Any Ex-South Florida People On Here That Moved to SoCal? (San Diego: rental market, HOA fees)

[high_plains_drifter]

Originally Posted by Nola9grl

I will definitely do that, I'm sure its different.



Definitely!! Nice homes in the area. Every time I visit there are new homes coming up but it still doesnt look congested. I love the area we go to pick strawberries and shop at the outlet mall. Also you're about an hour from places like Newport Beach if you like the beach vibes.




Yeah I've seen those here too. I'll be looking for the nice parts

Good to know, we may buy but I don't want to, my wife does, I would rather keep investing into my retirement. I have been to LA, it's nuts there but I may head up to Dana Point eventually and get to LA occasionally. I will probably go out and hike the eastern parks in the desert. I also want to go to Death Valley when it's not too hot.

[seain dublin]

Originally Posted by expatCA

Not yet, but visited more times than I can count and have friends there and many from there. They tell me about it.

Since you never lived in FL you really have no valid opinion on what it is like to live there. Those of us who have actually lived in both states have the experience.

Visiting someplace isn't the same, and based on your comments on this thread that is pretty clear.

[high_plains_drifter]

Originally Posted by Astral_Weeks

The U.S. Census on the percent of adults (25 or older) with a bachelor's degree or higher:

San Diego County: 35%
San Diego City: 42%

LA County: 30%
City of LA: 31.5%

Broward County: 30%
City of Fort Lauderdale: 34%

U.S. (national average): 29%

http://www.census.gov/quickfacts/tab...00,06037,06073

QuickFacts

San Diego's cluster of bio-tech and life science oriented companies attracts a lot of people with college/advanced degrees.

That said, San Diego will never be accused of being the most intellectual big city (like say San Francisco or NYC). Also, even with its higher than the national average share of adults with a college degree or higher, San Diego is much less cosmopolitan/international and far more parochial in outlook than its northern neighbor: Los Angeles.

I have a Master's Degree, do you have any data on that? I know San Jose is the place to be, I turned down a job there in 2012, it's just too expensive and people I know who moved there from here when our employer downsized told me they are trying to get out, just this past week one co-worker asked me if I knew of any jobs here, I was like no there are no jobs in our field here or one's that pay anything worth the hassle of living here.

[expatCA]

Originally Posted by seain dublin

Since you never lived in FL you really have no valid opinion on what it is like to live there. Those of us who have actually lived in both states have the experience.

Visiting someplace isn't the same, and based on your comments on this thread that is pretty clear.

Based on the comments of friends who have lived there all their life and some who moved to where I now live, I suspect I have a pretty good view of FL. My visits have only confirmed what they have said.

[high_plains_drifter]

Originally Posted by Majami

Weird stats via San Diego, but I guess all those military bros get free college and most colleges in this country are paper mills.

Sounds like you are jealous, please take your 2 cents elsewhere Thanks!

[seain dublin]

Originally Posted by expatCA

Based on the comments of friends who have lived there all their life and some who moved to where I now live, I suspect I have a pretty good view of FL. My visits have only confirmed what they have said.

Well people who only live in one place their whole life have nothing to compare it to. And there are long term FL residents who have left the state for places like TN and NC because they don't like what they see in FL.

Having lived in both states(mostly CA), I saw a noticeable difference in people. FL is loaded with tons of NE transplants, they can live in FL 30 years and still act like they're in NJ, in other words rude. I saw more crazy drivers and horrific crashes in FL than I ever did in CA. A week wouldn't go by without one in the area. I also started to hate driving something I used to enjoy, now back in CA and even with heavier traffic I enjoy driving again.

I also saw for lack of a better word "white trash" in FL, I used to call it Jerry Springer country, I don't see much of that here, not that it doesn't exist, there is less of it despite having double the population.

CA is like the bar that has the $5 cover charge, you hate to pay it but keeps out a lot of riff raff. FL is the bar with no cover charge.

Than there was the weather. Miserable most of the year except for Dec to March. And I like mountains, FL is so flat.

CA wins.

[high_plains_drifter]

Originally Posted by Majami

Lol, what makes you think I have no degree? I have 3, the highest of which is a Masters in Physics, from ironies of ironies, the University of California San Diego

What are the other two? MS in Internet Trolling and BS in Hot Air?

[high_plains_drifter]

Originally Posted by seain dublin

Well people who only live in one place their whole life have nothing to compare it to. And there are long term FL residents who have left the state for places like TN and NC because they don't like what they see in FL.

Having lived in both states(mostly CA), I saw a noticeable difference in people. FL is loaded with tons of NE transplants, they can live in FL 30 years and still act like they're in NJ, in other words rude. I saw more crazy drivers and horrific crashes in FL than I ever did in CA. A week wouldn't go by without one in the area. I also started to hate driving something I used to enjoy, now back in CA and even with heavier traffic I enjoy driving again.

I also saw for lack of a better word "white trash" in FL, I used to call it Jerry Springer country, I don't see much of that here, not that it doesn't exist, there is less of it despite having double the population.

CA is like the bar that has the $5 cover charge, you hate to pay it but keeps out a lot of riff raff. FL is the bar with no cover charge.

