... Dreaming of San Diego ...

San Diego - 2nd best city to work and live in the United States

2009-01-14T21:49:00.001+11:00

Sorry long time no write.. lots going on in my life. Afraid I will have to delay my move to the US given the economy...

Anyway here is a great article about San Diego being a highly desirable city to live in! New York is #1.

Yay for Obama!!

2008-11-10T22:51:00.000+11:00

Yay for Obama winning!!! Yay for California voting for the 'right' man for the job. :D

His site:
change.gov

Voting overseas for US expats

2008-11-03T19:01:00.004+11:00

Why is voting overseas so difficult?

Interactive US election map

Also check out this site: If the whole world could vote

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Not long till the election now!!

Access to voting information

2008-10-27T19:29:00.001+11:00

With the election hotting up and only 8 days to go now Google have set up voting information. Check it out here!

San Diego's largest employers

2008-09-21T13:38:00.001+10:00

San Diego county's largest employers

Most stressful cities in the USA

2008-09-20T21:44:00.003+10:00

America's most stressful cities - Forbes article

1. Chicago, Ill.
With 7.3% unemployment and a gallon of gas going for just under four bucks, the Windy City has some economic headwinds that result in a perfect storm for stress. Chi-town’s pollution problems (it ranked No. 7 in terms poor air quality) and lack of breathing room (it's No. 2 in terms of population density) couple to create a Midwestern Molotov cocktail of stress.

2. New York, N.Y.
New York City has the third least affordable housing when you look at local mortgages versus income, making it tough to get ahead. Whether you rent or own, you won’t have much space unless you are rolling in dough. The Big Apple is packed to the core, coming at No 1. in terms of population density with in 786 housing units per square mile. You can smell the ambition in this city, but you might smell something else. New York had the ninth worst air quality of the 40 major metro areas we looked at.

3. Detroit, Mich.
Detroit used to thrive as the epicenter of the American auto industry. But massive layoffs at Ford and General Motors contribute to a 9.4% employment rate, the highest in the e country. What's more, the industry that is now cutting jobs probably won’t offer to fix the pollution it created. Detroit was No. 9 on our ranking in terms of air quality. On the upside, the slack demand for homes has made housing cheap. Detroit has the second most affordable homes relative to income in the country.

4. Los Angeles, Calif.
Individuals living in the City of Angels deal with a 7.5% unemployment rate, the second least affordable homes relative to income in the country and the worst air quality in the country. Los Angelinos also have to fret about health concerns and often need to stay indoors when the smog gets really bad. Throw in expensive gas and this car-dependent city has a lot to stress about.

5. San Francisco, Calif.
There are 7.2 million residents in the City by the Bay, and they’ve got cause for stress. San Francisco ranks as the fourth least affordable city in terms of housing relative to income, and its citizens pay more per gallon of gas than anywhere else in the country. Tack in 359.8 housing units per square mile, the ninth highest population density of the 40 major metro areas we looked at, and you’ve a recipe for anxiety.

6. San Diego, California
The Southern California city known for its sunny Mediterranean climate, rich naval history and Latin flavor thanks to the border it shares with Mexico has got a problem: Its homes cost too much for those looking to buy, which makes it tough for residents to take out a mortgage and get ahead. This affordability issue has lead to a lot of buckled mortgages--a major source of stress for residents and local businesses. San Diego’s 6.4% unemployment rate, the tenth highest in our ranking, doesn’t help either.

7. Cleveland, Ohio
8. Salt Lake City, Utah
9. Providence, R.I.
10. Philadelphia, Pa

La Jolla - most expensive community in America

2008-09-11T17:55:00.003+10:00

The best places in San Diego blog just posted this article on La Jolla being named the most expensive community in America (in a study done by Coldwell Banker).

The article is here but what I found interesting were the comparisons between California and other states, and the USA to other countries and cities in those countries.

I have no idea where or how they got their data but in figures I've seen before I had no idea there was such a huge price gap between Sydney and Perth, or that Shanghai was that expensive for housing! Interesting... hmm...

Japanese connection

2008-09-09T20:13:00.004+10:00

There seems to be an Asian/Chinese/Japanese area in San Diego called Kearny Mesa. I just re-visted the San Diego Turtle blog where there was a clip of a Japanese supermarket and bookstore. Ahhhh bookstore! I am obsessed with bookstores and I LOVE Japanese art/craft/design books. They are so beautiful and awesome (I can only read a little bit but I get by on the pictures). When I was in Taiwan earlier this year I was constantly searching for Japanese stuff (surprisingly there is quite a lot of it).. I just love Japanese food, clothes, books, cosmetics/skin care. They make such awesome things which are cool and nice and beautiful and good quality!

Long time no post (SSN revisited)

2008-08-31T16:51:00.006+10:00

Related post

It's been a while since I posted in here. I haven't forgotten about this blog, I just haven't thought of anything interesting to write or post about!

I had a bit of a setback a few weeks ago when I turned up to the US consulate in Sydney and was told I couldn't go in without an appointment. It used to be that citizens didn't need one but now they do (since September 2007 apparently). So I had to be turned away. They gave me a little business card and told me to call this number to schedule an appointment.

I had to listen to 10 minutes of recordings only to be told to go to their website, or I could leave a message. Once I got to the part about leaving the message, I still had to listen to another 5 minutes of recorded messages. I was frustrated but persisted, but in the end noone called me back! Btw, the only time you can speak to a human operator is between 2-4pm Sydney time.

Anyway, I went to one of my favourite stores and a place where I knew had free internet, the Apple Store, on George St. I made an appointment for the soonest available date (20 August). However, then I later this was a bad move and it would not be wise to miss out my class that day, so I had to reschedule for another date, and now that date is in October. I looked and looked online and couldn't actually find out how to cancel my appointment(!!) so I just sent them an email and amazingly got a reply within a few minutes saying it had been cancelled for me. Since, there were obviously humans on the other side (LOL) I decided to shoot them another email asking them the correct procedure for doing all of this (just to double check) and this is what they had to say:

If you have neither applied for a Social Security Number (SSN) nor has anybody applied on your behalf in the past, you may submit your application in person at the Consulate. If you believe you may have been issued a number in the past, you may contact the Social Security Administration Regional Office (SSA) at the U.S. Embassy, Manila, Philippines (0011 632 525 6481, Manila Time is approx. two to three hours behind Sydney Time) and confirm your identity with them. If you are able to satisfactorily establish your identity, SSA will forward your SSN to the Consulate and you must then schedule an appointment and appear with current photo identification to receive your number. We will also assist you with applying for a replacement card.

If you are certain that you have never received an SSN, you may schedule your appointment as a Notary Service and appear at the Consulate to submit your application. You must present the following original documentation at the appointment:

· Birth certificate

· Current photo identification

· Evidence to support all name changes, such as marriage certificates, divorce decrees, certificates/court orders of name change (if applicable)

· Progressive evidence of physical presence outside the United States from the earliest date of departure to present. This evidence must be submitted by U.S.-born applicants who resided outside the U.S. for an extended period. Evidence may include but is not limited to school records/transcripts and dated school photographs, real estate lease agreements, vehicle registrations, utility bill/statements, etc.

Please also provide one clear photocopy of each original document. We will review the originals, retain the photocopies and return the originals to you. We will forward the application and your supporting documents to SSA, Manila for processing which can take three to six months. SSA will respond to the address you indicate on your application.

Regards,

American Citizen Services

U.S. Consulate General, Sydney

Since I already have all those documents and photocopies ready now all I have to do is wait for my date and turn up! Fingers crossed it's a speedy process towards the 3 month end and not 6 months!

Healthy eating, healthy living

2008-08-13T21:03:00.003+10:00

I've heard from various people and sources that most people in San Diego are into fitness and health, actually most of Southern California is. My guess is because the weather is so great and comfortable all year round (enabling you to do lots of outdoor activities) and Hollywood is nearby, everyone is quite image conscious and wants to look good! Actually I don't know what the reasons are but I like it.

I don't think I'm as fit as I could be but I think I'm pretty healthy. I don't smoke or drink alcohol, coffee or soda. I've never had a weight problem. I don't eat greasy food and haven't eaten McDonalds or fries in over a year. I rarely eat sweets or have dessert (but love chocolate!) I don't go to the gym (but I used to) and I currently live in a walkable neighborhood so try to walk wherever and whenever I can. I'm totally not obsessive about it though. I think a healthy body and healthy mind is very important though. I can't wait to go snorkeling in La Jolla!

Well anyway, in LA they have decided to ban all new fast food restaurants and give calorie listings for menu items.

Interesting...!

Big Mac index

2008-08-03T11:59:00.002+10:00

From The Economist:

THE Big Mac Index is The Economist's light-hearted guide to exchange rates. The index is based on the theory of purchasing-power parity, which says that exchange rates should move to make the price of a basket of goods the same in each country. Our basket contains just one item, a Big Mac hamburger. The exchange rate that leaves a Big Mac costing the same everywhere is our fair-value yardstick. Many of the currencies in the Fed's major-currency index, including the euro, the British pound, Swiss franc and Canadian dollar, are overvalued and trading higher than last year's burger benchmark. Only the Japanese yen could be considered a snip. The dollar still buys a lot of burger in the rest of Asia too. China's currency is among the most undervalued, but a little bit less so than a year ago. The full index is available on our website by 7pm London time on Thursday July 24th.

Walkable neighborhoods revisited

2008-08-02T13:40:00.005+10:00

(green = walkable, red = car dependent)

I decided to revisit the Walkable neighborhoods website again.

Walk score San Diego rankings

It's such a cool site!

I figure there's plenty of time to have the 4 bedroom house with white picket fence and large yards but right now I'd be happy living in a convenient, walkable neighborhood in preferably a high-rise building.

Neighborhood Score

1 Core 96
2 Cortez Hill 95
3 Gaslamp Quarter 94
4 Marina 90
5 Little Italy 89
6 Park West 88
7 East Village 83
8 Kensington 82
9 Mission Valley 81
10 Midtown 81
11 Normal Heights 81
12 Rolando 78
13 Ocean Beach 75
14 North Hills 75
15 Pacific Beach 74
16 West University Heights 73
17 La Jolla Village 71
18 Kearny Mesa 71
19 Balboa Park 70
20 Carmel Mountain 69
21 Loma Portal 69
22 Old Town 69
23 College Area 68
24 City Heights West 68
25 Egger Highlands 67
26 Southcrest 66
27 City Heights East 66
28 Palm City 66
29 Clairemont Mesa 65
30 Roseville 65
31 Memorial 65
32 Talmadge 64
33 Grant Hill 64
34 North Clairemont 64
35 El Cerritos 63
36 Midtown District 63
37 Mountain View 63
38 Darnall 62
39 Lincoln Park 62
40 Bird Land 62
41 Moreno Mission 61
42 Chollas View 61
43 Bay Park 60
44 University City 60
45 Grantville 60
46 Oak Park 59
47 Linda Vista 58
48 Mount Hope 57
49 Bay Ho 56
50 Mira Mesa 56
51 Torrey Pines 55
52 La Jolla 55
53 Webster 54
54 Mission Bay 53
55 Del Cerro 53
56 South Park 53
57 Carmel Valley 52
58 Serra Mesa 51
59 Nestor 50
60 North City 50
61 Lake Murray 48
62 San Ysidro 48
63 Bario Logan 47
64 Valencia Park 47
65 Allied Gardens 44
66 Emerald Hills 44
67 Del Mar Heights 44
68 San Carlos 42
69 Paradise Hills 42
70 Jomacha-Lomita 42
71 Sorrento Valley 42
72 Tierrasanta 40
73 Rancho Penasquitos 38
74 Rancho Bernadino 37
75 Sky Line 36
76 Sabre Springs 36
77 Wooded Area 34
78 Encanto 33
79 Gateway 33
80 Alta Vista 31
81 Scripps Ranch 31
82 Bay Terrace 29
83 Miramar 10

Is it a coincidence that the most walkable areas are also some of the most expensive? ;)

Earthquake should be San Diego wake-up call

2008-08-02T13:36:00.002+10:00

Signs on San Diego news link

...Over the past few years, small earthquakes have hit near Borrego Springs, Julian, Coronado, off La Jolla and near Mexicali in northern Baja. Yesterday's quake was larger, but still fairly routine, experts said.

“This will happen anywhere in Southern California every so often,” said Jean-Bernard Minster, a geophysics professor at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

Though the area isn't as seismically active as Los Angeles and San Francisco, fault lines run throughout the county. One, the Rose Canyon fault, goes through the city of San Diego. Not only that, but other fault lines near the region – especially the San Jacinto and San Andreas faults to the east – could cause considerable damage here if they unleash quakes.

Minster said geologists are especially concerned about the southern portion of the San Andreas fault, which extends roughly from the Salton Sea to Wrightwood. That portion usually breaks every 220 years or so but hasn't done so since 1680, he said...

Museums in San Diego

2008-07-31T08:06:00.003+10:00

A selection of the wonderful museum offerings in San Diego... enjoy!

San Diego Natural History Museum

Address:
1788 El Prado,
San Diego,
CA 92101
Phone:
619.232.3821

Museum Hours:
Daily 10 AM – 5 PM
The Museum is closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.

Admission Prices:
General Admission (Giant-screen theater included with admission)
Adult $13
Senior (62+) $11
Active military, youth (13–17), student (with ID) $8
Child (3–12) $7
Child 2 and under FREE

Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego

Address:
700 Prospect Street
La Jolla,
CA 92037-4291
Phone:
858 454 3541 (24-hour recorded information)

Hours:
11 AM - 5 PM Friday through Tuesday
11 AM - 7 PM Thursdays
Closed Wednesday

Admission:
General Admission $10
Military/Seniors $5
25 and under Free
25 and under free is generously supported by QUALCOMM.
MCASD Members Free
Admission is valid for 7 days at all MCASD locations.
Free Museum admission Thursday evenings from 5 to 7 PM

Maritime Museum of San Diego

Street Address:
Maritime Museum of San Diego
1492 North Harbor Drive
San Diego, CA 92101
Phone :
619-234-9153

Hours of Operation:
Open every day of the year
9:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
(open until 9:00 p.m. Memorial Day - Labor Day)

General Admission*:
Adults $14
Seniors (62 and over) $11
Active Military (with valid military ID) $11
Children (6-17) $8
Children 5 and under are free
Museum members are always free

San Diego Art & Space Museum, Balboa Park

Address:
San Diego Air & Space Museum
2001 Pan American Plaza
Balboa Park, San Diego, CA 92101
Phone:
(619) 234-8291

Regular Hours of Operation:
* The Museum will be open normal hours this year on New Years Day.
* Normal Hours**
* 10:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
* With admission until 4:00 p.m.
* Summer Hours
* (Memorial Day through Labor Day):
* 10:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
* With admission until 5:00 p.m.
* Closed:Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day

Regular Museum Admission Fees:
* Adults (12 and over): $15
* Senior/Student/Retired Military w/ ID: $12
* Youth: (3-11 years)* $6
* Flight Adventure Center: $5 for 20mins
* Doron Simulator: $4 per person
* Max Flight Simulator: $6 person $12 solo
* Combo Ride - One ride on each simulator: $8 per person
* SDASM Members: FREE
* Children 3 and Under: FREE
* Active Duty Military: FREE
* Restoration Tours - Adult:** $5
* Restoration Tours - Senior/Student:** $4
* Restoration Tours - Junior:** $3

San Diego Museum of Art, Balboa Park

LOCATION
San Diego Museum of Art
1450 El Prado
Balboa Park
San Diego, California
PHONE
(619) 232-7931

MUSEUM HOURS
Tuesday through Sunday
10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Thursdays
10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Memorial Day through Labor Day
(Extended through September 25, 2008!)
Museum Admission Prices

ADMISSION
Members Free
Adults $10
Seniors (65+) and Military $8
Students with ID $7
Youths (6-17) $4
Children 5 and under Free

The museum of photographic arts, Balboa Park

Address:
1649 El Prado, Balboa Park
San Diego, CA 92101
Phone:
619-238-7559 (Phone)

Directions:
MoPA is located in the Casa De Balboa building, east of the main traffic circle and central fountain.

