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wearyourtruth
Mar 29, 2005, 4:30 PM
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so i'm a college student with a little over one semester left and i'm starting to look for where i want to be after i graduate. recently i've been thinking a LOT of California with the proximity to beaches, cities, and CLIMBING! here in lubbock i'm 4 hours away from climbing, 5 hours away from any major city, and 11 hours away from the crappiest beaches in america (gulf of mexico).
so i'm taking a trip out there this summer, get some climbing in, look into job locations, see if i really want to be there, but EVERYONE i have ever told about going to california tell me that it's going to run me into the ground financially. is it really that bad? everywhere? i'm not looking to live in LA or up in the hollywood hills. i just want to be close to places like Yosemite and J-Tree.
so how is it living out there? i'm just looking for anything from people with experience. where do/did you live? how was the cost of living? how was the climbing? etc.
thanks!
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areuinclimber
Mar 29, 2005, 4:36 PM
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it is expensive out here but there are places that are somewhat affordable (in the east bay area if you want to be close to j and yos). these places will involve heinous commutes/traffic. what field are you going in to? a small house in the main bay area (actually close to the bay) is around 300k which is pretty expensive, an aprtment not in the ghetto and with more than one room is around 1100+ a month. so you be the judge. housing around here gets cheaper as you move away from the bay area,
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csproul
Mar 29, 2005, 4:45 PM
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I think it can depend on what you do for a living, but I work in biotech and the companies here seem to compensate well enough ot help out the cost of living. The big difference is in the price of housing (rent or owning), and it is pretty high everywhere around here. I live about 45 min- 1 hr northwest of LA on the way to Ventura, and the cost of housing is a shock, but we've made it work. As far as climbing, the local stuff is not that good in my opinion. There are a couple small ok areas nearby, but for the most part climbing means a weekend roadtrip for me. The bad thing is that good climbing is a three to six hour drive. The good thing is that these areas are outstanding and there is world class climbing at any time during the year. So it's got upsides and downsides...at times I love it, other times sitting in traffic I wish I were back in Colorado.
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padge
Mar 29, 2005, 4:52 PM
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I live in Sonoma County, about one hour north of San Francisco. The average home cost about $550,000. You'll find that regular goods are about the same most places (cars, TV's, etc.). The closer you get to the big cities the more the cost of living is. Luckily though most of the climbing is away from the cities. You can live just about anywhere in the state and be close enough for weekend trips to Yosemite, Joshua Tree, Tahoe, Northern Cal. Limestone.
You migh want to check out are the sierra foothills in the Sacramento area, there is good access to jobs and trips to the mountains for skiing and climbing are pretty easy.
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dingus
Mar 29, 2005, 5:01 PM
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Article in my local paper today, about housing prices:
2003 numbers (even more of a delta here in 2005)...
Median price homes in:
Oklahoma - $115,000
Kentucky - $140,000
US - $188,000
California - $341,000!
Now that is the median. Its up to about $380,000 now here in my town.
Gas costs more here, we have designer gas so production is an issue. We are always on the high side of gasoline prices nationwide, $2.41 a gallon in San Fran just yesterday.
Milk cost more here, the farm lobby in California is a force to be reckoned with. They get special dispensation from the Fed and Cal too, and still gripe about how hard it is to be millionaire farmers, lol! Cali grows half of the nations truck crops and a lot of people from elsewhere don't realize how that translates to farm land and water usage realities. In pratical terms it doesn't mean jack shit though.
Ratio of afforable housing / good jobs is poor, because lots of folks want to come here, just like you. So to get an affordable house people are willing to live a long way from work. I think that is a suck ass existence.
Remember the movie California Dreamin?
It ain't like that.
Cept at the end of the movie, where the hero is standing in the rain by the power plant down on the beach, with his whole world turned upside down and gray.
Cept it ain't like that either.
But living on the beach and climbing every day (and surfing when the tide is in) is a fairly non existent pipe dream *for most.* Yes there are those golden men and women who appear to have it all and bile in your coffee, many of them do! But for the 1 million Californians that have ot made, there are another 33 million of us who only occasionally pretend it is so!
