Despite an honest attempt to seek out more great things about the East Coast, several readers actually proceeded to bash the West Coast instead! What’s up with that?
Some curiously mentioned that the East Coast is fantastic because the horrendous weather for half the year makes the other six months so wonderful. Ummm, that’s like saying you appreciate your right hand more because you chopped off your left hand! Wouldn’t you rather have both hands?
The only positive takeaway from the comments I agree with is the cluster of historically significant cities within a several hours drive. Other than that, nobody came up with any stand out reasons other than the six I provided as to why East Coast living is great.
Given that the West Coast was attacked, I feel it’s important to stand up and defend our honor!
WEST COAST > EAST COAST
* Beautiful Weather. With blue skies and sunshine, we have wonderful beaches, healthier, and happier people. There’s a reason why movie stars and other celebrities work and live on the West Coast. Why do you think there are so many songs about “California Dreaming”?
* Entrepreneurial Opportunities. Google, YouTube, Yahoo, eBay, Apple, Facebook, Twitter, Microsoft, Amazon and many more innovative, life changing companies are all based on the West Coast. How many self-made 35-year old or younger mega-millionaires or billionaires can you name from the East Coast? Not many.
* Access To Asia. Asia is where the growth is and not Europe. Travel to Asia is quicker, and doing business with Asia is therefore easier. When it’s 8am in China, it’s still only 5pm here on the West Coast. Communicating at 8pm EST is no fun, and therefore doesn’t happen as often.
* Vacation Paradise. Hawaii is just a quick and direct 4.5 hour flight away! Hawaii is seriously one of the top 5 greatest places on Earth to live, and anybody who tells you otherwise has never experienced the island. Besides Hawaii, there is Tahiti, Bora Bora, Samoa, and of course many wonderful vacation spots in Asia.
* World Class Winter Sports. Lake Tahoe and Whistler have 11,000 feet high mountain resorts whereas the East Coast has icy Killington in Vermont and the Catskills in New York. I’ve been to all four places, and I can tell you there really is NO comparison between West Coast and East Coast skiing/snowboarding. Can you imagine getting dumped on with no mountains to ski down? That’s like living on top of a hill with no view! There is no point.
* More Peaceful People. A large reason why many people are on the East Coast is because of a job opportunity or family. As a result, resentment builds for the region because they wouldn’t be there otherwise. This is a recipe for some very grumpy people. Meanwhile, a large reason why many people live out West is for a better lifestyle as well as job opportunities and family. Because people are living a better lifestyle, you have a much more pleasant social environment.
* Fewer Crooks. Do you think it’s a coincidence that some of the biggest crooks in America such as Bernie Madoff, Elliott Spitzer, Dennis Kozlowski (Tyco), and countless dirty politicians are all based on the East Coast? Of course not. I’ll leave it up to you to figure out why.
* Healthier People. Because the lifestyle is much better on the West Coast, there are much happier and healthier people in places like California. The healthier you are, the less you have to pay for health insurance and crucial life insurance if you have dependents. Take a look at the latest term life insurance policy rates with PolicyGenius. They make comparing term life insurance policies across all the major carriers easy. Given policy prices are regulated, you’re guaranteed to get the best rates possible.
* More Diversity, Less Racists. Have you seen what’s going on in Virginia for 2019? The Governor of Virginia and Attorney General wore blackface, but aren’t willing to step down. With a less homogenous population on the southern portion of the east coast, it’s natural to have more racism. But at least for me, racism helped give me the drive and strength to achieve financial freedom by 34.
* Lower Home Maintenance Costs. There’s no such thing as freezing pipes bursting on the West Coast. There isn’t snow, hail, and rain storms crushing the integrity of your house. As a result, maintenance and home insurance costs are much lower.
* Lower Power Bills. There’s never a need to use air conditioning to cool or heat yourself in many places on the West Coast given the moderate temperatures. Opening a window is all you need during the summer to get that draft going. Adjusting thermostats is a foreign concept! There is much less to spend on home maintenance as well.
* Fewer Auto Accidents. With better weather comes less accidents. Less accidents means lower auto insurance prices. Check with eSurance for a free auto insurance quote to see how much you can save. They are owned by Allstate and are one of the most trusted insurance companies online.
* Environmental Movement. People love the Earth out here. California was the first to ban smoking in public places, and the state is a pioneer in recycling and emissions standards. We are the home of organic cuisine (Chez Panesse Alice Waters), Tesla Motors (electric car company), as well as thousands of tree huggers! If you love the environment and want to help save the world, you’ll love the West Coast.
* Great Athletics. The Golden State Warriors won the 2015 NBA Championship, almost won the 2016 NBA Championship, won again in 2017 and again in 2018, baby! Meanwhile, the San Francisco Giants won three world series in five years. During the winter, I can play golf on Saturday in 70 degree weather, and drive 2.5-3 hours on Sunday to go snowboarding in 2 feet of powder. We’re truly blessed with amazing athletics.
* Watching The Sunset Into The Ocean. If you live on the East Coast, you’ll never see the beautiful sunset into the ocean.
* Pride. If you live on the West Coast you won’t have to make sensationalist statements such as “Florida will be torn apart in the next Tornado”, “It’s so humid in Washington DC you can go swimming in your own sweat“, “You’ll die early because you’ll never want to go outside,” “Be careful about the next enemy siege,” and other ridiculous statements to make yourself feel better about yourself. You don’t have to disparage like some on the East Coast will do about West Coasters because you’re already living the dream.
THE WEST COAST IS THE BEST COAST
I know I don’t have to give any reasons why the West Coast is a much better place to live because it’s pretty obvious. It’s like wondering whether Bill Gates is rich, duh.
I give reasons anyway to highlight to those who bash the West Coast what they’re missing. It’s easy to look down upon those out West if you’ve never experienced living out here.
But as someone who has lived on both coasts, the choice is obvious. Perhaps this post will make things even more obvious!
I’m here to tell you that if you are miserable out East, do more than just make fun of the West Coast. Do something to change your life by moving! The settlers did so hundreds of years ago, and so can you in much quicker a time. Have no fear in seeking a better life. You deserve it!
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You can live on the West Coast and invest in Midwest properties with much higher cap rates without having to live through the bitter cold.
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Updated for 2019 and beyond. Just say no to polar vortex living.
