I want to move somewhere, but not sure where

[EK16]

Any suggestions?

I was born in Orange County, CA, left for 4 year for college to Los Angeles, and then back to OC. Now I'm ready to leave.

I own a Web Design and Internet Marketing company which is primarily myself, my partner and 3 other people. We've always worked remotely so work isn't an issue here. However, my fiancee would probably want to work (she doesnt have to) so the place would need to have some sort of respectable job market.

I play golf year round here in CA. I go almost every weekend during the summer and maybe every 2-3 in the winter.

I have Portland, OR; San Francisco, CA (I work in tech so this would probably benefit my career more than my golf game), Denver, CO on my list. I wouldn't mind east coast, but I've never been in the eastern time zone except for a transfer in Atlanta on my way to Paris.

I'm looking for some suggestions on places to live. OC is perfect, but I just need to experience something else.

[5under]

Southern Cal is the best of all worlds.
Try Denver in the summer time.
You will instantly gain 10% distance on all your clubs.
Try Orlando in the winter time.
What you loose in carry from Denver you will gain in roll because there is no snow in Orlando and you will learn to play on Burmuda.
Upstate New York is beautiful May through September and you will learn to play on bent grass greens.
The courses have lots of altitude changes and the green fees are reasonable.
To be realistic, you are probably going to end up where your fiancee wants to go.
Just hope it's one of these places.

[generalbolg]

look at florida!

floridas got great golf, year round in many places! also, real estate prices are rock bottom. prices in the ft. myers area are over 60% down from 5 years ago.

[highergr0und]

For lots of varying stuff to do, maybe Denver. Ski all winter and golf during the summer. I would love to live somewhere like that. Chicago is a great city, my favorite in the US, but the golf is a little tougher there. Portland isn't that great unless you're a hippie. San Francisco wouldn't be bad, but the real estate costs there are super brutal. You might be used to it in OC though.

[EK16]

Thanks for the replies everyone!

I'm not sure if I can handle the humid heat in the south like Florida. I'm OK with dry heat like you get out here in CA, but I don't know about the humidity in Florida.

Ultimately my goal is to live some place during the summer (like in Santa Barbara or Santa Cruz) and then live in Vegas during the off season before it gets hot there (Nov-April).

But for now I'd like to try something new for a year or 2 before start a family. Even as a kid I've always wanted to try Colorado out. I'm also pretty big on snowboarding during the winter.

Wow, Denver is really a lot better of a deal (real estate wise) then Orange County. I'm kind of liking this as a suggestion. How's the golf in this area?

[Garrett77]

I guess if the humidity would be a problem then the next best golfing location I would think would be like the Phoenix Area. From what I've heard the real estate is decent and its a great golf environment out there, and the best addition is the nice dry heat of Az. Anyways keep looking and checking out some different areas!


- G

[5under]

[quote name='EK16' date='21 May 2010 - 02:30 PM' timestamp='1274466609' post='2458148']
Thanks for the replies everyone!

I'm not sure if I can handle the humid heat in the south like Florida. I'm OK with dry heat like you get out here in CA, but I don't know about the humidity in Florida.

Ultimately my goal is to live some place during the summer (like in Santa Barbara or Santa Cruz) and then live in Vegas during the off season before it gets hot there (Nov-April).

But for now I'd like to try something new for a year or 2 before start a family. Even as a kid I've always wanted to try Colorado out. I'm also pretty big on snowboarding during the winter.

Wow, Denver is really a lot better of a deal (real estate wise) then Orange County. I'm kind of liking this as a suggestion. How's the golf in this area?
[/quote]
I think you are on the right track with the winter location and then a summer location.
Don't move to Vegas unless you own a casino or a buffet restaurant there. It is a tourist trap atmosphere all year 24/7.
I lived in San Jose in the mid 80's. Lot's of night life and moderate weather.
Santa Cruz was a nice place to go to the beach for a day, but the water is too cold to stay in for any more than a few minutes even in the summer and there is nothing else to do there.
Samuel Langhorn Clemens/Mark Twain once wrote something like "The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco."
The summer nights are windy and cold in SF and sometimes the days are too.
SF is a good melting pot of culture, but the property prices and the greens fees will make your income seem like half as much as many other locations.
If I wanted to stay on the west coast I would go with San Diego area in the winter and Washington State or Oregon in the summer.
If I wanted to go inland I would go with Phoenix in the winter and Colorado in the summer.
If I wanted to go to the east coast I would go with Florida in the winter and Upstate New York in the summer.
There really is no perfect place in between. The closest to that is where you are at now, but the air quality is better in every place I suggested.
Sometimes you don't realize how important air quality is until you experience it.

