Where in Cali would you live if money were not an issue? (Los Angeles: best neighborhood, big house)

[fairweathergolfer]

1. Brentwood--where I already live, but a larger home one or two blocks over.
2. Santa Monica--Near 26th street and San Vicente to the ocean north of Montana
3. Santa Barbara--where I am presently back and forth about moving too, because I also love the area and home I live in. Sometimes people need change. With serious money maybe Montecito, but if not, a killer home in SB or even Goleta area.

Brentwood and Santa Monica are excellent places to live in if you have the money to afford it. I highly recommend them. They have it all and unlike Beverly Hills, are close to the water, which is stunning here.

5. Rancho Sante Fe/La Jolla/Del Mar: Can't decide between the three

6. Pebble Beach/Carmel possibly, but unsure about the lack of sun and the flights in and out too are not as convenient. It also sounds like the shopping isn't up to par for the truly snobby wealthy lady that likes to dress all fine . A private jet may take care of some of these issues though. I'd just jet up to San Francisco to shop and fly back and forth my Interior Designer . Also a driver to San Jose to shop for the day as well would help, or I could have fun and drive myself in a very nice vehicle or a fun clunker.

I noticed this thread asked about California. But I must say, no other state was even in the running when I thought about it. Tells you something right there--about how amazing the place is.

[fairweathergolfer]

Oh yeah, with out question (this is why I forgot to write it) is either Palm Desert--hey Twink!--or La Quinta for a second home. No brainer. The third home would be in a rural state with skiiing. (That I will keep to myself to keep it private .

[fairweathergolfer]

Yes. This is why I am not interested in Malibu and also up north where many of the truly wealthy live is dullsville and hard to get anywhere (I hike around there all the time)--it takes forever, and if there is backed up traffic with or without an accident, one is absolutely screwed.

This is why I love Brentwood and Santa Monica. You have everything right there (hopefully one either works from home, in Santa Monica or not at all), then you never have to get on the freeway for anything even the airport if you do not want to. You will only have to get on it if you want to see friends or entertainment oriented activities, but many of of those are all right here anyway.

You don't even need a car if you like walking or cycling. Perfection. Not unlike Santa Barbara, but with much more of everything--shopping, culture, spas, restaurants, you name it. Oh and golf, there is a lot of golf for the public in LA that is very good and highly competative or enjoyable for the not so serious. Did I mention lots of jobs here as well. Laid back with energy.

Originally Posted by nanannie

I must have missed the wonder all the times I have been..Malibu to me was a few feet along side of a VERY busy and dangerous HIWAY!!
I saw lots and lots of garage doors side by side,touching each other,hmmmm.Not my idea of paradise just so you can live by Shirley MacLaine or Goldie Hawn

[Twinkle Toes]

Gosh! There are so many places in CA I would love to have a home if money were no object! But probably at the top of this list for beauty and serenity would be somewhere in the Carmel or big Sur area overlooking the ocean. But, beauty and serenity can get boring after a couple of days, so then I would need to be someplace hip like LA or SF.

[inkymonk]

Lived in CA for 25 years in San Luis Obispo County. If I could, I'd live in Carmel. But, then again, Cambria is still small, by the sea and the weather is fabulous. It's like a mini-Carmel. Yup, that's the one.

[NewToCA]

Clearly, I would want an Edwardian home in Pacific Heights, San Francisco. Great weather, near lots of things and super public transportation around a great city.

I also liked Santa Monica a lot, but San Francisco edges out LA for me. Since I'm not a beach person, the warmer water doesn't mean much to me. I like the cool weather, great for sleeping at night.

[roseleadfoot]

Beverly Hills, Pacific Palasades, Carmel, Santa Barbara,Laguna Beach, Seal Beach (small charming beach commummity)

[starkt]

Okay, here are the candidates:

San Diego area: La Jolla, Del Mar, Rancho Santa Fe, Coronado

San Diego traffic is so horrendous that I would not choose to live in areas (like the above communities) where I needed a car in order to function. So if you have to live in San Diego, I recommend: Hillcrest/Bankers Hill-Park West/Mission Hills/Downtown (Little Italy, the Marina District, Core-Columbia) -- all are walkable. But none of these is as exclusive as La Jolla or Del Mar. Bankers Hill and Mission Hills (and parts of Hillcrest) are pretty exclusive though, and have something the newer suburbs lack: great mansions (in Spanish and other styles) that were built in the twenties when they knew how to build things right.