In order to live here at all, many of us live in Sacramento, Fresno, Bakersfield, places like this, which have more in common with Texas than Long Beach (they really do). Compromise, in other words.
All that aside my friend, you can live your dream. Just do it. I came here about 20 years ago with 2 suitcases and $500 bucks, and I'm still here, own a house, have a great family and have made Californication my way of life.
Its a great place. Went skiing Friday, sport climbing Saturday and hiking with the kids on Sunday. I live in a burb and have 2 cars in the driveway, same as my neighbors.
Cheers
DMT
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sspssp
Mar 29, 2005, 5:29 PM
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Yea, California is more expensive than most parts of the country, but it varies dramatically. For instance, the stuff around the Bay area is outrageous. But if you are willing to live in Fresno or Bakersfield (or similar areas), you can find much, cheaper places. Wages tend to be a bit higher also.
Merced or Modesto are both close to Yosemite and much more affordable.
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sactownclimber
Mar 29, 2005, 5:29 PM
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I've been here my whole life . . . and love it. I went to school in the Bay Area, and it's expensive as heck. After school I moved to Sacramento and financially speaking, it is more reasonable to live here. I love the proximity I have to everything-- 1.5 hours from Tahoe (skiing in the winter and tons of climbing), just a few hours from Bishop, a few hours from Yosemite, etc . . . 8 - 9 hours from Joshua Tree, some for Smith Rock in Oregon . . . you get the idea. There is so much good climbing to be had here . . . I can't think of anywhere else I'd rather live.
Edit: Coincidentally, my girlfriend recently moved out here from PA. She initially came for a 10-month job to take a break from school, but decided she loved it so much out here she didn't want to move back east when she was done.
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hasbeen
Mar 29, 2005, 5:35 PM
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Yeah, but you've got Bobby Knight. If you move here you're going to have to get used to poor fundamental basketball, primadonna players, and teamd that don't get back on D. It can be shocking and you might find yourself throwing chairs across bars and restaurants.
Hey, where can I buy something to live in around here that I don't have to put gas in for $341,000? I'm ready to sign.
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fire_eyes
Mar 29, 2005, 6:11 PM
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Expensive or not, straight outta school you can make the adjustment. Live within your means, wherever you go and you will be happier. I love California. Specifically southern Cali. I live in Redlands, a beautiful little town just 1 hour west of Josh. I am near mountains and beaches, the city of LA (where most of my work comes from) yet still in a peaceful suburb far enough to avoid too much madness, close enough to make a decent living, where my son attends a blue ribbon public school. Pretty sweet.
I lived in New York City for 9 years after school. That's a place I'd never live again. Talk about expensive...
Follow your heart, live your dreams, work hard and you'll find what is right for you. If you think California is where you want to live, weigh your options, put out your resume and good luck!!
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maculated
Mar 29, 2005, 6:16 PM
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It depends on your goals. When I moved to Mammoth, I knew the cost of living was atrocious, but it was worth paying inflated rent, groceries, utilities ($150/mo for power) to live that life for me at that time.
It is nigh impossible to buy a home here without two incomes right now .. . but since you're out of college, that's probably not a major priority. If you want to experience California, there's no better time to do it than straight out of college - you're free, the jobs are there, and this is the land of immigrants from other states for a reason.
I love living in California, and I love living in my town, but the fact that my 3 bedroom hovel (and really, it's a one bedroom with enclosed patios) ridden with termites and ramshackle repairs just sold for 1.5 million tells me that if I ever want to own a place, I'd either get on the investment bandwagon or move way, and quick. There are other comparable places to live depending on where you are - if you don't plan on USING the ocean, being in close proximity to it is not a huge issue.
But yes, the choice climbing is all here . . . you can climb almost every day if you are inventive enough.