No thanks, I’ll take the southern east coast anyday. I’m from Wilmington, N.C. and currently live in Portsmouth, VA. My family is from the rural areas of N.C. I’ll take the laid back, life style where no one gets in your business and tries to tell you how to live the life you want to live. The cities you mentioned; DC, Williamsburg, NYC are all very ideaologically liberal cities. I prefer small towns of 5,000 people or less who aren’t all about trying to get more and more money. They actually care about people. I’ve spent some time in San Diego and L.A. Only the rich people have that kind of life that you mentioned. The majority of normal, working, middle to lower middle class people are the exact same as everywhere else. Since you used to work in Finance and have an MBA from Berkeley I can’t image you know what its like to work as a secretary in a hospital or a mechanic at coal power plant, or as an admissions counselor at a university. They don’t have the lush, luxurious life of which you speak of. Southern weather has humidity. San Diego doesn’t. However, I love green. We have more woods, trees and fields than you can possibly imagine. The atlantic ocean is warmer but I never go to the beach, even though I live 25 minutes away. I’m just not a beach person. But give me the southern eastern states any day. I’ve also lived in Japan, the middle East and even the Caribbean. There’s no other place I’d rather live and raise my family then the S.E. United States.
You hit on the nail. All this west coast is better stuff with no solid reasons, just superficial, oh the weather, or the food is healthier and fresher. Get real. You can get healthy food anywhere if you can afford it. And the west coast prices out probably guessing, 80 percent of the people who would even consider living their. These reasons don’t hold air. In the long run they become financially hard to sustain as people retire or if they just graduate from one of the universities there or anywhere. And I love the beach but like to also get in the water. Not happening in CA. And Asia, moving because of that quicker access??? That is totally a weak argument unless you work with that part of the world or love it. Or have family there. The East Coast has quicker access to Europe. I’ll take that over Asia any day. Better food, cleaner, more polite and organized. And like you, I have been to most states, half of Europe, and all over the world, including most of California. There are different kinds of beautiful. Just overpaying for everything on the west coast is enough to turn me off, unless, like you correctly mentioned, I become rich. I would tell anyone, if they can afford it, to go back and forth from the east coast to the west before devoting a life to being there. And regarding racism, what???? I’m black and CA has it despite being so liberal and open. A lot of it. And not the diversity it touts. It is divided mainly by thirds between whites, Asians, and Hispanics. Doesn’t sound diverse to me by my Washington DC and Northern VA standards.
I have lived in Hawaii over a decade, I grew up in Midwest, I have lived in east coast 4 years. So I think your opinion of the island is way off, but again you have to live here.
Hawaii is a beautiful place, but crowded. Oahu has over 1.4-1.5 million people, and most of the jobs are on Oahu. If people could they’d go to Maui or Kauai. Couple Facts.
1. Most people here visit the beach only on weekends. I lived in Southern Cal two years, it’s basically the same. The traffic here is horrendous it can take you over a hour to go 5-10 miles. The traffic is regularly rated as the second worst in US right after LA, yes we beat NY with traffic problems.
2. Island living is a sacrifice, anyone here long term will tell you that. So don’t come here with ideas of overseas properties and foreign investments. If you come to Hawaii, you come to be in Hawaii. Even if you manage to juggle it, you will be judged for not committing to the island.
3. Air is clean, but you won’t notice it. Our air is often ranked high, but there are several factories and some of that air gets caught up in the forests.
4. About 20% of our population is retired, about 10-15% is military, 30% in government, homeless around 9%. Short term employment is about 2% So you are at between 71-78%. So even if you are outside those circles, realize 80% of the island is those circles, and interacts among those circles.
5. We have about 22% less doctors than we need, it’s a reason more people retire to Florida. Health Care is not great here.
6. School system here always ranks in the bottom of most states, people with children often move or leave the island.
Now, so I won’t be all doom and gloom.
1. We have the best beaches, hands down. Been to Brazil, Australia, east Coast, the sand and surf here is the best.
2. Seafood is great, it’s a local taste, but it is great.
3. Island living is very laid back, and I love it. If you just want to lounge at the beach all day, most people view that as a reasonable thing to do.
If your dream is Hawaii, go for it, but having 20 dreams sounds nice but is not very realistic. Focus on one dream, achieve it, move on to the next. If your dream is Hawaii, then come on down. If your dream is being rich, and having investments, and visiting Asia. Then I will see you far later down the road. Either way, Aloha.
Thanks. What do you do in Oahu?
BTW, the population of Oahu is closer to 953,000. 1.4-1.5M is for all the islands.
My dad is from Hawaii and we own property there for the past 60+ years.
This is a great response, realistic and tasteful. I think a lot of what the author wrote is pretty ignorant and disrespectful. I grew up on the East coast but live in San Diego now. I can say that there are things I like better about both coasts. One is not far greater than the other.
No no. I live on the north east coast right now and it truly is miserable. Especially the people.. especially when you grew up in the peaceful midwest. And I’ve lived out west too. The north east coast is pretty terrible. These two lists are almost 100% accurate.
Pro tip: No one move to the north east.
Lake Geneva cost in Switzerland between Montreux/Vevey/Geneva is my preferred coast. Charlie Chaplin knew when he quit the West Coast:-)
Switzerland to me is the most beautiful and sane place in the world. If I could afford it and dual citizenship I would try to be there. What it lacks in a beach makes up for it in every other area hands down.
This is the most childish post I’ve ever read. I hope you’re older than 21 years old because you sound like 16 years old.
First thing: East Coast is much more than New York City. There are clean cities on the East Coast (e.g., Boston), at least as clean as cities on the West, from my experience. The public transportation is MUCH better here in the East if you’re living in a big city. On the West Coast, not so much. Even SF doesn’t make it close to the East Coast. And I’d *hate* to have summer all around. I thoroughly enjoy New England fall and I actually do like it when the sun sets really early in the winter in the East. I love people being more serious and professional with their attitudes. And people on the West care about the environment and the East doesn’t? Have you ever visited Vermont? Have you ever watched a sun setting over a huge pond and the forest in upstate New York?
I do like the West Coast because they have their own charm. I did like the West Coast when I visited, but I found the East Coast more personally suiting. (And mind you, I have lived in the States for a long while, but I’m not originally from the United States, so I’m saying this from the third person point of view.) East Coast has history and huge business, legal, and government industries/sectors. West Coast is has huge tech and movie industries, so something more creative and less formal than the East. California has beautiful nature but so does New Engalnd. So why not just appreciate both instead of saying this place is better than that place, blah blah blah. That’s exactly what 16 years old do.
Seriously, it is almost always people in California who post these types of posts. It’s not even worded as “from my experience.” They’re always screaming how “relaxed” they are by trying to show how they’re different from the East Coast–all the while people on the East Coast don’t even talk about the West Coast because they’re going about their lives. It just makes you think why people like you are so desperate to berate other parts of the country. Maybe from self-insecurity…?
This post is based on experience. I lived in the Washington DC area, Williamsburg, Virginia for college, New York City for a couple years for a total of 10 years. New York City is the best city on the East Coast.
I’ve been in San Francisco since 2001. And I have explored all along the West Coast. The West Coast is clearly how much better life style.
