What are people talking about?

[seattle-relo]

[quote=nostradamus][quote=seattle-relo] Also, I think there are cultural attitudes about physical appearance – like being able to look good in a bikini on the beach.[/quote]
Looking good in a bikini is nice, but I’m more concerned with being well enough to enjoy a long, stress-free life well into my golden years. When you’re in your 30’s, 40’s, 50’s it’s easy to say health is all about appearance… Later on when the poor-diet-and-exercise-induced illnesses set in, you may find that keeping in good health pays off in more ways than just appearance…

Just before my dad died I asked him if he wanted to leave me with any advice he had learned in his many years (he lived until 91 and was almost 60 when I was born). He was a doctor– a pathologist. He said: take care of your teeth, and avoid fat. His whole career was spent diagnosing illnesses, the majority of which he believe could be traced to the levels of fat in your body. He learned to skateboard at age 80, the same year I set him up on the internet.

I can’t discredit the words of my dad on his death bed and have used his advice since! San Diego is an easy place to do it. Surf all year, snowboard in the winter, volleyball all year, scuba, hiking, swimming, you name it. We have many sports clubs, fitness centers, and plain old nature trails for the outdoorsy types.[/quote]

I was refering to why you might see more thin people in southern CA than in other regions in the country. I agree that looking good in a bikini isn’t nearly as important as maintaining your health for later in life. But I think in general, in southern CA, the reason you see more thin people is more about culture than staying healthy. Fortunately SD has wonderful opportunitites for a wide range of physical activity.

[poorgradstudent]

Man, I’m glad I’m still young and childless enough that at parties we mostly talk about dating, relationships, movies, books and politics rather than real estate! 🙂
I’m from Minnesota originally, and I’d move back in a heartbeat if the weather wasn’t so gosh darn cold. There’s also a lot more biotech out here than in the midwest. The non-CA biotech hotspots (Boston and Seattle for two) are pretty similar in terms of cost of living, but with worse weather. North Carolina is the hot, still fairly cheap area. I know one person who moved there from here, but he has family roots in that region of the country.
Thinking about leaving is one of those things that a lot of people talk about, and a few actually pull the trigger on. Most people need a compelling job offer in another city to actually go through a move, especially if they’re rooted by family.

[poorgradstudent]

Man, I’m glad I’m still young and childless enough that at parties we mostly talk about dating, relationships, movies, books and politics rather than real estate! 🙂
I’m from Minnesota originally, and I’d move back in a heartbeat if the weather wasn’t so gosh darn cold. There’s also a lot more biotech out here than in the midwest. The non-CA biotech hotspots (Boston and Seattle for two) are pretty similar in terms of cost of living, but with worse weather. North Carolina is the hot, still fairly cheap area. I know one person who moved there from here, but he has family roots in that region of the country.
Thinking about leaving is one of those things that a lot of people talk about, and a few actually pull the trigger on. Most people need a compelling job offer in another city to actually go through a move, especially if they’re rooted by family.

[poorgradstudent]

Man, I’m glad I’m still young and childless enough that at parties we mostly talk about dating, relationships, movies, books and politics rather than real estate! 🙂
I’m from Minnesota originally, and I’d move back in a heartbeat if the weather wasn’t so gosh darn cold. There’s also a lot more biotech out here than in the midwest. The non-CA biotech hotspots (Boston and Seattle for two) are pretty similar in terms of cost of living, but with worse weather. North Carolina is the hot, still fairly cheap area. I know one person who moved there from here, but he has family roots in that region of the country.
Thinking about leaving is one of those things that a lot of people talk about, and a few actually pull the trigger on. Most people need a compelling job offer in another city to actually go through a move, especially if they’re rooted by family.

[poorgradstudent]

Man, I’m glad I’m still young and childless enough that at parties we mostly talk about dating, relationships, movies, books and politics rather than real estate! 🙂
I’m from Minnesota originally, and I’d move back in a heartbeat if the weather wasn’t so gosh darn cold. There’s also a lot more biotech out here than in the midwest. The non-CA biotech hotspots (Boston and Seattle for two) are pretty similar in terms of cost of living, but with worse weather. North Carolina is the hot, still fairly cheap area. I know one person who moved there from here, but he has family roots in that region of the country.
Thinking about leaving is one of those things that a lot of people talk about, and a few actually pull the trigger on. Most people need a compelling job offer in another city to actually go through a move, especially if they’re rooted by family.

[poorgradstudent]

Man, I’m glad I’m still young and childless enough that at parties we mostly talk about dating, relationships, movies, books and politics rather than real estate! 🙂
I’m from Minnesota originally, and I’d move back in a heartbeat if the weather wasn’t so gosh darn cold. There’s also a lot more biotech out here than in the midwest. The non-CA biotech hotspots (Boston and Seattle for two) are pretty similar in terms of cost of living, but with worse weather. North Carolina is the hot, still fairly cheap area. I know one person who moved there from here, but he has family roots in that region of the country.
Thinking about leaving is one of those things that a lot of people talk about, and a few actually pull the trigger on. Most people need a compelling job offer in another city to actually go through a move, especially if they’re rooted by family.

