East Side vs West Side

[StarBuck]

I came back from southern CA. I've been to CA before; Carmel, San Fran, Big Sur, but not southern CA.

I was wondering what those of you who have either lived or been to the east and west coast of US think of both in comparison?

For example, it is much hotter here in NJ than it was in Laguna Beach. Gas was much higher in CA, and everything seemed about 10% more. From a sammich to rent. It is also much more animal friendly. Here in NJ, if you tell a landlord you have pets they shrink from you like you told them you have scabies. In CA your much more welcomed.

I noticed there are less obese people there. There wasn't the siliconed tanned blondes I expected, but people were thinner and more physically active.

The stores are ridiculously expensive however. But wow, such beauty in the area.

[Young Drachma]

You find Jersey shopping to be more expensive than California, really?

[ISiddiqui]

You find Jersey shopping to be more expensive than California, really?

I think he meant the opposite.

[k0ruptr]

well I think it depends really, I mean do ya want a Kobe jersey? or a Vince Carter jersey.

[Pyser]

i grew up in north jersey and now live in los angeles

i actually find the prices to be very similar. especially since most of north jersey is a nyc suburb, prices are pretty high.

the strangest thing here is its always 72 degrees. thanksgiving, christmas, groundhog day, whenever. except july and august, where it can get into the 90s, its always 72. which is pretty awesome. you sometimes miss rain (its rained maybe twice since april), but you get over it

yes, gas is ridiculous. i believe la has a 50 cent tax per gallon on gas, though im not positive. and everyone drives everywhere. and drunk driving is a problem, since a LOT of people drive their own cars.

also, its completely lawless here. in nj, as im sure you know, you are uber-paranoid about police. every time you drive, everywhere you drive, you worry where the cops are, where they are hiding, how fast you are going, how fast everyone else is goign.....in la, you just go as fast as you can, because the traffic itself keeps speeds down.

apart from all that, the biggest difference is attitude. in nj, everyone is in a rush, and has somewhere to be. that just doesnt seem to be the case here, its much more laid back. and i love it.

[Young Drachma]

I do miss the pace and the fact that there are a dizzying array of things to do most of the time. Whereas in other parts of the country, it becomes more limited.

Some things always surprise me and I've been gone from Central Jersey for 10years (6 of those were in the midwest....3 now in the Mountain West).

Like one time, I asked someone about Thanksgiving Day football. This was in Illinois. I thought it was strange when they told me it wasn't a tradition there. As far as other stuff is concerned, I always liked the glut of malls and stuff. It offered you more selection and more choices, even if they tend to seem the same after a while.

Whenever I go back now, I find it all to be a little too overwhelming. Which saddens me, because after a week or so..I can adapt back into it enough to feel the need to stay busy and go, go, go all of the time. And I come back here and it takes me at least a week or so to realize that there isn't a point in rushing because there isn't anywhere to go.

I miss how close stuff is, too. And diversity. And being able to blend in or not worry about stuff I worry about in other places.

But there are flip sides to everything.

[Karlifornia]

I love both coasts. Florida above Miami? Not so much...As my nickname might hint, I'm a California kid through-and-through. I could probably write a 4 page list on things I love about it..and maybe about half that on things I really dislike.

I like the public transportation the big east coast cities seem to have. LA's transportation problem is well-known, and getting from San Francisco to San Jose can suck.

Another difference I see is that a lot of people on the East Coast have lived there forever. They have stayed where they live throughout generations. There are a TON of transplants in California (Seattle people can attest too, I'm sure).

There's a lot more history on the East Coast, obviously.

It's expensive to live on either coast....It always will be. You get what you pay for.

[digamma]

Welcome to Hollywood.

[RendeR]

California could sink into the marianas trench and be lost forever.


And I'd be applauding loudly as it went, probably lining up to buy some of that new coastal property in Arizona and Nevada....

[RendeR]

But I'm not Bitter.

[StarBuck]

It's actually been hard for me to adjust to being back here in central NJ. I really enjoyed the beauty and the lack of humidity and how laid back people were yet still not being in no-where-land.

Something else I found intresting is how early shops closed. By 6 they were out of there, here in NJ your open until 10 pm.

I think I would miss the seasons though. If I could be bi-coastal, that would be a great life. I personally think it takes courage to pick up your roots and move your life to another state, so hats off to those who did it.

