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Old 05-22-2013, 06:20 PM
 
Location: In the Redwoods
30,286 posts, read 51,725,105 times
Reputation: 23653

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No offense, but asking "what's California like?" is akin to asking "what's the East Coast like?" In other words, it's a HUGE region!! Throughout the state, you will literally find every type of culture/weather/scenery/etc - from the mountains, to the beach/coastal cities, to the rural Central Valley, there is something for everyone here. Gawd, I sound like a commercial. LOL

I'm a Bay Area person myself, having been here for 30 years (on & off), and honestly couldn't see myself going any farther south or east - maybe north, since I did enjoy my college years in Oregon. But having also lived in Maryland for the first 6 1/2 years of my life, I can honestly say never again to the muggy Atlantic Coast. I love the weather here, which is almost always comfortable, and also the cultural diversity and entertainment options. I do miss the city life, since moving to a suburban-type neighborhood in San Jose two years ago, but the South Bay has its advantages too. Parking, for one.

If you're looking for a more walkable and friendly spot, I would stick with San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Berkeley, maybe San Diego? You really don't need a car in SF, unless you're in the southeast corner like I was (public transit doesn't serve that area well); and the hills are mostly in the middle, while the outskirts tend to be flatter. I do drive a stick-shift, though, and became VERY adept at maneuvering the crazier hills! A tip for other stick drivers: Rock it back & forth when there's a stop sign at the top, because if you make a complete stop, you're liable to hit the inevitable tailgater behind you (when you have to roll back). Anyway, that's a bit of my Californian perspective.
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Old 05-22-2013, 06:31 PM
 
Location: In the Redwoods
30,286 posts, read 51,725,105 times
Reputation: 23653
Oh, and if you want an idea of how crazy the hills can be in SF...

https://s3.amazonaws.com/luuux-origi...69623e3132.jpg
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_XZ18O1-Ll8...dchasenorm.jpg (they provide stairs for pedestrians on the really bad ones)
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2778/...0e4f013454.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi..._bg_032605.jpg (only tourists generally drive on this one)

A great tip for parking here: "Up, up & away!" That means if you're facing upwards, turn your wheels OUT/away from the curb; and if you're facing downhill, curb them INward. They will issue a ticket if you fail to do this, as we've probably all learned the hard way. I swear, it didn't feel like a steep enough hill when I got my $45 no-curbing ticket.
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Old 05-22-2013, 07:20 PM
 
Location: Boulder Creek, CA
9,197 posts, read 16,764,910 times
Reputation: 6373
Quote:
Originally Posted by bmw335xi View Post
Traditions my butt... if someone gets upset from just a name, they need to pull that thing they bought in Castro out of their blank.
Who says Cali or Frisco?


Yeah, we've all had to suffer these types. Especially on the bus.
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Old 05-22-2013, 08:06 PM
 
Location: In the Redwoods
30,286 posts, read 51,725,105 times
Reputation: 23653
Quote:
Originally Posted by bigdumbgod View Post
Who says Cali or Frisco?

Yeah, we've all had to suffer these types. Especially on the bus.
LOL... those guys are real thugs!

Kinda reminds me of this meme:



As for calling it Cali & Frisco, whenever I hear the former all I think of is "I'm going back to Cali, to Cali, to Cali; I'm going back to Cali, I don't think so!" Or however it goes. The whole "Frisco" thing is an ongoing argument, but I tend to side with those who say don't do it... call it "SF" or "the city," if you really want to sound like a local. And before anyone asks, even now that I live in San Jose (bigger than SF) everyone knows to which city "the city" is referring.
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Old 05-22-2013, 08:21 PM
 
Location: Betsyville
103 posts, read 273,181 times
Reputation: 127
I'm a native and this is my experience:

1. The bigger cities are really fun and expensive.

2. The central valley hasn't been kind to me.

3. Interracial dating is okay but could be better.

4. Being near bodies of water is nice.

5. People here differ from city to city.

6. The state is bankrupt but still spending lots of money.

7. Its been hard for me to make close friends here.

8. Jobs exist, just depends where you look.
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Old 05-22-2013, 08:44 PM
 
Location: LBC
4,156 posts, read 5,524,718 times
Reputation: 3593
Quote:
Originally Posted by NoMoreSnowForMe View Post
I don't dismiss someone who says Cali or Frisco, but I have to keep myself from grinning. It's just not something a local would say, so it classifies the speaker as a non-native or a tourist.
Or, possibly, a complete tool?
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Old 05-22-2013, 10:52 PM
 
246 posts, read 420,054 times
Reputation: 643
Quote:
Originally Posted by nslander View Post
I want to clarify something and I suspect I might be speaking for other natives. It’s not that I bristle at the use of “Cali”. But it does make me question the maturity of the speaker or their familiarity with the state. If you want to use it, knock yourself out. People wore Ed Hardy at some point.

Any other natives feel the same way?
Well said... People who use "Cali" remind me of suburban white kids who walk bow legged marauding the local mall with their hats turned to the side with the silly hologram sticker gleaming on the bill yapping, "Yo Yo Yo wazup playa, dis is Cali foo!"
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Old 05-22-2013, 11:17 PM
 
71 posts, read 60,581 times
Reputation: 49
While I am bow legged and say Cali, I don't wear my hat sideways.

It's just a word you assign to much power to if the use of Cali or Frisco bugs you.
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Old 05-22-2013, 11:33 PM
 
Location: On the water.
21,564 posts, read 16,062,110 times
Reputation: 19586
Quote:
Originally Posted by Schaden View Post
It's just a word you assign to much power to if the use of Cali or Frisco bugs you.
Does scratching your fingernails down a blackboard "bug" you?
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Old 05-22-2013, 11:53 PM
 
71 posts, read 60,581 times
Reputation: 49
You get a physical reaction from hearing those words? Interesting. I do not.
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