Best CA hospitals and places to live

U.S.A. California

Published

12/12/05 I'm interested in moving from Wisconsin to California, where are the better paying hosptitals? I currently work in a VA Hospital. Also where are the most reasonable places to live? I hope you can help answer my questions.

Pj RN

I"m thinking about San Diego, San Fransisco and LA. If an area isn't well known in southern california then I probably dont know about it. I know there are some cheaper towns to live in that are much farther inland. I Just don't know what they are. Anyone care to fill me in?

Luv2, if there was anyone who was obsessed more on finding the right area of Ca to settle, that would be me. I'm originally from chicago (which I love though pay isn't great) but my parents and sister are from Ca so based on their ceaseless nagging, I finally relocated here 5 yrs ago. We lived in anaheim (north orange county, inland, about 30 min to the coast) and I was miserable because i missed living in the city so I moved to LA which I hated so i left after a yr,moved back to orange county which now seemed more tolerable than LA:). After almost 4 yrs, I still felt displaced in southern ca so last yr. I finally decided to bite the bullet and move to SF without knowing anyone here.

It is of my opinion that Ca is really not that expensive as long as you dont buy a house:)...anyway, I think you have to establish first which area of Ca you would most thrive in and then worry about which hospitals/areas of nsg you would like to explore. Do you like living in a big city , near all the cultural amenities or you dont mind the suburbs and the commute? Do you prefer southern ca or northern ca, they are quite different. Southern Ca has better weather (i.e. more or less warm all yr round, and SD has the best weather of all), northern ca is cooler (which I like). If you love the beach for swimming, surfing, lazing around in the sun, etc, then you would probably like southern ca. The oceans to the north are wilder and colder . For me the south has a more generic, less earthy feel to it and outside the beach, you're limited in the surrounding areas you could explore within a 3-4 hr drive (at least for me)..i.e. going south I guess you could do mexico, east - everyone goes to vegas for the weekend:), north- maybe ojai or the central coast, sta barbara etc...up north, basing yourself in SF (with all its great pay (pay is highest here in the entire state) and cultural enticements:)), you have the redwoods, the ocean, the hills, the mountains --the wine country, big sur, monterey, lake tahoe, yosemite, point lobos, mendocino, etc..omg you'll never ran out of trips to take:)

That said, its your decision. I basically started with kaiser since they're all over the state which was convenient because I just basically got myself transferred from one hospital to the other. They pay well and treat their nurses well. If you choose LA and need the ocean:), definitely live and work near the coast, (sta monica is great) as the commute from inland is going to kill you (its not the distance, its the neverending traffic) and whatever $$ you save in rent is not worth the stress of facing LA traffic everyday. check out ezrentlist and westsiderentals for descriptions of neighborhoods and rentals.. ..i think ezrent also covers san diego..there is a VA in long beach (south of LA and north of the oc)..I f you choose the OC, I love huntington beach, the apts that are more inland (but still in HB) are cheaper or you could check out fountain valley which is the next city closest to HB. If you choose to be be near laguna beach, irvine is nearer, cheaper but not that much , and has more apts. saddleblack memorial is the nearest hosp. and I guess missionviejo (great hosp. from what I've heard from all the travelers I've met) is doable. I guess you have to decide too if you want smaller community hospitals or bigger teaching type univeristy hospitals and how far you are willing to drive to them from where you live. UCI is a great teaching hosp but they dont pay that well (as compared to the others) but the benefits are great. If you choose SF, well there is a VA in the outer richmond area, a few blocks from the ocean:), and a lot of other great hospitals to choose from...find out which neighborhood works for you or which hosp and base your job or place to live from that decision...SF is a more compact city...research on the neighborhoods that appeal to you and check out craigslist.org for rentals..again sf is great if you're single and dont plan on buying a house here:)..you could even save more if you get a roommate and the pay is just tops plus you have the awesome Ca ratio and a great city and great surrounding areas to explore:)...that said, my rent in the outer richmond for a 1 bedrm is 1100 with parking (no laundry but it is just a few blocks away),-- a chicago apt along LSD would cost more but this a great neighborhood for me, not the marina or pacific hts but I love it here... I live 8 blks from the ocean (at least once before I die I have actually lived near the ocean), 4 blks from golden gate park , the public library and our little neighborhood 'downtown":) area with all the multi ethnic restuarants and a great indie theatre....the area is safe, residential but very diverse, more bohemian( for lack of a better word) and laid back than the OC thing...I love it here ..it is. about 20 min to downtown sf and 40 by bus...best of all, I dont have to deal with traffic and freeways going to work:)

