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Living in California

Are there any nice areas to live in California that are also affordable?

by Anonymousreply 450July 3, 2019 6:41 PM

Not really, no

by Anonymousreply 1November 20, 2018 7:47 AM

Yep. It's called Oklahoma.

by Anonymousreply 2November 20, 2018 7:54 AM

Corona, the Texas of California.

by Anonymousreply 3November 20, 2018 8:02 AM

Maybe Ventura county-ish

by Anonymousreply 4November 20, 2018 8:06 AM

NO. I have lived here my entire life, and I have never seen it this bad. Stockton, the shithole of Northern Califorrnia has rent going close to 2k for a 2 bedroom apartment. One that basically guarantees your murder, or at least bedbugs. Both if you are lucky.

by Anonymousreply 5November 20, 2018 8:08 AM

Ventura county is a: not nice and b: not affordable.

by Anonymousreply 6November 20, 2018 8:10 AM

OP is waiting, so I'll say it:

Yes, OP. In fact, I hear there's a fire sale going on.

by Anonymousreply 7November 20, 2018 8:10 AM

R7 That is the DL wit I know, love, and miss.

by Anonymousreply 8November 20, 2018 8:16 AM

Depends on what you're looking for. Parts of the Central Coast (north of Santa Barbara and south of Big Sur) are nice and there are some affordable places. But they're fairly remote (no big cities or major airports nearby.) Same goes for the north coast (say -- north of Sonoma County.) And there are nice, affordable places inland, but again -- remote, not many jobs, etc.

by Anonymousreply 9November 20, 2018 4:15 PM

Eureka/Arcata intrigues me.

by Anonymousreply 10November 20, 2018 4:17 PM

No. Don't come here.

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by Anonymousreply 11November 20, 2018 4:29 PM

California already has too many people.

by Anonymousreply 12November 20, 2018 5:45 PM

r10 It's affordable, but kind of dreary. Lots of overcast, foggy days. A long way to any major city. There's a state university in Arcata and a huge state prison (Pelican Bay) in Crescent City, but there's not much else going on.

by Anonymousreply 13November 20, 2018 7:31 PM

Azusa

by Anonymousreply 14November 20, 2018 9:25 PM

Nevada and Arizona.

by Anonymousreply 15November 20, 2018 9:28 PM

Asheville

by Anonymousreply 16November 20, 2018 9:33 PM

How’s Temecula? Have a relative there but never been tho I’ve been all over the rest of the state .

by Anonymousreply 17November 20, 2018 10:10 PM

R17, Temecula is OK. It's considered the "nicest" part of the Inland Empire. I do like that they have wineries where you can wine-tasting and there is some hiking in the area. I'm very doubtful that it's affordable though.

R13, I've passed through Eureka/Arcata a couple of times heading north up Oregon. I like the grey and drizzle up north and that it's close to the Lost Coast and redwoods. I don't know that I could ever live there, but I liked visiting some of those downtown lofts where a lot of artists live, and the proximity to the ocean is nice. I did notice a sizable hippie/panhandler/drifter-druggie type that seems to be common throughout NorCal and PNW. Definitely an interesting and quirky place to pass through though.

by Anonymousreply 18November 20, 2018 10:34 PM

But you're right that it seems like it can get dreary and depressing.

by Anonymousreply 19November 20, 2018 10:35 PM

I've heard nice things about Eureka, but when it's basically a day trip just to get to the nearest airport, I'm out.

by Anonymousreply 20November 20, 2018 10:36 PM

Death Valley

by Anonymousreply 21November 20, 2018 10:38 PM

[quote] But you're right that it seems like it can get dreary and depressing.

It'll be a whole lot more exciting when it's the next community to burn down!

by Anonymousreply 22November 20, 2018 10:38 PM

Gays need to take over Eureka and revamp it. It has potential.

by Anonymousreply 23November 20, 2018 10:43 PM

R18, the entire west coast is overrun by the hippie/panhandler/drifter/druggie and nowadays the open defecating type...was in Portland and Olympia the other day and was worse than I’ve ever seen it. Aggressive too. California is fucked. A toxic combo of rent controls in some areas and low density construction rules in all areas ensures that housing is either (i) completely unavailable or (ii) incredibly expensive. You can’t have it all.

by Anonymousreply 24November 20, 2018 10:46 PM

palm springs isnt as pricey real estate wise, and its really afordable if you go to palm desert and go condo. The desert isnt for everybody but it is a nice place in general, if you can stand the summer heat

by Anonymousreply 25November 20, 2018 10:48 PM

r3 - I have friends that live in Corona and it is just another boring Southern California suburb with thousands of faux Spanish, faux Tuscan tract homes. But it's proximity to Orange County makes it a very desirable area. You'd be hard pressed to find a house under 500k, new homes are starting around 700k and go into the millions, believe it or not.

by Anonymousreply 26November 20, 2018 10:48 PM

OP, you are in luck! The fires have depreciated the housing market throughout Southern California!!!

But seriously, Central California is really cheap. Kern County and Fresno County are purple leaning blue and people from San Francisco and Los Angeles are moving into those areas to start their own small businesses.

by Anonymousreply 27November 20, 2018 10:52 PM

Oildale.

by Anonymousreply 28November 20, 2018 10:53 PM

Oildale is the toilet of California, nothing good can come out of there unless you are chasing Bi-curious white trash gingers.

by Anonymousreply 29November 20, 2018 10:55 PM

Two weeks ago, I would have said Paradise! Pretty town set in pine woods, median home price was in the 200Ks.

But the fact is, that the only places in California that are both attractive and affordable are in the back of beyond, like along the north coast where it's a six-hour drive to the nearest city. A common topic of conversation in California workplaces is what other state or country people are going to move to when they retire, things are that bad.

by Anonymousreply 30November 20, 2018 11:08 PM

I have my sights set on Albuquerque. But I had better get to stepping because it's showing up on "best cities to xyz" lists, and already the rents are increasing.

by Anonymousreply 31November 20, 2018 11:14 PM

I’ve been here all my life as well. It is fucking awful.

by Anonymousreply 32November 20, 2018 11:19 PM

[quote] A common topic of conversation in California workplaces is what other state or country people are going to move to when they retire, things are that bad.

Yes, I had that conversation with a coworker just the other day. Neither of us will ever be able to retire here.

by Anonymousreply 33November 20, 2018 11:20 PM

After watching what went down during the election,I bless myself for living in California.

by Anonymousreply 34November 20, 2018 11:21 PM

One of my favorite drives in CA is along the Highway 395 to the right of the eastern Sierra Nevadas. Small towns like Bishop, Lone Pine, Big Pine look like they have some nice looking homes, but have never investigated the price of real estate. Of course, there are the obvious downsides in that it's pretty remote out there, that area tilts conservative red, and I would imagine jobs are scarce.

by Anonymousreply 35November 20, 2018 11:28 PM

So where in LA would a regular person live? Like a school bus driver or hair colorist or teacher or garbage collectors; you know, people who could not afford 800k for a 1100 square foot ranch.

by Anonymousreply 36November 20, 2018 11:43 PM

[Quote] I have my sights set on Albuquerque.

I went to UNM and loved it but it's not a friendly city. People are very insular there.

by Anonymousreply 37November 21, 2018 12:02 AM

[quote]palm springs isnt as pricey real estate wise, and its really afordable if you go to palm desert and go condo. The desert isnt for everybody but it is a nice place in general, if you can stand the summer heat

And (for those who require one) a well-paying job. The job market is rather bleak.

by Anonymousreply 38November 21, 2018 12:11 AM

Amboy has a bad rep, but the person I spoke to seemed perfectly nice.

by Anonymousreply 39November 21, 2018 12:13 AM

[QUOTE]I have my sights set on Albuquerque. But I had better get to stepping because it's showing up on "best cities to xyz" lists, and already the rents are increasing.

I have been living in Albuquerque for the last 3 years and love it but yeah, you better hurry. It's about to become the new "cool city" especially since Netflix is opening its first U.S .production hub here.

by Anonymousreply 40November 21, 2018 12:23 AM

[quote] first U.S .production hub here.

Second sweety. Second.

btw there are some hot Irish-hispanics in Albuquerque. Mmmmmm

by Anonymousreply 41November 21, 2018 12:56 AM

r40 Holy shit, I fucking knew it. Had no clue about the Netflix thing though. I love that city so much. THE FOOD! Amore Pizzeria! Mr Powdrell's Barbeque! I find people there to be super friendly and not in a fake way unlike the Bay Area where I am stuck paying insane rent on a shithole condo. Thanks for the input. I sort of feel like crying though knowing the window is closing fast. I want to ask you a million questions but I know this isn't the thread. I'll dig up my old ABQ specific one at some point. Sorry for kind of going OT guys!

by Anonymousreply 42November 21, 2018 12:56 AM

OP, consider El Centro.

by Anonymousreply 43November 21, 2018 12:58 AM

Here is my Albuquerque thread, please tell me anything and everything R40 and R41 and anyone else. I have to start packing! My last hijack I swear.

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by Anonymousreply 44November 21, 2018 1:00 AM

[Quote] I find people there to be super friendly

You haven't lived there yet, Jan. You sure are dim, sheeeeesh!

by Anonymousreply 45November 21, 2018 1:52 AM

Its really cheap living in Paradise right now.

by Anonymousreply 46November 21, 2018 1:55 AM

R45 Since my first trip, I've returned there several times so I have a fairly good feel about the people and the general vibe of the city. Maybe they just don't like you?

by Anonymousreply 47November 21, 2018 2:04 AM

My guess, Paradise.

by Anonymousreply 48November 21, 2018 2:13 AM

Pleasure.

by Anonymousreply 49November 21, 2018 2:27 AM

r47,

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by Anonymousreply 50November 21, 2018 2:28 AM

[quote]Are there any nice areas to live in California that are also affordable?

Nope.

by Anonymousreply 51November 21, 2018 2:33 AM

[quote]palm springs isnt as pricey real estate wise, and its really afordable if you go to palm desert and go condo. The desert isnt for everybody but it is a nice place in general, if you can stand the summer heat

If you can AFFORD the summer heat- AC bills are astronomical in Palm Springs. It is not affordable for the average bus driver or hair stylist referred to upthread. The San Fernando and San Gabriel valleys used to be affordable for the middle class, but rents have shot up along with the booming population.

by Anonymousreply 52November 21, 2018 2:38 AM

Sacramento

by Anonymousreply 53November 21, 2018 2:40 AM

Paradisem Butte County is said to be affordable.

by Anonymousreply 54November 21, 2018 2:42 AM

R50 a Sure Jan gif! So witty! So original!

R53 I've thought about Sacramento, but I find it has a strange, soulless vibe. Though not as creepy as Modesto. The entire city feels like it was built on an Indian burial ground.

by Anonymousreply 55November 21, 2018 4:12 AM

r55,

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by Anonymousreply 56November 21, 2018 4:17 AM

Scotts Valley

by Anonymousreply 57November 21, 2018 4:23 AM

Born and raised in LA. Nope. It's so fing expensive now. When I was a just out of high school (late 90s), I rented a studio in Hollywood for $400. Not 20 years later? That place - a total dump - for $2,500.

by Anonymousreply 58November 21, 2018 4:25 AM

[quote]I have my sights set on Albuquerque.

[quote]People are very insular there.

So are Los Angelenos.

by Anonymousreply 59November 21, 2018 4:27 AM

Agree, r59.

by Anonymousreply 60November 21, 2018 4:29 AM

Barstow

by Anonymousreply 61November 21, 2018 4:33 AM

R57, what??! Scotts Valley is in Santa Cruz county. It is hardly affordable.

by Anonymousreply 62November 21, 2018 4:35 AM

What about San Diego?

by Anonymousreply 63November 21, 2018 4:43 AM

Orange County went blue (all 7 districts!) this month at the polls! It's expensive AF there, but it's pretty and now less Repuggy.

by Anonymousreply 64November 21, 2018 4:49 AM

R63 I've thought about San Diego too. There was a good thread on it not too long ago:

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by Anonymousreply 65November 21, 2018 4:50 AM

I'm a native Californian, born in SF, lived on the Peninsula and SF before moving to Sonoma County 28 years ago.

North of Sonoma County to Oregon is pretty remote but there are affordable (and isolated) towns and communities that I find rather appealing. Willits is one. Kind of an old hippie town in the redwoods in Mendocino County. I also like Arcata and Eureka. Again, isolated but OK if you have no need to travel elsewhere very often. The Sacramento area is known to be affordable with many from the Bay Area moving there. Lots of jobs, too. I imagine real estate values are rising but there is more room for growth.

The East Bay keeps developing eastward. Places like Concord used to be affordable but probably not so much now.

We have a severe housing shortage in Sonoma County in part because people legislated to curb development. We have lots of open space and agriculture that is protected from development but that's starting to change with smarter development practices. Still expensive though.

Some of my nieces and nephews in the Bay Area are starting to leave the state after college. But my family has been here a long time, we've built some wealth from buying real estate back when it was affordable, and passing it on to heirs. That's how a lot of the old timers hang on, or you need a really high-paying career. If you're lucky, you're an old timer with a high paying career. You have to hustle to hang on here. Still, lots of newcomers coming in, immigrants from around the world, too. They work hard and pool their resources. Living conditions are stressful and crowded for many of them. And every town has it's cheaper, unsafe neighborhoods.

by Anonymousreply 66November 21, 2018 4:54 AM

R66 again. Not every town has cheap neighborhoods, but many in big cities do (smaller places, too). Many are changing for the better simply because there are deals still to be had.

by Anonymousreply 67November 21, 2018 4:56 AM

I have a client who is renting a room on skid row in LA. It is the size of a regular bedroon with a hot plate and a small bathroom. It’d $950. On skid row. The housing situation in LA is scary.

by Anonymousreply 68November 21, 2018 5:13 AM

Why the fuck would you move to a state that has been in drought for years? Are you stupid?

by Anonymousreply 69November 21, 2018 5:44 AM

Anyone been to Weed, Ca ?

by Anonymousreply 70November 21, 2018 5:47 AM

I don't know who you are addressing that question to r69 but California has been in a drought for years, what is your point?

by Anonymousreply 71November 21, 2018 5:55 AM

Palos Verdes seems well priced.

by Anonymousreply 72November 21, 2018 6:10 AM

It is super expensive r72 unless by "well" you mean "high"

by Anonymousreply 73November 21, 2018 6:22 AM

My point? We have a very serious climate change going on...I read in recent history some towns had to have their water relieved by truck....because there was no ground water. You do not move to a state that is almost out of water.

by Anonymousreply 74November 21, 2018 6:28 AM

R74 who is moving to what state almost out of water?

by Anonymousreply 75November 21, 2018 6:30 AM

People have been living in RV parks in NoCal for years. They chased people out of the state parks. People in RVs were living on oceanfront property practically for free.

by Anonymousreply 76November 21, 2018 6:47 AM

This may be the last affordable area in California!

