I agree Sam I really do like California. But what I am having a problem with is gettin by. I mean can you support you rfamily on 55k a year? I can't. We don't live like rock stars but we still just eek by. by the time i pay my morgtage, insurance, and basic neccecity shit I AM BROKE. I am just tired of living like that. I can adapt to almost any environment, i get along well with most people, I just don't wanna be worrying about payin fuckin bills all the time, and have shit to show for all the $$ i am shellin out. FONZ
Heck man. Seattle is great, at least in my book. The cost of living is definitely higher than Olympia or Tacoma, but we've got quite a bit more in terms of culture & a cool city. There's a kick ass rockabilly scene up here in Ballard (city neighborhood) where the wife and I just bought a place a yr. ago. Plan on about 300 k for a three bedroom bungalo type house w/ a little yard & a one car garage. There's the only problem: It's hard as heck to find a two car garage. Oh well, you give a little here, take a little there. Anyway, Seattle is cool. Nice people, clean air, absolutely beautiful summers, winters aren't near as bad as people say, and quite a few car shows in the summer. We are also close enough to So-Cal to get good rust-free vehcicles shipped up. Good bars too. Much as everywhere in the country, the job market is kind of shakey. We got hit hard by the tech. fall-out, but that needed to happen. You might be able to find an administrative type gig easily enough though. Especially if you aren't looking to make a ton. I work for the University of WA as a project manager and make a fair living w/ excellent job security. I don't have the typical laid back University job & work my ass off...but at least I have a job. If you are really looking for somewhere cheaper check out Olympia or Tacoma. 55 k per yr. could get you by there pretty well. Seattle will require about 80-100 k per yr. to own a little something and live a solid life. Well, I hope my rant helps. -Anthony PS- everyone has a different perspective on what "reasonable" cost of living is. If I'm way off base I'm sorry. I grew up near the NY/Penciltucky border where you could buy a damn mansion on 50 acres for 200 k...but the place just sucked.
If we all went to Austin, then the housing prices would skyrocket there and we'd all have the same complaint and different phone numbers!
I'll second Krupanut's comments on Austin... quality of life is second to none, cost of living is very reasonable compared to Cali. Best place in USA. Some places with high Fun-per-buck ratios... 1. Austin 2. Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill NC 3. Orlando 4. Albuquerque 5. OKC
[ QUOTE ] If we all went, then the housing prices would skyrocket there and we'd all have the same complaint and different phone numbers! [/ QUOTE ] and no jobs to pay the phone bills with
id have to say seattle is pretty cool as well...eventhough i have never been there before!!! although, i can do without that gay ass grunge shit
[ QUOTE ] id have to say seattle is pretty cool as well...eventhough i have never been there before!!! although, i can do without that gay ass grunge shit [/ QUOTE ] Grunge was quite a while ago. It doesn't even exist here anymore (Thank God).
I dig OKC as well, but the whole having to chase your house down every summer because a tornado ripped through your neighborhood deal isn't for me. And Indianapolis is nice and I could even deal with living in the south (Louisiana, Mississippi). But I fell in love with Austin the very first time I ever went and have made it a point to spend at least one week a year there ever since. So if I pick up and leave, I am either going back to San Diego or to Austin.
Go to Austin. I'm in Houston (another cheap option) but spend about one weekend/month in Austin. KRUPANUT already listed the hi-lites... it's relatively cheap living, lotsa different landscapes in the area, primo music and nightlife, and a cool car scene to boot. Local poop can be found at The Statesman, Austin 360, and The Chronicle
[ QUOTE ] I dig OKC as well, but the whole having to chase your house down every summer because a tornado ripped through your neighborhood deal isn't for me. [/ QUOTE ] that's funny because i don't want to pick pieces of my house out of a fault line... we have so much in common
Hey Fonzi, I am going to be in a wedding in Austin next month. I will pick up a bunch of the local papers and real estate freebies when I am there. PM me your number and I'll drop them by or you can meet me at The Block and I'll hand them over to you. I can totally feel your pain when it comes to making what seems like a lot of money and never having any left at the end of the month. I am going to be checking out the Job market and housing while I am back there, too.
Tell you what OGNC...you move to Denver, start your own publishing company and I'LL call you for a job!!! Between the two of us we mite be able to come up with something!!! It snows here (40 inches in one 33 hour period this past spring-March 13th destroyed trees and roofs)...it rains here (2 1/2 inches in less than one hour this summer)...flooded I-25 to a standstill...the wind blows here (no major tornados...yet)...we've had 43 days of above 90 degree temps this summer...it hails here (Quarter sized and up north of Denver this summer) and ya never know what the next hour will bring...after September 1, summer is over and it may snow at any minute and ya never know when Spring will arrive...it was late this year, April 30th! R-
40StudeDude, I have done the whole "create a magazine from scratch" thing (ever seen StreetTrucks on the news stand?)and it is a LOT of work. The only thing is that you need a TON of money to do it, so I don't see it in my future. If Denver is so bad, why don't you get out. You know they do have these big ass rental trucks now that you can pack all of your crap into and move it to a different city (and no I don't mean to Fort Collins).