Hours:
Galleries
Open: Tuesday through Sunday 10:00am – 5:00pm
*Closed Mondays
(*Hours vary during Special Events)
Closed: Every Monday, Thanksgiving Day, December 25th, January 1st, and July 4th. Galleries close at 2pm on December 24th and December 31st.
Administrative offices
Closed on Thanksgiving, Friday after Thanksgiving, December 25th (with intermittent days closed the week of Christmas through New Year's), January 1st, Martin Luther King Day, Presidents’ Day, Memorial Day, July 4th, and Labor Day.

Admission Prices:
Gallery Admissions:
$6 adults
$4 students, seniors and military
FREE to members and children under 12. Become a member.
FREE to public on the second Tuesday of the month
FREE to school groups with advanced reservation
Film Admissions vary. See the film pages for admission information.

Museum of San Diego history

Address:
1649 El Prado, Suite #3
San Diego, CA 92101
Phone:
(619) 232- 6203

Opening hours:
Daily, 10am – 5pm. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.

Admission Prices:
$5 Adults,
$4 Seniors (65+), Students and Military (I.D. required),
$2 children ages 6-17,
Free children under 6.
San Diego Historical Society members receive unlimited free admission.

San Diego Automotive Museum, Balboa Park

Address:
San Diego Automotive Museum
2080 Pan American Plaza
San Diego, CA 92101-1636
Phone:
619-231-2886

San Diego Museum of Man

Address:
San Diego Museum of Man
1350 El Prado
Balboa Park
San Diego, California 92101-1616
Phone:
(619) 239-2001

Opening hours:
Open daily:
10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Closed:
Thanksgiving
Christmas
New Year's Day

Admission Fees:
Adults – $10.00
Youth (ages 13-17 years) – $7.50
Children (ages 3-12 years) – $5.00
Seniors (62+) – $7.50
Students (with ID) – $7.50
Active Military (with ID) – $7.50
Children under 3 – FREE
Members – FREE

California Surf Museum

Address:
California Surf Museum
223 N. Coast Highway Oceanside, CA 92054
Phone:
(760) 721-6876

Hours:
Open Daily 10am to 4pm Except Major Holidays.

Admission:
Free, Donations Welcome!

More museums inside Balboa Park listed here.

Los Angeles earthquake

2008-07-30T21:30:00.000+10:00

So it was reported about 13 hours ago that a strong earthquake hit Los Angeles sending shocks throughout California (including San Diego) and even to Las Vegas. It had a magnitude of 5.4 on the richter scale. Thankfully noone was injured or killed. Earthquakes are such incredibly destructive things. I hope that's the end we hear of that!

Potential expat Aussies with the greenback blues

2008-07-30T21:09:00.006+10:00

An interesting report by the Sydney Morning Herald

Interesting article. I love the chart comparing prices!

July 29, 2008

FOR decades it has lured some of Australia's best and brightest to foreign shores - drawing them with the promise of spending power that made their local currency look weak.

But the US greenback is being challenged by the Australian dollar, and it is making expatriates think twice about where to pitch their tents and what they can afford to put in them.

Recruitment agencies, expatriate organisations and industry groups say working in the US may not carry the attraction it used to for Australians.

Some are choosing instead to go to Europe, others are seeking different salary packages, while a few are even asking to be paid in Australian dollars.

"Roughly a third of Australians who emigrate do so primarily to increase their income, so the value of the US dollar is definitely a consideration," said Daniel Tehan, director of trade and international affairs at the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

"There are a whole range of factors which influence the decision about where to work, but if you can make twice as much because of the exchange rate in Europe, you would have to take that into account."

Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show that although the US remains one of the most popular destinations for Australians wanting to live overseas, the number of new arrivals is declining. About 340 fewer Australians travelled to the US to live in the past year than did so in the 12 months before.

The number moving to Britain rose by 780 over the same period, while those bound for China rose by 264. Those who do go to the US are asking for higher salaries to compensate for the poor exchange rate or leaning more towards packages with housing and holidays.

"You do hear about people asking for the car, the rent, the childcare rather than a straight salary," said Tim Oberg, Europe manager for the Australian expatriate organisation Advance.

"We joke that America is the new Thailand: a great place for a cheap holiday."

Expats in the US whose pay cheques come from home are revelling in the spending power. It is cheaper for an Australian to live in San Francisco than here.

A comparison of the two cities shows both have had soaring rents and house prices in recent years, with San Francisco's median house price of $500,000 not far behind Sydney's $550,000. Median household incomes are even closer, with Sydney ($63,000) slightly behind those in the US ($65,000).

But the price of petrol, luxury items, clothing and alcohol in the US has turned San Francisco into a bargain basement for Australians.

Judith Scrimshaw, who moved to San Francisco from Perth in February and is paid in Australian dollars, said many items were much cheaper: "You can buy a Revlon lipstick for $5 which would cost you $18 in Australia."

On the other side of the coin, another expat, Tim O'Connor, is paid in US dollars and would think twice about doing the same again: "A lot of Australians want to come to the US, make some good money and go home; it wouldn't make sense to do that with the current exchange rate."

Going Global - Jobs that take you around the world

2008-07-28T15:28:00.009+10:00

A few weeks ago I borrowed this book from the library. It wasn't something I was looking for, but something I stumbled upon by accident.

You can actually read large extracts of it here on the Google books site.

I'm not sure if there are any Aussies reading my blog but I say if you are young, and single, or even if you are just young(ish) with no kids - do it! I would say that 99% of people would not regret having moved/lived overseas for some time of their life.

This book is really helpful. It covers legalities, technicalities and features lots of interviews with people working in different fields in different countries.

I'll quote some interesting comments:

(page 38):

London has been undoubtedly the best thing I've ever done. I think immersing yourself in another culture - even one that your own culture is based upon - is a massively rewarding and eye-opening experience. Living away from the comforts of home forces you to learn and grown as a person. For me, it kind of puts the world (and where I belong) into perspective. I've always loved Australia and seeing through the eyes of another culture has, in a way, made me love it even more. What I never expected to happen is that I've grown to love England too, and I know I'll take that feeling home with me when I go.

(page 51):

It was very hard to adjust to the difference in lifestyle. Although the people in the UK are a lot like Australians (similar sense of humour, friendly), I found it hard to get used to the different climate. I know it sounds a bit silly, but a few friends who came to live and work in the UK chose to go home early, because they missed the beaches and outdoor lifestyle!
Having said that, I like living over here and the UK feels like home now - it is actually hard for me to remember what it was like to live and work in Australia!

(page 57):

What is the process of going overseas on a company transfer?
First of all, you need to secure a job, and this generally involves an internal interview and selection process. The company then arranges work permits, visas, and so on. Depending on the country it can take two to three months to have everything in order.
Once you arrive, it probably takes around three months to settle in and find your way around.

(page 60):

Are the Sydney and San Francisco offices similar to work in?
You'd think that, moving to another English-speaking country, you wouldn't encounter an language problems but some terms and phrases are not interchangeable! I often need to ask people exactly what they mean, to clarify things and thus avoid misunderstandings.

(page 76):

Any tips for people hoping to work in the USA?
The all-important thing is finding a way to work here. Once you've got the visa, definitely come. Australians are very well received. We always attract a crowd at parties, and a lot of business comes from referrals.
The day-to-day mechanics of life can be difficult at first. There are all these little things you have to stop and think about. But I love being a little bit different to everyone else!

(page 89):

There is an interview with Shawn Grogan - a senior research associate at the Scripps Research Institute but they spelt La Jolla La Jollas! Oh dear.
Is the life-work balance adequate?
Moving to California, starting a new job, purchasing a home with my wife and adapting to a new lifestyle - I would say that the balance has been all over the place. Now that I have been here one year, I would rate it as fair and I hope to spend more time with my wife - that would make it excellent.
I have flexible hours. There is no specific time when I should be in the lab, except for preplanned meetings. In most cases, I can take off time when needed. I do not have to see patients or stick to a fixed schedule. I can put my work in the freezer and come back to it later.
What do you do in your spare time?
Spend time with my wife. Home renovations. Go to the gym, swim and try to roller-blade. Hope to swim and go boogie boarding in the summer.

(page 103):

How did you go about the search for journalism work in Amsterdam?
When I arrived in the Netherlands, I had to start work urgently and was offered a job by my Dutch brother-in-law as an assistant air-conditioning installation mechanic. The funny thing is, I knew nothing about the trade, couldn't speak Dutch and was sent to work with a mechanic who couldn't speak English... The message is that the right job can be hard to come by overseas, so you have to be patient, play your cards right and build up contacts. Don't head overseas thinking it will be easy street because it's not. It's hard work, but rewarding work...
Contacts are a journalist's lifeblood. the media is a small world, where you are accepted on recommendations. I hire freelancers primarily via recommendations from other journalists I know. It is important to build good contacts and make sure you respect those contacts. Never burn bridges, as they say. I found my present job through and old colleague who put me in touch with financial news service Bridge (which later went bankrupt). Am Amsterdam Bridge employee eventually introduced me to Expatica.

(page 110):

What is it like living and working in other cultures?
...One benefit of being a foreigner in this situation is the 'expat' community - the support and understanding you receive from other foreigners might surprise you. Sometimes the sense of isolation is still a bit overwhelming. But in the case of Sweden, people seem delighted to introduce you to local customs, from kayaking to pagan festivals.

There is also lots of information on applying for jobs in general. I highly recommend it. It's a great read!

Comic-Con San Diego 2008

2008-07-26T17:42:00.005+10:00

One of the most exciting events to hit San Diego... is the Comic Convention 2008, held at the:
San Diego Convention Center
111 W. Harbor Drive
San Diego, CA 92101

Australian star Hugh Jackman made an appearance, as reported in the New York Times. It proved to be a highly successful and star studded event. Here is another report from the UK Times.

I wish I could be there! Make sure you go if you are in San Diego :)

Some nice pictures from my favorite photo site, Flickr:

Lego Batman and Robin - Michael_Soliman

Jabba the Hutt (Star Wars) - Michael_Soliman

Stargate - Jewel Staite, Robert Picardo and Richard Dean Anderson

People in costumes from Batman (The Huntress, The Joker, Poison Ivy, Plastic Man, and The Question) - Michael_Soliman

Some guy in a Shrek costume - Lantern Waste

America's Increasingly unaffordable cities

2008-07-24T18:44:00.001+10:00

America's Increasingly unaffordable cities

America's Most Expensive Cities

1. New York, N.Y.
2. Los Angeles, California
3. Miami, Florida
4. Honolulu, Hawaii
5. San Francisco, California
6. Chicago, Illinois
7. White Plains, N.Y.
8. Houston, Texas
9. Boston, Massachusetts
10. Washington, D.C.

The cost of living

2008-07-24T11:44:00.005+10:00

Reuters writes that Moscow's living costs are now 1.5x as expensive as New York City's. It then goes on to say...

Mercer said currency trends accounted for many of this year's shifts in city rankings, with the rouble, euro, and several other currencies all gaining against the U.S. dollar and making U.S. cities in general seem comparatively cheaper.

"On the bright side, the U.S. dollar's loss of value may serve to attract globally mobile executives to business centres such as New York, Chicago and Los Angeles," said Mitch Barnes, another principal at Mercer.

"The difference in cost of living can be significant, particularly for those executives with families," he said.

Time and time again I've read that San Diego is an 'expensive' city but coming from Sydney, I barely bat an eyelid. Also with the US Dollar going down, there has never been a better time to move there!

Mercer's 2008 report puts New York City at position #22 on the cost of living chart. It is beaten by (in order) Moscow, Tokyo, London, Oslo, Seoul, Hong Kong, Copenhagen, Geneva, Zurich, Milan, Osaka, Paris, Singapore, Tel Aviv, Sydney, Dublin, Rome, St Petersburg, Vienna, Beijing and Helsinki.

So given NYC is the most expensive place to live in the US, the fact that San Diego is still considered 'expensive' doesn't worry me in the slightest. Getting a decent-paying job is the main aim, and then the cost of living shouldn't matter as much... right? Afterall, it's all relative!

Huge gorgeous photos

2008-07-24T11:12:00.002+10:00

Here are some photos of gorgeous Balboa Park, La Jolla, University of Southern California (USC) and various other places.

Perfect weather...

2008-07-24T08:53:00.000+10:00

Can't remember if I've mentioned it on this blog before but good, nice, sunny weather is really important to me. Humidity is also important. I tend to get nasty, itchy, red, blistery eczema the moment it becomes too humid or too dry. I could move to Queensland (Australia) which also has great weather and lots of sunshine but for me the population density is too low, and it's too humid there. I despise rain (yes I know we need it!) and cloudy days. I don't mind a few clouds but not totally overcast days. I find it really affects my mood and makes me grumpy.

For year-round great weather it doesn't really get much better than Hawaii IMHO but San Diego comes pretty close. It's colder overall than Honolulu but still great with few rainy days and not too humid and lots of sunshine (I'm just going by what I've read of course).

Some say it's the city (in the US) which has the best weather. Not only that, Mexico is a hop, skip and jump away and the snow and mountains and desert are not far away either. WHO WOULDN'T WANT TO LIVE THERE?

According to City Rating San Diego is one of the top 10 cities voted by readers (the others being Atlanta, New York city, Houston, Austin, Seattle, Denver, Charlotte and Boston - not in any particular order).

They also have extensive data on the weather in San Diego.

Change of dates

2008-07-23T22:18:00.002+10:00

OK so I wrote on April 18 of this year that I was going to move to San Diego in August, and now it's nearly August. Well lot of things have happened since April and unfortunately I can't go until early-mid next year. But I'm still going! I can't do all this research for nothing, right? I'm definitely going, even if it's the last thing I do ;)

Books: Who's your city?

2008-07-21T20:02:00.011+10:00

Some books that I feel are relevant to me. They may be relevant to you too!

