State Of California

Consider Antioch California

Antioch, California is at first glance, maybe, a simple, out of the way spot one wouldn’t consider settling on.  But with the overcrowding, the unreasonable real estate prices, and the urbanization of once beautiful landscapes, some might reconsider.

The population of Antioch, California was 90,532 in 2000.  It only grew by a little over eleven percent—in five years, with 51% females and 49% males totaling 100,631.
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The average age of the Antioch resident is about 32, making for young, moderately progressive neighborhoods where their median income of $60k+ affords some of the most affordable homes in the Northern California area (at $196,000 on the average in 2000, for example).

More than two thirds of the folks have at least a high school education, and at the same time, unemployment is exceptionally low (at a little over five percent).

The crime rate is also incredibly low, with rapes and assaults increasing only minimally from, respectively, fourteen and 120 in the year 1999 and twenty-three and 187 by 2002—with only fifteen murders in a four year span, from 1999 to 2002.  (One can infer, even, that the highest crime, assault, could be attributed to anything from the occasional bar brawl to minor spats between friends.

The Antioch, California community is quite close, supporting one another in sports (rooting for the Antioch Pirates), and collaborating in local business endeavors in the educational, health, social services, retail/trade, professional, scientific, and management/administrative fields.  Nearly one third of the population works in town, while another quarter has relocated due to the commute…making Antioch, California a modest city despite its size on the map.

Also contributing to the simple, hard-working pride of the people of Antioch, California is their claim to being the birthplace of such sporting greats as San Francisco 49ers Jeremy Newberry; Texas Rangers Matt Riley; and college ball player Jason Gaines (of the San Francisco Dons).

The skies are still blue in Antioch, and the grasses, in season and on golfing courses, are still a lush green.  The bays lure water lovers, boaters, and fishermen; the country fairs appeal to the weekend warriors; and the whole area calls to the quiet, the serious, the hard-working, and the family-minded.

“Carmel California”

Camel California is a great place to vacation and to live. Carmel California might once have been a sleepy little hamlet which existed in relative obscurity, but in the last few decades has been put on the map by its very characteristics. Its offerings to tourists and its famous residents testify to Carmel’s wonder.

Besides featuring some of the finest, most beautiful and renowned golf courses on the west coast (such as Pebble Beach), Carmel, California has stunning beaches, inviting shops, clubs, and spas, and the classic aquarium—the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Carmel California, originally dubbed Carmel-by-the-Sea, is sparsely populated, with only 4,081 residents (in 2000), the ages of whom average in the mid-fifties. Of the residents, almost everyone has a high school diploma, over half have a college degree, and almost a quarter of the people carry a post-graduate degree. About 35 percent work in Carmel, while the rest commute an average of no more than twenty-five minutes away—to jobs nearly equally worked in education, health services, and social services (a few over 16 percent); retail/trade (a few over 14 percent); the arts, entertainment, recreation, and accommodation and food services (again, a few over 14 percent); professional, scientific, management, administrative, and waste management services (about 14 percent); and the rest in either finance, insurance, or real estate.

Of those working in the arts and entertainment fields and living in Carmel California, we are familiar: Jennifer Anniston (of Friends fame), Brad Pit, Kim Novak, Betty White, and Doris Day live or have lived there; writers Mary Austin, Beverly Cleary, James Ellroy (THE BLACK DAHLIA, L.A. CONFIDENTIAL), Robinson Jeffers, Robert Louis Stevenson, Upton Sinclair, Sinclair Lewis, Jack London, and Robert Heinlein (of SF renown) have set up house there; and I’m OK, You’re OK psychiatrist Eric Berne and genius nature photographer Ansel Adams have made Carmel home at some time or other. Of course, it must also be mentioned that Clint Eastwood took the post as Mayor of Carmel California in the late eighties.

Carmel-by-the-Sea is quaint and classic, yet contemporary and accommodating, especially for visitors. You will LOVE Carmel. You need only remember that of the abundant beauty and inviting calm, there are two quirky laws still on the books in the town: 1) You cannot eat ice cream while standing on a sidewalk there; and 2) wearing high-heeled shoes is against the law!

