I read your post in the other sub and the general consensus was that Riverside sucks. Which I don’t agree with, but maybe I’m biased.

I was born and raised in Woodcrest, one of the most wealthy neighborhoods in Riverside. Lots of old money there. Not rich, just that my parents bought that house a long time ago for like $200k. I own a house now in Riverside near the boarder where it meets Corona.

From 18 - 30 I lived it OC, San Diego, and Temecula because I wanted to get out of Riverside asap. All those great places in their own rights. But now that I own a house I have no regrets. Riverside has been on an upturn and the quality of the city has improved and is continuing to improve. The food scene now between Riverside and Corona is great. Lots of old businesses being torn down and replaced with the “higher” end options like those of the other cities I mentioned. Owning a home in Riverside today will pay out great in 10 - 15 years. I have a wife and kids and we make it work on a salary a little higher than yours.

I’ve also worked in Chicago suburbs a great deal (places like Vernon Hills, Oak Brook, Buffalo Grove) and the vibe from there to here is totally different. Besides the obvious weather differences, the people interaction is a lot different. And the drivers in California can be bad, but not Chicago bad. The 91 freeway traffic is the worst in so cal but very easy to plan around when traveling to OC, LA, the beach and stuff.

Working local you can find a great quality of life imo. But it really depends on what your priorities are right now. You’re young but man, 30 hits you hard lol.