Who's Your City?: How the Creative Economy Is Making Where to Live the Most Important Decision of Your Life

Extracts:

But a disturbing new study has found a solution to the housing slump: Live next to gay people. The study's author measured changes in income and property values using something called the Bohemian-Gay Index.
"Now while that may sound like another name for the San Francisco phone book, folks, it is BAAAD NEWS! This study found that the artistic, bohemian, and gay populations increase housing values in the neighborhoods and communities they inhabit. According to that, I guess people these days want a house with a view of some goateed beatnik playing his bongos while he smokes a clove cigarette and chisels a sculpture of k. d. lang.
"The theory is that tolerant communities, where homosexuals are likely to reside, nurture an open-minded culture of creativity, which can lead to innovations like Google, or YouTube, or ShirtlessHunksBaggingGroceries.com.

Wow, this is interesting because I was only just talking to a friend the other day about Newtown, which is the bohemian/artsy/gay neighborhood in Sydney and where property prices have skyrocketed over the last 5-10 years.

Others, meanwhile, will argue that while jobs, money and schooling are surely important, the most critical decision in life is picking the right life partner-- someone who will support you in all your endeavors and love you unconditionally along the way. Those who study human psychology agree: Loving relationships, their studies find, are key to a happy life. My mother knew this intuitively. She turned down many college-educated suitors to marry my dad, a factory worker and World War II veteran with an eight-grade education. "Richard," she would say, "it was the best decision of my life by far. Sure, some of those other guys made more money. But love is what is really important. I was madly in love with your father every day of my entire life."

Queue the "Awww..." But seriously, I do think there is definitely some truth to that.

Maybe this seems so obvious that people overlook it. Finding the right place is as important as -- if not more important than -- finding the right job or partner because it not only influences those choices but also determines how easy or hard it will be to correct mistakes made along the way. Still, few of us actually look at a place that way. Perhaps it's because so few of us have the understanding or mental framework necessary to make informed choices about our location.
The place we choose to live affects every aspect of our being. It can determine the income we earn, the people we meet, the friends we make, the partners we choose, and the options available to our children and families.

Place also affects how happy we are in other, less palpable ways. It can be an island of stability in a sea of uncertainty and risk. Jobs end. Relationships break up. Choosing the right place can be a hedge against life's downsides... It's exponentially easier to get back on your feet when your location has a vibrant economy with lots of jobs to choose from, or a lot of eligible single people in your age range to date.

I think this is really interesting and probably something most people never think about. I mean, most people just live where their parents decided to bring them up and never venture outside their own home town. I was once destined for that life but now I could never go back to the humdrum of the same-ol same-ol. Plus, with nothing to tie me down - no kids, no mortgage, the world is my oyster! :) But getting deep here, I really do think that once you move and live overseas (as I did recently) you really do grow a lot spiritually and for me that was really important. You don't know what kind of person you really are, or want to be, or can be unless you are out of your element and left to deal with things that are strange and unfamiliar...

Here's another book by the same author:

The Rise of the Creative Class: And How It's Transforming Work, Leisure, Community and Everyday

Best Cities for Tech Jobs

2008-07-21T19:48:00.004+10:00

From Business Week...

30 Best Cities for Tech Jobs

By Albert Sun

Tech geeks, take note: Silicon Valley is still the center of the technology universe, but if you're thinking about a career in computing and want to avoid the Bay Area's sky-high cost of living, consider another locale—say, Durham, N.C., or even Huntsville, Ala.

Flip through this slide show for a glimpse of the 30 cities boasting the most high-tech jobs per capita. The American Electronics Assn., a trade group, compiled statistics on 60 cities using Labor Dept. data from 2006, the most recent period for which it's available. The slides rank cities by tech job density and include data on total jobs, growth in that total from 2005, average annual IT salary, ranking by salary, and biggest sector in each city.

Slides also include tech or health-care employers in the region, based on information from City-Data.com and other sources.

Summary:

1. San Jose/Silicon Valley
2. Boulder, Colo.
3. Huntsville, Ala.
4. Durham, N.C.
5. Washington, D.C.
6. Manchester, N.H.
7. Colorado Springs, Colo.
8. Austin, Tex.
9. Palm Bay-Melbourne, Fla.
10. Albuquerque, N.M.
11. San Diego
12. Raleigh, N.C.
13. San Francisco
14. Oakland, Calif.
15. Boston
16. Seattle
17. Boise, Idaho
18. Portland, Ore.
19. Denver
20. Kansas City, Mo., and Kansas City, Kan.
21. Orange County, Calif.
22. Dallas-Fort Worth
23. Baltimore
24. Detroit
25. Salt Lake City
26. Minneapolis-St. Paul
27. Atlanta
28. Sacramento
29. Albany, N.Y.
30. Ventura, Calif.

Full listing:

1. San Jose/Silicon Valley
Jobs per 1,000: 285.92
Total: 225,343
Rank: 3
Growth: 3%
Average wage: $144,828
Salary Rank: 1
Biggest sector: computer systems design
Area employers: Google (GOOG), Intel, Hewlett-Packard, Apple (AAPL)

2. Boulder, Colo.
Jobs per 1,000: 230.45
Total: 30,533
Rank: 38
Growth: 1%
Average wage: $96,077
Salary Rank: 6
Biggest sector: computer systems design
Area employers: IBM, Level 3 Communications (LVLT)

3. Huntsville, Ala.
Jobs per 1,000: 188.46
Total: 28,806
Rank: 40
Growth: 1%
Average wage: $65,848
Salary Rank: 50
Biggest sector: engineering services
Area employer: Bechtel

4. Durham, N.C.
Jobs per 1,000: 155.94
Total: 33,454
Rank: 36
Growth: 8%
Average wage: $95,551
Salary Rank: 7
Biggest sector: R&D and testing labs
Area employer: Duke University

5. Washington, D.C.
Jobs per 1,000: 132.02
Total: 295,834
Rank: 2
Growth: 2%
Average wage: $92,718
Salary Rank: 9
Biggest sector: computer systems design
Area employer: Sprint Nextel

6. Manchester, N.H.
Jobs per 1,000: 123.89
Total: 21,695
Rank: 49
Growth: 0%
Average wage: $81,683
Salary Rank: 21
Biggest sector: measuring and control instruments manufacturing
Area employer: Verizon

7. Colorado Springs, Colo.
Jobs per 1,000: 122.43
Total: 25,498
Rank: 45
Growth: -3%
Average wage: $74,673
Salary Rank: 29
Biggest sector: computer systems design
Area employer: Hewlett-Packard

8. Austin, Tex.
Jobs per 1,000: 121.40
Total: 68,760
Rank: 23
Growth: 3%
Average wage: $100,536
Salary Rank: 3
Biggest sector: electronic components manufacturing
Area employer: Dell (DELL)

9. Palm Bay-Melbourne, Fla.
Jobs per 1,000: 115.56
Total: 20,705
Rank: 52
Growth: -1%
Average wage: $68,838
Salary Rank: 39
Biggest sector: electronic components manufacturing
Area employer: Raytheon (RTN)

10. Albuquerque, N.M.
Jobs per 1,000: 112.80
Total: 34,432
Rank: 32
Growth: 1%
Average wage: $65,853
Salary Rank: 49
Biggest sector: R&D and testing labs
Area employer: Intel

11. San Diego
Jobs per 1,000: 96.99
Total: 106,358
Rank: 13
Growth: 1%
Average wage: $92,328
Salary Rank: 10
Biggest sector: R&D and testing labs
Area employer: Qualcomm (QCOM)

12. Raleigh, N.C.
Jobs per 1,000: 94.58
Total: 37,144
Rank: 31
Growth: 3%
Average wage: $74,285
Salary Rank: 31
Biggest sector: computer systems design
Area employer: IBM

13. San Francisco
Jobs per 1,000: 93.84
Total: 79,442
Rank: 19
Growth: 3%
Average wage: $118,518
Salary Rank: 2
Biggest sector: computer systems design
Area employers: Salesforce.com (CRM), Genentech (DNA)

14. Oakland, Calif.
Jobs per 1,000: 93.43
Total: 81,406
Rank: 17
Growth: 1%
Average wage: $96,930
Salary Rank: 4
Biggest sector: computer systems design
Area employer: Ask.com, owned by IAC Interactive (IACI)

15. Boston
Jobs per 1,000: 92.78
Total: 191,690
Rank: 4
Growth: 2%
Average wage: $95,100
Salary Rank: 8
Biggest sector: computer systems design
Area employer: Massachusetts General Hospital

16. Seattle
Jobs per 1,000: 90.74
Total: 127,680
Rank: 9
Growth: 7%
Average wage: $96,197
Salary Rank: 5
Biggest sector: software publishers
Area employers: Microsoft (MSFT), T-Mobile USA (DT)

17. Boise, Idaho
Jobs per 1,000: 89.78
Total:
Rank: 51
Growth: -1%
Average wage: $70,066
Salary Rank: 37
Biggest sector: computer systems design
Area employer: Micron Technology (MU)

18. Portland, Ore.
Jobs per 1,000: 84.41
Total: 73,735
Rank: 20
Growth: 4%
Average wage: $78,958
Salary Rank: 25
Biggest sector: semiconductor manufacturing
Area employer: Intel

19. Denver
Jobs per 1,000: 77.90
Total: 80,542
Rank: 18
Growth: 0%
Average wage: $87,901
Salary Rank: 13
Biggest sector: telecommunications serviecs
Area employer: Qwest Communications International

20. Kansas City, Mo., and Kansas City, Kan.
Jobs per 1,000: 75.78
Total: 62,118
Rank: 24
Growth: 3%
Average wage: $72,411
Salary Rank: 32
Biggest sector: telecommunications services
Area employer: Sprint Nextel (S)

21. Orange County, Calif.
Jobs per 1,000: 73.77
Total: 100,895
Rank: 14
Growth: 1%
Average wage: $81,914
Salary Rank: 20
Biggest sector: computer systems design
Area employer: Allergan (AGN)

22. Dallas-Fort Worth
Jobs per 1,000: 71.91
Total: 176,010
Rank: 5
Growth: 2%
Average wage: $83,133
Salary Rank: 18
Biggest sector: telecommunications services
Area employers: AT&T, EDS (EDS)

23. Baltimore
Jobs per 1,000: 69.03
Total: 71,211
Rank: 22
Growth: 2%
Average wage: $79,144
Salary Rank: 24
Biggest sector: computer systems design
Area employer: Northrup Grumman (NOC)

24. Detroit
Jobs per 1,000: 68.24
Total: 115,082
Rank: 12
Growth: -3%
Average wage: $80,109
Salary Rank: 23
Biggest sector: R&D and testing labs
Area employers: The Detroit Medical Center, St. John Health

25. Salt Lake City
Jobs per 1,000: 66.97
Total: 34,344
Rank: 33
Growth: 7%
Average wage: $59,572
Salary Rank: 57
Biggest sector: computer systems design
Area employer: Qwest Communications International (Q)

26. Minneapolis-St. Paul
Jobs per 1,000: 64.59
Total: 98,059
Rank: 15
Growth: 0%
Average wage: $75,630
Salary Rank: 28
Biggest sector: computer systems design
Area employer: Mayo Clinic

27. Atlanta
Jobs per 1,000: 63.93
Total: 126,672
Rank: 10
Growth: 2%
Average wage: $82,372
Salary Rank: 19
Biggest sector: telecommunications services
Area employers: AT&T (T), IBM (IBM)

28. Sacramento
Jobs per 1,000: 63.9
Total: 43,699
Rank: 29
Growth: 3%
Average wage: $83,518
Salary Rank: 15
Biggest sector: telecommunications services
Area employers: Intel (INTC), Hewlett-Packard (HPQ)

29. Albany, N.Y.
Jobs per 1,000: 62.85
Total: 20,373
Rank: 53
Growth: 2%
Average wage: $76,592
Salary Rank: 27
Biggest sector: research and design, and testing labs
Area employers: General Electric (GE), Verizon (VZ)

30. Ventura, Calif.
Jobs per 1,000: 62.80
Total: 17,255
Rank: 60
Growth: -4%
Average wage: $69,707
Salary Rank: 38
Biggest sector: engineering services
Area employer: Amgen (AMGN)

---

Well that's good that San Diego scores highly on that chart because I plan to get a job in the tech (IT) area.

More on applying for a social security number

2008-07-20T10:16:00.011+10:00

About 2 years ago I bought this Suze Orman book. For those that don't know she writes about money and financial issues and has her own tv show. Actually back then I didn't know she had her own show but I looked up a few reviews on Amazon and her book seemed to be the best for what I needed at the time.

Now, I never actually finished reading it because it seemed at least half of it was based on the American system (which was useless to me as an Australian living in Australia). But last night I picked it up again and almost couldn't put it down! All of a sudden everything made sense. The FICO score, opening a bank account, borrowing money, mortgages, etc etc. It even had a small section on getting a job - great!

So with that in mind, I kept thinking to myself - is there a way to apply for a SSN before I arrive in the US? Considering my whole financial future relies on this number and my credit score...

So of course I went to my good friend Google for information. I should preface this by saying that I'm already a US citizen but have lived in Australia for most of my life so this article will only help you if you're in the same boat (ie US citizen living abroad, moved away from US at a young age so never had a SSN) but there may be links that are helpful to you too.

Grant Holliday - An Aussie in Seattle

This is such an informative site. It is easy to read and understand and nicely laid out. Grant talks about how to get an E-3 or E-3D visa and how to drive in the USA. This is not relevant to me but particularly useful for any Aussies wishing to work/live in the USA. I noted his description of the US Consulate in Sydney (which I've been to several times) and the security there. It actually is the most secure place I've ever been to, it's pretty scary. Lots of queues, x-ray machines, waiting, chaperoning, waiting, queues, etc. There is no toilet there either so if you need to go you need to go back down from the 59th floor to the 10th floor and then queue and wait all over again!

FAQ for international students

Various common questions and answers.

Chat transcript with the US Embassy in Canberra, Australia

Kind of like a FAQ it features random questions and answers about citizenship and Social security issues. There was one question which was particularly relevant to my situation and that is:

Q: My daughter was born in the U.S. and came to Queensland with her mother and me when she was 6. She doesn't have a social security number and when we contacted the consulate to apply, we were told that she needed to come to the consulate in person for an interview and that it could take up to 6 months for a US-born applicant! Why does a 14 year old need to travel all the way to Sydney and why does it take so long?

A: Post September 11th 2001 security laws and regulations required Social Security to strengthen the integrity of the Social Security number process. The regulations are applied uniformly all over the world. If your daughter lived in the U.S. she would need to apply at the Social Security Office nearest to her, because she's in Australia, that is in Sydney. The process takes so long because of the need to verify all of the information on the application.

Social Security foreign offices addresses worldwide

Now, this is interesting because it says if you are in Australia or New Zealand you need to go to Manila in the Philippines. However, upon further research if you simply want to apply for a SSN you can do it in Sydney.

US Consulate General, Sydney: American Citizen services

This page says pretty much the same thing "The Social Security office at the American Embassy in Manila, Philippines, provides direct service to Social Security beneficiaries living in Australia."

Initial Benefit Claims: 1-800-750-030 Toll free from Australia
This number is only available Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays 12pm- 5pm Sydney time (10am - 3pm Manila Time)

General Enquiries: 0011-632-525-6481

Fax Number: 0011-632-522-1514

Email: ssad.varo.manila@ssa.gov

Mail:
Social Security Division
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Regional Office
American Embassy
1131 Roxas Boulevard
Ermita 0930 Manila
Philippines

Now I realize they are talking about people who want to claim SS benefits.

