Hello from Southeast Georgia!!

[maui]

A little bit about myself....

I have lived in Georgia my entire life, not far from Savannah, and I attend school at Georgia Southern University. I am majoring in photography, just started my last semester, and will graduate in May!! :D Throughout my life, I have always been inspired by nature and my surroundings. When I started the Photography courses at GSU I chose to do nature photography, so I could learn and understand more about the technique. Through my journey I have developed, what I think to be, a well thought out and resolved portfolio.

Upon graduating, I plan on moving away from the southeast in search of something new. Living in one town my whole life is starting to get to me. I want to move out to California within the year to experience life in a new environment, and continue my passion for art.

This is where I would like some advice....

Being that I have only lived in one town my whole life, I am a little scared about making the big move! I have looked in to the Ventura area a little bit, but not much. I don't want to live in a big city due to that I am a broke college student and I will probably struggle to survive once I make it out there. lol. However, I want to be semi-close to a city that I can visit, and the same with a beach. I want to move to the socal area. Any advice, feedback, ect. will be GREATLY APPRECIATED!!!!!!!

Thanks and Have a Great Day!!:)

[Killjoy]

Hi Ashley.

Welcome to the forum. :)

Hmm. Advice on where to live.....
I couldn't give you much in the way of SoCal, seeing as I live in Northern CA.

That being said, the area where I live, is only a couple of hours from Monterey Bay.
About three and a half hours from Lake Tahoe (when there's no snow).
Less than an hour from downtown San Francisco.
About four hours from Yosemite National Park (where some of us are meeting in April during Spring Break).

Personally, I live in a small bedroom community, and there's not much in the way of apartments to rent in Clayton, but there are in the town right next to me, Concord.

Oh, and that comment about when there's no snow, it doesn't usually snow around here. Just about every ten years or so.

Again, Welcome to the forum, and I can't wait to see some of your work.

Thanks,
Alan

[Lilikoi the cat]

Ashley,
LA is one giant city the whole area is 4X bigger than Atlanta. Something like 50 miles across. No hurricanes, tornadoes, flooding,hail,humidity but does have smog and earthquakes.
Many different areas to live in and cheap is not necessarily a good thing down there. A few of the members here live down there and do take some very good nature shots. If you really want to do that then move more inland where there are great opportunities for such.
Good luck

[Killjoy]

Originally Posted by Lilikoi the cat

Ashley,
LA is one giant city the whole area is 4X bigger than Atlanta. Something like 50 miles across. No hurricanes, tornadoes, flooding,hail,humidity but does have smog and earthquakes.
Many different areas to live in and cheap is not necessarily a good thing down there. A few of the members here live down there and do take some very good nature shots. If you really want to do that then move more inland where there are great opportunities for such.
Good luck

Don't let that dismay you though Ashley.
While we DO have earthquakes in California, they are not in season every year.
Such as Hurricane Season, and Tornado Season, etc.
Although, LA doesn't really have a smog SEASON per se either. Because EVERY day is a smog day. :p

[windrivermaiden]

hey you guys, quit knocking my region!!!!

LA Area is HUGE! and even bigger if you include OC which is what most people out of the area tend to do. I live in OC (orange county). It has so much to offer. but there are drawbacks too.

Ventura is still fairly inexpensive...as LA county goes. but I do have the experience that several of my younger photography friends from that area have had to move home with parents because of the economy. so there is that to note. You need to make about 15 an hour base to afford housing--studio apt, no parking in a lower crime area or have roomies. You can go cheaper, but expect to have break-ins, no parking and slum lord apartment owners. Insure your Gear. Ventura is has easy access to Channel Islands Nat'l Park, the Malibu area, Santa Barbara, San Simeon, the Agoura Hills are near by and provide alot of hiking as does the area around Santa Paula and Filmore and into the Los Padres Nat'l forest. The FWY is the 1. It gets heavy use during the commuter hours.

You'll need a reliable car for sure. Unlike other metro areas, the train/subway system here does not go there, it doesn't really go anywhere in LA area. You'd think that you could catch a train from the airport...nope...the train stops a mile from the airport. And every where charges for parking.

LA area is pretty saturated with photographers, stellar ones, good ones, and fly by nights with a digital camera and undercutting principals and no talent. Ventura has a lot of newly minted ones because of Brooks college in Santa Barbara....and Ventura is the closest affordable cost of living.

Redondo beach/ Torrance/ Long Beach Area if you like beach life. But note: the 405 and 710 are the arteries to anywhere and it is a BRUTAL commute, so you need to either have a job close by...or be prepared to schlep for at least 1-1.5 hours to work. (that goes for most areas--we don't measure commutes in miles---that doesn't even begin to tell the story---it is by drive time...and traffic. There is no public transport other than the bus. But you get....access to Channel Islands, the whole LA/Long Beach harbor area. Palos Verde Peninsula, Pt Fermin, Sea Port Village and the Aquarium.

Long Beach south has the area known as Belmont Shores/Heights that is home to a vibrant art community. It is more pricey, but I have friends there who just love it.

If you like Mountain areas LA county has that too. The mountain communities are pretty pricey and the jobs are seasonal. I'm not sure what the rental situations are for long term rentals, I think that the people who rent out can make more by doing weekly/weekend rentals for the season rather than having regular tenants. If you like mountain living, The area around Wrightwood is great. But of course...pricey and seasonal road conditions can cut the area off from greater LA.

