Possibly moving from Texas to the Central Coast (Santa Maria, SLO) (Salinas: transplants, crime rates)

[the city]

Originally Posted by Shawn_Estrada

U19, have you ever thought that maybe you might be discussing these "caps" with a professional who knows a thing or two that "caps" don't exist with the exception of either a)water, b) sewer?

BTW, CPSU Raf any reference to another forum is an offense on this forum.

And who cares if you a professional or not.

[the city]

Originally Posted by SunnyTXsmile

I think you're right about that. But I also think you can be both, as odd as that sounds.

Great info. I absolutely need to visit this area. Along with Santa Barbara (which is also on my list to visit when I get there), SB and SLO sound like perfect places to live as well as raise children. My only real concern with those areas would be jobs (and the previously-mentioned shortage of single men). The OP sounds like they might have a job lined up. That's awesome! I hope you get it!!!

I would say go for any of the beach towns.

Santa Barbara, Goleta, Montecito, Carpinteria, Morro Bay, Pismo Beach, Grover Beach, Avila Beach, etc....

Pismo is my favorite

[Josh_SoCal805]

Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties are actually part of Southern California! Here in Santa Maria we have Albertsons groceries stores, and Auto Club of Southern California offices, but people in Monterey County don't they have Safeways groceries stores insted, that's because those businesses are only in the Southern California area. We even get local channels from LA, we get KCAL 9, KTLA 5, and NBC 4, and i'm sure people in Monterey County get those channels. I just don't understand why KSBY 6, and KCOY 12 considers SB in SLO counties to be part of the Central Coast, in reality they don't. The only local tv station that consider us SB in SLO counties to be part of SoCAL is KEYT news.

[Josh_SoCal805]

I suggest you move Santa Maria, but move south of Betteravia RD. Everything south of Betteravia RD to Clark Ave is considered South Santa Maria. Don't listen to this people about not moving to Santa Maria. South Santa Maria is much better than South SlO county, we have more shopping centers and its nicer. There's a lot of new housing tracts here. It feels more like a big city compared to the cities in South SlO county. I wouldn't recommend living north of Betteravia. South Santa Maria's population is 70% Caucasian.
Santa Maria is part of Southern California by the way.

[.highnlite]

South Santa Maria is much better than South SlO county, we have more shopping centers and its nicer. There's a lot of new housing tracts here. It feels more like a big city compared to the cities in South SlO county

These are examples of how south Santa Maria is better than south S[L]O County?:
Housing tracts and
shopping centers,
feels like a big city?

mmm who does this remind me of?

[the city]

Originally Posted by .highnlite

These are examples of how south Santa Maria is better than south S[L]O County?:
Housing tracts and
shopping centers,
feels like a big city?

mmm who does this remind me of?

Just like you can have re-enforcements I 2 can have re-enforcements.

I think there is a push in the nation for young people (and some older people) to live in cities.

Coastal tourist communities:
-Cambria (Moonstone Beach)
-Morro Bay (estuary and harbor)
-Pismo Beach (Shell Beach and the Pier and outlet mall)
-Grover Beach (close to Pismo and Oceano)
-Los Osos (Montana De Oro)
-Oceano (dunes)
-San Simeon (camping and Hearst Castle)
-Caycucos (pier)
-Avila Beach (pier)

Of course you have several more in SB and Monterey County:
-Carmel
-Montecito
-Summerland
-Carpinteria
-Big Sur
-Pacific Grove
-Pebble Beach

Then you have other tourists towns:

Paso Robles (wine)
Atascadero (zoo)

Arroyo Grande and Nipomo are pretty much commuter communities and farming communities. That's why along the 101 in Nipomo and AG are housing tracts, and the outskirts are ranches and farms.

Santa Maria, Salinas, Monterey, and Santa Barbara are definitely more cities and where the shopping and dining, jobs, bars, performing and fine arts, and where transportation, government, and education hubs are.

South Santa Maria is the nice part. Big parks, strip malls, and close to downtown Orcutt.

Salinas has it's nice parts on the outskirts like Las Palmas.

I'd avoid parts of downtown San Luis Obispo and parts of downtown Santa Barbara to live in. SB has gangs and homeless in downtown and SLO has homeless downtown.

[.highnlite]

Just like you can have re-enforcements I 2 can have re-enforcements.

That would be reinforcements

A re-enforcement would be arresting the guy, twice

[Gidgetsmidget]

Originally Posted by the city

You could live in Orcutt, south Santa Maria, Arroyo Grande, Pismo Beach, Nipomo, or Grover Beach.

There is more going on for young people in Pismo Beach and Arroyo Grande. Orcutt and Nipomo are pretty much commuter towns for Santa Maria. They are really suburban. South SLO County is pretty much very suburban too. South Santa Maria is similar to Orcutt.

Grover Beach is an affordable beach town, but I would stick to the Pismo Beach side.

Political wise-AG and Pismo and Nipomo are 50/50. Grover and Oceano lean left. Santa Maria and Orcutt lean right.

SLO, Cambria, Los Osos, and Morro Bay all lean way left.

As someone who grew up in the area and still has loads of family there, I wouldn't say SLO county, specifically Cambria, lean way left. Sure there are left over hippies and left leaners there, but it is pretty red.

[Gidgetsmidget]

Originally Posted by escapefromdixie

Wow the secuirty deposits are killers on many of the places I have been doing research on. Here in Houston, the rental market is fairly competitive (although rents are rising quickly), and many places have promotions for reduced security deposits, etc. I am not seeing much of that at least online, but maybe I will have more luck in person if I visit in a few weeks.

The rent is certainly doable on my expected salary, but after moving 2,000 plus miles a secuirty deposit will be tight. Thank goodness my potential employer has said they are flexible on when I move out there, giving me until the end of the year/early January.

Yes that is true. I live in SB and security deposits are generally 2X rent. That is what I was finding when I moved a few years ago and what I am seeing now (been here 26 years).

Be prepared for the condition of some places. Landlords get pretty much whatever they want in rent and generally won't make any updates for a renter. Some places won't have even put in new carpet. There are good places but are hard to find and go quickly. If the rent is low for a nice place be somewhat suspicious. There is probably a reason. It isn't common to get your entire security deposit back. Take video of the place with your landlord before you move in. I never have gotten the entire deposit back without a huge fight in SB. I lived in another town and did the same level of cleaning and was told by the landlord that even Military families haven't left a place so clean so I know it wasn't my cleaning in the SB places. Still I love it here.

[the city]

Originally Posted by Gidgetsmidget

As someone who grew up in the area and still has loads of family there, I wouldn't say SLO county, specifically Cambria, lean way left. Sure there are left over hippies and left leaners there, but it is pretty red.

Cambria has 70% of their voters registered as democrats since the 08 election. SLO is 70% too. I believe the others fall in that range as well, and with Morro Bay being 60% registered democrats.