Socialsecuritygov: Social Security FAQ for international residents

Aha! Now this is the page I needed to find in the first place. I clicked on the first question "I live outside of the U.S. How do I contact Social Security?"

It then tells me: I live outside of the U.S. How do I contact Social Security?

If you are in Canada, British Virgin Islands or Samoa, you may obtain services from an SSA Field Office.

In countries where there are a relatively large number of Social Security customers, American embassies and consulates have personnel who have been specially trained to provide a full range of services, including the taking of applications for benefits.

For phone numbers and addresses of offices serving customers outside of the U.S. see Service Around the World.

Social Security International Operations

It mentions Manila again...

No no no! I don't need to go to Manila.

There was something else I found which was more relevant and accurate. I went to the US Consulate in Sydney website, typed 'social security number' into the search box and then followed some links to the US Embassy in Canberra website which gave me these links and pieces of information:

Applying for a Social Security Card
(Or to change your name on your Social Security Card)

Documents you need to apply for Social Security Card

First time applicants 12 years or older: you must submit your application in person to the Consulate General serving your area.
All other applicants: you may submit your application by mail to the Consulate General serving your area. (Please include a self-addressed pre-paid Registered or Express Post Platinum envelope or Courier satchel for return of your original documents).

If you are changing your name, please also submit original documents (e.g. marriage certificate) to support this.
All supporting documents presented with the application must be either originals or copies certified by the issuing authorities.
If an applicant is unable to sign his/her name, then original photo identification of the signing parent/legal guardian must also be included with the application.

Related links:

Social Security FAQs for U.S. Citizens outside of the U.S.

Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN)

Download the Social Security Number application form (PDF) here

Interesting to note that they allow A4 paper! Just as well, I have no idea where to buy US letter sized paper around here.

---

Are you confused yet? I sure am!

To summarize:

• I'll read through the list of documents I need to bring.

• Go to the US consulate in Sydney (in Martin Place) between 8am-11:30am Monday-Friday (their opening hours)

• Bring and show them the documents and the filled in application form

• Attend the interview

• Wait patiently for the SSN/card to come in the mail. Hopefully it won't take six months to get but if it does, so be it.

---

San Diego: a playground for kids and adults

2008-07-19T22:30:00.004+10:00

Here is a great report from TravelMuse covering neighborhoods and suburbs, restaurants, tourist attractions and other sites of interest, beaches, hotels and more!

There's even gondola rides in Coronado Bay. Cool!

More bad news

2008-07-19T15:42:00.002+10:00

News articles:

LA Times: Jobs outlook weak as California's unemployment rate hits 6.9% in June

and

NY Times: Uncomfortable Answers to Questions on the Economy / Is this a recession?

San Diego Blogs

2008-07-16T19:11:00.003+10:00

I haven't put these in my links list because they may not appeal to everyone. Unfortunately there doesn't seem the be that many good blogs about life in San Diego...

The Best Places in San Diego! - Reviews and articles about various interesting places in San Diego, not necessarily touristy or picturesque places.

The San Diego Traveler - List interesting happenings in and around San Diego.

SD Urban - a blog about San Diego's urban neighborhoods, featuring many photos. One of the more relevant, interesting and up-to-date blogs.

Staying classy in San Diego - one of the better blogs featuring restaurant reviews, events, and photos.

My very own eating San Diego blog - Restaurant reviews and Recipes.

San Diego Daily Photo - one photo per day. One of the best blogs!

Fear and Loathing on Golden Hill - Life, happenings and politics in the Golden Hill/South Park area (warning: has music when you load the blog up).

San Diego Turtle - Cute blog name. One of the newest personal SD blogs. Features photos and videos.

Go San Diego Travel Blog - A list of loads of great, fun things to do in San Diego.

Hybrid Photography - San Diego Wedding Photography - If you enjoy looking at beautiful photos of happy couples this is a great blog. There are also other types of portrait photos using beautiful San Diego as the backdrop.

LAist - OK so it's about L.A. "up the road" but it's interesting to read and sometimes the articles can be relevant to San Diego too or the US in general.

SanDiegoish - similar to LAist but smaller. It bridges the gap between "news" and "personal blogs".

Oh! San Diego - One woman's life in San diego

San Diego Blog - Random articles. Blog could be better if it had longer articles and pitures.

San Diego Real Estate Blog - a guide to buying property in San Diego.

San Diego Momma - a personal account of a stay-at-home mom in San Diego. Updated very regularly.

SoCal Cabbie - the life and times of a cabbie in Southern California.

Photographs of San Diego, CA - A beautiful photoblog but unfortunately has not been updated for several months

Coronado Life - nice blog about Coronado Island but unfortunately has not been updated since November 007.

San Diego Moves on Moving San Diego - A blog by some removalists, interesting but not updated since August 2007.

Expat in California - tips for your transfer/relocation, but unfortunately has not been updated since June 2007.

San Diego - Finest City - Nice personal stories and articles but not updated since July 2007.

America's top 50 jobs

2008-07-16T17:00:00.003+10:00

Employment Spot Link

Here are the top 50 jobs that are both growing faster than the average for total employment (13.0 percent) and have annual earnings above median of $28,770.

1. Registered nurses: $52,330

2. Postsecondary teachers: $51,800

3. General and operations managers: $77,420

4. Elementary school teachers, except special education: $43,160

5. Accountants and auditors: $50,770

6. Business operation specialists, all other: $53,460

7. Computer software engineers, applications: $74,980

8. Maintenance and repair workers, general: $30,710

9. Carpenters: $34,900

10. Computer systems analysts: $66,460

11. Secondary school teachers, except special and vocational education: $45,650

12. Computer software engineers, systems software: $79,740

13. Physicians and surgeons: $145,600

14. Network systems and data communications analysts: $60,600

15. Automotive service technicians and mechanics: $32,450

16. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses: $33,970

17. Management analysts: $63,450

18. Computer support specialists: $40,430

19. Lawyers: $94,930

20. Network and computer systems administrators: $58,190

21. Police and sheriff’s patrol officers: $45,210

22. Middle school teachers, except special and vocational education: $43,670

23. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters: $41,290

24. Financial managers: $81,880

25. Computer and information systems managers: $92,570

26. Sales representatives, services, all other: $47,000

27. Fire fighters: $38,330

28. Dental hygienists: $58,350

29. Paralegals and legal assistants: $39,130

30. Sales managers: $84,220

31. Chief executives: $140,350

32. Self-enrichment education teachers: $30,880

33. Physical therapists: $60,180

34. Pharmacists: $84,900

35. Medical and health services managers: $67,430

36. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products:

$58,580

37. Employment, recruitment, and placement specialists: $41,190

38. Property, real estate, and community association managers: $39,980

39. Child, family, and school social workers: $34,820

40. Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers: $36,260

41. Real estate sales agents: $35,670

42. Special education teachers, preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school: $43,570

43. Legal secretaries: $36,720

44. Training and development specialists: $44,570

45. First-line supervisors/managers of housekeeping and janitorial workers: $29,510

46. Administrative services managers: $60,290

47. Public relations specialists: $43,830

48. Radiologic technologists and technicians: $43,350

49. Sales and related workers, all other: $31,380

50. Personal financial advisors: $62,700

Your first apartment - How much will it cost?

2008-07-16T12:01:00.005+10:00

I just found this basic guide for housing costs. The article is aimed at college kids but nevertheless useful for any newcomer to a different city! It also contains a link to a great rundown on the credit score I just talked about.

Your First Apartment: How Much Will the First Month Cost?

Application
approx $30 to $50 per app

Your landlord-to-be won’t just take your word that you’re good for the monthly rent-you have to fill out a formal application AND pay a fee so they can check your credit rating. (See, I told you your credit score would be important).

First Month’s Rent
varies by location and apartment size
Oh the joy of scraping together a month’s worth of rent before you even move in (you’ll probably have to pay this well before your move-in date!). Hopefully you’ve saved your summer earnings, because this could be a sizeable bill.

My first off-campus apartment-a 2br/2ba in San Diego-cost $1,600/month. That meant that I and each of my 3 apartment-mates had to cough up $400/mo. But then again, San Diego is one of the top 10 most expensive cities to rent in,, so unless you’re living in New York, LA, or another metropolis, you probably won’t be paying that much.

Check out sites like Rent.com, ForRent.com, and Craigslist.org to get an idea of average pricing for rentals in your area.

Security Deposit
approx same cost as one month's rent
This is basically security for the landlord–this fee is for any damage you do to your apartment over the course of living there. If you take good care of your apartment, you will probably get a good portion of this amount back.

Last Month’s Rent
same as first month's rent
Most apartment complexes in my area don’t charge this, but every once in a while you’ll come across a lease agreement that requires you to hand over the last month’s rent early, too. Personally, I’d recommend looking for an apartment that doesn’t require this fee upfront.

Utility Deposits
In addition to monthly bills, utilities and such like gas, electricity, water, trash service, internet, phone service, and cable all tend to require start-up fees. Some cable, phone, and internet companies will waive your start-up and installation fees, so be sure to ask them to when you sign up!

You can probably expect the following amounts for the rest of your start-up fees: For gas and electric, you can approximate about $75/ea, trash service will vary (and is sometimes included in your rent). For more realistic pricing for your area, check with your landlord.

Parking Fee
You may also have to pay for a parking sticker or parking space assignment. Usually this is a one-time fee, but in larger cities you may see a monthly fee for parking.

Australian dollar 25 year high

2008-07-16T11:51:00.002+10:00

I must be crazy to want to move from Australia to the US!!

From The Age :

Dollar remains above 97 US cents

July 14, 2008

The Australian dollar has opened stronger after posting a fresh 25-year high over the weekend on the back of a weaker US dollar.

The local currency soared to above $US0.9700 for the first time since the days of a fixed exchange rate as continued credit market concerns battered the US currency.

At 7am, the Australian dollar was trading at $US0.9705/12, up one US cent from Friday's close of 0.9605/09. During the weekend offshore session, the Australian dollar traded between a low of $US0.9607 and a high of 0.9718.

The Australian dollar reached $US0.9668 on June 30 this year, but had not been above $US0.9700 since February 16, 1983, when it hit $US0.9710.

Reports the US government may be forced to take over troubled government-sponsored mortgage backers Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac caused investors to scale back expectations of US interest rate rises and sell the US dollar.

The US dollar suffered a broad based fall against a range of currencies, and came within one US cent of its record low of $US1.6019 versus the euro, reached in April this year.

''The financial system woes in the US persist, with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in trouble,'' RBC Capital Markets senior currency strategist Sue Trinh said.

''It was all bad news for the US dollar.''

The US Treasury department was expected to issue a statement today (AEST) regarding its support for the two companies and what action it might take to ensure their survival.

''That's got markets on tenterhooks waiting on a potential rescue package,'' Ms Trinh said.

Ms Trinh said the momentum from the weekend session could ''easily carry the Aussie higher, or allow it to sustain the gains'' from the weekend session.

AAP

More on the credit score rating system

2008-07-16T10:04:00.021+10:00

Warning: long article!

This seemingly complicated topic needs to be addressed, I think. I'm a newbie to all of this myself so I just went in search for some more information which should hopefully make it easier to understand how to get a credit rating score in the US if you have been previously living in another country.

First of all a credit score in the US is extremely important. It seems to be far more important than in most other Western countries and your financial future depends on this one three-digit number.

Your credit rating is related to your social security number. Which means if you've never had one before, then you don't have a credit rating in the eyes of the USA. So if you had a credit rating in your previous country of residence (and I'm sure most people over the age of 18 do) then it doesn't count for anything which could be good or bad.

Apparently, having no credit rating is actually worse than having a bad one.

Now, the dilemma is most people won't lend you money without a good credit rating but you can't get a good credit rating without having some sort of credit! No credit = no credit score, no credit score = no credit.

So what should you do?

1. Get a social security number.

Social Security card FAQ
Social Security card application form

Office contact details in San Diego:

Link

Phone Numbers:
Toll-Free 1-800-772-1213
TTY 1-800-325-0778

Office Hours:
MONDAY - FRIDAY:09:00 AM - 04:00 PM
Except Federal Holidays
Addresses:

SOCIAL SECURITY
1333 FRONT STREET
SAN DIEGO, CA 92101

Directions to Our Office:
THE OFFICE IS IN A TWO STORY BLDG LOCATED ON THE CORNER OF FRONT AND ASH STREET, JUST TO THE NORTH OF THE "COMMONWEALTH" HIGH RISE. THERE IS NO FREE PARKING. PARKING METERS LOCATED IN THE SURROUNDING AREA AND PAY PARKING LOTS LOCATED ON ASH ST AND FRONT ST. THE TROLLEY IS 3-4 BLOCKS TO THE SOUTH. BUS STOPS LOCATED ON: FRONT ST, ASH ST,"A" ST, & FIRST ST.
8505 AERO DR
SAN DIEGO, CA 92123

Directions to Our Office:
CORNER OF AERO DRIVE AND AFTON ROAD, WEST OF HIGHWAY 15.
367 VIA VERA CRUZ
SAN MARCOS, CA 92078

Directions to Our Office:
HWY 78 TO SAN MARCOS BLVD. GO WEST TO VIA VERA CRUZ. TURN RIGHT. OFFICE IS TWO BLDGS DOWN ON RIGHT AT THE CORNER OF BOARDWALK
2160 S EL CAMINO REAL
OCEANSIDE, CA 92054

Directions to Our Office:
LOCATED OFF HWY 78 & EL CAMINO REAL, NORTH OF THE TARGET SHOPPING CENTER & SOUTH OF FIRE MOUNTAIN RD ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE STREET.THE BUILDING IS SET BACK OFF THE STREET,PARTIALLY BLOCKED FROM VIEW.
GROUND FLOOR
2530 E PLAZA BOULEVARD
NATIONAL CITY, CA 91950

Directions to Our Office:
LOCATED AT THE CORNER OF PLAZA AND EUCLID 2 BLOCKS EAST OF I-805 PLAZA OFF RAMP-BEHIND AUTO ZONE AND ALL AMERICAN CAR WASH.
846 ARNELE AVE
EL CAJON, CA 92020

Directions to Our Office:
I-8 EAST: JOHNSON AV EXIT, NORTH UNDER FREEWAY; LEFT ON ARNELE I-8 WEST: EXIT MAIN ST, GO EAST. LEFT ON MARSHALL, RIGHT ON ARNELE
626 L STREET
CHULA VISTA, CA 91911

Directions to Our Office:
TO GET TO THE NEW OFFICE TAKE I 5 AND EXIT L ST AND HEAD EAST. FROM I 8 05 EXIT L ST/TELEGRAPH CANYON AND HEAD WEST.L ST & BROADWAY

Allow yourself plenty of time and go into one of the offices armed with all your paperwork. Photocopy everything prior to your visit – this will assist the counter assistant and maybe cut your waiting time down, a little. This office is notorious for keeping you waiting.