Bakersfield CaliforniaBakersfield California is a great place to live. One might think of Bakersfield California as a remote and simple town where working class families devote their lives to tradition and complacency.  But according to the major census sites and other observations, Bakersfield, California is a viable area and one of the “fastest-growing of the larger cities in the United States.”  After Fresno and Sacramento, for instance, Bakersfield is the third-largest inland city, equally viable economically: Bakersfield, California subsists on agriculture and petroleum processing (by way of one of the older oil spots, the 100-year-old Kern River Field) and the growing of such crops as carrots, grapes, almonds, citrus, potatoes, and garlic.

The burgeoning yet still conservative Bakersfield California shows a 2000 population of 247,057 people with a median age of 30, a population which works the farms and the fields but also earns its median income of between $39,982 and $45,556 in the educational, health, social services, and retail fields—approximately 66% staying in town for work.

With ranging temperatures of between 40 and 100 degrees throughout the year, Bakersfield, California also features historic restaurants (such as Luigi’s, Maitia’s, Noriega’s, Pyrenees, and Woolgrower’s); a popular series of sports (the ever popular football, baseball, ice hockey, and soccor, as well as the renowned motor sports—which have a major following); and world-renowned country music, which, evidently, brought such icons as Buck Owens and Merles Haggard to the area to create a unique genre of music they dubbed the “Bakersfield Sound.”

Bakersfield California is also known well as being the birthplace of Haggard, as well as of Detroit Lions’ Brock Marion, Detroit Tigers’ Colby Lewis, Washington Redskins’ Cory Hall, Playboy’s Rebekka Armstrong, and NASCAR’s Casey Mears; as being the birthplace of Korn members; as being the nearby locale of the infamous deaths of policemen immortalized in The Onion Field; as being the home to such greats as US Supreme Court Justice Earl Warren, country crooner Dwight Yoakum, and child star Brandon Cruz, and as having a reputation which is mentioned, described, defined, and/or alluded to in the artwork of everyone from Henry Rollins to The Rolling Stones to Johnny Cash.

And, for those of us who have a simple understanding of Bakersfield, California, we might credit our impressions to Steinbeck, who depicted the town and its neighboring landscapes in The Grapes of Wrath.  At the same time, however, Bakersfield has thrived, and has evolved from being the historical establishment housed by Native Americans, then missionaries, then gold-miners and pioneers and Oakies living off the simple land to a major city with major industry and development.

Ontario, California

Ontario, California is a moderate-sized city of modest advertisement: the people number about 160,000 but they keep to themselves for the most part, enjoying the community environment and benefiting economically from the local industries and the Ontario California Airport.

The residents earn an equally modest income, averaging approximately 42,500 dollars a year per household; a stunning 15 ½ percent live below the poverty line.  There is no lack of education in Ontario, California, with twenty-five public elementary schools, six middle schools, five high schools, two military schools, numerous private schools, and even nine trade schools and one university (Chapman).…  And employment is available in numerous industries—such as manufacturing (which provides the most work, almost twenty percent); education, health, and social services; and retail—with almost a third of the population of Ontario California staying in town to work.

At the same time, Ontario has its moments of claims to fame. It provided the setting—at the old Ontario Airport—for the DeCaprio/ Hanks movie, Catch Me if You Can, the exterior shots of a supposed Miami airport filmed at the old Ontario California airport terminal.  According to a trivia buff at IMDB, “This old terminal is still standing, but was converted to office space when the new Ontario California Airport was opened.”  Ontario, California is also home to and/or birthplace of “pioneer surfboard maker and catamaran builder” Hobie Alter; Major League Baseball players Rod Barajas, Del Crandall, Prince Fieldler, Al Newman, and Mike Sweeny; famed conductor Robert Shaw; renowned authors Beverly Cleary and Joseph Wambaugh; former Philadelphia Phillies’ manager Nick Leyva; pro footballer Anthony Munoz; and Major League Soccer player Landon Donovan.

And for all its quiet and charming discretion, Ontario California has a couple of best-kept secrets: not only did it undergo a constitutional dispute in 1989 when, after 30 years of displaying the 3-D Jesus scenes on the median at Euclid Avenue, the sculptures were challenged as violating separation of church and state laws, but the city has a reputation with Ripley’s Believe it or Not!…for their picnic table which for an intermittent seventy years has welcomed the diversity of residents every Fourth of July and which is recorded as the world’s longest picnic table.  Now THAT’s community.

