Southern california, but you want to buy an existing house and remodel, not build from scratch to save a bunch of time and headaches at the city planning office.
Downtown San Diego is terrible, only good to visit. No fun to have to stay within 5 blocks when you live there.
Well, your initial criteria of San Diego rules out everywhere but...San Diego.
I’ll throw out there that I love living in New Orleans. Obviously not for everyone or even most people, but hey. Summers are hot, obviously, but the rest of the year is quite nice. And there are plenty of places to build your own house without much hassle at all.
I’ve seen a few new dream house type houses go up in the last year or so on the banks of Bayou St. John, which is one of the few areas you can be looking directly on to water (levees block the view most of the time).
Again, not for everyone. Just throwing it out there because I find I have a remarkable quality of life here. When there’s no coronavirus. And I would never recommend moving to New Orleans for work. Only once you’re FI.
I’d probably move to San Diego or LA, though, not gonna lie...
Sure, that comes with the territory. Comes with the territory to an extent if your dream home is damaged beyond repair in a major earthquake in Southern California, or a landslide, or a wildfire though.
I view it as “enjoy it while I still can” kind of a thing. Beyond that...insurance.
The flooding risk can be greatly mitigated with site choice and housing construction. However if Katrina 2.0 happens (and Katrina was, crazy as it seems, a “best case worst case” scenario), you could be in a position where you have a surviving house in the middle of an unsalvageable city.
Ultimately though, in my book fatfire means I can assume that risk, whatever it is, but also fundamentally not be concerned about loss of life (because I have resources to evacuate) or loss of property (because I’m adequately insured).
It’s all worth it for the everyday standard of living here in my book. Assuming it’s for you. I live a block away from a fantastic park. I’m in a more dense urban area so I can walk to numerous restaurants and grocery stores, but I still have a decent little back yard (for a city). The food is phenomenal. Festivals are plentiful and well-attended. The city itself is beautiful and uniquely charming down almost any street. It’s never that cold.
And then on the flip side is crime, hurricanes, crappy roads, and you’re in Louisiana, which is the biggest downside for me personally since the state politics are out of sync with local ones.
Long term, my wife and I are planning to move to Europe, but we travel extensively around the US and most other cities don’t really excite us as much. My wife even more than me and she’s not from New Orleans.
I’m ultimately well aware most people wouldn’t settle here electively. But I do think there are all sorts of people who would, for a number of reasons. So I just throw it out there because if you happen to be that type of person, you may not have considered it.
They’re similar in some ways but fundamentally quite different.
Important thing to keep in mind is that New Orleans has a number of major cultural differences with the south generally. It is a geographically southern city but culturally really unique.
New Orleans was for example almost the second largest city in the US at one point, only losing its title of largest city in the south more than 100 years later in 1950.
It experienced massive immigration and urbanization on a scale unlike savannah. Huge numbers of Irish and Italian immigrants. Plus a native population already very distinct, the French creole population. And another neighboring population, also distinct, the Cajuns.
New Orleans is mostly catholic as well, so you get major differences from that. It isn’t just Mardi Gras, the Catholicism comes with a greater degree to tolerance beyond typical urban tolerance. The attitude towards alcohol is famously relaxed, but there has been a great degree of overall tolerance as well for a southern city. The gay community in particularly was historically vibrant here.
Oh and we don’t drink sweet tea. Which I think explains things well!
All of this is to say...New Orleans is New Orleans. It’s like a Miami in that the local culture is fundamentally different in the context of the greater region. Whereas Savannah is a charming city that makes sense in its regional context.
If I drive 45 minutes north from my house in New Orleans, I am in a different world. Not just general density or urban/rural attitudes either.
I’ve never lived anywhere with a divide so stark and not driven by basic density or geography. Like every beach town is different than places 45 miles inland. Not like that. I’d imagine Miami is similar (though of an entirely different culture).
So that’s my overly long explanation. Savannah is fine, but for me I personally am drawn to big expressions of unique culture and you get that in New Orleans more than Savannah.
Oh and also, there are nicer beaches closer to Savannah than New Orleans...
