Post #34735 by Humuhumu on Sun, May 18, 2003 12:46 PM

Okay guys, you've converted me. Now that I'm back home, I don't feel like I'm home -- the siren song of sunshine and continual tiki events is calling. I've been considering moving to California for a few years now, and I think that now is the right time in my life to finally just do it.

I grew up here in Seattle, so I'm a bit frightened at the prospect of packing up everything and starting a new life. I could use some tips from you guys.

I'm not totally sure yet where I want to go -- I'm not going to move until I have a job lined up, so that might help me to make that decision. It'll either be the Bay Area or Orange County, but I don't really know the cities & neighborhoods well enough to know what'll be right for me. I'm leaning towards Orange County, even though it likely means I'll have to leave biology & go back to being an exec or maybe even a programmer. I'd like to aim for buying a house again in the next year or so (gotta get the Humuhumu Room rebuilt!). I'm used to living in pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods, with lots of shops & restaurants within walking distance.

So, what's the economy looking like in those areas? It's pretty cruddy up here. Is there any such thing as an affordable, pedestrian-friendly & diverse neighborhood in Orange County? I'm paying $930/mo for a 2-bedroom apt right now, and could pretty easily afford to pay more than that, my mortgage was more. Is there a good resource to use for learning about the different cities & neighborhoods? What's the best resource to use for job hunting? Is it just crazy to be looking for a job right now, should I be waiting until the economy picks up a bit? Should I look closer at the Bay Area?