Bonneville America Forums Forums Off Topic Discussion Forums Lounge Moving to the OC

I would say that at this moment, there is a 75% chance that the Meyer family is moving to the OC (Orange County, CA) in the near future. Impressions? Suggestions? Avoidances? Future SW Rally Attendance?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Ryan

OC is a hotbed of conservatism . . . If that is your comfort zone, you will be quite happy. Oh, and Disneyland is much smaller than Disneyworld!

If you plan to buy a house consider doing it now while the prices are down. With the nations highest state taxes you'll also need the deductions.

My condolences.

I was lucky enough to jump off the 'California Train' a couple of decades back. Be prepared for people, traffic, and high property expenses.

I'm trying to move back to California. I miss the earthquakes.

Well Cynthia, that "hotbed of conservatism" thing might have been true back when there were actually more orange groves than suburban tract homes there...okay, up until about 10 years ago or so(those orange groves all pretty much vanished about 30 years ago or so)...but they've come around to reason nowdays!

(of course I typed that to get a rise out of a few "Real Conservatives" around here...IT WAS A FRIGGIN' JOKE, SO LET'S NOT SIDETRACK RYAN'S THREAD HERE FOLKS...okay?!)

Okay Ryan, here's a little info for ya.

Like almost every place, the closer you get to the water the more expensive real estate becomes. And the more expensive the real estate the better the schools and the less crime there is. Not that Orange Co. has a major crime problem or anything, it doesn't, but like everyplace there are "pockets" of course.

Now, housing prices are dropping(like everywhere right now), but it is still one of the higher priced markets in the country.

The weather...PERFECT...all year long, which of course means ridin' all year long in "perfect" weather.

The people...somewhat distant, hard working and "nice" overall, especially once ya get to know 'em. Just like most other places.

(in other words...forget every friggin' stereotype you've ever heard about "Southern Kalifornians"...there's goofballs and lowlifes in just about the same percentage as the rest of the country, but there's MORE PEOPLE here, which consequently of course means MORE goofballs and lowlifes)

Hope this helps.

Well Dwight, all I remember is the time I visted a friend at her father's house in OC. When I went to leave a bit later I found that her father had taken it upon himself to put an NRA sticker on my car (I was all I could do to leave before decorating his car with a tire iron, but alas, my parents taught me to respect my elders) . . .

Well, those kind'a folks are everywhere, ya know. In fact, I wouldn't be at all surprised if you parked your car in So.Central L.A. that somebody might place an Obama sticker on it.

That it of course is if it was STILL THERE when you RETURNED!!!

(okay, all you "good Conservatives" out there, are you HAPPY NOW that I've given you EQUAL TIME???!!!)

When I lived in San Diego for many years, I would travel up to Costa Mesa and Newport Beach to visit my friends all the time. It has a ton of stuff to see and do. But you will be seeing it and doing it with 100 million other people.
Traffic sux.
Tons of people.
Traffic sux.
Lots of great music, food, bars.
Traffic sux.
Great beaches, with great big crowds.
Traffic sux even more at the beaches.
But, it can be a blast as long as you can afford it and get into a decent neighborhood.
Best of luck to ya Ryan!

But, traffic becomes irrelevant when you can split lanes.

The traffic is horrendous. If you don't mind a couple hours of highway travel, there are some good mountain roads to explore.

Ryan,

I hope it all works out for best, but I would hate to see you guys leave.

In regards to living in OC plan on paying at least 2 times as much for a similar size house in a similar neighborhood, as what you currently have in Port Orange. This is assuming you are living as far from the Ocean as you can and still be in OC. Start moving toward the Ocean and then the price will really start going up.

Also plan on California state taxes taking at least 10% more of your income over what FL does. California has an income tax, higher gas, property and sales tax.

When I lived there I really liked it. Just couldn't stand the traffic, the job and the vast number of people. But, unless you move to Montana or Wyoming you will find almost everywhere has far to many people (just my opinion). At least back then drivers in Southern California were pretty good (in comparison to the Northeast).

Tom

Holy crap!
I mention I might be visiting FL next year and the guy wants to up and move to the opposite side of the country!

Understandable I guess ....

Good luck buddy if it happens

Dear Ryan and family, have you stopped and considered how your actions will effect other people... where are John, Gregg, and I going to stay during bike week????? Gosh, that is so rude to only think of your family and not your friends . This will probably put an end to the Ga rally for you . Seriously though, I wish you guys the best in whatever you decide and maybe the southern riding crew can head out Californy way on a road trip one day.... ride safe... Gordon

Kalifornica, a nice place to visit but i wouldnt want to live there!!!!!! if you go, you will be missed !!!!! something i learned a long time ago, a person can starve out there but in Fl. you can always find something to do to survive.

Uh huh newt, as they all the while swat one mosquito after another off their bod, and go from one air conditioned environment to another during those muggy summers back there, huh?!

(BTW, this reminds me Ryan...you know how those tires on your Triumph are all worn down the middle, well dude, once you move here you'll have some nearby mountains roads available to ya to scrub off the outside of those tires o' yours TOO...in fact, nearby Ortega Hwy is just GREAT for that purpose...ummm...and once again, all year long in PERFECT WEATHER!!!)

(OH!...and one more note of interest here Ryan...some of the people out this way can be rather sarcastic, and so...BEWARE!!!)

Are you SURE you want to do this?

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D927MIH80&show_article=1

Won't you take me to...
Shakeytown?!

Won't you take me to...
SHAKEYtown?!

