OT: Where to live in California?

FuriousDrew · Feb 6, 2008

Looking for some advice on great places to live in California. Have been a number of times (mainly major cities) and loved it, considering making a move in the near future. San Diego is an amazing city but I know it's extremely expensive. Looking for something like a 2 bedroom condo with a budget around $300,000.

What are some great areas where prices are not as steep as LA, San Fran or San Diego?

Doug · Feb 6, 2008

North county San Diego is an option.... Oceanside,Carlsbad,Vista, or East towards Escondido on Hwy 78.

http://www.realtor.com/options/interimsearch.aspx?source=ig&ctid=712&mxp=24&bd=3&bth=3&typ=7

red007 · Feb 6, 2008

i've lived in a few different cities in nothern california.

davis-nice clean college town. 1.5 hour drive to SF and Reno/Lake Tahoe.

castro valley-nice city in the east bay. short distance to SF.

yuba city-sucks.

lodi-decent city. lots of grapes around.

i liked castro valley the most. of course its more expensive than the other 3 cities.

sorry, i dont' know much about So.Cal

Doug · Feb 6, 2008

example in Oceanside, sometimes called Oceanslime.

http://www.realtor.com/search/listi...3&pg=6&lid=1094691852&lsn=53&srcnt=163#Detail

fhmesq44 · Feb 6, 2008

how old are you?
what do you do for work?
what personal activities (ski, snow, golf, etc.) do you like?
what type of area (city, urban, suburban, rural) do you like?

FuriousDrew · Feb 6, 2008

Doug said:
example in Oceanside, sometimes called Oceanslime.

http://www.realtor.com/search/listi...3&pg=6&lid=1094691852&lsn=53&srcnt=163#Detail

Thanks for the links Doug....affordable places for sure but you'll have to elaborate on the Oceanslime nickname for me! Is it a dump?

Doug · Feb 6, 2008

I haven't set foot in California since 1987, but lived in that area around Oceanside-Carlsbad... no problems, its about 40 miles north of the real city, then if you go North on I-5, you drive thru 20 miles of a USMC base ( Camp Pendleton)into expensive territory...OC,San Clemente, Santa Barbara,etc.

Closer North of SD is expensive, like Del Mar, Solana Beach,Encinitas,etc.

South of SD is cheap too, or inland ( but much warmer).

I liked Carlsbad when I lived there, lots of Mexicans, but I get along with them OK.

gynecologist · Feb 6, 2008

red007 said:
i've lived in a few different cities in nothern california.

davis-nice clean college town. 1.5 hour drive to SF and Reno/Lake Tahoe.

castro valley-nice city in the east bay. short distance to SF.

yuba city-sucks.

lodi-decent city. lots of grapes around.

i liked castro valley the most. of course its more expensive than the other 3 cities.

sorry, i dont' know much about So.Cal

Been there many times. Small hick town with nothing to do..

Cities I recommend:

Watts
South Gate
Inglewood
Huntington Park
Wilmington
Boyle Heights
El Sereno
Hyde Park
Lennox
East Long Beach
Maywood

steaktartar · Feb 6, 2008

gynecologist said:
Been there many times. Small hick town with nothing to do..

Cities I recommend:

Watts
South Gate
Inglewood
Huntington Park
Wilmington
Boyle Heights
El Sereno
Hyde Park
Lennox
East Long Beach
Maywood

lol....little punchy tonight gyno?...........may as well recommend 18th st east la too

gynecologist · Feb 6, 2008

steak tartar said:
lol....little punchy tonight gyno?...........may as well recommend 18th st east la too

Did you used to live in California?

whalewager · Feb 6, 2008

I grew up in Compton...I wouldnt suggest it...

Love Tulare

FuriousDrew · Feb 6, 2008

fhmesq44 said:
how old are you?
what do you do for work?
what personal activities (ski, snow, golf, etc.) do you like?
what type of area (city, urban, suburban, rural) do you like?

I would definitely prefer a city are over a rural or suburban. As far as personal activities I love good food and wine, live music, for outdoors stuff I would love to be able to play beer league baseball or soccer. Not huge on golf or ski/snowboard.

Would be fantastic to be relatively close to one of the MLB stadiums in Cali as I drive down to see the Mariners play at Safeco all the time.

In my mid 20s.

5starbomb · Feb 6, 2008

I heard mexicans are over taking Cali... any truth to this rumor?

gynecologist · Feb 6, 2008

5 star bomb said:
I heard mexicans are over taking Cali... any truth to this rumor?

Oh yeah.. In 20 years So.California will be 90% latino.. It's probably 65% now.

Doug · Feb 6, 2008

How big a city ? To me LA is too big, so I liked being like 40 miles from SD. Carlsbad-Oceanside isn't exactly the boonies, but it isn't in the big city either.

TTinCO · Feb 6, 2008

Riverside

:missingte

FuriousDrew · Feb 6, 2008

A place where I would be say 30-40 miles from one of the large cities would be nice. Don't need to be in the heart of LA or San Diego, etc but don't want to have to plan a weekend to get there.

gynecologist · Feb 6, 2008

Oceanside sounds perfect for you.. Close to SD not that far from Orange County.

Oceanside,Escondido,Carlsbad all seem ideal.

whormoan · Feb 6, 2008

Plenty of places in SD you can do very well for your budget

Doug · Feb 6, 2008

gynecologist said:
Oceanside sounds perfect for you.. Close to SD not that far from Orange County.

Oceanside,Escondido,Carlsbad all seem ideal.

I've considered moving back to Carlsbad myself, my California warrants are long expired. I liked it there in the 80's. You're only 300 miles from Vegas, 100 miles to LA, 40 from SD, close to the beach, nice weather year-round.

Traffic is tough. Escondido is like 15 degrees hotter, but only 20 miles East. As long as Mexicans don't bother you its a fine place. I can get along with them just fine.