San Diego
Lived here 15 years.
Cost of Living: higher than the 2nd and 3rd world cities, obv, and higher than most US cities. But cheaper than the biggest non-US cities. Euros come here and love the electronics and clothing prices. Northeast Asians, too. They find electronics cheaper here, even, than many places in Asia.
Rent: browse here:
http://sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/apa/
Eating out is cheaper than most places, fresh fruit and veggies plentiful (this is Cali). I don't think restaurant bills are bad. Not 3rd world cheap, but not 3rd world risky, either.
Utilities are super cheap. My elec/heating bill is about USD80-160 a month. Most places near the beach don't have or need AC; we have heat but haven't turned it on in 12 years (elec blankets, fwiw, on the coldest nights).
And, btw, living in a place where you don't need AC or heat is pretty much the definition of nice weather. San Diego is the gold standard for weather. Also, almost no humidity, nor mosquitoes (very few). This is near the coast, I'm talking about.
Crime: low, for the US, higher than most Euros and Northeast Asians are used to, I guess. But in the US generally, most crime is not stranger-involved. I lived in DC, and not the white part, for many years, without problems, because I didn't buy drugs and wasn't involved in gangs. Same in San Diego, or elsewhere in the US: if you aren't buying drugs, or picking up hookers, or flipping off gangbangers, it's a safe country. San Diego, especially the parts where you're likely to be, is safe. Worst crime I've suffered: left my car windows down in OB and had a radio stolen.
Poker: very good, second in the world only to AC, Vegas, LA and I suppose Foxwoods; that is, major tourist places, because San Diego isn't a poker-tourist destination. Actually, I should add that probably many places in the US join SD in the second tier, places like Oklahoma, Florida, Mississippi. Anyway, O'11, in Oceanside, is excellent. For smaller games, the Indian Casinos are nice. There's enough 24hr poker action to earn a living (I have for 20+ years, although I don't actually play in SD much anymore). One drawback: with all the Cali low-stakes games, because they have a drop instead of a rake, the smaller games are nearly unplayable, imo. 2/5 and higher, the drop fits okay, and games at that level have free, good food.
Online: no probs. Euro/US class internet connections, obv.
Recreation: I've noticed pretty much everyone rates their city a 10. LOL at that. Sorry, but no. For one thing, if you walk out your door and sweat from the heat or shiver from the cold, it's already not recreational. Only thing I can think of we can't do here is ski (Big Bear is a few hours north) and hunt (actually, I'm ignorant about hunting). Great EVERYTHING else. I'm not even going to list them all. I'll just say that stop rating other places a 10. San Diego is a 10. You're <10.
Nightlife, though, it's probably only
okay (I'm too old to be an expert) and I'd say the same for first class restaurants (on which I am pretty expert, having worked in world-class restaurants before picking up poker for a living). It's fine, though, for middle-class restaurants, and the working-class food here is, really, Mexican, and once you find your spots, great for that.
And, speaking of recreation: pot is basically legal here. Go see a doc, get a card (afaik they are always given), buy your weed in stores.
How easy to get to: come on, it's like all the other major 1st world cities.
But to stay? IMO, it's very easy. I've had illegal immigrants as friends for decades. Once in a while by accident someone gets caught, but lets put it this way: if you get arrested for, say, DUI, you STILL aren't "caught" for being an illegal immigrant. Only Border Patrol can get you for that. Despite all the ignorant US-bashing on this subject, I'm not sure there's an easier country to stay in as an illegal.
AFAIK the only way to get busted is to A) be stopped by Border Patrol for some reason and B) speak English with an accent (including an English accent, for that matter). Being white won't save you and being brown won't get you in trouble. It's almost entirely a matter of how you speak English.
Last edited by MrMore; 02-07-2011 at 03:03 AM.