, horrible traffic - but fantastic cheap Mexican food

I am not exaggerating when I say that 99.9% of the population is on a perpetual diet, or a new fad diet, or a new cleansing diet, or a new exercise program, or a new health kick. The only % not on a diet or talking about their weight 24/7 are the cancer patients.

Go visit for a summer so you can experience Hollywood, Venice Beach, Santa Monica, the museums, the beaches, the pro sports, the music and entertainment industry at it height. You will be glad to go home.

I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area in a town called Fremont, CA. It was a wonderful place to be and to this day I still consider it home. Frisco has so many sites to see: China Town, the Cable Cars to ride, Knob Hill and Golden Gate Park still closes down each Sunday for only bike riders, joggers/walkers or skating. The Coastline is superb and I lived in Pacifica, Half Moon Bay, Santa Cruz as well as Placerville which is the foothills to Lake Tahoe. You have Ocean, Desert and Mountains all in one big beautiful state. If ever you go to Frisco, don't forget Ghiradelli Square or the Fishermans Wharf. Have fun, because you will.

Depends on where you live. I lived in Novato, which was just north of San Francisco. GORGEOUS!

Oh boy, I'm gonna struggle to keep this short!
I live in the bay area, about 15 miles from San Francisco, and about 5 miles from Berkeley.
Love...
the diversity, especially in terms of tolerance of gays, the weather, the geography (mountains, beaches, redwoods, wine country, agriculture, deserts, plains, rivers, valleys, ALL within a day's drive) the arts, the culture, professional sports, restaurants, some of the nation's best universities, hospitals and research centers, I could go on and on...
Hate...
state government and politics (we are so diverse we can't seem to agree on anything!) and the cost of living. I live in a nice (3,000 sq ft, built in 1960, fully updated/remodeled) suburban house that almost anywhere else would come with a large barn and several acres.
Southern California is more conservative politically, and the cities are way more crowded, but with many beautiful areas as well.
I love living here, and we have always reminded our children, especially during those times we are driving into the city on a particularly beautiful day, people come from all over the world to visit this place, you LIVE in a world class tourist destination, enjoy it, appreciate it...and we do :)

I live just outside of Sacramento. We are an ag town, and surrounded by corn and tomato fields. Right now, it is sunny and 65 degrees. I love where I live, about two hours from snowy mountains, two hours from sandy beaches!

Depends a lot on what part of CA you live in. Bay Area (San Francisco, San Jose, Oakland, etc) is different than Southern CA (LA, Orange County and San Diego).

I've lived pretty much my entire life in Southern CA. Grew up in Irvine, then 14 years in LA (Westside), now I'm back raising my family in Irvine. I can't imagine living anywhere else. I love it here. The weather is fantastic. For the last couple of weeks, it's been 70-80 degrees almost every day. Can't get that in too many other places in January. : )

Where I live in Irvine, the schools are fantastic. There are parks everywhere. You can be at the beach in 20 minutes or skiing in the mountains in under two hours. We've got Disneyland, Sea World, Legoland, The San Diego Zoo, Universal Studios, great children's museums and so much more.

As a mother, I am much happier living int he suburbs than I was living with a young son in LA. Life is so easy with shopping centers on every corner, schools, parks, etc. LA is so much busier, plus the schools aren't nearly as good so a lot of people want to send their kids to private schools. It's more expensive too - everything from preschool on up costs more.

I love it here!

I grew up in CA and can say it is a beautiful place, but I am glad I dont live there anymore. I grew up in the bay area. Gorgeous, not far from San Francisco, lots to do. The weather is perfect....if you dont like seasons. It is very crowded too. There arent movie stars walking around everywhere and there isnt a beach right outside your front door (although it usually isnt too far, depending on where you live) Every state has its own beauty :-)

I grew up in Marin County, north of San Francisco. Beautiful, safe, picturesque, and ridiculously overpriced - everything.

I wouldn't touch the LA area with 10 foot pole, personally. On top of the high housing prices, the traffic is atrocious & the air quality is awful.

I loved growing up where I did. I could never afford to live there, though. I like to visit & then come back to my cheap rent & cost of living.

If you want to live in a big city in CA, you WILL have a high housing cost. That's just how it is. An apartment in San Francisco could run you a cool million dollars.

All that being said, if you chose somewhere a couple hours away from the big city, you would get more back for your buck & still have relatively close access to a big city. Do your research, though, because, yes, there are ghettos & poverty in CA, despite what TV shows you.

Hey C.,

Well, I can probably tell you a little bit. My husband and myself are California natives, from the Los Angeles area. We did, however, relocate to metro Atlanta, GA about six years ago. However, prior to then, we lived in SoCal for 41 and 42 years, respectively.

California is beautiful. The weather is temperate. The cost of living, however, is atrociously high. I would assume that in Conroe, TX, you live in a fairly nice-sized home. In California, your home would be extremely expensive. California is also in the middle of budget hell. The state is having to make cutbacks right, left and sideways, starting with very necessary things, like education. In my sister's school district in fact, where her 15-year old son is a freshman, the junior high school he just graduated from cut 14 teachers in a period of two months. Since California enjoyed the fruits of the mortgage boom the most, it would serve that when that came crashing down, they were hit quite hard.