[EconProf]

Individuals have different priorities and values, of course, and this is dictating their choice of ideal city or state to live in, as revealed in this thread. If you already live in San Diego, that choice probably reflects your preferences.
I suggest that an area’s economic health, demographic trends, and quality of life factors largely drive real estate prices, and that San Diego has fallen considerably. Remember, a few years ago Forbes ranked San Diego as the best city in the country for, I believe, business start-ups and quality of life for college graduates. Now we are not even in the top ten.
Montana and Wyoming are way different from San Diego, and I suspect their citizens are just as disdainful of our quality of life characteristics as some of us are of theirs. Different strokes, etc.
Back to data: CA has the 3rd highest unemployment rate in the nation, and San Diego’s is rising rapidly of late, and it is not just real estate related. Wyoming’s is 2.6%, lowest in the nation. Montana’s is 3.8%. Both are energy and agriculture-rich, so their economic future is assured.
Both states have growing populations–the famous U-Haul price ratio reflects this.
Most worrisome for CA is the demographic trends, as we lose middle-class families and high-earning taxpayers to other states, and import low-earning, government-dependent citizens and non-citizens, supplemented by the high birth rate of our existing poor people.
Yes, San Diego will always have its weather and other attractions. But some long-run demographic and economic trends have really turned against us. Real estate prices and rents in the future will reflect this.

[EconProf]

Individuals have different priorities and values, of course, and this is dictating their choice of ideal city or state to live in, as revealed in this thread. If you already live in San Diego, that choice probably reflects your preferences.
I suggest that an area’s economic health, demographic trends, and quality of life factors largely drive real estate prices, and that San Diego has fallen considerably. Remember, a few years ago Forbes ranked San Diego as the best city in the country for, I believe, business start-ups and quality of life for college graduates. Now we are not even in the top ten.
Montana and Wyoming are way different from San Diego, and I suspect their citizens are just as disdainful of our quality of life characteristics as some of us are of theirs. Different strokes, etc.
Back to data: CA has the 3rd highest unemployment rate in the nation, and San Diego’s is rising rapidly of late, and it is not just real estate related. Wyoming’s is 2.6%, lowest in the nation. Montana’s is 3.8%. Both are energy and agriculture-rich, so their economic future is assured.
Both states have growing populations–the famous U-Haul price ratio reflects this.
Most worrisome for CA is the demographic trends, as we lose middle-class families and high-earning taxpayers to other states, and import low-earning, government-dependent citizens and non-citizens, supplemented by the high birth rate of our existing poor people.
Yes, San Diego will always have its weather and other attractions. But some long-run demographic and economic trends have really turned against us. Real estate prices and rents in the future will reflect this.

[EconProf]

Individuals have different priorities and values, of course, and this is dictating their choice of ideal city or state to live in, as revealed in this thread. If you already live in San Diego, that choice probably reflects your preferences.
I suggest that an area’s economic health, demographic trends, and quality of life factors largely drive real estate prices, and that San Diego has fallen considerably. Remember, a few years ago Forbes ranked San Diego as the best city in the country for, I believe, business start-ups and quality of life for college graduates. Now we are not even in the top ten.
Montana and Wyoming are way different from San Diego, and I suspect their citizens are just as disdainful of our quality of life characteristics as some of us are of theirs. Different strokes, etc.
Back to data: CA has the 3rd highest unemployment rate in the nation, and San Diego’s is rising rapidly of late, and it is not just real estate related. Wyoming’s is 2.6%, lowest in the nation. Montana’s is 3.8%. Both are energy and agriculture-rich, so their economic future is assured.
Both states have growing populations–the famous U-Haul price ratio reflects this.
Most worrisome for CA is the demographic trends, as we lose middle-class families and high-earning taxpayers to other states, and import low-earning, government-dependent citizens and non-citizens, supplemented by the high birth rate of our existing poor people.
Yes, San Diego will always have its weather and other attractions. But some long-run demographic and economic trends have really turned against us. Real estate prices and rents in the future will reflect this.

[EconProf]

Individuals have different priorities and values, of course, and this is dictating their choice of ideal city or state to live in, as revealed in this thread. If you already live in San Diego, that choice probably reflects your preferences.
I suggest that an area’s economic health, demographic trends, and quality of life factors largely drive real estate prices, and that San Diego has fallen considerably. Remember, a few years ago Forbes ranked San Diego as the best city in the country for, I believe, business start-ups and quality of life for college graduates. Now we are not even in the top ten.
Montana and Wyoming are way different from San Diego, and I suspect their citizens are just as disdainful of our quality of life characteristics as some of us are of theirs. Different strokes, etc.
Back to data: CA has the 3rd highest unemployment rate in the nation, and San Diego’s is rising rapidly of late, and it is not just real estate related. Wyoming’s is 2.6%, lowest in the nation. Montana’s is 3.8%. Both are energy and agriculture-rich, so their economic future is assured.
Both states have growing populations–the famous U-Haul price ratio reflects this.
Most worrisome for CA is the demographic trends, as we lose middle-class families and high-earning taxpayers to other states, and import low-earning, government-dependent citizens and non-citizens, supplemented by the high birth rate of our existing poor people.
Yes, San Diego will always have its weather and other attractions. But some long-run demographic and economic trends have really turned against us. Real estate prices and rents in the future will reflect this.