EEH!!! 5.8 is chicken feed, Mike! The way we look at out this way is: We get a 6.5 or higher(which it has to be to cause any real damage) for about 30 seconds about every 30 years or so. And so, we'll certainly take THAT over those lamea$$ winters most of the rest of the country suffers through for 3 to 4 months of EVERY FRIGGIN' YEAR!!!)

OK Dwight, a couple of things,
1. Watch out, this could just a warm up for a real shake (clearin' the throat so to speak)
2. It's easy to call something chicken feed when YOU'RE SITTIN" IN ARIZONA (sorta like someone in Topeka saying "tsunamis are no big deal")

OH! I see what ya mean, Mike.

(or like somebody in Bangladesh sayin' TORNADOS are no big deal, HUH?!)

5.8 is a tremmor, not a quake. I recall saying earlier in this thread that I missed the earthquakes and then the shaking begins just to taunt me. . . .

Well, I'm coming in for a visit and job search at the end of August so who knows???

Nnnnnnnnnoooooooo!! Say it isn't so! Who will I share a room with in Georgia now?

I'll have to ride all the way across a continent to see you again and.....heey. I'LL HAVE TO RIDE ACROSS A CONTINENT TO SEE YOU AGAIN.

See ya Ryan. Good luck on the move old buddy, old pal. Who's up for a road trip next summer?

No, seriously. You'll be missed at the annual southern meeting but if this is good for you and the family, you've got to do what you've got to do.

I've always used http://www.bestplaces.net/ and have been impressed by the results. They base their numbers on census and other national report findings.

My advice is to forget about OC and come to San Diego. The OC is nothing but suburbs, strip malls, and fake/plastic/spoiled women. (no offence intended to anyone living there...of course there are many exceptions to every generalization).

I'm in NorCal and after 30 years up here am moving to SoCal (Carlsbad) next year. Just had my sons wedding up here with all the relatives up from SoCal and back east (north carolina and virginia). They all want to move over or up here and we all want to move down there. Go figure - anyway it's only in California that you can work for 27 years in a wastewater (s*it)plant and retire with six figures income without working another day. it's cheaper to buy a house and expenses are less in SoCal. I have to agree about OC - mid coast or farther south is better.

Geez, must be nice to retire with a six figure income. (BTW, see you in Cambria next weekend.)


Anyway, Ryan, My brother lives in OC, Yorba Linda, which is further inland than Costa Mesa. He says that a 3200 sq/ft home in OC runs about $750,000 and a home the same size in Riverside/San Bernardino Co. runs arount $ 405,000. So Inland is less expensive. Oh, and he lives only 5 miles from the epicenter of the recent earthquake. House lifted up, and was slammed down. Some broken glasses, plates, and anything not secured down. I was born and raised in LA Co., and you do get used to the shaking. Though, the year round riding is worth a shake or two. You just need to get used to the large number of people.

AmyLee

Various areas within the county are incredibly different. Sure, overall, politics comes out Republican, but each community has its own "vibe".

I lived in San Clemente at the southern-most border (its grown a lot since, suburbs expanded over the hills where I used to jog with coyotes and roadrunners). Very nice, laid back, artist and beach community.

I then lived in Laguna Niguel, which is pretty new sprawl into the hills between Dana Point & Laguna Beach and I-5 and Irvine.

As other poster said, weather is best in the WORLD. Nice days, morning after morning, unless El Nino year of course. Only bad time I had was when Santa Ana winds were really bad and collected all the smog from whole LA basin to blow offshore right through San Clemente and it was literally night in the day, brown air, tearing eyes, coughing. But that was 2 days out of 3 years, rare. Usually, beautiful.

So, San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano are the older mission town areas, laid back. In between are newer communities typical of LA/OC suburb sprawl with nice homes, apartments, condos, dining, etc.. Northern OC is just a big part of ther overall LA sprawl. Anaheim, Orange, Santa Ana, on up north, just same big flat sprawl.

Stay ocean-side of I-405 for best air, I recommend live in southern parts of the county. If you can, Dana Point, San Clemente, Laguna Beach, Mission Viejo. If you must be farther north, then Irvine, Newport Beach, Costa Mesa, Huntington Beach. If you go inland, not as nice but cheaper and "normal" LA area. I say "Irvine or south". Also not that far from San Diego either.

Best of luck,

Hi Amy - yes see you in Cambria - I understand you will be staying north of town - Are you going on the ride Saturday?

Chuck - where is your home base?

Gary

Hey Gary, Yeah, we will be going on the ride Saturday. We will probably be going on the Dawg Run up to Bixby Bridge on Friday, unless Bob wants to head south instead towards Pisno. We are staying at the San Simeon State Beach. We get in Thursday and leave Monday. Temps there will be a whole lot better than the central valley.

AmyLee

K, I have done some thinking on this Ryan. Though I would be happy to let the west coast clan see your riding prowess, I have to say NO! They already have enough spaghetti strap wearing biker types out there. The Georgia gang will have to hunt you down and bring you back to where you belong damnit! So, cancel all your plans on promotion and moving. We need you here brother!

Yea!!! what Keith said

I live in Sunnyvale, not that far from you. Bought my bike at Calmoto in Mountain View. They have monthly rides but my schedule has not worked out to join in one yet - my bike in "break in" period still anyway so maybe shouldn't "keep up" unless slower ride anyway. Are you "plugged in" with Calmoto group?

We also need a proper SFBAYRAT - do you know of one active?

Chuckles out...