Does Northern California have more in common with Oregon and Washington than with SoCal? (Los Angeles: to live, price)

[BlackShoe]

Originally Posted by eureka1

The "State of Jefferson" is bull****. NorCal's economic and cultural engine is SF and , to some extent, Sacramento.

Originally Posted by TrueTimbers

I agree with that too!
That economic engine is pretty darn weak in the middle between Portland and SF/Sac. This is where all that "self identity" crap comes into play.

Lest we forget, the SOJ also includes Southern Oregon, in fact, about 4 out of 5 of the proposed state now reside there. Medford, Ashland, Grants Pass, Klamath Falls, are just a few of the population centers, it is not just Redding and Chico.

[ccm123]

I agree.

Originally Posted by NewToCA

I think that the San Francisco area is most like Boston.

Once leaving the Bay Area I think the rest of Northern California is more like Oregon or Washington than like the Los Angeles, Orange County or San Diego metros

[BayAreaHillbilly]

If I answered this 30 years ago I would have said yes.

Today I say the SoCal has more in common with Cascadia (aka "Ecotopia").

The Callenbachian Movement really started to get legs in SoCal during the latter half of the 80s and came to full fruition during the 90s.

So now the whole freakin' West Coast is thumping the Green "Bible."

[mateo45]

Originally Posted by BlackShoe

Many will disagree with this opinion, but have long believed that NorCal does not begin until one is in the mythical State of Jefferson. This means that Sacramento and Santa Rosa are extensions and part of the Bay Area and not part of Northern California, but that when you get to Chico or Ukiah you are finally there. It is nearly 300 miles from Sacramento to the Oregon border, something not usually considered, and that is a lot of territory.

Not so sure about your earlier political assessment of S.F. (which I don't really consider ''NorCal'' either), but agreed re: the rest, though technically the State of Jefferson really starts around Yreka. And its a whole other world and culture whenever you start getting north of the Bay Area, where the geography, weather and relative population density all remain pretty consistent (both coastal and inland) for nearly 800 miles until you reach Puget Sound, with Portland as the only other major metro area along the way.

A side impression, but I swear that crossing into OR and WA thru the Siskiyous always feels "different" somehow, and especially the way the light definitely seems "bluer", "colder", and much less "golden" in those more northerly states... kinda like suddenly putting on blue-tinted shades!

[BlackShoe]

Originally Posted by mateo45

A side impression, but I swear that crossing into OR and WA thru the Siskiyous always feels "different" somehow, and especially the way the light definitely seems "bluer", "colder", and much less "golden" in those more northerly states... kinda like suddenly putting on blue-tinted shades!

Odd, but have also noticed the same thing. For example, while driving up I-5, there would appear to be a very slight "different feel" between Medford and Yreka, just 50 miles apart.

[TrueTimbers]

Originally Posted by mateo45

A side impression, but I swear that crossing into OR and WA thru the Siskiyous always feels "different" somehow, and especially the way the light definitely seems "bluer", "colder", and much less "golden" in those more northerly states... kinda like suddenly putting on blue-tinted shades!

Oxygen.....
All those trees up north...

It is hard for me to get used to the whitish sky in much of California...

[Senno]

Originally Posted by NewToCA

I think that the San Francisco area is most like Boston.

Once leaving the Bay Area I think the rest of Northern California is more like Oregon or Washington than like the Los Angeles, Orange County or San Diego metros

Except for the northern San Joaquin Valley floor I basically agree.

[belmont22]

Originally Posted by mateo45

A side impression, but I swear that crossing into OR and WA thru the Siskiyous always feels "different" somehow, and especially the way the light definitely seems "bluer", "colder", and much less "golden" in those more northerly states... kinda like suddenly putting on blue-tinted shades!

Yeah, I can kind of see that. I-5 through Northern California is actually sort of arid. I think the two states probably would bleed together more closer to the coast.

[Chimérique]

Originally Posted by BlackShoe

First of all, a sizable minority, including myself, do not consider the Bay Area to be part of Northern California, but rather North Central California, or just plain Bay Area, an insular area in itself. Second, on a political basis, the Bay Area has more affinity to Russia of the old Soviet Union than to any place in the USA. But to answer the question in the OP, the answer, if considering only the true Northern California, is yes.

The Bay Area is Northern Cal, aka, NorCal. It is not, nor ever will be Central California. If you spent any time in all regions of the Bay Area you will see they self-identify as Northern Californians, period. Even the mexicans gangs originally from San Jose (the Bay Area) call themselves Nortenos (Northerners).

NorCal is a long and wide region from Tahoe to Sacramento to San Francisco and from the Oregon Border to San Jose and Modesto.

Politically, Mendocino and Humboldt counties are as blue and liberal as the Bay Area.

It's like saying Los Angeles County is not really part of Southern Cal, rather it's a region unto itself, South Central California. Only Laguna Beach south to the mexican border is considered Southern Cal - NOT.

[mateo45]

Originally Posted by Chimérique

The Bay Area is Northern Cal, aka, NorCal. It is not, nor ever will be Central California. If you spent any time in all regions of the Bay Area you will see they self-identify as Northern Californians, period. Even the mexicans gangs originally from San Jose (the Bay Area) call themselves Nortenos (Northerners).

NorCal is a long and wide region from Tahoe to Sacramento to San Francisco and from the Oregon Border to San Jose and Modesto.

Politically, Mendocino and Humboldt counties are as blue and liberal as the Bay Area.

It's like saying Los Angeles County is not really part of Southern Cal, rather it's a region unto itself, South Central California. Only Laguna Beach south to the mexican border is considered Southern Cal - NOT.

Sorta like some folks think Taco Bell is "real Mexican Food"...