[schmookeeg]

We tried to leave (Coastal Los Angeles) and failed to find our blue heaven anywhere else. (Almost Cape Town... almost. May yet retire there) We ended up back in the bay area after trying non-Cali for 5 years.

For your questions? We don't want kids, we are firmly upper middle class. We bought a house without trouble or sacrifice. We are in an area not in PG&E territory so Utilities are fine. We are apolitical so skip a LOT of noise in news and social media. Homeless and crimes ARE everywhere, not just here? Our two cars are not troublesome to own. We are good at identifying and ignoring ideologues -- and we have not yet been discovered in our wrongthink and sent for livelihood-ruining re-education. (wtf are you even on about with this?)

We're lucky. Others struggle, I get it. Sucks. Our austere life choices and preferences favor it here quite strongly. Others, maybe not as much. That's cool. I'm not out rallying a cry against Wichita on some forum they frequent and trying to bend them to my own preferences. That's rude.

Sorry it wasn't for you. Doesn't mean it's not for ANYONE.