'Bout ready to hit the road!

[Zeke]

In case you didn't know, Long Beach is the sewer of Southern California. Literally speaking, the Los Angeles River, aka Flood Control District Channel is filled with over 200 tons of trash each rain which, due to the incompetant design of the Port of Long Beach, dumps right onto the beach. Dont' come here to swim in the ocean. It is actyally dangerous and hazzardous to your health.

But that is not the point of this post. 22% of the residents of Long Beach live below the threshold of the national poverty level. That's the national poverty level, not the level which it takes to sufficiently survive in CA. 52% of the people of Long Beach primarily speak a language other than English. This fact alone makes finding a job a little more difficult. It certainly makes ordering a hamburger a linguistic challange. There is large regional airport geogrphically in the middle of the residential populice. Where do you find that? Noise levels are pretty bad.

I was born here, but I need to leave permanently. With life 2/3 to 3/4ths spent, I need to finsih out my term a little more peacefully.

Where to go?

[WOODPIE]

Milt

Come to North Georgia. I'm not a very traveled person; only lived in two states, never been west of the Mississippi. But to me, some of the best roads, nicest people and beautiful geography are in N. Ga.

Hope I don't start a stampede and ruin it with this post!

Ed

[nostatic]

I've asked the same question Milt. My wife wants to go to Massachusetts. I get terrified if I can't see the Pacific Ocean, and consider anything east of I5 to be the east coast.

Central coast of CA seems to still be nice, but jobs are a challenge. I've always though New Mexico might be interesting (up north), and Flagstaff AZ was beautiful...but a little slow for my tastes.

[ronin]

I never thought I'd say this to a Californian, but try taking a trip up the coast to the Emerald City and see how you like it. we still have plenty of rural areas where one can live respectfully in peace and still remain close enough to essential services and the finer things in life. as soon as we straighten out a few things with the local politicians, things could actually get pretty nice here. come up and see us sometime. we could always use another like-minded porschephile up here

[Moses]

Places I could happily live include; Missoula Montana, Northern Arizona, and the gem of the Americas- Costa Rica.

[Zeke]

Been in the deep South for a good period of time. I think the Blue Ridge Mountians are beautiful. Can't do it though, not the South

To be from SoCal is to be used to 65 to 75 degree weather 300 days a year. San Diego has the best climate on the coast followed by Santa Barbara. I think moving to SD won't change a thing. Moving North might be a goal worth pursuing. I'd like to live in somebody's basement in Rancho Palos Verdes upfixinder Poorshas all by myself in the barn while watching the rich and famous ride their horses by the open door. An island of wealth placed upwind and uphill of more of the sewer.

The secret is yet to be found. There are little pockets of undiscovered developements all over. I recently stopped to buy some parts from guy somewhere close to the 20 something Fwy going to Moorpark in the SF Valley. Other than hot, I'll tell you, this guy had eoungh room for 20 cars on a lot with a house and a bunch of large trees. I think he had a acre and it would probably sell today for less than $400,000.

Show me some like that. I'm not acowboy or a dirt farmer, but I could become one if it gets me out of the sewer. I even gots me some Western boots

[dd74]

Maybe you should do what so many out-of-towners have done to us: move to a state, work there until you make a lot of money, then leave.

It's epidemic in the entertainment industry. So-called talent comes from mostly the East Coast, makes good money, then moves back to buy that nice brownstone In Park Slope or sprawling colonial in Westchester County. Seeing this all too many times has made me, as a native, feel taken advantage of. Maybe I'm too sensitive, but this is my city and my coast more than theirs.

One state that has no feelings is Nevada, particularly the numbed-up atmosphere of Vegas. From all that I understand, Vegas can't find enough people to fill the jobs available there - and that's across the board from blue to white collar positions.

If you can live reasonably cheap, save up some bucks, possibly you could transfer back home and pick up a nice place. Just a thought. I hate to see natives leave. It feels like we're the only people keeping this place from turning into a Third World.

[Bill Douglas]

What's it like just north of the Golden Gate bridge (north of Marin county I guess)? And you could commute to San Francisco to get a properly paid city job, still see the ocean...

[pwd72s]

Forget Orygun...it sucks. Yesterday's after 5 pm rush hour traffic, right in front of my house, nearly drove me crazy. (Hope Mark Wilson reads this. He was here at the time and will back me up.)

[dd74]

Originally posted by Bill Douglas
What's it like just north of the Golden Gate bridge (north of Marin county I guess)? And you could commute to San Francisco to get a properly paid city job, still see the ocean...

It's friggin cold up there...

[nostatic]

everyone should live in San Francisco once in their life...preferably before they are married and have kids.

And I mean in the city...not the rest of the bay area. Although Berkeley proper is another good one.

