Possibly moving from Texas to the Central Coast (Santa Maria, SLO) (Santa Barbara: middle-class, health insurance)

[the city]

If you get sociological for a minute, then examine what qualities you want in your environment (town, city, un-incorporated community) to have that makes your life better. Here's what I'd look at:

1) High paying skilled jobs (jobs that pay well and pay advanced degree people well)
2) Low crime rates (so I am safe)
3) Good schools (so my kids can be prepared for college)
4) Good churches (a place where I can find people with similar moral values and belief in Jesus)
5) Good transportation system (so that I can travel to where I need to be quickly)
6) Spacey homes (quietness and space to live)
7) Quality shopping and dining options
7a) health food markets (food and vitamins that prevent illness)
7b) quality clothing stores (fashionable and lasts a long time)
7c) affordable and environmentally friendly cars (dealerships selling cars that save on gas and save environment)
7d) good restaurants

A lack of anything of these things would deter me from living in a place, and of course weather is important, but not important enough to make a top 7.

Now examine San Luis Obispo and Santa Maria:

SLO
1) High paying skilled jobs (jobs that pay well and pay advanced degree people well)
SLO has quiet a number of high-paying jobs due to the college and government pressence
2) Low crime rates (so I am safe)
Pretty sure SLO's crime index is below the national average
3) Good schools (so my kids can be prepared for college)
SLO High and Mission Prep exceed the State standard API index score of 800.
4) Good churches (a place where I can find people with similar moral values and belief in Jesus)
There are some good ones that help out the community and teach the truth in the Bible
5) Good transportation system (so that I can travel to where I need to be quickly)
101 free way, 1 freeway, and a good bus system
6) Spacey homes (quietness and space to live)
Many suburban homes, some rural homes on the outskirts and some high density downtown and other areas
7) Quality shopping and dining options
7a) health food markets (food and vitamins that prevent illness)
New Frontier's, Cuesta Co-Op
7b) quality stores (lasts a long time and preferably hand made)
Gap, Costco, Best Buy, etc....
7c) affordable and environmentally friendly cars (dealerships selling cars that save on gas and save environment)
Toyota sells a prius, and now even some zip cars like Fiat Car and Smart car
7d) good restaurants
many healthy and fresh food places

Santa Maria
1) High paying skilled jobs (jobs that pay well and pay advanced degree people well)
More farming and manufactoring jobs than skilled jobs, but still many skilled jobs
2) Low crime rates (so I am safe)
Some areas have crime index higher than the national average, and other areas matching the national average
3) Good schools (so my kids can be prepared for college)
Neither high schools meet the state API index scores, but Orcutt Academy High and the private schools do surpass State standard
4) Good churches (a place where I can find people with similar moral values and belief in Jesus)
Yes like SLO
5) Good transportation system (so that I can travel to where I need to be quickly)
101 freeway and good bus system
6) Spacey homes (quietness and space to live)
Yes many affordable suburban homes in good areas
7) Quality shopping and dining options
7a) health food markets (food and vitamins that prevent illness)
Lassen's
7b) quality stores (lasts a long time and hand made)
there are some good clothing stores at the mall, Costco, Best Buy
7c) affordable and environmentally friendly cars (dealerships selling cars that save on gas and save environment)
very similar to SLO except no car dealers selling zip cars
7d) good restaurants
many healthy and fresh food places to get food

[gmo333]

All I can tell you, from having lived on the Central Coast awhile, is that there is no comparing the overall reputations of Santa Maria, Santa Barbara, and SLO. Santa Maria has a reputation for not being a great place to live. There are a lot of crime and gang issues, probably much like there is in Houston. Santa Maria is also inland and has a reputation for being hot and windy. Santa Barbara is a very nice coastal city with everything anyone could ask for, but it is kind of elitist, and housing is very hard to come by. From what I understand, even if you can afford the housing, there are waiting lists. Farther north is SLO County, and the farther north you go in SLO County, the better the living. South County towns like Pismo Beach and Arroyo Grande would be nice for you, and SLO is a very desirable college town, but you would have to factor in your commute time. I would say, try Santa Barbara, and if not, look into Arroyo Grande or SLO.

[.highnlite]

has a reputation for being hot and windy

actually cool and windy, seldom hot in Santa Maria

the farther north you go in SLO County, the better the living. South County towns like Pismo Beach and Arroyo Grande would be nice for you,

Contradictory, as to whether the living gets better the farther north you go, remember, that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Some people do not like the temp extremes and socalled "hickness".