How about you? So far you haven’t shared anything about your experiences are yourself. And the only reason why he landed on this post is because you’re curious about West Coast living and leaving the East Coast.
This post was in response to an original post on East Coast living.
you dont have kids. west coast is pretty much anti-middle class and anti-family. its hard and everyone with kids is forced dual income. cost of living/hosing and moronic zoning with glacial development and bad public transportation and horrific traffic make it suck hard.
Didn’t know that.
See: https://www.financialsamurai.com/day-life-work-home-stay-home-parent-who-also-work/
Dear “hahaha”, if this author is a 16 year old, then I guess that makes you a 5 year old due to your lack of experience (apparently) and childish response. Which I would expect no different from an northeasterner, because you all are that way.
Whenever I lay out why the north east sucks everyone gets SUPER offended (even though I provide statistics) and then respond “What if I said why Illinois sucks?” (childhood home). I respond that I would provide them with even more reasons! Because I’m not ignorant to the issues.
I’ve lived in 5 states within the midwest, west, and currently reside in the northeast. The northeast is undoubtedly the worst. Mostly because the people are so absolutely miserable.
Additionally, in regards to Mick Russom – everything you said is the exact same problem in the northeast.. My wife and I make approx. 140k or so and have one child and still are struggling to be financially strong.
But I love that both of your arguments include public transit…. if it wasnt such a clusterf* of people, perhaps it wouldnt be entirely necessary..
Completely in agreement with HAHAHA’s comment. As expats living in the States, we often look at things without any pre-existing bias or personal penchant. West Coast is pretty and a good place to visit, but arts and culture, and style are amiss. People have no sense of formality, decorum or institution; no reverence for what carried them along to this day. United States began on the East Coast, which has a great deal to be admired and desired. A good reason why they started in the Northeast, not even Florida. Not because of the distance, as Europeans sailed all the way to South America. People on the East Coast are not superior, but many who journeyed west is exactly because they got shuffled out, and couldn’t make it there. So have gun, will travel, and west they go. If sunshine is your ultimate life pursuit, then perhaps it is time you re-evaluate yourself and your focus.
Amiss? The museums on the East coast (Met, AMNH) are poorly curated piles of mediocre art and history compared to their west coast counterparts. The Getty is a much better Art museum than any in NYC. I’ll give you that the National gallery is probably the best gallery museum in the US, that’s in DC.
Broadway shows all start out elsewhere and eventually, with enough corporate sanitation and unification, end up on Broadway. It’s not like there’s really anything original there versus what you might find in the better theaters in Seattle and LA.
And, when it comes to food… forget it. Portland’s the best city for food in the US these days, original and exciting. NYC food is dreadful, a relic mostly of the 1950’s where it had no competition. There’s better cuisine in Florida, Seattle, and Texas than NYC.
People migrated because places like NYC (whose population has remained remarkably stable over the decades because so many that arrive leave) are overpriced, undervalued s**tholes. Nowadays with the insane rentals, crowding and pollution it’s akin to living in a large, CCTV controlled prison. Let alone the rickety ‘mass transit’ infrastructure, the only one in the US using pathetic metrocards rather than RFID systems like those used in real major cities around the US and the World.
Full disclosure: NYC born and raised, spent 45 of my 60+ years in it or nearby in NJ. Lived in Seattle/Portland area for 10 years, now an expat in Europe.
There’s better cuisine in Florida, Seattle, and Texas than NYC.
Had to hold my hand in my mouth to withstand the laughter to this stupid comment.
I love both the West and the East Coast.
I was born and raised in San Francisco. Lived in Outer Sunset for 18yrs.
I’ve been calling New Jersey home for the last 12yrs however.
My goal is to have rental properties on both sides of this country.
Being financially free to me means that I get to enjoy the fruits of both coast. Let’s all get there!
OK, you will not agree with me but: WC- too hot, too much sun, too dry, and though we have a few 10 lane roads, you have bigger crazier freeways. To be fair, the “WC” is a long coast and northern CA, WA, etc. is wetter and more lush, but a lot of CA is more like a desert (remember the drought- before the floods?). Some of us are a little reptilian and need to live in dark moist places.
The thing that most adult east coasters will never admit is that, as children, we all dreamed of summer and warmth and sunshine and so, of course, CA. East Coast kids, teens and young adults are obsessed with thoughts of the Golden State. Ir represents adventure and the good life. Families I grew up around would sometimes forbid their kids to consider college here because, the truth is, once you come our west you are unlikely to ever go back. That says it all. I’m an east coast transplant who absolutely loves NYC but would never consider living there again after living in Los Angeles/Pasadena for 18 years. I worked in NYC for an extended time this past summer and, again, loved it but also loved coming home to LA even more. It is jus so incredibly beautiful here – the oceans, the mountains, the palm trees, the light. And, FYI, we definitely have 4 seasons. The changes in light in particular designates the season shifts. So our seasons are just far more subtle and allow to be outdoors for extended periods for the entire year. Heaven. Worth every penny!
Grew up in Northern California (Palo Alto) and lived in Manhattan Beach, Half Moon Bay up north and SF. Calif is silly crowded, hyper expensive and transitory. Many home areas are homogenized sub divisions. It can be dirty and unkept in some areas. Amazing coastline, weather and food. I live in Northeast. Farr better quality of life. Miss the sunny days but like the diversity of the weather, and a 1 acre lot 5 miles from the beaches.
You’ve obviously never traveled to California. Northern California. Central California and Southern California all have different terrains. California climates reach from dry to humid. Look it up Sf has some of the most humidity in America. It’s not there thick hot humidity you’re thinking of. The east coast will never have Mediterranean climates, in which the Napa Valley does. A drought doesn’t make a state a desert.
If you look at a map of the ph levels in USA you’ll see that the northeast has the highest toxicity in the country and therefore it’s the reason why produce is not so good on the east coast.
California is eay more diverse nature wise we have mountains not mini moles, the tallest trees on the world, springs, deserts,forests,beaches,Mediterranean climate and lovely climate year round. As for fun we have more variety with all the celeb catering we getvtk enjoy too luke amuaement parks, shopping, conventions, museums etc. East coast sucks in every aspect and loses. I’ve lived in California, Texas,NYC,upstate ny,new jersey & pennsylvania.
That is the biggest load of nonsense I’ve ever read. Apart from all the spelling errors and words that literally don’t make sense, it’s just a sad argument for west coast over east coast.
I mean who really cares about celebrities – is your life that shallow that “celebrities” is one of the things that puts the west coast over the east coast? The tallest trees…really? The best conventions? Oh, come on! Who really gives a rats about conventions, especially when the top conventions rotate around the country each year and are therefore not unique to the west coast.
