Moved here in '79 when my Dad quit being a gunsmith in Columbia, MO to be a machinist for Weatherby. Grew up in LA/OC area and moved around a bit in 1996, (Houston, Colorado Springs, Atlanta, Chattanooga,) and then joined the Corps.
I was stationed in Yuma, AZ which is paradise for guns, but with 33% unemployment, I couldn't afford any of them. I have been to Florida repeatedly, as well as Hawaii and Guam. I moved back to Cali in '01 just in time to have the last four years be a blur of deployments. San Diego is where I live now, and I love it. Most folks around here are military friendly, and pretty easy going. The traffic gets bad at times, but I am never more than 30 mins from home. This place is nowhere near as bad as it is north fo the "Orange Curtain."
Why do I stay? Well I disliked about every other place I have lived. Knoxville, TN, Colorado Springs, CO, Flagstaff, AZ, and Portland OR/Vancouver WA are the only other places I could stand to live. Each one has some glaring thing I dislike.
Furthermore, my wife has a great job that pays well, and there are jobs-a-plenty here in San Diego. Yeah, a house costs $250k-$500k, but you can turn around and sell it for more later. And because of the economical disparity between Cali and other areas, leaving is a big deal. It is far easier to leave than to come back. I lost a lot of money coming back from the south, (Though I must admit, it has its own unique charms,) and I am loathe to do it again.
I also ride a motorcycle, and the geological nature of Coastal California lends itself to some amazing canyon riding. I would have a hard time giving that up. (Though all the place I could stand to live have SOME riding nearby.)
Am I bothered by the dumb laws? Very much so, but if it can happen in Cali, it can happen anywhere. Many people are loathe to admit it, but a lot of the nation's cities model themselves after California cities.
I dislike having to use an 870 and 1911 to defend my home when I could use a 30-round mall-ninja AR if I lived one state over. But there are certainly worse things in life than owning an 870 and 1911. I couldn't care less about .50cal rifles, they are so impractical for me, that I doubt I will ever own one. The principal of the ban makes me mad as hell, but I would be stupid indeed to move to a place I don't like based on the prinicpal of not being able to own a weapon I wouldn't buy.
That's my story.