Is Everybody Moving to California?

U.S.A. California

Published

Just an observation but, it seems like there's a flood of posts lately from people inquiring about moving here.

Not too long ago the local news seemed to be filled with stories about people supposedly moving away because of the high cost of living, traffic etc. I guess that in reality, it doesn't always seem to be the case ... at least with RN's.

So what's up posters? What made you decide to check out and/or move to Cali?

:typing

Specializes in O.R., ED, M/S.

Sorry to burst your bubble but I go up there quite a lot. I lived there way before you ever were there so I know what I am talking about. My friend does commercial and home DSL installs not phone installs, big difference. That area has become a haven of displaced crime from the LA area and everyone knows this. This area will go down as a very over-built metropolis that eventually will end up looking like the San Bernardino/Riverside area. Yes, crime is everywhere, but my mother's husband, a SB County sheriff's investigator with 25 years, has said crime has more than doubled in the area over the past 10 years. Housing cost have nothing to do with who you are or what you do for a living. Houses can be easily bought with drug money as well as honest money. I can see in the future for that area between VV and Barstow being nothing but homes. I guess I miss the small town attitude we had in VV when I went to HS and college so long ago, that will never return. The traffic is horrible there! You just don't want to admit it. I use to be able to get to VVC from my house on Mojave Dr in 15 minutes! Try that today. There is so much traffic on Bear Valley it competes with Manchester in Inglewood as the worst. You just haven't lived there long enough to realize how far down the drain the area has gotten. When you have either lived or had to deal with that area as long as I have, over 45 years, then we'll have something to talk about.

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Well, I didn't mean to start an argument about the victorville area. Obviously I only saw it passing through and it and all the other little towns were pretty much a blur. ( I did see an outlet mall though!) Bottom line for me is that what works and is great for one family is not going to be acceptable to another. If that area is becoming as overcrowded and built up as shodobe thinks then I think Lizz will see her investment shoot up and be able to move somewhere else with her equity anyway. It's a shame though that the small towns in America are becoming overrun or becoming bedroom communities for the larger cities because of housing costs. Brings to mind that news special awhile back about the disparity betweent the "haves" the "have nots" and now the "haves but own 90 miles from work".

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Yes, crime is everywhere, but my mother's husband, a SB County sheriff's investigator with 25 years, has said crime has more than doubled in the area over the past 10 years.

Well ... if that's true then, the sheriff's office must be doing a piss poor job ...

Or ... perhaps, the statistics are misleading. If you're living in a hick town and there are zero murders because hardly anybody lives there ... and you get one murder because a lot more people have moved to that area then ...

Guess what ... it's going to look like the murder rate has gone up by 100 percent ... because the crime rate has technically "doubled" ... even though it's just one murder.

Yes ... of course, crime goes up with population growth ... but you've got to take that population growth into account.

The traffic is horrible there!

I never said traffic was great. I said it was reasonable compared with other areas of SoCal.

Yeah ... traffic has gotten worse. But three years ago in Hesperia, for example, you couldn't even buy coffee at Starbucks either ... Sorry, but I love Starbucks and I want other quality retail to come here, and they have with the increased traffic.

I also want more hospitals and job opportunities. Three new hospitals are planned for the area. I want higher RN wages. RN wages are up 30 percent in just three years ... that doesn't happen in a hick town with no growth and no traffic.

If you think hick towns with lousy RN wages, no growth and no decent retail is great ... so be it. I don't. My house is worth double what I paid for it. I'm sure your friend's house is worth a hellava lot more than what he paid for it.

I get tired of the old timers complaining about the changes here. They complain and complain ... even though they're sitting on a ton of home equity because of the changes.

If they don't like it, they should just cash out their equity and move.

:typing

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Specializes in O.R., ED, M/S.

Well enough said about this. I am just so disappointed the direction the area went. I know there are considerably more resources in the area than 10 years ago. To many people they have exactly what they need. The area does have alot to offer but not to me. I moved to an area up north where I can be away from all the bustle but still close enough for all the needed things. People who want to move to california might find VV appealing because compared to alot of areas cost can be reasonable and still be close to major attractions, mountains, beach and others. I would never not recommend VV to people but you have to remember I know what the area use to be and I liked it better then.

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I agree with Metalmom. I am a native and it has changed alot. :no:

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Specializes in PMHNP.

as for traffic: yes ... it's gotten worse with more people here. but it's still no where near as bad as when i take the 91 in riverside or the 55 in orange county. there ... you literally can't move during rush hour a lot of the time.

of course, traffic is very bad on the cajon pass today because they're doing a bunch of road work that's actually going to make commuting better. but, in that case, it's worth it.

auughhh!!!!!!! i just about lost my mind on the 91 going home last week from it being shut down! traffic is horrible going west-bound towards la and oc, but the other way has no problems. the fast-track doesn't even help for the morning commute, the bulk of my commute is just sitting to get on the freeway at any of the on-ramps in corona. if you want to take the fast-track home it will still take you an hour and you have to pay almost $8.00 to take it.

as for the gang thing.... i think you are right that it is everywhere, however i was reading online at the city of corona' website and the city tries to discourage gang use by at least getting rid of graffitti. i think this is a good idea and wish that riverside, san bernardino, and everywhere else would adopt this program.

