Is California Too Good?

Cant hear you from that far out on the L

Tommy Too-toned:

Top-down and sun-soaked, we hit highway 1 - the butterflies are stirring. They always are. It's Malibu to San Fran, girls in the back, and deep-down, we know we're beating the world - no one's living better than us.

A week later I'm back on the East Coast. It's nothing to cry about - the city's got its usual swagger - but it has me thinking, are they really living better than us on the West Coast? The girls, the food, the sun - it's hard not to get lost in nostalgia.

But is life too easy? There's a certain charm about catching an early morning subway from Brooklyn to mid-town, coffee in-hand. The nights in East Village. The chicken and waffles.

Does anyone in finance regret moving to California? Beyond all its beauty, do the people seem unmotivated and a bit too chilled to take seriously?

And do you find your priorities have shifted from traditional consulting and finance jobs to all-things entrepreneurial?

...so close to that one-way right now

Take the dive, man. The water is warm and the sky is blue.

Fuck the early morning subway; let's talk about that early morning drive down into the valley from a glass-walled retreat in the Santa Clara mountains, top down. Or on two wheels if that's your bag.

Let's talk about 70 degrees every fucking day. Except January, then you're looking at more like 60.

Chicken and waffles? Sure. But do you know what they do with salt and pork in San Francisco these days? Or better, ever tasted an ice-cold briny oyster plucked out of the Pacific no more than two hours previously? The beautiful beer. The wine. And, of course, the most vibrant distillation culture in the country.

But most importantly, anybody who is anybody wears jeans. Outside of sales and certain types of client services, nothing says "I have no fucking clue what I'm doing" more than showing up to a meeting in an expensive suit and tie.

However, you'd better land a sweet gig before you hop on the plane. Rent is equivalent to Manhattan, and yes, you really do need a car.

Everyone should spend some time in California, but remember to leave before they get too soft.

Yup. Plus the most beautiful women in the world are in SoCal. Im not tallking fake like LA either, head down to La Jolla or Laguna Beach or Newport Beach.

Best Mexi food in the US, best weather hands down, no humidity.

http://www.youtube.com/embed/uWbXQQG9B6c

I have a soft spot for cali girls. Always have. Born and raised on east coast but there is something about their care free attitude that drives me nuts. Also, perpetual beach season = babes always in shape.

The weather in CA can't be beat. I don't even care about the beach. SF is fine. Just give me warm weather, no snow, and low humidity.

Professionally, I have become more reluctant to move back due to the state's economic future. The nearly unparalleled fiscal dysfunction makes me wary. I'm not sure what effect that will eventually have on financial services...banks would have little reason to be there if they eventually kill the golden goose that is Silicon Valley.

i'll probably be moving out there after i finish school.

from what i hear, the lifestyle does seem better although the douchiness in and around LA can be unbearable.

Made the move from NY to SF. Enjoying every minute of it

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cali is where its at bro. the girls are on a whole new level

Chi-town is still the best. White trash from Indiana + Hipster Culture in Chicago = Ultimate Sluts

No way Chicago chicks can compare to LA chicks. Not on the same level. Also, don't hate on trust fund babies simply because you are not one of them.

Fuck SoCal, South Florida is where it's at. No state/income taxes, amazing nightlife, beautiful women, warm weather, and a great economy (thanks to the Latin Americans).

I moved to socal from the east coast a few years ago and it beats the east coast in almost all categories. it's not even close. arguments against california citing political and economic issues should largely be irrelevant to a young, single, fully employed person with no near term intentions of having kids or buying a home. frankly, who needs either until you are into your 30s. if you start hitting the age where you want to be doing those things, then pick up and move. there is now way you will leave regretting that your have moved there in the first place. i wake up, go to work, and do anything and everything during my free time. I could give a F if the state's pension system is underfunded.

and one thing about the traffic. if you live and work within LA, including downtown, mid-city, brentwood, westwood, century city, santa monica, venice, and even marina del rey, your commute to work in almost all cases will be fine. i have a 20-25 minute drive to work using surface streets. the people who sit in soul crashing traffic are the ones driving into LA from the valley, inland empire, and orange county.

Anybody who has lived in Cali has a hard time leaving. Why would you leave heaven on earth only to go to the sh*tty east coast

What was that saying... If the pilgrims had landed on the West Coast, the East would still be wilderness.

To be honest I've never wanted to live in California until I read this thread. I always thought I wouldn't like to live there because of the more laid back attitude and liberal viewpoints on most matters.

I still would not want to live there permanently but now I am thinking about trying it in the future. Best parts of CA? Has anyone done a couple years in SF doing PE and then moved back to the east coast?

I've been to southern California twice for work and once on vacation. It was nothing special. Cold water with prolific seaweed and English as a second language. I didn't see any women that were particularly impressive, and my hotel was on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. I noticed horrific traffic everywhere. When I was in Irvine I didn't see white people at all--the place looked like Asia. In-in-out Burger is WAY overrated, by the way--it doesn't even compare to Five Guys.

The weather was nice in January. I liked Malibu, but again, nothing special--a beach is a beach, a coffee shop is a coffee shop. Other than the weather, there was nothing substantially different in SoCal compared to the rest of the country. In fact, in many ways SoCal is far worse than other places around the nation when it comes to traffic, pollution, cost of living, taxes, and crime. Beverly Hills was just an outdoor mall--nothing special.

California can be a great place to live, if you can get pass the horrible traffic. And yes, the cost of living is up there also. Also worth mentioning, there is proposition waiting to pass to increase the taxes on people that earn $250k+ this November for funding schools, which is very likely to pass since it won't affect the majority of people in the area. Something to consider.

Cali is good? Yeah, a few ultra expensive areas are nice. Everything else sucks dick.

Don't move here on less than a 150k/year income.