General Chat

Or know anyone who lives there? Scotts Valley is the area i most need to know about. Ive googled it, but it doesnt give many photos. Thanks x

Stump Are you going there,my Nephew and his wife used to live in Mill Valley across the Bridge from San Francisco,I could mail her and ask but what do you want to know?

Is that where Scotty's Castle is? near death Valley? Bob

Yes Bob i think it is. The place im thinking more of is Morgan Hill, its between San Fran and Silicone Valley.......i need to know: Is it nice to live? The climate Is it good for maybe expats? God, i need to know anything i can find out really. If i google, they just go on about it for the hoilday stuff.

If you google 'Morgan Hill Califonia' +News you'll get the webby of Your Morgan Hill News the local online newspaper and several others. Or yourmorganhillnews(.)com will get you there, lose the brackets.

I looked at Morgan Hill as it looks so nice.........but photos always do.

My friend lives in California, Red Bluff, Gerber. But thats all i know. :-s

Donna just googled it and there are some images on the net.

All looks fab doesnt it. But id be a 12 hour flight away....scary.

Why dont you fly to new york, rest there a few days and then do an internal flight to sanfrancisco ????? break it up a bit.....

I sort of meant if i needed to get home fast Lee really.

Just have to add this bit :- Its a horrible place - no one wants to go there - and Arnie is the governer lol right now thats off my chest i can relax!!!!

Oh daughter, i may not go yet love....some huge things to think about before i go over and not just about the moving part of it!!

I lived in Silicon Valley for about a year (10 years ago). The climate is good, but areas only a small distance apart can have very different weather at the same time! Coast has a tendency to be foggy, inland (e.g. Sacramento) is scorching in summer. It WAS a very expensive area to live (apartment rent), don't know if that is still the case. Shopping good on the whole, San Francisco has plenty to do and see and there are some lovely scenic places nearby. Monterey and Carmel also very nice (out of season!) However there is nothing 'old' and I found the whole experience a bit shallow - depends what you're looking for, really, and if you have friends out there (I didn't know anyone!). It's a very cosmopolitan area - I worked with all sorts of nationalities, quite 'laid back', much less frenetic than the eastern seaboard. I found people very open and straightforward, but a lot of them were also very materialistic and seeking the archetypal American lifestyle. It was a great experience but I defo wouldn't want to live there permanently! Sheila xx

Sheila thankyou for that, i know its very cosmo there looking at the stats, the areas ive been told to look (easy for the office) are Morgan Hill, Cambell and the likes.....looking online its lovely. The apartment complex's for 2 beds, fully loaded kitchen, 2 bathrooms, study, lounge, dining room, garage, patio, decked sun roof (?), gym, pool etc costs IRO £700-1000 sterling per month (includes utilities).......seems less than the UK, is that alot for over there though? All so confusing.

Hi Donna - I think I was paying around US$1000 a month (not inc utilities) for a 1-bed apartment - very nice but basic, had no washing machine but used on-site laundrette which was very good. The prices may have evened out a bit, as there was a big dive in the IT/telecoms industry a few years ago and loads of people were made redundant. I think Campbell may be one of slightly less expensive areas - when I was there, Cupertino and Sunnyvale were extortionate! I could talk for hours, lol! Please pm me if you want to know anything more specific, I'm sure some things have changed but probably not TOO much! Sheila x

All I know is Donna - If you go to San Francisco - be sure to wear a flower in your hair!! lol

Cupatino does look nice doesnt it. More importantly.....they all say cable....can i get english rugby on that? Think i do need to pm you x

lol Kris.....theres a Maceys in San Fran!

Oooh Donna! That means that we will both be in the same time zone! Only about 900 miles or so away, so we will be able to drive it in a day (12 hours ish) or a 2 hour flight! I like the drive though. We have driven throught that part, but never realy took much notice. The coast is beautiful. Between San Fran and LA there is a place called San Simeon. This is where Hurst built his 'castle', THAT I remember well. Remember we were talking about Las Vegas next summer? Well, we can either pick you up on the way, or meet you there. A girl I knew from the kids school moved to Silicone Valley. She loves it and has never returned. Good luck, and whatever choice you make, Vegas is still on! Deb