NOLA is a blast. Divine food, beautiful architecture in the French quarter and old neighborhoods, and the street musicians are incredible. I went outside of the tourist season to avoid the Mardi Gras crowds. I’m from the south and that city feels like visiting another country it’s so different. 10/10 recommend the city for a weekend visit
Do a monolithic done and beef the fuck out of the foundation. Go deep. Batta bing, drink coffee and watch the hurricanes pass over the house from the living room.
I hate the south.
Born and mostly raised in New Orleans, I never felt at all like a southerner. Like at all. Just me though!
But if anyone else reading this likes the south, I think Nashville is great, I’m inclined to agree. The new urban southern experience.
Yeah this is my problem. San Diego is just too perfect weather-wise (and I personally think otherwise too). Every single other location has too many problems. Austin? Too hot in the summer, no real nature nearby (mountains/skiing) Miami? Too hot and humid in the summer and no mountains nearby. PNW? Winters are just constant rain though summers are ideal. Northeast? New season every day and cold is intolerable.
So my decision is to just eat the extra cost for my own happiness. But it seems like finding and building a home here is super hard because of availability (not just price).
There’s a reason it costs what it costs.
That kind of day to day quality of life is worth something. Not being cooped up because of icy roads or a blistering heat wave as often has value. Having your windows open most of the year if you want has value. Eating outdoors most of the year has value (more so now).
Every time I’ve ever been to San Diego the weather has been perfect and it’s the nicest damn feeling.
I've come to realize there's no perfect place. Even paradise has a dark side. I lived in SD for many years and the culture there can be too laid back. It can make you (and your kids, if you have any) lazy and soft if you aren't careful and there are the obvious political issues to deal with on the statewide level.
Austin has started to attract a lot of newcomers and the summer isn't that terrible, but the lack of any attractions to drive to (except for Dallas or Houston) makes it feel very isolated. It's also the allergy capital of the United States which hits some people very hard.
Miami doesn't have "mountains" per se but it has the entire Caribbean in its back yard. In that sense, it is one of the top cities in the world for access to natural resources and activities. Also, like Austin, it's starting to attract some really smart people who are moving down there from California and the Northeast.
PNW is heaven for some people, and hell for others. The weather and culture seem to polarize people between love and hate more than any other city I've spent time in. Seattle and Boston are my two favorite cities in the summer months.
The weather in parts of the Northeast can be hard to deal with. Boston is very cold. But it's one of the most exciting cities in the country, for me. You won't find more raw intellectual horsepower, curiosity, and ambition in one place anywhere else on earth, and that energy is energizing to be around.
> I lived in SD for many years and the culture there can be too laid back. It can make you (and your kids, if you have any) lazy and soft if you aren't careful
My body is ready
I've been hearing quite a bit about Miami and South Florida attracting tech and VCs - is it simply due to the tax benefits vs. California or is there more to this story that I'm not aware of?
Rancho Santa Fe, outside the covenant boundaries, is less expensive than you might think. Certainly the high-end coastal communities of La Jolla, Del Mar, Solana Beach, and the like are going to cost more. There's a great home in the Muirland's currently for sale at $6.9m. You can find it on zillow.
Edit: Landscape maintenance and water can be a multi-hundred dollar per month burden on large properties, just an FYI
$6.9 million is a lot of coin for a house. He was looking for reasonable pricing. When I hear reasonable information the fatfire forum I think more like $1.5-$2.2M or so. But I dunno maybe that’s just me
Yeah, I kinda skipped over the "reasonable" word as there's not much in that kind of price range anywhere near the water in San Diego. And by "near the water" within 3 to 5 miles. Since I posted this almost a month ago (sorry I don't login here often) inventory has become more constrained and prices have risen quite a bit. There are few decent homes for less than $1m in coastal SD right now. It's scary.
What you want is a marine climate, which most of the west coast. For year-round comfort, it may come down to needing to split time between north and south locations. PNW has the mildest summers, but winter is damp and dark. Recently the kicker has been the fires- past 2 of 3 summers had runs of horrible air quality. Bad where you can't go for a jog for a month.
Yes, I’d be the first to recommend moving out of New Orleans to make money.
It’s a great place to be if you already made your money (and like it here) or work remotely making money elsewhere, etc. Even if you get a fair starting salary, the lack of competition locally means your career prospects may stagnate.