We live in San Diego and the things we enjoy are the reasons we moved out here from the east coast: namely, the ocean, the gorgeous weather and the incredible craft beer scene.
That said, San Diego is so far south, it’s pretty isolated and isn’t much more than a sleepy beach town. After living here for close to 2-years, we’ve realized that there’s more to life than living in a “surfer dude” culture. There’s way more culture back east; everyone here appears so oblivious to the rest of the known world. And forget any “sense of urgency”…everything is done in slow motion in SoCal. Plus, the drivers are the worst on the planet – they’d never make it out east. Every day we hear about cars flipping over, hit & runs and DUIs.
So, I think we’re going to see out another year, than plan our return to the real world. Yes, we’ll give up the Pacific Ocean and the weather, but that’s a small price to pay and really, craft beer is all over the U.S.
It was definitely worth moving out here to live as a resident rather than visit as a tourist, but in the end, this region isn’t all that (and yes, I know I’m judging it from a SoCal perspective).
One thing I can confirm: the east coast certainly doesn’t “suck” in all aspects!
As far as I know, California is the only state in the Union where road signs are protected from theft by being wrapped in barbed wire. Saw on a Los Angeles freeway with my own eyes.
I’m glad that a lot of people love the East/West coast, they can keep their high property taxes, smog, crime, gangs, etc. There is opportunity for everybody, no matter where you live, you just have to be willing to work harder (and smarter) than everyone else, while my many of my friends in college worked at McDonald’s and partied, I started my own custom harvesting business with loan for a 10 year old combine, and an old tandem axle truck. Today I still do some custom farming on the side, but I mostly run my own farm and small feeding operation. I also have some investments outside of farming, mostly real estate, but some stocks and bonds as well.Maybe it’s just because I’m an ignorant South Dakota farm boy who happens to like open spaces and seeing the stars at night. You may say that South Dakota is too cold in the winter, well maybe it is if you aren’t used to it, or don’t know how to properly dress and prepare for it.
People are arguing all they want, but given this is a personal finance website about building wealth so we can all be free, I’m personally investing in Middle America real estate through RealtyShares, one of the leading real estate crowdsourcing platforms today. The coastal cities are way too expensive with cap rates below 4%. With Trump in office, and the theme of buying American and hiring American, I believe Middle America real estate will outperform over the next 4+ years. They are already much cheaper with 10% cap rates (net rental yields).
No way am I going to put down $250,000 to buy a median priced property in SF or NYC after an 8 year bull run, and then BORROW another $1,000,000 mortgage! I’d much rather surgically invest in the heartland through RealtyShares $5,000 – $25,000 per property.
Wow this is one step above I make$85/hour at home through Google… Midwest real estate uh-huh… I’m not going to make them money by clicking on their link, howzabout you post some performance numbers for us, like how have you done in the last year doing this and what’s their 1 yr/3yr/5yr return.
My intuition says, nothing the clown in the Oval Office does will make a hill of beans difference to the folks in the Midwest; when they have no jobs, and lose their affordable healthcare, what’s left their will empty out even more. Remember that the Rust Belt states are ‘net recipients’ on tax revenues vs. Federal assistance, so it’s just an enormous belt of poverty.
Jobs aren’t coming back because automation’s replacing people in Manufacturing. And if they do come back, why should employers pay more in Kansas than they do in Vietnam? If they come back, they’ll earn less, and not be able to afford real estate.
Silly recommendation, data free. Might as well save your money, visit some Rust Belt state with it and go gamble in an Indian casino.
Sure, here’s my initial rational for investing in the Heartland Of America.
I’ll following it up with a more micro screening view later.
If everybody believed, then I wouldn’t be able to make outsized profits! That’s how all entrepreneurs and investors think. Arbitrage baby! Got to practice predicting the future.
Upon my first reading of this I could not find the date in which you wrote this article. As I continued to read all I could think was “is this person nuts”. I then have to question if I was honestly going to read your financial advice. I am quite curious as to whether or not you still feel this way?
I was born in California, most days in elementary school we couldn’t go outside to play due to smog. Earthquakes, drought, etc. Most songs about California were written in the 60’s. I’ve seen more celebrities walking the streets of NYC than I have ever seen in Hollywood, or California. That would lead me to conclude that they work in California and live else where. I have also lived in Oregon and Washington. Oregon is so crazy and crammed packed full of so many people that it takes an hour plus to get anywhere. You hike to a waterfall only to find people living there. The homeless population is a huge issue. The prices of homes and rent have gotten to the point of pure insanity, and I don’t see the jobs, but I hope they are there. Seattle, has always been expensive, but now I think you need to be a foreign investor, or a multi billionaire to live there. If I thought the homeless population is bad in Portland, its heartbreaking in Seattle. I was just there on business a week ago and cried that night it was so bad. They may have beautiful views to look at, but you must look past the homeless population camped along I-5 first. Both areas have vandalism, vandalism,drugs and trash. These are three of the last places I would ever want to live. I have relatives in all three states, don’t know for how much longer because rent and mortgages keep going so high that they too will be pushed out like it or not.
Thanks for your comment. I am nuts for wanting to live the dream life in Hawaii, I must admit. But the people who change the world have to be a little nuts!
See my latest post that may get you more excited: Why I’m Investing In The Heartland Of America
West Coast is the most boring coast. I moved to Southern California last year for work and I cannot wait to go back to NYC in April. I love the weather but everything else sucks. Public transportation does not exist, traffic is a disaster, no one seems to know how to drive, probably because it’s all foreigners and people are so fake to your face but will talk mad shit when you turn your back. No thanks!
Here, here! Couldn’t agree more. We’ve been in San Diego for 16-months and have encountered all of the above. In particular, the drivers are the living worst – tailgating is a SoCal obsession, turn signals are virtually non-existent and every day you hear on the news about hit & run drivers, cars that have turned over and a string of DUI related accidents. It’s like you’re driving on the freeway with a bunch of 5-year olds all around you. And then, of course, there’s the daily traffic jams…
Yes, and Californians are a superficial bunch too. It’s like living in a city that is oblivious to the rest of the planet – we always tell folks back east that San Diego is the “city” (I heard someone refer to SD as “a sleepy beach town”) that time forgot.
It’s bizarre in SoCal!
Go back to the nyc then. The most segregated school district in America. There is a reason why quality of life and agriculture is garbage. I would never live in a city with stop and frisk and segregation. Nyc is a disgusting place.the food in nyc sucks because literally all the agriculture is old. Agriculture makes food what it is and is the reason why Sam Francisco is now the culinary capital of America. Too many obese people in nyc and I left the city because it is literally the number one worse city for people with disabilities in the world. The subway is trash because trains are always late, statins are closed or falling apart and it’s in billions of dollars of debt. Nyc does even have a ring system on its subways (look it up). Nyc is trash. I know you love that segregation. In all honesty San Diego is a dump. It’s like the equivalent of Long Island but it’s not an island.