California Real Estate

A major money maker these days is real estate.  If you have a chunk of extra cash, it is certainly a great investment if you can find the right area.  A sure win now days seems to be California.  Everyone is always flocking there for the year-round sun and beaches.  California real estate is a big money-maker.  If you’re looking to invest in a home to make a nice profit down the road, then certain areas of California should be considered.  The prices always seem to do nothing but rise.

California real estate can be sorted through online.  If you’re moving to a specific area, there are websites to aid you in your search.  You primarily want to find a home that will increase in value no matter where you decide to live.  Finding the best deals on California real estate is easier than ever before.  The majority of us, when searching for a home, look for something that fits our budget, but we also desire a safe neighborhood.  This can often be a difficult task.  Let’s face it, you have to fork out the bucks to be safe these days.  At least in the more urban environments.  The Internet allows you to really narrow down your search for an ideal California home.  This makes it that much easier to stay within your price range.

When a close friend of mine ventured out to California, my first thought was, why?  He was craving the sunny beaches and abundance of amenities.  It wasn’t long after renting a wallet-breaking apartment for several months, that he decided to invest in some fine California real estate.  After doing some searching, he found a small home that fit his price range.  I have to admit, when he first described the home to me, I wasn’t that impressed.  It sounded like a lot of bucks for an average home.  However, after a year had passed, he decided to sell the house.  This is where the payoff was clear.  To my surprise he made a whopping 50,000 dollar profit on the piece of California real estate.  Now that’s an investment worth trying.

Whether you’re looking to purchase a permanent spot in California, or simply doing some investing, it is good to check all the listings available.  With the Internet, this should be no difficult task.  You just may find that diamond in the rough that’s just waiting to become a goldmine.  With California real estate, this is sure plausible.

Redding California

What might come to mind when one hears the name of Redding, California is the Monopoly game railroad (and real railroad and lore of yore), Redding Railroad. But Redding California can advertise as being comprised of much more, in the way of people, places, events, accommodations, services, and amenities.

Redding California Real EstateWith a still modest population (of a little over 80,000 in the year 2000), Redding, California thrives on a modest income of, on the average, a little over 34,000 a year. The residents live in homes that are equally low-priced (at about 122,000), and most commute a short distance, staying in town to work in education, health services, and social services; retail; and manufacturing and wholesale.

The people of Redding also provide tourist delights amidst the stunning redwood and mountain scenery in this northern California city: at Turtle Bay, for instance, visitors can enjoy the Sundial Bridge; Visible River Aquarium; Exploration Hall; River Lab; the James and Pamela Koenig Art Gallery; Paul Bunyan’s Forest Camp, with its Forest Playground, Forest Amphitheatre, Millhouse, Interpretive Forest, and Maze; historical railroad exhibits; the Monolith; and the Butterfly House. Visitors to Redding, California proper can indulge themselves in almost 200 restaurants of varying cuisines, can frolic with their kids on one of the city’s twenty-three playgrounds and thirty-three public parks, and can, after hiking, biking, and sightseeing, find reasonable, affordable, and beautiful places to stay.

Besides shopping and learning and playing, tourists might also consider checking out the world-renowned Shasta Dam, which, the city commerce division reports, boasts a spillway that is the “world’s highest man-made waterfall…three times the height of Niagara Falls;” is part of Shasta Lake, which holds “enough water to cover the entire state of Connecticut;” and contains as much concrete as would be used to “build a 3-foot sidewalk around the world—at the equator!”

The second sunniest city in the nation, Redding, California yields as much greatness as it attracts…especially in the way of great artists and film stars. When it’s not the film site for movie settings such as those in Fallout 2 and RPG, it is nurturing such greats as PGA golfer Rod Curl, Santa Clara Broncos basketball player Brody Angley, and San Jose State Spartans Ryan Miller (all of whom were born in Redding); is hosting icons like Jixby Phillips (who has been made Redding’s mascot); or is serving as home to such celebrities as Country legend Merle Haggard, pro ball player Chris Woodward, NFL defensive star Jason Sehorn, film producer Kathleen Kennedy, and former O-town member Ashley Parker Angel.

So maybe, when you set out on a modest tour of hot spots, head for a hike near Mount Shasta, or just lounge with the locals in the public pool, you might just get a star experience of Redding, California!