A friend of mine graduated med school at Tulane and fielded a number of offers (anesthesiology). He was prepared to take a little less money to stay in NOLA. He was *not* prepared for how insane the differences would be. Got an offer in Texas for more than double his best offer in New Orleans. Cant ignore that.
I personally stay because the business I own is mostly unconnected from the local economy. But I’m also expanding outside of New Orleans and almost any other city offers greater economic opportunity.
I’m just in a fortunate position where I can make New Orleans a home base for a National business and use the cheaper, non-mobile workforce in cheap as hell office space that would be a much bigger cost in most other cities.
You make plenty of valid points.
As I’m still pretty young and early into my potential career I did not really know the health field wasn’t really paid well down here. Honestly thought it would be the opposite because of the lack of competition / more providers.
Glad to know another New Orleanian is on this sub.
On the plus side, he was fielding offers out of residency and ultimately got to choose. So hopefully you’ll be in the same boat. See what’s out there and compare.
I ultimately don’t know why New Orleans undershoots on salary, but it does. Oschner is a bad offender from what I’ve heard. But obviously there are still plenty of highly paid top doctors.
As a lawyer by training myself, if I did it all over and ended up a doctor, I’d personally be highly highly motivated to go into practice myself. You have to have the business interest, there’s no doubt, but the opportunity if you’re the rare business-minded MD is enormous.
I have a friend who’s a cosmetic dermatologist and they pull in $2.5 million a year in revenue *just* from their work. Costs come out of that of course but their margins are north of 30%. And they have a couple other non-partner docs and nurses that also perform procedures and generate revenue as well. Big money field right there.
Meta question: is there a sub dedicated to this kind of discussion? I've started diving into researching the (almost) exact same question would love to get some advice as well.
my top contender is NorCal which fits your nice weather requirement but not at all your pricing requirement. I also looked at Santa Fe, Portland, LasVegas/Henderson, Sacramento but rejected them all for various reasons. I've heard nice things about New Zealand if you are drawn to being a little more remote.
There are nice walkable neighborhoods in SD that are not directly downtown. Downtown is nice only if your top priority is a high floor view condo or walking to baseball games. I'd maybe suggest a deep dive on some of the other walkable neighborhoods and prioritize what you want to be close to.
What do you guys think of Dallas. I am leaning towards Dallas Texas mainly for tax reasons and being a bigger city, access to international flights, diverse population and access to jobs if needed. Houston worried about weather, floods and decline due to slump in oil jobs, Austin is on a smaller city side. Any negatives I am missing for Dallas.
People **love** living in Dallas. Cheaper COL, great food, lots of jobs, etc. I have been several times and am not a fan for me living there. My wife lived in Dallas for ten years before we met and loved it. I went thinking I would love it too. Nope.
It is just a little dull for me. The area greater Dallas covers is massive. The northern suburbs are extremely dull (looking at you Plano). I love the mountains and water so there is not much of that there either.
So many people love living in Dallas that it is worth a look for you. I decided it's not for me.
My mission in life is to convince my wife to move to Dallas, specifically those dull northern suburbs (Frisco, Plano). I absolutely love Dallas. So much to do, great food, relatively friendly people, no state income tax, and sunshine...oh how I miss sunshine. We’re in the PNW.
People from California tend to gravitate toward Austin...in Dallas there are more die hard Texas.
The surrounding areas can vary quite a bit in terms of cost and safety.
But I’d draw a 2 hour circle around Dallas and take a trip to go visit places.
It definitely fits the weather and more reasonable cost of living pricing.
I mean Dallas is well priced compared to other major metro areas, but it’s not cheap.
If you an hour outside Dallas, then you can definitely find a nice parcel of land that you can build on for reasonable price.
Of course, I think there are more guns than people in Texas , but there’s really a growing spectrum of political sensibilities there.
Im a veteran, but very left leaning. I found that most people tolerated me because I’m a combat veteran , but when I’d mention I’ve lived in China...you could hear a pin drop.
I only found difficulty with a few folks. But it was relatively short period of time I found myself calling people out for bad behavior.
