

Ask HN: Preparing to move to California, Got Tips? - AlexC04

Hi HN,<p>Disclaimer: I think this post could be classed as a bit self-indulgent.  I'll let the voting and karma system sort that out.  Please feel free to post any general advice with respect to "relocating" if you prefer (as opposed to a specific note concerning my personal circumstance)<p>All the paperwork has been assembled, "eyes dotted tees crossed"... An appointment is booked with the US embassy tomorrow morning.   Barring any unforeseen circumstances, in about 3 weeks I'm going to be a US / Canadian dual citizen.<p>Once that's in place, I'm planning on moving to California.  I don't have a solid map of the exact timeline, it's a bit "hurry up and wait".  Roughly a month to the passport.  XYZ to find a job, apartment (or do I do it the other way around?)<p>I was planning on moving to LA.  I've got some friends and my fiance has family there.  Recently however, I've been thinking that maybe there is more opportunity for a hacker/developer in San Fransisco, though we've got to find a place that has an equal balance of opportunity for a marketing manager and a hacker (since she wants to work too).<p>I'm really interested in hearing any and all sort of "what would you tell someone?" type advice from people who have made a similar move.
- Canadian to the US?
- XYZ to California
- Upping and moving your life from A to B<p>Did you stumble into any "Gotchas!"?  How is LA for developer opportunities?  Maybe some tips on how to sustain oneself on web-app freelance?<p>It's a huge life change and a hell of an adventure.  I'd really just like to hear what you can tell me (at the very least to help settle my nerve with what to expect).<p>Anything you can tell me through the lenses of hindsight + wisdom would be welcome (and possibly interesting to others?)<p>Thanks!
- Alex
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aeontech
Speaking as a SF local for over ten years.

LA is huge, you have to drive everywhere, and software scene is much more
fragmented there. On the other hand it's hot and sunny (if you like that kind
of thing).

SF is small, has decent public transport, great food, great music scene,
beautiful nature, and you can get by without a car, or sharing a single car
with your fiancée. I definitely recommend SF/Bay Area. Huge tech scene, very
easy to find software development work or freelance. There was a good thread
with comments about cost of living around different parts of the Bay Area
recently - <http://news.ycombinator.com/item?aid=1824445>

Before you decide one way or another, it might be a good idea to come and
visit both places for a week or so and see which place feels better. You can
grab a place on AirBnB cheaply or couchsurfing.org for free, should give you a
chance to look around.

~~~
pasbesoin
s/aid/id/

~~~
aeontech
Oh, you're right, no idea how that snuck in, I could've sworn I just copied
and pasted.

<http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1824445>

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philiphodgen
Weird tax tip since I do this for a living...

If you have RRSPs tell your US tax return preparer.

California doesn't consider an RRSP to be a tax free account. You will be
taxable (Calif state income tax) on the income generated inside of it. Federal
income tax is trivially easy to eliminate on an RRSP. Just say "Form 8891" to
the person doing your US and California tax returns.

If the RRSP is small you might as well just kill it because it will cause you
endless tax hassles in the US.

Oh and one more thing. If you have more than US$10,000 in accounts in Canada
once you're a citizen, file Form TD F 90-22.1. See my blog or ask me for
horror stories. I had two IRS Criminal Investigation agents in my office today
interrogating a retired schoolteacher.

Email me for a few tax pointers for this transition year.

Welcome to California. I'm in Pasadena.

P

~~~
AlexC04
Thanks :) My biggest concern has been about taxes. In fact it's the reason
I've delayed as long as I have in finally processing the paperwork (that and
health care).

I'll read the blog.

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phren0logy
Don't mess around when it comes to getting your driver license/tags. I know
it's not exactly what you are looking for advice-wise, but it will save you
some hefty fines.

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canterburry
From someone who just moved to SF 4 months ago: 1\. Bring lots of money
(probably applies to LA as well) 2\. If you can, dump your car 3\. If you need
a car, get CA plates within 10 days 4\. Once you have your plates, get a res.
parking permit ASAP! 5\. Get your smog check before you do #3 6\. Budget at
least $100/month for parking and other tickets for the first few months 6\.
Sign up for every Eventbrite and Meetup event you can find that interest you
and go (you should have stuff scheduled for at least 2-3 days a week if not
more

Being a techie in SF has been absolutely amazing. The startup community here
is an incredible force. Meeting people is a no-brainer if you put yourself out
there. I work as an independent consultant with clients located across the US
so I can't speak to the job market in SF. After being here only 4 months, I am
thinking it will be very difficult to leave when that day comes since the
opportunities are just incredible.

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stevederico
SF>LA for sure

I highly recommend you grab a place on Airbnb for a few days and just spend
the day checking out SF and apartments. Craigslist is a great resource for
apartments in SF.

Airbnb SF search <http://www.airbnb.com/search/v3>

~~~
byoung2
I'm an LA native, but I would vote for SF for marketing and hacking
opportunities. If you were looking for weather or celebrity sightings, LA
would be better, but the price you pay for that in LA is the complete lack of
public transportation. That means one car for each of you, with gas,
insurance, car payment, maintenance, etc.

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jonnathanson
As an LA native, I would recommend SF for your particular needs. There are a
lot more hacking _and_ marketing opportunities in the Bay Area than there are
in LA. At least marketing as it's commonly understood. "Marketing" at most big
companies in LA (read: entertainment companies) is a very specific and very
different animal, and a marketing professional in any other industry would
probably find it very limited/limiting.

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billpaetzke
SF has almost 10x as many opportunities as LA (source:
careers.stackvoverflow.com).

Do a 40-mile search on careers.stackoverflow.com for SF and then LA. You'll
see that SF has 84 jobs, LA has 9 jobs, and San Diego has 1. That gives you a
rough idea of the job market.

I work at a startup in LA, and I enjoy the nightlife. But career-wise, SF area
is probably much better; I plan to eventually move on to there.

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b14ck
If you're moving to LA, send me an email. I live here, been living here for a
while, and really enjoy it. I'd be happy to help you out and get you
acquainted with the place!

rdegges@gmail.com

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iag
get ready for awesomeness if you're an entrepreneur. It's going to be a
rollercoaster ride.