[user_id]

Originally Posted by the city

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.

The county, as a whole, is more redneck than liberal. That is one of the unfortunate aspects of the west, liberal small towns are rare even rarer are liberal small towns that are affordable. In contrast, New England is filled with many affordable liberal small cultured towns with educated folks.

For a liberal, New England is a far better option.

[gmo333]

I'm no meteorologist,but I believe the farther you go north on the Central Coast, the less extreme you will find the weather. As far as the "hickness", I almost wish that was the case, but SLO is a college town full of rich peoples' kids (granted, its partially known for its agricultural programs), and towns like Morro Bay and Cambria are inhabited by L.A. transplants that could afford to get out and buy big hillside homes, meaning they are Republicans, but if we're going by income, they are hardly hicks. If we are going by political affiliation, then I guess you could make that case. Politically, SLO County leans slightly right but believe me, there is no shortage of liberals: professors, artists, environmentalists, etc. Except for Cali's far north counties, I don't think you could really call any coastal county "hick" or "redneck". If you don't believe me, take a drive through Alabama or Mississippi, or for that matter, Oregon or Idaho. Then you will see "redneck" and "hick" defined.

[Rhenzanite]

Originally Posted by gmo333

I'm no meteorologist,but I believe the farther you go north on the Central Coast, the less extreme you will find the weather. As far as the "hickness", I almost wish that was the case, but SLO is a college town full of rich peoples' kids (granted, its partially known for its agricultural programs), and towns like Morro Bay and Cambria are inhabited by L.A. transplants that could afford to get out and buy big hillside homes, meaning they are Republicans, but if we're going by income, they are hardly hicks. If we are going by political affiliation, then I guess you could make that case. Politically, SLO County leans slightly right but believe me, there is no shortage of liberals: professors, artists, environmentalists, etc. Except for Cali's far north counties, I don't think you could really call any coastal county "hick" or "redneck". If you don't believe me, take a drive through Alabama or Mississippi, or for that matter, Oregon or Idaho. Then you will see "redneck" and "hick" defined.

SLO, Cambria and MB are usually considered Southern SLO county, he was probably referring to Atascadero, Templeton and Paso. Yes, those are hick towns and those are the ones usually called North County.

[Hawk J]

Originally Posted by 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.

KSBY 6 SLO is the sister station to KSBW 8 Salinas...


http://www.tutorgigpedia.com/KSBW_es.html

[.highnlite]

Originally Posted by JetJockey

SLO, Cambria and MB are usually considered Southern SLO county, he was probably referring to Atascadero, Templeton and Paso. Yes, those are hick towns and those are the ones usually called North County.

mmm You are usually spot on, Calling Cambria as being in Southern SLO County does not work, as it is about 20 miles from the Monterey county line, but 60 miles from the Santa Barbara County line.

South County, refers, generally to the towns south of SLO. Arroyo Grande, Pismo Beach, Grover City , Nipomo and environs.

I'm no meteorologist,but I believe the farther you go north on the Central Coast, the less extreme you will find the weather

I am not sure what the writer meant. Weather west of the Salinas River, Coastal Creek divide is never extreme, a bit more rain falls as you move north. To the east of the divide, weather is a bit more extreme throughout the Central Coast, hotter summers, colder Winters, that holds true from Cuyama to Hollister.

[user_id]

Originally Posted by gmo333

As far as the "hickness", I almost wish that was the case, but SLO is a college town full of rich peoples' kids (granted, its partially known for its agricultural programs), and towns like Morro Bay and Cambria are inhabited by L.A. transplants that could afford to get out and buy big hillside homes

Right, there are some smaller towns that aren't redneck....but they aren't affordable. That is especially true considering the overall lack of well paying jobs in SLO county.

Originally Posted by gmo333

Except for Cali's far north counties, I don't think you could really call any coastal county "hick" or "redneck". If you don't believe me, take a drive through Alabama or Mississippi, or for that matter, Oregon or Idaho. Then you will see "redneck" and "hick" defined.

Just because there are areas that have even greater concentrations of rednecks (and even poorer ones), doesn't mean that SLO county isn't as a whole "hicky".

Regardless, outside of the big cities the west isn't really a good place for liberals, or educated for that matter, folks.... There are a few exceptions, but they are all rather expensive. In contrast, you can find numerous well educated (and liberal) small towns throughout the New England area.

[.highnlite]

Regardless, outside of the big cities the west isn't really a good place for liberals, or educated for that matter, folks.... There are a few exceptions, but they are all rather expensive.

Don't get around much do ya?