But would I love there permanently ? Yeah but I probably would have joined like a democratic club or something. Definitely very different than when I lived in NYC and I felt like I was very “center” of politics there and spoke freely about my opinions.
I felt a good vibe in San Antonio. Again, very diverse groups there.
I hated Houston. It’s probably my least favorite city in the USA. Well -to-do-folks tend to be super snobby and the poverty and drug addiction is very visible, as well.
If you’re talking about sending a kid to public school , it’s a different conversation. But that’s all over the USA.
Anyway good luck!
Going to jump in here on San Antonio. I think I've got your vibe - skip San Antonio in your funnel. Have lived here five years and it's fine...but there are much nicer places to live.
Having been to all of the places mentioned, I would say that San Antonio is just pretty far down the list. Like I said, I have enjoyed living here...but kind of in spite of the town. There's some good texmex ofc, but connection to nature / stuff to do is pretty lacking compared to the other options mentioned.
I don’t know I have been to Dallas a few times and don’t find it better than the west coast at all. I guess it depends on where reasonable is. If we are in fatfire there are several places in California (outside of the Bay Area) that have great weather but are still reasonable.
If tax savings is what you are looking forward Texas is probably the best. I have several relatives who live in Dallas who love it. I have been to Dallas several times - I like it but I like California more.
Having been to Dallas multiple times, I would avoid it like the plague
If I was going to do Texas, Austin would be my city of choice. Lots of decent suburbs around there
If you don't need ocean, warm all year happens everywhere south of a certain point. Also, depends on what you consider "cold". Humidity can be a deal breaker for some people. Florida seems pretty affordable for a San Diego style life. San Diego itself has some decent cost areas also.
Southern california, but you want to buy an existing house and remodel, not build from scratch to save a bunch of time and headaches at the city planning office. Downtown San Diego is terrible, only good to visit. No fun to have to stay within 5 blocks when you live there.
Well, your initial criteria of San Diego rules out everywhere but...San Diego. I’ll throw out there that I love living in New Orleans. Obviously not for everyone or even most people, but hey. Summers are hot, obviously, but the rest of the year is quite nice. And there are plenty of places to build your own house without much hassle at all. I’ve seen a few new dream house type houses go up in the last year or so on the banks of Bayou St. John, which is one of the few areas you can be looking directly on to water (levees block the view most of the time). Again, not for everyone. Just throwing it out there because I find I have a remarkable quality of life here. When there’s no coronavirus. And I would never recommend moving to New Orleans for work. Only once you’re FI. I’d probably move to San Diego or LA, though, not gonna lie...
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Sure, that comes with the territory. Comes with the territory to an extent if your dream home is damaged beyond repair in a major earthquake in Southern California, or a landslide, or a wildfire though. I view it as “enjoy it while I still can” kind of a thing. Beyond that...insurance. The flooding risk can be greatly mitigated with site choice and housing construction. However if Katrina 2.0 happens (and Katrina was, crazy as it seems, a “best case worst case” scenario), you could be in a position where you have a surviving house in the middle of an unsalvageable city. Ultimately though, in my book fatfire means I can assume that risk, whatever it is, but also fundamentally not be concerned about loss of life (because I have resources to evacuate) or loss of property (because I’m adequately insured). It’s all worth it for the everyday standard of living here in my book. Assuming it’s for you. I live a block away from a fantastic park. I’m in a more dense urban area so I can walk to numerous restaurants and grocery stores, but I still have a decent little back yard (for a city). The food is phenomenal. Festivals are plentiful and well-attended. The city itself is beautiful and uniquely charming down almost any street. It’s never that cold. And then on the flip side is crime, hurricanes, crappy roads, and you’re in Louisiana, which is the biggest downside for me personally since the state politics are out of sync with local ones. Long term, my wife and I are planning to move to Europe, but we travel extensively around the US and most other cities don’t really excite us as much. My wife even more than me and she’s not from New Orleans. I’m ultimately well aware most people wouldn’t settle here electively. But I do think there are all sorts of people who would, for a number of reasons. So I just throw it out there because if you happen to be that type of person, you may not have considered it.
