why are there NO major cities in N Cal? (San Jose: to live, move)

[soonmoving1]

Originally Posted by AllenSJC

Great post. Don't forget that the Los Angeles Aqueduct, built by 1913, had a major impact on the growth of Southern CA. Also, the rise of the entertainment industry, plus defense contracts during WWII and the Cold War in Southern CA, was a big reason why LA and Southern CA became so huge.

it wasn't the weather? interesting...

[EscapeCalifornia]

Originally Posted by soonmoving1

it wasn't the weather? interesting...

If weather were the only reason for a place to boom, Santa Maria would have 20,000,000 people.

[soonmoving1]

it's good point, but why isn't it?? You know, california coast is under-populated (compare it to florida coast). My guess in 100 years it will look different, much different.

[EscapeCalifornia]

Originally Posted by soonmoving1

it's good point, but why isn't it?? You know, california coast is under-populated (compare it to florida coast). My guess in 100 years it will look different, much different.

One word: Jobs.

[sav858]

Originally Posted by soonmoving1

it's good point, but why isn't it?? You know, california coast is under-populated (compare it to florida coast). My guess in 100 years it will look different, much different.

Yes compare the completely flat, easy to build Florida coast to the rugged Ca coast where most of it is impossible to develop on. Even if you could get past all of the anti-development regulations along the coast, much of it simply cannot be built on because it's too steep. And much of the CA coast's weather isn't exactly appealing to many considering how foggy and cool a lot of it is. CA's coast in 100 years won't look that drastically different imo, too much of it is protected and undevelopable. It will never resemble the Florida coast.

[CAVA1990]

Originally Posted by Gentoo

The Bay Area is NorCal. Live it, learn it.

Yes and people who live in the Bay Area consider themselves Northern Californians. Always have during my lifetime at least.

[CAVA1990]

Originally Posted by soonmoving1

it wasn't the weather? interesting...

No. Despite the heat and smog, people kept coming.

[NewToCA]

Originally Posted by .highnlite

The first question that must be answered is; why does a city exist? Take a look at a map of California and you will see that historically the major cities were on or near a harbor or navigable river, and served a market, that is people who required goods and services.
Los Angeles is an odd exception in that it was not on a harbor. Los Angeles remained a town of minor importance until wharves were built at Santa Monica, and gold was discovered at Cerro Gordo, it is said that the Cerro Gordo mines built Los Angeles.

Northern California has few (like 1) natural harbor, at Eureka, but even it could not handle large ocean going ships as the bar was shallow.

The port that handled cargo for most of Northern California was Sacramento, served by steam river boats.

Early American Immigration into California was concentrated in central California because of the location of the Mother Lode. The decision by Southern Pacific to extend rails south from Sacramento into the Central Valley played huge part in settling the San Joaquin Valley

Agriculture in the Sacramento was not sufficient persuade SP to run the rail road north, which served to stunt northern California growth further.

The above is a quick over view providing a quick answer to your question.

The end result has given us an area about the size of the State of Ohio with no more than a million people compared to Ohio's roughly 5 million people.

Actually, Ohio has about 11.5 million folks in an area somewhat smaller than that region. If you ever have the opportunity to see the state, you'll notice that even with that population level, over 90% of the area is rural.

Kind of emphasizes just how "empty" it is in the further northern California area.

[BlackShoe]

Originally Posted by Gentoo

The Bay Area is NorCal. Live it, learn it.

No it is not. It is in North Central California. It is 300 miles to the Oregon border, an area of thousands of square miles and larger than many states. Until you are here one is not in Northern California.
http://www.jeffersonbackroads.com/st...ferson_map.pdf

[.highnlite]

Originally Posted by Gentoo

The Bay Area is NorCal. Live it, learn it.

However, it is not in North California, which is a land of little population, great forests and mountains and rivers and ranches, it is a different culture.

Originally Posted by sav858

It was mainly the arrival of the railroad and the building of a port in SAN PEDRO that contributed to LA's growth into a large industrial city.

Originally Posted by AllenSJC

Great post. Don't forget that the Los Angeles Aqueduct, built by 1913, had a major impact on the growth of Southern CA. Also, the rise of the entertainment industry, plus defense contracts during WWII and the Cold War in Southern CA, was a big reason why LA and Southern CA became so huge.

True, it was my intent to provide the baseline for the establishment of large cities in CA, in that, the existence of Los Angeles was an anomaly in that it was not located on a navigable river or harbor.