[DRGJR72]

I live in the East Bay right now, but lived in the city (San Francisco) for almost 2 years. You have so many choices of where to live, East Bay, North Bay, South Bay and event he in the city itself. All with their own pluses and minuses. It is a little different than the OC. People seem to be more laid back and less into trying to impress people (when I lived there I got the impression that people were trying to overly impress me with their "stuff").

I can tell you it is a great place to live, especially if you like to go out and eat, drink, etc. Not to mention you are a few hours away from Monterey and Tahoe. A little longer trip up the coast and you can be in Portland.

I have also lived in South Florida and it does not even compare to NorCal.

There are so many good golf courses around here and a majority of them are public with pretty decent rates for NCGA members.

Weather is good for me. There are seasons, which I like. When I lived in Orange County there were two seasons, summer and not summer. San Fran has some variation in the weather and the weirdest thing is that the summer in SF is actually pretty chilly...very weird.

Anyhow if you have any questions about where to look etc. Please feel free to shoot me a message. I would be glad to help any way that I can.

[SwingLikeElk]

DFW.

Better traffic. Good golf weather. Great courses. Airport close to everything. No state tax. Colonial and Byron every year. Great dining, shopping, schools, sports teams and you can get a lot more for your money. Job market and real estate not hit nearly as hard as many other parts of nation.

[EK16]

Thanks for the comments everyone. After some discussions with my fiancee, I think we're going to give Denver a shot. SF would be a close #2. I've been to Denver about 3-4 times, and every time it's been pretty solid. Just really weird weather with the storms coming in over the Rockies. Looking forward to having some clean air!

So with that said, anyone here from Denver? I need to figure out which neighborhoods are good and where the areas to avoid are.

[5under]

I played golf today and was joined up with a gentleman that used to live in Denver.
He said stay away from the suburbs, especially the Southern and the Eastern Suburbs.
He said live in Capitol Hill, Washington Park, Park Hill, Highlands or Baker.
He said they are all great neighborhoods, it just depends on how much money you want to spend.

[suwdawg]

There are good courses in denver as well of course they used to have a pga event at castle pines just south of Denver. In Colorado Springs the famous broadmoor that is hosting the 2011 womens open and has had the senior open in recent years. The senior pga this year is at the colorado golf club in Denver. I have played arrowhead and it had awesome views of cliffs, eagles flying overhead and views of denver in the distance. So yeah your have lots of options to hit the links.

Have fun and enjoy it in your youth.

[Al Boehmer]

I live on Maryland's Eastern Shore and I am a real estate agent.

Living here is like being on vacation everyday of the year! Many celebrities have chosen the Eastern Shore as the perfect place for year-round living.

I currently have 4 lots for sale adjacent to Hunter's Oak Golf Course. [url="http://www.theriverplantation.com/golf_eastern_shore_md/hunters_oak_golf_club.asp"]http://www.theriverplantation.com/golf_eastern_shore_md/hunters_oak_golf_club.asp[/url]

From this location you are in golf cart driving distance to the course.

I have 2 each 6 acres lots and 2 each 20 acre lots for sale. It's an ideal location to build your dream home, have horses, etc.

[PixlPutterman]

Oh man you gotta move to St Louis.

It gets amazingly HUMID here, economy is in the dumps, and were are a leader in STD's I believe too.

