California pros and cons

I know there a few Cali residents out there, so this question is for you. Complete honesty is requested. PM me if you would rather.

Any ways, my son is getting out of college in a week and is thinking that California is a place he might want to live and work. He is thinking about the San Fran, San Jose, San Diego, and Sacramento areas. He has a business degree with emphasis in marketing. My questions are many. How's the job market out there? What about cost of living? Housing? Areas to avoid? Areas to consider? Anything you can tell me would be a great help. He plans to research a little this Holiday season also. Might do a trip out there in the near future to look around.

I want him to have as much info as possible before he decides. Thanks in advance for any help that you may offer!

Mike

 

The cost of living is high in those cities. I'm retired, so I'm out of the job situation loop and won't comment on it. But you might consider that today it's been sunny and 62º here in San Francisco -- how does that compare with your area (* heh heh heh *)?

 

Hi BOBBO,

Funny guy! We are digging out of a blizzard that ripped through yesterday. The roads are finally getting plowed around here. Every time I looked at the thermometer it was well below zero. I think that is one reason he wants to move. Is there any area in Cali that doesn't have a high cost of living? Overall, how is life in San Fran?

 

Sounds like he's an intelligent fellow!

Yes, there are some such areas, but they're generally not in the cities and major towns, and of course those are the places where the jobs he'd be interested in are the most promising.

Life in S.F. is as varied as it's possible to imagine. It's one of the most attractive cities in the world, and the year-round weather in this area is another major attraction. But the city itself is small because it's surrounded on three sides by water, so between its attractiveness and its small size, real estate here is insanely expensive. Lots of wonderful places to eat. Fine symphony, opera and ballet. Politically it's home to the Loony Left. For sports, there are the world-champion Giants, the 49ers who beat Seattle 40-21 today, and the San Jose Sharks. The whole Bay Area is a high-tech mecca.

A Google search for the city through the Wikipedia site would be a good place to check.

(Tonight I'll probably sleep with the windows open and just a single blanket on my bed.)

 

Here in Minnesota, we don't close the windows until it hits -40.

 

I'd have to second the idea of San Francisco being an incredibly beautiful city. I went to school in the Mountain View area for a few years and I have to say SF is about as beautiful a city as I've ever seen.

Real estate will most likely in the LA, SF, and San Diego area be much more expensive than where he is now, but then again if he is making more money in CA (and can afford to buy) it might be well worth it.

Financially, CA isn't doing very well, but at this point its hard to say that its any better or worse than any other place. I don't see any resolution to this anytime soon (apart from the US economy getting much healthier).

I would advise LA as the last of the three big cities to live in, unless of course this is teh only place he can find work (or can get close to double what he can make in SF or San Diego). Its an incredibly crowded city with people jam packed for hundreds of square miles. SF is much more beautiful, San Diego is much more clean and attractive, without the "jam packed" atmosphere of LA.

 

Ditto that.

All three cities are on the coast, right by the Pacific Ocean.

San Diego is nearer to Mexico.

Los Angeles is nearer to Death Valley and Las Vegas.

San Francisco is nearer to Yosemite and Lake Tahoe and Reno.

 

Thanks guys, I appreciate the feedback. Helpful info. Yea, although I haven't been there, I've told him that LA is probably not the place he wants to be.

Keep the opinions coming. The more info I can give him, the better.

Mike