California life- specifically the Bay area.. whats it like living there?

matt333

I just interviewed for a position is the Bay area and I think I did well, seems to me that I was a solid candidate for the position
Boston --> California

What's rent like?
Are things expensive? leasing/owning a car, food, entertainment, the city environment?

Anyone in the Bay or California area that could give me an idea as to anything that may help me make a decision would be great? I don't know if I have the job yet... but more information never hurts
Thanks Guys

Iristheangel

I grew up in San Jose and my father owns a few large tech company up there. As far as rent, it's expensive. If you're looking for a 2-3 bedroom, you're looking at upwards of 2K a month for a nice place in San Francisco or San Jose. On the other hand, condos and house prices dropped like bricks since 2008 so if you have the credit, you could get something nice in the 250-300K range.

From what I've seen, cars are a little cheaper in California. We have higher smog requirements which brings down the price of a new car and I believe being close to the ocean helps too (but not completely sure about that).

As far as the food, entertainment, and city environment, there's plenty of great fun things to do and eat. Living in Southern California now, I notice a general personality difference between people in the Silicon Valley and down here. I don't want to generalize too much because it's not like everyone down here is an idiot or the generic fake Hollywood type who's self-obsessed with their own looks but I would say that having so many techies and free-thinkers up there creates sort of an intellectual holistic culture. I love it up there and plan on moving back one day.


That being said, make sure you have the job. There are a LOT of very intelligent people with a lot of experience in the Bay Area and if you move out there without having the job offer in hand, you might be flattened by the competition for jobs.

AlexNguyen

How about earthquake ?

Iristheangel

Earthquakes happen. The majority of them are nothing to sweat. Thinking back over 29 years, I can only recall 4 earthquakes total. One was the huge on in SF that messed up the bridge and the other three I only remember because I was at work at the time. I've been asleep or in my car for the rest

matt333

Thanks! this was helpful. I'm definitely not moving anywhere until I have a job, Boston has a good amount of tech so I am not worried. random question: if the position asks for you to relocate there is it common for them to offer a relocation package as well?

Everyone

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Not so much anymore. You may have to ask for it, and a lot of places will say "No". Depends on the company, and how hard the position is to fill. If they can't find anyone locally, they may be willing to pay relocation. If they have other local candidates, and you won't take the job without them paying for relocation, guess what, the job is probably going to go to a local candidate.

I don't know if that area has gotten any cheaper. I lived out there from 2002 to 2004. It was very expensive back then. CA politics suck. If you are into cars at all, avoid CA.

N2IT

I hope you land that job. Living out there would be sweet.

Aldur

I've always found the cost of living in CA to be very cost prohibitive. From what I've found I'd need around a 100% increase in pay just to break even. Also, state income taxes are crazy, most guys I know out there pay around 10% of their income to the state... not cool.

matt333

hopefully they'll give me something I couldn't afford to move all my stuff without it.. another though came to mind.. cheapest way to get there.. me drive a U-haul track down there.. would take a week probably but I think I could do it. Do you think that would be the cheapest way??

Aldur wrote: »

I've always found the cost of living in CA to be very cost prohibitive. From what I've found I'd need around a 100% increase in pay just to break even. Also, state income taxes are crazy, most guys I know out there pay around 10% of their income to the state... not cool.

bummer.. someone talk CA up.. itll be entry-level so I'm guess around 50K+ (I'm hoping). now I dont know what to think.

jkuoch

Living in CA my whole life, I would say its a pretty unique place. Things get pricey here thats for sure, but its still manageable. Im turning 25 this year and I think CA has so much to offer in terms of food, entertainment, and especially all the different cultures! Also, one great benefit here is that you will meet alot of cool people in the tech industry and make some good life long friends There is alot of opportunity here in the Bay Area, however there is also ALOT of competition at the big companies so prepare to work hard. Furthermore, you cannot beat the weather here, its amazing all year round.

afcyung

Sell the stuff you don't need and pack the rest up. You should also look at what a moving company would cost while not cheap might be worth it if you have a large amount of stuff.

matt333

jkuoch wrote: »

Living in CA my whole life, ...snip....

Thank you. I think it would be fun to move.. I'm single, going to graduate with a BS no reason I cant move.. but I dont want to move sooo far away only to not be able to afford anything -_-..

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not to much a bed, dresser, clothing.. I dont know of any other way to get my stuff from A to B..

jkuoch

I am graduating this spring and have been offered a few jobs. One thing I noticed is that alot of companies in the Bay Area are hiring new grads for some reason. What kind of job are you looking for? For example, while in college I went from desktop support intern to NOC tech to jr.sys admin to sys admin and now Ive been offered a engineering role at a big routing and switching company. I think if I didn't live here I would have never have had these opportunities. I feel truly blessed to live in the Bay Area I hope you get that job! *cross fingers*

matt333

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Thank You

networker050184

While it is pretty expensive I don't think it will be a horrible adjustment for you coming from Boston. A quick google and a couple salary comparison sites it looks like cost of living is only about a 5-10k difference between the two. Do your research and make sure you know what you are getting into.

