Would you leave California? Where would you go?

[powayseller]

Funny… and I’d be austinrenter.

[denis4x4]

We built a second home in Telluride in 1985 and then sold our Mt. Helix home in ’92 (bottom of the market). Did a giant remodel in Durango using Helix and Telluride money and are mortgage free. With over $2 million dollars in accessed value, our property taxes are about $4500 a year and CO income tax is less than 5% of AGI.

BTW, we bail out of the Durango winters and spend 8 weeks in PB!

No bargains here as the median house price is almost $500,000. $750,000 will get you a nice condo over looking the Animas River.

[(former)FormerSanDiegan]

Amarillo

EL Paso

Lubbock

Wichita

… nah … It’s So Cal for me.

[JES]

I’m curious:

Some of you have said that the people in many of these cities are nicer, more welcoming etc. than in SoCal. I’ve often thought this as well – every day in fact. But then others would say that people here are very nice, laid back etc.

If we are to generalize, what tangible things make a place ‘nicer’ so to speak?

[anxvariety]

I’ve lived in San Diego my entire life over 25 years.. and out of all the places I’ve visited I’d rank San Diego @ #2 for least friendly.. with Grand Junction Colorado as the #1 worst… Friendliest city I’ve ever been to was Minneapolis, MN by a lot.

Where else in the USA are there as many cool natural surroundings as San Diego where people do less nature activities? What other city in the US has less pride in their sports teams than San Diego???? I believe it’s mostly the same reason people aren’t friendly.. It’s like biting the hand that feeds, they want to take all the good from the city – but then talk trash about it also..

If there are too many generalizations in this post sorry.. I don’t have the time right now to go into every detail… but if you want an opinion peice there it was.

[PerryChase]

JES, that’s a hard question to answer.

When I said that people in Austin are nicer, I meant that in my cousin’s neighborhood, people talk to one another more. The kids play together and the families sometimes have gatherings. They may even go to church together. There’s more “village” life. I was trying to answer the thread’s question by what one might wish the “ideal” all-American neighborhood to be.

People in San Diego are “new” people in new developments so they don’t really socialize.

From my personal perspective, I like the NYC type attitude. I don’t go to church nor do I want my neighbors to ask me to join them. I don’t want people to bring me pies because I’d feel obligated to return the favor. I don’t want kids to sell me girl-scout cookies and I don’t care if I never set foot in my neighbor’s home or if I’m not invited to their parties. Some people might call me anti-social but I don’t really need to be friends with my neighbors. I may feel differently when I’m older but for now, I’m happy to lead a socially independent life.

So it depends on your perspective. People in Austin are more Norman Rockwell nice. It’s wonderful if you want that.

[JES]

One issue I have is that I am completely unimpressed by material wealth, especially when it is being flaunted by someone who can’t afford it! I live in Encinitas and I can’t get over all the luxury cars that I see every day. If I see another blonde silicone barbie stepping out of her 5 series Mercedes I’ll gag.

[PerryChase]

JES, I think you meant her 5-series BMW. Mercedes does not make 5-series. BMW models are “series”; Mercedes cars are “classes”. I too am unimpressed by material wealth. But I know trivia. 🙂

[JES]

Yes indeed, and believe it or not I did know that. But perhaps it is better that I got it wrong just to prove how unimpressed I am, haha!

[(former)FormerSanDiegan]

As a current LA resident and a former San Diego resident, I find it funny that people blame the city for how un-friendly neighbors and neighborhoods are. Does your neighbor consider YOU friendly ?

Isn’t it the people that make the difference. For a decade we lived in older established neighborhoods in San Diego and always found neighbors that were friendly, that I would trust leaving my kids with and that I would invite in to my home. I didn’t find it that much different than the areas in the midwest I grew up in, with one exception … no way we would let our kids roam the streets and explore into the canyons like we roamed and explored the woods where I grew up.

We currently live in West LA/Westwood in a very dense urban area, with more Bentleys and platic surgeons per capita than anywhere on earth, but even in this plastic-barbie-Luxury-car-driving-vain-look-at-me Los Angeles area we have found neighbors and families that are friendly, inviting and other children that our kids can play with. As in San Diego, most of these people came from somewhere else … many from the midwest

There are plenty of nice folks/neighbors in So Cal.

The grass may appear greener in Mayberry, USA, but is it really ?

[anxvariety]

Isn’t it the people that make the difference. For a decade we lived in older established neighborhoods in San Diego and always found neighbors that were friendly, that I would trust leaving my kids with and that I would invite in to my home.

I don’t disagree… I could see that in older neighborhoods.. but where are those these days?

You’re using the word “finding”.. that’s the only message I was tring to send- you sure do have to look to encounter friendliness.. Most everyone I encounter whether it be on the road or in a grocery store in San Diego are trying to race ahead and put themselves first.. I’m sure even those people are nice to some people, but in public in San Diego I don’t see friendliness.. sure I could probably get along with the people if I knew them, but there is such a thing as friendliness even if you aren’t friends.. people around here are real quick to their holster, while in some other cities in my experience people aren’t as combative or ready to start a fight… Not saying everyone, but compared to other cities I notice general unfriendliness here.

I also feel like even once you make friends with people, they don’t feel comfortable unless they are gossiping or talking bad on other people.. Maybe that’s me right now, don’t know… but can’t wait to move!

[(former)FormerSanDiegan]

anx – Agree that there is some “finding” required in So Cal, but is that all bad ?

I would be willing to bet that the gossip factor is much worse in the areas of the country that people point out as having friendly neighborhoods.

Lemma: The amount of interest your neighbors immediately take in a newcomer (gift baskets, welcome wagon) is proportional to their interest in being the first to spread gossip about that newcomer.

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