Reply to WWYD: Move to Cali for career opp or stay in VA

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[quote=Anonymous]No here, 
I made that move 10 years ago (DC to Burlingame). Children are now 12 and 8.

I had a really hard time adjusting to the lack of seasons and miss being closer to family (Boston and New York). But the older grandparents wouldn’t be that helpful these days anyway and were too far away for day to day care. My DH is a scientist and my job was transferable.  
We haven’t been able to buy a home (HHi 250k) and my kids’ perception is warped - they offer to put things away when I have a big grocery bill, even though we tell them we’re fine. The fires not only stress me out but also trigger my asthma and my children’s. Also, there are no school buses and regular violence / fights on the city bus my 12 year old rides (though she can avoid it). Those are a list of cons

Somewhere in the middle - we use public schools and they are fine. Our 12 year old is very studious, it will interesting to see how they serve our 8 year old who struggles more. Funding per capita in CA is some of the lowest in the nation and funding per capita in Burlingame is lower than CA averages - large parent donations are expected and used to supplement the school funding. But obviously plenty of people go to Burlingame public school and go on to good colleges / careers. You don’t *have* to use private schools.

Something to think about - the trains are really loud and blow their whistles all night long. In Burlingame if you want to be walkable to anything you also hear the train. Some cities (like San Carlos) have bridges over the tracks for traffic and the trains don’t have to blow their whistles all the time. With your budget and work location I’d look at Palo Alto or Mountain View. (We get a lot of rain, so be careful too if you find a place on or near a creek.)

Positives - we can easily get to mountains and ocean and be outside all the time. Our older daughter pkay soccer almost everyday - her team takes about 3 weeks off a year - which she loves. While parts of CA are very red, living in a liberal area where the state has enough money to pursue certain initiatives even as the country goes another direction is appealing.

All in all I miss DC (though these days suspect the vibe is different) AND think the move was good for our careers and for our children.  [/quote]

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