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I have to butt in here, again. I lived in Nashville for 5 years, and regularly visited friends in Atlanta. The traffic is absolutely horrendous. And so is the weather for 99% of the year. You're either dealing with sleet and thunderstorms or heat and humidity.
Atlanta has the best weather east of the Rocky Mountains for most people. It is on a plateau with a 1,000 ft. elevation so its less humid than most other places in the south. Florida and the Gulf Coast are much more humid. Much of the colder winter air is blocked by the mountains to the north. Atlanta rarely gets snow, maybe 1-2 inches every two years.
I really miss the thunderstorms too. 48 inches a rain a year is why Atlanta is called "the city in a forest". No other city has such a beautiful urban tree canopy.
Atlanta does have very bad traffic but so does LA and SF. If one is retired the traffic is of little significance because they do not have to commute at rush hour.
Quote:
Originally Posted by NoMoreSnowForMe
If I can butt into your exchange, for me the answer to your last sentence/question would be yes. Even if you can fly to CA supposedly every time you want to, that will never equate to it being every day.
I liked living in the Atlanta area much better than California because there were so many different states to drive to. I drove to many places like NYC,Chicago,the Great Smoky Mountains Park,New Orleans,Asheville,Savannah,Charleston,Bowling Green(Corvette Museum & Mammoth Cave Park) & Huntsville(Nat. Space Center). I put 85,000 miles in 4 years on a new car.
In SF I mainly stay at home since the traffic is so bad here,especially on the bridges. In 2014 I bought a new car in SF and it has only 15,000 miles on it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by NoMoreSnowForMe
You go out to get into your car to go shopping and it's covered in snow, locks are frozen, or it's 150 degrees inside it, and you become a pile of sweat while you wait for the air conditioning to kick in. .
Where is this mythical city that has the winters of Buffalo and the summers of Death Valley?
Location: Formerly Pleasanton Ca, now in Marietta Ga
10,348 posts, read 8,567,170 times
Reputation: 16693
Quote:
Originally Posted by NoMoreSnowForMe
If I can butt into your exchange, for me the answer to your last sentence/question would be yes. Even if you can fly to CA supposedly every time you want to, that will never equate to it being every day. So, realistically, let's say someone like you could afford to fly to CA once a month and pay for a hotel, restaurants, rental car, etc. And, let's say you stay in CA for maybe 1 week out of four. And really, how likely is that? But, let's say you do.
So, for 3 weeks out of every month, you wake up to horrible weather - either because it's sleet, or snow, or really hot and humid. You go out to get into your car to go shopping and it's covered in snow, locks are frozen, or it's 150 degrees inside it, and you become a pile of sweat while you wait for the air conditioning to kick in. Then, you hope to park in shade where you're going, then when you come out of wherever you went, where you hope there is air conditioning, you sweat while you go to get back into your car that is, again, probably over 100 degrees minimum inside. And you again, crank the air conditioning, while you are sweating up a storm and your hair and make-up (if you're female) is running down your face, and your sweat is running from your arm pits, and your clothes are sticking to you.
Then, you say, wow, it's been 3 weeks, yay, I get to go to CA. Now, you get to get to the airport 2 hours before your flight, possibly endure being scanned by security, hope your flight isn't delayed or that they haven't lost your bags. You get to CA and wait for your bags, deal with finding transportation, probably end up in traffic to your hotel, etc.
Then, after your ideal vacation in CA, you go back to the airport and do it all over again.
Wow, sounds so ideal.
Wow is so right. Exaggerate much?
Have you ever lived in Atlanta?
No you haven't so you have no idea what you are talking about. You are making things up just to try to back up your point.
3 weeks of every month as you claim for horrible extreme weather from what you describe as weather extremes is equal to roughly 75% of the tine or 9 months of the year.
Sleet and snow in Atlanta? This year we had 2 days where it snowed and last year it snowed one day. So that means for 9 months of the year you are saying it's horrible heat and humidity or sleet.
Having lived here for 3 years all year round versus your occasional visits I will say I'm a better judge of the weather than you by a longshot. I also lived in the Bay Area for 57 years so I know the weather there quite well. I will tell you it is colder in the winter than the Bay Area, but it's not intolerable by any means. But parts of California get just as cold. You know as well as I do California is not the same weather as the Bay Area. So winter it's cold from about mid November to the end of February. I wear a long sleeve shirt and a medium coat and jeans. I go for walks like that in this weather.
So that takes out 3.5 months for cold weather, but not extreme cold like you claim. My cars are parked outside, power locks, have never frozen up like you claim.
So now let's address the other 5.5 months of extreme weather you claim atlanta has that must be the 150 degree days. The fact is march through early June is very much like my home town of Pleasanton ca. Very comfortable weather, no humidity. Late September to the mid November is beautiful fall weather, often great for going on walks in a t shirt.