East Coast versus West Coast? One is only better than the other if it matches the lifestyle you want to live. I was raised in the mid-Atlantic then lived in Philly, DC, NYC, NC and Seattle. Now I’m in CA. I’ve found the lifestyle here fits me. I like it here because I like warm weather outdoor activities and sure, people can be a little more mellow. That doesn’t mean there aren’t things I don’t like but for me the good outweigh the bad.
Cost of living, hurricanes and earthquakes aside, people always find a reason to support why one coast is better than another. That’s a good thing because it means you live somewhere that makes you happy.
Well said Frank!
Or, East coasters who justify living on the East Coast during the winter are just justifying things to make themselves feel better about the frigid weather.
Mahalo from Oahu! I truly believe I am happier and less stressed living in Hawaii right now. I’ve gone swimming, hiking, or played tennis every day for the past 10 days this December for our business offsite. Isn’t quality of life, health, and happiness the most important thing?
I’ve been living in California for the past 6 months (Colorado before that) and I miss the East Coast aggressiveness sometimes! I’m looking for friends who tell me how they really feel versus acquaintances where I can’t tell if they’re just being nice. I guess that comes with time though!
Easy solution! Just go back to the East Coast to see friends and family during the nice months of the year. I love going to expensive NYC during the US Tennis Open!
I happened to notice this article as I was surfing online and wanted to add my opinion. I’m originally from IL and currently reside in the northern plains and haven’t lived on either coast (but I have visited both). I have extended family from the East and where I live there are quite a few expatriates from the western US (mostly from California but people from other western states are here as well); furthermore, many of the jobs I have worked at required me to talk and deal with people from all over the USA so I think I have some experience in dealing with both halves of the union.
I will be honest; both coasts tend to have a lot of weird people living on them but I found the West Coast to be far more superficial and higher-maintenance overall. I used to dread talking to someone out in California given that many people out there seemed to take quite offense to someone just talking to them on the phone. Hello Mr/MS Californian, YOU CALLED US. Yes, you do have to talk to someone you don’t know so that you can just get information on YOUR account. I’m not even trying to sell you anything or bug you for anything and me saying hello or making small talk to you is NOT going to kill you. If you are that offended by talking to the general public then please, do all your business online and hole yourself up in your house.
I also think the people out west (like west of the Mississippi River) overall have a more throwaway mentality towards people. I can see where someone moves from out east (or even some place like Ohio) to Phoenix/Denver/LA/Dallas/any city in the west and has a hard time even making acquaintences. When we lived in IL I had friends as a kid (even as a socially awkward kid) and at least had a fair chance at being a part of the community. Most places out west I found that the locals simply wouldn’t give you a fair chance to, I don’t know, be a part of the community. Even here in the prairie states they have that mentality. You can’t get jobs beyond some throwaway retail/restaurant job without basically becoming a cowboy drone out here and then the western US wonders why they have a brain drain problem. Small towns out here scream that they are dying and have no young people coming in but when someone from the outside moves in or at least attempts to answer their call and fix stuff in town the locals gang up, harass, and drive them out. And you wonder why people make jokes about westerners!?
My theory is that a majority of people moved out west because they either:
A. Couldn’t handle being in a community where people have at least some normal social skills. This isn’t some morality or religious issue, it’s whether you can at least engage with your community properly. If you have a problem with someone, be upfront but civil with it. Stringing someone along is not going to get you far in the outside world and most cultures won’t tolerate it.
B. They were on the run from the law or cheated/lied/screwed over people in their former community. Even here in farm country there are a lot of people who moved here to run away from their crap back east. Some of them made up some real tall tales as to why they moved out here when often times they usually were the culprit or weren’t as innocent as they said they were.
Some other posters on this thread have talked about the discrimination and bad treatment of people out west. I can see why as I found a lot of businesses out here were real shady and I think the idea of the Western US as being some tolerant libertarian utopia is fantasy. I doubt that the western states are anywhere near libertarian as the media depicts them as (opening a business in my state is tougher than it looks) and in fact I found a lot of the politics out here being borderline fascist. It doesn’t matter whether it’s California or Idaho (or any of the others), these states have more than their fair share of laws that make even the old South gasp as far as oppression goes. And good luck on the tolerance aspect; California and the Pacific Coast states might be more tolerant than their neighbors but I found the eastern US overall to be more tolerant as far as LGBT people and other minorities go.
So why does it have the most segregated school district in AMERCA? The west coast is known to be way more tolerant. Nyc has stop and frisk, segregated schools and the worse transportation for people with disabilities in the world. Policies reflect how the citizens are and that’s why nyc is the limousine liberals capital of USA. Even Arizona’s ultra conservative Maricopa county has recreational marijuana. The East coast is filled with conservative Democrats. That’s why the west coast is waaaaay more liberal and SF is the most liberal city in America. No segregation needed.
Interesting and entertaining post. I agree that people in the bay area generally do seem happier than people in NYC and I think it has a lot to do with the weather and people aren’t living on top of each other as much.
The Cavs won the NBA championship in 2016, not the Warriors.
Damnit, why do you have to remind me! lol
But we got KD for 2017, so we should be Championship contenders again! And the Giants are in second place so should go to the playoffs.
San Francisco #1!
See:
The Cheapest International City In The World: San Francisco
The Best Places To Buy Property In San Francisco Today
I can’t relate to this article, which just goes to show how personal these things can be. I’ve lived in LA for the past 6 years, and NYC for 4 years before that. I’ve missed NYC every single damn day since making the bone head decision to move here. LA is a cesspool and I couldn’t care less about the comparatively nice weather. The Westside housing prices are close-ish to what you pay in NYC, and the vapid Kardashian wannabes have got to be the worst. no sense of family values or tradition here- it’s more common to have divorced parents than not. To each their own.
Having grown up back east(Long Island), and having lived in the SF Bay Area now for almost 30 years, I can see both sides of the issue. When I first moved out here, it was great, my eyes were wide open to the new experiences, and it was like moving to another country.
The people: Californians are more laid back, but they are also more stand-offish than your typical tell-it-like-it-is New Yorker. I miss the commonality and the easy laughter I felt with people growing up. There’s just a feeling of belonging that I get when I am there. I’m sure many people have this feeling when they return to their home turf. I’ve just never had that feeling out here.
The culture: East coast wins, hands down. More of everything. And so much in such a small area to explore. If you are Irish, Italian, PuertoRican, you will find a lot more ways to celebrate that back there. Your ethnicity takes a backseat here. Most of the festivals are for food and wine, expensive art.
