good places in California?

**BigBrad330** · 06-18-2006, 05:32 PM

Hey i'm moving out to California sometime next year and was wondering what some cool cities are to live in that are affordable. Any suggestions would help. Thanks guys.

**BigBrad330** · 06-18-2006, 05:43 PM

bump

**JDawg1536** · 06-18-2006, 06:07 PM

Cool cities = plenty
Affordable= not so much

Whats your budget gonna look like?

**BigBrad330** · 06-18-2006, 06:09 PM

well i'll be moving w/ my cousin and a friend so there will be 3 of us sharing an apartment or what not

**BigBrad330** · 06-18-2006, 06:11 PM

so i'd say we could each afford around $400- $500 a month on rent, $1200- $1500

**JDawg1536** · 06-18-2006, 06:16 PM

Well what kinda stuff are you guys into? Beach, music, sports?

**BigBrad330** · 06-18-2006, 06:18 PM

yea all that stuff, i heard northern cali is pretty cool too

**JDawg1536** · 06-18-2006, 06:21 PM

Originally Posted by BigBrad330

yea all that stuff, i heard northern cali is pretty cool too

thats where im at right now. weather isnt nearly as good as down south though, but san francisco is pretty cool. if you want a mix between the great outdoors and the big city life, norcal is where you wanna be. if you wanna party, then you cant beat socal.

**BigBrad330** · 06-18-2006, 06:23 PM

awesome, thanks man. yea i got some time to check things out but i just wanted to get some ideas

**JDawg1536** · 06-18-2006, 06:26 PM

Originally Posted by BigBrad330

awesome, thanks man. yea i got some time to check things out but i just wanted to get some ideas

i havent been up in norcal for long so i dont realy know the area, but i like it dont south a lot more. I suggest flying out there and checking out the scenery wth your future roomates to kinda scout it out. i can give you a list of some of the cities youd wanna live in, and then the ones to stear clear from. let me know if you need my help.

**Tren Bull** · 06-19-2006, 12:52 AM

Originally Posted by JDawg1536

Cool cities = plenty
Affordable= not so much

Whats your budget gonna look like?

exactly. cali is a very expensive place to live

**toofatbuilder** · 06-19-2006, 01:39 AM

bro, i live in nor cal. i lived in burlingame by san fran for about a year and a half. mountian view is affordable. sunnyvale, menlo park. even hayward, fremont, union city. places are a little more affordable on that side of the bridge yet close to san fran. your right at the 101, 80, 880 and 580. lots of places to go and things to do. holla if you come out this way. if your into ridin bikes, i used to be in a motorcycle club out that way. i know about 800 guys that always got shit goin on.... always down to meet new people.

**toofatbuilder** · 06-19-2006, 01:42 AM

where you livin tren ?

**JamieStyles** · 06-20-2006, 04:41 PM

i want to make the move next year also...but i want nice weather so it will be socal...I know ppl that say its not as cracked up as you think but then others have said its the best place to live due to hot girls, weather, and shit to do. Hopefully its easy to meet new ppl

**cmax** · 06-20-2006, 05:01 PM

Originally Posted by BigBrad330

Hey i'm moving out to California sometime next year and was wondering what some cool cities are to live in that are affordable. Any suggestions would help. Thanks guys.

Most of the cool cities are all expensive. Very Expensive. This is the most expensive state to live in right now.

What exactly are you looking for out here? California has more size and diversity than most countries. What type of jobs are you looking for? The availability of jobs has much to do with your ability to move to a specific area.

Here are a few great cities to live in with a relatively low cost of living:

Crescent City in Del Norte county - very nice city by the ocean, near the Redwood Trees, calm, laid back communities, with really good ganja.

Eureka in Humboldt County - low cost of living, very nice city by the ocean, near the Redwood Trees, calm, laid back communities, with really good ganja.

Chico - cool college town with a really nice atmosphere and party scene.

Auburn - nice location, easy commute to Sacramento area for work and to Tahoe for recreation.

Sacramento/Davis - the capital city, good jobs, great cost of living to salary ratio for California. Close to the Bay Area and Lake Tahoe.

San Luis Obispo - centrally located city, near the ocean, beautiful country, great produce, and nice people.

Cool but VERY EXPENSIVE places to live:

Santa Rosa - wine country.
San Francisco - bay area.
Santa Cruz
Los Angeles
San Diego
Lake Tahoe

Stay out of the Central Valley and Desert areas unless you don't mind the heat and a relatively boring place to live. Modesto, Fresno, Bakersfield, Needles, and Imperial County ARE ALL TERRIBLE PLACES TO LIVE.

Stick with the Coastal Cities and the mountains (around the Tahoe area). They are the best places to live with the best overall weather.

