California: An earthly paradise?? (Sacramento, Stockton: house, salary, live in)

[Isaysos]

So, I was bored the other day and was reading some from my old collection of encyclopedias (1936 to be exact) and it described southern California as "an earthly paradise". Back then the population of the whole state was 6.7 million (close to 40 million today).
Now, I have been to SoCal on many occasions, and would personally not label it as "an earthly paradise", although it is a nice area.
I was just wondering, would any one still label SoCal that way? Why or why not? It seems to me that the area probably was very paradise like when it had a fraction of the people and CARS!
Has the influx of people over the last century ruined paradise forever?

[cobmw]

It was a paradise in the 1960's. Plenty of room to move around. New freeways being built everywhere (by a Democrat governor no less). The SFV was clean and fun. Hollywood and the beaches were a short drive away and were all safe and exciting. The attitude was upbeat. The future was bright.

Now I see an overcrowded, deteriorating place. Freeways are a mess as construcution has been stopped by the now Democrat majority in Sacramento. And of course the major difference is the effect that millions upon millions of immigrants, mostly from Mexico, have had on the state. Paradise lost is a more appropriate description of the place now. Quite sad.

[EscapeCalifornia]

Originally Posted by cobmw

It was a paradise in the 1960's. Plenty of room to move around. New freeways being built everywhere (by a Democrat governor no less). The SFV was clean and fun. Hollywood and the beaches were a short drive away and were all safe and exciting. The attitude was upbeat. The future was bright.

Now I see an overcrowded, deteriorating place. Freeways are a mess as construcution has been stopped by the now Democrat majority in Sacramento. And of course the major difference is the effect that millions upon millions of immigrants, mostly from Mexico, have had on the state. Paradise lost is a more appropriate description of the place now. Quite sad.

That's pretty much how I feel. What's frustrating to me is how the older generation doesn't seem to understand that the California I want to leave today with isn't the one they moved to 40 years ago. I guess its easier when your house is paid for and you don't have to commute 10 times a week in horrible traffic to still see the positive aspects of the area.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by EscapeCalifornia

....the older generation doesn't seem to understand that the California I want to leave today with isn't the one they moved to 40 years ago. I guess its easier when your house is paid for and you don't have to commute 10 times a week in horrible traffic to still see the positive aspects of the area.

That is exactly my parents and me.

I still remember my mom's expression when we told her we're moving to Colorado, "Charles, you're making a mistake." She's from Buffalo and if it isn't SoCal, everything is just like Buffalo - snow, grey, depressing, etc.. Looking forward to telling her it was about 70 in Denver today, shorts and t-shirts, we took the kids horseback riding, Harley's everywhere, sunny, ...

Right mom.

But back to the original post, yes, California is an earthly paradise if you don't have to negotiate the traffic or work in a high density region and you already own a home or you have tons of money.

Not long ago in 1997 gorgeous homes in Thousand Oaks were $150/sqft. We bought one.

[100%Michigan]

Not by a long shot... I wouldnt even give California that name in the 1900's
I suppose that name was given to California from those wealthy by the gold rush ( or ancestors )... It was simply yellow journalism thats all

[wehotex]

Originally Posted by Isaysos

So, I was bored the other day and was reading some from my old collection of encyclopedias (1936 to be exact) and it described southern California as "an earthly paradise". Back then the population of the whole state was 6.7 million (close to 40 million today).
Now, I have been to SoCal on many occasions, and would personally not label it as "an earthly paradise", although it is a nice area.
I was just wondering, would any one still label SoCal that way? Why or why not? It seems to me that the area probably was very paradise like when it had a fraction of the people and CARS!
Has the influx of people over the last century ruined paradise forever?

the answer is unfortunately yes. when i lived in socal, i used to look for traces of what socal must have looked like even 30-40 years ago (the 1950s-1960s). in the early 90s, there were still large strawberry fields in so orange cty and orange groves in oxnard- sta paula area. now those large strawberry fields are the irvine promenade and the other irvine shopping center (forgot the name) that was much more widespread in the old days. old timers would tell me about the scent of the orange blossoms, etc. many of the original rivers were still flowing also. so cal really exploded population wise in the 1950s. when i would ask older people where they were from, a lot of them were from the midwestern states and came over in the 50s. nowadays, many suburbs look very generic like you would find in any other major city. some suburbs resemble more tijuana than so calif.
"earthly paradise" is not a phrase that comes to mind when i think of so cal.

[JakeDog]

Depends on your commute, housing costs, salary, job, and where you live. For me it is as close to paradise as anyplace I've lived. But I can see how Colorado, Washington, Oregon, etc. could be another persons' paradise depending upon their interests (skiing), etc. I don't understand why anyone without ties to the Midwest or South would view it as anything other than just OK.

[Californiaguy2007]

I went bike riding earlier today and had a great view of Agriculture Fields and Snow Capped Mountains in the Distance with a Cool Fresh Breeze Blowing,so yes California is Paradise for me

[wehotex]

Originally Posted by Caliguy2007

I went bike riding earlier today and had a great view of Agriculture Fields and Snow Capped Mountains in the Distance with a Cool Fresh Breeze Blowing,so yes California is Paradise for me

where was that, caliguy?

[Sir Barton]

I live in Stockton. You have got to be kidding.