[Lorena]

It's actually been hard for me to adjust to being back here in central NJ. I really enjoyed the beauty and the lack of humidity and how laid back people were yet still not being in no-where-land.

Something else I found intresting is how early shops closed. By 6 they were out of there, here in NJ your open until 10 pm.

I think I would miss the seasons though. If I could be bi-coastal, that would be a great life. I personally think it takes courage to pick up your roots and move your life to another state, so hats off to those who did it.

Yup, I hear ya man. I'm a So.Cal native and took me a while to adjust to life outside of Cali. And you're right about shops closing early it's maddening sometimes and downtown L.A.? Dead.. there's no night life there.

Now the seasons thing, yeah, you don't see it out there and it never rains in Southern California.

Are you considering moving out there or just curious how people feel about each coast? I'd love to visit the East Coast one day.

[st.cronin]

I really don't think I could live near a coast again. The cost of living is just too high to make it worthwhile.

[Pyser]

and downtown L.A.? Dead.. there's no night life there.

downtown la is starting to come back, actually. theres always bizarre warehouse parties going on, and theres a couple really cool bars that my friends and i hit up occasionally. ive been there more in the last year than i was the previous 5 before it.

[bulletsponge]

south coast FTW

[Crapshoot]

I came back from southern CA. I've been to CA before; Carmel, San Fran, Big Sur, but not southern CA.

I was wondering what those of you who have either lived or been to the east and west coast of US think of both in comparison?

For example, it is much hotter here in NJ than it was in Laguna Beach. Gas was much higher in CA, and everything seemed about 10% more. From a sammich to rent. It is also much more animal friendly. Here in NJ, if you tell a landlord you have pets they shrink from you like you told them you have scabies. In CA your much more welcomed.

I noticed there are less obese people there. There wasn't the siliconed tanned blondes I expected, but people were thinner and more physically active.

The stores are ridiculously expensive however. But wow, such beauty in the area.

Lived in Boston for 3 years, and Pittsburgh for a few more (school) - now in the Bay Area. I think they're both awesome, but there are huge cultural differences. I love Boston, and I love Palo Alto - as long as you don't make me live in the South, I'm okay. :D

[Crapshoot]

But I'm not Bitter.

Buddy, if California sinks, the US economy goes with it.

[Warhammer]

I So Cal was its own country it would be something like the 10th largest economy in the world.

[Pumpy Tudors]

Thanks for posting a thread, StarBuck. I was afraid I'd scared you away. I don't know how to talk to girls. :(

[Izulde]

I love San Diego, hate Los Angeles, don't care for San Francisco or indeed, Nor Cal at all.

Don't remember much about Washington or Oregon.

Love Princeton and enjoyed North Carolina and Florida.

So there's things I like about each coast. When I was a kid, I wanted to go to college on the East Coast, but well, it didn't happen because I didn't apply anywhere.

Now, I'd prefer the West Coast most likely of the two. Better weather, though I'd miss the seasons sometimes.

If I could have the perfect place, it'd be one that's easy to get around in for someone who doesn't drive, really warm weather all year round, with changing leaves in the fall and snow in winter.

[Draft Dodger]

Thanks for posting a thread, StarBuck. I was afraid I'd scared you away. I don't know how to talk to girls. :(

neither does ISiddiqui

I think he meant the opposite.

[BYU 14]

San Diego is two steps below Heaven for me, so many different things to do and I love the Weather....for course cost of living means it will probably always just be my favorite vacation spot. Lived in LA area for a couple of years, can't say I really enjoyed it that much, with the exception of the Pasadena area.

I love New York too, but have only spent a few days there each time I have gone.....I have a feeling the pace would exhaust me after a while, also not the friendliest of Cities :) Lots of cool things to see and do though.

[RendeR]

Buddy, if California sinks, the US economy goes with it.


I'm ok with that...can we get nukes in the trench before xmas?

[Galaxy]

How do you guys like Seattle?

[RendeR]

How do you guys like Seattle?

I love Seattle. I also love the Astoria/Portland oregon region. Visited there numerous times and never failed to enjoy myself and come away with an outstanding opinion of the natives.

[Galaxy]

I really don't think I could live near a coast again. The cost of living is just too high to make it worthwhile.

Aren't prices, both through housing and renting, falling pretty fast? I wonder if they will allow the cost of living to be in line with salaries.

[lordscarlet]

Aren't prices, both through housing and renting, falling pretty fast? I wonder if they will allow the cost of living to be in line with salaries.