Finding a job in California is probably much more difficult than it once was. Again, since the economy is so battered, so too is the labor market most likely.

You wanna aim your thoughts at a famous and big city? Think about Atlanta, GA. This place is a melting pot of cultures and people who move here from all over the place.

Anyhow, that's my two cents about the Golden State. Very pretty place, in parts, but ya wouldn't wanna live there, ya know what I mean?

E.

I'm a Northern Californian, born and raised. I'm here to tell you, there is nowhere on Earth that is better than San Francisco. Nowhere. (Okay, I do have a fondness for Paris. I guess if I could live there, I would.)

We have great weather, beautiful scenery, museums, architecture, restaurants, shopping, pro sports teams (how about those Niners!), diversity/tolerance. I know we could live somewhere else in the country and it would be cheaper, but I can't imagine why I would want to leave Northern CA.

Come visit San Francisco on your next vacation! You won't regret it!

Aside from SF, Yosemite should be on everyone's bucket list. I promise you've never seen anything like it in your life - truly majestic and breathtaking.

Where else? I don't love LA. It has its upsides, but the traffic is god-awful and the air tends to be very polluted because of it. (But it does have Disneyland!) I love San Diego. And if you like to ski - there's always Tahoe! Some of the best skiing on earth (well, not this season - yet anyway).

There are MANY different regions.... in California. And they are not all the same.
So, you gotta narrow it down.

I have lived in California. Southern California.
It was fine for a time.
Then I didn't like it.

Again, California is a big State with many different areas/environments/people and its own regional personality and weather.

I lived in San Diego for a year and a half. I loved it there. It has the best weather you are ever going to fine. I have lived in Florida most of my life, but I can say that it even beats Florida when it comes to great weather. No humidity in the summer. The beaches are great, if you can get over the cold water even in the summer. There is a ton to do there for families.

I lived in San Diego. there is no beating the weather, which made it nice. Weekends at the beach... which was nice! L.A. was close and we often ate dinner in Mexico. At that time you could get cheap flights to San Francisco or Las Vegas. All was nice, but housing was crazy. Few homes were air conditioned, which was a problem sometimes. We moved so that we could own a nice home.

OH MY GOD!!! LIKE TOTALLY FOR SURE!!! :)

I have lived in San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Each are different...each have their "own" thing...

San Diego - truly mild and moderate temperatures...it has snowed - it did December 1976 - I think we got 6" of snow...it was wonderful and the whole city was frozen and didn't know what to do... the W. Animal Park, Sea World, Coronado Bay, Mira Mar Naval Air Station...Felicita Park (must be a drug haven now!!! LOL!!) San Diego Zoo - greatest zoo on earth!! Mission Bay, La Jolla beach....not to mention Imperial Valley for desert fun!!!

Los Angeles - Valley Girl...soooo where do I start? Hollywood? Coastal is VERY different than in-land...Santa Ana winds...Disneyland, Zuma, Newport (was known as Zooport when I lived there), Universal Studios, Beverly Hills....Mt Baldy (Black Diamond skiing), Big Bear, lots to do for everyone....

San Francisco - Pier 41, Alcatraz, FOG - lots of FOG...valleys - wine vineywards in the inland...hills and more hills...
Sacramento - further inland and about 45 miles from San Francisco - maybe more...farms...

Then you have Silicon Valley - that's a whole 'nother beast...
Modesto - farm valley...

What are you looking for in your dream? Are you thinking it's like a TV show? It's like anywhere else - it has a lot of positives and a lot of negatives ...it all depends upon what you are looking for in your dream....

Mommyc is 100 percent correct about the perks. Unless you are talking about the coastal cities CA is like a lot of other states. The major coastal areas that you think of when you think CA are great....if you have the income to support it. Think about the life style you have now in Texas... take your income and multiple your income by 1.75. This is how much it would take to maintain the same lifestyle. If you have the money (I'm not talking about being rich) then it is a great place because it offers so much. If you don't then it can be a major struggle because it is easier to fall behind. Check out real estate websites or rental websites to get an idea if it is something you can accomplish.

I'm a native Dallasite but lived for almost two years in Roseville, just outside of Sacramento.
The pros; you can be at the coast or up in the mountains within 1 hour. We would spend Saturdays driving north and touring all of the olive farms and nut farms. You could actually get decent New York style bagels and bialys. The seafood was fantastic. It didn't rain all summer so you could actually plan things on the weekends. It wasn't oppressively hot or dry either. The winter in our area was cold and foggy but bearable.
The cons; expensive. I was looking forward to a lot of fresh California produce at cheap prices. There was none; it was all shipped out to other states. What was left was very pricey. Most of everything was very pricey. I have no idea how most of the population could even afford rent, it was so inflated. New Jersey's cheaper. And California tends to be the granola bar magnet of the nation; full of fruits, nuts and flakes. A lot of "alternative lifestylers," It was a given that you were going to a counseler or were involved in an alternative religion(?). There were some nice, normal people, but even more who were very different or just self-aborbed. I'd just visit.

