California?

[Amethyst Rose]

Hi all :) I'm writing because I'm contemplating a move to California in the next Year, and I need some information.

Basically, I'd like to know about the basic cost of living, where the best place to live is, how easy it is to find a place to rent (cheep, and with a yard, preferably), and how easy it is to find work. My husband is a web developer, and I basically do anything :). The reason we're moving is so I can go back to school and get my M.A. or even my Phd. So far, the University of California (and it's various campuses, (campi? hehe) have the best sounding programs for my needs.

I'm also interested in how the pagan community is grouped there. Once I'm living back in civilization I really want to find a BTW coven to study with, and it would be helpful if there was one near by.

Anyway, thanks for your help, every one :)

[Night_Goddess]

Hi, I'm a native Californian, saw your query and thought I'd reply. The cost of living here is high, I'm sad to say....and depending upon your circumstances, you might need to pay a lot if you want to rent a house with a yard. I'd be happy to send you a local newspaper if you'd like to private-message your address to me. That would give you an idea, since you can look at a map, like mapquest, and see what rents are out here. Why would you leave a paradise like the BVI???!!! Oh, and I'll PM my address to you :)

[Amethyst Rose]

Thanks for your help :) I will get you to send me a paper, but not for a while yet.... I still have at least 6 months before we start seriously looking for places to live. At the moment I'm just trying to get a clue about how things are there.
As it is, I don't even know if I'll be able to go to school there or not... I could end up in New York, or London, for all I know. And that's why we're leaving....because I want to go back to school and there's no place I can go here. Not to mention that living here has gotten a little old. We realized when we went back to Canada for Christmas just how much we missed the "civilized" world.

[fire_Raven]

depends on where you want to move into california, yes, living anywhere within a 20 mile radius (prolly more) of the ocean is expensive... i live in the vally, and there really isn't much around here, except mountains in the distance...
its kind of hard question to answer

[Azure]

My boyfriend is in LA and I will be moving out there soon myself. The cost of living is expensive, there's no doubt about that. And California has interesting requirements about out of state students. You might want to contact the UCal system and see what it would take for them to accept you. When I thought of going to grad school there - granted this was 8 years ago, I was told to move to CA and establish residency before applying.

[Amethyst Rose]

Hmmm... I've been doing research via the web about requirements and such. So far I haven't come across that stipulation.... actually I found that international students get a really good break, especially with financing (teaching assistantships, especially).
I'll check that out though, and get a better idea of what they're policy is. Unfortunatly I can't phone anyone, because I don't have a phone. :)

[MzNeko]

It really does depend on where in California you live. My husband and I are paying $765 a month for a dinky little one-bedroom apartment (and the landlord is talking about raising the rent!!! :eek: ), not really a yard to speak of - though we do have a porch and a planter area for flowers.

But we're paying for the privilege of living in a nice neighborhood, with good access to public transportation, and a 10-minute (tops!) drive to the beach.

Further inland, prices are cheaper. Also, parts of Long Beach, Lawndale, Harbor City, Lomita, Torrance have pretty good rents (but also some pretty cruddy neighborhoods - it all depends on what PART of town). And I'd say avoid Lynwood - if there's a good neighborhood in that town, I missed it...

Also the prices in Victorville, Apple Valley, Riverside are pretty good, but they're far enough inland that it's hotter than hell in the summer and far enough in the boonies that the job market can be pretty iffy.

[fire_Raven]

i live in the central valley as i said... places are cheep here, but there isn't a whole lot to do, and there are some bad neighbor hoods, but good oens as well... we own our house... and the last appartments i lived in the rent wast like... 375 and we had a lawn and all... even a small little backyard, but last time i was over by that area the apartments were fallig apart... i suppsoe i could ask my moms boyfriend how much he's paying for his place...

[Amethyst Rose]

Well, right now I'm paying $800 for a very, very dinky one room (furnished with a/c), so I really dont mind paying that much... cheeper's always nice, but depending on the job my husband gets, that's probably the price range we're looking for. Hot doesn't matter.... (seeing as how it doesn't go below 80 here very often.... the a/c in our apartment is set for 83.... hehe :) I need a small yard though, because I have two dogs and would like to give them a bit of freedom.
Edited to add: I'm definately looking at Southern California as a first choice...really would like San Diego. But I'm also looking at L.A.

[materra]

As I am kinda looking at the LA region for a job transfer (they closed my office, and they are moving most of my contracts to an LA office.) I suggest the apartment guides on line. I used them when my office came here about a year ago. I used the search engine... ixquick.com put in apartments and the Biggest area and pulled up all kinds of info. Did alot of virtual tours etc, and found a great place, bit pricey but worth it because it was in a really safe area. I did a 6 month lease, and then searched and found the area I wanted to live in and that was more affordable. It worked out very well overall.