How can you go wrong, its an adventure for sure.























at least Ill be your golf buddy

[indianshaft]

Should live on Long Island during the summer near bethpage and pay the local rate. Then in the winter go out to pebble and pay the local rate. Also LI is close to NYC so can always get a change of pace. That is my life goal.

[EK16]

[quote name='PixlPutterman ' date='26 May 2010 - 06:22 PM' timestamp='1274923377' post='2469555']
Oh man you gotta move to St Louis.

It gets amazingly HUMID here, economy is in the dumps, and were are a leader in STD's I believe too.

How can you go wrong, its an adventure for sure.























at least Ill be your golf buddy
[/quote]

You had me at STDs... I'm in.

[RedSide]

Portland's a great place to play golf and raise a family. Well.. not Portland, but places around Portland are nice. Good golf courses in the metro area. Weathers not too bad as long as you don't mind the rain. Summers aren't too hot and winters aren't too cold.

[PixlPutterman]

Alrighty Ill clear out a room!!!

[turtlehead]

so.... did you move? where to?

[sharkiesj]

Santa Cruz, Aptos, Monterey, Seaside.
Best golf on earth but a long way to go to Tahoe for snow.
Or you can live in Tahoe and that area has fantastic golf but obviously not allyear around.

[againstthegrain]

Sun Valley, ID....golf, ski. hunt. fish..............Baja in April and May.

[jswaykos]

I moved to San Diego six years ago after living everywhere growing up (father was military) and nothing beats it here. NOTHING. That said, I totally understand your itch to move! Definitely do it before starting a family - we have a 1.5 year old and are already beginning to feel a 'now or never' sense to our desire to MAYBE move somewhere else.

East coast weather sucks. Hot and humid in Florida, and I wouldn't want to mess with those hurricanes. We tried moving to Biloxi, Mississippi out of college, but were there for all of three days before Katrina rolled through. No thanks. I'm not a 'snow' person, either, so for me that'd rule out the midwest/mountain areas. It's fun to look at, fun to visit, but miserable to live in. Ask anyone in the Northeast how their winter has been! This is a bit less of an issue for you since you're self-employed and work remotely.

The two places I'd move RIGHT NOW if it were possible are Phoenix or Dallas. Great weather (although PHX gets freakin' HOT - but I consider that as unlivable as east coast winters), a lot going on (all major sports) and lots of good golf. Or just move further down the coast to San Diego (less busy than OC) or up north a little to Santa Barbara or even the bay area. There is a TON of golf between Monterey and San Francisco.

[balbowski]

I just moved to Bend, OR and it is going fantastic. The spring/summer has been a little slow to show up, but I actually really enjoy golfing on overcast days. But there are 22 golf courses in the surrounding area including some really high profile courses like Pronghorn, Crosswater and Tetherow. During the winter, Mt. Bachelor has great skiing/snowboarding as well. I would think, although I have never been to Denver, that the weather would be less extreme and you would have more courses to play during golfing season. Plus Bend is known for its great food and it just has a very nice laid back atmosphere.

[afireinside]

Whatever you do ... Do not come to New Jersey

[JinxyJ08]

Look at the Carolina's (mostly South Carolina though). they are a great mix of the hot weather in the summer and cooler in the winter without being ridiculous. Mountains are just a few hours away, water is still nearby, and if you want to go to florida for a weekend getaway (or a few of them lol) its not too far at all.

[Simp]

[quote name='afireinside' timestamp='1308168694' post='3309970']
Whatever you do ... Do not come to New Jersey
[/quote]

Amen. We're leaving for Texas in a couple of weeks and can't wait.

[EK16]

[quote name='turtlehead' timestamp='1306047874' post='3253330']
so.... did you move? where to?
[/quote]

Funny...totally forgot about this. We moved to Denver in Nov. Stayed for 6 months and moved back to OC. Yes short trip, lots of money spent moving, and lots time spent packing/unpacking. Now I'm looking for a home to buy in OC and settle down. Our family is all here in SoCal...my wife and I are both family oriented so it was difficult to be away from family and also not know anyone in Denver.