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jt512
Mar 29, 2005, 7:05 PM
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In reply to: Expensive or not, straight outta school you can make the adjustment. Live within your means, wherever you go and you will be happier. I love California. Specifically southern Cali. I live in Redlands, a beautiful little town just 1 hour west of Josh. I am near mountains and beaches, the city of LA (where most of my work comes from) yet still in a peaceful suburb far enough to avoid too much madness, close enough to make a decent living, where my son attends a blue ribbon public school. Pretty sweet.
The Inland Empire (of which Redlands is a part) is, for the time being, still affordable. Judging by the amount of development out here right now, housing prices will be on the rise. Probably a good time to buy a house (or a shopping center). From a cultural standpoint, the IE sucks, and much of the area is low on the socio-economic scale, so you have to pick your spots. Redlands is a charming little town, indeed. We are close to a lot of climbing, some of it, like J Tree, classic, if not world-class. Within a 1.5-hr drive are a dozen climbing areas, including sport, trad, and bouldering. Bishop, Red Rocks, and Yosemite are only a little further away.
-Jay
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ddarko34
Mar 29, 2005, 7:39 PM
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u want to live in cali? make lots of money. both norcal and socal are good spots (socal = j-tree, RR, bishop; norcal = tahoe, yosemite). housing's expensive. cost of living is expensive too. might be a a little faster pace of lifestyle, but u'll love it here.
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joseph_y
Mar 30, 2005, 2:30 AM
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You don't want to live in Cali there nothing to climb here its flat and what rock there is, is trash. j/k its the best you'll ever find do it now while your young learn to invest early and you can have a great life here. I live in Sherman Oaks and commute 15 mins to Beverly Hills for work. If you have a goood job the cost of living won't be as bad as everyone says. It cost more to live here but you can make more also. I use to live in Nor-Cal and sew for Yates and I made a living and climbed alot now I live in So-cal and I make a living and climb. I also just bought 10 acres in Nor-Cal and have a rent payment here. So it can be done you just have to go for it. Its like redpointing a route its hard you have to work hard for it but the rewards are there and it can get easier after working at it.
joseph
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gretchino
Mar 30, 2005, 2:59 AM
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Ok, I'll make the San Diego comment. Granted, this is merely my opinion. I'm trying to get the frick outta here. I've lived in SD since 1978 and have seen some MAJOR changes.
Both my boyfriend and I have very good paying jobs and still cannot afford to buy a house. I work 6.5 miles from where I live and could get to work faster if I walked (which, I can't do because there aren't any fricken sidewalks or decent bike paths where I am). The traffic here is some of the worst I've seen and the public transit system is non-existant for most of the county...don't even get me started on the gas prices down here.
Coming right out of college, your goals are not going to be the same as mine (trying to tie down the boyfriend and buy a house) so you definitely can find roomates to live with in an area where you could potentially be close to your job and not have to fight on the freeways (difficult to find, but definitely possible).
Most of my time climbing is in Jtree and some of the local areas in SD (there are some good one's buy you have to know where to go to avoid the crowds). If we want to get to Red Rocks or Bishop where there is excellent climbing as well, we really need an extended weekend because of all the time on the road.
I've found over the years San Diego has begun to get the 'cold' feeling in the way of friendliness. My boyfriend and I are always complaing about how it feels like everyone is out to kill us here. Whether it's on the road, in the supermarket, or even on the mtn biking trails...it's just getting too croweded for us.
I'm sure you'll get some retorts to my entry and they will be valid. San Diego is a GORGEOUS place to live....just be willing to get paid in 'Sunshine' dollars when you get your job out here. :wink:
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epicsaga
Mar 30, 2005, 5:12 AM
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crime, high prices, smog, traffic, mean people and no jobs
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le_bruce
Mar 30, 2005, 6:19 AM
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Important to mention that California has some of the best burritos this side of Quintana Roo. Ruben's Burritos, in Ojai, is reason enough to move to Southern California. Wash it down with the horchata.
I mean it.