[Thistle]

I'm a native Californian, living in the S.F. Bay Area. I live in the East Bay, about 20 miles from the U.C. Berkeley campus. Like everyone else has said, price will depend on your location. Although you said you were interested in San Diego or L.A., it really isn't any better up here. Rents and cost of living are high, public transit is pricey, and traffic is bad, but there are jobs. Where the cost of living is lower, generally speaking, the job market is more iffy, like MzNeko said. Good luck. I hope this helps in some small way.

[Azure]

Heh, if we're all headed to LA maybe we should think about the room mate situation. . .

[Amethyst Rose]

Hehe.... I've always wanted a pagan roommate....could be a lot of fun. Unfortunately, my husband hates living with other people, well, besides me, of course. :D So that's something I'll have to wait until my next life to happen.
However, if we're all moving to the L.A. area, we might as well get together for coffee now and again. ;)

[Mnemosyne]

That's a good idea, Amethyst! I live in the LA area too. Actually, I live 20 miles east of LA at the moment. I might buy a home in the area where I am living right now, or I'm thinking about getting a home or condo in Pasadena within the next few months.
And for your university question, yes, the UC system is the best in CA. There's also the Cal State system. I've never attended one of those schools, but I am going to start since the UC system doesn't offer special education credential. The Cal State schools are much cheaper than the UC.

[earth_clover]

Hello,

This is sort of in response to what fire_raven said, in case you are considering the central valley. There actually is quite a lot to do, you just might have to drive an hour or so to get to them. Like there are tons of places to go hiking and swimming, although it's a tad chilly for that right now. And, at least around Fresno, there are plays and things like that to go to, Farmer's Markets, bookstores (yay!), concerts, and lots of other stuff. Shame on you fire_raven! J/k! So, just in case you are considering the valley, there are some reasonably priced places here and plenty of things to do and places to go.

Clover

[materra]

I have friends near Orange, I would like to have coffee if only to put faces to my on line friends... :) Plus I am JOB HUNTING... :rolleyes:

[Mnemosyne]

That sounds cool, Materra. :) Good Luck with the job hunting. Are you looking for a job in CA or just AZ?

[Azure]

I'm in LA frequently anyway. I'd love to meet up and have coffee with folks - it would be great!

[kblackthorne]

Cost of Living in CA is unblieveably high compared to elsewhere in the country.

In downtown Sacramento (and we're well inland -- Central Valley), a 1 bedroom apartment (no yard, no pets, just a basic 1 bedroom) is running anywhere from $450-1200. (We're currently paying $950 for a one-bedroom.)

Likewise, vacancies are low right now. Part of that is tied in with the rising rent-costs, though: When the tech-bubble burst, a lot of folks from Silicon Valley started moving here for the cheaper rents. (Many of them still commute to the Bay -- a 2-3 hour drive.) So Bay Area rents started dropping for the first time in memory, and Sac rents skyrocketed. (I moved out of an apartment I was paying $650 for at Y2K. I saw the same apartment for $950 last week.)

I "second" Azure's recommendation that you establish residency, then apply to school. CA Residents don't pay tuition -- only registratoin fees. (These can still be huge -- Thank you, Pete Wilson -- but they're far cheaper than Reg Fees + Tuition. And all the fellowships, grants, teaching opportunities, etc. are still available.)

Last time I checked, it only takes 6 mos. to establish residency. (And getting a Driver's Licence is was a big part of it.) But it's been a while since I checked.

[WynterWynd]

I am at the top of the state here, Humbldt County. I used to live in LA and it was costly eight years ago. A friend of mine used to have a two bedroom/yard/garage in a decent area of Van Nuys back then and it was $1000 a month with water paid. And alot of those rentals, especially houses, have problems renting to people with dogs. Alot of places had wieght limits on dogs. We saw one place that said dogs of 7lbs and under were allowed.:eek: Good Luck, in your search, and if all else fails you could move up here and go to HSU...........j/k...........good luck!!

[Night_Goddess]

---Son-of-a-gun!! There are so many of you out here in SoCal!!! We should for sure get together!!! This is great! I have a daughter currently attending Santa Monica City College and it is true about the residency requirement: it is best if you get here and then register. I know there's a website for the UC schools....anyone out there recall!?
---By the way, LA is a great city! There is lots to see and do...I love visiting my daughter there, as it gives me an excuse to check up on the latest museum exhibits, etc...no to mention the music scene. It's one of the best! There are four-plex-type units in LA all over the place, small complexes that have 4 apartments in the building instead of 20+. A nice way to get to know your neighbors, and feel a bit safer. The Community College System is a good transition-tool to get into the UC or Cal State systems. Rentals are sometimes a 'seasonal' thing: the closer you get to beach properties, the more expensive it gets. It is possible, though, just be patient :) .....And you are welcome to the sunshine state!
---We should try to meet in LA for lunch sometime! That would be fun!