Denver is a great city. Very laid back, nice people, great sports, nice downtown area, and amazing skiing/snowboarding. However, the golf season there is about 5 months shorter then CA. I love playing year round golf and I was dormant from Dec - April in Denver. However, I will miss being able to crush the ball 290-300 off the tee...now I'm back to mortal numbers again at sea level.

I'll probably rent a condo in the Rockies along I70 in Jan and stay out there for a month or so this winter. The snowboarding is just too good in CO!

Seriously though, CA is as good as it gets. It's a little crowded here, but man... after experiencing 50 deg weather and snow in May in Denver, it's a real blessing that I've had nothing but 65-70 highs and 55-60 lows since I got back.

[EK16]

[quote name='jswaykos' timestamp='1306422441' post='3264189']
I moved to San Diego six years ago after living everywhere growing up (father was military) and nothing beats it here. NOTHING. That said, I totally understand your itch to move! Definitely do it before starting a family - we have a 1.5 year old and are already beginning to feel a 'now or never' sense to our desire to MAYBE move somewhere else.

East coast weather sucks. Hot and humid in Florida, and I wouldn't want to mess with those hurricanes. We tried moving to Biloxi, Mississippi out of college, but were there for all of three days before Katrina rolled through. No thanks. I'm not a 'snow' person, either, so for me that'd rule out the midwest/mountain areas. It's fun to look at, fun to visit, but miserable to live in. Ask anyone in the Northeast how their winter has been! This is a bit less of an issue for you since you're self-employed and work remotely.

The two places I'd move RIGHT NOW if it were possible are Phoenix or Dallas. Great weather (although PHX gets freakin' HOT - but I consider that as unlivable as east coast winters), a lot going on (all major sports) and lots of good golf. Or just move further down the coast to San Diego (less busy than OC) or up north a little to Santa Barbara or even the bay area. There is a TON of golf between Monterey and San Francisco.
[/quote]

Stay away from PHX. I was just out there about 2 months ago playing TPC Scottsdale. You might as well move to Las Vegas if you're considering PHX. Basically the exact same thing but more to do in Vegas. 115* during the summer is no joke. Just enjoy your 75* weather right now in SD....know it's 115* right now in PHX.

Also TPC Scottsdale is not that great. At $150/round and being a PGA stop you'd expect the experience to be better... in reality that $150 is way over priced. That course should be about $75-100/round.

[Carolina Golfer 2]

[quote name='EK16' timestamp='1308292885' post='3313746']
[quote name='turtlehead' timestamp='1306047874' post='3253330']
so.... did you move? where to?
[/quote]

Funny...totally forgot about this. We moved to Denver in Nov. Stayed for 6 months and moved back to OC. Yes short trip, lots of money spent moving, and lots time spent packing/unpacking. Now I'm looking for a home to buy in OC and settle down. Our family is all here in SoCal...my wife and I are both family oriented so it was difficult to be away from family and also not know anyone in Denver.

Denver is a great city. Very laid back, nice people, great sports, nice downtown area, and amazing skiing/snowboarding. However, the golf season there is about 5 months shorter then CA. I love playing year round golf and I was dormant from Dec - April in Denver. However, I will miss being able to crush the ball 290-300 off the tee...now I'm back to mortal numbers again at sea level.

I'll probably rent a condo in the Rockies along I70 in Jan and stay out there for a month or so this winter. The snowboarding is just too good in CO!

Seriously though, CA is as good as it gets. It's a little crowded here, but man... after experiencing 50 deg weather and snow in May in Denver, it's a real blessing that I've had nothing but 65-70 highs and 55-60 lows since I got back.
[/quote]

Sorry I didn't see this thread before you decided on Denver. If you hadn't known already I would have told you to be ready for a very very short golf season (compared to SOCAL) I considered it several years ago from the east coast and when I found out how short it was compared to ours, I just couldn't do it.

As you said Beautiful City, great sports town, very nice people and fantastic summer weather, it's just way too short of season.

[LeftHandLeads]

Whatever you do, don't come to Illinois. Chicago is a wonderful city, but our winters suck and our state is in economical disarray.

Though we do have great golf here from April - Oct.