[ QUOTE ] I dig OKC as well, but the whole having to chase your house down every summer because a tornado ripped through your neighborhood deal isn't for me. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- that's funny because i don't want to pick pieces of my house out of a fault line... we have so much in common [/ QUOTE ] OKC is nice, and soooooo cheap. Great kite flying weather...
dont any of you kalifornians come to seattle. it sux here. it rains a lot and your cars will leak and rust. to ad to that... seriously, all i need is one more fucking asshole here from cali that cant drive their god damn suv and has a shitty attitude. oh the other hand if you're cool, know how to drive, i guess u can come, i haint gonna stop ya, but be prepared to take shit for a few yrs from the locals.
<font color="green"> OKC is alright. Kinda dirty and not well planned out. I love living in Tulsa, but... If you need a JOB, there aren't any. RASHY </font>
OGNC...My house is paid for...I've got a 30 X 40 garage out back sitting on 1/2 acre...my daughter is here with two grandsons, my son is here, my brother and my sister are within six miles of me...I live in a suburb of Denver (not actually Denver), I've been in Denver metro since 1966...and the biggie ---I'm too damned old to start over...I'll put up with it. Yep, know all about starting a mag (I did too) and it takes cubic dollars...and the investors get testy if you don't show a profit after the first year!!! No thanx, won't do that again... R-
[ QUOTE ] dont any of you kalifornians come to seattle. it sux here. it rains a lot and your cars will leak and rust. to ad to that... seriously, all i need is one more fucking asshole here from cali that cant drive their god damn suv and has a shitty attitude. oh the other hand if you're cool, know how to drive, i guess u can come, i haint gonna stop ya, but be prepared to take shit for a few yrs from the locals. [/ QUOTE ] Pete, You from back east? I was lookin' at your page and saw some stuff from a show in Syracuse. Even if you're not, cool page. Where in Seattle you livin' & what are you drivin? I might have seen you around. I'm out in Ballard.
My ex girlfriend's family and two of my best friends live up in Denver (well in Westminister). One works at Pinky's and the other owns his own machine shop making Harley parts. All of them hate the weather but love the people and the cost of living. I guess if I was totally settled in here in SoCal I wouldn't have to worry much about it either, but the way the housing market is going I am going to end up having to buy a house 90 miles from where I work! And with traffic like it is, that ain't gunna happen.
Why not pack up and move down under(Australia). You can sell up and double your money when you exchange it. Actually,Sydney is getting much like California,to damb expensive and everyone is on the move out.I've thought about it but my mortgage is nothing compared to what people are paying today and if I leave I'll never be able to afford to come back...
Yeah, all you complainers start checkin the want ads and housing prices elsewhere...get the hell out quick! The sooner, the better. That's the only way SoCal will ever improve. I ain't goin' nowhere, so any help is appreciated. Cornball/Fonzi, I'll help you guys look!
[ QUOTE ] I'd put Northern/Central California against anywhere in the USA... [/ QUOTE ] I like to visit northern california but you're crazy if you really think it will stand up to anywhere else in the US for quality of living unless you're rich. And have a personal jet car. The ridiculously clogged roads alone kill it. I can think of some town where I'd rather live in pretty much every other state in the country EXCEPT Hawaii, (I like trips without involving boat or plane fare), Nebraska, Utah, Iowa... I can't think of any others I wouldn't rather live in. And Iowa's debatable.
Who works at Pinky's? I may know him...I know both Eric and his Dad...AND I thot the cost of living here WAS high! R-
mytlo56, your name sammy? and your girl has red hair? if so i meet you guys while back, dig all your cars, plus u guys are swell too. i drive a 66 blk w/ wht top convertible galaxie and a cafe racer ducati and am an extremaly handsome mofo, haha
It was only a 4 week holiday but when I travelled around the U.S in 2000,I though South Dakota was quite nice as well as Colorado.Yeah, So Cal had the car fix for me but friendly people were a little harder to find. And the traffic was just like home anyway except you have more blocked lanes to choose from.
Rob, you're a perfect example. To be able to afford a nice house, you had to buy a house 60 miles (give or take) from where you work. You have to battle the traffic on the 91 freeway every morning for at least an hour (each direction) every day. Sure, you're a home owner, but the drive has to effect your quality of life (not to mention gas for your Honda Car is still 2.10 a gallon). To be honest I envy the fact that you finally got to buy a house and if I wanted to move out there I could probably do the same. But I already tried my hand at living out in the 909 and I didn't care for having to sit in traffic for 2-plus hours a day just go get to work. And that was 8 years ago. I couldn't even begin imagine what it is like now with the surge of growth that has happened since I moved to OC...
40Stude, his name is Mike Peters. Big guy (hasn't missed many meals) blonde hair, receeding a bit. Has some tattoos and a 54 Merc he has been working on since... well as long as I can remember. He grew up in San Diego right down the road from me. He is a really good guy, I just don't get to see him nearly enough. We were really good friends when we were younger and we both just up and moved away.
ps, i see that employment had been added to the mix. Honestly seattle has got to be one of the worst, seeing how it ranks the highest. BUT, it all depands on the person, your drive/perserverance/attitude, skill, experience, education and most of all ambition to find a job. oh ya, and networking helps.
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