OT - Mostly for the NorCal Pelicanheads

[GregS]

I also posted this on the 911 board.

Hi. I hope this remains here for awhile before being shuffled to the OT board, so here goes. I'm thinking (wondering?) about moving back to CA after a 30 year "exile." I was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, where my folks still live. I've been back to visit on and off over the years and my wife and I are now seriously considering the possibility of returning. We'd probably look at anything within, say, a 200 mile radius of the Bay Area (for starters). I'd sure appreciate any and all thoughts about the +'s and -'s, as well as the range of sentiments from "hell yes, do it tomorrow," to "not just no, but hell no." Thanks in advance.

[bowlsby]

It would be hard to imagine living anywhere else. I have lived and travelled throughout the US and the caribbean, and this area has a lot to offer.

As a retirement location, if that is your need...its expesnive unless you already own a place.

++++
weather
weather
weather
lots of Pcars and 914 roads
weather
weather
weather
lots of entertainment and things to do
weather
weather
weather
ROADGLUE (www.roadglue.com)

- - - -
housing costs are astronomical
housing costs are astronomical
housing costs are astronomical

[Dave at Pelican Parts]

What Jeff said.

More +++: Tons of fun things to do--close to the beach, mountains, and "The City" (SF has lots of stuff to do). Two world-class race tracks--Laguna Seca and Sears Point--within an hour of the South Bay (where I live), plus two more--Thunder Hill and Buttonwillow--within striking distance. A very strong 914 community and a fairly active bunch of Porsche Club regions.

More ---: Too damn many people. Waaaaay too crowded. This leads to cost of living problems, infrastructure problems, sometimes parking problems, traffic nightmares, and so on.

With all of that considered, I don't think I'll be leaving any time soon.

--DD

[pbanders]

Plenty of +++'s as Bowlsby said...

Another negative is massive overcrowding. There are a million things to do, and 100 million people who want to do them. Campsites must be reserved 8 weeks ahead of time. Going to Tahoe for skiing is like planning for war. Your tax dollar doesn't go very far - schools in Sunnyvale, where I used to live, are most 40+ year-old buildings with little to no facilities. And this is in an area of $500K+ houses. Better schools in Los Altos, Saratoga, or Palo Alto put you into $1M houses that would go for less than $200K here in Phoenix.

I love the area, love visiting there, but am personally glad I don't live there anymore.

[mike mueller]

I live 50 miles from Fremont where I work, it takes an average of 1.5 hours to get to work in the morning.

If I made a gizzilion dollars more, I could afford to live closer, until then, 100+ miles round trip a day

Housing still sucks, and traffic still sucks, other than that, we love it........

[bowlsby]

Maybe OT and philosophical here…

But I don’t really mind the crowds, it all depends on your viewpoint. I rarely feel stressed in traffic or at stores because I take my time. If I find myself stressed its because its my fault and I am rushing. I know I may be unusual, but the large and diverse population (largely well-educated BTW), with its rich cultural opportunities are largely world class, and I feel privileged to be able to enjoy them. You won’t find exotic foods and art and major sporting events and a symphony and a ballet and massive shopping and…[insert your preferences here] out in the boonies. Have you ever had a REAL burrito from La Costena in Mountain View? Is High Performance House (for 914 parts) in your backyard? I thrive on the intensity of the area and would probably be depressed in a place with greater solitude if I had to live there all off the time (weekend getaways don’t count).

FWIW I also commute 150 miles each day (1.5 hours by train + 50 minutes each way to/from the train station) and enjoy the ride as I get a lot of things done during the commute that I would just be doing at home anyway. I drive the 914 mostly on the weekends.

Not intended to step on anyones toes, just my viewpoint and I know yours will be different.

[StormBringer]

Nothing better. I will never move, and I mean ever. Lucly I am in the san diego area. Just think. I can ride my bike to the beah. Get in the S2k or 914/7 and in 2 hours be in the desert / Mountian / Snow / Hill / Forests. You just can't beat california.

But


It's very expensive to live in a upper / middle / lower / getto area.
Insurance will be more.
No rust on the 914
Lots more to do.
Downtown areas for a night out.
The beach.
Lot more employment opertunities.

[Zeke]

I've traveled the length and breadth of CA in my life, but always lived in So Cal. When out of staters ask me what to do in CA, I say if you want to go to theme parks, come to So Cal. If you want to see some awsome sights, go north from Montery up and don't forget Lake Tahoe. Northern CA is the place to be. but it comes at a price.

But thirty years? Man, are you in for a surprise. This whole state is out of control. This isn't where the Beach Boys live anymore. This isn't cruisin' in Hollywood on Fri. night like in American Graffiti. This is all about seeing every item in the Home Depot in English and Spanish and being able to take your driver's test in 27 languages. When the Pope was here in LA, he said that he had never seen a place with so many different nationalities in one place.

Throughout most of metropolitin So Cal, caucasians represent less than 50% of the population. There are 8 million automobiles registered in LA County alone. (And a few thousand unregistered and uninsured daily road warriors as well).

How 'bout it guys up North. Got any thing good to say. I'm done for now.