Once you get to the counter, DO NOT allow them to keep your original passport, they should take the copies and they should suffice. Providing that everything is in order, the forms are completed correctly; you will be told that your social security number will be sent in the post. This can take anything from 7 to 14 business days, depending on the State in which you reside.

Once you receive this in the mail, you are now in the system and legally allowed to apply for credit.

2. Open up a bank account

Do your research and make sure the bank you choose meets all of your needs (especially transfers to/from your home country) and that their fees and charges are low. (I'll be doing some more research later into which banks are good for Australians moving to the US so hopefully blog about that soon).

Some say to choose one of the big boys such as Bank of America or Bank One, not the 'mom & pop' ones or the credit unions. For the first 90 days your account will be 'red-flagged' -- there's nothing you can do about this but wait it through. The bank is waiting to see whether you're just trying to cash a forged cheque [US: check] and run. This means that everything will take a lot longer to clear. The banks run a 'bad boy/girl' list called ChexSystems. At all costs make sure you keep yourself off this little horror, otherwise you'll find it almost impossible to open an account anywhere.

Open a savings or cheque/check account.

Also ask to open a Visa or Mastercard 'secured card' with a credit limit of anywhere between $300 and $1000. When the 90 days is up, don't delay any longer than necessary as the most difficult factor you are facing in building up your credit is termed 'insufficient credit history'. The bank will require a deposit into a savings account of an amount equal to your credit limit. This money and the account are locked for a period of one year. The card should be free or at minimal cost, but you may need to pay a small service fee on the savings account.

Do not view this card as a credit card because it isn't! Rather, consider it as your first step on that road to credit bliss. You should aim to use around one-third of your credit monthly but never use more than 50% of your limit. The reason for this is that the credit scoring system will flag you as 'over extended' if you use any more than half your limit. Use the card at the supermarket (US: grocery store), pharmacy (US: drug store), drycleaners, etc. Do not use it to rent a car or book a hotel room as these purchases will often place a hold on funds in excess of the amount you are charged, which could put you in default on the card agreement. In addition, avoid using it on the Internet or anything else that could produce reoccurring charges, e.g. newspaper subscription or gym membership. (One of the classic rip-offs over here is for a company with your credit card details to keep signing you up for new products and services and charging them to your credit card). Be retentive about it! Keep a running total in your wallet, then pay the bill fully immediately after it's posted online.

This method should cost you less than $20 in fees, no interest charges and is proven to work.

3. Other things to do:

Apply for a department store card (JC Penny, Sears, etc) or gas card (Mobil, Shamrock, etc) and make sure you pay it on time and in full every time
Apply for a car loan.

Six months later: You've got your single secured credit card with a reputable institution that posts its data to the credit bureaus in a timely manner, you've run the account perfectly, you've wisely ignored all other solicitations for cards as you don't want to be flagged as 'desperate for credit'. You will now have a Fico score. It's a pathetic and miserable one, but one nevertheless.

We need a nice spread of credit accounts on our report and the next one to head for is the car (US: auto) loan. Hopefully, you've been saving your money. Get something around the $10k to $15k mark. This is going to require some homework. First of all, get yourself over to the best advice possible at www.carbuyingtips.com and learn how it all works over here. Read it all and follow its advice before you go anywhere near a dealer.

We need to find a 'first-time buyers auto loan with no pre-payment penalty'. You'll probably have to stick with a main dealer for this one, although there's no harm in trying the Internet lenders (ELoan, Capital One, etc). Do remember that each loan application on your credit report will ding your score by around 5 points. Multiple applications within a two-week period for the same type of loan should, in theory, only produce a single 5-point fall. Therefore, choose your dealer and purchase before allowing anybody to run your credit. If you've given any of them your social security number it's too late, they'll have run your credit faster than an Italian government stays in power. Some may require at least one-year's work history, with others you will get away with as little as 6 months.

Here's the game plan but don't tell the lender or dealer (as they often make more profit on the loan than the car and will get upset): we want to pay the lowest amount in interest charges but rack our credit limit up the highest. Expect an interest rate of anywhere between 14% and 21%. Aim to put a minimum of 30% down; then pay the loan off as quickly as possible. The ideal situation is to have the money up front but still take the loan. Here's an example: Car costs $12k, down payment $4k (enough to make then feel very secure), so there's $8k out on the loan.

Expect the paperwork for paying the loan to come through around 6 weeks after taking out the loan. As soon as you've got the payment details, make you first payment as $7400, clearly marking your payment 'Extra payment to principal ONLY'. Then make 5 monthly payments of $100 each, finally closing the loan out on around the seventh month with the accrued interest. There shouldn't be any problem with this as you don't need to make the minimum payment every month if you're ahead of the payments.

The reason for keeping the loan going for more than six months is to balance receiving a good score against minimal interest payments. Any less length in the loan and it won't count towards your score. Total cost in terms of interest and those nasty little fees that they oh-so love (e.g. 'releasing the title') is probably less than a hundred or so dollars. But the future savings you'll look forward to on starting to have a good credit score are infinite.

4. Your credit score:

FICO is a mathematical model created by the Experian credit bureau as a tool for lenders to use in evaluating the risk associated with lending you money. FICO stands for Fair Isaac Company, the company that created the original scoring model. Similar models have been programmed by the other credit bureaus but they are all referred to as FICO scoring.

Credit scores are designed to measure the risk of default by taking into account various factors in a person's financial history. Although the exact formulas for calculating credit scores are closely guarded secrets, the Fair Isaac Corporation has disclosed the following components and the approximate weighted contribution of each:

35% — punctuality of payment in the past (only includes payments later than 30 days past due)
30% — the amount of debt, expressed as the ratio of current revolving debt (credit card balances, etc.) to total available revolving credit (credit limits)
15% — length of credit history
10% — types of credit used (installment, revolving, consumer finance)
10% — recent search for credit and/or amount of credit obtained recently

Current income and employment history do not influence the FICO score, but they are weighed when applying for credit. For instance, an unemployed individual with no sources of income will not usually be approved for a home mortgage, regardless of his or her FICO score.

A FICO score is between 300 and 850, exhibiting a left-skewed distribution with 60% of scores between 650 and 799. According to Fair Isaac the median score is 723 (half of scores above and below) whereas according to Experian (using the Fair Isaac risk model) the average credit score is 678 (lowest scores are farther from the median than the highest scores). The performance of the scores is monitored and the scores are periodically aligned so that a credit grantor normally does not need to be concerned about which score card was employed.

Each of the major credit unions may and probably will report your credit slightly differently, i.e. you’ll actually have 3 slightly different credit scores. To solve this little inconsistency, lenders will calculate a ‘tri-merged’ score when you’re taking out a major loan, i.e. the average score from all three major bureaux.

Only credit will build your credit score, i.e. you have to borrow money and pay it back to get a credit score. Paying the rent, utility bills can not and will not build you any credit. However, failing to pay these or paying them late can reduce your credit.

5. Other tips:

Try not to give out your social security number wherever possible. Identity theft is common.
Get a 'cross-cut' shredder for personal information. Identity theft is common.
Check your credit report every year. A good additional check is to watch for the APR interest rate on your credit card statements unexpectedly jumping up. This can happen when there's a black mark on your credit record.
Register with all three credit bureaux to stop unsolicited offers.
Opt out of unsolicited 'convenience checks' being mailed when you open a credit card. Insist!
Credit cards for Australians without a US credit history or score:
https://www.apply123.com/apply123/lowrates.php. Use the code AAATA (related to American Australian Association).
The terms seem excellent (ie 0% for balance transfers and purchases for first 9 billing cycles) and of course the biggest benefit is that you'll get approved without a US credit history and thereby start building one.

References.
Most of the wording in this article is paraphrased or quoted from:

Credit Essentials in the USA
Credit and finance in the USA
Metafilter: International Credit history
Social Security office locations
Social Security Administration (SSA)
Wikipedia: Credit score

Economic crisis

2008-07-15T23:14:00.001+10:00

Wow, this is really bad news :(

Article here at SignOnSanDiego

Extract:

Economic crisis is called worst since 1970s – at least

By Daniel Trotta and Jennifer Ablan
REUTERS

2:18 p.m. July 14, 2008

NEW YORK – For many Americans this feels like the worst economic crisis in their lifetimes, and some leading investors are starting to say they may be right.

* After IndyMac's failure, which bank could be next?
* What if my bank fails? Some questions and answers
* U.S. spells out Fannie-Freddie backstop plan
* Fannie, Freddie rescue pushes housing aid

The bursting of the dot-com bubble in 2000 and 2001 seems tame by comparison, and the savings and loan crisis of the late 1980s and early 1990s almost forgettable. Similarly, the global impact looks to be greater than that of the Asian financial crisis of 1994.

Most comparisons turn to the low growth, high inflation, weak dollar and soaring energy prices of the 1970s, but this time with a housing crisis and spiking commodities prices thrown in, all threatening a prolonged recession.

“It is the most serious financial crisis of our lifetime,” said billionaire investor George Soros, noting a growing effect on the U.S. economy as a whole, rather than just financial markets. ”It is an idle dream to think that you could have this kind of crisis without the real economy being affected.

“We are facing a recession and it is slow in coming but the slower it comes, the more powerful it is,” Soros told Reuters.

The rapid erosion in confidence in Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae underscores the toxic nature of the problems facing the U.S. financial system. The publicly traded, government-sponsored enterprises (GSE) own or guarantee $5 trillion of debt, close to half the value of all U.S. mortgages.

With 8,000 to 9,000 American homes entering foreclosure every day, stock in Fannie and Freddie lost nearly half their value last week, leading the U.S. Treasury to open its discount window to the two firms to ease fears over their capitalization.

This comes as U.S. stock indexes have fallen by more than 20 percent from their peaks in October, while the pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 is down 30 percent, the Shanghai Composite has dropped 45 percent since the year began and Japan's Nikkei 225 is also significantly lower.

Experts who lived through the stagflation of the 1970s – a mixture of stagnated growth with inflation – say it may be worse this time because there are no safe havens in global markets.

Foreign central banks, mostly in Asia, hold almost $1 trillion of the bonds and mortgage-backed bonds sold by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac...

Employment stats and articles

2008-07-13T23:09:00.005+10:00

So, the main pressing issue at the back of my mind is getting a job once I move to San Diego. I'm sure this is the primary area of concern too, for anyone moving to another place. If you're not lucky enough to have a company sponsor you or if you work for a large firm that can organize a transfer then you'll have to do the job searching rounds and if it's in a new country it can be slightly daunting to say the least.

Some recent Forbes articles:

Best cities for young professionals

1. San Francisco, California
The total number of our tracked graduates and highly rated companies in San Francisco was second only to New York, except that San Francisco is a small fraction of its East Coast rival's size. Adjusted for its population, San Francisco has the highest share of graduates from the class of 1998 and the fourth-highest tally of companies. The exorbitant cost of living hurts, but high salaries and a top-quartile rating for its never-married population place it in the top spot.

2. Boston, Mass.
3. Houston, Texas
4. New York, New York
5. Minneapolis, Minnesota
6. Washington, D.C.
7. Chicago, Illinois
8. Charlotte, North Carolina
9. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
10. Austin, Texas

11. San Diego, California
One of the nation's highest costs of living hasn't deterred grads from heading to San Diego. It ranks 10th as an area for elite graduates to settle 10 years after college. But the gains made by its high graduated concentration are offset by its 17th place finish with regard to concentration of Forbes-measured top companies, though the high salaries and number of never-married young people boots it a touch.

12. Raleigh, N.C.
13. Pittsburgh, Pa.
14. Philadelphia, Pa.
15. St. Louis, Montana
16. Nashville, Tennessee
17. Atlanta, Georgia
18. Dallas, Texas
19. Seattle, Washington
20. Denver, Colorado
21. Portland, Oregon

22. Los Angeles, California
If our list wasn't adjusted for population size, Los Angeles would be in this year's top 10, but as it is, the nation's second-largest city finds itself near the midpoint. L.A.'s 681 graduates from the schools we tracked ranked fourth in gross terms, but only 11th when adjusted. The metro's 21 companies on our 400 best big firms and 200 best small firms lists were enough for eighth in gross terms but 32nd in adjusted.

23. Cincinnati, Ohio
24. New Orleans, Louisiana
25. Columbus, Ohio
26. Kansas City, Mo./Kansas
27. Cleveland, Ohio
28. Sacramento, California
29. San Antonio, Texas
30. Indianapolis, Indiana
31. Phoenix, Arizona
32. Virginia Beach-Norfolk, Virginia
33. Detroit, Michigan
34. Buffalo, New York
35. Providence, Rhode Island
36. Salt Lake City, Utah
37. Orlando, Florida
38. Las Vegas, Nevada
39. Miami, Florida
40. Tampa, Florida

Other articles:

Job hunting in a downturn

How to network your way up the corporate ladder

Best and worst cities for unemployment pay

Best cities for recent college grads

Income growth %

2008-07-12T16:00:00.004+10:00

It has been said by most people living there that the salaries in San Diego do not match up with living expenses/costs with is pretty bad news but according to this article, the income growth rate is pretty high.

San Diego comes has the third highest income growth rate in the US.

San Diego's economy caught fire during the 1990s and has stayed hot ever since. The area's per capita income has soared 72 percent since 1995, a pace unmatched by any other major metropolitan area. Charleston, S.C., is a distant second at 64 percent.

Income growth:

Per capita income:
# 2005: $40,569
# 2000: $32,799
# 1990: $20,852
# 1980: $11,100

Income growth:
# 2000-2005: 23.7%
# 1990-2005: 94.6%
# 1980-2005: 265.5%

Other stats:
Metro population (2006): 2,941,454
Annual rate of population growth (2000-2006): 0.7%
Metro employment (March 2007): 1,302,500
Employment growth (2006-2007): 0.7%

Boost your credit score

2008-07-10T07:26:00.004+10:00

Just found this great article about how to boost your credit rating score. Great for newcomers to the USA or just anybody, really.

The average American's credit score is 723. Having a high credit rating can give you better interest rates on credit cards, car loans and even your mortgage. It's important to know the top factors that affect your score and check your credit report for accuracy.

1. Pay on Time
The most important factor to a potential lender is whether or not you will pay your bills in full and on time.

2. Use a Variety of Credit
A variety of credit, such as mortgage loans and credit cards, can show that you are responsible for paying back both large and small financial promises.

3. Keep Accounts Open
It is a bad idea to open a credit card just to take advantage of a discount or a freebie then close it right away. The longer your credit history, the higher your credit rating tends to be.

To see all of the factors that affect your personal credit score, you should check your credit report by going online to GoFreeCredit.com. GoFreeCredit.com instantly gives you a free detailed, personalized analysis of your credit report with advice on how to improve it. Checking your own credit report at GoFreeCredit.com will not hurt your score.

Your report from GoFreeCredit.com will show you details like accounts with past late payments, the various types of credit you've used, current balances and recent requests for credit. You also have the opportunity to fight negative or wrong information on your file. GoFreeCredit.com can refer you to a reputable credit repair service if you need it.

Fourth of July - Independence Day

2008-07-04T12:14:00.003+10:00

(image by shutterBRI on Flickr)

Happy Fourth of July!

Now, I've never celebrated this event but from what I hear it is pretty big.