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I cannot understand people moving from California where the weather is nice all year round.... to seattle where its cold and rains a LOT.

I moved to Portland before I had kids. It was beautiful July - September. However, when it rained on my birthday in June, I took it as a sign to move back to California. Portland is wonderful in many ways, but the weather is just terrible. I think when people have lived in California (and weather is a big part of your life), it's hard to live anywhere else. At least for me.

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It's a shame though that the small towns in America are becoming overrun or becoming bedroom communities for the larger cities because of housing costs. Brings to mind that news special awhile back about the disparity betweent the "haves" the "have nots" and now the "haves but own 90 miles from work".

What's so great about small towns? I lived in a small town of 5,000 people and I'll never do it again.

Yeah ... there was no traffic. But there wasn't basic services either. No home delivered mail ... you had to pick up the mail in town. No garbage pick up ... even if you paid for pick up you had to bring it to a location to be picked up and, by the time you did that you might as well haul it to the dump yourself ... which was a real hassle.

There wasn't any decent jobs so you had to drive 60 miles to work anyway. There was only one grocery store so, with no competition, you ended up paying a lot more for food. If you needed anything more than food, you had to drive at least an hour to get to a mall. If you tried to shop by internet, that was also a hassle because there wasn't UPS home delivery either.

I'm sure different towns vary with available services but, there can be lots of disadvantages to small towns also. If I had to choose between traffic and a small town .... I'd choose traffic any day. Even with the extra traffic, life is a lot more convenient than when I was living in a small town.

:typing

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Specializes in Public Health, DEI.
What's so great about small towns? I lived in a small town of 5,000 people and I'll never do it again.

Yeah ... there was no traffic. But there wasn't basic services either. No home delivered mail ... you had to pick up the mail in town. No garbage pick up ... even if you paid for pick up you had to bring it to location to be picked up and, by the time you did that you might as well haul it to the dump yourself ... which was a real hassle.

There wasn't any decent jobs so you had to drive 60 miles to work anyway. There was only one grocery store so, with no competition, you ended up paying a lot more for food. If you needed anything more than food, you had to drive at least an hour to get to a mall. If you tried to shop by internet, that was also a hassle because there wasn't UPS home delivery either.

I'm sure different towns vary with available services but, there can be lots of disadvantages to small towns also. If I had to choose between traffic and a small town .... I'd choose traffic any day. Even with the extra traffic, life is a lot more convenient than when I was living in a small town.

:typing

I grew up in a small town that still had horrible traffic problems, because the roads were one lane in each direction, and most of them were narrow. On top of that, more often than not you'd be stuck behind a big rig, none of whom would use the turn outs meant for that purpose. Add to that extremely limited educational, recreational, cultural and employment options, and you've got a pretty good picture of why rural didn't work for me.

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I grew up in a small town that still had horrible traffic problems, because the roads were one lane in each direction, and most of them were narrow. On top of that, more often than not you'd be stuck behind a big rig, none of whom would use the turn outs meant for that purpose. Add to that extremely limited educational, recreational, cultural and employment options, and you've got a pretty good picture of why rural didn't work for me.

Those narrow single lane roads ... ugh. You're right: big rigs were always a problem and, also, if you happened to get behind grandma who only drives 20 miles an hour. Talk about traffic congestion when that happened, especially if there weren't any passing lanes.

After that, I was dying to get back to overcrowded suburbia with the simple things in life: Lots of grocery stores and other retail, home delivered mail, home garbage pickup and, my particular favorite ... UPS home delivery. Yes!!!

:typing

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What's so great about small towns? I lived in a small town of 5,000 people and I'll never do it again.

Yeah ... there was no traffic. But there wasn't basic services either. No home delivered mail ... you had to pick up the mail in town. No garbage pick up ... even if you paid for pick up you had to bring it to a location to be picked up and, by the time you did that you might as well haul it to the dump yourself ... which was a real hassle.

There wasn't any decent jobs so you had to drive 60 miles to work anyway. There was only one grocery store so, with no competition, you ended up paying a lot more for food. If you needed anything more than food, you had to drive at least an hour to get to a mall. If you tried to shop by internet, that was also a hassle because there wasn't UPS home delivery either.

I'm sure different towns vary with available services but, there can be lots of disadvantages to small towns also. If I had to choose between traffic and a small town .... I'd choose traffic any day. Even with the extra traffic, life is a lot more convenient than when I was living in a small town.

:typing

Well there is small and then there is small. Many small towns in the past could support their families through a mill, a plant, one or two local groceries other small businesses. These towns are disappearing and becoming suburban hotels. I don't think that supports the idea of community which healthy towns need. Lots of things are great about small towns. They just aren't for everyone...just like the middle of the desert isn't for everyone. All about preference and choice.

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Specializes in O.R., ED, M/S.

I live in a town of 766. I moved 10 years ago from a city of 200,000. I have to drive about 20 minutes to shop for groceries, I have to go get my mail, I do have garbage pickup but still go to the dump. I love all of these options and wouldn't go back! I DON'T want people knowing where I live and I don't mind the drive to town. I like going to the dump on weekends. I live on 5 acres on top of a mountain and have a great view. To each their own but I would never give this up for worse traffic! Logging trucks are a way of life up here. Oh, by the way, I work 450 miles away so commuting isn't an issue.

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