Im moving from Chicago to California in less than a year!!!!!!!!?

Question

Does anyone live in California and can tell me what its like?

Answer 1

My family moved from Chicago to California about 30 years ago. The difference is, they had a shot at being successful.

Good luck. you will need it. I'm out in the city supporting myself. I make almost $50k a year, and I'm lucky that I don't pay half my wages on rent. A lot of people do, and that is not an exaggeration. Unless you make $100k, you will never own a home. $150k if you want to buy something in LA. And $200k if you want to buy something in SF Bay.

Expect to pay $30 to $70 to fill your car (depending on what you drive). And given that driving is necessary here, you will have to fill your car every week.

California's a big place, and I have lived in several of the major regions. I grew up in the San Joaquin Valley (California's Bible Belt). I went to college in the Bay Area (GO BEARS!). And I settled in So Cal (for the time being).

Food's good, and sights are worth seeing. People are interesting, too. The weather is beautiful, and I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.

But really, if you have starry-eyed dreams of coming out here and making it big, you got another thing comin'.

Answer 2

I live in Los Angeles. You didn't say exacly where you are moving, or what you want to know. It is a little different than Chicago here(I've only visited there though). People are people everywhere, but the city is really spread out. There is much less reliance on public transportation for one, if you don't have a car you will probably need one here.

I've heard that market rate for apartments in LA is $1400, but many people do find something cheaper, especially in the less fashionable neighborhoods. Buying is pretty expensive--a shack or a small condo is $500K and a so-so house in a so-so neighborhood about $750K. I've seen real estate signs that advertise new homes in the low 1 millions.

I went to San Francisco last month too. Lots of public transport there--and a car is a bit of a problem there. Market rate for apartments is about $2100, but income is higher and the minimum wage is even higher there than the rest of the state.

Other areas of the state are usually more affordable (they just aren't as desirable though in many cases).

The weather is usually great in California. It is pretty warm all year round in most places-generally pretty mild. Near the coasts there is a lot of "beach culture" and fashion is really relaxed compared to other cities. My friend from Ohio couldn't get past the no nylons, shorts and flip flops here. She didn't like the "Hollywood" crowd, and felt separated from the culture she was used to back home. For instance, she had a hard time finding a good hairdresser for African American hair in the beach cities. She wanted to get out of bed on Saturday and walk to the hairdresser, not drive ten miles just to get her hair done. That kind of thing takes getting used to.

There are also a lot of foreign born people in LA, so you get to experience all kinds of cultures here too. It is very diverse and although I like it (especially the food), it can be a shock if you're not used to it. Since you are from Chicago, you are probably used to this so you won't get the culture shock my friend had.

If you move to some other small city or town in California, you might find that it is a bit slower paced and more provencial than Chicago. You get to decide if that is good or bad.

Anyway, welcome to California!

Answer 3

Don't listen to all the naysayer’s, yes California is not for everyone but it still is the best place for most people and if you want to consider living here your best bet is to come and visit during our worst weather during winter and when you compare it to Chicago you’re going to love it unless you actually like freezing temperatures. As far as what its like it depends on where you will be living as Los Angeles, San Francisco, Orange County, San Diego etc. are very different from each other socially and politically. I’m an LA native and wouldn’t live anywhere else and as far as all the negative stereotypes about people from LA it really depends on who you choose to hang out with as most people are quite normal and have nothing to do with the Hollywood crowd. Also remember a large portion of the population comes from not just other parts of the country but from the world so if you like diversity you should feel right at home although most residential neighborhoods are basically segregated by race, ethnicity and financial status. Good Luck.

Answer 4

i became into born and raised in Chicago (suburbs) and a few of the pluses and minuses i've got modern in my 4 years down right here in Dallas: Pluses: a million) the climate. I have been given genuine uninterested in Chicago winters!! 2) fee of residing. way extra much less costly than Chicago. 3) fee of gas. comparable as above. 4) style. in the DFW area there are rather some issues to do. you are able to go "slightly usa" on the Stockyards in citadel properly worth, or "slightly rock 'n roll" on the West lead to Dallas. 5) The roadway equipment. they have had "extreme velocity tolling" for years right here, which Chicago is basically catching up on. or perhaps nevertheless the drivers may well be idiots, the roadways are rather tremendously extreme high quality down right here. i actually like the frontage roads alongside the expressways, which provides the alternative of paralleling the line if it rather is subsidized up. The "flyovers" are additionally very extreme high quality, allowing site visitors to head at a much extra desirable velocity than cloverleafs while changing expressways. Minuses: a million) the climate. whilst there is no longer the 5 months of iciness, the summers could properly be rather damned warm. We basically had a run of 10 days that have been each over a hundred levels. Now we've cooled off into the top 90s. I additionally pass over the autumn leaves. We get some colour down right here, yet no longer something like Chicago. 2) Public transportation, in assessment to Chicago, sucks. rather, rather sucks. once you're used to with the flexibility to hop on the L or on Metra to get someplace, you would be sorely disillusioned. rather once you attempt to get to the two of the airports. 3) No water interior of sight. I advise genuine our bodies of water. it rather is a 4-5 hour rigidity to the Gulf of Mexico, the closest physique of water which you would be able to seem at and not see the different ingredient. DFW has a great style of great leisure lakes, yet they do no longer carry a candle to Lake Michigan. 4) an area like the Lakefront the place you are able to stroll alongside and luxuriate in the city. 5) The skyline. I have no thought who concept the eco-friendly neon-defined development, the development with the hollow in it, and the gleaming golfball on a stick have been extraordinary architectural innovations, yet they could desire to be shot.

Answer 5

I moved out from the midwest and love it here - I'm near Los Angeles. If you like the outdoors, you can do it all here and do it year-round (run, bike, skate, hike ...). I love all of the different cultures; we have ethnic restaurants from all over the world within a 2-mile radius from my house.
Don't expect affordable housing.
Don't expect to be able to walk most places.
Don't expect decent pizza.
Don't expect a basement or a big back yard.

Don't be afraid of earthquakes - just think of them as earth tornadoes!
Go to the beach - learn to surf!
Expect to feel like a minority at some point (whatever ethnicity you are!)

In the big cities, it's hard to feel a sense of community, but it can be done.
Not everyone is involved in the movies - none of my friends are in show business.

Good luck!

Answer 6

Your best bet is to stay in Chicago!! I use to live in L.A./Orange County and was the last of 15 in my family to leave. Its miserable there. Its polluted, smoggy, over populated, and just nasty and full of fake people. California is not what it use to be anymore and I cant tell you enough to stay put or go somewhere other then California.

Answer 7

living in california my whole life and I hate it. I'm planning to move out in a few years. HAHAHA good luck.

Answer 8

Bad move. Californians are arrogant, rude, self absorbed and think they are hip. The cities are crime ridden and most of California is Liberal infested.

Answer 9

Going from bad to worse, huh? LOL You should be moving to the east coast instead. No earthquakes.

Answer 10

get ready for the west coast attitude. its not like home. I hate california people, everyone is so fake its unbelieveable. It like they are constantly trying to prove something