Considering a Move to California Where Should I Go?

Regional Matchmaking Pacific South
1

First, let me tell you about me. I live in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. I grew up here. I am 26. I have an Associate’s Degree in Business. It doesn’t help me with anything here in Baton Rouge; I have been able to get lawn care jobs with it, and one at McDonalds.

I would like to move to California for a few reasons:

a.) the weather. All year long we have funky weather here. For example, right now, it’s 80 degrees and stuffy. From April to November, it will be 90 degrees and morbidly humid. From November to February, it will be frigidly cold.

b.) the stuff. It seems like y’all have a million things to do there. California is always the birth place of everything I’ve always enjoyed watching or doing. Skateboarding, for example. For about ten years now, I’ve been a music game enthusiast. The videos from the many California arcades helped me to get more into Dance Dance Revolution. Same with fighters, y’all have always had the best players and the biggest scene.

c.) the personalities. In these videos, I have always loved watching the people interact. I’m not saying they’d all become my best buddies, but they seem like nice people, joking around and having a good time. Here in Louisiana, if you’re not in someone’s fighters/DDR clique, you’re not getting in, and they will not talk to you. We never really had any DDR players in the state, but all the ones over the years I ever tried to hang out with were pretty cold.

Before I decide where to move, I’d like to know what getting a job there is like. Is it hard to get a good job? is it hard to even work at McDonalds? Where should I try to live? I don’t expect, even if I get a reasonable paying job, to be able to live in a super-nice area. I’m not going to be arriving there with much money. I’ll want to find a place where the rent is low, and preferably around other people that share my interests in gaming, or even around some of those gaming centers.

One of my life-long dreams was to become a writer. I know this is the least likely dream to achieve of all of mine, and probably the least profitable one. However, it’s become clear over my working life that writing is one of the only things I’m even decent at, if not good. (Y’all can see it for yourself, anyway, haha.) I want to become a writer for a gaming magazine or a music magazine. Gaming and music are the two things I know the most about, and care the most about.

I also love cycling, and have read about your many cities that are bike friendly. Actually, Oregon has a few more than y’all I think, but I’d rather live in California for sure.

So, main things I want to know:

  1. Places with the best weather. Blue skies, temperate climate all year round, not very humid.

  2. Place easiest to get a job and a place to live. I don’t want to be crashing on someone’s couch and wearing out my welcome. If someone has an empty room I’ll rent it, though.

  3. Place to live where I’ll have lots to do and a great gaming scene.

To be honest, I was already thinking somewhere near LA or San Diego. Y’all just chime in with whatever you think. Thank you so much for reading this and any help you have. I really appreciate your time!:slight_smile:

2

While all the things you have said about California are true, there are always exceptions. Socal players are friendly for the most part, but there are jerks here and there. The music game community (the community I’m most involved in currently) are all very friendly and tight with each other these days, and the fighting game community seems much more friendly these days than it has in the past. I think that has to do with the fact that most competition is now predominantly on console. Back in the arcade days people were much more standoffish because the setting is a bunch of strangers emptying each other’s wallets in a public place, but now that players mostly practice through casual practice sessions at homes, it seems like everyone is much cooler about meeting new players and being open about how to level up.

I don’t really have a particular recommendation about where to move to, except that you should move near a beach. It kinda sucks to live in Socal without living near a beach in my opinion. Of course I’d recommend the nicer areas like West LA, OC or SD, but obviously the amount of luxury will all depend on your bankroll. Only thing I really have to warn you about with California—and it’s a big thing to worry about—is the job market and the cost of living. Your plan sounds great, but unless you already have the finances to back it up, it will be difficult to make it into a reality. Gas, rent, insurance, etc. is all super expensive over here, moreso than Louisiana I’m sure… which is why a lot of people from Socal are moving out to places like Nevada and Arizona; they’re too broke to keep living here. And the job market is ridiculous. It’s extremely hard to land a decent job here for many reasons. Too many BA’s in Psychology/Engineering, too many law school graduates. There are a lot of really well-qualified workers around here but very few positions available. Everyone wants to live here right now so everything money-related is pretty competitive and difficult to deal with.

Whatever you decide to do, best of luck to you. If you end up moving here I’ll buy you some boba and show you around.

3

I’d say go NorCal but I won’t lie, I don’t know too many of the dudes up there, but my crew is chummy with them and have nothing but great things to say about the folks up north. If you were to head southward you’d likely be near a great gaming scene no matter what. Whether you head inland, South Bay or further down near the border there are people around and they all seem very welcoming. As for having things to do, there will always be something. So long as you have the money to pay for it. That’s not to say there aren’t fun and cheap things to do but I’m not about to assume you’re a cheap ass like me. :slight_smile: I have fun just going to the store buying a 12 pack, some bud and kicking it with my friends.

4

Socal is nice :slight_smile:

5

If you want a job don’t come to San Diego.