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by Anonymousreply 77November 21, 2018 4:56 PM

5th gen CA here. I wouldn't live anyplace else, but I was fortunate to buy and flip a few places along the way to a very nice (but small) house in Laguna Beach. No place decent is cheap.

by Anonymousreply 78November 21, 2018 5:05 PM

Perhaps the wilderness. I hear the living there is intense and sure fire fun.

by Anonymousreply 79November 21, 2018 5:38 PM

Desert cities like Fresno, Bakersfield, etc. are certainly cheaper than the most desirable areas of California, but they’re not “nice.” I’d live in a midwestern college town before living there.

In LA at least, the problem is not just that there aren’t cheap, nice places to live; there are very few not nice, cheap places to live. One of my clients is renting an efficiency that is about the size of my bedroom on the outskirts of Skid Row. (but it’s till Skid Row). He is paying $950. It has no kitchen and I’m not sure about the bathroom. That is how bad things are here.

The most affordable areas in LA are not just not nice, they are dangerous. That includes south (formerly south central) LA and parts of the valley with heavy gang activity, like Pacoima and North Hills.

by Anonymousreply 80November 21, 2018 6:17 PM

If you can't afford to live in pricey cities then shouldn't you find a city you can afford? I would never consider NYC because I can't afford it.

by Anonymousreply 81November 21, 2018 7:10 PM

I can afford Bumblefuck, WI. I just don't want to live there.

by Anonymousreply 82November 21, 2018 7:24 PM

Then it's want vs need, r82. That's life.

by Anonymousreply 83November 21, 2018 7:26 PM

R70, Weed is a dumpy little town in the middle of nowhere, with majestic views of Mt. Shasta.

It's a couple of hours to Redding, the nearest largish town, and five or six hours to the nearest city, which is Sacramento. And yeah, Sacramento is cheaper than the Bay Area and I live in the region because I got a good job there at my age, but cheap compared to the Bay Area is still expensive compared to most of the country, and I've never learned to love the city or the region. I plan to move again when I retire, like many of my co-workers.

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by Anonymousreply 84November 21, 2018 11:07 PM

No. You can live better, cheaper any place else and travel to CA for vacation if you want. But the "cheap" parts of CA are either remote, scary, or ugly. The remote places are meth-infested, full of homeless, as are the outlier desert communities. And if there were such a place as you desire, the NYT would have already ruined it. Like Cambria. Temecula? Non-place full of tour buses and bridesmaids drinking really poor wines. So many of these CA towns/cities have no soul, no core community because they've grown so fast.

by Anonymousreply 85November 21, 2018 11:42 PM

Amazing - it’s like 80% of the state is NYC prices! It’s a great place to live with lots of jobs - but shocked how crazy it’s gotten in past 20 years. Should have done it when I could. Now I just visit - which is nice but I always wish I lived there.

I’ve often thought of retiring to No Cal. Interestingly, I’ve though about Arcata. Guerneville - or areas around it -is not crazy expensive relatively. Though I think I’d rather be closer to coast. Somewhere between Guerneville and Crescent City seems like the only vaguely affordable coastal area.

But then I think it’s more realistic to do 2-3 months a year via Airbnb .

by Anonymousreply 86November 22, 2018 12:17 AM

Hollywood gentrified

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by Anonymousreply 87November 22, 2018 12:21 AM

Bombay Beach, Salton Sea - although hipsters heading there may have increased home prices

Merced - has a small, mostly Latino UC surrounded by impoverished agricultaral workers

Slab City - watch out for paroled sex offenders

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by Anonymousreply 88November 22, 2018 12:31 AM

[quote]It’s a great place to live with lots of jobs

Moatly part-time service jobs that don't pay the rent.

by Anonymousreply 89November 22, 2018 12:37 AM

R86 just watch out for areas too close to Crescent City - or else all your neighbors will by corrections officers or the wives and children of killers, who have moved up there to be close to daddy.

by Anonymousreply 90November 22, 2018 12:42 AM

OP you can live with me for free.

by Anonymousreply 91November 22, 2018 12:44 AM

Ca is $$$$$$ because EVERYONE in the WORLD with a little bit of $$$$$$$ wants to live there !!!!! It's not shocking, people! Wake the fuck up!

by Anonymousreply 92November 22, 2018 12:44 AM

[Quote] It’s a great place to live with lots of jobs

LOL! Okay.

by Anonymousreply 93November 22, 2018 12:48 AM

Wow R88, you really went for the true bottom of the barrel! Well done. Salton Sea is VERY affordable so long as you’re okay with a perpetual sulfur smell and a huge lake polluted with run-off where the beaches are literally covered with dead fish bones. Slab City sounds fascinating and is apparently not as awful as you’d think, but you’d only want to visit I’m sure.

There are some small mountain communities in Kern County—Frazier Park, Lake of the Woods—that I’d consider moving to if I wanted to live near, but couldn’t afford, LA. They are beautiful, remote but within an hour drive of LA (not during rush hour, though). They are small and poor with little to do but, as affordable areas go, they at least have natural beauty and clean air in their favor.

by Anonymousreply 94November 22, 2018 1:20 AM

OK I thought of one: Visalia. It’s not LA or San Diego or San Fran, it’s between Fresno and Bakersfield. It’s small, but it has more charm than most inland cities and is near Sequoia National Park which in itself is incentive enough for living there. You can rent a house there for less than what we pay for a one bedroom in the valley. It all depends on your definition of “nice,” but if you absolutely want to live in California, it’s of the better options IMO especially if nature is more important than culture. The sequoias are astounding.

by Anonymousreply 95November 22, 2018 1:30 AM

Visalia is pro Trump land R95, as is Fresno. That is the problem - the rural areas are full of two types of people: Trumpians with low education goals and impoverished non-English speaking immigrants.

I was working for the Department of Corrections (Healthcare) years ago, and all the prisons are in areas like Merced, Tehachapi and Visalia. I did look at houses in these areas, but realized I could not live amongst the pro-gun low education crowd, and my Spanish is only mediocre, so I knew I would be quite alone and lonely.

Also serial killers like to hang out in the national parks.

by Anonymousreply 96November 22, 2018 1:43 AM

R96 here

I interfaced with Cary Stayner while working at San Quentin. He was hanging out in Yosemite valley and raped and killed some tourists and also decapitated a female park ranger. I was told by law enforcement that there are all sorts of misfits and sociopaths who hide out in these areas. All park rangers carry 9 mm guns now so hopefully they can protect themselves from the lunatics running amok in the forests.

by Anonymousreply 97November 22, 2018 1:48 AM

[quote]Ca is $$$$$$ because EVERYONE in the WORLD with a little bit of $$$$$$$ wants to live there !!!!! It's not shocking, people! Wake the fuck up!,

That pretty much sums it up, as does what R96 says.

Truth told, there is a narrow strip about 10 miles wide along the sea that extends from San Diego to San Francisco, where the weather is temperate and life is good. Unfortunately, it has become hideously expensive to live there. The rest of the state is arid, with heat-crippling heat in the southern portion; horrible, crime-ridden cities like Bakersfield, Fresno and Modesto in the central valley; and desolate, forested areas with awful winter weather north of San Francisco.

As a third-generation Santa Barbaran, I was able to buy a house decades ago for not much money—even though I thought at the time I was getting screwed (and I probably was). Over the years, I have watched my house appreciate in value, to the point that my $77,000 faux-Spanish two-story, built in 1928 in an originally lower middle-class neighborhood, is now worth over $1 million.

The problem is, if I were to sell my house and cash out, where would I go? There is no place—no place—I've found that can compare to coastal Southern California. I wouldn't live in any other part of the state if you held a loaded gun to my head.

As elitist as this probably sounds, if you can't afford to live in a nice part of California, the rest of the state is total shit.

Although I'm are there are people in Barstow and Bakersfield who might disagree with me. For some reason.

by Anonymousreply 98November 22, 2018 1:52 AM

feel free to disagree with me, but the problem with California even if you can afford it....... is they are dependent on the colorado river to some extent and ground water..... and in the past, 1/3 of their drinking water came from snow pack melt. The colorado river water levels are dwindling more and more each year.

Look up the stats for annual snow pack lately in california and it is looking very scary. The year before , a rainy and very good year for a lot of snow, they were at 50% of average, the year prior to that it was 5% of average, last year it was 30% of average. What falls as precipitation more and more each year in the winter is rain. Rain basically runs off and does not end up being stored...........its snow pack plain and simple that accounts for a lot of what comes out of the tap and that is just a dwindling asset. There isnt enuf ground water and water from other sources for long term survival of the calif population and expectd growth long term.

You can say, well they will find it somewhere, or there is always desalination, or they can pipe it in from the great lakes.....but none or those solutions are workable. That kind of thinking is called denial. Sooner or later there is going to be no tap water left in your house and its all going to fall apart.

In the meantime california has a hell of a lot going for it if you have the bucks, it just isnt going to be able to support much, if any, population in not that many years down the road . It s human nature to assume things will continue pretty much as they always have.............its just we havent ever faced anything as overwhelming to the planet as the ever more apparent global warming crisis coming straight at us. Look at what is happening right now, with the massive fires all over, air quality is badly compromised..........this isnt going to get any better and these fires year after year arent some freak of nature..........so I wish you good luck in paradise.

by Anonymousreply 99November 22, 2018 1:59 AM

R98 - good summary. Feel similarly about NYC - for slightly different reasons (less nature, more intensity of stimulation). Coastal CA is a wonderful and unique place in the world with a lot of well paying jobs. There is a reaon those areas are expensive. In an overpopulated world, attractive places are just proving the demand/supply realities of economics. I’d like to say one can be happy anywhere, but I know I’m much happier living in NYC (or coastal CA) than I am elsewhere.

by Anonymousreply 100November 22, 2018 2:00 AM

California died when they changed it into a commodity.

by Anonymousreply 101November 22, 2018 2:05 AM

What about Big Bear or Lake Arrowhead?

by Anonymousreply 102November 22, 2018 2:05 AM

How's Del Mar in general ? My sister just bought a house there.

by Anonymousreply 103November 22, 2018 2:07 AM

In the early '90s I chose Newport Beach, CA to vacation, rather than south of the border. NPB was perfect then.

by Anonymousreply 104November 22, 2018 2:08 AM

R98 is correct. I grew up in LA but can't afford to live in the areas of CA that are desirable. That is why I am looking at moving to coastal Spain.

R102 there are a lot of misfits and folks on SSI who live around Big Bear, hiding out, plus the meth use...

R103 Del Mar is very lovely and very expensive. Beach = expensive.

by Anonymousreply 105November 22, 2018 2:08 AM

[Quote] Visalia is pro Trump land R 95, as is Fresno.

Wrong. They are both flipping to blue. Fresno more so.

I was thinking of Porterville { which is also turning blue } is nice in parts. Springville which is east of PV is absolutely fucking gorgeous ! It seem all the small towns in that area are tuning Dem which is great . Exeter the town I'd really like a 2nd home is still red. It will go blue in time.

Hit the link and just hit the "are you living in a political bubble" and it will take you to the map.

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by Anonymousreply 106November 22, 2018 2:16 AM

Newport is one of the MOST expensive parts of SoCal. The idea of this thread is to find affordable places FFS.

by Anonymousreply 107November 22, 2018 2:22 AM

[quote]Wrong. They are both flipping to blue. Fresno more so.

Because of Mexicans

by Anonymousreply 108November 22, 2018 2:24 AM

R107 - I think R104 post was meant as a reminder of how drastically things changed in 20 years. Newport and Laguna used to be affordable weekend spots. Now they are insanely expensive like the rest of coastal CA. And we have to go to Puerto Vallarta to get a similar experience. Crazy how extreme it’s gotten. Glad I experienced the more chill version of CA. Just wish I had bought then.

by Anonymousreply 109November 22, 2018 2:36 AM

I lived in West LA and Santa Monica for 10 years and finally left. Best decision I ever made.

by Anonymousreply 110November 22, 2018 2:38 AM

What about El Segundo, CA ?

Looks interesting . . . Shall we?

by Anonymousreply 111November 22, 2018 2:44 AM

[quote]Desert cities like Fresno, Bakersfield, etc. are certainly cheaper than the most desirable areas of California, but they’re not “nice.” I’d live in a midwestern college town before living there.

Fresno and Bakersfield are not "desert cities" by anyone's definition. They are both in the very fertile San Joaquin Valley.

by Anonymousreply 112November 22, 2018 3:18 AM

r111 El Segundo - Where the Sewers Meet the Sea. It's just south of LAX. And it's become almost as expensive as the rest of the South Bay.

by Anonymousreply 113November 22, 2018 3:19 AM

[quote]horrible, crime-ridden cities like Bakersfield, Fresno and Modesto in the central valley;

Native Californian here. I live near one of these cities, and it is NOT horrible, nor is it anywhere near as crime-ridden as LA or SF, for fuck's sake. You sound like yet another lily-white Mary who thinks Latinos = crime. And yes, you do sound like an elitist asshole. Coastal California is gorgeous, but to say that the only areas of the state that have any value whatsoever are the uber-wealthy ones is 100% bullshit.

And that fool upthread who called Fresno a 'desert city' is too dumb to live. It's smack in the middle of the state's ag heartland.

by Anonymousreply 114November 22, 2018 3:48 AM

The vast bulk of California's water is used for agriculture. No question that the state's large aquifer has been stressed by drought and poorly managed, but it's not correct to say that the state is running out of water. And climate change is a bitch, but the more immediate effect isn't a lack of drinking water, but dried forests decimated by the bark beetle. That and the delay of the rainy season brought on by climate change means the state's susceptible to massive wildfires.

As for affordable, I go with some of the Sierra foothill towns and some of the areas around Sacramento. San Luis Obispo is nice and some of the towns near it are pleasant. They all seem affordable to me, but I'm in the Bay Area, so it's all relative.

by Anonymousreply 115November 22, 2018 3:59 AM

[quote]What about Big Bear or Lake Arrowhead?

Those are certainly not affordable for most people- there are a lot vacation homes. If you move a few miles down to Blue Jay or Crestline, there are some semi-affordable cabins and small houses perched precariously on the sides of the hills.

You'll likely run up enormous fuel bills when you go down to San Bernardino (an enormous shithole, btw) for shopping or entertainment- movie theaters and grocery stores a few and far between in the mountains. However, there is an overabundance of churches and Christian camps, mostly of the Charismatic variety.

A lot of the locals drink and smoke weed excessively, and can often be seen swerving all over the icy mountain roads during winter. If you don't like Jesus freaks, conspiracy theorists, drug addicts, or car wrecks, you won't last long there.

by Anonymousreply 116November 22, 2018 4:41 AM

Littlerock, Ca.