The Union Tribune has heaps of ideas for what you can do in San Diego to celebrate this holiday.

Fun activities for the summer...

2008-07-04T07:55:00.001+10:00

Water-based activities for the summer

Wavehouse Athletic Club pool, Mission Beach

Knott's Soak City, Chula Vista

Belmont Park, Mission Beach

Boomers Park, San Diego

Wild Rivers Waterpark, Irvine

Seaworld

Seaport Village, San Diego

The Wave Waterpark,

or cool off with an ice rink

San Diego Ice Arena

Skate San Diego

Iceoplex

Icetown, La Jolla

or why not try a drive in?

Santee Drive-In

South Bay Drive-in

Brian's drive-in theater

Starbucks to cut stores and jobs

2008-07-02T09:58:00.001+10:00

"Starbucks to close 600 stores, cut 12,000 jobs" care of the Los Angeles Times

Hip and happening San Diego

2008-07-01T20:46:00.000+10:00

Check out this great report by the Seattle Times!

Moving logistics

2008-06-28T19:48:00.005+10:00

I was reading something somewhere when an Englishman who had just moved to San Diego, said he had problems because... he couldn't get rental accommodation without a job, and couldn't get a job without a permanent address. What a dilemma! Other people suggested he stay in a hostel/motel and just use that as his address.

Now, I realize that moving is not all fun and games and it's certainly not a vacation. So I just did a quick search for any useful info I could find about this topic.

Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D. on this site has some good tips:

Do you have fantasies of moving to a new part of the country or even the world? Quit your job or escape a layoff and start over?

Hold on tight to your chair. Force yourself to stay seated until you have an action plan, preferably in writing. Here are seven tips to get started.

1. Carefully research your target destination. Forget the myths. A small town may be not be a haven of low-cost, crime-free living. A big city may have few opportunities in your chosen field.

2. Protect your work identity. Line up a job -- even a temporary job -- before you move. Find at least one client for your freelance business.

3. Define your career flexibly. Are you willing to wait tables, paint houses or work as a temporary secretary? Do you have marketable skills: carpentry, construction, dog grooming?

4. Don't count on the old stand-bys -- teaching, social work, library science, nursing. You may need a union card or local reference to get established. And many openings exist only for beginners.

5. Identify friends and friends-of-friends in your target destination who can jump-start your social life and show you the ropes...

6. Rent or buy before you leave your job, if at all possible. If you haven't moved in twenty years, you may be surprised.

7. Much advice from well-meaning friends and relatives will be useless and even harmful. People share their stereotypes and their own buried fantasies. "I've always wanted to live there," they say wistfully. Or, "Don't they have a high crime rate?" Get the facts and seek professional consultations.

This blog is about moving to Los Angeles but also has some great tips:

...it's hard to meet people anywhere as an adult without a job, a spouse, or other friends to introduce you around. I had a lot of "acquaintances" when I moved here - people to grab drinks with, really - but only one good friend. Through her, I met some other good friends, then I met more good friends through my job, and more good friends through this blog. But it wasn't always fun - I spent a year constantly feeling "on", like I was going on interviews - and in the process, I had a lot of nights where I wished I had just stayed home.

I would start networking as much as you can, talking to people, if only online, that will meet you for a drink once you move. When you do move, stay busy. Join Meetup.com or an online dating service. Go to the beach, museum, volunteer. There's no shortage of activities here, and I've found that most people are pretty friendly.

If I were you, I would try to find temporary housing (no lease) until you get a job, and then decide where to live.

The weather is great, temperate, dry. It's heaven in the winter and a bit cool for my taste in the summer (I like it hot!) but overall, it is fabulous. Keep a winter coat for trips back east, but I gave away all but a few of my wool sweaters. Even in the coldest weather (40's in the winter) you're probably not going to feel comfortable in the preppy Apres-ski style so popular in New York.

Obviously you know that the economy is horrible right now, and I wouldn't suggest picking up and moving without some money in the bank. I had about $8000 saved when I moved here, a small stream of freelance work, and I had paid my first month and a half's rent when I was still getting a paycheck in New York. So I felt okay about my risk. That said, I was also dying to move here, and nothing could stop me. If this is your dream and you have no major debt or commitments back home, I say take the plunge! What do you have to lose? Worst case scenario is that you move back. Just start saving as much money as you can, and have a plan in mind about, at what point, do you start applying to Starbucks? How badly are you willing to work to make it?

Network. Save as much money as you can. Sell the stuff you don't need. Be prepared to work at Starbucks or waiting tables or in retail. I would also take a trip out here, just to make sure that you like it. See if you can set up some informational interviews. Get a feel for the city and the industry you want to work in. Make sure it's something you really want. If you aren't comfortable staying with friends, look for a housing swap on Craig's List. Start a blog about your experience. Get some advertisers.

SPECIAL BONUS ADVICE:

One of the easiest and most helpful things you can do - if you aren't doing this already - is reading. Start reading the LA Times online, if not every day, at least on Sunday. Subscribe to Defamer and LAist and Nikki Finke's column. Even if you don't understand or relate to the specifics right away, you'll pick up a sense of the city and the industry, get familiar with key players, and broaden your knowledge base which will help when you start going on interviews.

Also, someone once told me that it would take 18 months to feel like LA was my home. That advice was spot-on. While I loved it here since Day 1, it took almost exactly 18 months for me to really feel comfortable here - like I had my own friends, my career, and a life that moved forward without me having to nudge it a little.

Great advice, Lori! (I have already started a blog and was already subscribed to both LAist and Sandiegoish).

British expat tells his story...

2008-06-27T18:55:00.003+10:00

An interesting interview.

Reg Price, 31, from London, England tells his story...

California's unemployment rate

2008-06-25T11:09:00.005+10:00

California's unemployment rate hits 6.8% (fifth highest of all states).

Income tax statistics by zipcode

2008-06-25T09:53:00.007+10:00

From this site. Such a huge range!!

Average Adjusted Gross Income	2005
San Diego (92101)	$82,720
San Diego (92103)	$78,056
San Diego (92124)	$64,193
San Diego/Mira Mesa (92126)	$49,414
San Diego (92140)	$25,461
San Diego (92142)	$61,039
San Diego (92150)	$66,940
San Diego (92186)	$379,574
San Diego (92190)	$67,517
Carmel Valley/Torrey Hills (93924)	$99,410
Clairemont (92117)	$50,968
Cardiff-by-the-Sea (92007)	$83,064
Carlsbad (92008)	$71,255
Chula Vista (91909)	$38,531
Coronado (92118)	$99,627
Del Mar (92014)	$184,223
El Cajon (92019)	$64,072
Encinitas (92023)	$63,218
Escondido (92025)	$53,949
Imperial Beach (91932)	$34,811
La Jolla (92037)	$183,634
La Mesa (91941)	$59,387
Lemon Grove (91945)	$38,123
Mission Beach/Pacific Beach (92109)	$54,858
National City (91950)	$29,522
Rancho Bernardo (92128)	$78,018
Rancho Santa Fe (92067)	$547,053
Rancho Santa Fe (92091)	$334,089
San Marcos (92069)	$49,183
San Ysidro (92143)	$32,309
Solana Beach (92075)	$118,730
Spring Valley (91976)	$46,460

----------

By order of income:

Average Adjusted Gross Income	2005
Rancho Santa Fe (92067)	$547,053
San Diego (92186)	$379,574
Rancho Santa Fe (92091)	$334,089
Del Mar (92014)	$184,223
La Jolla (92037)	$183,634
Solana Beach (92075)	$118,730
Coronado (92118)	$99,627
Carmel Valley/Torrey Hills (93924)	$99,410
Cardiff-by-the-Sea (92007)	$83,064
San Diego (92101)	$82,720
San Diego (92103)	$78,056
Rancho Bernardo (92128)	$78,018
Carlsbad (92008)	$71,255
San Diego (92190)	$67,517
San Diego (92150)	$66,940
San Diego (92124)	$64,193
El Cajon (92019)	$64,072
Encinitas (92023)	$63,218
San Diego (92142)	$61,039
La Mesa (91941)	$59,387
Mission Beach/Pacific Beach (92109)	$54,858
Escondido (92025)	$53,949
Clairemont (92117)	$50,968
San Diego/Mira Mesa (92126)	$49,414
San Marcos (92069)	$49,183
Spring Valley (91976)	$46,460
Chula Vista (91909)	$38,531
Lemon Grove (91945)	$38,123
Imperial Beach (91932)	$34,811
San Ysidro (92143)	$32,309
National City (91950)	$29,522
San Diego (92140)	$25,461

Rancho Santa Fe (92091)

2008-06-25T08:51:00.007+10:00

I was reading a bit about Rancho Santa Fe (nearly typed Santo Rancha Fe!) and found some very interesting facts:

* The area is very hilly with a rural feel, and is comprised of large mansions built on large lots and is very secluded due to large numbers of trees and fences hiding the homes from street view

* It is the 19th most wealthy place in the US

* It is the second most wealthy place in California (after Belvedere), with a per capita income of $113,132

* It is the wealthist place in the US with a population of at least 1000 households

* The median income for a household in RSF in 2005 was: $239,400

* The estimated median house/condo value in 2005: $2,429,600

* The racial makeup of the RSF area is over 90% White

* Rancho Sante Fe was chosen to host the equestrian events during the 1984 Summer Olympics

* Many celebrities (sports stars, entertainers and politicians) and wealthy business people/entrepreneurs live in the area

Temperature comparisons

2008-06-25T08:46:00.002+10:00

I've been using weather.com to compare temperature/weather. You can also use it to compare cities in different parts of the world.

Least affordable cities in the US for housing

2008-06-17T20:37:00.003+10:00

Link

Interesting info.

Least affordable: Los Angeles
Second least affordable: San Francisco
3. Santa Ana, CA
4. New York City, NY
5. Ventura, CA
6. Nassau, NY
7. Miami, FL
8. Riverside, CA
9. San Diego, CA
10.Modesto, CA

Housing price statistics

2008-06-17T20:28:00.002+10:00

Link

* San Diego’s high housing prices, coupled with its relatively low wages, make it the 6th least affordable major metropolitan area in the country. (National Association of Home Builders, 4th quarter 2006)

* San Diego’s Purchase Prices

Overall median home price (new and resale, attached and detached) . .$472,000
Average price of a new detached home. . . $835,794

Single-family resale home median price . . . $540,000

Resale condo median price . . . $380,000

Median price for newly-built houses, condos and condo conversions . . $395,000

National median home price . . .$220,000

(The San Diego Union-Tribune, 2/15/07; DataQuick Information Systems; MarketPointe Realty; National Association of Realtors)

* The minimum annual income needed to afford a one-bedroom apartment in San Diego is $48,200. (The San Diego Union-Tribune, 1/10/07; National Housing Conference Center for Housing Policy, “Paycheck to Paycheck”)

* About 13 percent of the work force earns less than $8.35 per hour, according to the San Diego Association of Governments. New professionals are among those who have a hard time affording to live in San Diego, and may be tempted to move elsewhere to buy better housing with their salaries. (The Daily Transcript, 9/6/06)

Interesting! And... erm... kinda depressing.

Top US cities - average annual salaries

2008-06-17T20:25:00.001+10:00

According to the US Dept of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis,
Released April 26, 2007

36061 New York NY $83,200
51075 Goochland VA 72,728
06085 Santa Clara CA 71,774
09001 Fairfield CT 69,578
02185 North Slope Borough AK 69,058
51013 Arlington VA 68,151
06075 San Francisco CA 66,398
11001 District of Columbia DC 66,018
25025 Suffolk MA 65,567
06081 San Mateo CA 65,525
32011 Eureka NV 65,085
35028 Los Alamos NM 63,905
34035 Somerset NJ 63,374
51919 Fairfax, Fairfax City + Falls Church VA 60,759
16023 Butte ID 60,753
34027 Morris NJ 59,446
48065 Carson TX 57,198
51099 King George VA 56,609
25017 Middlesex MA 55,910
34017 Hudson NJ 55,512
36119 Westchester NY 54,788
13121 Fulton GA 54,550
24031 Montgomery MD 53,539
51510 Alexandria (Independent City) VA 53,245
06001 Alameda CA 52,783
34013 Essex NJ 51,889
08014 Broomfield CO 51,767
42029 Chester PA 51,636
06041 Marin CA 51,595
37063 Durham NC 51,507
51107 Loudoun VA 51,477
06013 Contra Costa CA 51,416
34039 Union NJ 51,330
34003 Bergen NJ 51,285
09003 Hartford CT 51,272
34021 Mercer NJ 51,055
53033 King WA 50,963
34023 Middlesex NJ 50,940
42091 Montgomery PA 50,929
34019 Hunterdon NJ 50,877
51181 Surry VA 50,636
27053 Hennepin MN 50,537
39159 Union OH 49,688
18101 Martin IN 49,666
48113 Dallas TX 49,575
10003 New Castle DE 49,458
08031 Denver CO 49,432
26125 Oakland MI 49,277
17031 Cook IL 49,256
37119 Mecklenburg NC 48,843
48201 Harris TX 48,700
17097 Lake IL 48,698
25021 Norfolk MA 48,379
08005 Arapahoe CO 48,107
17043 DuPage IL 47,922
48085 Collin TX 47,730
08013 Boulder CO 47,471
24027 Howard MD 47,417
24510 Baltimore (Independent City) MD 47,223
26163 Wayne MI 46,965
06059 Orange CA 46,872
26111 Midland MI 46,819
48425 Somervell TX 46,718
42101 Philadelphia PA 46,655
02240 Southeast Fairbanks Census Area AK 46,427
06037 Los Angeles CA 46,228
24037 St. Mary's MD 45,987
41067 Washington OR 45,867
22089 St. Charles LA 45,839
51760 Richmond (Independent City) VA 45,456
36059 Nassau NY 45,432
09007 Middlesex CT 45,347
48453 Travis TX 45,344
29510 St. Louis (Independent City) MO 45,281
33011 Hillsborough NH 45,101
06067 Sacramento CA 44,603
06111 Ventura CA 44,557
34031 Passaic NJ 44,416
18067 Howard IN 44,368
27123 Ramsey MN 44,318
24033 Prince George's MD 44,279
13067 Cobb GA 44,167
48057 Calhoun TX 44,152
51087 Henrico VA 44,072
26099 Macomb MI 43,861
21209 Scott KY 43,817
39061 Hamilton OH 43,780
17179 Tazewell IL 43,724
34025 Monmouth NJ 43,680
22047 Iberville LA 43,505
38065 Oliver ND 43,478
26161 Washtenaw MI 43,460
06073 SAN DIEGO CA 43,419
21091 Hancock KY 43,313
34005 Burlington NJ 43,312
24003 Anne Arundel MD 43,296
18129 Posey IN 43,234
09009 New Haven CT 43,230
36103 Suffolk NY 43,170

Average salaries

2008-06-17T20:22:00.001+10:00

Harris Poll - San Diego second most desirable city in the US

2008-06-17T10:33:00.005+10:00

In a Harris Poll done in September 2007, San Diego was said to be the second most desirable city to live in after New York City.