best of luck in your search

thanks for your input. I totally understand where you come from. I lived for 6years (and went to school) in new york city (upper west side). Me and hubby wants to get out of the city so we moved to St. Pete/Tampa. We bought a nice house, live 1 block from the beach, nice weather .... but we do miss the "diversity" of the big city. I went back to NYC for a visit 3x this year, and i miss everything about NEw York (except the weather). I too feel like i don't belong here. So we're thinking of moving to CA. We are going on a trip next month to check the area. I do hope we can find a place that we'll love...

I've never lived in the city... i live about 1 hour from pittsburgh and I really hate going there. But there is something intriquiing about the big cities in CA.. san diego, LA, and San francisco. I'm still unsure as to where I Want to move. I guess I"ll have to go on a few vacations to make up my mind lol. I definitely want to be near the beach and I want to be able to get a tan. I just DON"T want snow or freezing cold weather. Could you elaborate a bit more on the weather in SF?

It is hard to get a "beach" tan in SF. Too cold and foggy in the summer. The ocean is freezy all year round. No snow though, EVER. Best pay in CA too.

Specializes in med/surg/tele/neuro/rehab/corrections.

Well you should know that Mark Twain said: "The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco" :roll

Please consider the traffic too not just the weather. Visiting first is a good idea. :)

Have you thought about transferring to another VA? There are facilities in SF, Palo Alto, Martinez and Sacramento. You get to keep your TSP, vacation/sick leave, and years earned toward pension. SF pays well (for a VA) and you can get a moving bonus.

There are also VA Hospitals in Westwood, in LA, and in Long Beach, south of LA. The Long Beach VA ia right next to Cal State Long Beach, who has a generic BSN program, an RN-BSN porgram, a Consortium where you do the school work at home, and an MSN program. The RN-BSN program, if you are interested, will not make you repeat any of you basic nursing classes, even if you are a diploma nurses, as I was. You go right in at Junior standing. You are not given college for your basic nursing classes, but you will not have to repeat them.

Lindarn, RN. BSN, CCRN

Spokane, Washington

Sounds like San Francisco is not the right place for me. I Love warm weather and I need to cold away from the cold and snow that PA has. Maybe I'll go a lil further south?

as far as different cities costing more than others...the wages are often higher also so it close to balances out.

i'm from the east coast but lived in california for six years. Alot of people have trouble with LA but I loved it. the smog can be nasty yes, but waking up to sunshine everyday surrounded by mountains made me feel as though I was always on vacation. California rules -was great for my psyche! "Do what you are eager to do if your heart is in the right place ... live life to the fullest with no regrets."

good luck!

Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
I've been looking into the San Diego area and have seen some apartments for 800-1000 a month which is a reasonable price for me.
If you move into an area that offers $800 rent, you should beware.

The apartment will definitely be in a high-crime neighborhood. Your place will be robbed several times yearly. Your car might be stolen. San Diego is home to some of the meanest, highest-crime ghettos and that's where you'll end up if you want to pay cheap rent.

I Hate To Admit It, But The Commuter Is Right. If You Get A Bargain Place In San Diego You'll Get A Bargain Neighborhood. Meaning High Crime. I Grew Up In Southern California And Have Lived Most Of My Adult Life In Northern California. I Love This Place But One Really Needs To Know The Ins And Outs Of Living Here. Beware And Make Good Choices. In My Opinion It Pays To Live In A More Expensive Area Because Your Salary Will Be In Most Cases Higher And There Are Other Numerous Benefits. Travelers Beware. You Are Paid Much Less Than Staffers. I Make 46$/hr With Benis. I Am Going Per Diem To Go Back To School And Will Be Making 60$/hr. I Am Pretty Sure That Travelers In My Hospital Make About 30-35/hr--i Am Not Sure About All Their Benefits Though. I Think Their Housing Allowance Can Be Pretty Good.

91CRN

What is "with Benis"? And which hospital do you work for? Please let me know. You can PM me if you want. I would really appreciate this information.

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