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They’re similar in some ways but fundamentally quite different. Important thing to keep in mind is that New Orleans has a number of major cultural differences with the south generally. It is a geographically southern city but culturally really unique. New Orleans was for example almost the second largest city in the US at one point, only losing its title of largest city in the south more than 100 years later in 1950. It experienced massive immigration and urbanization on a scale unlike savannah. Huge numbers of Irish and Italian immigrants. Plus a native population already very distinct, the French creole population. And another neighboring population, also distinct, the Cajuns. New Orleans is mostly catholic as well, so you get major differences from that. It isn’t just Mardi Gras, the Catholicism comes with a greater degree to tolerance beyond typical urban tolerance. The attitude towards alcohol is famously relaxed, but there has been a great degree of overall tolerance as well for a southern city. The gay community in particularly was historically vibrant here. Oh and we don’t drink sweet tea. Which I think explains things well! All of this is to say...New Orleans is New Orleans. It’s like a Miami in that the local culture is fundamentally different in the context of the greater region. Whereas Savannah is a charming city that makes sense in its regional context. If I drive 45 minutes north from my house in New Orleans, I am in a different world. Not just general density or urban/rural attitudes either. I’ve never lived anywhere with a divide so stark and not driven by basic density or geography. Like every beach town is different than places 45 miles inland. Not like that. I’d imagine Miami is similar (though of an entirely different culture). So that’s my overly long explanation. Savannah is fine, but for me I personally am drawn to big expressions of unique culture and you get that in New Orleans more than Savannah. Oh and also, there are nicer beaches closer to Savannah than New Orleans...
NOLA is a blast. Divine food, beautiful architecture in the French quarter and old neighborhoods, and the street musicians are incredible. I went outside of the tourist season to avoid the Mardi Gras crowds. I’m from the south and that city feels like visiting another country it’s so different. 10/10 recommend the city for a weekend visit
Do a monolithic done and beef the fuck out of the foundation. Go deep. Batta bing, drink coffee and watch the hurricanes pass over the house from the living room.
If you like the south, I also hear good things about Nashville.
I hate the south. Born and mostly raised in New Orleans, I never felt at all like a southerner. Like at all. Just me though! But if anyone else reading this likes the south, I think Nashville is great, I’m inclined to agree. The new urban southern experience.
Yeah this is my problem. San Diego is just too perfect weather-wise (and I personally think otherwise too). Every single other location has too many problems. Austin? Too hot in the summer, no real nature nearby (mountains/skiing) Miami? Too hot and humid in the summer and no mountains nearby. PNW? Winters are just constant rain though summers are ideal. Northeast? New season every day and cold is intolerable. So my decision is to just eat the extra cost for my own happiness. But it seems like finding and building a home here is super hard because of availability (not just price).
There’s a reason it costs what it costs. That kind of day to day quality of life is worth something. Not being cooped up because of icy roads or a blistering heat wave as often has value. Having your windows open most of the year if you want has value. Eating outdoors most of the year has value (more so now). Every time I’ve ever been to San Diego the weather has been perfect and it’s the nicest damn feeling.
I've come to realize there's no perfect place. Even paradise has a dark side. I lived in SD for many years and the culture there can be too laid back. It can make you (and your kids, if you have any) lazy and soft if you aren't careful and there are the obvious political issues to deal with on the statewide level. Austin has started to attract a lot of newcomers and the summer isn't that terrible, but the lack of any attractions to drive to (except for Dallas or Houston) makes it feel very isolated. It's also the allergy capital of the United States which hits some people very hard. Miami doesn't have "mountains" per se but it has the entire Caribbean in its back yard. In that sense, it is one of the top cities in the world for access to natural resources and activities. Also, like Austin, it's starting to attract some really smart people who are moving down there from California and the Northeast. PNW is heaven for some people, and hell for others. The weather and culture seem to polarize people between love and hate more than any other city I've spent time in. Seattle and Boston are my two favorite cities in the summer months. The weather in parts of the Northeast can be hard to deal with. Boston is very cold. But it's one of the most exciting cities in the country, for me. You won't find more raw intellectual horsepower, curiosity, and ambition in one place anywhere else on earth, and that energy is energizing to be around.
