I'm afraid theres at least 19,998 people who share the same oppinion. So as soon as your opportunity arises, you will once again wish for a mass exodus.

 

Here is S.F. when the summer temperatures reach a scorching 55 degrees, you can drive literally 30 minutes either north, south or east and the temp will jump 50+ degrees. Drive west and you'll likely run into "jaws". Probably the only place with a micro-climate like it in the world.

That may be also be one reason why people tend to want to move here.

Of course, I'm sure everyone has seen that famous bumper sticker:

THANKS FOR VISITING---NOW LEAVE

 

Ford51- ain't it the truth!

sierraben- I'll be the first to admit it- I just don't get it. The weather's worse than Portland, the traffic's worse than LA, cost of living is outragious. the appeal is what, exactly? Go figure- but people live in Tokyo and New York too, and I don't get that either. A friend recently sold a co-op off of Central Park for the low seven-figures and bought a farm in Virginia. Now that, I understand.

 

I guess some people like the excitement and city life activity while others like the peace and quiet and tranquillity of the outdoors. My district is somewhat quiet. It's not bad; for a city district. But the rest of the city is a zoo. It's a mad house I say.

 

You've answered your own question.

I think the perception of "opportunity" pulls in people.

 

HA thats a good one... "opportunity", this place is goin to hell, i am gettin out as soon as i can. cant find a decent house for under 500k, cant find work, and dont forget the GOVERNATOR, get out and stay out, this place is a hellhole.

 

It definitely has its problems. And the GOVENATOR of KAL-LEE-FOURN-NYA; No comment.

 

California is as close to a socialist society as you can get with out actually being defined as one. If you like people controlling your every move than move to California. If you like good old American Freedom go some where else.

 

Lead_Foot,

We need a whole lot more people thinking the way you do!!!

500K is about right for a two bedroom condo 20 miles south of the city. In comparison Larry Ellison pays 480k every year in property taxes for his "little" spread 30 minutes south of San Francisco.

However in the meantime we just learn how to deal with it.

If you really want to get away from all the people there are a few spots I can suggest in the Bay Area and more in the foothills and quite a few in the Sierras. Although the Sierra's are going to have snow late this year- with the warm weather were having they're losing 3+ inches a day so it should all be gone by mid-July. Kirkwood ski resort, 35 miles south of Lake Tahoe, got just over 60 feet of snow this season.

If you haven't gone before it's worth every second of the 4 hour drive(from the Pacific Ocean) and 4 hour hike(from the valley floor) - http://yosemite.org/vryos/pages/views/hd.htm.
I've stood where that guy is standing 7 times in the last 8 years and never once thought of jumping but always thought of how soon I could get back there.

If you couldn't tell I like being outside and those outside opportunities are what keeps me here.

Tim
A native son

 

My lifes to-do list includes the following

Never set foot in California.

 

I've lived here all my life, and can trace my California roots back to the 1860s or so. My great-grandmother was born in Siskiyou county and my great-great grandfather is buried just about a mile from my house. I've lived in quite a few different parts of this state, from Fresno to Yosemite to Trinity and Shasta, Tahoe and the Mendocino coast, to where I am now, Flake (excuse me LAKE) county, on beautiful Clearlake.

But I'm ready to look elsewhere for a place to live, it's just getting too durn crowded here. The latest figure I heard was that 1 in every 8 Americans lives in California. The reason people keep coming here in droves? I don't think it can be pinned down to any one thing, but I think a lot of it has to do with the California Dream. Those reasons mentioned earlier, California's wonderful climate and booming economy among others, have added fuel to the legend. People started flocking here for the Gold Rush 150 years ago, and I guess the news never quite got out that the Gold Rush is over, people think there's still gold in them thar hills!

