[thebradbain]

San Francisco and Los Angeles could be the worst-run cities in the US (and spoiler, they’re not— as someone who has lived / still lives in both these cities and in red cities and in suburbs or towns), and they will still be desirable to live in.

People forget what drew (and to a lesser extent, still draws, despite the valid complaints) people to California is the weather and climate, the nature, the mountains, the desert, and the ocean. It’s objectively one of the most gorgeous and geographically diverse states (and I don’t say that lightly, as a Texan myself).

There will be a devastating earthquake here sooner than later, but after what I imagine will be a particularly devastating 3-5 year initial adjustment period where certain segments of the media will be jumping at the bit to say “California is dead” (remember NYC and Covid?), I have no doubt people will be flocking back in greater numbers than left, likely looking to buy at a significant discount before prices inevitably shoot up again.

Because, despite it all— People want to live here.

Look at Santa Barbara, for example— it has almost no corporate presence yet some of the most expensive real estate in the state and nation. Yet it’s not a summer destination like the Hamptons, but a year-round thriving city. That’s not an accident, but because Santa Barbara is situated on one of the most beautiful coastal inlets on one of the world’s most desirable coasts, georgraphically and weather-wise.

[AlbertCory]

It's true. If you've only ever lived on flat terrain in crappy weather, you can't know what it's like to get used to nice weather with mountains on the horizon.

Nowadays, whenever I see on TV streets lined with dirty slush piles and gray skies above, I think with a shudder, "Thank God I don't live in that anymore."

[throwaway2037]

I still remember when I moved from Cleveland, Ohio to San Jose, California. I moved in the winter. I had an grapefruit tree in my front yard at my first boarding house. It dropped decent grapefruits. My second boarding house had an orange tree in the backyard. They were delicious; more than we could eat in a season. And the first winter, weeks and weeks went by with no clouds in the sky. I remember calling my relatives, standing outside in my backyard, telling them about the weather. Crystal clear blue skies. That winter re-wired my brain. The weather is so sh-tty in Cleveland... Good weather changed my life.