You're already used to being surrounded by Blue-Staters, and you've already seen crazy politicians in action, so the question is whether you want to trade bad weather for earthquakes.
Habla usted espanol?
I'd pick SD, and you can run for mayor...everyone else is..
CA is just like NJ except the people are all tanned and don't sound like the Sopranos...........
I'm a conservative living in Los Altos (around San Jose), probably moving to San Diego one of these days. We need more of you out here! Help! :-)
Seriously, although everyone complains about it, I think you'll like it. I moved here from New York and never looked back.
I live in the conservative enclave of Newport Beach, roughly equidistant between both cities. Given your choices, and if O.C.'s not an option, go with San Diego. Great weather, less smoggy, BIG military presence, a lot fewer whackos, and its surrounded by a lot of beautiful country (not to mention it has the Pacific Ocean). You definitely want to live near your office though as traffic congestion there (as in LA) is really bad. Commute can be nasty.
Best of luck.
Hablo Espanol? - if not, leaqrn it.
And get a 'Club' security device for your car ...
Brad's gramma lives in So. California...she can tell you more up to date info than I, though I lived in Southern Calif for over 20 years and return for visits about every year or so.
There's lots of traffic, and one's day is planned around freeway traffic....
The weather is dry, much dryer than New Jersey/New York...but, if you're in San Diego, you're closer to the beach, so you'd have much more dampness.
The housing costs are astronomical.
"vanity" - dang your not even there yet, and your already vain about it :-)
My best advice - don't forget your roots! LOL
Depending on where in Jersey you live and what you do for a living, you may need a raise, Standard of living might be different. Good luck!
There are a bunch of nice places in SoCal, but it is VERY expensive. Friends of mine just bought a 1,900 s.f. house in Oxnard for $660,000, and they have a "zero lot line" house. Their neighbor's wall is the wall to their yard.
You won't find a decent place to rent for under $1300 per month anywhere from Santa Barbara to San Diego.
Just be prepared, and know what to expect.
You should visit first and check it out. Get off the freeways (be careful where) and check out the neighborhoods. Pretty ugly in most areas. Trust me on this.
Get a cement pond and avoid bankers named Drysdale.
Wow - Instead of flying the white flag and scampering away like so many others, instead of wishing for us to "slide into the Pacific", and instead of labeling everyone in California a commie leftist, you choose to come join us.
You got guts. And my thanks. We could use a few patriots who don't know the meaning of "surrender".
Welcome to the animating contest of freedom.
Rent an apt as close to the beach as you can possibly get
Lose weight
Spend some money on a good haircut/color style
Get your teeth whitened
Get rid of all your clothes and buy new ones in Calif
Get rid of your car and get a new one in Calif - doesn't have to be fancy - Honda/Toyota are fine
Get a beach cruiser and bike rack for your car
Lose the accent
Don't hang out with other East coast transplants
Try as many beach activities as you can muster, including surfing, volleyball, jogging, running, bike riding, etc.
If you do all the above, you'll meet all sorts of cool people. Once you develop a circle of friends, you're in for good. And, by the way, it's coming up on the best 6 mos in Calif (Oct-Mar); spend a winter in SoCal and you'll never move anywhere else.
Q - Do you know why California has the most lawyers and New Jersey has the most toxic waste sites of any state in the Union?
A - Because New Jersey got first pick.
Seriously though, why do you want to move to California? Some strange desire to have to live in smaller quarters because of outrageous property prices and restrictions?