We have become the victims of a mass stereotype, perpetuated by Gollywood. California is the land of opportunity! Jobs for everyone, money dripping off the trees, the whole state is like one giant Disneyland! The weather is fantastic, it never rains in California (there was a song about that in the '70s). Yes, the climate is wonderful...in a very small portion of the state down south. The rest of us go through four distinct seasons like the rest of you...except for in the High Sierra, where they pretty much get two seasons, winter and spring, which lasts all summer.

And of course this is the first stop for the massive influx of immigrants, both legal and illegal who come over our southern border. They feel that California still belongs to them, and it seems they wish to take the land back, driving the rest of us us out by sheer numbers.

Ask anyone from other countries who dreams of visiting America. Where do you want to go? California! most of them will answer. They too have been swayed by all they have heard of our state, the legend exists even across the seas. And what do they know of California? L.A., Hollywood, Disneyland, Yosemite, and San Francisco usually top the bill.

Folks, I'm here to tell you the California dream is dead! It's been choked by sheer numbers! Oh, it can still exist for a select few, but for how much longer?
And then there is the flip side of the coin: California's reputation for weirdness. Yes, we're the Granola state, the land of Fruits, Nuts, and Flakes! Look at bcjim's post above, his California Dream is to never set foot in the state. I see that attitude a lot in other people's posts, and in a way I can't blame them. We've spawned such legends as Jim Jones (we once leased property from a man who gave him his first teaching job in Mendocino county, before he started the People's Temple) Richard Allen Davis (remember little Polly Klaas?) Tree Frog Johnson, Richard Ramirez (the Night Stalker) Charles Manson, Ramon Salcido, Ronald Reagan (take him how you will) our current Governator as well as past Governors like Jerry Brown and Gray Davis, the list goes on. Of course, not all these folks were born in California but a large part of their notariety arose here. Then you have our messed-up politics, which I won't even attempt to touch with a ten-foot pole.

Well, I guess I have gone on long enough so I'll shut up now. I ain't highly eddicated and hold no Socio-political or economic degrees, all of this is just my humble opinion. My congatulations if you have managed to read this far without falling asleep! -TD

 

WARNING!

The State of California is known to the State of California
to contain toxic substances which may cause cancer
or reproductive harm

 

I bought a new garden hose the other day and it had a big label on the package that read "Not for sale in California"

??

 

To TigerDan,

Well said; and I didn't fall asleep reading your thread.

Will I ever move out of Ca. ? Hard to say. The property is paid for and the taxes are low because of prop.13 .

For those people who say I will never enter California, I see you here buying souvenirs at the local tourist traps . And for those who say I will never enter (enter your states name), the same applies.

IMHO---California is actually two different states (of mind); Southern Ca.(me-me-me) and No. Ca.( don't touch that tree)

Personally I think that California should be devided into 2 states .

Other than that: THANKS FOR VISITING and enjoy your state, There's only one like it.

 

In 1970 I spent about 2 or 3 hours in California. San Francisco, to be exact. We landed there on our return from Vietnam. I out processed, rode a wild and CRAZY taxi ride to the nearest public air port and exited stage northwest as quick as possible. I flew up to Spokane Washington, where my mom and dad were. He was in Sacred Heart Hospital, recovering from cancer surgery.

Quote:
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=4 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=alt2 style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px inset; BORDER-TOP: 1px inset; BORDER-LEFT: 1px inset; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px inset">Originally Posted by sierraben

And yet they still come.

Native Californians are far and few in between.

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Same goes for native Montanans. It's too bad that people need to repopulate like rabbits and spread like flies. We used to be able to leave our doors open at nite, unlocked, with only the screendoor to keep the non-existant intruder out. NOW, we are plagued with drugs, thieves, murderers, and a steady flow of new housing being built. We are BOOMING. Only problem is.... there's little work here that pays a living. I have a feeling that we are going to have a whole lot of homes on the market cheap when people realize that they can't make the bucks here they did back "home". At lease I hope so anyway.

Welcome to Montana, please park your car at the border, walk in, hug a tree, kiss a Grizz or a Wolf, leave your money....AND GO HOME!!