Enjoy

by Anonymousreply 117November 22, 2018 4:44 AM

Bought house in Garbage Grove lived for 2 years Sold and bought in San Luis Obispo lived 2 years Sold and bought north county San Diego 10 years

by Anonymousreply 118November 22, 2018 4:53 AM

Carson is lovely and revitalized.

by Anonymousreply 119November 22, 2018 4:55 AM

Santa Carla is great. Except for all those god damn vampires.

by Anonymousreply 120November 22, 2018 6:02 AM

How is Santa Maria?

by Anonymousreply 121November 22, 2018 8:09 AM

Isn't Santa Maria like a suburb of Santa Barbara?

by Anonymousreply 122November 22, 2018 12:06 PM

Santa Maria isn’t great. It’s one of the cheaper areas on the central coast. It’s more urban and doesn't have the charm of wine country, SLO, etc. It does have the advantage of having cheaper hotels.

by Anonymousreply 123November 22, 2018 3:22 PM

R116, I disagree. I think the Big Bear area has affordable places. They have plenty of shopping on the mountain. Yeh, some of the locals drink a lot or use drugs, but where in the world does that not happen? It’s not a meth infested, crime ridden shithole. I’d say it’s a good option for someone who likes seasons and enjoys seclusion and fresh air.

by Anonymousreply 124November 22, 2018 4:12 PM

[quote]Isn't Santa Maria like a suburb of Santa Barbara?

Santa Maria is 70 miles north of SB, so it can't be called a suburb. SM is in the northernmost part of SB County, and SB is in the southernmost. Roughly between the two is Lompoc, another charming, gang-ridden garden spot.

Santa Maria's crime rate is off the charts, thanks to several LA-based street gangs. There is also a huge population of Mixtecs, a tribe of indigenous people from the Mexican state of Oaxaca. The Mixtecs speak neither English nor Spanish, but their own, which is spoken nowhere but their community in Mexico. For some reason, they came to Santa Maria, where they are virtually unemployable, except for working as unskilled crop workers. They seem unwilling or unable to learn English, and they can't communicate with the many Spanish-speaking immigrants of Santa Maria. I know what I'm about today will disturb the SJWs, but, In the kindest terms, the Mixtecs do not seem to be the brightest people in the world. And there are a LOT of them in Santa Maria.

Between the Mixtecs, the gangstas and the old-guard rednecks, I think pretty much anyplace is better than Santa Maria.

by Anonymousreply 125November 22, 2018 4:47 PM

This has been a really educational thread. A lot of info about places I knew nothing about. Good to know there are some bad ugly places in CA too. It’s not all Beverly Hills and Pacific Heights.

by Anonymousreply 126November 22, 2018 4:56 PM

R106 Enjoy your life in Visalia with the poors! Household income is declining as we speak...

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by Anonymousreply 127November 22, 2018 5:34 PM

And enjoy the crime rate that is higher than 86% of CA's cities/towns.

"Relative to California, Visalia has a crime rate that is higher than 86% of the state's cities and towns of all sizes. Importantly, when you compare Visalia to other communities of similar population, then Visalia crime rate (violent and property crimes combined) is quite a bit higher than average."

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by Anonymousreply 128November 22, 2018 5:37 PM

r128, but they have onions, I love Visalia onions.

by Anonymousreply 129November 22, 2018 5:38 PM

To the Visalia lover

Also better brush up on gang colors and signs so you don't upset your new neighbors!

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by Anonymousreply 130November 22, 2018 5:39 PM

There is no perfect city in California or anywhere. Paris? Dirty, immigrants, overpriced and lost its charm. London? Same. NYC? Soulless, commercial, overpriced, not as good as it used to be. You can pick apart to death anyplace, including the most desirable places in California. It’s all about what you want. I’d live in Visalia before I’d live in 95% of the rest of the US.

by Anonymousreply 131November 22, 2018 5:50 PM

If fire hazards weren't such a concern, and it wasn't such a jaunt to work, I would consider the small mountain communities of Green Valley Lake and Crestline. Hell, I like Wrightwood.. too bad it is so far from everything else. I live in LA proper, and the older I get, the more that smaller and more slow paced communities become more attractive to me.

by Anonymousreply 132November 22, 2018 5:52 PM

Having been poor most of my adult life (and a 2nd generation California native), I have lived in one of the priciest areas in California for 45 years by choosing wisely. Often, in my experience, once you have a place and you are taking care of it, your landlord will not raise the rent. I lived in a charming 3 bedroom craftsman style home in one of the poorer yet most awesome parts of my city, and the rent stayed at $945 for 14 years.

It is tricky to move to a place and just take the first apartment you find. It is better if you can get a place through friends. Lots of people get rooms in larger homes. I live in a university town, and that is very popular for mature working people without huge salaries.

When I moved here from Southern California in 1975, I was paying 2/3 of my salary in rent, and that stayed pretty constant. But the sunshine and California vibe make it worthwhile. For example I paid $220 for a cute Victorian flat, but was only making $4.25/hour. I think there will be a downturn before too long, and this will be the time to look for bargains. Also, so many towns are building lots of new apartment buildings to deal with the housing crisis, so there will be deals to be found.

If I was a young person, I would move to Redwood City. They are building lots of high rises (which I don't like myself) but the town has gone through a renaissance and the arts and music scene is thriving. There are pockets in every neighborhood where poorer people live, and this is where you'll find cheaper places. My friends have a roomy one bedroom house with a big yard for $2000/month, which is affordable for a couple where both people work. There are always cheaper, more run down apartments which are diamonds in the rough.

If you think about living as part of a couple, rentals seem a lot cheaper, and there are tons of very wealthy gay programmers who could sweep you off your feet.

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by Anonymousreply 133November 22, 2018 5:52 PM

[Bold] Looks like the Visalia troll was triggered because I dared to state the FACT it's flipping to Dem. Isn't that sweet.

by Anonymousreply 134November 22, 2018 6:00 PM

R134 I have lived and worked in the Visalia area as I pointed out. Visalia - and Tulare county - has very high crime rates, intra-gang fighting (Surenos vs Nurenos) and growing rates of poverty. If you think that Visalia, with its high percentage of impoverished latinos voting democratic makes it an ideal place to live, by all means go there.

Do not toot the Visalia horn until you have been there. Please report back to us after you have made the move!

by Anonymousreply 135November 22, 2018 6:04 PM

r135 / fraucunt / hon. I don't give a fuck about your life in V town, dear. All I said was it was flipping to Dem. That's it, sweetie.

Now calm the fuck down, Mavis! Sheeeeeeeeeeeeeesh !

by Anonymousreply 136November 22, 2018 6:09 PM

That question has crossed my mind too r81 why move to a place you can't afford?

The other question is, why move to a place that has no water? And why are they continuing to build and advertise for people to move to a state that is rapidly running out of water?

by Anonymousreply 137November 22, 2018 6:13 PM

Development run amok, R137. I think about how irresponsible it is for them to continue building and try to sell those homes in places like Valencia and further and further out into the desert. If it wasn't for Camp Pendleton in the way, the middle between SD to LA might be one giant, endless megacity blob of McMansions.

by Anonymousreply 138November 22, 2018 6:28 PM

With global warming, people should be thinking of Oregon and Washington. Their climate is changing and becoming more "california-like" . Portland and Seattle are never going to have LA's climate, but they are fast becoming more similar to northern California coastal zone cities. They have always had a dry sunny summer, like California, with longer, wetter winters. Now the summers are getting longer and the dark dreary rainy winters shorter. . They are both "inland" - there are no ocean-facing large cities in Oregon and Washington, which is good, because the Cascadia subduction zone is going to send a massive tsunami over the coast in those states some day. But they both have easy access to water. However, they are not much more affordable than California, so now you have to talk and think about places like Bellingham, Astoria, Port Angeles, Port Townsend, Bremerton, Anacortes, Hood River, etc. Medford and Ashland are already like inland Northern California, but they can be beastly hot in summer.

For me, as a Washingtonian, the ideal life would be snowbirding with a 3 month winter season in Palm Springs, and the rest of the time at home.

by Anonymousreply 139November 22, 2018 7:07 PM

Like most Californians with a moderate income, it looks like i'm out of here when I retire.

But where? Tucson, where I have some contacts? Victoria Island, BC, will they let Americans buy property and settle there? How about Colorado, which I love? Sure, a Rocky Mountain winter will probably be too much for me when I'm old, but how about Colorado Springs or Boulder?

by Anonymousreply 140November 22, 2018 7:43 PM

R136 If this is all your cunting self can produce:

"Now calm the fuck down, Mavis! Sheeeeeeeeeeeeeesh !"

I have adequately proved my point. Which is you can't afford to live in a nice area of California, not now and not ever!

by Anonymousreply 141November 22, 2018 8:38 PM

Lots of resentment here disguised as advice. R133 has good advice--what he describes is pretty much what I did.

I honestly wish the state would empty out a bit, but too many red states think the way to attract good business is to cut taxes to the point where the schools and services are total crap and their residents come off as gun-lovin' racists. No tech company is going set up shop in Oklahoma because no engineer from India wants to live in Oklahoma or Arkansas, etc and worry about getting shot.

Anyway, Paso Robles is another possibility--it's hot in the summer, but not a bad drive out to the beach (you go through the local wine country)--a number of restaurants have opened up and there's a range of housing.

A lot of Californians have left the state, but most of them seem not to go all that far--so tons move to Oregon and Washington, a lot move to Nevada. Some more far-flung ones have moved to Colorado, Montana and Idaho. California is pretty much always changing and my sense is a lot of people move to those places because it's more like the northern or southern California that they remember--a little less expensive, a little less crowded and, frankly, a little less diverse.

by Anonymousreply 142November 22, 2018 9:06 PM

[QUOTE]No tech company is going set up shop in Oklahoma because no engineer from India wants to live in Oklahoma or Arkansas,

Bullshit. An engineer from India would love to live anywhere BUT that giant shithole known as India

by Anonymousreply 143November 22, 2018 9:11 PM

California is not diverse if it is all Mexican with some Chinese, Indians and Armenians in the mix.

by Anonymousreply 144November 22, 2018 9:11 PM

R143, not true. You think those red states haven't tried to recruit companies? Meanwhile, the gap between the rich, mostly blue, states and the red ones has been getting bigger. The only major exception is Texas. Those Indian engineers have choices--they don't want to be in states where people like them get randomly shot for being brown.

R144, There are plenty of plain old white people (and Filippinos and Japanese and blacks) in California--those numbers aren't actually shrinking, they're shrinking as percentages because the state keeps growing. My county in the Bay Area has more white people in it than does the entire state of lily-white Vermont, but whites are a minority in the county.

by Anonymousreply 145November 22, 2018 9:25 PM

I think the only way to solve the problem is for California to severely limit the number of people who can move here plus increasing the amount of affordable housing being built. The worst thing would be to restrict new builds. You think prices and homelessness are bad now!?

by Anonymousreply 146November 22, 2018 9:37 PM

I know someone who lives in Crescent City. An underachiever. A bit if a difficult personality. Lots of pot. Lives on disability. It’s a cheap place to live and the beaches are lovely looking. If you like the beach, the redwoods and not too many people, I guess it’s the kind of place you’d like.

Personally I prefer the Atlantic. I don’t need giant rocks in the water. And I like to see the sun more than a few times a year.

The PNW just seems creepy to me. Meth, men in pigtails and Peruvian knit hats & jackets remind me of Breaking Bad. There have been lots of serial killers per capita in PNW. I’ll never get over having seen a snippet of video that was taken by sadist murderers Charles No & Leonard Lake that should never have been televised.

And then there are the landslides/mudslides. If it’s not a drought and a wildfire, it’s raining and the slides begin. Did you see that landslide in Oso WA in 2014? Fuck that. At least you get a heads up when a hurricane is coming. Not a landslide. BOOM! Your roof is crushing you to death

by Anonymousreply 147November 22, 2018 9:43 PM

Charles Ng, not Charles No.

by Anonymousreply 148November 22, 2018 9:44 PM

I'm a native of Northern CA. Still meeting people who recently transplanted here, including two families while at work yesterday. One multi-generational family from New York, another from Texas. The Texas family included a very elderly couple who moved here with their daughter and son-in-law, they bought one house and are living together.

Today at a TG brunch I met a young couple who moved here from Washington to live with his grandmother and care for her (the wife is a doctor). Finally put her in a home for elders and got their own place.

Somehow, people manage. Many are wealthy retirees.

by Anonymousreply 149November 22, 2018 9:49 PM

R142, your last point gave me pause. Very interesting.

I don’t know if I will ever want to leave LA, but if I do, I could see myself living in SLO. It has the character of a college town but is surrounded by wine country. Wine country’s manicured vineyards, open spaces, and emphasis on good food and wine are paradisal. It is certainly slower, but that might be a good thing as one ages.

by Anonymousreply 150November 22, 2018 10:49 PM

R135 (the one ragging on Visalia), what is your idea of a good place to live? Genuinely curious. BTW I am the poster who initially mentioned Visalia. I admit to only having driven through it, but it had more character than a lot of the other towns out that way. I have not lived there.

by Anonymousreply 151November 22, 2018 10:53 PM

R150, I have some friends who just moved back up from the SLO area. It's beautiful but they said it's very conservative. Lots of assholes pulling trumpy tricks in local gov't.

by Anonymousreply 152November 22, 2018 11:01 PM

That’s a bummer R152. I was hoping it would be libersly because ofbthe college. It is basically a agricultural college, though, so that wascexpecting a lot.

Well, all of my suggestions have been shot down. So the final answer is, no, there are absolutely no nice, inexpensive places (for gays) in California. Womp womp.

by Anonymousreply 153November 22, 2018 11:19 PM

Sorry for the typos

by Anonymousreply 154November 22, 2018 11:20 PM

SLO's not that conservative--more so than LA or the Bay Area, but it still has a Democrat in Congress.

Cal Poly has an excellent engineering school--one of the harder CSUs to get into--not a commuter school like a lot of the CSUs, 30 percent admit rate.

by Anonymousreply 155November 23, 2018 12:35 AM

[quote]I don’t know if I will ever want to leave LA, but if I do, I could see myself living in SLO.

I live in Santa Barbara, about 100 miles south of SLO, and while it's true that SLO is a great community, it's gotten as prohibitively expensive to live there over the past few years as the rest of coastal Southern California. My sister-in-law lives there, and I am amazed when visiting to see just how expensive housing has become. Unfortunately, it's primarily the people from the Central Valley (primarily Bakersfield & Fresno) who have discovered it and who are driving the prices up.

by Anonymousreply 156November 23, 2018 12:52 AM

I'm in a rent controlled apartment and am afraid it'll be taken away before I can make enough money to live in a nicer place.

I freeze in the winter and bake in the summer but a dyson cooler/heater has helped change all that.

by Anonymousreply 157November 23, 2018 1:05 AM

Palm Springs is somewhat reasonable.

by Anonymousreply 158November 23, 2018 1:12 AM

I have friends who live and love PS, but when I've visited for work it drives me nuts that there's so little to do there .

tho I should go there now. I'm in my 50s and I'd be considered 'young'

by Anonymousreply 159November 23, 2018 1:14 AM

There are 49 other perfectly fine states in this country. Why does everyone want to live in just one of them?

by Anonymousreply 160November 23, 2018 1:25 AM

Yes, there are a lot of nice areas, away from the coast. California is the third largest state, area wise, it's not just LA, SF and SD.

It's like saying NYC is just Manhattan south of Central Park.

by Anonymousreply 161November 23, 2018 1:28 AM

I want to be able to stay in California but I also need to live in an area that isn't a day trip in itself to the closest international airport. I am not seeing a single affordable option. Not one. Looks like I'm not alone either.

by Anonymousreply 162November 23, 2018 1:30 AM

Palm Springs is no place to live full time, I did it for 10 years and made my way back to PNW....it's miserable from May thru November.

by Anonymousreply 163November 23, 2018 1:33 AM

Are there nice slightly inland places in California, in terms of weather?

by Anonymousreply 164November 23, 2018 2:02 AM

The further east you go, the hotter it gets r164. Sacramento is fucking boiling in the summer for example.

by Anonymousreply 165November 23, 2018 2:18 AM

Santa Barbara's unfailingly lovely; I wouldn't even take a SHIT in the rest of SoCal!

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by Anonymousreply 166November 23, 2018 2:23 AM

OK, here is a cheap place which is full of potential, Vallejo. Looks like central casting for crack addicts in places, but lots of beautiful Victorian housing stock, and a burgeoning art community. One hour by ferry to San Francisco, Awful traffic driving there. I wanted to buy this Julia Morgan house so bad and I couldn't stop thinking about it. Finally realized I live in a much better place in a beautiful historic house and it would be a slogfest of an hour and a half to get there. But there is loads of potential. Not sure it's going to be reached, and not sure there isn't too much corrosive carcinogens in the atmosphere.

California is for gold miners and you have to be willing to shift your perspective and find the treasure, and remember, the best things in life are free. There is nothing like the roar of the great green mother, the Pacific, to pull you back to what matters in life.

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by Anonymousreply 167November 23, 2018 2:54 AM

I love Vallejo!

by Anonymousreply 168November 23, 2018 2:55 AM

Vallejo? Really? . . .

by Anonymousreply 169November 23, 2018 3:04 AM

[Quote] If this is all your cunting self can produce: "Now calm the fuck down, Mavis! Sheeeeeeeeeeeeeesh !" I have adequately proved my point. Which is you can't afford to live in a nice area of California, not now and not ever!

[Bold] It's not a competition you bi polar metal case fraucunt! Sheeeeeeeeeeesh !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

by Anonymousreply 170November 23, 2018 3:53 AM

r151 don't bother with r135 / r141/ Visalia troll / Fraucunt / bi polar mental case. She'll just shit out some fucking nonsense that has nothing to do with what you're talking about.

by Anonymousreply 171November 23, 2018 4:03 AM

Happiness is Hillsborough

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by Anonymousreply 172November 23, 2018 4:30 AM

California is Okies and ethnics.

Okie white trash in the rural areas, ethnic scammer trash in the cities.

Pick your poison. Or, live some place civilized with an actual middle class.

by Anonymousreply 173November 23, 2018 4:53 AM

Which would be where, R173?

This should be interesting!

by Anonymousreply 174November 23, 2018 4:59 AM

R153 and R155

My friend lived in Arroyo Grande, not far from SLO. Some of the towns are more conservative than others, maybe SLO itself the least because of the university. Arroyo Grande was not conservative in the fundie way but in the trump way, elected officials pulling strings to benefit themselves with a local good old boy network trying to keep the riches for themselves. And lots of central CA older rich conservatives buying up nice homes for vacation and retirement.

Cambria is a nice town north of SLO. Cute downtown, west of Paso Robles on the ocean. Just looked Paso Robles, its has some affordable homes and is in a pretty area.

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by Anonymousreply 175November 23, 2018 6:01 AM

[quote]Pick your poison. Or, live some place civilized with an actual middle class.

You live in the suburbs, don’t you? That is the last thing to brag about.

by Anonymousreply 176November 23, 2018 7:06 AM

"I want to be able to stay in California but I also need to live in an area that isn't a day trip in itself to the closest international airport. I am not seeing a single affordable option."

Well, there's Marysville and Yuba City, which are less than an hour away from Sacramento International Airport. Of course Marysville and Yuba City suck, they're hot, flat, ugly, boring and full or white trash, but the median home price is $280K.

by Anonymousreply 177November 23, 2018 8:49 AM

As often as DLers talk shit about flyoverville, it seems that many may eventually end up there.

by Anonymousreply 178November 23, 2018 8:54 AM

I love Palm Springs. The mid century modern houses, the relaxed life. I mean it is the fucking dessert so yeah it can be hot but so can most of so cal. Few hours to LA, few hours to SD, few hours to Vegas -

by Anonymousreply 179November 23, 2018 2:04 PM

I’m always amazed at the obsession with Palm Springs. In the past few years, it’s become a gay Mecca for the over-50 set. And you have to stay inside at least 4 months out of the year. The houses are out of reach for most people and the condos are kind of a depressing places to stay inside for 6 months. Wouldn’t you rather be someplace you could walk or be outside more? I would even take Ft Lauderdale/St Pete over Palm Springs in terms of cost/lifestyle trade-off.

by Anonymousreply 180November 23, 2018 4:16 PM

Palm Springs has been old fag central for decades.

by Anonymousreply 181November 24, 2018 1:47 AM

r181 fuck off.

by Anonymousreply 182November 24, 2018 2:50 AM

OP, why not Compton?

by Anonymousreply 183November 24, 2018 2:02 PM

Sunnydale is still cheap and lovely. You just have to watch out for the hellmouth.

by Anonymousreply 184November 24, 2018 2:09 PM

R176 - Suburbia might be a good compromise, though. It's not cheap, but it's not "hopelessly rural," either. Cities are somewhat less expensive but they come with "city probs."

by Anonymousreply 185November 25, 2018 12:16 AM

Unbelievable. This house is a few blocks and almost identical to the house we lived in just outside of San Francisco from the late 50s to 1966. My parents paid $11,000 for it in 1950 and sold it for about $28,000 in 66. It's in Broadmoor Village, a very foggy area not far from the ocean. They bought a larger house for $35,000 in 1966. At the insistence of my older sister, the sole trustee, it was sold in 2014 for about $900,000. According to Zillow, it's now worth $1,439,746. I could strangle my older sister for not waiting longer to sell. Even she is mad at herself about it.

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by Anonymousreply 186November 25, 2018 6:09 AM

R186 again. I just measured the distance from our house to Thornton Beach (the closest beach). We used to walk over there. It's less than a mile. No wonder it was so foggy all the time. We went to sleep to fog horns quite a bit.

by Anonymousreply 187November 25, 2018 6:15 AM

R186 yet again. i meant to say the house was almost identical to ours before it was remodeled. The one above has been extensively remodeled, with walls removed and everything upgraded. The originals were classic 1950s ranches with old fashioned tile and wall heaters.

by Anonymousreply 188November 25, 2018 6:21 AM

Yes, fuck off R181.

by Anonymousreply 189November 25, 2018 6:49 AM

no. (that's all I want to say but it's not enough to post.)

by Anonymousreply 190June 16, 2019 5:25 PM

I have been pleasantly surprised by the towns in California's Gold Country - Grass Valley and Nevada City. They are much more cultured than you'd expect from a town that size. The disadvantage is the cold winter weather and being so far from a major airport.

by Anonymousreply 191June 16, 2019 5:33 PM

[quote]Gays need to take over Eureka and revamp it. It has potential.

Don’t worry: we’re doin’ it the best we can!

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by Anonymousreply 192June 16, 2019 5:55 PM

Chico, affordable hip college town. Redding, although much Redding is subject to wildfires. Red Bluff might be the smarter option.

Fresno, although opinions divide on how safe it is owing to environmental degradation.

California's problems with cost are due to California's having jobs that pay ordinary people good wages. That's a "problem" most of America wishes it had.

by Anonymousreply 193June 16, 2019 6:02 PM

Choose the downtown areas of any old town in Southern California they might be run down but they have good walking scores. Look for places that have potential but haven’t had gentrification. Pomona, Riverside, Perris, Nuevo, Carlsbad, Beaumont, Palm Springs, San Bernardino, Upland, Ontario, East Los Angeles, lots of neighborhood pockets all over Los Angeles County, I guess you can’t be picky.

by Anonymousreply 194June 16, 2019 6:09 PM

Bakersfield actually isn't as bad as it once was.

by Anonymousreply 195June 16, 2019 6:10 PM

I love San Rafael but all the technology people made it impossible to buy a house there. A tiny house is 1.2 million dollars. I love the feel of San Rafael so warm and relaxed.

by Anonymousreply 196June 16, 2019 6:13 PM

Marin County is getting desperate because it's children are leaving or have left and regular workers can't afford to live there. Their exclusivity and "Not in My Backyard" attitudes aren't very pretty. I have a friend whose father owned vast swatches of open space there. It was the devil for them to sell it as every no-growth person in the county showed up to block the sale. They finally sold it but the buyer had problems trying to develop it due to their selfish neighbors.

Tiny tract homes go for over one million there now.

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by Anonymousreply 197June 16, 2019 6:39 PM

Those NIMBYs and BANANAs are the reason everything costs twice as much as necessary. All those rules and regulations cost money to enforce.

by Anonymousreply 198June 16, 2019 6:58 PM

Marin is a creepy little town. I don’t like it.

by Anonymousreply 199June 16, 2019 7:00 PM

R199 Marin is a county, not a town.

by Anonymousreply 200June 16, 2019 7:03 PM

It’s creepy the area by the water when you exit the bridge going north.

by Anonymousreply 201June 16, 2019 7:04 PM

BANANA. BANANA is an acronym for "Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Anything" (or "Anyone"). The term is most often used to criticize the ongoing opposition of certain advocacy groups to land development.

by Anonymousreply 202June 16, 2019 7:04 PM

R200 Sausalito

by Anonymousreply 203June 16, 2019 7:05 PM

Marin City.

by Anonymousreply 204June 16, 2019 7:49 PM

I still think so if you look hard enough. I spent ten years in LA (weho area) and my first apartment was $750 a month in 2002. I stayed in the city until 2013 where I was paying $1100 for a one bedroom. Now you can’t find much for under $1800 anywhere in LA / surrounding that’s not garbage. I’ve been looking from my current home in the Midwest. Even Long Beach is a lot, and crime is increasing. A friend of mine just rented a studio apartment in Encinitas which sounds like a really great beach community near San Diego. $1650 no parking pets or laundry. That was cheap too. As a few people have mentioned, I think Palm Springs is one of the most affordable cities. I just applied for an apartment complex that ranged between 850 and 1000 for studios and one bedrooms. I love Palm Springs and the desert. It relaxes me. Granted I don’t know the reality of living there full-time but it can’t be worse than where I am now.

by Anonymousreply 205June 16, 2019 8:08 PM

R98 "I will bring the snacks for the anti-housing meeting to stop that horrible person from building a granny flat two miles away".

The rest of the state is "shit". You are a real fucking charmer.

by Anonymousreply 206June 16, 2019 8:16 PM

I’ve also heard that (the more affordable) Desert Hot Springs is one of the most dangerous cities in the *country*. Is this true? North Palm Springs and that area sound rough. I’m guessing gangs/drugs.

by Anonymousreply 207June 16, 2019 8:27 PM

palm springs I think is way overpriced. If you are willing to go condo there are some better values in rancho mirage and palm desert and its not that far a drive into p springs. For $600k you can get a fairly large updated HOUSE in a good neighborhood with a pool in palm desert. Whether you think that is affordable is up to you. For Calif it is.

by Anonymousreply 208June 16, 2019 8:28 PM

What about those places way out on the periphery of the LA metro, like West Covina, Chino, Fontana, etc. Are they all equally shitty? What I don't understand is how the lower middle class manages to scrape by in CA? Obviously a lot do not, since there are so many homeless...but I live in PHX and it seems like I'd need 2 or 3x the income to live at the same standard. And my standard of living is not that high.

I try to visit CA at least every couple months and I guess it's really better to go as a tourist and just enjoy what it has to offer, rather than be stuck working 2 jobs and living with roommates and worrying about making ends meet regularly. But...ugh, Phoenix. Maybe Palm Springs would be a better fit for me since it's at least a little closer to the areas I like. Boring, yes, but I don't see how it could be less so than Phoenix.

by Anonymousreply 209June 16, 2019 8:39 PM

Camarillo is ok, but simultaneously expensive and rednecky. But it seems like “ok” is about the best you can find in California these days.

Standard house (3/2, 2000 sq ft) starts around 700k.

by Anonymousreply 210June 16, 2019 8:40 PM

I live in Reedley, CA. Just bought a 3/2 on 10,000 sq ft lot for $265K. We are on the Kings River, 46 miles from Sequoia National Park. 26K people. Lived in LA and SF before retiring here.

by Anonymousreply 211June 16, 2019 8:52 PM

Dear California,

Between the sewage and algae, I don’t think you want our water.

Best wishes!

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by Anonymousreply 212June 16, 2019 9:12 PM

[quote]So where in LA would a regular person live? Like a school bus driver or hair colorist or teacher or garbage collectors; you know, people who could not afford 800k for a 1100 square foot ranch.

Hon, if you are a bus driver in L.A, you are making 2,500-3,000k a paycheck. I am pretty sure you can rent an apartment and save for a mortgage. A monthly mortgage payment is sometimes cheaper than a rent.

by Anonymousreply 213June 16, 2019 9:23 PM

R197 Please learn the difference between it's and its.

by Anonymousreply 214June 16, 2019 10:17 PM

[quote]What about those places way out on the periphery of the LA metro, like West Covina, Chino, Fontana, etc. Are they all equally shitty?

