Anonymous
Post 09/21/2018 09:59     Subject: Would you move to Monterey, CA?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:What do you do that Monterrey has more job opportunities? Just out of curiousity- Monterrey isn’t exactly known as a hub for high paying jobs.

My question too! Marine biologist?


Not with a salary of $350k


Yeah, marine biologists don't live in $1+ mil houses unless they marry doctors or lawyers.
Anonymous
Post 09/21/2018 08:08     Subject: Re:Would you move to Monterey, CA?
If you don't take the job, I wish I could go in your place...
Anonymous
Post 09/17/2018 15:57     Subject: Would you move to Monterey, CA?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:What do you do that Monterrey has more job opportunities? Just out of curiousity- Monterrey isn’t exactly known as a hub for high paying jobs.

My question too! Marine biologist?


Not with a salary of $350k
Anonymous
Post 09/17/2018 13:48     Subject: Would you move to Monterey, CA?
Anonymous wrote:Well, it's no Fresno, but it will do.



bhahahahahaahaha. You made me spit out my coffee.

-Former Fresnan.
Anonymous
Post 09/17/2018 13:23     Subject: Would you move to Monterey, CA?
Lived in NoCal for 18 months and wish I had never left. DC is hell compared the the Calif outdoors and amazing fresh cheap produce that was picked *that morning* and trucked in to the supermarket across the street. Do it.

(On a teachers salary DH and I have a HHI of 150K after 15 years experience and 2 masters degrees each. Have no idea how other people make so much money. Time to do as Finland does and start teachers at 80K a year fresh out of grad school, so we too can make 350K a year with our education and experience.)
Anonymous
Post 09/17/2018 12:48     Subject: Re:Would you move to Monterey, CA?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I also want to add. There are no gifted education programs here. That was a bit of a shock when we moved. I have also heard but do not have experience, that special education is very much lacking and families that can afford private special education have their kids attend Chartwell School.


+1. California schools are abysmally funded relative to DMV schools (and really most East Coast schools). Gifted programs were cut a number of years ago (though a few wealthy districts pay for them through local taxes). Special ed is woefully underfunded. Many public schools don't offer music, art, languages, or sports unless the programs are paid for locally. It is definitely a shock for families coming from strong East Coast districts (and one of the saddest stories of California's tax system, which limited property tax-based funding of K-12 schools in the late 70s).

+1 one of the reasons we moved out of CA. But if I had a lot of money, I'd go back in a heartbeat and put my kids in private school.

I hate the weather here. We have barely spent anytime outdoors in the past few weeks. Too wet or too humid. When we were living in CA, we went outside (other than to/from school/work) almost everyday, 365/year. Kids went to the park everyday after school. They had outdoor recess everyday; they ate lunch outside almost everyday. Not here.

Now, they are turning into mushrooms, ensconsed in their dark rooms (no sun for days), getting almost no exercise other than forced sports participation (because otherwise they'd get no exercise), and even with that, soccer has been canceled twice in the past two weeks. OMG, typing this out is even more depressing.
Anonymous
Post 09/17/2018 12:25     Subject: Would you move to Monterey, CA?
Well, it's no Fresno, but it will do.
Anonymous
Post 09/15/2018 22:10     Subject: Would you move to Monterey, CA?
Yes, absolutely. It is so beautiful. Aptos and Capitals are lovely and a short commute to Monterey.
Anonymous
Post 09/15/2018 18:15     Subject: Re:Would you move to Monterey, CA?
Anonymous wrote:I also want to add. There are no gifted education programs here. That was a bit of a shock when we moved. I have also heard but do not have experience, that special education is very much lacking and families that can afford private special education have their kids attend Chartwell School.