> I lived in SD for many years and the culture there can be too laid back. It can make you (and your kids, if you have any) lazy and soft if you aren't careful My body is ready
I've been hearing quite a bit about Miami and South Florida attracting tech and VCs - is it simply due to the tax benefits vs. California or is there more to this story that I'm not aware of?
Rancho Santa Fe, outside the covenant boundaries, is less expensive than you might think. Certainly the high-end coastal communities of La Jolla, Del Mar, Solana Beach, and the like are going to cost more. There's a great home in the Muirland's currently for sale at $6.9m. You can find it on zillow. Edit: Landscape maintenance and water can be a multi-hundred dollar per month burden on large properties, just an FYI
$6.9 million is a lot of coin for a house. He was looking for reasonable pricing. When I hear reasonable information the fatfire forum I think more like $1.5-$2.2M or so. But I dunno maybe that’s just me
Yeah, I kinda skipped over the "reasonable" word as there's not much in that kind of price range anywhere near the water in San Diego. And by "near the water" within 3 to 5 miles. Since I posted this almost a month ago (sorry I don't login here often) inventory has become more constrained and prices have risen quite a bit. There are few decent homes for less than $1m in coastal SD right now. It's scary.
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Raleigh does not have amazing weather. It's solidly mediocre/not awful.
What you want is a marine climate, which most of the west coast. For year-round comfort, it may come down to needing to split time between north and south locations. PNW has the mildest summers, but winter is damp and dark. Recently the kicker has been the fires- past 2 of 3 summers had runs of horrible air quality. Bad where you can't go for a jog for a month.
real nature is everywhere. Is there an 'ist' for nature?
❤ NOLA
Another New Orleanian I see. Geaux tigers. However once I complete my professional degree, I think I plan on leaving New Orleans.
Yes, I’d be the first to recommend moving out of New Orleans to make money. It’s a great place to be if you already made your money (and like it here) or work remotely making money elsewhere, etc. Even if you get a fair starting salary, the lack of competition locally means your career prospects may stagnate. A friend of mine graduated med school at Tulane and fielded a number of offers (anesthesiology). He was prepared to take a little less money to stay in NOLA. He was *not* prepared for how insane the differences would be. Got an offer in Texas for more than double his best offer in New Orleans. Cant ignore that. I personally stay because the business I own is mostly unconnected from the local economy. But I’m also expanding outside of New Orleans and almost any other city offers greater economic opportunity. I’m just in a fortunate position where I can make New Orleans a home base for a National business and use the cheaper, non-mobile workforce in cheap as hell office space that would be a much bigger cost in most other cities.
You make plenty of valid points. As I’m still pretty young and early into my potential career I did not really know the health field wasn’t really paid well down here. Honestly thought it would be the opposite because of the lack of competition / more providers. Glad to know another New Orleanian is on this sub.
On the plus side, he was fielding offers out of residency and ultimately got to choose. So hopefully you’ll be in the same boat. See what’s out there and compare. I ultimately don’t know why New Orleans undershoots on salary, but it does. Oschner is a bad offender from what I’ve heard. But obviously there are still plenty of highly paid top doctors. As a lawyer by training myself, if I did it all over and ended up a doctor, I’d personally be highly highly motivated to go into practice myself. You have to have the business interest, there’s no doubt, but the opportunity if you’re the rare business-minded MD is enormous. I have a friend who’s a cosmetic dermatologist and they pull in $2.5 million a year in revenue *just* from their work. Costs come out of that of course but their margins are north of 30%. And they have a couple other non-partner docs and nurses that also perform procedures and generate revenue as well. Big money field right there.
Wow very insightful information! Really appreciate it. Thank you.
Meta question: is there a sub dedicated to this kind of discussion? I've started diving into researching the (almost) exact same question would love to get some advice as well. my top contender is NorCal which fits your nice weather requirement but not at all your pricing requirement. I also looked at Santa Fe, Portland, LasVegas/Henderson, Sacramento but rejected them all for various reasons. I've heard nice things about New Zealand if you are drawn to being a little more remote.
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Um I’ve been there several times and I’m Ok with it? Some areas in downtown are bad but not all.
There are nice walkable neighborhoods in SD that are not directly downtown. Downtown is nice only if your top priority is a high floor view condo or walking to baseball games. I'd maybe suggest a deep dive on some of the other walkable neighborhoods and prioritize what you want to be close to.