Good luck!

NetworkVeteran

matt333 wrote: »

cheapest way to get there.. me drive a U-haul track down there.. would take a week probably but I think I could do it. Do you think that would be the cheapest way??

A U-Haul was far from cheapest the last time I did a coast-to-coast move. First, a major shipping company turned out to cost less pound for pound. Second, non-heirloom furniture, once you calculate the cost per pound, is usually better off sold at garage sale rates or even discarded and then re-purchased on the other coast.

Homes in the Bay Area run all price ranges. If you want a short commute or a good school district, expect to pay double or triple what someone who lives a couple hours out and no school district pays.

Double the commute times map sites tell you during rush hours.

not to much a bed, dresser, clothing.. I dont know of any other way to get my stuff from A to B..

Sell the bed and dresser. Pack the clothes in a suitecase. Fly over. Shop at Ikea if needed.

Forsaken_GA

Living in Boston isn't cheap either.

Cost of Living comparison calculator

I like that for getting an idea of the cost of living changes between areas. Assuming 70k annual income, you'd need an 11% increase in salary to go from Boston to San Jose to maintain the same standard of living.

In comparison, if I were to move from my present location (Atlanta, Duluth/Gwinnett area) to San Jose, I'd need a 54% increase in pay to maintain the same standard of living. I'll stay in Georgia, thanks. I like my money.

matt333

NetworkVeteran wrote: »

Sell the bed and dresser. Pack the clothes in a suitecase. Fly over. Shop at Ikea if needed.

I am debating that as well. I dont really have nice things lol. maybe my TV which is pretty decent and clothing other then that nothing worth saving. I like the idea of not starting from 0 but maybe I can use the "possible" relocation money for new things.. (if thats the way it works)

im going to be fresh out of college, single and I like having roommates according to craigslist its around 600-1000(-/+) which is around what my lease is now soo it would be to big a shock. I kind of want to lease a car too but student loans might say no, you pay me first

matt333

Forsaken_GA wrote: »

Living in Boston isn't cheap either.

Cost of Living comparison calculator

I like that for getting an idea of the cost of living changes between areas. Assuming 70k annual income, you'd need an 11% increase in salary to go from Boston to San Jose to maintain the same standard of living.

In comparison, if I were to move from my present location (Atlanta, Duluth/Gwinnett area) to San Jose, I'd need a 54% increase in pay to maintain the same standard of living. I'll stay in Georgia, thanks. I like my money.

on a side note these Product column, I thought was kind of funny "2-pc Chicken"... thanks thats good to know.
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]it says a decrease actually which I like .. oakland is probably where I'd live [/FONT]

NOC-Ninja

matt333 wrote: »

I just interviewed for a position is the Bay area and I think I did well, seems to me that I was a solid candidate for the position
Boston --> California

What's rent like?
Are things expensive? leasing/owning a car, food, entertainment, the city environment?

Anyone in the Bay or California area that could give me an idea as to anything that may help me make a decision would be great? I don't know if I have the job yet... but more information never hurts
Thanks Guys

I dont live at the bay but I believe that the cost of living is expensive. My family is here in california and I love cali. To live and die in LA!!! Nothing beats the part that I can snowboard and go to the beach in 1 day. We have beautiful beaches from malibu, zuma, santa monica, weird people at venice beach, LA is on that list which there's a lot of hot girls, Hollywood nights/clubbing/bar hopping, celebrity sightings, driving distance to san diego, santa barbara, las vegas and etc. Its a beautiful place but at the same time its very competitive. I have a friend that came from boston. He loved cali so much that he moved his parents from boston to here.

NOC-Ninja

I forgot to tell you, hit me up if you moved to LA. We have Socal Cisco user group meeting once every month. You get to meet CCIE's and make friends with people that works in the field. They also help each other on finding jobs.

onesaint

NOC-Ninja wrote: »

I forgot to tell you, hit me up if you moved to LA. We have Socal Cisco user group meeting once every month. You get to meet CCIE's and make friends with people that works in the field. They also help each other on finding jobs.

I didn't realize we had other SCCUGs in here. I've been a member for a while, but still have yet to make a meet. Rushing out to Glendale after work means I'll always arrive an hour to 90 minutes late. I'm coming from CC. Still, a great resource to have in the area.


To the OP:
+1 for Cali. LA has it's ups and downs (crazy traffic), but honestly, between the weather, industry, and attractions, it's a really good place to be. Take almost any metro area in CA, only a few hours to mountains, snow, forests, beaches, deserts, etc. We are fortunate to have it all here. And if you don't find one place just right, a few hours away is a whole new decently sized bustling metropolis just waiting.

Novalith478

Aldur wrote: »

I've always found the cost of living in CA to be very cost prohibitive. From what I've found I'd need around a 100% increase in pay just to break even. Also, state income taxes are crazy, most guys I know out there pay around 10% of their income to the state... not cool.

