Life in So. Cal. ...Diego/Carlsbad & others

Well I was planning a move to Ohio, in Ackron/Canton this coming summer to help care for some family, but things have changed!!! But anyway, I myself am originally from San Diego, grew up in Kerany Mesa, in military housing on Linda Vista road, just off of I belive, Convoy St.??? Damn it's been a LOOOONG time!!! Was sent to ARMY/NAVY academy in Carlsbad, for beating up a school teacher, Anyways, the wife and I are in dire need of a change of pace-----> lifestyle!! I have NOT been to Cal. in a few years, --8 of them-- and yes I know it is expensive, BUT can a family actually make it if they were to go there and start over new??? Isn't everything else there about the same price in life except the real estate???? Gal. of gas, gal. of milk, pants, shoes, etc????? I am really wanting to "go back home" !!! The sale of my house here in Spokane, Wash. and the sale of my chopper and --maybe-- 4/5 cars I would think would get us settled in?!?!?!!?!? So, Cali. people, be brutally honest here and tell me about the "facts of life" in So. Cal. This could be El Cajon, Chula Vista, Escondido, ANY area actually. No I am not college educated, but I have worked in a machine shop and warehouse for most of my life!! Thanks, Ken......remember, BE HONEST, it will help my wife and I to make a brutally honest decision on this. I am ready to go,!!! She is wanting to go, but has never lived there!!

 

I moved from So Cal in 2005, could no longer afford to live there on a mechanics wage. I was back there last week picking up a frame from Yucaipa, and visiting my sister. Could not wait to get out of the hustle bustle that is So Cal. My taxes on my house here in Mi are less for the whole year than what one month cost me in Palm Springs. As a side note I grew up in Palm Springs even graduated HS there, over 40 years. I will never move back to Ca. My opinion and we all know about opinions.

 

I moved to Spokane in 1984 at the age of 15. I was born in So.Cal and lived in Monrovia untill that time. I made one attempt to get out of what i called Spokan't in 1995-6. I had bought a '49 Chevy 1/2 ton, loaded everything i owned into the back and headed for Oceanside to live with a sister. I made it within 30 miles of my destination when i was hit by a drunk driver with no insurance,suspended drivers license, and driving a friends car.She totaled my truck and almost killed me. Long story short, i lost everything. I came back to Spokane and have'nt been back since.

 

I too came here in '84 but at 17, haven't really been happy here...HATE the snow wind and rain, my cars in the back yard are f-in' filled with rain water from the last 2 weeks worth of rain and wind!!! tore apart $200.00 worth of tarps, and I am now afraid to see the amount of water in them <---------- this was pretty much what has been "the last straw"!!!!! Plus a kool harley chopper I can ride 4 months out of the year, just plain SUCKS!!! Ken

whoops---> edit! glad your O.K.

 

Sorry to hear about your misfortune here in cali, I am from here and currently live in Monrovia, I say to chopperimpala, Life here is about a couple of bucks more expensive. It adds up really quick, but you also get paid more so it balance itself out, The traffic has gotten worst the last six years or so,but I recommend Riverside San beranrdino counties, they are great places, great customs in all that area, nice neighbors. L.A. is too expensive just because it is close to downtown, but if you have no business working there, you will be alright anywhere. Air sucks, but you get use to it really quick.
MKSTR!

 

I have lived in San Diego for a very long time. There are areas that are very expensive and some that are affordable. The closer to the ocean the more $$$. I don't subscribe to the "American Dream" of owning my home. I have found out that I can rent a lot better house than I can buy. Of course you can make it here there are a million people living in S D county. There are a lot of advantages of living in a big cosmpolitian area, lots of things to do all nearby. Lots of opportunity for employment too. The unemployment here is under 5% and thats all those who really don't want to work. The weather is the best in the world, that's the attraction of course, everybody wants to live here! Traffic? sure there is but it's 72 degrees today. You pays yer money and you takes yer choice! Carlsbad is expensive, El Cajon not so bad, Ocean Beach has hippies, Pacific Beach has drunk college kids, City Heights has gangs, Lakeside has cowboys. Every nationality on the face of the earth has a conclave in San Diego with the possible exception of Eskimos.