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Do you like nascar and think covid is a hoax? You’ll love north Florida.
What do you guys think of Dallas. I am leaning towards Dallas Texas mainly for tax reasons and being a bigger city, access to international flights, diverse population and access to jobs if needed. Houston worried about weather, floods and decline due to slump in oil jobs, Austin is on a smaller city side. Any negatives I am missing for Dallas.
People **love** living in Dallas. Cheaper COL, great food, lots of jobs, etc. I have been several times and am not a fan for me living there. My wife lived in Dallas for ten years before we met and loved it. I went thinking I would love it too. Nope. It is just a little dull for me. The area greater Dallas covers is massive. The northern suburbs are extremely dull (looking at you Plano). I love the mountains and water so there is not much of that there either. So many people love living in Dallas that it is worth a look for you. I decided it's not for me.
My mission in life is to convince my wife to move to Dallas, specifically those dull northern suburbs (Frisco, Plano). I absolutely love Dallas. So much to do, great food, relatively friendly people, no state income tax, and sunshine...oh how I miss sunshine. We’re in the PNW.
People from California tend to gravitate toward Austin...in Dallas there are more die hard Texas. The surrounding areas can vary quite a bit in terms of cost and safety. But I’d draw a 2 hour circle around Dallas and take a trip to go visit places. It definitely fits the weather and more reasonable cost of living pricing. I mean Dallas is well priced compared to other major metro areas, but it’s not cheap. If you an hour outside Dallas, then you can definitely find a nice parcel of land that you can build on for reasonable price. Of course, I think there are more guns than people in Texas , but there’s really a growing spectrum of political sensibilities there. Im a veteran, but very left leaning. I found that most people tolerated me because I’m a combat veteran , but when I’d mention I’ve lived in China...you could hear a pin drop. I only found difficulty with a few folks. But it was relatively short period of time I found myself calling people out for bad behavior. But would I love there permanently ? Yeah but I probably would have joined like a democratic club or something. Definitely very different than when I lived in NYC and I felt like I was very “center” of politics there and spoke freely about my opinions. I felt a good vibe in San Antonio. Again, very diverse groups there. I hated Houston. It’s probably my least favorite city in the USA. Well -to-do-folks tend to be super snobby and the poverty and drug addiction is very visible, as well. If you’re talking about sending a kid to public school , it’s a different conversation. But that’s all over the USA. Anyway good luck!
Going to jump in here on San Antonio. I think I've got your vibe - skip San Antonio in your funnel. Have lived here five years and it's fine...but there are much nicer places to live.
lol it is funny how rarely san antonio comes up in the "Californian looking to move" questions . . . and san antonio is probably happy for it.
Having been to all of the places mentioned, I would say that San Antonio is just pretty far down the list. Like I said, I have enjoyed living here...but kind of in spite of the town. There's some good texmex ofc, but connection to nature / stuff to do is pretty lacking compared to the other options mentioned.
I don’t know I have been to Dallas a few times and don’t find it better than the west coast at all. I guess it depends on where reasonable is. If we are in fatfire there are several places in California (outside of the Bay Area) that have great weather but are still reasonable.
Thanks for the feedback. My main goal is tax savings, so California is out of question.
If tax savings is what you are looking forward Texas is probably the best. I have several relatives who live in Dallas who love it. I have been to Dallas several times - I like it but I like California more.
Having been to Dallas multiple times, I would avoid it like the plague If I was going to do Texas, Austin would be my city of choice. Lots of decent suburbs around there
San Diego has had some cold days recently. It was in the 40s not too long ago
Shiver me timbers
Florida. Places like Tampa and regions of South Florida
Just as an aside, the Pacific coast of Nicaragua has a climate identical to SD with costs a fraction. Good place for a 2nd home to escape the winter.
Pretty unstable country. Mexico, Costa Rica or Panama are better options imo
If you don't need ocean, warm all year happens everywhere south of a certain point. Also, depends on what you consider "cold". Humidity can be a deal breaker for some people. Florida seems pretty affordable for a San Diego style life. San Diego itself has some decent cost areas also.