People in CA or HI...

Well Im finally done with school and my gf is also finishing up. We have been talking about moving out of GA for quite a while now and have decided once she is done next summer we are heading out!!!

Both of us have decided on either Cali or Hawaii. This is going to be a short term type thing.. prolly a year or 2 (unless we just love it too much haha). Just need to get out and about before we get jobs and have kids and other things that make it hard to move.

So my question to you guys is: Help me decide where would be the best place to head to! I have a Wildlife and Plantation Management Degree and would like to work with animals, like a refuge or conservation or park. I am really into wakeboarding and once I move I want to try surfing and such, so I would def like to be close to some water. My gf is graduating with a photography major so I think most anything would work for her haha.

I think we would rather not live in a huge city but being close to one would be nice (hour away or so) Also we would need to rent a place that is not too expensive. A one or two bedroom apartment Im guessing around 1000 to 1200 would be resonable.

So please give me some suggestions and some overall info. Thanks in advance for any help!

 

sounds like ventura is the place for you, pretty close to the ocean, but still has the small town feel half hour from santa Barbara, and hour from LA, right in the middle of everything. and you can have Lake Casitas a giant lake in your back yard.

 

sure be sure southern cali is one of the most expensive places in the us to live... but one your here you never leave!!! its the best

ive been to maui a few times and i would rather live by the beach in carlsbad (san diego) than there

 

carlsbad is sick too cuz with no traffic your in downtown sd in 20 min so the beach is 5-10 min away and downtown is 30 min away

 

Thanks for the info guys, Ima look into those places tonight when I have some time!

 

The weather in Cali is nice. Its a nice place to live so long as you dont mind your freedom and rights being taken away. Think long and hard before a move out here. Prices are through the roof and jobs arent easy to come by. Average rent for a one bed apartment is at least $1000. If you want to live somewhere nice be preparred to spend some dough. Good luck.

 

What are some of these freedoms and rights you speak of?

 

guessing by name, i am gonng say concealed carry =)

But seriously, CALI is full of crap. Especially the police who love giving out chickensh!t tickets for tint, license plates, etc.

Other than that its quite awesome.

 

I say live on the outskirts of san diego. There are some nice cottages by some beaches for like 1200/month. And you can try and get a job at the San Diego Wild Animal Park.

Otherwise, most places on the coast are nice. Check out Ventura/Oxnard and also Santa Barbara.

 

Im moving to San Diego CA in the next year i highly recommend checking out San Diego. everything is so close, beach, city, nature preserves, desserts Ocotillo Wells, Glamis, lakes for wake boarding. mountains for snow boarding.

 

I live in Orange County and the apartments in my area are about 1500/month for a 1 bedroom of 760 sq feet. Its pretty pricey out here. But like he ^^^ said, I think Venture would work out for you. My family and I visit every summer and its great to be somewhat close to the busy towns but being able to settle in a calmer environment and enjoy the things around you. Lake Casitas is a great place to hang out too, though no wakeboarding is allowed

 

Maybe look into Temecula and the surrounding area. About an hour to San Diego, about an hour to Los Angeles, and you'd have Lake Elsinore in your backyard.

 

Lake Elsinore =

 

Is it bad? I wouldn't know, I just know people wakeboard there.

 

It can't be worse than the Salton Sea.

 

I hear its super polluted. I dont mind the area for living though.

Yea thats sick. But you arent supposed to go in it

 

You can smell the Salton Sea from about 5 miles away.

 

i would definitely move to orange county if you can afford it. the theres forest and trails about an hour away. big bear, for snow boarding and some trails up there about an hour and a half. i live 4 miles from the beach. and the desert is about an hour or 2 as well.

 

I'm gonna have to agree completely with that statement. Ventura is a real nice place.

 

I just moved from Hawaii, born and raised. I miss the simplicity of the islands, the food, and the people. Hawaii has a home town feel to it, but you need to be respectful there. Other than that, it truly is paradise.

Now I live in Los Angeles because of my job, and let me tell you it's totally different. The pace, the people and the culture is great. I'm honored to be able to help protect the people here, a lot of history...Until i discovered San Diego, it's more laid back but has the city feel. The people are great and everything is relatively close, it reminds me of Hawaii.

IMO, the best place is San Diego, the outdoor activities, clean beaches, and healthy living, not to mention a great zoo and Shamu.