...or cause a recession.

[path12]

How do you guys like Seattle?

Depends how well you can take five or six months of gray. The eight weeks of summer are beautiful. Personally I don't mind the gray, but I'm a native....and prone to depression.

[path12]

Aren't prices, both through housing and renting, falling pretty fast? I wonder if they will allow the cost of living to be in line with salaries.

Prices just dropped here for the first time, but median is still around $400K in the city. Rents are going up since until recently you could rent a house for around $1400 that would cost you $2500 on a mortgage.

[Bubba Wheels]

you sometimes miss rain (its rained maybe twice since april), but you get over it.

I see you and Bill Richardson eyeing our Great Lakes, right thirsty-one? Like our Gov told Richardson, you keepa you hands offa our Great Lakes you parched-out westerners.

[Pyser]

it rained last night, actually. i think we're good for a few more months now.

[Cringer]

Oh.

I thought this might be about Debbie Does Dallas: East versus West.

Sorry. I will leave now.

[Young Drachma]

How do you guys like Seattle?

Call me when they decide to invest in actual mass transit.

[cartman]

West SIDE!!!!

http://etudiant.univ-mlv.fr/~kma/images/cartman.gif

[Logan]

I really don't think I could live near a coast again. The cost of living is just too high to make it worthwhile.

Not trying to be an ass, but the cost of living could never be low enough (even if my NYC-adjusted salary came with it) to get me to live in New Mexico.

[cartman]

Not trying to be an ass, but the cost of living could never be low enough (even if my NYC-adjusted salary came with it) to get me to live in New Mexico.

Obviously, you have never spent time in the Enchanted Circle. If I could keep my current salary, and have the choice to live in the Taos/Eagles Nest/Red River area, I'd be there in a heartbeat.

[Cringer]

I live everywhere, and I wish it would end.

[Logan]

Obviously, you have never spent time in the Enchanted Circle. If I could keep my current salary, and have the choice to live in the Taos/Eagles Nest/Red River area, I'd be there in a heartbeat.

That's wonderful...for you. :)

[StarBuck]

Are you considering moving out there or just curious how people feel about each coast? I'd love to visit the East Coast one day.

I would love to live out there. But I also love the fall and spring, and it would be hard to leave my parents who are elderly. But I noticed I just felt better out there than here, mentally and physically. But then again, I was staying on a hotel on the beach and back in NJ I live in what Ironhead and I affectionately call:"Crackie Palace."

[st.cronin]

Not trying to be an ass, but the cost of living could never be low enough (even if my NYC-adjusted salary came with it) to get me to live in New Mexico.

I can understand that. I was skeptical before I had lived here for a while.

[Galaxy]

Depends how well you can take five or six months of gray. The eight weeks of summer are beautiful. Personally I don't mind the gray, but I'm a native....and prone to depression.

Is depression a big concern? I know the Nordic countries have a higher rate of depression due to being north of the Artic Circle.

[Young Drachma]

And the Mountain West has the highest suicide rates in the country (http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/13/health/13rural.html?_r=1&oref=slogin).

[st.cronin]

And the Mountain West has the highest suicide rates in the country (http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/13/health/13rural.html?_r=1&oref=slogin).

I'm going to guess that has something to do with Reservations.

[Young Drachma]

Nope. It has something to do with all of the isolation and people who have guns. There aren't that many damn Natives that could cause that much of a spike.

[Chief Rum]

I would love to live out there. But I also love the fall and spring, and it would be hard to leave my parents who are elderly. But I noticed I just felt better out there than here, mentally and physically. But then again, I was staying on a hotel on the beach and back in NJ I live in what Ironhead and I affectionately call:"Crackie Palace."

Starbuck, were you actually staying in a beach hotel in Laguna Beach? Laguna Beach is one of my favorite beach cities. Fun, quaint city that they somehow built out of a coastal canyon. My brother got had his wedding reception at the Sun & Sand, which is down PCH a little from the Main Street-Ocean Avenue area. It was terrific.

Glad you had a good time out here. I would love to visit the East Coast some time.

[Karlifornia]

Let me just throw my hat into the ring for New Mexico......I would have absolutely no qualms about moving there. It is truly beautiful there.

[Chief Rum]

Let me just throw my hat into the ring for New Mexico......I would have absolutely no qualms about moving there. It is truly beautiful there.

