California is a garden of Eden
A paradise to live in or see
But believe it or not
You won’t find it so hot
If you ain’t got the do-re-mi– Woody Guthrie, Do-Re-Mi, 1937
Throughout my life, I have felt that California has become increasingly competitive. Throughout the 80s and 90s, I would hear the popular quote about New York, “If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere.” It is a great city, and I’m sure that is true to this day.
And I think California has also reached that level of competition over the past 20 years.
At least since the Gold Rush, California is where people go to seek fortune and fame. And a lot earlier than that as people migrated West in search of a plot of land they could call their own.
Come to California if you seek opportunity. But if you want a nice stable easy life, there are places much better suited to that.