[EconProf]

Individuals have different priorities and values, of course, and this is dictating their choice of ideal city or state to live in, as revealed in this thread. If you already live in San Diego, that choice probably reflects your preferences.
I suggest that an area’s economic health, demographic trends, and quality of life factors largely drive real estate prices, and that San Diego has fallen considerably. Remember, a few years ago Forbes ranked San Diego as the best city in the country for, I believe, business start-ups and quality of life for college graduates. Now we are not even in the top ten.
Montana and Wyoming are way different from San Diego, and I suspect their citizens are just as disdainful of our quality of life characteristics as some of us are of theirs. Different strokes, etc.
Back to data: CA has the 3rd highest unemployment rate in the nation, and San Diego’s is rising rapidly of late, and it is not just real estate related. Wyoming’s is 2.6%, lowest in the nation. Montana’s is 3.8%. Both are energy and agriculture-rich, so their economic future is assured.
Both states have growing populations–the famous U-Haul price ratio reflects this.
Most worrisome for CA is the demographic trends, as we lose middle-class families and high-earning taxpayers to other states, and import low-earning, government-dependent citizens and non-citizens, supplemented by the high birth rate of our existing poor people.
Yes, San Diego will always have its weather and other attractions. But some long-run demographic and economic trends have really turned against us. Real estate prices and rents in the future will reflect this.

[barnaby33]

EconProf, have you actually been to Mt? I have twice, a good friend of mine moved there from here as his wife is an AF officer.

Montana does NOT have better schools or a better economy. Its highly dependent on mining, oil, gas and the military, as is Wyoming. The few “nice” places to live are exceedingly expensive (Whitefish). The jobs pay nowhere near what they do here; as an example my fellow paragdlider pilot moved to SD after college at U of M. He said that, “UCSD was willing to pay me more to be a grad student than the highest paying job I could get in MT.”

Oh and as to the real differences, if you are a contractor, try getting labor to show up on time regularly sober. Now thats a cultural difference. All the people who are dependable moved to SoCal, Seattle and San Fran.

As others have said, everywhere has its problems, but I’d take my long run chances here in a heartbeat over MT and WY even excluding the weather.

[barnaby33]

EconProf, have you actually been to Mt? I have twice, a good friend of mine moved there from here as his wife is an AF officer.

Montana does NOT have better schools or a better economy. Its highly dependent on mining, oil, gas and the military, as is Wyoming. The few “nice” places to live are exceedingly expensive (Whitefish). The jobs pay nowhere near what they do here; as an example my fellow paragdlider pilot moved to SD after college at U of M. He said that, “UCSD was willing to pay me more to be a grad student than the highest paying job I could get in MT.”

Oh and as to the real differences, if you are a contractor, try getting labor to show up on time regularly sober. Now thats a cultural difference. All the people who are dependable moved to SoCal, Seattle and San Fran.

As others have said, everywhere has its problems, but I’d take my long run chances here in a heartbeat over MT and WY even excluding the weather.

[barnaby33]

EconProf, have you actually been to Mt? I have twice, a good friend of mine moved there from here as his wife is an AF officer.

Montana does NOT have better schools or a better economy. Its highly dependent on mining, oil, gas and the military, as is Wyoming. The few “nice” places to live are exceedingly expensive (Whitefish). The jobs pay nowhere near what they do here; as an example my fellow paragdlider pilot moved to SD after college at U of M. He said that, “UCSD was willing to pay me more to be a grad student than the highest paying job I could get in MT.”

Oh and as to the real differences, if you are a contractor, try getting labor to show up on time regularly sober. Now thats a cultural difference. All the people who are dependable moved to SoCal, Seattle and San Fran.

As others have said, everywhere has its problems, but I’d take my long run chances here in a heartbeat over MT and WY even excluding the weather.

[barnaby33]

EconProf, have you actually been to Mt? I have twice, a good friend of mine moved there from here as his wife is an AF officer.

Montana does NOT have better schools or a better economy. Its highly dependent on mining, oil, gas and the military, as is Wyoming. The few “nice” places to live are exceedingly expensive (Whitefish). The jobs pay nowhere near what they do here; as an example my fellow paragdlider pilot moved to SD after college at U of M. He said that, “UCSD was willing to pay me more to be a grad student than the highest paying job I could get in MT.”

Oh and as to the real differences, if you are a contractor, try getting labor to show up on time regularly sober. Now thats a cultural difference. All the people who are dependable moved to SoCal, Seattle and San Fran.

As others have said, everywhere has its problems, but I’d take my long run chances here in a heartbeat over MT and WY even excluding the weather.

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