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rokjunky
Mar 30, 2005, 6:38 AM
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bakersfield is central(100 mi N of LA). smoggy in the summer(and hot)but the other seasons are pretty good. cost of living, in relation to the rest of this over inflated state, is pretty good. 2 hours to the coast. great climbs and hundreds of them within a 60 mile radius. Yos is about 4 hours, Jt about 3-3 1/2 hours. bouldering on Pine Mtn nearby. if they ever really clean up the air quality around here it'll be a great place to live.
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climbalon
Mar 30, 2005, 8:26 AM
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I've lived in Los Angeles my whole life and for that reason I'll defend it. While the cost of living may be high I have to say that it is a damn good place to live. The beach is 5 minutes away, climbing of various qualities is easily an hour or two in multiple directions and once you get to know the city you'll fall in love. Be prepared to drive a lot and pay for a lot of overpriced gas if you wanna get anywhere worth getting to. But you'll never see better weather no matter where you live. Try securing a job before you come because the speed in which your money will fizzle away as you look for a job here boggles the mind. If you do get a job in LA and move here you'll never want to leave.
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crackrn
Mar 30, 2005, 11:47 PM
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In reply to: Article in my local paper today, about housing prices: 2003 numbers (even more of a delta here in 2005)... Median price homes in: Oklahoma - $115,000 Kentucky - $140,000 US - $188,000 California - $341,000! Now that is the median. Its up to about $380,000 now here in my town.
I heard a comedian's take on this: He said that calling it the median for housing prices is misleading because it implies that there is housing that is less than that! It's pretty brutal here in San Diego. Was trying to buy a condo (read, apartment) and for $300K was able to afford a 500 sqft hole on the freeway. Decided not to buy, will be moving when the BF finishes fellowship.
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jt512
Mar 31, 2005, 2:42 AM
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In reply to: In reply to: Article in my local paper today, about housing prices: 2003 numbers (even more of a delta here in 2005)... Median price homes in: Oklahoma - $115,000 Kentucky - $140,000 US - $188,000 California - $341,000! Now that is the median. Its up to about $380,000 now here in my town. I heard a comedian's take on this: He said that calling it the median for housing prices is misleading because it implies that there is housing that is less than that!
That's one mean joke, I tell ya'.
-Jay
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jerrygarcia
Mar 31, 2005, 3:06 AM
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In reply to: is it really that bad?
No
People are just jealous you want to move to California. Come join us.
.
.
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eastsidemystic
Apr 1, 2005, 7:51 PM
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yeah, california sucks. :D
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scuclimber
Apr 7, 2005, 6:16 AM
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In reply to: crime, high prices, smog, traffic, mean people and no jobs
Dude, you live in El Segundo. :wink:
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jiadar
Apr 12, 2005, 5:35 PM
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Hey -
I visited San Francisco last June and decided to stay. I landed a decent job within a week, and the market now is better than it was last year. I live with roommates in a brand new, large apartment near Twin Peaks - with an enclosed garage for all our cars and a great view- and I pay $585 a month. I moved from New Orleans - which is somewhere with a very low cost of living, and I find I am not spending much more here. I would never drive to work or live in a suburb. I work in the city and ride my bike or take the public transportation. I'm 10 minutes from surfing Ocean Beach, 20 minutes to sea kayaking and mountain biking, 2 hours to river kayaking, 3 hours to snowboarding and yosemite. If you can get a job making about $32k a year you will be fine.
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dingus
Apr 12, 2005, 5:45 PM
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In reply to: I live with roommates in a brand new, large apartment near Twin Peaks - with an enclosed garage for all our cars and a great view- and I pay $585 a month. I would never drive to work or live in a suburb. I work in the city and ride my bike or take the public transportation. I'm 10 minutes from surfing Ocean Beach, 20 minutes to sea kayaking and mountain biking, 2 hours to river kayaking, 3 hours to snowboarding and yosemite. If you can get a job making about $32k a year you will be fine.
Renting. With roomates.
And yet, getting from this state of living to owning a house and raising a family, is the crux of any California route. And it is a mighty crux.
3 hours from San Fran to Yosemite? Hahahahahahaha!
DMT
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