[Dagz]

hello, this really has nothing to do with adoption, but i have always found so many great answers in this forum, that i thought i would ask here.
we are planning to move to california in the next 2 years (we are in florida now). we have not decided where exactly, so i was wondering if i can get input from you! where do you live, and how do you like it? what makes your city or town special?
my husband loves the ocean, i love mountains. i would like to live in an area that is child friendly, and has great things to do. i would love to have an downtown area with lots of cafes, unique shops, and places where you can just sit outside, drink a cup of coffee, and enjoy the weather, as well as parks you can go to, throw down a blanket, maybe near a little lake with ducks to feed, have a picnic or play frisbee. i would like to live in an area where people are friendly and outgoing, where it is not hard to make friends. and where it doesn't take you 45 min. to get somewhere....
lots of things, lol....
any input is greatly appreciated

thanks so much
raffaela

[OakShannon]

I'll PM you.

[SupaModel]

SAN FRANCISCO!!!! It's my home town and one of the best places to live in the world. You have wine country 45 mins outside the city. 4 hrs north and you have skiing in Lake Tahoe. GORGEOUS beaches and you have redwood forest outside the city. Amazing parks. Golden Gate bridge/ Park. Lots of hiking and trails.

I personally feel it's a cosmopolitan (SP?) city. Very European. Did I say I LOVE SF???

[OakShannon]

Supa - I agree! I'd live there if I could. Fortunately it's just a BART ride away.

[SupaModel]

Originally Posted by OakShannon

Supa - I agree! I'd live there if I could. Fortunately it's just a BART ride away.

I also grew up in the East Bay!

[OakShannon]

Aren't we lucky to have been born in the best place in the country?

[SupaModel]

Originally Posted by OakShannon

Aren't we lucky to have been born in the best place in the country?

Haha.... YES!!!!

[HappyHopefulMommy]

We live is Sacramento and I love it. Lake Tahoe is 2 hours away, the beach is 2 hours away. When we moved here we were moving from Hawaii and I was so sad. This was not where I wanted to be. My husband was going to grad school and it was here or Santa Barbara. I wanted SB (I love the coast). But we came here because my DH got a scholarship. Well, we stayed and have now been here 9 years. I love living in a big city without really feeling like I am. Everything is so close. Good luck with your decisons.

[Dagz]

thanks everyone so far for your input! keep 'em coming...

[Tiffanni]

SANTA CRUZ sounds like what you are looking for.
We have mountains & the ocean!! Lots of adorable shops and a..umm...unique environment. lol

[susie_book]

I'm in Claremont; we're in Los Angeles county, but barely. It's really lovely here--the town has five colleges and locals call it 'the city of trees and Ph.ds.' As the name suggests, it's very green and has the feel of a smallish town while remaining conveniently near the big city. I absolutely love it here--I've lived in several different Southern California towns, but Claremont is the most scenic, and has a downtown area [called the village] that sounds like what you're looking for.

[Happy123]

The larger the town...the more it costs to buy a home. I do not think I could afford San Francisco or around the bay area...maybe now with the housing slump.
We live in central CA near Fresno. HOT is the best way to describe it, but you do get to experience all the seasons. Fresno has many opportunities for families. We are two hours away from beaches and less for mountains. I love the smaller community feel.
The housing market is not bad either. Big plus is we are just a drive away from Southern CA. We get to qualify for discounted rates for Disneyland..Yipee.
We lived near Monterey for several years. Of course the homes started at 300,000. It was the same season all year...it was a typical 70 degrees. There was a bad gang problem so we moved (we were 1/2 hr from Monterey).
A very good friend of mine decided to visit different states before they moved. When they decided on a state, they visited at different times of the year to make sure.
Good Luck,
Happy123

[lisa in venice]

Originally Posted by Tiffanni

SANTA CRUZ sounds like what you are looking for.
We have mountains & the ocean!! Lots of adorable shops and a..umm...unique environment. lol

That is what I would have said or anywhere along the Central Coast. Smaller seaside cities with mountains right there, great quaint downtowns with shops, cafes and art galleries with a cosmopolitan feel but MUCH lower cost of living and better public schools. Anyplace between Carpenteria and Santa Cruz fits (If you leave out way expensive Santa Barbara and Monticito)

We live in LA and while I love it I would move up the coast in a heartbeat if dh had work. It is just crazy expensive here and the school situation is a nightmare. The other place that is interesting is the inland valleys just in from the coast where more of the high end agriculture is (wine, horses etc) like the Santa Ynez Valley, Napa, Sonoma and Mendicino Counties where the cost of living is REALLY low you are just over the mountains to the beach (20-40 minutes) and you again have an increasingly diverse population.

Now if money is no object here is where I would live
Pacific Palisades Chamber of Commerce, Los Angeles, California

Like Malibu it is where the ocean meets the mountains but it is less rural and isolated. It has a real downtown town (with a small town feel) and good public schools. VERY kid friendly but housing is spendy. I just looked at a tear-down in the village (3 bed 1 bath 900 sf older home) that was $1.25 million. Great neighborhood though

[Yash]

I was born and raised in LA. And I love it. There are so many different cities and neighborhoods inside this great county. Last weekend, the kids and I went to the beach with a friend that lives in the desert. Next month, we'll drive the hour to go to the desert. And this winter we'll drive a few hours so the kids can see and play in snow.

I love the weather here. Not too hot, not too cold, not too rainy.

Good luck!

[SupaModel]

DH is from San Diego and I can personally say it has to be one of the most gorgeous places ever!