Reviews & Comments
Cerritos, CA
Former cowtown goes suburban -
8/11/2007I grew up in Cerritos when it was still a dairy farming area and new housing tracts were starting to be built, back in the early 70s. I saw firsthand how the area had grown. For the most part, the growth was good, because in addition to all the new homes being built, there were also new shopping and dining areas to accommodate the new residents.
I no longer live in Cerritos, but in a neighboring city; however, I still go to Cerritos quite a bit. It has come a long way from being a cowtown. It now boasts the Cerritos Center For The Performing Arts, right across from the Cerritos Towne Center. There's also the Los Cerritos Center and the Cerritos Auto Square, which generate a lot of revenue for the city. The public library is very modern and state-of-the-art.
About the only negative thing I can think of is that the cost of housing is rather high. But, with all the amenities Cerritos offers to its residents, and being a clean, progressive area, the cost of housing there may be well worth it.
Omaha, NE
Friendly, clean and conservative -
7/15/2006I'm from Southern California and have visited Omaha twice because I have a friend who lives there (he's been trying to get me to move there for the past 20 or so years). I had a positive first impression of the area---the people were friendly, most of the city is pretty clean, and I felt it had a laid-back, small-townish, conservative feel to it. I also had the BEST steak dinner of my life both times I visited. I haven't completely ruled out moving there, but it's going to take some time. I know the area has a strong economy with low unemployment, which is good to know. The housing prices and apartment rents are VERY reasonable compared with how they are here in California. What does concern me, however, is how extreme the weather can get there, especially in the winter, being that I never experienced a 4-season climate. I definitely want to make another visit to Omaha in the near future; it's been TOO long! Finally, Omaha seems very family-oriented. I'm wondering what the singles scene is like.
Long Beach, CA
More on Long Beach -
7/14/2006More things I wanted to mention that I forgot in my last post: The downtown area of the city has recently been refurbished, attracting a lot of businesses that cater to both tourists and residents alike (like restaurants and shops). The Aquarium of the Pacific is a great place to visit and take kids. Shoreline Village is a fun place on the water to browse, shop and eat. I worked in downtown Long Beach over 10 years ago, and one thing that remains is the panhandlers. Some of them can get pretty aggressive, especially if you refuse to give them any money! And I must concede that it is expensive to live here, as in every major California city--I believe in San Diego it's called the "Sunshine Tax." It definitely takes two incomes to even qualify to purchase a townhome or condo in this area, and renting a one-bedroom apartment in a nicer area of town will run about $900-$1,000 a month. Just something for anyone out of state reading this to consider if you're looking at Long Beach and surrounding areas as possible areas to relocate to.
Long Beach, CA
Long Beach area jobs -
7/9/2006I have to agree with many of the positive comments others have posted regarding Long Beach. For a coastal Southern California, it's relatively reasonably priced in terms of housing. Lots of things to see and do in the city, lots of diverse neighborhoods, each with its own character. As one person stated, there are good and bad areas of town---it seems that the nicer, safer neighborhoods are in the eastern part of the city, near Orange County. Lots of ethnic diversity adds to the unique character of Long Beach.
However, my one big complaint about Long Beach is in the area of decent-paying, skilled jobs. There used to be a lot of good job offerings in the area, but it seems many of the companies doing business in Long Beach are moving to Orange County cities, such as Costa Mesa and Irvine. As a result, lots of Long Beach-area residents have to commute long distances for work in horribly gridlocked traffic, especially the 405 going south. (Been there, done that!) Fortunately for me, I was able to find a job close to home, but the downside is that it doesn't pay as well as my last job in Irvine. With Boeing closing down its last aircraft assembly plant, that many more people in this area will be out of a job, and may be forced to look out of the area for something with comparable pay and benefits.
This can be an enjoyable place to live if one weighs all the positive and negative aspects, and makes decisions accordingly.
Sacramento, CA
Former Sacramento Resident -
7/4/2006I lived in Sacramento back in the early 90s, having moved there from Southern California. After experiencing my first really hot summer, I couldn't wait to move back. I lived down the street from the "Thrill Killer" (Eric Leonard), which only helped to hasten my desire to get out of Sacramento. I thought the drivers were terrible (NEVER used turn signals), and that many of the people were rather unfriendly.
I went back up there in 1995 to visit with some friends who had moved there from my area, and they seem to enjoy it there. Not a whole lot had changed and I was surprised that I still knew my way around pretty well. But, I knew that I will always consider Sacramento a nice place to visit, but I could never live there again.
Lakewood, CA
Family-Oriented Community -
7/4/2006For an older community, Lakewood is very well-kept. There are lots of parks and things for families to do. Lots of shopping, dining and entertainment in the area. However, the L.A. County Sheriff is constantly patrolling the Lakewood Center, as there have been problems with gangs coming in from nearby cities. Other than that, not a bad place to live.