[Azure]

My boyfriend and his brother have a pretty nice but small 2 bedroom in Glendale near Griffith Park and they pay about $900 per month. I think that's typical.

[Godssiren]

hi, I'm a native californian and i've lived here all my life. I love it here. For a year or so now I've been looking for different places to live all over california. It is expensive, but if you find a general area in which you want to live, and it's too high priced, then you should look right around it. For instance. I'm a student at UCI, but i was origionally going to go to UCDavis or UCSanta Cruz, so i had to look for housing in both places. Irvine, Davis, and the entire bay area are expensive, but there are smaller city divisions just outside them that are significantly cheaper. Finding a place with a yard, if you are renting, a duplex might work, or something like it. If you want to buy, then you'll be paying more, but you're more likely to get a yard and it's an investment rather than just a montly loss. I hope it helps. :) and good luck on finding what you want! :)

[Amethyst Rose]

Originally posted by kblackthorne
I "second" Azure's recommendation that you establish residency, then apply to school. CA Residents don't pay tuition -- only registratoin fees.

Wow....as awesome as that would be, even if I moved to California first, I still wouldn't be a resident because I'm Canadian :). I really doubt that they'd give someone free tuition when they're not a US citizen. As it is, I have to get my student visa before I can move, and that means getting into a school first, sooo......

California is starting to look like a lost cause for me, unfortunately. Rent is just too expensive (and sparse) for what you get for it (at least that's what I've found researching online). I'm starting to look more and more at Texas now....rent in Dallas is incredibly decent, and the university sounds nice too. I still haven't checked out Northern California yet, however, so we'll see.

[Mnemosyne]

Originally posted by Godssiren
For instance. I'm a student at UCI, but i was origionally going to go to UCDavis or UCSanta Cruz, so i had to look for housing in both places. Irvine, Davis, and the entire bay area are expensive, but there are smaller city divisions just outside them that are significantly cheaper.

Welcome to MW, Godssiren! I totally recommend UCD for you. I went to UCD as an undergrad. Rent is really cheap there. I found such great deals there. Also, the university atmosphere was fabulous, especially when compared to UCI. I went to UCI for my teaching credential last year. I found it sooo boring. It couldn't compare to UCD.

Sorry to hear that you really aren't considering CA much, Ametyhst. As you can see, the state has so much to offer. Good luck with your search. :)

[Amethyst Rose]

Oh, I'm still considering.... in fact I'd rather go there, because there are a lot of people there I'd like to meet :). I have to consider the rent and job situation though, so we'll see.

[Nyx]

It's also getting harder to get into schools here. I'm in the CSU system and my school's impacted in almost every major, and most campuses have the same problem. And when you do get in, there aren't enough professors, and conseqently classes, for all the students they have. In fact they've been cutting out sections, so we've had even less classes offered than usual, which makes getting into required classes harder. And our fees just went up again.

I don't know how things are in the UC system, though someone else either can, or has already addressed that issue.

You could always go to a community college for a year, to establish residency (does it work that way with internation students too?) and then transfer to a four year university.
The CC is cheaper and they usually offer transfer help. Some schools even have agreements set up with four years, that make it easier for cc students to transfer in. I think someone else already mentioned this.

Student housing offers a semi affordable solution to the housing issue in some places. Though, if your married, they probably aren't a great option.

I live in both halves of the state, and I can say that both ends are about as expensive. I prefer the north to the south myself. Just can't stand that desert weather.

Even if you don't move here, I hope you find a good place in whatever state you choose!

[kblackthorne]

(does it work that way with internation students too?)

Nope: Being a foreigner means you're not a Californian. (And yes, Canadians are "foreigners". And my great-grandmother was an illegal alien from Canada, who lived in fear of deportation her entire life.)

[Godssiren]

in reply to the previous post, about the college campus' not being the best for married couples. it's true, but it also depends on the college. I know that most of the UC's have sepatate apartment housing for maried people and grad students, and if they don't have room, they will often help you find a place. By the way, just for general info. I believe there in a state law in california requireing that the housing/apartment areas within a certian radius of campus' can't raise the rent more than a certian amount every year...it's low for students, and i think there may be limits on the total cost charges for them too. if you find a college you like, you could try to look for housing through them, or around the campus.:):cool: