Well...I guess the title says it all. I'm considering moving to California next year. Somewhere around Los Angeles. Why? Well...I'm having a hard time finding a reason why I shouldn't. It's a friendlier climate regarding all things LGBTQ than Texas. There are more opportunities (or at least it seems that way to me) to be outdoors and more active and in nature. It's a healthier place (hoping living somewhere where healthier things are encouraged would help me lose weight). I love love love the beach. I started looking into it because A.) I've kind of always wanted to and B.) my girlfriend is considering going to film school out there and it would be awesome to be close to her still. It would suck to be 1,400 miles away. So...has anyone made the jump from a more conservative state to a more liberal state? Has anyone specifically moved from Texas to California? What was your experience like at first? What is your experience like now? What should I know/be aware of/look into/etc? I know the cost of living is wayyyy higher than Texas, but I'm okay with that.
I was never from a conservative state, but I have been to one, Utah. Los Angeles can seem a bit more pushy since people see each other all the time since Los Angeles is heavily urbanized. People do leave the doors open for me most of the time, but less so than Salt Lake City. Greeting each other in LA can be considered as polite, but extremely awkward when you've got hundreds of people on the street at the same time. However, public transportation isn't as popular in LA compared to San Francisco. Los Angeles is basically a car city. The healthy bit you're looking for is in Orange County or San Francisco. The climates in those areas are much better than LA. They don't call San Fran the air-conditioned city for nothing. However, they're more expensive live in than LA. If you want healthy, then I advise you to shop at Trader Joe's or Whole Foods. Cost of Living goes down when you're a bit further from the beach than cities like Malibu. Sorry that I can't be much help since I've only been to a conservative state once. But, I gave you tips on California life This is if you're moving to the city of LA.
Well the school my girlfriend wants to go to is in Orange County. Where are more affordable areas around there?
As with any of the coastal areas in California, the further inland you go AND the flatter it is, the cheaper it gets. There are, however, some nice, hilly inland places where the houses and apartments are newer and bigger yet are still expensive. Also, some of these more inland and flat suburbs tend to be the ones with crime and gang problems. You can use crimemapper to see if this information is reported by a city or a county. Really, California is only more expensive for housing (much more) and auto insurance and, though not by much, also for groceries and gas. Taxes for things you buy and for income are higher. However, your other bills, for utilities, clothing, and most of the other stuff should be about the same, or even a little bit lower. You won't need any heavier, more expensive winter clothing in most of these places. You can spend a lot if you go to all of the places you can go to have fun and drop that kind of coin. A lot of people like it and stay. A lot of people eventually go back to where they came from. There are all kinds of stories.
I was born in and have lived in a very conservative southern state. I would not move back there for multiple reasons. I have also lived in northern California in the Bay Area; I regret ever leaving there, although in reality the part of it I lived in (south bay) is much more conservative in many ways than San Francisco. California has many zones and climates, both social and weather-wise. If you are going there, do some research ahead of time, and move close to a gay-intensive area, otherwise the commute on perpetually overloaded freeways will wear you down over time. Expect some startling real estate prices in the desirable areas; make sure you can enjoy the California good life in terms of your salary versus the cost of living out there.
Yeah, California supplies a third of the nations fruits and vegetables, so it would be cheaper in California. Utility and clothes are about the same. Some items are only a few cents or one or two dollars higher, and some are lower. The expensive cost of living is mostly the housing. To live in an, okay, suburban town like me, house are expected to be around 200k to 400k, and I live more inland than Angelinos. Houses west of Los Angeles and in Orange County cost at least 400k. Just keep in mind that sales tax is higher and we have income tax here.