That leaves us with the 3 months of summer where it gets hot and humid. As a Bay Area native that's uncomfortable to me. But it's not as bad as Florida or Louisiana. I still walk in the evenings , though not as much. I admit I'm too used to the Bay Area. If I got up in the mornings I could easily walk in temps in the 70s But evidently it doesn't bother people here. I see more people walking and running, even in the heat than I ever saw in Pleasanton.
Btw in the summer Pleasanton while not humid still got hot enough to keep me from walking outside.
Now about all the sweat.
You must drive a pos car. My car is 16 years old and has no problem quickly cooling down with the ac. Within 5 seconds I have cold air cooling me off and I am not sweating. Within 5 minutes the entire cabin has cooled off.
You also must have some physical health issues if you are that much of a hot sweaty mess. I see lots of women here walking about who aren't like that at all. Make up and hair look fine
While we're on the subject of heat, you were the one who posted she couldn't handle the heat up in Redding California and had to move. Isn't Redding in California? If so why isn't the weather so perfect there?
Now my post talked about the good things in California and how much better they might be and at what cost.
For someone who has to work and support a family and save for the future it might be worth it to measure the financial cost of living in California versus somewhere else.
If money is no object, I'd live in California but with the caveat that it only be in the nicer expensive coastal areas like the Bay Area or San Diego because you know not all of California has that great weather or amenities , otherwise you'd still be living in Redding or crescent city ( where you complained how remote it was and how shopping was an ordeal.) Living in Barstow pretty much negates the good things that California has since they don't exist out there.
So this circles back to the op wanting to live where the best of California can be had, but he can't afford it. That is where my discussion come in... is it worth the money if you don't really have it?
In your situation you live in San Jose, a place I loved and hung out a lot. But it's expensive, housing being the biggest cost. In your case your housing expense is paid for by the taxpayers. You also are not trying to raise a family and save for your future. I'm not saying you shouldn't get the financial aid. But for those who have to do those things the cost of staying in California to enjoy it has to be weighed against their financial situation and future.
Finally let's address the thing of flying back to California. A few things, the only thing that's not ideal for me is the hot summers in Georgia for 3 months. It's tolerable, but summer in the Bay Area is definitely better weather. While I can fly back as often as I like, I pretty much have everything I want here that I had in California. So I don't have a huge urge to keep going back to California. I do so for 2 to 4 weeks in the summer when Georgia is its hottest to mostly visit friends
I have lots of time since moving here to Georgia because I was able to retire early because of the lower col.
My travel budget is over $20k a year. That's plenty to escape the Georgia heat if it really got to me. I had planned on living abroad for the 3 hot months and switching destinations every summer. that is certainly much more appealing to me than traveling to California every month. If I had my choice of living in California in a small rental house all year round where the weather is good, or owning a nice house and traveling the world frequently and often with the money I save living in Georgia , I'm picking Georgia.
I've said it before and I'll say it again. If you already own a house or are a high income earner, the best parts of California are a wonderful place to live. But if you aren't getting ahead financially or are forced to live in a place like Barstow where you don't get the benefits of California, then it's not a bad idea to look at the options of living elsewhere . The weather and conditions are nowhere near as bad as you say. They are so exaggerated you can't be given the benefit of doubt that it's your opinion. If anything at all it is disservice to others trying to decide whether to stay or move.
I actually am surprised you posted this because you are generally pretty good with posts and things you say can be backed up. But your characterization of Georgia weather is quite inaccurate, especially since you have only visited for a short time.
When I moved to Atlanta I was fearful of the oppressive heat and humidity. Everyone in California told me how horrible it would be, not that any of them actually lived here. They just repeated the same things they had heard. Now having lived here for three years it's not that big of an issue at all.
I have a younger friend in his 30s who worked for Cisco and lived in San Jose. He transferred to North Carolina then moved on to amazon. He has to travel back to San Jose for work. He says there is no way he'd ever go back to the Bay Area. Going back and forth just reinforces his feelings. He had a much richer life now he says.
Location: Formerly Pleasanton Ca, now in Marietta Ga
10,348 posts, read 8,567,170 times
Reputation: 16693
Quote:
Originally Posted by capoeira
Atlanta has the best weather east of the Rocky Mountains for most people. It is on a plateau with a 1,000 ft. elevation so its less humid than most other places in the south. Florida and the Gulf Coast are much more humid. Much of the colder winter air is blocked by the mountains to the north. Atlanta rarely gets snow, maybe 1-2 inches every two years.
I really miss the thunderstorms too. 48 inches a rain a year is why Atlanta is called "the city in a forest". No other city has such a beautiful urban tree canopy.