Desert area is best for cost of living...but the jobs are scarce. Antelope Valley/ Palmdale. Most of the housing is suburb development. You can take the metrolink to LA...but once again...you still need a way to get around in LA once you get there. The main arteries 5 and 14 FWYs bottle neck at the rush hour and any inclement weather can keep you from getting to the metro area. The mountains are right there --between you and LA. and then again to the north. Further out Adelanto and Victorville you are on the edge of the actual Mojave. Again Cheaper, but at the mercy of the 15 FWY and the Cajon Pass. The benefits besides lower cost is the ability to get right out to nature fairly quickly.

I'll put OC in its own post as to not clutter things up. :w00t:

[Killjoy]

Originally Posted by windrivermaiden

hey you guys, quit knocking my region!!!!

Sorry 'bout that. But please tell me what, if anything I said is untrue?

Oh, and Danna lives in Wrightwood. I'll see if I can get her to chime in and tell a little more about that area.
If she won't reply to an e-mail, I'll call her.

[windrivermaiden]

Orange County is another beast--As varied as LA county...both community wise...and venues.

OC is actually just the big bedroom suburb of LA. Heavy on houses and shopping...little pockets of nature thrown in to raise the cost of housing by providing a "view".

Ok I'll confess that I'm a little sour on OC. It used to be all fields and orchards...as little as 25 years ago. The best farmland in America with the best growing season has been paved over for foo foo housing with names like Orchard Glen and Lemon Heights.


I live in Laguna Beach...yeah just like the TV show. It USED to be a nice little artist community, but now is a growing monument to consumption. The art community is still there, but more and more it is the realm of-dare I say this with out sounding even more bitter--rich women who pick up "art" as a way to pass time...and then because their husbands can buy them a gallery...WELL. Yeah, total sour grapes, I'll admit it. But I think my talent can actually stand up to my mouth....but I digress.

It IS beautiful. And PRICEY. In the last 25 years an average house went from 200 thou to close to 2 million. Parking is at a premium. The 2 bedroom across the street from me is 6 thousand a month, No pool. does have ocean view. You can't get there from here...only 3 ways in/out and since the TV show, there is no "off" season so traffic is a hassle.

So What is good and more reasonable in OC...

Costa Mesa. Has a great art program at the local Community college Orange Coast. The rents are not modest to say the least but better than most places in OC. My daughter rents (with friends) a 1 bedroom for 1300/mo utilities and laundry included. One assigned parking space, walking distance to college and grocery. There is a marine sanctuary at the Back Bay and San Joaquin Marsh, Newport harbor is right there, Bolsa Chica State beach and wetlands, Huntington Beach state beach and wetlands, the Irvine Reserve. Near by, Laguna Coast Wilderness park. Limestone Canyon Regional park...

Downtown Santa Ana--right next door but inland of Costa Mesa.. they are trying to grow an artist district there. Rents are pricey in that area...and just next door is heavily populated with immigrants. My daughter went to school at the HS of the Arts in the area. I never felt out of place or scared in the area during the day time...but on a few occasions when going to a school function at night, there were gunshots and sirens. So there is that. I'm not going to gloss over the gang situation here. for the most part, they are families who love their children and wives...but they do have a tendancy to solve things way differently than I would.

Downtown Fullerton Area. Again a college area, Cal State Fullerton is there. Near by is Carbon Canyon State park and Chino Hills State park as well as several regional parks.


And the IE (Inland Empire--not a city but a region) It is actually Riverside and San Bernardino counties)

closest to natural areas...hour to the beach...good traffic and weather...hour to the mountians....traffic and weather providing...hour to the desert...weather and traffic...it does get HOT! and it gets cold. there is Traffic to get to anywhere but the people are nice, the cost of living is moderate. There is an art community in Riverside and Chino areas. Colleges, University of California, Riverside, College of Redlands ( I love Redlands area), 4 seasons in some areas. Loma Linda University.

Down falls, Traffic for sure. Gangs yes, jobs...not so good right now.

Gosh when you tally it up. there are lots of great places to live and things to do and see.

[windrivermaiden]

so...come on down!~!! we've got it all.

[Ahh!]

Welcome from Frisco.

[maui]

Thank you all for the advice! It is very helpful!

Please continue to add any information that I may need to know!

Thanks again!

[Killjoy]

Hmm. Any more info is going to cost you.

You've got to at least post one photo somewhere in the forum. ;)

[maui]

haha...ok! I will post up Pictures soon. Still trying to figure this site out! lol

I might post them in in another thread. If i do I will let ya'll know!

Thanks again for all the information! I want to move out there NOW!!!!

[Killjoy]

Just for the record Ashley, I was just joking with you. :D

That being said, we would love to see some of your work.
Feel free to add to any of the other threads if your images fit the theme, or go ahead and start your own thread.

[Lilikoi the cat]

aren't you obligated to show us a picture of a peach?

[maui]

haha...I'm not sure about the peach! but I think i have a picture of one if it would make your day! lol

and Alan, It's cool I will post up the pictures tomorrow. I would like feedback because all I get it from is classmates and teachers.

Ya'll have a good night!