The Climate: Winters are great out here, very mild, but Christmas never feels right and I used to love the occasional blizzard and everyone coming outside in the aftermath to play or dig out!
Spring time blossoms in late January, early Feb,, my favorite time because it does actually rain then and California is really beautiful when it is green.
But then the rain stops and the “dying” begins, grass turns to straw, and there is the contrasting summer dry heat/ coastal cold damp fog. The Pacific is really a very cold body of water and she is in charge around here most of the time. She blankets the coastal areas( and quite a bit inland) nearly every night, dropping temps to the 50s even now in July. It even gets this chilly in the Central Valley where the daytime highs can be well over 100°. (I personally miss the balmy summer evenings back east!) Not to mention the wind. The mornings here are very pleasant when the sun is shining. But typically, by 4:00, the wind really kicks up and it will feel 10° cooler than it really is. Suddenly that t shirt and shorts were a bad idea, so you always need a jacket!
Beaches? East coast wins, no comparison! Yes, they are more crowded, but there’s a reason, they’re warm and inviting! I remember going to the beaches on Long Island after 6pm, when I think the parking was free, and it was still warm enough to swim and the crowds had all left. Not gonna happen here, that’s for sure. Bring yourself two blankets, one to lay on, and one to cover up! Haha
I know everybody complains about the humidity back east, but I don’t remember it being that bad on Long Island. I know it can be oppressive, but the dryness out here has my nose and lips constantly dry. When I am back there in the warmer weather, I can tell a difference and I like it. The moisture in the air means that it will rain soon and a summer thunderstorm is so nice! The smell and the cooling off it brings, there is nothing like it.
I also miss the dramatic change of seasons, Spring is SO glorious, because everything is waking up and smelling and looking so beautiful. And Fall is so crisp and dramatic! In general, things out here in CA are muted, and while it has it’s own beauty for sure, the lush green moisture is beautiful too. The grass truly is greener back east :-)
Cost of Living: I’m used to it, but it’s one of the reasons I’m still here. Can’t afford to leave…crazy!
Living near a large city: I can tell you this, I never worked in either NYC or San Fran, but NYC is a city I was and still am, always EXCITED to see and explore. The energy is palpable. San Francisco, is just too small, the transit leaves much to be desired, the parking and the hills are no fun as a driver, not as much to do, not as much history, and as you know, too damn cold! My general feeling is, been there, done that!
In general, that’s my feeling about California. I really need a change of scenery!
Well, it seems we are all of a gypsy ilk; and perhaps no place is perfect even half the time; either too overpriced, too overtrafficked, too over populated, etc., etc.
Bottom line is always to me where I feel the most comfortable.
There are may reasons I loved the L.A. world years ago; and I always had work in the law firm and many entertainment venues as a musician; but the small town appeals to me much more.
Having been North of Boston for over a decade now, I have to say its somewhere between a towny environ and weather that is more Californian, for sure. The only weather I hated was the pure desert South of L.A. weather, and the Valley L.A. basis really is horribly hot and oppressive in my opinion.
I am considering Oregon, Northern Cal, probably North of Marin County, OR possibly Laguna Beach if potential roommates come through.
Otherwise, to pay high prices North or close to Boston is something that I feel is now for the birds.
On the other hand, its high everywhere, and to bring down the prices, we should bring down the majority hold in the hands of the few elite bankers who have ruined this country and continue to do so.
Meanwhile, we should all stand up and refuse to pay super high prices on any housing whatsoever; to buy or rent.
Once we stand up as a whole unit, we will be strong. Until that time, the war lags on.
Happy house hunting all! And go find your best friends you want to live around until the end of your life; for that is the real quest(ion).
:) Lananda
I moved to San Diego, California last year, from Austin, TX (where we resided for 8 years). I grew up in Houston, TX and also spent several years living in Denver, CO, and I have spent a significant amount of time in New York, San Francisco, Seattle, and Florida. I don’t know all the East coast major cities as well as I know New York, so, it’s difficult to make an East/West coast comparison, however, I can tell you what San Diego is lacking compared to the south. We have moved 3 times since relocating to San Diego. I thought the “luxury” 2500 and 2600 apartments we rented would be “okay” but I was wrong, the housing here is constructed very cheaply due to the observation you noted in your article (lack of insulation, etc needed because there are few environmental elements) And the high cost and taxes of building here is outrageous I here, compared to all other cities! Go ahead and move to California IF you can afford to buy a home (only 11% of San Diegans can afford home ownership)!, or, if you are willing to risk finding a private rental and cross your fingers that it’s managed by a property man firm and you don’t need to attempt to seek repairs and negotiate with a San Diegan Landlord. I could hear my neighbors sneeze in both high priced apartments I rented (Not exaggerating), we were constantly disturbed by footsteps, bangs, conversations, the sound of their tv’s. I rented apartments all through my 20’s all over Texas and never heard a peep from my neighbors. Buildings are constructed differently here and it even has a term: “California construction.” Concrete is left out from in between walls! I finally found a townhouse in La Jolla, walking distance to the beach, to rent from a property management company. I managed to negotiate a rental rate of $3250 for this 2/2 (down from the $3700 per month they were originally seeking), only because the property backs to a hotel, I can barely fit my car into my tiny garage and maneuver around the hotel guests cars, and my living/dining area looks directly into my neighbors. It’s a tri-level (only 1620 sq ft) this is Huge for California standards. The 2nd bedroom/bath is tiny and it was a rare find to find a place with Air conditioning, even though last summer got up to almost 90 degrees many days and we met families who were staying in hotels, because their house without AC was just too hot to sleep in!
The restaurants here are consistently Horrible compared to southern standards, low quality (cheap) ingredients are used everywhere. The fitness centers are lacking and have limited childcare hours, compared to TX. There is no quality “drop in” childcare and one can not find a decent sitter who charges less than $15 an hour which is understandable, as the cost of living here is outrageous. Even in this price, the sitter we use acts snotty and as if she is “doing us a favor.” People here are very kind and polite and professional, but, it’s been difficult to make real friends compared to Texas. The radio stations are awful, if they even come in clearly. The grocery store pricing also: outrageous for poor selections. No HEB/Central Market here. The Whole Foods is nice but considerably more expensive than our Whole Foods in Austin. Thank God for Trader Joe’s.
People we meet are obsessed with money. There is only the wealthy and the struggling here, no middle class. Students have to live 4 to 2-bedroom apartments. There is a large Asian population here, but, you will rarely see any African Americans. There are many wealthy foreigners all over La Jolla. I believe they move here to buy the extremely expensive real estate, driving up the prices, and keeping home ownership impossible for most American families here.
