Anyone live in SoCal?

[Bob Lee (QSC)]

My chief impression of Long Beach is "Grand Prix." I was there on Friday for practice and qualifying day. I would've attended yesterday for the main event day's races but I had a soccer match. As much as I'll never mistake SoCal for paradise, I do think it's cool to be able to drive a half hour from home and see IndyCar and ALMS and SCCA cars racing on city streets.

 

[MatticusMania]

I'm satisfied with SoCal. It's too expensive, but I like to think that the market's slowly correcting itself. It's hardly the hellhole that the other posters are largely describing it as. While I'd love to get the lower cost of living that's associated with many other states, I'm quite happy with pleasant temperatures year round, and a short drive to a taste of anything the other states can offer.

I'll agree with this. Sure, it would be nice if the cost of living was lower, but other than that I dont have many complaints. Traffic isnt great, but its bearable. I live in the LA suburbs, near the eastern border of LA county and I work in the craptastic Inland Empire. I love it around my home, sitting in the foothills, but I would hate to live near where I work.

 

[MatticusMania]

There are condominiums in Idylllwild??

Seriously. I remember camping there, but it didn't seem like somewhere to live.

-Mike

Idyllwild is a quaint little artist commmunity out in the mountains of nowhere. My parents often visit this RV resort about 20 miles north of there. Ive had a few breakfasts out that way.

 

[tastybasslines]

Dude. You're in Long Beach.

I've lived in San Diego (when I'm not at Groom) for over 60 years. I've been a lot of places in and out of the U.S., and I've never seen a single place I'd want to move to. Any place you go will have the same "craptastic" stuff if you look for it.

I'm going to stick with my original advice for the OP. Get an education (somewhere else, where it's cheaper) - a real education, in a major that has some economic utility (this pretty much eliminates liberal arts and humanities). Then move to SoCal. There still won't be any guarantees, but at least you'll have a shot at making it. Moving here at 18 with no meaningful skills is a silly dream - although you could conceivably make it as a male prostitute.

One hint: The big money for the uneducated is parking cars at a major hotel. Seriously. Some guys make as much as $80K.

I parked cars at the Bel Air Hotel 17 years ago and made BANK. Too bad I blew it all, now I'm a saver

 

[SurferJoe46]

Idyllwild is a quaint little artist commmunity out in the mountains of nowhere. My parents often visit this RV resort about 20 miles north of there. Ive had a few breakfasts out that way.

Actually there's a lot of reworks and renovation going on there.

Quite a few people are retiring and they want to love 100% in the mountains - so they have the interior walls peeled and they get insulation in them and a full plumbing/wiring redo.

I think remodels are the only work going on there recently - in the last bunch of years anyway.

Since I'm retired (officially) and I do NOT want a job - I take an occasional adviser's position and make things go correctly. It pays well and I always get a free meal or two.

 

[DUC1098]

Well, let's see. Free lunch for kids I didn't make. Bills being introduced in a Hispanic heavy legislature that will make me pay for illegal aliens' college tuition. Unionized PUBLIC employees who can't be fired even if they don't do their job. Why are you being defensive?

You want me to get banned huh? LOL.

Sorry about that. 2 years of watching your savings account disappear and being told by EVERY employer you are either overqualified or underqualified starts to wear on you after a while. All of those jobs not even paying enough to survive on. Especially with many having the "enjoying your free ride" mentality until they find out you didn't get a penny of aid.

Just time to get the hell out of California and move somewhere there are jobs. Never wanted to move here in the first place. Followed my job from Arizona after it was outsourced, during the dismantling by the California company that bought out the owners. Then lost it when it was outsourced again.

If only I could find an Australian Optical company (precision optics, not glasses) to sponsor me. I would be on the next plane.

 

[6jase5]

Like some of the others, I'm now in San Diego (5 years) and will never move. I moved to LA from the east coast when I was 21 for music and the first few years were a challenge, but looking back it was the right thing to do at the right time. Now at the venerable old age of 38 I'm loving life.

San Diego to me is many notches above any LA area I've lived (Valencia, Culver City, Studio City, Hollywood, San Pedro, Hermosa). All fine places, but the friends I've made and continue to make in SD are just priceless not to mention the great beer and places to see bands, open mics, etc.

Follow Munji's advice and get a bio-related degree. I have one, it helps. At 18, stay in school.......no other option seems to make sense to me.