No fighting.

I already know this-We would have jobs before we moved out.

So what kind of advice are you looking for? Until you know where the work is and exactly what area you'll be in there isn't much advice that will be of much use.

Buy sunscreen.

If you live in LA you must be indifferent to the San Francisco area.

If you live in the San Francisco area you must hate LA.

Every thing is 20 minutes away from where you are but takes you an hour to get there.

Don't watch the morning news shows in LA, they'll crush your soul.

Watch uphill for the mudslides and grass fires. Watch downhill for the tsunamis and vapid beach people. And watch the feet under your feet so you can glare at it when it betrays you by not holding still.

Wear the sunscreen you bought.

Vons and Safeway are the same thing.


Carls Jr. and In 'n' Out aren't as good as people tell you they are, but they're local inventions so civic pride is at stake.

The weather quickly becomes boring and slowly sucks the will to live out of you (though maybe that is just me).

When you talk about freeways refer to them as "the X" where X is the freeway number. But only if you're southern California. If you're in northern California drop the "the." If you stray into Oregon or Washington use just the number unless it is an interstate then you say I-x. So, if you drive from Seattle to Los Angeles you'll start out on I-5 eventually just be on 5 and then reach LA on the 5 all without changing lanes. If you keep driving you'll be on el cinco (not really).

When I lived in southern California in the 70s, we always spoke of the Santa Ana Freeway (5), San Diego Freeway (405), Newport Freeway (55) and the Garden Grove Freeway (22). Only the 605 was the 605. I don't know if everyone else did this or if it was just my family's holdover from how we spoke of the highways in New York.

How come the 405 is called the San Diego freeway, yet it doesn't go to San Diego, at all????

It was built by Algernon SanDiego originally.


(I think... what would I know, I'm just an Aussie...)

While the 405 doesn't go to San Diego, the San Diego Freeway does (I-5 from the El Toro Y to San Diego). The route number and freeway name are not always synonymous.

Wikipedia:

I'm so tempted to mojo Alex for that insightful California advice, but - out of respect for him - I won't do it.

Go ahead....do it!

Advice-

Where to look for good information?

What areas ARE good to look at? (like NA's Long Beach info)

I've gotten an idea of the cost of housing from some people as well.

I may just by pining for being there since I just left.

OK, limited board availability has prevented me from actually reading all of the posts, aside from the first few, and scanning a few others.

I think it's smart that you're paying off your outside debt first. But, I'd also pay attention to the housing market itself, since it could be as important an indicator as anything else. I'm no expert, and I'm sure someone else said something about it before.

Regarding the video gaming industry, I know EA is out on in LA's westside (might be Marina Del Rey, though I'm not 100% sure on the actual city boundaries any more)... and there are a few others, like the aforementioned Blizzard. I know that the guy who owns Activision, and a number of other now-wealthy game developers used to frequent the dental office I used to work at.

I also noted what LSPE said about other game developer opportunities, and they abound in California. There are numerous jobs that would fit him in areas that are a little outside the box. Check some out!

As for areas to look at, it's not particularly one or the other, though I'm pretty sure it's best to avoid the Inland Empire... though everything else will probably cost more. I'd check on that in 4-5 years to see how the market holds up to what people think are 'good' and 'not-so good'. Plus, some former 'nsg' places have become better... I'll cite Corona as an example... and it's actually close to the park... even if the majority of the eats in the area are chains. It's also getting more expensive to live there, as the eastward expansion seems to have swallowed the town up. I know a friend's neighbor has had an impossible time selling her home, and has had to lower her price several times over. I don't know if it finally sold - but if it did, I'm sure she didn't turn a profit, so it might have been a good bargain for a buyer.

Anyhow, that's my early morning rambling, and I realize I'm going to be late for work. I'll try to catch up on this later... and good luck!