**cmax** · 06-20-2006, 05:13 PM

Originally Posted by toofatbuilder

mountian view is affordable. sunnyvale, menlo park. even hayward, fremont, union city. places are a little more affordable on that side of the bridge yet close to san fran.

You're kidding right? Why don't you add Palo Alto, Tiburon, and Sausalito to your list?

LMAO!!! My buddy just got a great deal on a place in Sunnyvale.

A small 2 bedroom, 1 bath house, 1 car garage, 900 sq feet, with a 1250 sq ft yard only cost him $925,000. Yes, it's a very CHEAP place to live.

**BigBrad330** · 06-20-2006, 06:39 PM

sounds good guys, thanks for the list

**Ufa** · 06-20-2006, 06:44 PM

I hear Beverly Hills is nice and affordable. NOT!

Check out any of the beach cities. The closer to the beach the better.
The rest sucks. I lived there longer than I care to admit.

**anaBROLIC** · 06-20-2006, 06:55 PM

my sister lived out there for years in the hayward, freemont area, still got family there. love it when i go and visit.

**JDawg1536** · 06-20-2006, 07:39 PM

Originally Posted by Ufa

I hear Beverly Hills is nice and affordable. NOT!

Check out any of the beach cities. The closer to the beach the better.
The rest sucks. I lived there longer than I care to admit.

Where did you live?

**toofatbuilder** · 06-20-2006, 07:53 PM

Originally Posted by cmax

You're kidding right? Why don't you add Palo Alto, Tiburon, and Sausalito to your list?

LMAO!!! My buddy just got a great deal on a place in Sunnyvale.

A small 2 bedroom, 1 bath house, 1 car garage, 900 sq feet, with a 1250 sq ft yard only cost him $925,000. Yes, it's a very CHEAP place to live.

dude, my boy is renting in mountian view... 2br 1ba, 2 car garage for $950 a month. palo alto....lol....might as well say carmel or pebble beach.
your boy got tossed if he paid that much for that shack. in sunnyvale? pfff.....

***Doc.Sust*** · 06-20-2006, 08:11 PM

any city with an "in and out burger" is ok with me

**JDawg1536** · 06-20-2006, 08:38 PM

Originally Posted by Doc.Sust

any city with an "in and out burger" is ok with me

fat boy

**cmax** · 06-20-2006, 08:47 PM

Originally Posted by toofatbuilder

mountian view... 2br 1ba, 2 car garage for $950 a month.

That is totally unbelievable for anywhere in the bay area. He must know the owner. I know plenty of people that pay $1100+/mo for a one bedroom apartment in Mountain View. I looked on rent.com and springstreet and this seems like going rate in the area for a one bedroom apartment.

Look on home gain . com the average house in Mountain View costs $659,215. $950/mo in rent does not even come close to covering the monthly morgage payments on an average house costing $659,215.

Here are some other average house prices stats (note that these are 2005 rates, that do not account for the appreciation since last year) they also include all types of residential properties apartments, condos, and single family houses:

San Jose - $490,490
Walnut Creek - $497,111
Berkeley - $506,669
San Francisco - $511,470
Santa Cruz - $513,712
Sunnyvale - $593,306
Mountain View - $659,215
Danville - $689,258
Sausalito - $729,225
Palo Alto - $770,789
Tiburon - $927,332

Ghetto rates (really bad places to live):

Pittsburg - $184,399
Richmond - $204,952
Hayward - $291,053
Oakland - $365,280

**Stumbo** · 06-21-2006, 12:21 AM

I live in bakersfield, its not bad. People love to bag on it, but all of those people have never lived here.

Best prices on housing in cali(you can move into a brand new 3br/2bth/2 car garage apartment in the best part of town for 1200 a month, or less), you are extremely close to everything, 30 minutes from the mountains, 90 minutes from the ocean, 90 minutes from LA, and about 3 hours from sanfran or sandieg.

There is a large immigrant (and i mean illegal immigrant) population here. Thats the only down side if you ask me (upper income white boy). I use to have a job in sales, but I quite because only 1/4 of my customers spoke english.

Another down side is the heat, it will be over 110 this week, but the winters are really nice!

**SnaX** · 06-21-2006, 02:28 AM

I live in so cal. It's been REAL warm lately. I like it.

I suggest somewhere from long beach to bakersfield?? i personally would recommend bakersfield. Any more south than that, and you're in BFE. My bro used to live in bakersfield, and the cost of living isn't costly, and the community is NICE.

**cmax** · 06-21-2006, 02:42 AM

Bakersfield is relatively cheap, but it is very hot and dry. It is in the middle of nowhere and is right on the border of the desert. I also hear that it is relatively boring. However it does look like a nice little city.