 

traffic doesn't matter to me, and air quality...well I hate the cold so much here I buy cans of hairspray, just to spray outside to speed up our global warming!! <--- not really but I would like too!! I honestly have never heard of Monrovia, so I'll check it out on a map. I don't need to live in a major expensive part of Cal. I just want the warmth, hot rod/low rider lifestyle, and the year round car shows, swap meets, and activities that are car related. I lived in S/D from 4 y/o til 17, before then it was Maui. My dads a native, although I am as white as a sheet!! My wife is mexican though!! A small 3 bedroom house with a garage is all I need, NO fancy shingles or siding/pool, etc. Just an average car guys house!! A trailer park would be fine with me!! Not for the wife though!

 

Get yer ass out to the Yucaipa and adjoining areas around it. Lots of land and not that many folk to tell ya how to or what to do with your stuff on your own property. Well, for some, it is that way until ya get some real assholes that don't know how to mind their own! Plus you will get to know great HAMB'rs like chopped50ford, Killer, Fabian over at Vintage Tin and alot of other guys that are HAMB family here. KNUX!

 

CRAIGSLIST,...San Diego not much for me by way of jobs, I can't think of the name of the paper for classifieds... wasn't it the "San Diego Tribune"??? It won't load up on my computer!

 

I feel your pain. I still don't care for this place either. But i have some very close friends that i have known since i moved here. Without them i wouldn't be alive today.
Not many of us HAMBers in this neck of the woods unless they just lurk. Maybe we need to plan a HAMB gathering just to get some like-minded folks together. Drag em out of hibernation so to speak.

Hang in there, CHIP

 

Yeah I'm hanging, but have been for years!!!! This past rain water shit just pushed me over the edge!!! I have such neighbor problems I can't do what I want when I want, actually had the police show up once with a "chop shop" complaint, I had to go and PROVE... with my titles that I did own the cars I have!!! All my impalas and '49 chevy "SIT" outside!!!!!! I have to have all my parts in the garage I have NO room to work...Ken

 

Chopperimpala-
This is just a wild guess, but by chance do you live near S.C.C.?

 

Sorry to hear about your situation. I've lived in SoCal all my life,and wouldn't live anywhere else. I've been all over the place,and can't understand why some people live where they live. Washington weather sucks. At least here I can drive my cars around all year,not four months out of the year. Sure you can have a bigger house,for the money,but who wants to keep up a big house. I drive down to the beach for breakfast,hang out,visit friends,November,December,January. Can't do that in Washington or Illinios. Love visiting those places though.

 

UHHHHH... Apparently we KNOW each other!!!!! Yeah thats me!!! The back yard full of Impalas side yard with wagons, and a chopper! Who are you ??? I don't recognize the truck in you screen name picture thingy!!!!

 

THIS IS THE REASON!!!!!! I want to go back.....I DON'T WANT a big house (I do want a big garage though) and I WANT to cruise all year long !!!!! and do car/bike shit ALL year long!!!

 

ha ha, I knew it!

I used to live about six blocks from you ( on Lee st.) I drove past your house almost every day. I always wanted to stop by to see what you were working on, but you know the "neighborhood" and didn't want you to think i was there just to scope out what you had to "steal".

I pm'd you my number, feel free to give me a call.

 

Well, I moved here to San Diego from South Africa in 94 with $200 bucks in my pocket and a back pack. I now own a house, 3 cars and have a small clothing company. If I can do it anybody can.

 

anyone know this place? a job I could do!!



Job Title: Shipping/Receiving
Employer: PLASTIFAB

Source: Classified Ads
Location: POWAY, CA
Date: 11-19-2006

Job Description
Description: WAREHOUSE
SHIPPING & RECEIVING
Plastic fabrication co. in Poway. Duties incl: shipping,deburring and pkg. of parts, forklift, stocking mat'l, etc. Clean shop, Good Benefits. (858) 679-6600
fax resume: (858) 679-6668

 

NOW theres MY inspiration! ......ARE YOU HAPPY????

Do you need a big ,goofy,(well not so much goofy, but easily angered) heavily tattooed guy as a bouncer for you store??

 

I think that said it all! if you want to make it, you will be able to, plus you have the Hambers here to cheer you on. and a great change of paste there is! I say come on down! S/D, Riv. or San Bernardino counties it's ALL GOOD.
MKSTR!

 

The san diego newspaper is the San Diego Union.

 

well, if you move to some part of cali, hit me up when the paso car show comes, this town sucks all the rest of the year.