I live in one of the foothill communities in the San Gabriel Valley (east of Pasadena.) My 3BR/2.5BA townhouse would sell for around $500K and rent for around $2,200. It gets hot here in the summer, and the traffic is horrendous.

by Anonymousreply 215June 16, 2019 10:17 PM

A bunch of those places you list are already pretty gentrified and/or pricey R194

For instance, Carlsbad in SD county is a pretty upscale burb these days with lots of new developments. (It had been a chill little beach town back in the day.)

by Anonymousreply 216June 16, 2019 10:21 PM

Is Thousand Oaks worth looking into?

by Anonymousreply 217June 16, 2019 10:24 PM

The San Fernando Valley is ideal for the prole and commoners.

by Anonymousreply 218June 16, 2019 10:27 PM

Pretty pricey R217. It's got a good school district that's not part of LAUSD

by Anonymousreply 219June 16, 2019 10:33 PM

Before living in any inland California shithole I'd rather live in Albuquerque. Much lower cost of living, great weather, lots of cultural and outdoor activities, manageable traffic and plenty of cholo cock. No wonder Netflix and now NBC are setting up huge production facilities there.

by Anonymousreply 220June 16, 2019 10:34 PM

But Alberquerque is so isolated...you have to get on a plane to go anywhere civilized, or to see the ocean. The West Coast has everything imaginable on offer.

by Anonymousreply 221June 16, 2019 10:46 PM

Thanks r219

by Anonymousreply 222June 16, 2019 11:07 PM

[QUOTE]...and plenty of cholo cock

Albuquerque you say?

Hmmm.

by Anonymousreply 223June 16, 2019 11:17 PM

I thought of one that I don’t think has been mentioned. Frazier Park. It’s tiny, it’s poor, it’s probably methy, but it is within an hour drive of LA and in the mountains and beautiful.

We are talking about best options, not ideal. If you want to buy a home for under $200K within an hour drive of LA and have plenty of natural beauty (and seasons including snow), it’s an option.

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by Anonymousreply 224June 17, 2019 12:00 AM

I’m hoping the younger generation builds communities and not suburban no purpose sprawl ugliness.

by Anonymousreply 225June 17, 2019 12:12 AM

The technology generation will need a human meeting place to have a dose of human contact and not a digital connection or digital connection radiating causes an apocalypse...

by Anonymousreply 226June 17, 2019 12:13 AM

I have to be within a one hour drive to the beach at all times or I will get a panic attack.

by Anonymousreply 227June 17, 2019 12:25 AM

I grew up in LA but moved to the DC area 15 years ago. Thought I was just staying for a grad degree but turns out the DMV lifestyle suits me--primarily not being a car owner. My retired mother has been on me to move back, to be near her in her old age. And I want to be there for her, but I absolutely have no desire to move back. I visit 2-3X annually and that's all I want.

Cost of living is also a factor. DC is expensive but I manage to live in a very safe and pleasant downtown area within walking distance of the DC border. I pay 1,450 for a one bedroom. I can walk home from metro late at night. There's no way I can have the same lifestyle for 1,450 in LA. And I would have to pay for a car.

I applied and got a low-income seniors apartment for my mom last year. Granted she had to move away from her neighborhood after 35 years, but she now pays $300 for a one-bedroom in Pasadena. The whining from the woman because she's been banished to downtown-adjacent Pasadena--$300 rent! Fuck, I would love to live in Pasadena.

by Anonymousreply 228June 17, 2019 1:23 AM

Maybe we should move to PS and be roommates R209

by Anonymousreply 229June 17, 2019 3:28 AM

[quote] No wonder Netflix and now NBC are setting up huge production facilities there.

It's called conquering bitch.

California companies are doing to New Mexico and Arizona what they have done to Nevada.

by Anonymousreply 230June 17, 2019 4:11 AM

I would do Arcata or. Mendocino / Humboldt. But have to be ready to totally check out of life. No work, no travel, simple cooking. Really isolating. Beautiful but not psychologically healthy perhaps.

by Anonymousreply 231June 17, 2019 4:12 AM

If you don't own property, house or condo you have no wealth to live in any coastal CA city. I rented in Studio City for 32 years. My rent on a tiny one bedroom just hit $1300 and that's with rent control. When I retire next month to my hometown of Cocoa Beach Fl. My one bedroom a block from the beach is $600. My place will turn over and rent will be $2K. How the hell can millennials afford 2/3 of their take home pay going for housing.? LA has turned into Manhattan with palm tress.

by Anonymousreply 232June 17, 2019 4:26 AM

The central valley is where is at. Nice Houses under 200k

by Anonymousreply 233June 17, 2019 5:33 AM

R13 do they allow day visits at the prison?

by Anonymousreply 234June 17, 2019 6:01 AM

R231, I like your choices. There is some beautiful coast up there in the far California north.

by Anonymousreply 235June 17, 2019 6:23 AM

Wrong R232, there is Eureka, pictured below.

You all should move to one of the towns on Clear Lake (Nor Cal). Affordable.

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by Anonymousreply 236June 17, 2019 6:29 AM

R236 Ironically, Clear Lake does not have clear water. It is contaminated with mercury.

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by Anonymousreply 237June 17, 2019 8:17 AM

It's why a large percentage of people who move to California eventually move from California. It's just not the utopia they'd been lead to believe it would be.

by Anonymousreply 238June 17, 2019 9:53 AM

Yes, but not near the coast, though N of San Fran, by the coast is reasonable.

by Anonymousreply 239June 17, 2019 1:19 PM

Barstow

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by Anonymousreply 240June 17, 2019 1:28 PM

Folsom?

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by Anonymousreply 241June 17, 2019 2:06 PM

[Quote] Before living in any inland California shithole I'd rather live in Albuquerque.

I lived in ABQ and moved away a long time ago. It is lovely looking but very isolating and finding good friends was really difficult. People who live there are very cliquey or unwelcoming and I'm from LA. I don't know about now but back in the early 90's there were tons of drunks everywhere. It was a sad place.

by Anonymousreply 242June 17, 2019 4:06 PM

R240, no offense, but I would not recommend Barstow to anybody. Yikes.

by Anonymousreply 243June 17, 2019 4:16 PM

R242, looks like things have changed drastically since the 90s. I've been living in ABQ for the last 3 years and I'm from NJ. What first struck me was how friendly the people were, didn't have any problem makings friends and about the drunks well, sadly most are native americans down on their luck but in general the city has a hippyish , health nut vibe. I couldn't be happier.

by Anonymousreply 244June 17, 2019 4:36 PM

Temecula is hot and I find it boring.

Palm Springs, the rest of the Coachella Valley, Imperial County including around the Salton Sea are all blisteringly hot for half the year, but very plasant for the other half. El Centro, Holtville, Imperial, Bombay Beach, Brawley, Calipatria, Niland, Mecca, Thermal... all inexpensive because nobody really wants to live there. Slab City is free, but who would want to live there? But too hot for half the year, boring and no gay life except some cruisy hot springs, and I guess grindr.

Guerneville in northern California is forested, beautiful and popular with gays. But I don't know what it costs to live there. I guess the ultimate California gay life would be to live in Guerneville from May to October and Palm Springs from November through April.

by Anonymousreply 245June 17, 2019 6:49 PM

OP Be warned!

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by Anonymousreply 246June 17, 2019 6:51 PM

Barstow is hot and there are a lot of loony people walking around at night. Barstow is a hub for 5 major highways and countless train tracks, but with all the ways in and ways out, it still feels like a dead end.

by Anonymousreply 247June 17, 2019 6:52 PM

Guerneville is more affordable than other parts of Sonoma County which is more affordable than SF and other parts of the Bay Area.

I love the town but the river towns have a bit of a problem with addictions.

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by Anonymousreply 248June 17, 2019 6:52 PM

Wrightwood is comparatively cheap for Southern California. Of course, a whole mountain range separates it from the rest of the LA area. If you work in the metro area, you would have to commute on the winding, mountainous Angeles Crest Highway.

If you could work from home, you could make it work. It has more of a mountain resort feel and they get snowy winters up there.

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by Anonymousreply 249June 17, 2019 6:56 PM

My hometown is Orange, Californa and when I was growing up it was ideal. A quiet middle class city with a warm, sunny climate, just 30 minute from beaches, 2 hours from mountains, 2 hours from desert, 10 minutes to Disneyland, 45 minutes to Los Angeles. It's still nice there but sadly like most of California is too expensive now.

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by Anonymousreply 250June 17, 2019 7:10 PM

Guerneville has always intrigued me. Strange no one mentions it. The town and areas around it are affordable by CA standards. You can even live out on the coast near Jenner (admittedly foggy). I agree it has a meth-y vibe. But I would think you could live in the outskirts in beautiful nature and use the town for a night out and shopping when desired. I’m surprised it’s not more of a retirement haven than PS to be honest. Maybe not the town itself - because of flooding and druggie vibe - but the area around there. It’s my go-to area of CA. A night or 2 in SF then a week in the woods and on the coast of Sonoma, Mendocino, Humboldt counties.

by Anonymousreply 251June 17, 2019 7:20 PM

Guerneville once again sustained heavy flooding damage from the Russian River this season, to the point that it is no longer eligible for federal relief funds, and insurance companies won't touch it any more. The feds warned Guerneville that this would happen and it did.

by Anonymousreply 252June 17, 2019 10:00 PM

How has Marin City avoided being gentrified? I mean it's practically right across the bridge from San Francisco, right up the hill from super-expensive Sausalito, and now that the cost of living in SF is so insanely high you'd think the tech bros would be swarming the place.

Yet it still has a nasty ghetto reputation.

by Anonymousreply 253June 17, 2019 10:13 PM

Thanks R252. I knew Guerneville had flooded. Now it makes sense why no one would buy there. Wonder what will happen to all the gay bars and resorts. A shame.

by Anonymousreply 254June 17, 2019 10:16 PM

R253, Marin City stays out of the news. My feeling about it, especially the public housing part, is that families hang on to those units for generations.

I checked Zillow for Marin City rentals, there doesn't appear to be much available there or in Marin County as a whole.

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by Anonymousreply 255June 17, 2019 10:23 PM

Fort Bragg, Eureka, Mendocino, Arcata, etc. are lovely little towns with affordable real estate, but they're HOURS from anywhere else. Like 6-8-10 hours to a major city or a proper airport. Anyone who settles there is saying goodbye to the rest of the world, and in some cases, services like grocery stores or nearby medical care. Same for the lovely little towns seen on the California coast between Monterey and Santa Barbara, but those areas don't seem to have the same population of druggie-looking drifters that dot the highways of the north coast.

Yes, I'm looking to relocate when I retire, but not to California's north coast. If I can't find something in the Sierra foothills, it may be Arizona.

by Anonymousreply 256June 17, 2019 10:32 PM

Yes, come to Arizona and help turn the place blue.

by Anonymousreply 257June 18, 2019 12:11 AM

Kern County is actually pretty affordable. Bakersfield is now one of the top 20 cities where millennials are moving into. You can still find great homes below 230k.

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by Anonymousreply 258June 18, 2019 12:25 AM

Yes, but do you really want to live there?

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by Anonymousreply 259June 18, 2019 4:11 AM

Bakersfield is a blazing hot RepubLICKCUNT SHITHOLE! FUCK NO!!!

by Anonymousreply 260June 18, 2019 5:06 AM

Bakersfield is growing blue by the minute.

by Anonymousreply 261June 18, 2019 5:10 AM

WE lasted less than a month in Mendocino. Very creepy. Far away. I had to buy a special cellphone just to get coverage (2011). Lots of homeless people, methheads, illegal potgrowers. The trees overpower everything, and I don't blame them. Guerneville has the same vibe, in my opinion. We also lived in Sonoma, which was a different creepy. All rich retirees from some place else. Horrible weekend traffic on two-lane roads. A kind of non-place, which much of CA can be. We're back in San Diego, which is not cheap, but at least it's not the set of a horror film.

by Anonymousreply 262June 18, 2019 1:32 PM

R262, what was creepy about Mendocino?

by Anonymousreply 263June 18, 2019 5:28 PM

Yeah - curious what exactly is “creepy” about Mendocino. Seems like a beautiful place to live. Maybe the absence of sun?

by Anonymousreply 264June 18, 2019 5:32 PM

Most of California is creepy.

Populated by uneducated, damaged, wandering, and often mentally ill people.

Of course, you get to pay a huge premium to live amongst freaks, so there’s that.

by Anonymousreply 265June 18, 2019 6:14 PM

Creepy is such a juvenile, overused word, usually indicative of a very low IQ, severely limited person.

by Anonymousreply 266June 18, 2019 6:16 PM

I'm not R262, and would very much like him to expand on his reasons for fleeing Mendocino, but I did mention above that there are a lot of druggy-looking drifters floating through that region. If a person lives in a tiny and isolated place like Mendocino, they'd be a constant worry.

If I ever had to live out on the north coast, I'd kick and scream and protest before I went, and probably settle in Fort Bragg. It's a nice enough town, and unlike Mendocino, it's large enough to have grocery stores and a hospital. Lovely botanical garden, BTW.

by Anonymousreply 267June 18, 2019 10:49 PM

Pacoima

by Anonymousreply 268June 18, 2019 11:32 PM

Mendicino aka Salem's Lot.

by Anonymousreply 269June 19, 2019 3:22 AM

Thanks R267. I'm R262, and we agree. It's either bulging with tourists or dead empty. There is one grocery store, and the same panhandlers were always out front. I didn't feel safe walking our dog on the forest paths in the woods alone. Housing was very hard to find. One place, the old man owner proudly told me how he'd renovated it after the last tenants moved out. They'd trashed it and had had a meth lab in the garage. The house sat in a small, gloomy clearing, surrounded by towering trees. All I could think of was customers coming back to buy their meth in the middle of the night. Much of it is beautiful, but it is lonely, isolated, incestuous (as in you see the same 10 people over and over and over everywhere.) There is constant marine layer. There is little to no fresh food, because it's all trucked in from so far away, except a few months a year. Ft Bragg is better, but at the time, they had terrible problems with homelessness, addiction, poverty. Mendocino County is one of the poorest in California. Cell and internet is spotty. But hey, give it a shot!

by Anonymousreply 270June 19, 2019 3:24 AM

But-- it seemed very gay friendly. I met lots of lesbian couples on holiday from San Francisco and LA. Their dogs could run freely on some of the beaches and riverfront.

by Anonymousreply 271June 19, 2019 3:26 AM

Insightful - thanks R270. Similar to my experience in “paradise” - beautiful but isolated and impractical for basics like quality food and services.

by Anonymousreply 272June 19, 2019 3:39 AM

I can't speak from personal experience, but an acquaintance lives in San Bernadino, which she said is very dangerous, and just bought a home for $700,000 in Chino Hills. She says her current area (think it was Loma Linda) is very religious and that her area and California in general is very boring. I was a little surprised how down she was on California and the people. She is from Asia, so maybe she has a different perspective.

by Anonymousreply 273June 19, 2019 3:44 AM

Mendocino is a lovely place to spend a weekend, a tiny, pretty town on one of the loveliest parts of the California coast. Businesses are gay-friendly and the rental houses and B&Bs are all beautiful, the coast walks enchanting, the deep forests cool and shady if you've been suffering from an excess of summer heat back home. But even the most beguiled tourist can't help but notice the drifters and panhandlers in the business area or the grubby kids hitchhiking the coast highway, or the shabbiness of the larger towns like Fort Bragg and Eureka. It's a beautiful area but largely poor and very isolated, and that attracts some who don't fit in well with society, and those aren't people you dont' want as neighbors.