That's nothing. Here in Canada you can end up paying 47% overall income tax if your household income is over 150k.

cxzar20

That's not too far off from if you made that amount in California, you would be at about 44%. Here in Florida we have no state income tax which makes a big difference, you would top out at 35% if you hit the maximum federal rate.

Iristheangel

Living my whole life in California, I've NEVER paid 44% out here and I've gone above and below the six figure mark depending on the year and how much side business I do. I would say that before my tax write-offs, my average tax rate was around 30% total. Then tacking on business writeoffs, gas mileage, certifications, educational credits, etc, it was about 14-20%. If you're paying 44%, you either need a new accountant ASAP or you need to start logging your expenses more thoroughly.

I really liked the cost of living calculator that Matt posted. That's fairly accurate. Yes, you'll take a small hit cost-of-living wise, but you're starting out in IT with a new degree and would be in one of the most prestigious areas for tech jobs. If you can gruel it out for a year or two, you'd have the potential for a raise or a better job. It's really up to you as far as cost/benefits.

As far as moving, if you have a decent amount of stuff and you have a car you can hitch something on, rent a U-Haul trailer (not a truck!). They don't charge mileage on the trailers and you'd pay the $30ish daily rate. If you don't have a lot of stuff, sell the furniture, pack your car up with all your stuff, and go.

Drovor

I live in the East Bay, love it except for traffic! I would assume living expenses are not much more than in Boston. Rent really depends on where you live but it also means how far you will need to commute usually. My dad's new neighbors pay $1900 a month for a small 3 bedroom house in the East Bay. I haven't checked in a while but I remember 1 bedroom apartments in my area were around $900 a month. The closer you get to Silicon Valley the worse it gets. Not sure you will get a 50k+ a year entry level job here but if you did you can surely afford to live here with that.

Novalith478

cxzar20 wrote: »

That's not too far off from if you made that amount in California, you would be at about 44%. Here in Florida we have no state income tax which makes a big difference, you would top out at 35% if you hit the maximum federal rate.

Yikes. I didn't know it was that bad down there.

cxzar20

Iristheangel wrote: »

Living my whole life in California, I've NEVER paid 44% out here and I've gone above and below the six figure mark depending on the year and how much side business I do. I would say that before my tax write-offs, my average tax rate was around 30% total. Then tacking on business writeoffs, gas mileage, certifications, educational credits, etc, it was about 14-20%. If you're paying 44%, you either need a new accountant ASAP or you need to start logging your expenses more thoroughly.

I really liked the cost of living calculator that Matt posted. That's fairly accurate. Yes, you'll take a small hit cost-of-living wise, but you're starting out in IT with a new degree and would be in one of the most prestigious areas for tech jobs. If you can gruel it out for a year or two, you'd have the potential for a raise or a better job. It's really up to you as far as cost/benefits.

As far as moving, if you have a decent amount of stuff and you have a car you can hitch something on, rent a U-Haul trailer (not a truck!). They don't charge mileage on the trailers and you'd pay the $30ish daily rate. If you don't have a lot of stuff, sell the furniture, pack your car up with all your stuff, and go.

I also don't pay 35% despite being in the tax bracket. I am referring to your theoretical tax bracket prior to deductions. Also, don't forget that property and sales tax can be killer.

matt333

Drovor wrote: »

I live in the East Bay, love it except for traffic! I would assume living expenses are not much more than in Boston. Rent really depends on where you live but it also means how far you will need to commute usually. My dad's new neighbors pay $1900 a month for a small 3 bedroom house in the East Bay. I haven't checked in a while but I remember 1 bedroom apartments in my area were around $900 a month. The closer you get to Silicon Valley the worse it gets. Not sure you will get a 50k+ a year entry level job here but if you did you can surely afford to live here with that.

im not sure how accurate glassdoor is but it says 53-57K for the position im applying for. i hope I can at least make 50's

Mike-Mike

90% of my knowledge of the Bay area comes from E-40 songs, so I'm not sure how much help I can be...


the other 10% comes from Full House

djfunz

I've been here for a month now and it's insanely expensive! I've lived in Boca Raton, Florida and then moved over to Europe for two years. Those areas are cheap compared to California. Rent prices are literally laughable and shopping at Safeway always makes me roll my eyes. $100 doesn't go very far for groceries. Shared-room homes are affordable though, if you don't mind living with strangers. $500-$800 per room is the norm.

The weather is nice here if you like the sun. It's always seemingly hazy on the hills and across the bay because of the temperature variation between the cold water and warm air. Temperatures are mild and comfortable. People are kinda hippy-like in their way of thinking. If you like beaches, I would check out Santa Cruz and the southern areas.

Competition is very steep here. I moved over here without a job and only short-term contract positions come my way. A Bachelor's is basically a requirement for full-time consideration. Pay is between $12-$25 hourly for entry-level work.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.