[Uncle Erik]

Wait a second, you want to go to SF for the weather? Sure, it's a step up from Michigan and Boston, but you should really add Los Angeles to your list.

No, it's not dangerous. The better parts are some of the safest in the country.

Also, don't come with preconceptions of the people here. It's not what you think or what you pick up from TV or the media. Yes, there are plastic phonies around. But they're not everyone, not even close. They can (and should) be ignored and you can make all sorts of friends who aren't anything like that. Actually, around LA, you'll meet people from all over the country and the world. On my floor of the office, we've got people from South Africa, India, the UK, and Korea. There's a half dozen other nationalities in this office, too. This is a very international city.

If you're looking for good weather and good times while at a community college, go to El Camino College (El Camino College in Torrance California) and get an apartment in Hermosa Beach. There's plenty going on down there. The overall music scene in LA is huge, we've got music stores, nightlife, great food, everything. You can wear shorts almost year round and we have a lot of great colleges.

You could also look at Santa Monica's college (www.smc.edu) and the one in Pasadena (Pasadena City College). Both are very nice places to live, too.

 

[unl3a5h3d]

I am going to college next year at Appalachian State University in Boone, NC. I have lived in NC my whole life. I have been to almost every major city on the east coast, including Boston. I plan on going to grad school in Boston. Although I have never been to the west coast I love the mountains and big city. I felt that while I was in Boston I could have almost everything I wanted. So my vote is sort of uneducated but I say Boston.

 

[koven]

That's a no brainer, especially if weather is a factor. California, more specifically the Bay Area, for the win! Only downfall is the cost of living is relatively high.

 

[DeusEx]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uncle Erik /img/forum/go_quote.gif you should really add Los Angeles to your list. You could also look at Santa Monica's college (www.smc.edu) and the one in Pasadena (Pasadena City College). Both are very nice places to live, too.

I happen to live 15 min away from Pasadena CC, as well as Caltech (also in Pasadena). Great place to live - very affluent area, so cost of living is higher.

 

[Asr]

I moved to Cali (Silicon Valley specifically) from Colorado and after just over 1 year decided to move back. I was kinda far from the San Francisco area but I wasn't sure what was attractive about it - ok sure, well it's a big city, walk-able, culturally diverse, etc, but to actually live anywhere in the city or close to it can be extremely expensive and the weather wasn't that great at any time of year - I actually found the weather to be better in the lower Silicon Valley area since it got much less fog, temperature, & humidity from the ocean proximity. I also could never deal with the amount of traffic in the area, it was insane. I lived about 20 miles from where I worked and it routinely took almost an hour each way, sometimes more due to accidents.

I don't think you can just pick a city, you have to also factor in where you'd live specifically in relation to where you'll be going to school, or doing whatever else. Craigslist is an invaluable tool for assessing where you might want to live and how much you can expect to pay for housing. The traffic in SoCal is also insane, moreso than NorCal (I got to experience it first-hand once).

I did see San Diego and thought it was pretty nice but I was only passing through - if there's one place in Cali that I had to pick to live in, it'd probably be San Diego. But I'm happy where I am now (Boulder-Denver area in CO).

Also not to necessarily plug Denver, but it's a pretty big city itself (though it certainly doesn't have the teeming 24/7 vibe that NYC, SF, and LA do) and if you're even a little bit outdoorsy then there's lots of fun to be had in the Rocky Mountains year-round...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uncle Erik /img/forum/go_quote.gif On my floor of the office, we've got people from South Africa, India, the UK, and Korea. There's a half dozen other nationalities in this office, too. This is a very international city.

Wait...are you saying that there are lots of people in your office in SoCal who aren't American citizens? You do know what "nationality" means, right?

 

[grokit]

California is the most fiscally underwater state in the union.

Massachusetts provides free health care for its residents.

Lakers vs. Celtics, earthquakes vs. snowfall, you can take it from here...

 

[skudmunky]

Out of all the major cities I have been to, Boston is still my favorite. Going to school in upstate NY I really miss living Boston.

 

[VicAjax]

Quote:

Originally Posted by unl3a5h3d /img/forum/go_quote.gif I am going to college next year at Appalachian State University in Boone, NC. I have lived in NC my whole life. I have been to almost every major city on the east coast, including Boston. I plan on going to grad school in Boston. Although I have never been to the west coast I love the mountains and big city. I felt that while I was in Boston I could have almost everything I wanted. So my vote is sort of uneducated but I say Boston.

totally OT... but i LOVE NC. best BBQ, great universities, beautiful mountains, interesting beaches, good music, diverse people...

NC could be the most underrated state in the union.

 

[grokit]

LA Weather (just happened)

 

[theHof]

what are the thoughts on the Cincinnati area? a good opportunity has opened up for me there and just wondered what the thoughts were of that area.

 

[Mr. B]

If I had to leave New Orleans, Boston would be the first place in the country I would consider moving to... fascinating city. There's a lot to be said for CA but tax reasons alone would keep me away. The state is bankrupt and it doesn't look like that's going to change soon. The rich are leaving California and similarly tax unfriendly states which will only further increase the tax burden on their middle class residents.

Of course, I don't expect the grass is that much greener in Massachusetts.

 

[grokit]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. B /img/forum/go_quote.gif If I had to leave New Orleans, Boston would be the first place in the country I would consider moving to... fascinating city. There's a lot to be said for CA but tax reasons alone would keep me away. The state is bankrupt and it doesn't look like that's going to change soon. The rich are leaving California and similarly tax unfriendly states which will only further increase the tax burden on their middle class residents.

The reason CA is in trouble is because the property tax rates are the lowest by far in the nation (Prop. 13). So the rich renters are leaving, but the rich property owners aren't going anywhere!

 

[Uncle Erik]

Asr, yup, a number of non-citizens roam the halls! They're all in the country legally and most are working on citizenship. A Korean and a Brit got their passports not too long ago.

The woman who works right next to me holds passports from the UK, India and Israel, too.

That was also a great thing about going to USC, where I attended undergrad. It has a huge international attendance and asking "where are you from?" led to all sorts of interesting responses and conversations. Great times! Moving to Oregon for grad school was a culture shock. Very homogenous. I loved it up there, but it was completely different.

Anyhow, if someone wants to meet a real variety of people, LA is terrific. It's not just celebs and aspiring actors. It seems like the vast majorit of people are from somewhere else. I'm a third generation native and I've met very few others.