Of course if you keep going along the coast all the way to the Oregon border, you get to Crescent City, a place that's even shabbier and which has a really unsettling vibe. I've heard it said that's because there's a super-maximum-ultra-security prison there, and that the town population is either the families of people who'd like to work at a place like that, or the families or descendants of the worst criminals in the US. Which means a whole town full of murderous or sociopathic DNA. Hm. Maybe that's where the grubby hitchhiking kids are getting away from.

by Anonymousreply 274June 19, 2019 4:05 AM

Fort Bragg, just up the road from Mendocino, is creepier. Depressed economy, lots of fog. A lot of wealth up there hidden in the trees, though. Main business along the Mendocino coast is tourism. Hard place to live though. Isolated with not a lot of available services. A friend's mom lived in Bodega (Sonoma Coast) after living in Santa Rosa. She finally moved back because she couldn't get service people in a timely manner. Lots of druggies in them thar hills, too. Northern CA is like that. Beautiful but flawed.

Eureka and Crescent City aren't quite as isolated. I like Arcata a lot. They are harder to travel from when you want to get away. So far from everything.

If I were looking for a more affordable place I'd check out coastal and inland Oregon.

by Anonymousreply 275June 19, 2019 4:11 AM

R275 again. Northeastern Washington state is beautiful, too. Just an hour north of Seattle are some cute towns and beautiful countryside and islands and stuff. So close to a big city yet so far away.

by Anonymousreply 276June 19, 2019 4:12 AM

R276, do you happen to know what the Washington state coast like? I feel like you never hear about it.

by Anonymousreply 277June 19, 2019 4:17 AM

Can the Fort Bragg/Mendocino trolls please start their own thread! Sheeeeesh!

by Anonymousreply 278June 19, 2019 4:28 AM

I’ve found the discussion of Northern California towns very enlightening. Always thought I would retire there. Now I see there may be a lot of down sides I don’t see in my week-long visits.

by Anonymousreply 279June 19, 2019 4:44 AM

R277, The north eastern coast of WA is very island-y and nice. The lower half is less accessible. The Oregon Coast is glorious. I haven't traveled the lower part of WA coast but looked at it on a map. No nice coastal highway like Oregon and CA have.

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by Anonymousreply 280June 19, 2019 4:44 AM

The Oregon coast is beautiful and has a nice convenient highway, but the little towns there also seem shabby and isolated, with no economy but selling Red Bull to the tourists and meth to each other.

Anyway, anyone live in Chico? I've been there a few times and it seemed okay if hot and uninteresting, but it's got affordable housing and it's near friends so I've wondered if it might be a possible retirement home. All I know is that when I was younger the state college had a reputation as THE party school of California, which isn't exactly a draw for a retiree.

by Anonymousreply 281June 19, 2019 4:52 AM

I know people who moved to Chico 30 years ago then moved away to look after elder parents. They loved it. It's a nice college town but heavily impacted by the nearby Paradise fires. Housing could be scarce.

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by Anonymousreply 282June 19, 2019 5:00 AM

Always dreamed of living in Sea Ranch. Seems much more expensive than most of the other towns on the northern coast - but some great houses.

by Anonymousreply 283June 19, 2019 5:13 AM

[quote] I was a little surprised how down she was on California and the people.

Well, there is some variation, you know, in terms of populace and the geography.

by Anonymousreply 284June 19, 2019 5:18 AM

The one time I visited Sonora, CA, I really liked it. It has a western feel. The housing seemed cheap in comparison to big California city standards and you actually get space with multiple bedrooms/bathrooms for the price at least.

It is sort of in the middle of nowhere though and the nearest bigger towns are central valley cities.

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by Anonymousreply 285June 19, 2019 5:33 PM

Auburn. Maybe eldergays should start retiring here. The climate is much nicer than Palm Springs.

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by Anonymousreply 286June 20, 2019 12:23 AM

Some good ideas here. Really makes me think about Northern CA - remote but still better than Arizona or Utah.

by Anonymousreply 287June 20, 2019 4:53 AM

Auburn and Placerville are reasonably close to Sacramento, which has most big city amenities. Grass Valley and Nevada City are a bit farther away, smaller and more rural.

How do we feel about Ukiah? It's the county seat of Mendocino Co., but not on the coast. There are some decent restaurants in the area, and more amenities than Fort Bragg or Mendocino. It's about an hour from Santa Rosa.

by Anonymousreply 288June 20, 2019 5:01 AM

Conservatives always love to use Cali as an example. Yeah, it is unaffordable because everyone wants to live there. There are tons of jobs. It is not a great situation for many workers, though. But this is capitalism at its finest. Jobs-prosperity-out of luck low income workers. Cali has figured this out and it is why it is a Dem paradise- conservatives would just say fuck off. Deal. Cry baby. Dems try to find solutions to the situation. But Cali is thriving.

by Anonymousreply 289June 20, 2019 5:08 AM

There are 49 other states but people insists on living in overpriced, loon infested California because it's " near the ocean ".

Are these people related to Aquaman? What's with the need to live near the ocean?

by Anonymousreply 290June 20, 2019 5:22 AM

You sound foreign, R290. And stupid.

by Anonymousreply 291June 20, 2019 5:41 AM

Sonora's not really in the middle of nowhere, it's a gateway city to Yosemite, the mid-Sierra, and the Gold country. Not close enough for a commute, but it's less than three hours during non-traffic times from the Bay Area (less than two hours to Livermore). Because of Yosemite, it has a decent number of restaurants and things like supermarkets. It's high enough up to not be quite as hot as the Central Valley, but also doesn't get buried in snow. It's a little like Auburn, but without the convenience of Sacramento. You have to settle for Modesto.

by Anonymousreply 292June 20, 2019 6:58 AM

Can somebody please tell me more about Mendocino??

by Anonymousreply 293June 20, 2019 10:39 AM

I found Mendocino to be one of the most beautiful places in the US. I'd move there in a second. There are weirdos anywhere you live these days.

by Anonymousreply 294June 20, 2019 11:09 AM

[quote] I'd move there in a second.

What's stopping you?

by Anonymousreply 295June 20, 2019 11:52 AM

Do we have a Mendocino Troll?

by Anonymousreply 296June 20, 2019 11:54 AM

I think Mendocino is an idyllic vacation spot - but I get it’s not really a place to live. Ukiah is an interesting idea. Though I would love to live on the coast. The psychological - dare I say spiritual - impact of being on that dramatic, contemplative rocky coast always puts me at peace. And it feels nice to be far removed from everything. But again - perhaps not practical full time. Eureka, Arcata may be the best of the northern coastal towns. Guerneville would be a nice option - but the above mentioned flooding issue and sleazy drug people would make me think twice,

by Anonymousreply 297June 20, 2019 4:24 PM

Is Santa Cruz or its outskirts at all affordable? Not that I'd want to live there, back when I lived in San Jose and visited Santa Cruz frequently, the place still had a sinister vibe underlying all beaches, the boardwalk, and bars... the vibe that was used to perfect effect in "The Lost Boys". So I have no desire to live there, but it'd be a place where a person might be able to afford a home near a rocky coast.

Although if I ever in the lottery, I'm buying a house in Half Moon Bay or Montara.

Bodega Bay has comparatively affordable homes and is on a lovely piece of coast, but it's another place that's just too small for me. If you want a grocery store or medical care or other basic services, you have to drive to Petaluma or Santa Rosa. That kicks it off the list of places I would retire to, which is a pity as I do like the place. I visit several times a year to go birdwatching, and I'd love to spend my old age as one of the whale-watching volunteers sitting out on Bodega Head, staring out to sea all day, and talking to the tourists who come by about whales and nature.

by Anonymousreply 298June 20, 2019 4:51 PM

r289 — The state is not "Cali," it's California. Cali is a city in Colombia. You obviously are not from California, or you'd know that the only people who refer to it as "Cali" are street thugs, wannabe hipsters and people of questionable intelligence.

by Anonymousreply 299June 20, 2019 5:32 PM

Nobody in California ever says "Cali," unless they are referring to that city in Colombia.

by Anonymousreply 300June 20, 2019 6:20 PM

I didn't think Bodega Bay was anything special, and I didn't see any flocks of birds waiting to attack. Kind of a letdown.

by Anonymousreply 301June 20, 2019 6:24 PM

I once had a farm in Cali.

by Anonymousreply 302June 20, 2019 6:26 PM

I was attacked by birds in Mendocino. Really scary. There were only about 6 - but they were literally attacking people near store in downtown Mendocino

by Anonymousreply 303June 20, 2019 6:26 PM

I'd like to retire to Mendocino and be one of those old guys with a long beard, who, when asked the proper way to pronounce "Mendocino," answers softly with a faraway gaze, "Either way... it's cool...."

by Anonymousreply 304June 20, 2019 6:28 PM

What about Chatsworth or Panorama City?

by Anonymousreply 305June 20, 2019 6:29 PM

I always assumed Burbank would be excellent, it seems a lot of shows shoot down there. The local high school is apparently terrible.

by Anonymousreply 306June 20, 2019 6:32 PM

Lodi.

Just don't get stuck there.

by Anonymousreply 307June 20, 2019 7:19 PM

Mendocino's beautiful, I've spent numerous weekends up there, but the one time I spent more than that, I found myself kiind of spiraling into a depression. You really need to be a nature lover up there, it's remote and it's very very quiet during the week and the non-tourist seasons.

I like Santa Cruz--I'd take it over Half Moon Bay. More to do there and, more importantly, it's not in a fog belt. Montara's a little better, but Half Moon Bay can be fogged in every night for months on end. HMB's one big advantage is that it's an easier drive to the Bay Area--less than an hour to the airport.

by Anonymousreply 308June 20, 2019 8:39 PM

Yeah Baja California.

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by Anonymousreply 309June 20, 2019 9:52 PM

Apparently Santa Cruz is not affordable. I had a quick look at some real estate ads and houses start around 700K... including this tiny 1BR.

It's a couple of blocks away from the ocean, but still!

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by Anonymousreply 310June 20, 2019 10:01 PM

Is San Luis Obispo more affordable than Los Angeles?

by Anonymousreply 311June 20, 2019 10:12 PM

R311, everything in California except for San Francisco is more affordable than Los Angeles.

by Anonymousreply 312June 20, 2019 10:14 PM

That and Silicon Valley, R312.

How about the smallish towns on the south coast, between Big Sur and Santa Barbara? San Simeon, Pismo Beach, Morro Bay? And the Santa Maria valley, and Lompoc? Anything nice or affordable there? Because I've done the coast drive a couple of times, the towns seemed pretty and in a lovely setting, and they're far enough from anything else that they might be affordable.

by Anonymousreply 313June 20, 2019 10:28 PM

to the person upthread who mentioned Santa Rosa-- of all the places mentioned here that I've spent time in, SR was the only one that I might live in or Petaluma. They're both easy to get to and have industry that Both places are more normal, less retiree-centric. I've heard Aptos is the new Santa Cruz.

by Anonymousreply 314June 20, 2019 10:39 PM

My mom lives in downtown Sonoma it’s lovely. I would like to live there near her one day. It would have to be a small house or something outside of Sonoma.

by Anonymousreply 315June 20, 2019 10:50 PM

Omg.. R7.. that response was perfect! Excellent.. lol..

by Anonymousreply 316June 20, 2019 11:27 PM

[quote] My mom lives in downtown Sonoma it’s lovely. I would like to live there near her one day.

She said please don't.

by Anonymousreply 317June 20, 2019 11:50 PM

[quote]I'd like to retire to Mendocino and be one of those old guys with a long beard, who, when asked the proper way to pronounce "Mendocino," answers softly with a faraway gaze, "Either way... it's cool...."

I'm a native Californian and have only ever heard one pronunciation of Mendocino—"men-doe-SEE-no." How else could you possibly pronounce it?

by Anonymousreply 318June 21, 2019 12:07 AM

You like downtown Sonoma? So do I, but I don't have seven million dollars to spend on a house off the downtown plaza that has four bedrooms and ONE bath.

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by Anonymousreply 319June 21, 2019 12:21 AM

R319: That's a mistake. A typo. There are no homes anywhere that go for $180,000 in2013 and then $7,600.000 in 2019. TYPO.

by Anonymousreply 320June 21, 2019 12:32 AM

R313, What's affordable? Under $1 million? Under $500,000? Under $200,000?

by Anonymousreply 321June 21, 2019 12:41 AM

I have a little rental property (inherited) near downtown Napa. Built in 1910, 800 sq. ft., 2 small bedrooms, 1 small bath. No dishwasher. Currently valued at around 520K. Rents for 2K/mo.

by Anonymousreply 322June 21, 2019 12:52 AM

Chatsworth is ok, Panorama City is ghetto.

by Anonymousreply 323June 21, 2019 1:08 AM

El Segundo, CA

Next to the beach and LAX - Good

by Anonymousreply 324June 21, 2019 2:39 AM

The central coast is lovely. San Simeon, Cambria, Cayucos, Morro Bay. But Pismo Beach is kinda plain and ugly, in my opinion. But all of these are very small towns with very little going on. I dated a guy who used to live in Cayucos. He said it was beautiful there but he said he was very lonely the whole time he was there.

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by Anonymousreply 325June 21, 2019 4:27 AM

People refer to California as Cali all the time.

by Anonymousreply 326June 21, 2019 4:38 AM

Just not California residents.

by Anonymousreply 327June 21, 2019 4:43 AM

What about Solvang, Ca. ??? It's one of the most cutsey little cities in Southern California.

If you ever want to see what a Danish-Mexican pinga looks like, that's where you go!

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by Anonymousreply 328June 21, 2019 4:43 AM

Chatsworth blows! It's all cars now. Commuters driving to work at Warner Center everyday. Plus, it's down wind from that massive gas leak. Just wait for all the sick people living there in 7 to 10 years. It's turning ghetto and very hot in the summer. 110 isn't unusual.

by Anonymousreply 329June 21, 2019 4:45 AM

Solvang is the Danish Capital of the US. Plus I hear there's a lot of Dutch expats too.

