Why do people stay in California?

[Jims5543]

Originally Posted by Bob Kontak

His entire post or most of it is stated by Ben Shapiro who is moving his company out of CA to another location.

Shapiro is moving to Nashville Tn.

[wdfifteen]

Population of California in 1960 - 15,717,204

Population of California in 2020 - 39,937,500

I suspect population growth had a lot to do with crowding and the loss of freedom.

[tdw28210]

Originally Posted by Jims5543

Shapiro is moving to Nashville Tn.

I get that. Cool town.

[tdw28210]

Originally Posted by Bob Kontak

His entire post or most of it is stated by Ben Shapiro who is moving his company out of CA to another location.

Ahhhh now I see it. Kinda buried. Thx.

[VillaRicaGA911]

I’ve always wanted to live in CA, the idea of how much outside adventure can be had and ini my younger years of being a bicycle racer CA seemed like this utopia. I have been to San Fran for work for a week and loved it, granted that was around 2003 or 04. I don’t truly understand now why people stay and I do not in any way mean to PARF this at all, this is just my observation. At one time CA was a red state, if memory serves Regan won it in the election. Politics aside, you can only tax people so much before they leave, ask our founders....

[wdfifteen]

In 1970 I spent a month living with some hippies in a tipi in a wash near Ventura. The weather was great except they had to be ready to pack up and move if it was going to rain. I liked the weather but even then going into the city was stressful. Too many people, too many cars, too much hustle and bustle. I was glad to leave.

[vash]

Originally Posted by Noah930

I'm on a 5 year plan to be out of here. Born and raised in LA, but it has become so crowded that it's not worth it (to me) to live here anymore.

I won’t retire here. I’ll take the money I gathered and saved while suffering out a reasonable lifestyle in CA and run.

I hope my plans plays out.

[Bugsinrugs]

Born and raised in Oakland. The weather in Oakland really can’t be matched.warm but not hot in the summer. Cool but not cold in the winter. Used to go to the Fillmore every Friday night. Saw just about every rock band. Those days San Francisco was a very cool place to go to. Height Ashbury and Berkeley were so much fun. I built my retirement home back in the early 90’s in the Sierra foothills and that’s where I’m am now and I’m staying until my house burns down. It will happen eventually. I’m lucky that I can still afford it here. It is a very expensive state to live in.

[JavaBrewer]

I'm very fortunate that the CV situation has not affected my income, we transitioned to remote workers for the most part since middle March with no plans to reevaluate until early 2021. Way less driving for me these days == more time, more money (saved on gas and lunches), and a pretty flexible work schedule. I am truly fortunate compared to many who are w/o work. The current CV situation has made living in SoCal easier however despite already owning a home in SB we are planning to leverage the remote work options and get outta here in the next 2 years. Won't sell the SB house ever, it's a steady income.

[Scott Douglas]

My family moved out west from NJ back in the mid-50's. I grew up in Santa Monica.
The closest I've come to moving out was back in '92 when I got laid off. Came home that day and told the wife the hardest question we had to answer was what color to paint the house before we moved.
Then I went to Missouri for a couple of weeks, looking around for work. Spent a day in July in 90/90 heat and humidity mowing my buddy's lawn. Left the next day for CA. No way was I going to put my kids through that kind of weather. They both were too into playing sports and that is no weather to be playing soccer and baseball in, IMO.
We stuck it out (my unemployment) and I finally got hired again after 18 months. Didn't loose the house or cars, just a little bit of my self-esteem as I hired back at what I'd been making 5 years previous. So, with the bank account almost empty I basically started over.
My kid excelled in baseball (drafted out of high school by the Angel's) and got a scholarship to school based on his academics. Graduated with honors and is now working/living in San Diego.
Daughter graduated and started working in San Diego. Met a guy, got married and is living in Japan while he makes his way up the ladder in his chosen profession of ship repair for DOD. We might see them move back to the states in another couple of years. It will be interesting to see how their three girls handle that change.
Meanwhile, we continue to self quarantine here in the OC as the numbers don't seem to be going in the right direction again.
Has it been easy living here, seeing Santa Monica go downhill to the point I hated going to see my mom in her later days because there was so much traffic and homeless people on every corner up there? No.
The one saving grace is I haven't had to put up with dealing with rusted bolts or see my cars rust away because of the salt on the roads.
Do I live like a king like a lot of you guys here?
Hardly. But I do have a paid for house and cars and no big outstanding bills, except when my wife wants a new sewing machine.
Life could be a lot worse, IMO, but from where I'm sitting right now, it's not all that bad.