Expensive as all get out, but an amazing city. It can get damn cold...August is especially frigid unless you live in one of the banana belt areas like Noe Valley.

[Drago]

It's even colder in the Emerald City (thank for nuthin' Ronin ). Rains all the time....cloudy when it's not raining. Summer lasts only from July 5th through...well, last week. No, you don't ever want to visit here, particularly between the dates noted above....

By the way, all those photos that have been posted from the PNW...they are of California...the mountains and trees are Photoshop! Really, they are....honest.

[Bill Douglas]

I haven't been there for 20 years, but it sure was a nice looking city. I had a mad uncle living around San Rafel. The Nappa? Valley, where the grapes grow, was a nice part of the area.

[Zeke]

I lived in Vegas for a year. I won't even go back to visit that cesspool. If you think about if, most poeple don't move unless they're unhappy about something. Las Vegas and Houston are the fastest growing cities in the US. Think how many people who go there because they wanted to leave somewhere else, You find a lot of divorcees, ex cons, business failures, etc. And some go to retire and be waited on by these loosers. I never saw so many quick buck artists in my life.

Yes, I am part of my own theory, I want to leave because I'm unhappy. I want to leave the sewer, but I don't think I have to leave CA. I don't have any old friends left here. They all live in Idaho. Maybe I'll go look in San Clemente. Or Arrowhead.

[Drago]

Idaho is nice in an isolated, militant Ruby Ridge sort of way.... The Priest Lake area is very nice...no jobs except the tourist industry though. Maybe for retirement.

[ronin]

hmmm, how about Upper Volta?

[Moses]

Originally posted by Bill Douglas
What's it like just north of the Golden Gate bridge (north of Marin county I guess)? And you could commute to San Francisco to get a properly paid city job, still see the ocean...

The inhabitable parts just north of the bridge are terrifically expensive. Plus you have to be a committed socialist with inherited wealth to live there. North of Marin is the coldest stretch of coastline you'll find in the west. There are no main highways there, travel is tough, and up near Fort Bragg the fireplaces are burning all year long. (Really).

If you want good weather and a clean, tidy little city in California, consider Walnut Creek. A little expensive, but a beautiful place.

[Doug Zielke]

I'm used to fireplaces, and I love Fort Bragg!

[pbs911]

Zeke, I know exactly how you feel. If my wife would agree, I would be out of So Cal as well. Most of California is a sewer, and it is getting worse by the day. My wife and I have our little pocket of uncrowded property in the back bay at Newport Beach. Fresh ocean air, lots of trees, and cops that keep the rif-raf out. I never leave unless absolutely necessary. Work is 10 miles north but it still takes me 30 minutes to get to work. Problem is development is destroying the area. Have you driven down PCH south of Corona del Mar lately. What was once miles of open ocean front road is now littered with stop lights and strip malls. Well constructed strip malls, but there're there anyways, and only detract from what was once a pleasure to drive down a open coast.

The problem is where to go? If you head south, developement is everywhere. San Clemente is no longer that sleepy little town that you had to drive an hour through nothing to get to. Remember when the only thing between Laguna Beach and San Diego were the little beach towns and San Onfre?

I want to head in one of 2 directions, west to the outer Hawaiian islands or north of Santa Barbara. Ever been to Avila Beach? Carpenteria? There're beautiful. With lots of land between LA and Ventura county for development this area should be relativly slow growing for some time. It reminds me of how the little beach towns such as San Clemente used to be.

The outer Hawaiian Islands, such as the Big Island and Kauai are still jewels in the South Pacific. I lived there for almost 15 years before returning back to So Cal. Developers will be destroying Maui for years to come as they did with Oahu so the pouter islands will remain relatively unmolested. Housing can be relatively inexpensive in the country and you get a lot of land. "City life" can be found within a hour or two drive of unmolested countryside. You slow down, you don't care how fast you drive, you find yourself taking the long way home because it's relaxing. In Hawaii there is a energy. A magical energy. Almost spiritual. Believe me I am not a spiritual person but there is some energy in Hawaii that is found nowhere else. Clean air, good people, and a slow lifestyle.

Hope you find that special place.

[island911]

"200 tons of trash each rain which .. . dumps right onto the beach. "

Yikes!

With all the natural beauty that California has, it is truely sad to see people "letting it go."

IMO, people like yourself should make an effort to take back your state. . . or at least your local area.
Smart people need to always stay involved in deciding what is acceptable. Otherwise the leaches...er, politicians will decide whats right (for them).

(seems to me) Too many Californians don't want to be bothered with political issues. . . especially if it involves any tough decisions.

For example; accomodating (enabling) the spread of spanish (as an only language) may seem "nice" but truely is an outrage. It does nothing but sharply divide the social structure. (not good. . . ask the city of Montreal.)