It's Just Not Fair (Coastal CA Weather)

[haha]

I have been to SF a few times, and have not lived there, and wonder why people say it is so bad. The average hi/lo is higher than in Seattle and Portland, with less rain to boot. See table below, listing temperature in cities I have often visited. It may be windier in SF, and perhaps it has a lower windchill.

City Jan Ave Lo/Hi Precip.

Portland 38/47​

6.14"

Seattle 37/47​

4.81"

San Fran 46/57​

4.50"

Sequim 32/47​

2.04"

When I was contemplating a move to the Puget Sound, one place I looked at was Sequim. Being in the shadow of the Olympic Mountains, it enjoys drier climate and more sunshine than elsewhere around the sound.

Sequim is also fall asleep boring.

BTW, most people do not complain about San Franciso, which has been a magnet for people from all over America and the world for a very long time. SF knocking is just an E-R board pastime.

For me quick check on how popular or unpopular someplace is would be its real estate price/sq ft.

Ha

 

[NW-Bound]

But not everybody needs to be in the hustle-bustle of big cities. I already replied in the post above regarding how Sequim is a "big city" for me.

Yes, it is indisputable that the high cost of RE reflects the overall desirability of a locale. But that desirability also includes the availability of high-paying jobs. When a retiree takes that out of his consideration, his equation may change. For me, it's great that I do not have to compete with other people to be in high-cost areas.

 

[haha]

But not everybody needs to be in the hustle-bustle of big cities. I already replied in the post above regarding how Sequim is a "big city" for me.

Yes, it is indisputable that the high cost of RE reflects the overall desirability of a locale. But that desirability also includes the availability of high-paying jobs. When a retiree takes that out of his consideration, his equation may change. For me, it's great that I do not have to compete with other people to be in high-cost areas.

True enough. But which has more good jobs, Honolulu or Dallas? Bozeman Montana and or Sun Valley, ID, or Houston, TX? Vail or Denver?

I think you will find that in mobile, affluent America, all the places that are widely thought to furnish a primo living environment are expensive using the metric above.

Still, we may find it advantageous to avoid high costs, out of preference or necessity.

Ha

 

[ziggy29]

But not everybody needs to be in the hustle-bustle of big cities. I already replied in the post above regarding how Sequim is a "big city" for me.

Yes, it is indisputable that the high cost of RE reflects the overall desirability of a locale. But that desirability also includes the availability of high-paying jobs. When a retiree takes that out of his consideration, his equation may change. For me, it's great that I do not have to compete with other people to be in high-cost areas.

Indeed, one measure of a location's *pure* desirability comes in the form of looking at cost of living even when there are few good jobs -- where people who don't need paychecks want to live. When it costs $400,000 to buy a home in an area where there are almost nothing but service sector jobs payingless than $30K, you know a lot of people who don't need a paycheck want to live there. I'd say that if a place has a median home price of (say) 10 times the median wage in town, a lot of people want to live there regardless of the jobs situation.

 

[NW-Bound]

OK, I stand corrected that one does indeed find reasonably high-priced homes where the local workers don't get paid much. But these are usually pockets, not a huge area where millions of people compete for small houses or condos that inch upwards near the $1-million mark.

And thinking about this some more, I concede that availability of good jobs may be an important factor, but not the major one. There is something else that may be difficult to put my finger on. How about the following theory?

People are social animals. Very few want to live by himself. Witness the many introverts who still reach out and post on this forum. And many of these are INTJs, who are in the absolute minority in the population, something like 2%. So, the majority of people want to live in big cities, simply because it is more "fun".

So, when a city reaches critical mass, it may just keep on growing because of the momentum. And if real estate in a city is expensive, hey, all the better because the high price keeps out the riff-raff, and the higher-income population would help bring down the crime rate, property vandalism, etc... That would increase the desirability further. Nothing succeeds like success. Rich people flock together. Have you been to Palm Springs? I did not see much there, except that there are a lot of millionaires to keep each other company. The climate is not great, and there is no vista or natural factors like in Jackson, Vail, Aspen, etc...

 

[haha]

Have you been to Palm Springs? I did not see much there, except that there are a lot of millionaires to keep each other company. The climate is not great, and there is no vista or natural factors like in Jackson, Vail, Aspen, etc...

Palm Springs is a winter haven for affluent people from all over the west coast. Most of them head home for the summer. Winter in Palm Springs is great, and an ideal place for golfers.

You just feel good when you get out into that valley in December, January, February. Have a date shake, enjoy the palm trees and dry air, look at the magnificent eastern escarpment of the Sierra. Or drive up and do some hiking.

A few days ago I struck up a conversation with a middle aged couple at a Tulley's a few blocks from Lake Washington. They are retired, and like to come over from the Eastside to enjoy the beach ambiance. They told me they have been spending winters in Palm Springs for almost 20 years. They don't even play golf, just enjoy the lifestyle and lovely air and light. It gets plenty cold and dark and wet up here in winter.

Just this morning I noticed how while in July it was getting light just after 4 am, now it's almost 6. Wait until December!

When I first moved to LA from New England I thought I was in paradise. I was, looking back. My wife got the big city blues, so we eventually left. But IMO there is no better place in America.

What makes winter OK for me up here is the social stimulation, and the often exciting weather near the Sound. Something about the wind blowing off the Sound is wonderful summer or winter.

Now, off to the beach!

Ha

 

[NW-Bound]

We exchanged our timeshare for a week in Palm Springs a few years ago, and even got a nice townhouse of 1,800 sq.ft. But not being a golfer, I did not find much to do, other than riding the aerial tram. And being a southwestener, the winter climate and the view were nothing unusual for me. I guess that's why I am drawn to the cloudy and rainy climate of the NW. Whenever we have a cloudy day here, my wife says "Look at that beautiful cloudy sky! We can have a walk without worrying about sunburn".

PS. You have expanded your above post after I responded. Yes, perhaps southern CA is one of the few places where it is temperate year round and most livable. Still, I would get bored if I lived there. For now, I think having two places, one in the low metropolitan and another in the high mountain boonies, gives me a nice change in the surrounding whenever I feel like it. And the fact that the two places are only 2-1/2 hours apart by driving makes it that much better. Mix in a couple of RV trips a year, maybe a foreign trip, and I've got everything I care about (or can afford ).

 

[Seabird]

When I was a younger piece of flesh with stamina the SF bay area was cold. Now that my skin has thinned and the happy temp is 75 to 85 degrees San Francisco would be a good storage place before my Autopsy.

 

[lukeaa]

Try Morro Bay, CA