	2002	2003	2005	2006	2007
New York, NY	1	1	1	1	1
San Diego, CA	8	2	2	3	2
Seattle, WA	3	=9	5	4	3
San Francisco, CA	2	3	4	2	4
Las Vegas, NV	=14	4	3	5	5
Orlando, FL	*	12	*	14	6
Honolulu, HI	*	=13	8	6	7
Phoenix, AZ	*	7	13	=12	8
Denver, CO	=6	=9	7	=7	=9
Los Angeles, CA	10	5	12	11	=9
Chicago, IL	=6	6	6	9	11
Boston, MA	12	=13	11	10	12
Charlotte, NC	*	*	*	*	13
Portland, OR	=14	8	10	=12	14
Miami, FL	11	=15	*	*	15

What the world thinks of America

2008-06-14T18:51:00.002+10:00

Who doesn't love a good debate? I'm not going to enter much into this except to say that every country has its problems. There is no one perfect country out there. I will say that I think the health care system stinks though in that it is unfair and inequitable.

Link

Los Angeles - second-lowest carbon dioxide emissions per capita

2008-06-14T08:10:00.002+10:00

In a surprising study by the Brookings Institution reported in USA Today, Los Angeles is said to have the second-lowest carbon dioxide emissions per capita in the nation. Wow! That's certainly a surprise! Other cities (including San Diego) also scored highly.

Here are the other cities in order:

10 BEST, WORST METRO AREAS

Areas with the lowest CO emissions:

1. Honolulu

2. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana

3. Portland-Vancouver-Beaverton, Ore.-Wash.

4. New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, N.Y-N.J.-Pa.

5. Boise-Nampa, Idaho

6. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, Wash.

7. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara

8. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont

9. El Paso

10. San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos

Areas with the highest CO emissions:

1. Lexington-Fayette, Ky.

2. Indianapolis

3. Cincinnati-Middletown, Ohio-Ky.-Ind.

4. Toledo, Ohio

5. Louisville

6.Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro

7. St. Louis

8. Oklahoma City

9. Harrisburg-Carlisle, Pa.

10. Knoxville

Source: Brookings Institution

---

Go, California!

Flickr Mosaic

2008-06-13T22:43:00.003+10:00

San Diego... in my mind already the most beautiful city in the world...

Perhaps you're wondering how can I love a city I've never even been to? Well the way I describe it is loving an unborn baby. The baby isn't born yet, you can't see it, but you are already totally and utterly smitten... :)

Mosaic maker

A random selection of nice photos:

1. Little Su makes claim to being the cutest panda girl ever., 2. Bird of the Sunset - San Diego, California, 3. Surfer Girl, 4. Flamingo Heart, 5. oriental ceiling, 6. I'm Looking At You, 7. Valparaiso multicolor corners..., 8. Surfboard Sunset, San Diego, 9. Popular Photography Magazine's Featured Sunset *, 10. Summer Nights, 11. Found Face with Black Eye, 12. Salt Water Corridor, 13. Bird Of Paradise, 14. Fishing Bliss at Sunset -two boys, a California Classic, 15. Balboa Pond Lily part deux., 16. Surfing the Tube, San Diego Style

San Diego - Second best city for the outdoors

2008-06-04T10:39:00.004+10:00

Link

San Diego, Calif.
Rank: No. 2
Spending Per Resident: $114
Park Land As Percentage Of City Land: 21.5%
Forbes.com Recreation Index Rank: No. 34
Average Annual Percentage Of Sunny Days: 68%
Days With Temperature 90 Degrees Or Higher: 2
Days With Temperature 32 Degrees Or Lower: 0
Days With Measurable Precipitation (0.01 Inches Or More): 38
Days With Unhealthy Air Quality: 24.6

Full article and City rankings chart

Cool!

Heath Ledger Acting Scholarship

2008-06-03T09:41:00.005+10:00

Link

HEATH Ledger was known for helping out young Australian actors hoping to make it big in Hollywood.
He'd offer them a couch to sleep on in his Hollywood Hills home or advice over a beer.

Ledger's helping hand will continue, despite the 28-year-old's shock death in January in Manhattan from an accidental prescription drug overdose.

Hollywood-based organisation, Australians in Film (AIF), along with Ledger's family, have created a scholarship.

The Heath Ledger Scholarship Fund will be presented annually to a young Australian-based actor to help them pursue their dream in Hollywood.

"Los Angeles is a tough place to break through and can be daunting for young Aussies," AIF president Susie Dobson said today.

"Heath was always ready to help out young Aussies and his family is extremely happy that this scholarship will continue do so in his name."

AIF, a seven-year-old organisation for expatriate Australians in the US entertainment industry, boasts Cate Blanchett, Nicole Kidman, Russell Crowe, Geoffrey Rush and Mel Gibson among its 30 ambassadors.

The first scholarship recipient will be announced in 2009.

Its financial worth is still to be finalised, but Dobson said it could help the actor pay for acting classes, rent or other significant costs.

AIF also honours young Australian actors each year at its annual Breakthrough Awards ceremony in Beverly Hills.

Australian actresses Abbie Cornish, 25, and Mia Wasikowska, 17, will be honoured at this year's ceremony on June 5.

Cornish was first recognised in the US for her award-winning role in the 2004 independent Australian film, Somersault, and has gone on to star in Elizabeth: the Golden Age, with Blanchett; the Iraq war drama Stop Loss, opposite Ryan Philippe; and will soon be seen in Jane Campion's new film, Bright Star.

Wasikowska, from Canberra, first appeared in the Australian hit television series All Saints.

Her Hollywood breakthrough role came in the HBO psychotherapist TV drama In Treatment and her upcoming movies include, Defiance, alongside Daniel Craig and the biopic, Amelia, about legendary pilot Amelia Earhart and co-starring Hilary Swank and Richard Gere.

1930s type recession?

2008-06-02T12:59:00.002+10:00

Link

- Oil prices are predicted to hit USD200 per barrel.

- Food prices have been on the way up and are not showing any signs of stopping their climb.

- Corporations are tightening belts and as usual one of their first targets would be reducing employment costs by way of mass layoffs.

- A number of the big banks are walking around with hat in hand seeking infusions of capital to stay afloat.

Going through the blogs and other articles on preparing for a recession, a reasonable checklist seems to be :-

a) Cut down fixed expenses, especially debt payments

My family has already taken the first step towards achieving this by selling of one of our assets, a house we have had for the past 16 – 17 years. The proceeds of which are earmarked for some serious debt reduction.

b) Practice frugality to the hilt.

Blogs like Lynnae’s Being Frugal (see her post on frugal tips to survive a recession) and other posts like GLBL’s suggestions on how to save on groceries should become staple reads for all of us. Tips learned should be applied to bring down the cost of meeting our needs. Of course all wants should be postponed to a later time.

c) Aim for and become as indispensable as you can at your workplace

d) Cultivate skills that will be in demand.

We have started a goat farm. Though it has been said that handyman skills like plumbing, electrical repair work, etc will be of particular use, since people will try to stretch out the useful life of their property, I think being a vendor of food products via our goat farm will be useful.

e) Reduce the dependence on the money economy.

I particularly liked this statement I read in Wise Bread. Growing some of our own food, making our own clothes, doing our own cooking, own laundry, barter etc may be classified here. We intend to grow our own vegetables and raise chickens also on the farm. I think this should help bring our monthly food bill considerably.

f) Have a healthy emergency fund

My emergency fund has been somewhat depleted due to some unexpected expenses as well as additional investment on the farm. My wife and I have made provisions to replenish it from the proceeds of the sale of the house.

g) Stockpile medications and Independent Health insurance

I have some ongoing medication costs. Since reading about the generic alternatives I have changed “brands” and the cost has gone down considerably. I don’t intend to seriously stockpile the medication, as I carry about 3 month’s requirements currently and will replenish once it goes to two months. We have always had our own health insurance, so there is no dependence on my employer.

Having never experienced the financial effects of a recession directly, much less a 1930’s grade one, I am not really sure how I’ll fare raising myself and my family, if one hits....

Walkable neighborhoods

2008-06-01T10:46:00.007+10:00

(I'm very annoyed with Blogger. I typed out my post and clicked Preview, uploaded a picture then the entry went blank and now I have to type everything from scratch again).

Oh, who are the people in your neighborhood?
In your neighborhood?
In your neighborhood?
Say, who are the people in your neighborhood?
The people that you meet each day

(hides in embarrassment for remembering lyrics to a Sesame Street song)

In Sydney you have the CBD (or Central Business District, or downtown) and you have your suburbs. There are exceptions where you have a CBD inside the city (such as Parramatta) or smaller CBDs (such as Chatswood, Hurstville or Strathfield) but generally there is the CBD and then there are the suburbs. However, it seems that in the US there are suburbs and there are neighborhoods. I'm not sure what the difference is other than it seems suburbs implies that they are further out from the CBD/downtown than the neighborhoods are.

I've decided I definitely want to live in a 'walkable neighborhood'. A walkable neighborhood is one where most of the necessities are nearby within a walking distance such as a newsagent/newstand, butcher, baker(y), grocery store, good restaurants in a variety of cuisines or a coffee shop, a park, maybe a library or a bookstore, good schools for the kids, drugstores, that kind of thing. It's better for the environment not to have so many people driving and better for your own personal physical health. Another thing is I think it's better for your mental health to be in contact with a wide variety of people on a daily basis.

I found this website Walk Score last night. It's really interesting. You plug in an address and it tells you the walkable 'score' out of 100.

I got an address from Craigslist (one I'd like to live in - hahaha yeah right, as if I could afford it!) and it came up with a score of 91/100! Pretty awesome!

Girard Avenue, La Jolla

Selling on Craigslist to make ends meet

2008-05-31T19:50:00.003+10:00

This is not good... :(

Link

A nationwide survey finds more and more Americans are now selling their personal belongings at swap meets, second-hand stores and online auction sites just to make ends meet, in some cases even parting with family heirlooms just to put food on the table.

San Diegan Sylvia Hackett is spending her weekend at Kobey's Swap Meet for one reason.

"To make money… I can't make ends meet," she said.

Hackett says she's trying to unload some of her most prized possessions - including a cross and a set of collectible figurines - even though their sentimental value to her far outweighs their sale value.

"I don't want to get rid of some of it. I really don't want to sell it, but I need the money," she said. "I won't be buying much of anything other than food with it. With the economy the way it is, and the price of gas what it is, it's very hard."

Hackett is far from alone. More and more families facing rising costs and mounting debt are taking more and more desperate measures to make money, such as selling personal items like engagement rings and wedding bands online. The number of for sale listings on Craigslist, for example, has shot up more than 70 percent since last July.

At the Treasure Trove in City Heights, which has been buying and selling jewelry, coins and other collectibles for more than 40 years, it's pretty much the same story.

"With the unemployment and the lay-offs and the cost of living going up, people are always looking for a way to get a few more bucks to make ends meet," store owner James Hill said.

Hill says some customers try to sell family heirlooms to pay their bills.

"I sometimes even talk to people and say, 'Do you really want to get rid of that? Your grandfather gave it to you or gave it to your dad and your dad gave it to you....' So sometimes we even counsel people," he said.

But for many people like Sylvia Hackett, who lives on a fixed income, there often is no choice.

"You do what you have to do to make it. This is an expensive state - very expensive," she said.

A new survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation finds 44 percent of Americans say that rising gas prices are a serious problem for them, followed by health insurance, paying their rent or mortgage and paying for food.

La Jolla

2008-05-09T21:26:00.000+10:00

Everytime I hear or see or read something about California, Los Angeles, Orange County or San Diego my eyes and ears prick up. I'm like a sponge absorbing everything that I can so I can be informed before I move there.

Ideally, I think if I didn't have to worry about factors such as proximity to work, traffic and transport, cost, etc I would want to live in La Jolla.

Everything that I've read on it makes it seem so idyllic.

La Jolla (pronounced lah-HOY-yuh) is a wealthy seaside resort community of up to 42,808 residents within the city of San Diego, California.

The La Jolla area was known as “La Jolla Park” at least as early as 1886. The origin of the name is obscure. Some say it is a corruption of “ahoy”, called out by sailors seeking the attention of people on the shore. Promoters of La Jolla claim it is from the Spanish “la joya”, meaning the jewel. A more likely though less glamorous theory is that “La Jolla” is a corruption of the Native American word “Woholle”, meaning hole in the mountain, referring to the caves in the north-facing cliffs next to La Jolla Cove Park. The La Jolla band of Luiseno Indians, who inhabited the area for centuries before the arrival of the Spanish.

The most compelling geographical highlights of La Jolla is its ocean front, where residents and visitors can enjoy the alternating rugged and sandy coast line and view wild seal congregations. Popular sandy beaches, dotting the coastline from the south to the north, are:

* Children's Pool Beach
* La Jolla Cove
* La Jolla Beach and Tennis property
* La Jolla Shores
* Scripps
* Black's Beach (leading up to Torrey Pines State Reserve)
* Windansea Beach

Walking along the beach at all times (but especially at sunset) is popular recreation. Those ambling along may be able to glimpse the “Green Flash”.

Downtown La Jolla is noted for its jewelry stores, upmarket restaurants and hotels. Prospect Street and Girard Avenue also have several famous boutiques and restaurants (including local favorites, such as the Girard Gourmet and Harry's Coffee Shop). Notable for its architectural and historical presence is the La Valencia Hotel, which used to welcome movie stars on retreat from Hollywood during the silent film era.

Check out the beautiful La Jolla photos on Flickr.

Map

The Vanishing Middle Class

2008-05-03T13:23:00.001+10:00

Link

New York Times, July 22, 2006

Published: July 23, 2006

SOME big American cities are flourishing as at no time in recent memory. Places like New York and San Francisco appear to be richer and more dazzling than ever: crime remains low, new arrivals pour in, neighborhoods have risen from the dead. New York is in the throes of the biggest building boom in 30 years, its population at an all-time high and climbing. Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg proudly promotes his city as “a luxury product.”

But middle-class city dwellers across the country are being squeezed.

This time, they are being squeezed out by the rich as much, or more so, as by the poor — a casualty of high housing costs and the thinning out of the country’s once broad economic middle. The percentage of middle-income neighborhoods in metropolitan areas like Los Angeles, Chicago and Washington has dropped since 1970, according to a recent Brookings Institution report.

The percentage of higher-income neighborhoods in many places has gone up. In New York, the supply of apartments considered affordable to households with incomes like those earned by starting firefighters or police officers plunged by a whopping 205,000 in just three years, between 2002 and 2005.

Does it matter if there is less room for a middle class? In strictly economic terms, plenty of economists say, it may not. But they also say that in the long run, those cities may become places where they and other city lovers would prefer not to live.

Obviously, cities benefit economically from the presence of the rich. Tax revenues go up when the rich pour into what some economists now call “superstar cities,” places like New York, San Francisco, San Diego, Boston and Washington that attract highly skilled people but have limits on the ability to build housing. In New York, fewer than 13,000 of the 2.3 million households that pay income tax are expected to account for nearly 30 percent of city income tax paid in 2006.