History of California

California is a state blessed with sunshine and fertile land. It also has a rugged coastline and desert. The living wasn’t always easy here and California history is a tale of violence and the fight for land. Numerous tribal groups of Native Americans inhabited the area, following their way of life along the coast and inland too. European explorers began to take an interest in this part of the New World, mapping it and discovering the resources.

The Spanish had a particular involvement and Spanish Missions were founded in coastal areas from 1769. Spanish rule led to the Mexican War of Independence, which resulted in Mexico, including California, gaining independence from Spain in 1821. The state became a destination for cattle ranchers and trappers from the United States and Canada. The brief Mexican - American War of 1846 - 1848 changed the political make up of California history. The Californian Republic was formed but ceased after the US Navy entered San Francisco Bay and the military occupied the state.

The conflict in California ended when a treaty was signed in 1847. The state was then split into Californian territory and Mexican territory. Another new phase also began at this time when the California Gold Rush began. People from all over the world, in the grip of gold fever, came to get rich. Some of them did but others were disappointed. Prospectors traveled from Europe, Asia and Latin America, in addition to the rest of the United States.

In 1850, the area became an official free state of the United States with Sacramento as its capital. Many people settled in California on completion of the Transcontinental Railroad. The state opened up for everyone, many going into agriculture. Today, farming, particularly citrus fruit production is an important economic activity. Traditional use of the land is combined with the state being at the forefront of advanced technology industries.  Tourism is popular too with many visitors going to Los Angeles and San Francisco to learn about California history.

California is a very cosmopolitan society and draws strength from its different communities. People are outward looking and the rest of the world is caught up in the music and movie industries that are based there. Popular music has a long legacy here, from the surf sound of the Beach Boys to the bands of today. Hollywood films are the most successful export. The movie studios turned Hollywood from a sleepy village to one of the most famous places in California history.

San Jose, California

San Jose, California is right up the street from where I live and there are many things to do in San Jose, California which is in the country.  I could say San Jose, California is right up the road apiece.  And man it is metropolis, antithetical to the lifestyle those of us who need woods and animals and quiet to stay sane.  But the city of San Jose is also one of great appeal to industrious folk, to shoppers and material chasers, and to tourists, and far be it for me to dismiss the value of some of the more unique characteristics.

For example, first, there’s the Winchester Mystery House, which is unique to San Jose, California.  The widow of the man who invented the Winchester rifle (and proceeded to build a fortune on Winchester firearms) was haunted by ghosts of those killed by the Winchester over time, so she consulted with a psychic, or spiritualist, who informed her she needed to build…and never stop building, lest she be plagued by the dead Winchester victims and would die.  Sarah L. Winchester did just that: she hired round-the-clock carpenters and masons and had doors built that don’t open or that go nowhere, windows in walls that have nothing to look at on the other side, and staircases that go into ceilings.  The Winchester Mystery House is open to tours now, though it would take you days to cover every area and oddity in the 160 rooms over some 162 acres.

Another thing that makes San Jose, California unique is its being home to the Tech Museum of Innovation.  This place features a theatre in the round, with a screen that covers the ceiling and makes viewers feel as if they are in the scenes showing, which last time I was there included moon exploration and flight.  Very cool and the only one I have seen since Expo in Canada in 1969.  The Tech Museum… also houses scientific, computerized, and other fascinating gadgets, many of which invite interactivity.  You can get a three-D image of your head, can program Mr. Potato Head in the Silicon Workshop (which will remind you that Silicon Valley is here and leading the world in technologies), or do any number of virtual reality projects where you design and enjoy roller coaster rides, pilot jet skis, or where you can genetically “engineer” or ride space and time machines.

With a population of almost one million, San Jose, California is home to relatively young (and up and coming) people, three-quarters of whom are high-school educated, and almost half of whom have a bachelor’s or higher degree.  The residents make an average of 70 grand a year, live in homes that are estimated at almost 400k, and work in the area where their commute is under a half an hour.

On weekends, there are numerous kinds of leisure and recreation, from the San Jose Flea Market, which is one of the biggest in the U.S., to the games with the renowned San Jose Sharks, from the world-famous Ballet San Jose Silicon Valley and the world’s largest Ancient Egyptian antiquity museum to the shopping malls and restaurants galore, golfing greens, and many botanical gardens and parks.

So while this 230-year-old city is bustling and booming, it also offers a million-plus the quiet and relaxation that is much deserved after contributing to science, technology, and the arts the way it does.