JULIEROSE

QUOTE=meauxna;9264531]So what will?
Seriously, all you have told us is that you don't have kids but you might in the future and the weather has no bearing on your choice.

"So all I'm worried is to choose the right location and I shouldn't have any regrets later with my decision!!"

But you give no information here as to what makes the 'right' location for you.

Flip a coin?[/QUOTE]

md95065

I really think that is a myth - there are plenty of direct flights to the UK from the west coast and considering the total door to door travel time to get from the US to the UK the difference in flight times doesn't make much difference.

I think that how far you are from the airport is a lot more significant than whether you are on the east coast or the west coast.

Irvine, CA is only about 45 miles from LAX.

Richmond, VA is 120 miles from IAD.

Bob

I think I'd take 120 miles over dealing with LAX

I'd definitely take that over Logon, Boston

Michael

Rentals along in Irvine will cost more than 4k more than in Richmond.

Even if you don't consider weather to make a difference, Irvine is dry and Richmond is wet and humid.

lunaUK

If your Spanish isn't that great I'd choose VA. Plus there are lots of towns/cities named after UK towns/cities which helps when you are homesick!

Poppy girl

Richmond VA without a doubt I go to Irvine every month on business and its not very desirable I would not live there even if I was offered free housing, the plus side to VA is also you can get back to the UK quicker and cheaper rather then traveling from one side of the US to the other.

Infowarrior

Not sure I agree there, I find 8 hours to be far more 'doable' than the 13 hours to SFO that I've done direct several times. I find I am crawling up the walls about the time you hit Canada on the way over. I'd never realised how large the USA is until the first time I flew over it.

PS: I notice you are in Santa Cruz, that's where we're moving to! Is there much of an expat community in SC?

Jerseygirl

Not sure about quicker because I'm pretty sure there is no direct flight between VA and the UK.

md95065

Yes, it depends on your tolerance for long flights. For me the flight time doesn't matter as much as minimizing the hassles at the airports at either end.

I do agree that 13 hours is a bit much but LHR -> SFO is only 11 hours.

Not that I am aware of - I can think of 3 or 4 other Brits here but, like me, they have been here for a long time and don't really think of themselves as "expats" except, if at all, in the past tense ...

Send me a PM if you want to know more about the place.

Poppy girl

Virgin-Atlantic fly out of Dulles daily direct to LHR, its a 7hrs flight compared to 10-11hrs from the west coast.

anne55

We live 24 miles south of Richmond and although it would work out more cost affective living in Virginia I think you should also consider your out of work social life. I have posted in another thread how I find Virginians an unfriendly lot. We have not found much to do here and envy our friends who live in warmer climates that offer year round outdoor activities, after all work is not everything!! This is just my personal opinion. I dont know anything about Irvine and hope you here from someone with more insight on that location. We are looking to be out of here as soon as possible GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR CHOICE.

bevinva

http://www2.richmond.com/visit-richm...over-richmond/

My son visits friends in Richmond who went to/are going to VCU (Final Four VCU) and loves to go to Belle Isle. He also goes to lots of concerts in Richmond which are priced with the college students in mind. You're also fairly close to everything DC has to offer and the Outer Banks of NC. Virginia even has a few ski resorts and the mountains are beautiful.
http://www.thenationalva.com/index.php
http://richmond.citysearch.com/profi...wling_llc.html

TerryVA

Richmond has its own airport, so you can get connecting flights to Charlotte, New York, or even Dulles, and that avoids the 2hr drive up to IAD.

Bomjeito

$80,000 in Richmond, VA will go much much much MUCH farther than in Irvine. We looked at Irvine, CA and Houston, TX - my husband's company offered a choice. And a salary more than double, and still Irvine, CA came in as not affordable due to housing. He did not want to commute hours to work so we could afford a home that wasn't on a postage stamp or attached in any way.

Virginia has a whole different laid back atmosphere and reasonable weather. I'd say quality of life is better! If we had Richmond, VA or Houston, TX to choose, I'd have picked Richmond.

As well, being on the east coast is an easier trek back to UK. Remember, LA to NYC is about 4 or more hours!

Yorkie_in_SD

I've been living in Irvine for eight years, first working at UC Irvine, now at UC San Diego. It is a master-planned community and as mentioned earlier, has a lot of parks, playgrounds, trails etc. all radiating around UC Irvine. Having had two kids here (both under 5-yo), it's quite kid-friendly. As places go, it's quite pretty but draws complaints of being on the dull side... Most apartment communities are owned by the Irvine Company and rent is very high (google median rent and Irvine)... You also need a car to get around as even though relatively bike-friendly, everything is broadly distributed and there is no "downtown" to speak of. Public transit is also very poor.

There is an Amtrak station but 20 mins drive from the central university district - trains to San Diego and LA are every hour. John Wayne (SNA) airport in Santa Ana is also only a 10 min or so drive from the university area while LAX is about a 45 min drive in fair traffic. The beaches (Newport and Laguna) are only a 15-20 min drive away and as mentioned, Disneyland in Anaheim is about 30 mins away.

If you'd like any more info, then please let me know!