I don't like California. Too many people, costs too much, air quality sucks, terrible traffic, ridiculous laws, high taxes, the most vain place I've ever been in my life.

The weather is nice, I suppose.

I'm from Northern California. There are some really beautiful places, but then you have to deal with the people. I'm not a fan of the people. I think they are self absorbed and rude. Which, is everywhere really. It seems worse there.

I have not read answers below, as to not bias my answer.

I am from Texas. Have been in Texas off and on more than half my life. But my husband moved to Texas from California. All of my in-laws live there. We visit once or twice a year. IMO, the only thing California has going for it - is the nice weater,beautiful flowers, and the blue ocean. And not everywhere in CA has nice weather.

(so many of our friends in CA have foreclosed on their homes. Most/All of them, btw (because I mention smog and dumb rules) live in the Riverside/Anaheim/Yorba Linda area, I think it's south of LA)

Traffic, smog, expense, dumb laws, dumb rules, dumb taxes, restrictions on your rights - maybe ones you take for granted here in Texas. All those reasons are reason-enough for me to stay here in Texas!

HOLY COW!!! Girl, it's not all that (talking about Los Angeles here). TRULY. You should really go for a visit, so you can be relieved not to live there. OK, I'm not being fair, I have several good friends who live here and LOVE it. The reasons I personally wanted to gouge my own eyes out the entire time I lived there for six years (Hollywood, Sliver Lake, Los Feliz-cutest areas, but still not too cute) were these:

It's ugly. The WORST architecture (or lack thereof) in the entire world. I'm an Air Force brat, and I've been around. But if you want to sit and stare at mini malls at every intersection waiting to turn left a hundred times a day, you might like the scenery.

HIDEOUS smog.

HIDEOUS TRAFFIC and it gets worse every year! I thought it was unbearable in the early 90's, but when I go back to visit, I'm astounded at how much worse it is.

Terrible People ratio (and even my friends there admit this). For every 20 people you meet there, 18 will be snotty jerks. You may eventually find a small crew of nice people if you're there long enough, maybe, but anywhere else I've lived, the ratio is reversed, and only a few people of every 20 will be jerks. LOTS AND LOTS of people are very shallow jerks there.

It's basically a massive, sprawling segregated suburb through which you must isolate yourself and drive mega hours every day to get anywhere (maybe that's why people are socially impaired). The subway is very limited. There was a funny moment on Melrose (corny shopping strip with no good stores) where some European tourists asked me, "Where is downtown?" because they wanted to see, you know, a proper city center or something (this was before they tried to "revitalize" crappy downtown LA which is now pricy lofts amid skid row and a few stores) and it was like, to myself, "oops, you guys visited the wrong city, there is nothing to see here".

There is very little culture for a "metropolitan city". Driving to Beverly Hills is lame and tacky. The beach is lame and no one really goes often even thoguh everyone says they love the beach. Venice is a dump and Malibu is just big celebrity homes to drive past, with nowhere to hang out. Santa Monica is meh. All the celebs are quarantined in elite areas and you never see them, unlike NY where they walk by all the time.

I could list endless more points, but I hate even remembering it. ALTHOUGH, people who move there from worse places seem to like it OK. But there isn't one aspect of living there that isn't ten times better elsewhere. Except their Mexican food. That's yummy. But in Texas you should be covered for that.

My friends all like it because they're wealthy and have nice homes and cars and a little friend bubble to dwell in and they can't stand cold and they don't like culture or interacting with "strangers".

But I'm an NYC lover all about crowds, bustle, culture, subways, harsh weather, witty, friendly, down to earth people, and tons of action. I also like rural living. But LA is like a weird middle ground. My LA friends can't take NYC for long without complaining though. Their lists of why NYC sucks is just as long :)

San Francisco and parts of Northern CA are nice. If you're loaded and don't mind earthquakes.

What's it like living in California? I guess it depends on where you live...

Like Lippy Lu, I grew up in Fremont...as the town grew my dad moved us a few miles north, to Pleasanton. It is an adorable town with a little downtown, but as Silicon Valley has grown up around it, we have felt the growing pains. Yes, real estate prices are astronomical, but if you are born here and get your first job and buy your first (tiny) home in the local economy, you don't know any different!

I agree with what many people say about the attitude of SOME residents. Some of them act as if they are brilliant investors because they happened to buy a home and then prices were unrealistically jacked up and they now live in an uber-desirable area. But in addition to thanking themselves they ought to thank all of the worker bees slaving away in Silicon Valley who make this area such a magnet for investment capital.

You COULD move here C.. There would be things you would like and things you would hate, I'm sure. I have lived in Fremont, Pleasanton, San Francisco, Paris and Belgium (Ghent), and I just know that Pleasanton is for me. It's gotta be California, at least for part of the year. I would miss the diversity of people, the landscape, the wine, even the Silicon Valley rat race-- because it is EXCITING to watch all this stuff being invented.

I am one of the cheapest people I know and yet I am willing to spend a lot more on taxes and housing than I need to--so there has got to be something, right?
PS I travel for a living and have found the people in Texas to be very cool-- along with the folks from NY, NJ and Phillly...just my top 4 ; )