I have never been there, but I have always wanted to. Of course, I'm considered weird by many for actually enjoying dry heat like you have in Vegas, Arizona, etc. I know a lot of New Mexico is like that, too, but isn't the northern part more like Colorado? Higher up, more trees, less desert-like?

[Karlifornia]

I have never been there, but I have always wanted to. Of course, I'm considered weird by many for actually enjoying dry heat like you have in Vegas, Arizona, etc. I know a lot of New Mexico is like that, too, but isn't the northern part more like Colorado? Higher up, more trees, less desert-like?

I've only spent a few split-seconds in the southern parts (Las Cruces comes to mind) so I can't really speak to the overall climate...but northern New Mexico makes me think of the west coast having a baby with the midwest. You get storms and such, but the beauty of them with scenic backdrop are a sight to behold. I've only been there during summer, though. Let stcronin give you the real dirt. But I'm sold.

[Comey]

I've been to 39 states, and lived on both coasts. I grew up in Pennsylvania, moved to Los Angeles after college, and then moved back to PA. I currently live in Hartford, Connecticut.

I would live on the west coast, so long as it wasn't Los Angeles/Santa Monica. I wasn't very fond of traveling an hour each way to work (when it was 3-4 miles away).

Also, when I was living there, there was that rash of random drive-bys at red light intersections. It wasn't gang-related...there was just random drive-bys at intersections. This was late 2002/early 2003.

All in all, it just wasn't for me. I love to visit. But, living in Los Angeles wasn't for me.

My favorite places to be, and potential places to live...

1. Boston - My favorite city in the world. There's just something wonderful about it.
2. Kansas City - I just really enjoyed myself in my visits there.
3. Raleigh, NC - Beautiful area. Just beautiful.
4. Fredericksburg, VA - Again, very beautiful. And the girls are hot.
5. Pennsylvania - for all it's shortcomings, it's still home.

Hartford is growing on me...it won't be until I actually get to know the area that I can accurately judge it among the places I've been.

I suppose, through it all, I'm an East coast guy.

[Buccaneer]

I grew up in both places, born and raised in Upstate NY but spent high school and college in the San Diego area. All places have their good and bad things, whether you live there or visit there. As a traveler and geographer, I can appreciate what each has to offer. But being descended from many generations of families living in Central NY and New England, that region will always be "home" for me. I feel that the few times I have gone back. On the other hand, I do go out to California at least twice a year, even though it's all to Northern California now. I love SF, Redding (where my parents live), the Sacramento area, etc. While I also have great memories of San Diego (both living and visiting there), it's a place that's in my past. But I do have a bias in that I hate LA and nearly everything about it. I would put LA down there with Philly, Detroit and Cleveland as the last cities I would be forced to go to. So in that sense, I view some of the urban centers on both coasts equally. On the positive side, I view the more rural or less urban areas areas of California, Colorado and NY/NE about equally.

[StarBuck]

Starbuck, were you actually staying in a beach hotel in Laguna Beach? Laguna Beach is one of my favorite beach cities. Fun, quaint city that they somehow built out of a coastal canyon. My brother got had his wedding reception at the Sun & Sand, which is down PCH a little from the Main Street-Ocean Avenue area. It was terrific.

Glad you had a good time out here. I would love to visit the East Coast some time.

That is where I stayed! It's called the "Surf and Sand" (Surf & Turf, as I refer to it). SOmeone was having a wedding there when I was staying there.

Why does everyone hate LA? The reason I ask is I probably would be near it as I have my hand in the acting pool.

[Chief Rum]

That is where I stayed! It's called the "Surf and Sand" (Surf & Turf, as I refer to it). SOmeone was having a wedding there when I was staying there.

Why does everyone hate LA? The reason I ask is I probably would be near it as I have my hand in the acting pool.

Yeah, that's it! Terrific little hotel. Walking distance to downtown, which is just a really cool place to visit and hang out.

People hate LA for a lot of reasons. What you have to remember is that it's a different lifestyle than most anywhere else in the US, and for a lot of people, that's not their cup of tea. Also, not every place in LA is made equal. There are places I would hate to live in LA for one reason or another, and I actually enjoy living out here.

