Where to live in CA? Help me find a "unicorn" mix of fun/exciting with safe/outdoorsy. (Los Angeles: fit in, apartments)

[wander_x]

I don't necessarily expect to find all these criteria in one place (hence the "unicorn")...

Exciting, lively, fun, young AND safe, affordable, professional, outdoorsy

About Me:
>Recent college grad, marketing & international development, own a car.
>Because of my age group, I'd like to live somewhere I can meet similar people (hence lively, young, etc)...
>BUT I'm more of an outdoorsy, safe, healthy/simple/artsy-type (not overtly urban, I prefer fresh air/green space).
>I'm also not in college anymore, and don't need that lifestyle.
>Want to transition to professional young adult without going boring "family suburb".
>Equally enjoys socializing, exploring new things, hiking, photography, reading, the beach.

Anywhere come close?

I've heard Claremont (SoCal)? or Berkley (NorCal)?

For all the wonderful well-meaning city-data members:
I PROMISE WON'T MOVE WITHOUT A JOB LINED UP FIRST.
(Okay now that's established we can focus on the actual question).

Many thanks!

[Adriatica]

As usual, it's the "affordable" part that's the problem, as well as the ability to secure a job. What does affordable mean to you?

[eccotecc]

May I suggest you apply to work in one of the National Parks.

[dexter14]

Originally Posted by equestrian13

I don't necessarily expect to find all these criteria in one place (hence the "unicorn")...

Exciting, lively, fun, young AND safe, affordable, professional, outdoorsy

About Me:
>Recent college grad, marketing & international development, own a car.
>Because of my age group, I'd like to live somewhere I can meet similar people (hence lively, young, etc)...
>BUT I'm more of an outdoorsy, safe, healthy/simple/artsy-type (not overtly urban, I prefer fresh air/green space).
>I'm also not in college anymore, and don't need that lifestyle.
>Want to transition to professional young adult without going boring "family suburb".
>Equally enjoys socializing, exploring new things, hiking, photography, reading, the beach.

Anywhere come close?

I've heard Claremont (SoCal)? or Berkley (NorCal)?

For all the wonderful well-meaning city-data members:
I PROMISE WON'T MOVE WITHOUT A JOB LINED UP FIRST.
(Okay now that's established we can focus on the actual question).

Many thanks!

Portland, OR.

[DCMann2]

Portland would be my suggestion too, or Humboldt. The PNW weather isn't for everyone though and I wouldn't call Humboldt lively at all. If you don't mind hot weather and a long commute I could also suggest the high desert area north of Los Angeles. Affordable with easy access to the Valley, though the climate there is god awful.

[Another Place]

Get in a time machine and go back to California circa 1950!

Seriously...I'm a bit jaded about California and what you want out of this state hasn't existed for me since I was your age and that was the early 80's.

A bit of advice since most young people from out of state tend to gravitate to Southern California; I was originally from Northern California when I moved to the LA area for college back in 1981. Many people I knew or have read about, after living in the LA area for any appreciable amount of time, have always talked about a sense of disconnection with the place. They had great jobs, nice apartments, friends, everything, but they always felt like they never fit in. I think it's often referred to as, "a sense of place or family, home!".

I always had a good living situation and life overall, but it was if there was a secret society to the place, you could exist and prosper to a point, but you always had this feeling that you just weren't part of it. Then again, I was working in the motion picture business. My best friend from college moved to Huntington Beach from northern Michigan and he's still there. He told me he moved for one reason and one reason only...the whole Beach Boys thing, living by the beach, surf boards, bikinis - anything to escape those horrible brutal winters he had to grow up in.

You being younger and from a different generation probably won't understand this or even experience it no matter where you move to. I offer this only as something to think about.

It would also help us if you mention what state you are from.

Good luck to you.

[Tulemutt]

Originally Posted by mbell75

Portland, OR.

That's actually an excellent suggestion. How unique to find a good post from mbell! Kudos! +1

[mateo45]

I'd say Chico fills the bill pretty well, although unfortunately good-paying jobs are hard to come by, and especially with the University nearby, the competition is usually kinda 'fierce'. But "fun, safe, artsy, young, outdoorsy, affordable"… yeah, it's all that!

[Ruth4Truth]

It sounds like Berkeley. Marketing/international development? Sounds like you could work for some of the non-profits around the Bay. Learn something about fund-raising, to fill out the bill. There are workshops you can take for that.

And yeah, "affordable" is very relative in the Bay Area. However, if you get some kind of admin job at a non-profit, you can live decently in the East Bay. Any type of geographic interest with that international development? If you have experience in Asia, and if you have an MA, you can apply to Asia Foundation, in SF.

[dexter14]

Originally Posted by Another Place

Get in a time machine and go back to California circa 1950!

Seriously...I'm a bit jaded about California and what you want out of this state hasn't existed for me since I was your age and that was the early 80's.

Exactly. I am more than "a bit jaded" though, Im pretty pissed The 80s was the last great decade for this state. 90s weren't too bad I suppose, but I digress. I remember living in a nice (but small) little triplex off Alabama street in HB a half mile from the beach in 2000. We were paying $925 for 2 bed, 2 bath. After 2 years there, come home one day to find all 3 units were being evicted, had 30 days to get out. Its illegal to raise rent more than $200 a year, but the new owners got greedy and evicted everyone. Come to find out 4 months later, that same apartment was renting for $1500 (They currently rent for well over $2k these days) $575 more than we were paying a few months prior. Than realizing rents everywhere in the area had climbed sky high since the last time I had looked at rentals a few years prior. Jobs were also getting very difficult to come by and minimum wage wasn't paying much either. Thats when it really hit me that CA had completely gone to sh*t.