[9dreizig]

Originally Posted by Noah930

I'm on a 5 year plan to be out of here. Born and raised in LA, but it has become so crowded that it's not worth it (to me) to live here anymore.

Where ya heading ?

[Rot 911]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

Population of California in 1960 - 15,717,204

Population of California in 2020 - 39,937,500

I suspect population growth had a lot to do with crowding and the loss of freedom.

This. It’s the same problem everywhere. The population, from when most of us were in high school, has doubled. Too many people all wanting to go to the same place. It’s not just in California. Try going on vacation to any popular tourist spot. Everywhere is packed. Everything has a wait.

[nvr2mny]

Moved to Santa Barbara in ‘73 as a twelve year old. Most idyllic adolescence, going to school in Hope Ranch, skateboarding down Hot Springs Road and my first job at Westmont where I rode my bike back and forth. Folks bought a 5k sqft house on Eucalyptus Hill overlooking the city and on clear days, which were many, had beautiful views of the Channel Islands. Yeah, they paid dearly for the house (71k). House pymnt was like 250.00 p/mo. Left the left coast in 2009 for Kansas City. My only regret is we didn’t leave 20 years earlier. The democrats have COMPLETELY ruined that beautiful state. Our income tax rate when we left was going to 9%, it would now be 16%. For the first 6 years in KS our state inc tax was 0. It’s now 5%. I have amazing memories growing up there and experienced the majority of my adult life there. There’s WAY more to life than “nice” weather.....we’d NEVER go back to live.

[red-beard]

Originally Posted by Zeke

So, to any of you CA expats (Red Beard, etc.), is the magic gone? Does it live only in the minds of us diehard remaining natives (3rd generation here)?

It was about business. In addition to working in CA, my wife started a business. Every week there was another letter from some agency that we needed to pay this fee or that tax. Texas is very business friendly, and Houston even more so.

Cost of living. Everything was more expensive in San Diego. Having a shirt laundered was $4/shirt. In Houston, $0.99, and you could find $0.79 in you looked.

Real Estate was insane. My townhouse appreciated from $360K to $620K in 2.5 years (Nov 2001 to June 2004). We looked at buying a ~2200 sq ft house. in 2004, to get something "reasonably" close, for $1M, but we could only afford Solana Beach, which was not really close to work (Kearny Mesa) considering freeways. I bought a 3400 sq foot brand new house in a gated community for $305K in Houston.

Weather was great, but that isn't everything. A lateral as far as pay was concerned, plus the real estate bonus let us have a very comfortable lifestyle.

And things have only become crazier on the political side.

And then there is racism. My wife experienced more racism in California than she ever had in Texas.

[syncroid]

I have no plans ever to leave California. I have lived here most of my life. I have worked very hard for what I have. We bought our home in 1988. The same year we married. The neighborhood we bought in was sketch at best. Our driveway was more pea gravel than anything else. We did what we could and survived. We live modestly and our home is small. 1100 square feet. We raised one kid who is now in her last year at the Naval Academy. The area we live in will most likely do nothing but go up in value. I am no longer an employee, but a business owner, and loving every bit of it. I earned it!
California is a beautiful state. We have our problems yes. I will not run from it!

[red-beard]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

Population of California in 1960 - 15,717,204

Population of California in 2020 - 39,937,500

I suspect population growth had a lot to do with crowding and the loss of freedom.

Houston's population in the same time went from 900K to $2.4M, so similar growth. But the same things did not happen.

[Bob Kontak]

I loved every one of the 20 or so trips where I traveled to California.

But I think my company funded trips are off topic - meaning it ain't living there.

[Bob Kontak]

Originally Posted by red-beard

Houston's population in the same time went from 900K to $2.4M

2.4 million dollars in human population.

I miss Goode Company really bad.

[wildthing]

My primary reason: my job. I am in tech.

And then of course we settled in here and starting to grow some roots. Maybe when all the kids are out of the house, we'll think about moving. My wife doesn't like snow, so it limits our options.

[vash]

This doesn’t suck either. I drove just a tiny bit and picked this and several of its friends.this afternoon!!!