Atlanta does have very bad traffic but so does LA and SF. If one is retired the traffic is of little significance because they do not have to commute at rush hour.
I liked living in the Atlanta area much better than California because there were so many different states to drive to. I drove to many places like NYC,Chicago,the Great Smoky Mountains Park,New Orleans,Asheville,Savannah,Charleston,Bowling Green(Corvette Museum & Mammoth Cave Park) & Huntsville(Nat. Space Center). I put 85,000 miles in 4 years on a new car.
In SF I mainly stay at home since the traffic is so bad here,especially on the bridges. In 2014 I bought a new car in SF and it has only 15,000 miles on it.
Where is this mythical city that has the winters of Buffalo and the summers of Death Valley?
You mean the summers of the hot steamy jungles of the amazon.
I have a large house because it is cheaper for me than a 1600 sq ft house.
In a year my property taxes will drop and it will drop to about 1k a month.
Drop to $1 K per month, as in you will be paying $12 K per year in property taxes? On a home purchased for what again? (Maybe you didn't mention it.) That sounds steep.
Atlanta has the best weather east of the Rocky Mountains for most people. It is on a plateau with a 1,000 ft. elevation so its less humid than most other places in the south. Florida and the Gulf Coast are much more humid. Much of the colder winter air is blocked by the mountains to the north. Atlanta rarely gets snow, maybe 1-2 inches every two years.
I really miss the thunderstorms too. 48 inches a rain a year is why Atlanta is called "the city in a forest". No other city has such a beautiful urban tree canopy.
Atlanta does have very bad traffic but so does LA and SF. If one is retired the traffic is of little significance because they do not have to commute at rush hour.
I liked living in the Atlanta area much better than California because there were so many different states to drive to. I drove to many places like NYC,Chicago,the Great Smoky Mountains Park,New Orleans,Asheville,Savannah,Charleston,Bowling Green(Corvette Museum & Mammoth Cave Park) & Huntsville(Nat. Space Center). I put 85,000 miles in 4 years on a new car.
In SF I mainly stay at home since the traffic is so bad here,especially on the bridges. In 2014 I bought a new car in SF and it has only 15,000 miles on it.
Where is this mythical city that has the winters of Buffalo and the summers of Death Valley?
You live in one of the most beautiful regions in the country, Northern California, and you're cooped up inside. Lol I would hate my life too if I were you.
All you CA haters are really amusing. So you said you loved Atlanta much better because you can drive to other places and states. Honey, what prevents you from doing the same here? You realize we don't live out in the middle of the ocean and you can actually drive to other states?
Atlanta to NYC is a 13 hour drive. You can see a lot of incredible sights within that distance here. The scenery out West absolutely destroys the stuff out East/South. That's why the majority of National Parks are out here. You have some nice scenery, but it just can't compare to the majesty of the West. Yosemite, Sequoia, Grand Canyon, Glacier, Zion, Rocky Mountains, Yellowstone, Crater Lake, Bryce, North Cascades, etc.
You're probably right though. There's nothing to see out here. Better stick to Atlanta.
I'm not one to tell you how to spend your hard earned money. Somehow I missed the part where I told you personally how to spend it. Maybe you can point that part out.
I also don't see the army of posters telling you that you are wrong to be happy living there. I see people pointing out good points and bad points of ca. Are you so insecure that you take those that bring up bad points as a personal attack on your choice to live in California? Even when those points are legitimate?
Then again why are you so worried what posters you don't know think?
As to your last paragraph.
1. yes. Millionaire x2. Except for the 5 days I work in a year, I'm retired. Most of that net worth accumulated in the last 3 years after moving. I can afford to not work in Atlanta and lead an upper middle class life in a 5200 sq ft house I bought, in California not so much. Couldn't have even bought a starter home.
How much is it costing to own your house there? Or are you renting?
2. While I don't live in California now, I still visit friends and family in California. So I have an interest in California. If we're going to talk about residence in California I've been away for 3 years and I'm pretty sure I've lived in California 20 to 30 years longer than you have. So I have more California experience than you. Why does your post have any more value than mine?
As I said I was once a proud Californian like you who thought it was the best place on earth and nothing could touch it for any price.
Then I started running hypothetical scenarios for financial reasons and realized I could have 90 percent of what California offered to me as far as amenities but could have financial freedom if I moved.
Sure I miss the weather, but it's not that bad here.
For me it was:
A. great weather and have to work to make ends meet in California
or
B. get 90 percent of that with okay weather and not have to work again and be financially secure.
I chose b
With the money I save on a lower col and a free schedule because I no longer have to work a job, I can fly to California and enjoy it anytime I want and as often as I want. The best of both worlds.
Given those choices can you honesty say you'd stay in California?