Than there was the weather. Miserable most of the year except for Dec to March. And I like mountains, FL is so flat.

CA wins.

I agree, I'm from Baltimore originally but I lived in a lot of states, all on the East Coast. The NE mainly tri-state mentality is very bold and strong here. People are indeed rude, obnoxious and cannot drive worth a dime here, I know because I drive to Miami 5 days a week and sometimes on the weekends, it's painful and I am not just pointing figures at Miami this goes for here in Fort Lauderdale and the greater area north of it. A lot of old rude people from those same states, people just are not pleasant I cannot stand New Yorkers at all, sorry but I have had bad experiences with many, they just are not pleasant and mainly they reside from Long Island, not upstate New York. Problem is now due to season, it's like a-hole overload on the roads and stores.

Most cannot stand the summers here and fly back north in April, they also are very impatient and blow their horns as soon as the light turns green, cannot be bothered to use their turn signals either.

[high_plains_drifter]

Originally Posted by Nola9grl

I forgot to add groceries can be expensive in certain areas. You can go down the street to the same store and the prices are different and they may have different products. Make sure to venture out if you find a place with very high prices. When I live in Central CA Superwalmart was nice with low prices. When I moved back to SoCal Supertarget was better. Its hit and miss all over SoCal but you"ll find the best spots after living here. I mainly shop military base comm(not sure if you're able to shop there), target, stater bros and sprouts just to give you examples of stores here, also albertsons sometimes due to certain products.

If you find homes you like make sure to get to know the sides streets cause he highways can get backed up pretty bad around here at any time of the day.

Food is very expensive here, my wife goes to Publix and spends $200 and it doesn't' even last that long. I prices shopped Vons, Ralphs and Sprouts and the prices were lower on much of it. There is more competition in CA than here, Food Lion, Albertson's, Winn-Dixie are either gone or on barely have a presence anymore. Publix is a Monopoly and expensive. The Fresh Market & Whole Foods are here, but both are expensive.

Trader Joe's just came into the area along with Aldi, I don't care for Aldi and Trader Joe's has some things but much is processed food that we do not eat. I only buy a few things there. There are also a lot of small markets, Mom & Pop places that I shop at, but it's not low cost.

[high_plains_drifter]

Originally Posted by Bert_from_back_East

Surely, you jest.

Groceries are cheap in Southern California relative to South Florida - or any area of Florida, for that matter.

There's a much wider array of grocery store options here in Southern California, including many low-cost alternatives, including, but not limited to: Northgate Market, Food 4 Less, Stater Bros., Smart & Final, etc.

There are hardly any discount grocery store chains in Florida, let alone discount organic/natural food stores like Sprouts or Trader Joe's.

And before people from South Florida start attacking me - yes, I know that there are Trader Joe's stores in the area (I was just recently at the new-ish store on Federal in Boca in January), but they are still few and far between and barely existed in the market 2-3 years ago.

The high cost of food in South Florida is largely due to the Publix monopoly, which greatly diminishes choice and competition in the grocery store/supermarket sector and allows Publix to charge outrageous prices for meat, produce and other products.

I personally never hopped on the Publix bandwagon like everyone else who lives in/moves to Florida. Overall, I found their quality, selection, service and store aesthetics to be very sub-par relative to Ralph's, Vons/Pavilions, Harris Teeter, Wegman's, Stop & Shop, etc.

I would always tell Publix boosters to talk to me after shopping at Gelson's, LOL. Please.

Like seain dublin mentioned up-thread, there's no club/discount card at Publix or double-coupons, which can go a long way, whether you're shopping for a household or just for yourself.

With my Vons Card in particular, I sometimes get $0.30 off/gallon at the Von's gas station, which in Long Beach, offers some of the most competitive gas prices in town. Unfortunately, there's nothing's comparable in Florida.

You would think that since South Florida is situated in the warmest region of the continental US, there would be a greater emphasis on fresh produce, farmer's markets, farm-to-table initiatives, etc., but that's hardly the case.

I found farmer's markets few and far between in South Florida with relatively high prices compared to Southern California. This is probably due to the ideological differences of the two different regions - farmer's markets are just not popular/part of the culture in South Florida.

Housing may be more expensive in Southern California relative to South Florida, but food certainly is NOT.

Publix did have a discount card, but they did away with it years ago, my wife and I had one. They do have BOGO but not always on items I buy, maybe cereal once in a while, BOGO = Buy One Get One, Free of course. The biggest benefit with Publix is their Pharmacy, don't know if this exists in CA, but you can get some medications for free with a Rx from a Dr.

The Fresh Market and Whole Foods is it, along with some smaller Mom & Pop Places for Organics, but Publix also has a couple Greenwise stores which have more Organics, but they are all in Palm Beach County and someplace else Tampa I think?

Wegman's I know well since they were up North and is far above anything here.

Also rental rates here and there, at least in the North County area are very close if not the same and often you get a much nicer updated place compared to here, I can show you rentals in areas here that have sculptured carpet, and 1980s' appliances and they want more than places I saw out there.