@Melpomene@erisly.social

Comments from a Native Californian

California is good match at the state level. Understand that it is a large and diverse state and that the central valley is not generally LGBTQ friendly or climate forward - though of course there are many allies there as there are in other majority conservative areas.

The San Francisco Bay Area is wonderful, but expensive. It depends on whether you can get one of the high salary jobs in the area. Kind of a rough employment market in the Tech sector at the moment.

LA is enormous (even people from NYC find it overwhelming) If huge urban centers are your thing there is a place for everyone in LA. Just understand that while the Bay Area is politically and culturally Homogeneous, LA is packed with communities of every strip and creed. No matter who you are "your people" are there, but so is *everybody* else.

California has some great "small cities" and "college towns." Eurika/Arcada is an enchanted place, but isolated. I lived in Sacramento for 19 years and my only complaint was that it was too big for this country mouse. Davis, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo should be on your list if you like college towns. San Diego has nice weather, but IMHO is not worth that price of admission.

Also do you have school age children? California's public education system has some real quirks, and there are some places that while otherwise awesome, have some of the most troubled public schools in the country.