I'm happy for you that you found your bliss in Georgia. Also that you became a multi-millionaire in 3 years just by leaving CA & saving money on housing. I've never been to Atlanta/Marietta, but it sounds like it's a truly special, beautiful place. A real life Shangri-La. I'll have to visit someday.
Though I do have to challenge one of your statements. You state that Georgia offers 90% of what California does. This is just factually wrong. Why?
1. Public Land: I noticed you never addressed my biggest beef with your state. GA has a pathetic 9.7% of land set aside for public use. For outdoor lover's like myself, this is just unacceptable. Compare this to CA's 52%. Maybe you don't care about public land & the outdoors, but trust me there's a lot of me people who do. In fact, this is why many decide to move out to CA & out West in general.
2. Weather: No explanation necessary since you already conceded this point. Though I find it funny this is the only thing you you believe that CA has over GA.
3. Coastline: The Golden State coastline is approximately 8 TIMES the size of the Peach State, 800 vs 100 Miles. Another point to consider is that GA's biggest city, Atlanta is 3.5 hours away to the nearest beach, Tybee Island. The majority of CA residents live in coastal cities and have closer access to the beach. Speaking of big cities...
4. Major Cities: Georgia only has 1 major city, Atlanta. California has 3 major cities, San Diego, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. As stated previously, it's rare for a state to have more than 1 major city. Additionally, all the 3 cities have a different flavor, vibe, experience which gives greater variety and options for people who are looking to live in a city.
5. Theme Parks/Amusement Parks: Georgia has 3 amusement parks, a few water parks and 0 theme parks. California has the most theme/amusements/water parks in America. All the major players in the industry are here. Disney/Universal/Seaworld/Legoland/Six Flags/Cedar Fair and a tons of independent companies. Now obviously you can drive to Orlando to get your fix, but you still have to leave the state and I would argue there is less variety in the parks in FL. One thing to consider is that you have parks located all throughout the state of CA so you can still access it even if you're SO CAL or Northern CA.
6. National Parks: Georgia has 0 National Parks. Lol Well at least you guys have 1 National Forest. There are 4 National Forests in Southern California alone. There are a ton of NP's in CA that people from all over the world travel to because of its majestic beauty. A lot of variety in the parks as well. Yosemite, Joshua Tree, Sequoia, Channel Islands, Death Valley, Lassen, etc.
Honestly, I could go on and on. I'll stop here because I feel like I made my case.
You sound torn, since it seems that you want to stay in this general area, but you also have thoughts of owning a large home, but due to high local prices, that would have to be elsewhere.
I have a few "hard" questions. Since you are now 55 years old, have you considered how much labor and money could potentially be involved down the road in the maintenance of a large house on a big lot? Are you prepared for possibly ever-increasing property taxes on that spread?
Also, what is your budget? Have you searched to see if you could find a reasonably priced condo/townhouse so that you would not have to leave South County where, as in all of CA, property taxes are pretty much set?
Without getting into numbers. in all honesty I'm being priced out of Mission Viejo, Laguna Niguel, Aliso, etc.
The condos I can afford are just too small to live in "forever", the ones I could stand, couldn't mortgage them, even with the bit of savings I have.
Yes, I am torn. That's a very true statement.
Had to move away in 2010 as the recession have left me broke, came back first chance I got, but have never really caught up with the home prices.
For an actual number, I'm thinking anything over $400K is out of reach. So you can see I'm in a pickle, LOL!
Now the minute I say, "Anywhere is fine", the there's tons of houses out there I could have... the torn part is... I can't have them here, LOL!
I guess you have to decide if it's worth it to you to move away from this area just to live in a large SFR? Because, if you move, I assume there would be little likelihood of your being able to afford to return if things don't work out?
Location: Formerly Pleasanton Ca, now in Marietta Ga
10,348 posts, read 8,567,170 times
Reputation: 16693
Quote:
Originally Posted by CA4Now
Drop to $1 K per month, as in you will be paying $12 K per year in property taxes? On a home purchased for what again? (Maybe you didn't mention it.) That sounds steep.
Sorry for the confusion.
The. 1k a month refers to my total housing cost factoring in piti, utilities, tax benefits, and renter.
Home purchased for 460k
5200 sq ft inc 1200 sq ft walk out daylight basement that is a full apartment with separate driveway and entrance.
Taxes are 4600 a year and should drop to about in a year as I will no longer be paying school taxes. Taxes should be about 1500 a year more or less then.
Mortgage is 1850 and I get 950 in rent.
I guess you have to decide if it's worth it to you to move away from this area just to live in a large SFR? Because, if you move, I assume there would be little likelihood of your being able to afford to return if things don't work out?
The op never mentioned his work situation and financial position or if he has a family. Kind of hard to make suggestions without those.
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