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by Anonymousreply 330June 21, 2019 4:49 AM

My sister lived in Sonoma and now is in Glen Ellen and it's absolutely lovely and I wish I could afford to live there. She's able to because she had a good job, no kids and bought a fixer-upper 25 years ago - her husband is a carpenter who fixed it up. My sister and I were just talking about this last week and I asked her how people can afford living there and she said she had no clue. Boyes Hot Springs in nearby and I suspect may have more affordable housing, but then you have to live there.

by Anonymousreply 331June 21, 2019 4:59 AM

[quote]El Segundo, CA

"Where the Sewers Meet the Sea."

by Anonymousreply 332June 21, 2019 5:08 AM

Solvang is touristy and I believe pricey for some place so isolated, it's not just a Denmark-themed tourist trap, it's the kind of expensive countryside where rich people retire to play at being farmers or vintners. It's kind of like a southern Napa-Sonoma area, if not quite as pricey.

It's possible the rest of the Santa Maria valley is more reasonable, but I haven't looked.

by Anonymousreply 333June 21, 2019 5:14 AM

Santa Maria sucks - strawberry farms and the poor Mexicans that have to harvest them...

by Anonymousreply 334June 21, 2019 5:28 AM

I've only owned, never rented in SoCal but there is no area worth living in for under $500k- and that's an old condo, not a house.

by Anonymousreply 335June 21, 2019 5:31 AM

I love waking up to strawberry smell

by Anonymousreply 336June 21, 2019 5:35 AM

Californey's got it all beat

by Anonymousreply 337June 21, 2019 1:04 PM

Solvang is Neverland- and Reagan Ranch-adjacent. That area (Los Olivos, Santa Ynez, Buellton, etc.) is lovely, but it's a long way to even a mid-sized city (Santa Barbara or Santa Maria/SLO). They do have an Indian casino, though!

by Anonymousreply 338June 21, 2019 3:19 PM

Here's a perfectly nice updated house in Morro Bay, with a view of the ocean and of the rock, going for $665K. A place like that would go for two or three times as much in a fashionable metropolitan area, probably four or five times that much with the ocean view.

And California's south central coast doesn't seem to have the drifter/druggie population mentioned above. So... is there a town in that area that the Eldergays want to make into a model retirement community?

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by Anonymousreply 339June 21, 2019 4:10 PM

OMG, historic junk palace Nitt Witt Ridge is for sale!

Bid up, eldergays, this is not only a historic home in need of conservation, it's the only reasonably priced house in Cambria By The Sea.

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by Anonymousreply 340June 21, 2019 4:38 PM

More about historic Nitt Witt Ridge, the perfect retirement home for the eldergay who loves to spend his days putting things in order!

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by Anonymousreply 341June 21, 2019 4:43 PM

[quote]People refer to California as Cali all the time.

As stated upthread, the only ones who EVER refer to it as "Cali" are thugs, wannabe gangstas, and people with definite intellectual deficits. It is one of the most low-class words one can use.

by Anonymousreply 342June 21, 2019 11:28 PM

R330 Solvang! lol. It's good only for driving for hours in the hot sun to nowhere just to buy sugary cookies. Think ----Michael Jackson's Neverland without the zoo animals, rides, and molestation.

by Anonymousreply 343June 22, 2019 1:23 AM

R342 Except those who actualy live there or were born there. NO ONE calls it Cali. I am a native Californian. I have NEVER called it Cali.

by Anonymousreply 344June 22, 2019 1:25 AM

r342 I cringe when I hear someone say Cali, I've never heard anyone from California call it that, it's like calling San Francisco "Frisco."

by Anonymousreply 345June 22, 2019 1:25 AM

typo: No one calls California "Cali" except for those who don't live there or weren't born there. It's like calling San Francisco "Frisco." Only fools do it. I'm a native Californian who grew up across from SF. Jinx on R345

by Anonymousreply 346June 22, 2019 1:29 AM

Especially fun to hear deplorables bleat on and on about "Cali falling into the ocean" or all those heretical "Frisco gays."

by Anonymousreply 347June 22, 2019 1:31 AM

I like Solvang, and never fail to stop for open-faced sandwiches at the Red Viking... if I'm passing by. I can't imagine going there just to be there.

Anyone got an opinion on Atascadero, which is inland north of the Santa Maria valley? I stayed there when seeing the Carrizo Plain superbloom, and it seemed like a very nice little town.

by Anonymousreply 348June 22, 2019 1:33 AM

Do NOT buy a house! Everything is about to crash worse than 2008.

by Anonymousreply 349June 22, 2019 1:34 AM

Why? My house just finally recovered from 2008.

by Anonymousreply 350June 22, 2019 1:37 AM

R348 Atascadero? Isn't there an insane aslyum/ prison there?

by Anonymousreply 351June 22, 2019 1:38 AM

R350 Bless you, darling. Sell it ASAP.

by Anonymousreply 352June 22, 2019 1:38 AM

r351 Atascadero State Hospital for the Criminally Insane.

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by Anonymousreply 353June 22, 2019 2:04 AM

hell no

by Anonymousreply 354June 22, 2019 2:44 AM

Los Angeles is beautiful

by Anonymousreply 355June 22, 2019 2:50 AM

If you have to drive to work California is a challenging place to live.

by Anonymousreply 356June 22, 2019 2:59 AM

I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again:

Unless you are part of the 1%, you might very well find CA to be the worst of both worlds.

Very expensive, yet very redneck.

If you’re going to pay through the nose, at least live some place like Potomac, MD where schools are good and people don’t behave like feral animals.

by Anonymousreply 357June 22, 2019 4:51 AM

Long Beach

by Anonymousreply 358June 22, 2019 5:05 AM

Lompoc, next to Vandenberg AFB space launches. Near Buellton and Solvang. Between Santa Barbara and Santa Maria.

by Anonymousreply 359June 22, 2019 5:29 AM

What about Lompoc, next to Vandenberg AFB space launches, etc.?

by Anonymousreply 360June 22, 2019 5:45 AM

United States Penitentiary, Lompoc. Medium-security, so nothing to worry about.

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by Anonymousreply 361June 22, 2019 6:00 AM

Bishop, California, is a nice little town set in the stunning Owens Valley. Surrounded by spectacular mountains, it offers easy access to the most spectacular hiking trails in the Sierra Nevada mountains, skiing nearby at Mammoth, Mono Lake and Yosemite nearly, affordable housing, normal town services, an Indian casino, and Schaat's bakery. Every time I go there I think it's a nice town with a good vibe.

But holy fuck's it's way the hell and gone! Six hours or more to LA, six to eight to Sacramento, if the passes aren't closed for the long high mountain winters. Like Eureka and Arcata, if you go to live there, don't plan to spend much time anywhere else.

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by Anonymousreply 362June 22, 2019 6:13 AM

My best friend, her husband, my husband and I were singing 'California Here I Come,' as we drove there from NYC and we got a ticket on the bridge out of NYC for not paying attention while driving.

by Anonymousreply 363June 22, 2019 1:19 PM

Chico, CA

by Anonymousreply 364June 22, 2019 1:47 PM

r363

Worse than that, someone took a photo of you guys and put it on a plate

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by Anonymousreply 365June 22, 2019 2:24 PM

In terms of a place with a relaxed lifestyle, affordability and a very active gay scene, I am going to say Palm Springs like many others. I think the opportunity to get into a decent house w/ pool for under a million is going to be gone soon. With the Kimpton, new developments and the revamping of Palm Canyon, property values are increasing. A lot of my friends rent in LA and own in Palm Springs. I would have never considered it, but as a native of LA and very recent transplant to SF, I feel like both are just unsustainable if you are looking for a work/life balance. I'd like to buy a small house in Palm Springs for the future and maybe use as a rental now. A lot of people (late 30's/early 40's) are all talking about where they are going to retire at this age, especially in SF. Starting out rents for a studio (300-400 sq ft) are around $2300-$2500 & entry level 1BR at $3000 month - no laundry or parking in many. It's fine paying that now in the short term, but $3000+ is a mortgage payment. Honestly, for gay men in the US there is just no better place to live than California. There is a sense of freedom and acceptance for gays here that is like no other. We have the best weather in the world and the people are generally cool overall. To be able to live life, smoke a joint by the pool, tons of gay events/groups/bars there is just nothing comparable.

by Anonymousreply 366June 22, 2019 4:29 PM

That’s true for some (though not all) urban areas in California, r366. But about 75% of the state is rural deplorable, and some cities (San Diego) are pretty conservative. There’s also a lot more religion than you would expect (both fundamentalist types and of course Catholic.)

by Anonymousreply 367June 22, 2019 4:59 PM

That little thing at R310 isn't a house. It's a spruced up garden shed. IMO it would take a special kind of fool to shell out 700 Gs for that.

by Anonymousreply 368June 22, 2019 5:05 PM

The desert is beautiful there is a feeling in the desert at night with the stars and wind blowing that is out of this world. I would live in a California desert.

by Anonymousreply 369June 22, 2019 5:10 PM

Nice but affordable in California? No. And I have lived in San Luis Obispo and Mendocino Counties and Palm Springs.. SLO has all but tapped out its water supply and is very pricey. Mendocino has no legal economy except for tourism and wine and those don't pay their workers a living wage. And then there's the fire danger. If you want to cook meth or grow dope, great!! Palm Springs is very expensive considering it is unlivable 6 to 7 months out of the year, and as a large percentage of its residents are transient, members the lgbtq community tends to come and go. I left the state 10 years ago and am living quite happily in the Pacific Northwest. Unfortunately, it is also increasingly expensive. Places in Idaho, which is next door, are very affordable and depending on where you go, are not wacko survivalist homophobic. Demographic changes matter.

by Anonymousreply 370June 22, 2019 5:25 PM

[quote]Lompoc, next to Vandenberg AFB space launches. Near Buellton and Solvang. Between Santa Barbara and Santa Maria.

Lompoc is "Gangsta Central" of Santa Barbara County. The best thing about Lompoc is that it's totally isolated from civilization. Lompoc is 54 miles from Santa Barbara; 27 miles from Santa Maria; and 17 miles from its nearest neighbor, Buellton (home of Pea Soup Andersen's). The wind blows in Lompoc [italic]all the time,[/italic] and despite the wind, the town is perpetually fogbound. There are gangstas and gang violence aplenty, and I cannot think of a single reason to want to deliberately live there. Many Lompoc residents are daily commuters to Santa Barbara, preferring to make a 100-mile round-trip commute than pay SB's exorbitant housing prices.

FWIW: it's pronounced LOM-poke, not LOM-pock.

by Anonymousreply 371June 22, 2019 5:47 PM

There is no work life balance in California. It takes 2 hours in rush hour traffic to drive 35 miles. That includes L.A. County, Orange County, I.E. and the traffic is worse if there is a fender bender not even a big car accident. Apparently it’s the same up North.

by Anonymousreply 372June 22, 2019 5:51 PM

Yes, they are called detention camps, Rose.

by Anonymousreply 373June 22, 2019 6:06 PM

I could be very happy living on the shore of Lake Tahoe. Either on the California side or the Nevada side.

by Anonymousreply 374June 22, 2019 6:06 PM

I am a native New Yorker. I always bought into the only place to live is in either NY or CA. After witnessing what NY is becoming and reading about California, I no longer feel these are the only places to be happy.

by Anonymousreply 375June 22, 2019 6:09 PM

A lifelong NYer who always thought I’d live in CA. But work and family has kept me in NY. Would love to live in CA - mainly for the nature. It has the greatest beauty in all of the US combined with socially progressive culture. But the crazy expense has become an issue. Always thought LA would be a cheap alternative to NY - but now it’s another hyper expensive city.

I’ve accepted that I’m just going to have to rent for a month here and there and will never be able to afford to buy a home there.. Winter in Palm Springs, summer in Guerneville/northern Coast. I love California. May be crazy expensive but it’s is a wonderful place to live. Consider yourself lucky if you can.

by Anonymousreply 376June 22, 2019 6:25 PM

Most people in NY and Ca. eventually come to that opinion as they get older. The big cities of California & NYC are for young people who need excitement all the time. Or in many cases to boost their egos. Even most of them figure out how stupid they were when they reach a certain age and all they're too tired to engage in all the excitement or face the traffic and crowds. They smarten up and move someplace where the living is much easier.

Then there are those of us who knew all along L.A. and NYC were not all they were cracked up to be and we stayed where the living was easier.

by Anonymousreply 377June 22, 2019 6:26 PM

California is not the great utopia it's made out to be. There is no such place on earth. You can move to the place of your dreams and it won't be long before the newness and excitement wear off and it turns into just another place where you hang your hat.

by Anonymousreply 378June 22, 2019 6:28 PM

L.A. is boring, it's essentially a company town.

New York is amazing, wonderful, exciting, fantastic and it's not for the low income or middle class.

There are great places in California other than Los Angeles. San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Santa Barbara are all great places to live, again not for the low income or middle class. If you don't have money, move inland.

by Anonymousreply 379June 22, 2019 6:42 PM

Wrong R379. For non locals? Maybe. For for natives? It's amazing.

by Anonymousreply 380June 22, 2019 6:53 PM

R377 - I’ve come to the opposite opinion that NYC is where I want to be when old. The biggest issue I’ve seen in my parents and other older people is isolation and loneliness and immobility and access to health care. NYC is the perfect antidote to all of those. Vibrant, engaging, stimulating, surrounded by people and easy transport everywhere. It doesnt need to be expensive if you own or have rent stabilization.

by Anonymousreply 381June 22, 2019 7:19 PM

What is amazing, R380? Are you referring to Los Angeles?

Ugh. I moved north and never regretted it.

by Anonymousreply 382June 22, 2019 7:23 PM

[quote] It doesnt need to be expensive if you own or have rent stabilization.

Yes, get back to us when you move to NYC and magically find one of those great rent stabilized apartments, especially since most of them are passed down from family member to family member forever.. And if you're going to buy you'd better have a ton of money at your disposal.

by Anonymousreply 383June 23, 2019 12:47 AM

Probably anywhere in CA is affordable if you buy a manufactured or mobile home.

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by Anonymousreply 384June 23, 2019 1:07 AM

R383, there are some decent 1 bedrooms for around $650,000 in Manhattan, some a little lower, to be had. Small of course, 500-650 sq feet, but in nice areas at least.

by Anonymousreply 385June 23, 2019 2:15 AM

I spent many years in San Francisco, and love it still. But the tech revolution and the population increase of the last 15 or so years made it a place where I no long wanted to live, so I moved full-time to Sonoma County. Close enough to Santa Rosa for anything medical or practical, but not in it. Where I live is bucolic, accepting, and very liberal, which works for me. I can see an independent film if I want, park easily, have a range of cheap to expensive decent restaurants and lots of outdoor activities. The ocean is about a half hour away, same as the redwoods. Guerneville is not without its charms, but the above mentioned flooding and addiction community is a huge drawback. Vineyards all over the place, and like everywhere else in California, legal cannabis.