Lastly, the weather is far from perfect. It is very cold here (60) much of the year, and also overcast on many days. Far too cold to enjoy the beach most days. Summer is the best time of the year in San Diego, – but it only lasts a few months. I have decided that this would be an oppressive environment to raise a child, too stressful financially for a young person, trying to make it in the world. I enjoyed living in beautiful apartments with lots of privacy when I moved out on my own, in Texas. You can find anything you are looking for there in a living situation. There are options and home ownership is within most people’s reach. Very different here. The taxes 30% make it too hard to grow a small business. California is a nice place to visit during the summer. Water and air quality, cost of living, food and dining options, historic architecture, music and nightlife options, and even art and culture are all far superior where I come from in both Houston and Austin and I also strongly prefer a bit of humidity in the air. Much better for the skin and hair. It is bone dry here. I hate it and can’t wait to leave when our lease is up.
There are only a few places more expensive than San Diego and there are all here in California: San Francisco and LA, San Jose. You can find a great place to live reasonably in Boston, Washington DC, Denver, Florida, ANY NY suburb: ANYWHERE Except for here. This has become an Awful state. You Are California Dreamin.
If I’m dreaming, never wake me up! :)
Do you feel differently if your income was double? It sounds like financial stress is really trumping your happiness living in SD.
La Jolla is amazing. La Valencia is my favorite boutique hotel. Wonderful!
That’s irrelevant because the salaries here are not doubled compared to Texas, but, the taxes are significantly higher.
I could deal with the rent if I was extremely satisfied with every other aspect: weather, food, culture, water and air quality, and so forth, but, when you put it all together to live near beautiful cold beaches, even given the enviable big city attractions, it isn’t worth it to me. I have the funds to live in California if I wanted to, but, I’m also price conscious because I am growing a small business. If the housing that I’ve payed this type of pricing for was high quality, and really wonderful then this would also help us to justify the additional cost of living, you can’t put a price-tag on happiness, after all, but, one has to pay closer to 5,000 a month to get a really great rental and I’m not willing to pay that much for rental property.
A lot of Californians that move to Texas, hate it, (I’ve heard), so I believe many people come to appreciate the finer things in the places they were raised. My skin feels itchy (very dry) and I would have never expected this living so close to the beach or the colder temps we experienced through the winter and it’s still quite chilly.
I prefer warm weather and humidity (tropical environments). My parents were living in San Francisco when they met and I’ve always wanted to move here since the first time I visited. I am disappointed, but, still thankful for the knowledge and for this experience. Otherwise, I would have always wondered…
Don’t move to Californa if you can’t afford it.
Common sense. California is for the wealthy elite, the physically attractive, the technically brilliant and genetically superior. I would not recommend moving to Cali if you are not all of the above.
We are superior in every way, down to our DNA. It’s embarrassing that I have to associate with other states like Texas when I call myself an American. I honestly cringe during political season, seeing what my fellow Americans from other states look like. Yikes. Just bad genetics, there is no other way to put it. If you don’t think like I think, then your genetics are probably weak and yeah, you will hate California.
But you are living in fantasy land if you think Texas is even in the same stratosphere as Cali. Texas lol. What a joke of a state. And I’m sorry, humidity is not pleasant. Also makes chicks look disgusting because their makeup melts on their faces the moment they walk outside. Everyone in Texas is stinky and pimply from sweating so much. Honestly, last time I was in Texas, I felt like I was in hell on Earth.
At least be honest with yourself, I mean common, you can’t compare Texas to California.
And you were living in La Jolla. La Jolla and all coastal cities other than Santa Barbara ( where I live ) and Santa Monica are notorious for their overcast weather. As a graduate of UCSD, I will attest that La Jolla’s weather did indeed bother me. But I’m a spoiled brat when it comes to weather. Compared to Texas, La Jolla weather is a wet dream. Texas lol. The nerve you have to even make a comparison.
I’m a single male and I make $250k per year working as a software engineer. I have no problem paying 40% taxes. By the time I’m 28 I’ll be making over $500k. I will have started my own business by 35 and will be a billionaire by 50. If you are smart, California will reward you. Again, California rewards superior genetics. California is for the cream of the crop. There are two ways to succeed in California: be really smart or be really good looking. Being both is ideal. We don’t want you if you don’t fit into at least one of those categories. We honestly don’t. We don’t care what your ethnicity is in this state, so long as you are attractive and smart. We are trying to create a super race here in California. We’re driving up the prices to weed out the weak, the bad genetics. We hope that things will get so bad for the majority of folks that flocked to our soil and crowded our land that they will just leave and go to places like Texas.
What you say about foreigners invading California real estate is true. It is indeed annoying but only if they’re ugly foreigners.
I will say that Texas has some cute women. But they are a joke compared to what I see here every day in Santa Barabara and Los Angeles. Banging super models is so easy in this state.
This state is not for the weak. We are Gattaca, Elysium, the best genetics the world has to offer. You have no business here if you are from a weak bloodline. Simply put, you will not be able to survive and you will end up sounding bitter about life as you do in your rant. We can’t all be Gods now.
Wow. I have no idea why everyone from every other states dread having Californians there. I mean, it’s not like the people aren’t superficial, stuck-up and delusional or anything.
/s
Thankfully, most people even in California aren’t like this.
sadly, they are.
Well, Colleen’s comment struck a chord. We moved to San Diego from Ohio last September and we were lucky enough to rent a detached private 2B 1Bath house from a couple who were being stationed out east (for at least a year). Although a rental agency is involved, all our dealings have been directly with the owner, which has worked out really well. The house has a massive back yard which is important as we have a Yorkshire Terrier.
The neighborhood is quiet, peaceful, although quite far out on “THE 8”, which makes the morning commute a challenge, to be sure. The rent is $2300 which is fine, although we are also aware that we could have a huge house with a full basement for that kind of money in Ohio.
One thing we didn’t realize when we used to visit here is just how isolated San Diego is. It becomes more apparent when you actually live here, but you’ve got Mexico to the south, the ocean to the west and mountains followed by desert to the east. You only way you can go is north. And if you choose to drive north, then prepare yourself for car park-style traffic jams. The furthest we travel are the north county beach towns (which are gorgeous) and as far as possible we’ll take the coastal roads to get to them. I won’t even discuss the San Diego drivers, who by far are the worst drivers I’ve ever encountered, without a lick of road sense. They are aggressive, rude and absolutely clueless on the road.
There’s no doubt that San Diego (and Orange County) is all about the Have & Have Not’s and certainly the expense of living here has clouded our enjoyment of the California “dream”. That said, we moved here for a different way of life, (mostly) sunny skies, a temperate climate, and – of course – the Pacific Ocean. Seeing the ocean always stirs our spirits and with all the other aspects of SoCal that we love, we will never regret moving here, even if it’s temporary.