+1. California schools are abysmally funded relative to DMV schools (and really most East Coast schools). Gifted programs were cut a number of years ago (though a few wealthy districts pay for them through local taxes). Special ed is woefully underfunded. Many public schools don't offer music, art, languages, or sports unless the programs are paid for locally. It is definitely a shock for families coming from strong East Coast districts (and one of the saddest stories of California's tax system, which limited property tax-based funding of K-12 schools in the late 70s).
Anonymous
Post 09/15/2018 17:11     Subject: Re:Would you move to Monterey, CA?
I also want to add. There are no gifted education programs here. That was a bit of a shock when we moved. I have also heard but do not have experience, that special education is very much lacking and families that can afford private special education have their kids attend Chartwell School.
Anonymous
Post 09/15/2018 16:18     Subject: Would you move to Monterey, CA?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:We currently live in Monterey. Schools are not great, even Carmel Unified and PG Unified offer far less than just about any district in DMV. Things like busses to and from school or afterschool activities do not exist here. Unless you have the money for Stevenson, you will be underwhelmed. Most of the other private schools in the area are mediocre at best. The local community colleges are wonderful and are partnering with local public high schools offering dual enrollment which is promising. There are tons of opportunities if you look for them, STEM programs for girls and boys, sports, though much smaller than DMV. No lacrosse but water polo is big. I really like that at the high school level, kids can join any sport without having played it prior. It’s a small community so everyone gets a chance to play. Local music and theater options for kids and adults are plentiful if you or your children are interested in that. Monterey Jazz Festival is wonderful and they have a great student program. It’s beautiful, there is a farmer’s market somewhere nearby every day of the week, hiking, camping, water sports etc. We now have paddle boards, surf boards, boogie boards and an array of wetsuits and swim year round. We live within walking distance to the beach and downtown Monterey. It’s a very walkable, bikeable area. My teens easily meet with their friends to hang out, volunteer at the Aquarium, go to sports games, meet at the Sports Center etc They take thier bikes or walk mostly.
The weather is great, about 65 degrees all year long. It took me a while to get used to the fact that we keep our sliding glass door open without a screen. No reason to worry about bugs.
We get fog but live in the sunbelt of Monterey (and husband and I also work in the sunbelt) so even during “June gloom” we get our daily sun. Pacific Grove and Carmel are foggier than Monterey. Carmel Valley is a great close year escape if you need sun.
Monterey Peninsula is a little bubble. Traffic is so much better than DMV. There is some, but it takes both me and my husband less than 10 minutes to get home from work everyday.
We go into San Jose or San Frnacisco for shoes/exhibits several times a year. For example Went to Hamilton in 2017 and we went to a Foo Fighters concert this week in San Jose. Jerry Seinfeld is in town in a couple of weeks at a local theater here and we have tickets to go.
It’s a small town so everyone knows everyone, there is good and bad with that. Also, this area is not very diverse. PG and Carmel are virtually 100% white. The only diversity in the area comes from DLI and the Naval Postgraduate School as the military is far more diverse than the local
Community. Monterey County overall by population is majority Hispanic, but Monterey, PG and Carmel (along with Big Sur) are mostly white. The rest of the county is mostly Hispanic. Monterey County has the highest unemployment rate in the state. It’s not perfect.
Housing is ridiculously expensive. Really crappy 2 bedroom homes rent for over $3000 a month and sell for close to $850 to $1 mil in Monterey. PG and Carmel are higher. Monterey Salinas Highway can be cheaper but the traffic is a bummer if you are commuting to Monterey for work. Seaside and Marina are less expensive but not by very much. There is new housing in Marina and Seaside. A 4 bedroom will cost about $1 mil in those areas and you will want to send your kids to private schools unless you do a charter and your kids applies and attends MAOS at Monterey High. It’s not Silicon Valley, but it’s expensive. Housing is more affordable and newer in Salinas but you pay in the commute. Gang violence is an issue in Salinas in some areas too.
I still wouldn’t trade it for NOVA.


This is OP - thank you for this detailed overview. Where you live within Monterey sounds ideal. One question, where exactly is the “sunbelt” in Monterey?


Sunbelt is the area near Monterey Peninsula College and Naval Postgraduate School down towards the water. Fog banks usually come in through PG and Seaside. We live in the Casa Verde Beach area, our house is tiny butwe are a steps from the beach and rec trail which takes us down to downtown Monterey and then onto PG.