How do you describe where you live? (San Diego, San Jose: house, live in)

[JustJulia]

I moved from California to Illinois a couple years ago, and there's an interesting question over on the Chicago Suburbs forum about how suburbanites identify where they live. Some people say they live outside Chicago or in Chicagoland, while others just say they live in Chicago for brevity's sake.

California is a huge state. When I lived there, I had these conversations quite a bit:

Where are you from?
California.
What part?
Lake Forest.
Oh, where's that?
Have you heard of Irvine? It's next to Irvine.
...
Near Disneyland.
Oh!



Where are you from?
California.
What part?
Orange County.
Wow! I've seen that show! [Launch into excited chatter.]
It's not really like that.



Where are you from?
California.
Cool! You must go to the beach every day. [Or, You must see a lot of movie stars.]
No, not really.



Where are you from?
California.
Oh, I have a cousin in Monterey. Is that near you?
No.


I like to say I lived in Southern California because that was more specific without sounding self-important by saying Orange County (there are other Orange Counties in the U.S.) or having some conversation about The OC. Some people know where Disneyland is, at least vaguely, or they might understand "between LA and San Diego." I almost never met people outside California who knew where Lake Forest is (Irvine, sometimes), so I rarely bothered telling them. When they'd press for specifics, invariably they'd never heard of it, which made me wonder why they asked.

Where are you from?
Southern California.
Oh, what part?
Orange County.
Where in Orange County?
Lake Forest.
Where's that?


If you don't live in a major city (LA, San Francisco, etc.), how do you answer when people ask where you live?

[Count David]

Originally Posted by JustJulia

If you don't live in a major city (LA, San Francisco, etc.), how do you answer when people ask where you live?

I tell them I'm from Corona. If they don't know where it is, it's their problem. If they prod me, I'll tell them it's east of Orange County or 40 mi SE of LA.

[Mr5150]

Originally Posted by JustJulia

If you don't live in a major city (LA, San Francisco, etc.), how do you answer when people ask where you live?

I tell 'em to look at a AAA CA map. Then I say I'm a half inch NW of Yosemite.

I live in CA and it snows all winter at my house.
No palm trees.
No smog.
No traffic jams.

And if I leave my front door unlocked, no problem.

[Twinkle Toes]

I'm in "da hood"!

[Inthesierras]

I grew up in Sacramento, so most people know that is the state capital. But many people think we all know how to surf, lol. Not so!

Now I live in the mountians where the temps drop below zero just about every year in the winter. No one can believe that CA gets that kind of weather. Another question I used to get alot was if I had ever met a famous person. LOL

[DMenscha]

Originally Posted by Mr5150

I tell 'em to look at a AAA CA map. Then I say I'm a half inch NW of Yosemite.

I live in CA and it snows all winter at my house.
No palm trees.
No smog.
No traffic jams.

And if I leave my front door unlocked, no problem.

LOL and I'm 3/4 of an inch in the same direction. Below the snowline, above the fog.

2 hour drive to Yosemite, 2 hour drive to S. Tahoe.

I have no idea where the keys to my house are.

[EscapeCalifornia]

I usually say SoCal unless I'm talking to someone in LA/OC, then I use the city name.

[Curmudgeon]

Sacramento was easy. Most had some idea where it was. Bakersfield for the three years I was there due to work was unmentionable and I wouldn't admit it. Newport Beach was simply on the SoCal coast near Disneyland but after that show, The OC, I probably wouldn't admit that either. Too many stupid questions.

[Mr5150]

Originally Posted by Inthesierras

Now I live in the mountians where the temps drop below zero just about every year in the winter. No one can believe that CA gets that kind of weather.

Fact is, the snowiest place (on average) in North America is CA.

[mstnghu2]

When I lived in the South Bay (Bay Area), I'd say San Jose. Then the conversation would continue....

Them: Where's San Jose?
Me: Uh...You ever heard of Silicon Valley?
Them: Yeah! Is that close to L.A.?
Me: Uh, no. It's in Northern California.
Them: By San Francisco?
Me: Uh, yeah. San Jose is actually bigger than SF and is the 3rd largest city in California by population and the 10th largest city in the U.S. It's home to huge Silicon Valley companies like Ebay and Adobe and Cisco Systems and is just minutes from the headquarters of Google and Apple and Yahoo.
Them: Oh, I love San Francisco. Although it's so cold and foggy most of the year.
Me: Uh, I said I'm from San Jose. San Jose is sunny most of the year.
Them: There sure are a lot of weirdos out there though!
Me: I said San Jose, damn it!
Them: The Golden Gate bridge is so beautiful.
Me: San Jose, San Jose, San Jose.
Them: Where's that again?

This isn't just conversations with people from outside California. People in CA don't even seem to know where San Jose is. Now that I live in the East Bay I just say I'm from the Bay Area. At least most people in CA know where that is.