I've spent a lot of time in Palm Springs, own a condo there that I rent out, but living there in the summer is pretty hellish. Has anyone mentioned Redlands in this thread? I just drove past it for years, but recently went with a visiting family member who wanted to see a friend who'd relocated there. It was a sweet town! University, tree lined streets, close enough to Palm Springs or Los Angeles. I could see the charm, and it's likely more affordable than much of Southern California.

Oh yes, no one in California calls it Cali. And no one in San Francisco calls it San Fran.

by Anonymousreply 386June 23, 2019 3:05 AM

The San Bernardino locals love it when you refer to it as “Berdoo.”

by Anonymousreply 387June 23, 2019 4:25 AM

I say both San Fran and Cali.

by Anonymousreply 388June 23, 2019 4:27 AM

Frisco is in Texas.

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by Anonymousreply 389June 23, 2019 5:21 AM

Then you are a hillbilly, r388.

by Anonymousreply 390June 23, 2019 6:13 AM

I still love Laguna, and will never move.

by Anonymousreply 391June 23, 2019 6:56 AM

r389 Also in Colorado.

by Anonymousreply 392June 23, 2019 9:31 PM

[quote]L.A. is boring, it's essentially a company town.

Not even remotely true. I've lived in the area for over 30 years and don't know anyone who's involved in the industry.

by Anonymousreply 393June 23, 2019 9:37 PM

r391 I was thinking about doing a VRBO in Laguna Beach. Considering how bad the traffic is, I would probably try to find one that had parking and was walkable to town. I can't imagine living there -- it seems like gridlock all the time. I was there in December (certainly the off-season) and it was crazy.

by Anonymousreply 394June 23, 2019 9:40 PM

Locals refer to San Francisco as "the city", much to the chagrin of San Jose.

by Anonymousreply 395June 23, 2019 10:14 PM

R394, I live in the south part of town. There is never gridlock.

by Anonymousreply 396June 23, 2019 10:36 PM

I visited Ventura on a weekend trip with friends. We ferried to the Channel Islands and kayaked. Ventura's cute but also pricey.

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by Anonymousreply 397June 23, 2019 11:14 PM

No. Nothing is affordable here. Even shitty places to live can't be afforded.

by Anonymousreply 398June 23, 2019 11:17 PM

[quote]and magically find one of those great rent stabilized apartments, especially since most of them are passed down from family member to family member forever

You're thinking of rent controlled which is NOT rent stabilized.

by Anonymousreply 399June 24, 2019 12:21 AM

There are a lot of rent stabilized apartments in NYC - but in Bronx, Queens, Outer Brooklyn. Anything under $2,000 basically. But you have to be willing to live in edgy neighborhoods. Given how safe NYC is now even in the “bad” parts, you can do it if you’re willing to travel an extra few stops.

by Anonymousreply 400June 24, 2019 12:59 AM

[quote]If you’re going to pay through the nose, at least live some place like Potomac, MD where schools are good

We aren't a bunch of soccer moms here - why do we need 'good' (meaning white) schools? For our dogs?

by Anonymousreply 401June 24, 2019 1:06 AM

Au contraire, R401. My imaginary children did quite well in my town's small-but excellent public school system. They have not yet graced me with imaginary offspring of their own, but it seems the schools are holding up well.

by Anonymousreply 402June 24, 2019 1:22 AM

I imagine a place like Redding might be affordable. I stopped by for pizza there once and got slightly strange vibes though. They have a cool, slightly random, futuristic sundial bridge though.

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by Anonymousreply 403June 24, 2019 1:30 AM

NO, cheap places are agricultural towns full of remnants of okie white trash.

Redding is such an example.

by Anonymousreply 404June 24, 2019 1:35 AM

The people Trashing California are probably out of state losers that couldn't make it in the state or have never visited here.

California is affordable and big enough that you are sure to find your spot.

by Anonymousreply 405June 24, 2019 2:00 AM

R395, locals refer to San Francisco as The City. Caps required, even when you're speaking it.

by Anonymousreply 406June 24, 2019 4:02 AM

Link for the comment above.

"“The City” is a local’s nickname not because of any exclusivity, but because if you are within a reasonable distance of another city, people will have no idea what you’re talking about. The capital letters don’t translate in conversation."

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by Anonymousreply 407June 24, 2019 4:04 AM

Off topic: what is the difference between rent controlled and rent stabilized?

by Anonymousreply 408June 24, 2019 7:32 AM

R406, Fair enough, The City is definitely capitalized. That link, though, has things wrong--San Jose's as old as San Francisco--both are mission towns. One more reason for San Jose's chip on its shoulder--city fathers thought it would finally get respect when it outgrew San Francisco as Silicon Valley took over the local economy, but all that happened is that Silicon Valley expanded north and the tech tried to absorb SF's cool factor.

Fog City's okay. SF does get the most fog by far. City by the Bay is descriptive--but not just of SF, but most of the other cities in the area. Everybody's by the Bay.

R405, Oh yeah, it's sour grapes all over, but, honestly, we could use a bit of an exodus, so let 'em badmouth.

by Anonymousreply 409June 24, 2019 8:08 AM

R409, what? San Jose is trying to compete with SF? When I was a child we drove through San Jose orchards to get to Santa Cruz. Just a dusty backwater at the time. Silicon Valley, so what. Many of them want to live in SF, displace regular people, and take those Google buses back to San Jose for work. There is no comparison between the two. It's apples and oranges. I grew up in the fog. Yes, it can get depressing but there is nothing like San Francisco, or my memories anyway. It has changed a lot.

That said, San Jose has a nice little downtown, there is a lot of wealth in the surrounding hills, quaint downtown areas in nearby towns and beautiful, un-affordable houses.

by Anonymousreply 410June 24, 2019 9:31 PM

Rent controlled is basically super low with minimal change for 50+ years. Basically has to be the same person in there forever - or immediate family. The rent tends to be crazy low - like $200 for a 2BR in prime Manhattan.

Rent stabilized are much more common. Basically most apartments under about $2,500 in NYC are covered. These apartments can change hands and rent can be increased by a % that is greater than the annual % hikes - but annual increase once you are in one are dictated by the city. Most apartments in cheaper parts of Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn are covered because market rents still aren’t above $2,500 (approx). However, in prime Manhattan, Brooklyn, finding anything recent stabilized under $2,500 is gold - because if the rent is below that when it is vacated, the landlord could make renovations to justify raising it above the $2,500 - and bring it out of rent stabilization completely.

Some people who have lived in their apartments for 20+ years have rent stabilized rents that are cheap - like $1,000 or less for a 1BR in downtown Manhattan.

by Anonymousreply 411June 24, 2019 9:56 PM

Thank you for explaining that, r411. I'd never quite understood the difference before.

by Anonymousreply 412June 24, 2019 10:18 PM

R409, informative post. Can you explain where the moniker Baghdad by the Bay originated?

by Anonymousreply 413June 24, 2019 10:21 PM

[quote][R409], informative post. Can you explain where the moniker Baghdad by the Bay originated?

I'm not, r409, but I know the answer. The term was coined by SF Chronicle columnist Herb Caen in the late 1940s, not because of anything exotic or similar, but because both Baghdad and San Francisco were cultural melting pots, where many languages were spoken and cultures intertwined.

by Anonymousreply 414June 24, 2019 10:34 PM

R414, interesting! I've always thought it was one of the more intriguing nicknames for a city out there.

by Anonymousreply 415June 24, 2019 10:39 PM

R402

Born and raised in Montgomery County. You should really speak to the teachers that teach in Potomac now. They hype the schools but they really are not all that. Guess that is why certain colleges are insisting on transcripts. Besides Potomac always was and always will be a bore..

by Anonymousreply 416June 24, 2019 11:13 PM

r393 = the delusional Pasadena troll.

by Anonymousreply 417June 24, 2019 11:20 PM

I used to enjoy visiting California when I was a young hottie, but now that I’m 48, it can have devastating earthquakes, fires, and drought for all I care. So glad I never moved there.

by Anonymousreply 418June 25, 2019 12:03 AM

R410, oh yeah. San Jose has more people than SF and has for some time. It was also the first state capital, so it's got some historical claim. But, somehow, San Jose is always a bit meh. It's not even seen as the center of Silicon Valley--Palo Alto (Stanford, HP), Mountain View(Google), Cupertino (Apple) are all seen as a bit snazzier.

Even Oakland is seen as hipper these days.

And, yeah, Baghdad by the Bay was Herb Caen's coinage. Herb Caen had incredible clout in San Francisco and totally irrelevant to anyone outside the Bay Area. I think the Baghdad reference was less about diversity and more about the colorfulness and kookiness of the inhabitants. SF's always attracted eccentrics and free spirits.

by Anonymousreply 419June 25, 2019 12:14 AM

I prefer SoCal towards the beach— Venice especially. With legalized marijuana in the state, I can finally be a beach bum in the best sense of the word. Great weather year round.

by Anonymousreply 420June 25, 2019 5:46 AM

CA is a hard state to make it in. 5th gen here, and I have known dozens of people who left because they can't afford stay. At least the way they want to live.

by Anonymousreply 421June 25, 2019 2:55 PM

I currently live and work in NYC and I’m seriously considering moving to California. I know it’s not cheap (neither is NYC). I’m mainly looking for a change of lifestyle, more space and warmer weather. I work in finance so I’m aware of what the costs are for the homes and locations I’m interested in.

I really want to purchase a house or condo. Nothing too big, I live alone with my two cats. A two bedroom house with a small yard or condo with outdoor space is sufficient. In New York, 700-800k gets you a small bland 1-2 bedroom with astronomical fees.

I want to live in a smaller town or city close to a major metropolitan area. I’m exploring opportunities that would allow me to work from home at least a couple times a week.

My top choices are either Pasadena or Claremont in LA County or Mill Valley/Sausalito in the Bay Area. Two colleagues recently relocated to San Diego and the Bay Area, they are very happy.

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by Anonymousreply 422June 25, 2019 3:07 PM

R422, Lots of people still manage to relocate here. You're in a good position to succeed.

by Anonymousreply 423June 25, 2019 3:23 PM

R422, if that is your budget you'll do fine. Pasadena is hot and smoggy, and not a small city. Claremont doesn't do it for me. San Diego is lovely, with plenty to do.

by Anonymousreply 424June 25, 2019 3:31 PM

How is Monterey? Big Little Lies is making curious about that area. It looks lovely.

by Anonymousreply 425June 25, 2019 5:19 PM

[quote]As stated upthread, the only ones who EVER refer to it as "Cali" are thugs, wannabe gangstas, and people with definite intellectual deficits

Regular folk do call California Cali.

by Anonymousreply 426June 25, 2019 5:22 PM

I’m a native Californian. In all my decades here I’ve never heard anyone call the state “Cali.” Never.

by Anonymousreply 427June 25, 2019 6:22 PM

California seems to be rather expensive.

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by Anonymousreply 428June 25, 2019 6:29 PM

The Monterey Bay area (Santa Cruz down to Carmel) is mostly nice, but not near anything. Santa Cruz is not far from San Jose, but the traffic is awful.

by Anonymousreply 429June 25, 2019 7:14 PM

One thing non-Californians don't understand, is that it's not north or south The further inland you go, the worse generally.

by Anonymousreply 430June 25, 2019 7:40 PM

R427 perhaps not but there are Mexicali and Calexico. R429 The fabulous Jennie Jerome of New York (Lady Randolph Churchill) visited Monterey in the late 19th century and found it charming.

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by Anonymousreply 431June 25, 2019 8:06 PM

[quote]Regular folk do call California Cali.

Actually, no, they don't.

by Anonymousreply 432June 25, 2019 9:02 PM

I have to say that I have never seen any, any of the oranges we import from California bear the name or origin "Cali".

by Anonymousreply 433June 25, 2019 9:13 PM

I love the Monterey/Pacific Grove/Carmel area. We visit there almost every year. It's beautiful. You really don't need to be near a larger city to live there, it offers a lot in the way of activities and entertainment. San Francisco is only about two hours (120 miles) away and the towns of the Peninsula and South Bay even closer.

by Anonymousreply 434June 26, 2019 3:54 AM

Only downside to Monterey/PG and Carmel is the fog and the golfers. Otherwise, spectacularly beautiful and things to do--good restaurants, hiking, the aquarium, Cal State Monterey Bay, beaches. Also less than hour to Santa Cruz.

by Anonymousreply 435June 26, 2019 9:23 AM

It’s also good if you like military cock.

by Anonymousreply 436June 26, 2019 11:15 AM

There’s plenty of room for everyone in Cali. It’s the third largest state in the US after all.

by Anonymousreply 437June 26, 2019 2:45 PM

I prefer living in Southern California. Los Angeles is building the most expensive football stadium in the US which will be completed next year and will be the site of the opening and closing ceremonies when L.A. hosts the Olympics in 2028.

by Anonymousreply 438June 26, 2019 2:54 PM

Napa is a nice area. Not sure if it is expensive.

by Anonymousreply 439June 26, 2019 3:13 PM

I had some HOT times at the nude beach in San Onofre when I was young and tight! Definitely check that out if you can.

by Anonymousreply 440June 26, 2019 3:21 PM

R439 Napa's beauty rivals Tuscany. And it's insanely expensive.

by Anonymousreply 441June 26, 2019 3:26 PM

[quote]Napa is a nice area. Not sure if it is expensive.

See R322.

by Anonymousreply 442June 26, 2019 3:30 PM

Of course Napa is expensive- and worse after the fires, as so many home were lost. One restaurant I love was forced to close after almost 25 years, because there was no place for the staff to live within a reasonable distance.

by Anonymousreply 443June 26, 2019 4:03 PM

I prefer Sonoma to Napa, but yes, that area up there is gorgeous.

by Anonymousreply 444June 26, 2019 4:06 PM

If I won the lottery I would absolutely move to Malibu. Far enough away from the LA crowds (I’m 51) but close enough to occasionally partake in what the city offers. And I would love to wake every morning to the sound of crashing surf.

by Anonymousreply 445June 26, 2019 4:22 PM

Anyone had CA military cock [R436]?

by Anonymousreply 446June 27, 2019 9:25 AM

Oh, gosh, yes, R446. Between Black's Beach and the bathhouses, my week in San Diego was almost completely a diet of Marine life.

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by Anonymousreply 447July 2, 2019 7:01 AM

Me too, R445.

by Anonymousreply 448July 2, 2019 1:49 PM

I have a friend who lives in San Francisco and had dreamed of one day retiring to Sonoma or Petaluma, but, he said, "Everything's either gonna flood or get burned down in a wildfire."

by Anonymousreply 449July 2, 2019 5:50 PM

R449, we in Sonoma County say about SF, "everything is going to shake to shit in an earthquake." No, actually we don't, we get earthquakes, too.

However, I've lived in both places and have survived floods, fires, and earthquakes and am still standing with all my chotskies intact.

by Anonymousreply 450July 3, 2019 6:41 PM
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