Our lease is up in September and then the question will be “what next?”. Personally, I favor a move back to the Midwest where we’ll trade the sun and ocean for a far less expensive standard of living. I think my wife would prefer to see out one more year on the west coast, so we’ll have to see.
It’s not surprising when I read that more people are leaving San Diego than are coming in. It was a journey we wanted to make, but lets see how far it takes us.
SD: El Farrilito. Juanita’s. Extraordinary desserts. Balboa Park. TJ’s for shopping. El Indio if you want to overpay. Ponto beach. La Jolla. The wild animal park.
Ohio: Snow. Ice. John Kasich.
Seems straightforward to me. Have visited Ohio a lot and had a brother who lived there. Married a gal from SD and spent tons of time there. No contest.
It actually IS a contest, where you have to weigh the pros and cons of living in a particular region. We too spent “tons” of time in this region prior to moving here, but you really need to live here, go about your day-to-day living, pay bills, go grocery shopping and generally live the life of a resident before being able to give a clear argument on living in San Diego. There’s no point in giving the tourist point-of-view and naming a few random tourist spots and a restaurant with “extraordinary deserts”. That is a pointless argument in the grand scheme of things. The point Colleen and I are both making (independently) is having lived in San Diego, it’s not all that it’s cracked up to be. My wife and I always wanted to move here, but some things you only discover once you’ve lived in a place. Yes, it has all the things that brought us out here in the first place and we love that, but those very reasons will most likely not be enough to keep us here. Not that we’re thrilled about returning to Ohio either, but all our friends are there, financially we’ll be much better off and the Midwest is a great springboard to visit other parts of the country too. I don’t have a problem with snow and ice (the cooler weather really helps my allergies, unlike the dry climate here) and I have no problem at all with John Kasich…I suspect with the current nominee in place, a lot of folks might regret not supporting Kasich. The bottom line here is that sometimes you have to be bold enough to take a leap of faith before realizing that the grass isn’t always greener.
This article seems pretty centered around California, the PNW has a lot of good things to offer as well, it’s not as overpriced, and not as crowded ;)
Biased much? I love the West Coast being from California, but I can safely say it’s the most overpriced, overpopulated state in all of 50. You have to be pulling down major coin to live anywhere worthwhile. Also, it NEVER rains. Ever. We get most of our water from the CO river and now they’re talking about filtering out wastewater.
This is going to force (and already is) people to move to places like Oregon and Washington where it’s more affordable, but this is already driving prices up in those states, so pretty soon this whole coast will be way crowded and expensive. Not to mention people pouring in from the East Coast and Midwest already. I rarely meet anyone these days born in CA.
Both coasts have their perks, but to say one is better than the other is subjective.
According to yesterday’s (Thursday) edition of the San Diego Union Tribune newspaper, there are currently more people leaving the San Diego region than there are moving in. This is mainly due to the cost of housing. It’s estimated that the median wage needs to be $103,000 in order to be able to either buy or rent in a half-ways decent neighborhood.
A house across the road from us (2 beds, 1 bath, 807 square feet) went on the market for $519,000. It HAD been renovated and it’s in an older, but safe community a few miles east of downtown San Diego, but back in the Midwest (where we moved from six-months ago) you could buy something resembling a mansion with a full basement for that kind of money.
We moved here because we love San Diego and the weather is for the most part always sunny. We love the sun, the ocean and the stellar craft beer scene. I got myself a good job in the healthcare world (we sold our house in Ohio and moved here without jobs!), so we get by, and of course, the dry heat is great for my wife’s health.
That said, we’re going to come to the point where we’ll have to consider our options. Is it worth staying on where everything is so expensive (clearly, we’re all paying a “Sunshine Tax”) or should we move back to the Midwest where our standard of living will increase dramatically?
It’s all swings and roundabouts of course – there’s positives and negatives to everything, but right now – despite the lack of rain – we have to say we love it in San Diego and will never regret moving out here (whatever we choose to do in the future). But clearly, the apparant exodus from here is cause for concern for those in power.
Eastern Washington(Spokane) gives you access to north Idaho with great ski resorts big lakes and hiking.
Carolina and Steven – That’s exciting news! The critical advice I can offer is make sure you have the finances to live in San Diego. People will tell you it’s expensive and it’s VERY expensive. We are currently renting an 850 Sq Ft bungalow with a large back yard for $2,300 a month and that’s regarded as a decent rent. Of course, you can pay less, but you’ll get less. We needed a small house in a residential area mainly for our dog, but also because we came from a residential area in Columbus OH and apartment living is not what we wanted. The house across the road from us has just been renovated. It’s 807 Sq Ft, two bedroom, one bath, large back yard. It’s on the market for $519,000.
The water bills are expensive (drought related), electricity and gas is very cheap…cheaper than Ohio. We shop at Costco and the prices are pretty comparable to our Costco in Columbus. Car insurance is very expensive – my wife shopped around at several insurance agencies and we’re still paying twice as much as we were before we moved.
But, in spite of everything I’ve said above, San Diego is absolutely beautiful. Even though it has its rainy and cloudy moments, the weather is nearly always gorgeous. While it was 6-degrees in Columbus yesterday, it was 68 and sunny here. People all over the place in shorts and flip-flops.
The north county beach communities are so pretty and the people are super-friendly. We took our dog to the ocean on Christmas Day…there was a beautiful sunset too.
We moved here from Ohio four months ago, purely to enjoy some SoCal living and to get away from the frigid Ohio winters. We’d been San Diego several times prior to moving here and had done (what we thought was) sufficient research on the cost of living here. We didn’t quite get that right, but it’s all about compromise – if you want west coast living, then you pay for it…simple as that.
Regardless of the sacrifices, we love it here and have absolutely no regrets about selling up and moving west. We have simple interests: walking, the ocean/beaches, sunny skies, craft beer culture, farmers markets, art festivals. All are here in ample amounts and not expensive.
One day, we’ll most likely head back east, but until then we’re going to embrace San Diego living!
I am looking forward to a retired life on the West Coast. San Diego is my goal but I will first settle in Glendale AZ just to get acclimated. I an a Native New Yorker and I transplanted to Miami, Florida when I got married and Daytona Beach Fl. 18 years later when I divorced. Me and My new love will call the west coast our home in two years. I just cannot wait. Thanks for the great article.
Come out to San Diego! :) I grew up in the Los Angeles area, but moved down to SD for University and never left. It’s been 2 decades now and I still love it.
A great thing is that there are pockets of affordability here, yet you can still access the jewels of SD within a 20 minute drive (on average). No doubt you’ve already experienced the weather here – pretty close to perfect year ’round (save this El Nino year…heh). Food also is excellent.
Nothing beats the west coast! On the east coast, it’s impossible to access beaches unless you own them or pay a fortune for parking. On the west coast, the beaches are open for everyone to use.