I would recommend Orange County, particularly along the coast or the inland highlands or in the south area. It's suburbia, really, but it's all nice areas with lots to do. I would not recommend any of the valleys. The hills trap the smog and block out the cooling ocean winds. I would not recommend LA itself. It's pretty dirty, traffic is horrible (even worse than the rest of the LA area, which is still bad), crime is bad outside of the downtown and "uptown" areas (although if you can stand all that, living near Hollywood and Burbank and the studios is probably good for any actor). The western coast area of LA County are nice for the most part, although you don't have to go too far inland before you really get into some scary areas. And if you're in Malibu you have made it and don't need to hear all this. :)

Smog, no seasons/unchanging weather, plastic surgery/vanity of populace, traffic, cost of living are probably the main reasons to hate it. Pleasant weather, things to do, laidback lifestyle are the reasons to like it.

[st.cronin]

I've only spent a few split-seconds in the southern parts (Las Cruces comes to mind) so I can't really speak to the overall climate...but northern New Mexico makes me think of the west coast having a baby with the midwest. You get storms and such, but the beauty of them with scenic backdrop are a sight to behold. I've only been there during summer, though. Let stcronin give you the real dirt. But I'm sold.

Northern New Mexico has a similar climate to Denver, is what I'm told. Because of its high altitude and dry atmosphere, the sun is very strong. What this means is that in the hottest part of summer, you will want a sweater for when the sun goes down, but in the coldest part of winter, you probably won't want much more than a sweater in the bright afternoon. In the winter it snows, a lot. In the summer there are pretty fantastic lightning storms, particularly during "monsoon season" which I believe is approximately August. Also occasionally you get hail in August, which is pretty awesome.

The technical term for the climate region is (I think) "high desert," but that can be misleading - this place has the wildest, most diverse vegetation of anyplace I've ever lived. In my backyard I have two apricot trees, an apple tree, a plum tree, and a peach tree, plus numerous yucca flowers and other cacti. Also I have tarantulas living in my backyard!

[Galaxy]

Call me when they decide to invest in actual mass transit.

Pretty crappy? Is Seattle on par with LA, San Fran, DC and Boston in cost of living (basically, you better be making a hell of a lot of money or your screwed)?

[Lorena]

That is where I stayed! It's called the "Surf and Sand" (Surf & Turf, as I refer to it). SOmeone was having a wedding there when I was staying there.

Why does everyone hate LA? The reason I ask is I probably would be near it as I have my hand in the acting pool.

Smog, traffic, cost of living and crime are the top reasons. Of course as far as crime is concerned, it depends where you live but everywhere I lived was crime-ridden (East L.A., South Central L.A., Mid-Wilshire District). L.A. is beautiful in that there's so much diversity and so, so much to do... there's never a dull moment but be careful where you roam because you could be in a "nice" area, turn the corner and next thing you know you're in the ghetto.

[Galaxy]

Yeah, that's it! Terrific little hotel. Walking distance to downtown, which is just a really cool place to visit and hang out.

People hate LA for a lot of reasons. What you have to remember is that it's a different lifestyle than most anywhere else in the US, and for a lot of people, that's not their cup of tea. Also, not every place in LA is made equal. There are places I would hate to live in LA for one reason or another, and I actually enjoy living out here.

I would recommend Orange County, particularly along the coast or the inland highlands or in the south area. It's suburbia, really, but it's all nice areas with lots to do. I would not recommend any of the valleys. The hills trap the smog and block out the cooling ocean winds. I would not recommend LA itself. It's pretty dirty, traffic is horrible (even worse than the rest of the LA area, which is still bad), crime is bad outside of the downtown and "uptown" areas (although if you can stand all that, living near Hollywood and Burbank and the studios is probably good for any actor). The western coast area of LA County are nice for the most part, although you don't have to go too far inland before you really get into some scary areas. And if you're in Malibu you have made it and don't need to hear all this. :)

Smog, no seasons/unchanging weather, plastic surgery/vanity of populace, traffic, cost of living are probably the main reasons to hate it. Pleasant weather, things to do, laidback lifestyle are the reasons to like it.

I've always been interested by what the "Southern California" lifestyle is. My aunt and uncle live in the LA county (I believe they live close to Burbank and Beverly Hills, not "rich", but they have money). My aunt is still the same great person, but she has changed in her apperance (spends a lot on the beauty treatments, hair and makeup, ect) and has that attitude (it's hard to describe). Seems like it's a place that's incredible if you have the assets and income to enjoy it. Does the plastic surgery/wealth really bother you? Or does it help in ways of improving the quality of life? I


What is the comparsion of living in Orange County vs. LA County? How far away is Orange County to the northern LA County area in terms of minutes?

Do you ever see the region expanding its transportation system to help the traffic?