 

Yeh, I usta live in Oceanside CA (I HATE O.P.D!!!!!!!) but cant aford the rent, I worked at Kennedys Custom Cycles in Oceanside, but with the cops and the cost of living.....I came up here back in 91 and just got back in to the motorcycle indistry in the last two years! Ya I miss down there! but even with family living down there I couldnt afford to make the move. If you own your house up here and sell it, you might beable to make the move...Roach.

 

www.uniontrib.com or www.signonsandiego.com. I was born in La Mesa. I love this town. I was under the impression that I would never live anywhere else until I checked out Austin and had my eyes opened to another really cool town.

My shitty 3 bedroom, 1.75 bath house in a not-so-good part of town is almost worth 1/2 a mill, buying in socal is not such a good idea right now. But the market is slammed with empty new houses, kinda remindes me of the situation before the ressesion at the end of the 80's. Maybe rent for a couple of years and buy when people get really desperate to sell.

There is a cool hot rod scene in SD. In the summer there is a cruise night almost every night of the week... there is one that has lasted into the fall on Thursdays at the Fosters on Waring Rd. All trad stuff at Fosters, no goldchainers.

I live in Lemon Grove (the LGC, haha). The schools are OK. It's close to everything... I'd reccomend Lemon Grove or La Mesa... El Cajon & Santee get pretty damn hot in the summer.

- Joe

 

I lived in Oceanside and worked in Carlsbad for a couple years. Oceanside gets a bad rep because of it being a "military" town. But it is one of the more affordable spots that's near the beach and in North County. Get a motorcycle!! The ability to split lanes cut my commute from 40+ minutes to a scenic and fun 15 minutes in the mornings. Obviously, the nearly year round 60-80's temp and sunny weather is cool (it can almost get boring).

 

Dude, stay were you are, I've lived here for 29 years and it aint getting better!!! It was great until 2000+, now there is way too many people. My grocie bills have trippled, so has utilities, taxes are ridiculous, and most everyone is a snob!! There are way too many wannabe rich jerks who are morgaged to their eyebrows and are still getting new credit cards everyday to max out just to impress their neighbors!! As far as jobs, yeah there is alot if you want to work at a warehouse making $10/hr!! Everyone here has a 4yr.+ degree so you dont make shit once you get one, and machinist dont make crap! You have to make into the 6 figures to own a small house and be able to still eat...forget about it stay where you are!!

 

Joined the Navy and was stationed up in Everett for a few years. Hated the weather and wanted to be closer to family. So came back home.

Took shore duty 'Dago and moved to East County ... Rented a couple apartments in Santee and now rent a house in El Cajon. It's not that I can't afford to buy ... Like somebody else said, I can rent much more house than I can afford to buy. We do OK with 3 kids and my wife doesn't have to work. I've been here almost 7 years.

If I were looking for a place to live in San Diego ... I'd try Santee/Lakeside/ El Cajon. Only 25min from the NAVSTA waterfront. Plenty of shopping. A little slower pace than other areas. It's HOT ... Mostly good hardworking folks out here, and car guys everywhere you look. I think there's a more than a handful of HAMB'rs out here in East County.

 

Well so far the I's have it. Seems like more positive than negative, which is actually OPPISITE than I thought!!! I am glad! Santee...wow I forgot about that place, went there every other weekend to caravan with another family when we used to go out to the dessert, (I believe it was called, Ocotio Wells???) with our......3-WHEELERS, yup them days were it!!! A 250-R and a 200-X and a couple of raced out 90's. Well will be talking with the misses long and hard the next couple of days, I truly thank you for all the info, I have been searching jobs on line down there for the past couple of hours, and they are paying what I am making up here!! so if I rent, I don't have to worry about property taxes, just finding a landlord who wants a long term tennant who likes cars!!!!! California, I think, here I come???? It will still be a few months though, got about 10 cars to sell and a house to sell, I'll keep you posted, ALSO keep up any more thoughts and concerns for me that you can think of, Thank you .....Ken Carvalho

 

I would rather work two jobs to have a small pad in so. cal.and hang in the cool weather than to have one job live in a large place and be miserable with lousy weather watching t.v. all day.I would never leave,I'll take a good earthquake anyday.You can keep your tornados,monsoon rains,lush forrest,etc.

 

Just bumpin' for any holiday guys who are checkin' out the HAMB that have been with the family.