In the San Francisco Bay Area, the percentage of households earning more than $100,000 a year rose to over 30 percent in 2000 from approximately 7 percent in 1970, said Joseph Gyourko, a professor of real estate and finance at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. “Is that area worse off?” he asked. “At least so far, there’s a lot of evidence that economically they’re better off. Land prices are really high, lots of people want to move there.”

Of course, cities need police officers, firefighters, teachers. But as long as they can get the labor they need from somewhere nearby, some economists say, middle-class shrinkage may not hurt. In Southern California, developers import construction workers from Las Vegas and put them up in hotels; costs go up but rich clients can pay. Firefighters who want to live in high-priced cities can work two jobs, said W. Michael Cox, chief economist for the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. “I think it’s great,” he said. “It gives you portfolio diversification in your income.” Pay for essential workers like plumbers and cabdrivers will tend to go up, he said.

But sociologists and many economists believe that there can be non-economic consequences for cities that lose a lot of middle-income residents. The disappearance of middle-income neighborhoods can limit opportunities for upward mobility, the authors of the Brookings study said. It becomes harder for lower-income homeowners to move up the property ladder, buy into safer neighborhoods, send their children to better schools and even make the kinds of personal contacts that can be a route to better jobs. The Brookings study, which defined moderate-income families as those with incomes between 80 and 120 percent of the median for each area, found that the percentage of middle-income neighborhoods in the 100 largest metropolitan areas had dropped to 41 percent from 58 percent between 1970 and 2000. Only 23 percent of central city neighborhoods in 12 large metropolitan areas were middle income, down from 45 percent in 1970.

Meanwhile, New York University researchers reported last month that the number of apartments affordable to households making 80 percent of the median household income in New York City dropped by a fifth between 2002 and 2005. Nationally, median household income ranges from just above $20,000 in Miami to around $40,000 in New York and Boston and about $60,000 in San Francisco.

“People have a stake in the place that they’re living in,” said Chris Mayer, a professor at Columbia Business School. “If you have a police and firefighting force saving their city as opposed to somebody else’s city, it makes a difference. In the same sense, local shopkeepers just seem to be better. What happened on 9/11 was really about ‘our city.’ ”

Mr. Mayer, who recently moved with his wife and three young children to New York, said he believed that it was important for children to grow up in a place that is racially, ethnically and economically diverse. He calls those places more vibrant. In most places, the upper middle class is less diverse than the middle, he said. New York would be less attractive to him without its still-expansive and lively middle.

“This trend toward living and interacting with people who are like you is intensifying a lot,” said Professor Gyourko, who lives in the affluent suburb of Swarthmore, Pa. “I do not meet the full range of incomes and social classes within my neighborhood. Well, think about what happens if metropolitan areas like New York, San Francisco and the like turn into my suburb. You’ll have even less interaction. The most interesting and potentially foreboding implication of this sorting is that it changes the way we view life.”

California's population tops $38 million

2008-05-03T12:25:00.000+10:00

Link

May 2, 2008

SACRAMENTO – California's population has topped 38 million, making it home to one in every eight Americans.

The state Department of Finance estimates that the Golden State topped the 38 million benchmark by nearly 50,000 residents Jan. 1. That's up by nearly half a million people, or more than 1 percent, from a year ago.

California now has about the same population as that of Poland.

The department also says Los Angeles, the nation's second-largest city, now has more than 4 million residents. That's about half as many as in New York City.

Finance officials previously thought Los Angeles topped 4 million last year. But revised estimates released yesterday lowered the 2007 projection.

California's fastest-growing city was San Joaquin, which added just 4,500 residents. That was enough for a 17 percent increase in the small Central Valley community.

With the addition of 19,240 people, San Diego, the state's second-largest city, has an estimated 1.3 million residents.

The San Diego County population has reached 3.15 million.

$38 million is about 1.5x the entire population of Australia!! Wow!!

Expats and investors lured to San Diego

2008-05-03T12:20:00.001+10:00

Link

It had to happen sooner or later.

With the falling dollar, San Diego area real estate has become a screaming bargain to foreign investors around the world. Real estate prices in many prime US locales have already declined, and must be irresistible for those who are seeking to purchase San Diego luxury homes and condos with Euros or Canadian dollars.

Now, many Americans who have been living abroad are considering a return home, where the purchasing power of the dollar isnt being decimated every other day. From their perspective, real estate in Florida, Arizona, Nevada and California look like the same bargains Canadian and Euro-packing investors are buying.

We received a call earlier this week from an American living abroad who intends to sell his inflated European estate and move to the sunny and balmy climes of San Diego. He will exchange his invested Euros for dollars, and invest them in blue chip American real estate, where he and his wife can enjoy an active retirement in Americas Finest City.

San Diego’s own Brian Brady with Mortgage Reports wrote a recent article about how Canadian real estate investors are buying American real estate in droves. Brian is currently working with one Canadian real estate investor seeking to buy a Scottsdale, Arizona home, while another Canadian is looking for a second home on the San Diego coast.

Both investors from Canada will enjoy not only the depressed pricing in both real estate markets, but will also appreciate their Canadian dollars (aka Loonies) buying 30 percent more than they would have a year ago.

Many Americans living in Canada may also be considering a move back across the border, because the cost of living in the United States now is so much less than a Canadian lifestyle–which must be paid in Loonies.

In the years ahead, it will be interesting to see how many second homes in America are owned not only by foreign nationals, but by former American expatriates as well.

Cost of renting an apartment

2008-05-02T23:56:00.002+10:00

I had a look at Craigslist again for the umpteeneth time and made a quick Excel spreadsheet of various suburbs and calculated the average cost of renting a 2br apartment/condo. Then I divided the cost by 2 since I'll probably be sharing with someone else.

Hillcrest - $744.07
Mission Valley - $867.53
University Town Center (UTC) - $885.90
La Jolla (shores/village) - $1,072.17
Little Italy - $1,288.50
Marina - $1,417.63
Gaslamp Quarter - $1,473.06

Obviously other areas are cheaper but I've chosen probably the most expensive areas!

Currently in Sydney we're paying approx. $1,462.00 AUD (which equates to $1,365.60 USD, $682.80 if you divided it by 2) a month, that's for a 2br apartment so that is slightly less than the cost of a 2br apartment in San Diego.. but our apartment is in a suburb 45mins out from the downtown area, whereas the above areas are in downtown or not far from it.

US Economy / Jobs / House prices

2008-04-28T19:02:00.000+10:00

I've hit a stumbling block in my plan to move to the US. As everyone knows, the economy isn't doing so well at the moment. Goods, food and gas is costing more, house prices have fallen, and job losses are rife.

I wish I were in a position to buy property at the moment - that would be fantastic but I'm not. I'm in a position to look for a job and a place to rent and competition will be stiff. :(

Euro - 1 USD

Southern California housing numbers

County	Median Jan. 2007	Median Jan. 2008	Percent Change
Los Angeles	$520,000	$458,000	-11.9
Orange	$600,000	$520,000	-13.3
Riverside	$415,000	$331,500	-20.1
San Bernardino	$370,000	$298,500	-19.3
San Diego	$472,000	$429,000	-9.1
Ventura	$565,000	$477,750	-15.4
SoCal	$485,000	$415,000	-14.4

Southern California theme parks

2008-04-18T01:33:00.000+10:00

Soooo many to choose from. I can't wait! (brackets = northern california)

link

California Top Theme Park Attractions Annual Visits

Disneyland, Anaheim 13,360,000
Disney's California Adventure, Anaheim 5,630,000
Universal Studios, Hollywood 5,000,000
SeaWorld, San Diego 4,000,000
Knott's Berry Farm, Buena Park 3,580,000
San Diego Zoo 3,200,000
( Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk 3,000,000 )
Six Flags Magic Mountain, LA/Valencia 2,700,000
( Monterey Bay Aquarium 1,947,600 )
( Paramount’s Great America, Santa Clara 1,930,000 )
San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park 1,500,000
( Six Flags Discovery Kingdom Marine World 1,450,000 )
Legoland, Carlsbad 1,430,000

Others in alphabetical order:

Theme parks
Adventure City
Balboa Fun Zone
Belmont Park
( Bonfante/Gilroy Gardens Theme Park, Santa Clara )
Boomers/Camelot/Family Fun Centers
Castle Amusement Park
( Children's Fairyland, Lake Merritt )
( Fairytale Town, Sacramento )
( Funderland, Sacramento )
( Great America, Santa Clara )
Mountasia Family Fun Center, Santa Clarita
( Nut Tree Family Park, near Sacramento )
Pacific Park, Santa Monica Pier
Pharaohs Lost Kingdom, Redlands
( Pier 39, San Francisco )
Pixie Woods
( Pixieland Amusement Park, Concord )
Rotary Storyland & Playland
Scandia Amusement Park, Sacramento/Victorville/Ontario
( Sonoma Traintown, Sonoma )
Studio Park Hollywood
( Trees of Mystery, Klamath )

Waterparks
( Antioch Waterpark, Antioch )
Golfland/Sunsplash, various locations in nor/so Cal
( The Island Waterpark, Fresno )
Knotts Soak City USA - Orange County
Knotts Soak City USA - Palm Springs
Knotts Soak City USA - San Diego
Manteca Waterslides
( Mustang Waterslides, Lopez Lake near San Luis Obispo )
Outrageous Waters
Raging Waters, Sacramento/San Jose/San Dimas
Sengme Oaks Family WaterPark
Six Flags Hurricane Harbor, Los Angeles
( Waterworld california, Concord )
Waterworld USA
The Wave
Wild Rivers, Irvine
Wild Water Adventures

Zoos
( Aquarium of the Bay, San Francisco )
Birch Aquarium, San Diego
Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, Los Angeles
( Chaffee Zoological Garden, Fresno )
Feline Conservation Center, Rosamond
( Happy Hollow Zoo, San Jose )
The Living Desert, Palm Desert
Los Angeles Zoo
( Micke Grove Zoo, Lodi near Sacramento )
( Oakland Zoo )
( Sacramento Zoo )
( Safari West, Santa Rosa )
San Diego Wild Animal Park
( San Francisco Zoo )
Santa Ana Zoo
Santa Barbara Zoological Gardens
( Sequoia Park Zoo, Eureka )

So close I can almost taste it

2008-04-18T01:23:00.000+10:00

If all things go well I hope to move to San Diego in August. That's not long to go now! If I can make it happen I will but I don't want to rush things. I want to be fully prepared - mentally, physically, financially.

As much as I would like to live in La Jolla/UTC I have decided I should live near a trolley station stop as I won't have a car when I first arrive which basically means downtown. I would like to live near Marina but I think it's too expensive. I'm worried about the noise pollution though - airplanes and trains? Wonder what it's like...

La Jolla, Downtown, Hillcrest

2008-03-07T18:14:00.000+11:00

I've been doing a lot of reading since I last wrote and am now considering either La Jolla, Little Italy, Gaslamp Quarter/Horton Plaza or Hillcrest. They are all so different, and I'm torn!

I would prefer La Jolla given I've barely heard a bad word about it (and it's so beautiful), but not sure if I'd 'fit in'. Also Hillcrest could be something new to me but also I am not sure it's my kind of area. Downtown sounds great, but I am not sure exactly how noisy it is there??

I've been 'hooning around' in my 'car' on Google Maps' Streetview which is quite fun!! It gives me a good idea of what certain streets/areas look like!

Cost of living

2008-03-03T19:47:00.000+11:00

After doing some research and asking some people I am pleased to discover the cost of living is lower than my hometown Sydney - which is a big huge relief! Yay!

Fashion Valley / Mission Valley

2008-02-29T00:34:00.000+11:00

OK I've decided that I want to live near a trolley stop, which means the beachside locations are out :( sadly...

I am looking at either Fashion Valley or Mission Valley. Both look pretty nice and not too far to either beaches or downtown area. (I realised now that Mission Valley is a wide area and Fashion Valley is actually INSIDE Mission Valley).

From wikipedia:

Mission Valley is a wide valley trending east-west in San Diego, California, through which the San Diego River flows to the Pacific Ocean. Due to its massive size, it is divided into two neighborhoods: Mission Valley East located in the eastern region of San Diego, and Mission Valley West in the western region of the city.
Mission Valley serves as an important shopping and entertainment center for San Diego. Some newly-built condominiums and apartments can be found in the area as well.

Three major shopping malls located in Mission Valley are Fashion Valley Mall (Mission Valley West), Hazard Center Mall (Mission Valley East) and Westfield Mission Valley (Mission Valley East). The frontage roads parallel to Interstate 8 from Presidio Park to Highway 163 are named Hotel Circle North and Hotel Circle South, for the many hotels and motels located on them. Other commercial developments can be found in the valley as well, including smaller shopping plazas, auto malls and vocational schools.

ohh I can't decide!

Mission Bay Park/Beach

2008-02-28T22:08:00.000+11:00

San Diego.. how I can't wait to meet you! How can I be so in love with a place I've never been to before? (OK I was there when I was 2 so that doesn't really count). I hope you don't disappoint, I'm sure you won't. :)

Mission Bay Park is the largest man-made aquatic park in the country, consisting of 4,235 acres, approximately 46% land and 54% water. The park offers a wide range of recreational activities including paths for walking and jogging, and playgrounds for children. It is one of San Diego's most popular locations to fly a kite, picnic or sail a model yacht. Fire rings make it possible to cook out and stay warm. Mission Bay Park also offers a variety of free opportunities to the public such as professional volleyball and Over-the-Line sporting events. Annual attendance in the park is estimated at 15 million.

Mission Bay Park and Beach looks beautiful!

Dreaming of moving to San Diego...

2008-02-24T23:53:00.000+11:00

I've been toying with the idea of moving to Hawaii for about a year now but realise that the living costs there are too high and the pay rate too low and it's hard to find a job that's not in the tourism/hospitality area...

I thought and thought about the 'perfect' place for me to move to. Of course there are legal issues with visas and whatnot so I wanted to make it easy on myself and make it the States. I have citizenship but haven't lived there since I was 3.

I like California because it's closer to my home in Australia, than the east coast of the US. I HATE and despise cold weather. It has to be warm and San Diego is about as far south as you can get! Plus it's fairly close to L.A. if I need to go there for any reason. But there is no way I'd want to live in LA because it's too smoggy and polluted, big and spread out, and pretentious with its filthy rich and good looking people (I know that is a gross generalisation but in any case I don't want to live there because I don't want to breathe in bad air pollution, and deal with constant traffic jams).

I know it's a far way off, probably at least 9 months if not more till I move there but I am already planning.

I started reading the San Diego 'network' on Facebook and found out about this site.

San Diego Reader.

It describes each of the suburbs/areas fairly well.

Ideally I want to live near the beach. I love the beach. I am not a typical tanned, blonde beach bunny per se but I just love being near water. If not a beach then a harbour, lake, river, pond, anything. I can't wait to watch the sunsets as its a bit of a novelty for me, since I used to live on the east coast of Australia and can only watch the sun rise.

I just quickly looked on Flickr ..

Mission and Pacific beaches are closer to the city, but La Jolla beach looks nicer. From what I've read, La Jolla is a nice suburb. Actually all the beach-side suburbs are!

I'm an avid photographer and can't wait to capture all the beautiful scenes at my 'doorstep'. :)
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