They have a large immigrant population because it's agroville. You can always find good deals in the central valley, ie: Bakersfield, Fresno, Modesto, but those places are the least desirable cities to live in due to climate, location, and salaries.

If you're from Las Vegas, Phoenix, Odessa, then I say Bakersfield is the place for you, but if you want ideal weather, fun cities, high salaries, and lots of cool social scenes then stick with the coastal cities: San Diego, LA, Orange County, San Luis, Santa Cruz, Bay Area, etc. This is just my opinion.

**JamieStyles** · 06-21-2006, 02:37 PM

the dry heat you guys have cant be that bad

**SnaX** · 06-21-2006, 02:44 PM

He's from vegas? I suggest Orange County as well. Maybe you can go to knotts barry farm or whatever it's called.

**firmechicano831** · 06-21-2006, 03:38 PM

Santa Cruz in north cali is the place to chill and surf. #1 in cali and the weather is always about 78 degrees most of the time and it almost never changes. Never hot or cold

**JDawg1536** · 06-21-2006, 05:46 PM

Originally Posted by firmechicano831

Santa Cruz in north cali is the place to chill and surf. #1 in cali and the weather is always about 78 degrees most of the time and it almost never changes. Never hot or cold

yeah, if you smoke a lot of reefer and wear jesus shoes

**J.S.N.** · 06-21-2006, 05:51 PM

Originally Posted by Doc.Sust

any city with an "in and out burger" is ok with me

shut the **** up donny.

**statuZ** · 06-21-2006, 06:49 PM

Originally Posted by JDawg1536

yeah, if you smoke a lot of reefer and wear jesus shoes

ohh shit, why dont i live there?

**cmax** · 06-21-2006, 06:51 PM

Originally Posted by JDawg1536

yeah, if you smoke a lot of reefer

If you want the best reefer then move to the Eureka/Arcata Area in Humboldt County.

It's not bad down here in Sonoma County either, but Humboldt and Mendocino Counties are clearly the best.

The best reefer tends to be along the coast in the counties north of Marin: Sonoma, Mendocino, Humboldt, and Del Norte. Trinity County is further inland and not too bad either.

A) There is no such thing as bad reefer in these areas. You can't beat the quality.

B) It will be a cold day in hell before you will be arrested in these counties for only having recreational amounts.

However, don't carry any weapons or anything that shows support for George Bush in these areas... you are libel to get smacked in the head with a Birkenstock and people will pelt you with sunflower seeds.

**Geodogg** · 06-22-2006, 04:30 AM

any of the big cities (or close to it) on the coast is where you wanna go if you ask me. though I would stay in socal. the weather in norcal sucks. and there is more to do down south.
i lived in santa barbara for 5years. it's one of the best places in california/ USA. The bars/parties are the awesome. And the women? well, santa barbara has some of the most beautiful women in the country. let me put it this way. if you know people, you are gonna see things that you don't even see in movies. private parties can get real crazy. this one party (around cristmas time every year) was rated 3rd best party in the nation by playboy.
also some of the richest people from the country and hollywood live in santa barbara. so it's very expensive. that's why i don't live there anymore.
my one bedroom appartment was $1,550.00/month.

so, in cali, the more money you have the more fun you can have. sky is the limit.
but if you are broke cali is no better then any other place in the world. in fact, it could be worse.

**zimmy** · 06-22-2006, 10:25 PM

eh...enjoy your rights before you move to commiefornia

**Stumbo** · 06-23-2006, 02:49 AM

Originally Posted by zimmy

eh...enjoy your rights before you move to commiefornia

Lol, true. The only people here who get away with anything is illegal immigrants, everybody seems to want to protect them.

**cfiler** · 06-23-2006, 12:30 PM

Originally Posted by Doc.Sust

any city with an "in and out burger" is ok with me

I hear that. I LOVE In & Out. I always go there on my trips to Cali. It's just as important as going to DisneyLand I find.

I'd love to move to the Anahiem area, but there isn't too much of a demand for Canadians there.

**cmax** · 06-23-2006, 02:49 PM

Originally Posted by Stumbo

Lol, true. The only people here who get away with anything is illegal immigrants, everybody seems to want to protect them.

And Drugs... California is very lenient and sympathetic towards recreational drug use. However, this excludes steroids unfortunately.

Don't get caught with carrying any guns or weapons here. They will turn it into such a major travesty!

**Ufa** · 06-23-2006, 03:14 PM

Originally Posted by JDawg1536

Where did you live?

Laguna Beach, Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, West Hollywood,
San Rafael, & even Beverly Hills. There is nothing like Sunset Strip
on Friday & Sat night; it sucks the rest of the time.
Forgot to put Torrance, went to elementry school there. College
at Cal State L.A. some UCLA.