Orange County: Newport Beach, Laguna Beach (including Emerald Bay), Dana Point, Seal Beach (not sure if these are in Orange County, but they're close)

Orange County traffic is as bad or worse than San Diego's. There are no walkable communities that I know of. If you can stand the traffic, these beach communities have a lot to offer.

Los Angeles area: Beverly Hills, Bel-Air, Holmby Hills, Hancock Park, Hollywood Hills, Encino, San Marino, Hidden Hills, Calabasas Park, Brentwood, Pacific Palisades, Malibu, Palos Verdes Estates, Rancho Palos Verdes, Palos Verdes Peninsula, Rolling Hills, Rolling Hills Estates, Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, Marina Del Rey, Playa Del Rey, Venice Beach

See what I said about Orange County above. Holmby Hills strikes me as the place to have your mansion on multiple acres; Malibu is the place for your beach house. And your best bet if you can't afford these is the Palos Verdes area (which is plenty expensive in its own right...)

Long Beach area: Belmont Shore, Corona Del Mar

Downtown Long Beach is supposed to be pedestrian friendly; worth investigating.

Palm Springs area: Indian Wells, Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, Palm Springs, La Quinta, Bermuda Dunes

Traffic conditions okay; should stay that way if growth is reined in. Palm Springs has the most character and history, but only some neighborhoods are "rich" (Movie Colony, Old Las Palmas, and a few others...) The desert grows on you -- wonderful warm starlit nights, peace and quiet, but all the big city amenities close by...

Santa Barbara Area: Montecito, Hope Ranch, Rincon Del Mar (Carpinteria), Sandyland (Carpinteria), Summerland (Padaro Lane), Santa Barbara (Mission, Upper East Side, Mission Canyon, Riviera), Santa Ynez Valley

Santa Barbara is by far the best coastal location in southern California. With prices to match.

Monterey area: Big Sur, Pebble Beach, Carmel, Carmel Valley, Carmel Highlands, Pacific Grove

Like living in a Japanese scroll painting. Unbelieveably spectacular. But also very foggy -- you have to go east into Carmel Valley to get away from the fog.

Santa Cruz area: Aptos (on the beach), Rio Del Mar, Pasatiempo, Santa Cruz Mountains

Lovely, sunny Monterey Bay location. Redwood tree-covered mountains and green meadows overlooking the blue Pacific. Unfortunately, downtown Santa Cruz was destroyed in the last big earthquake and has been replaced by what looks like a tacky mall. Lots of strange, psychotic people who are catered to by the ultra liberal city council.

San Jose/Lower San Francisco Peninsula: Saratoga, Monte Sereno, Los Gatos

Pretty but dull.

Middle San Francisco Peninsula: Atherton, Woodside, Portola Valley, Los Altos Hills

Woodside is the place for those who want to live like English gentlemen on large country estates. Tally-ho!

Upper San Francisco Peninsula: Hillsborough

Home of the Hearst family. Massive stone mansions, manicured, and a bit stuffy -- not unlike a graveyard or mausoleum.

San Francisco neighborhoods: Pacific Heights, Presideo Heights, Nob Hill, Russian Hill, Telegraph Hill, Sea Cliff, St. Francis Wood, Forest Hill, Sherwood Forest

Many international travelers consider San Francisco to rival Paris as one of the world's great cities. If you can afford to live here at all, you're lucky. If you can afford the best neighborhoods, you're even luckier. Okay, so it's cold and windy and wet a lot of the time, there are lots of homeless and things are a bit overpriced. Sorry, the views, food, eccentric people and walkability more than make up for these minor complaints.

Marin County: Belvedere, Ross, Tiburon, Sausalito, Kentfield, Mill Valley, Stinson Beach (Seadrift), Muir Beach, Bolinas

"Marvelous Marin" lives up to its reputation. A bedroom community that looks more like a national park. Each town has its own distinctive character. Do you like living among the redwoods on a mountainside near the beach? Mill Valley is for you. Do you want to live on a beautiful island with spectacular views of San Francisco and the Golden Gate? Belvedere is for you. Do you want a big house on several acres in a heavily wooded area? Ross is the place. Do you want the ultimate beach house? Seadrift awaits you.

Alameda County (Oakland area): Piedmont, Montclair, Claremont, Kensington, Berkeley Hills, Oakland Hills

Lots of sunshine, "olde Englishe" type mansions in Piedmont, more contemporary spreads in Montclair. And all a short drive or BART ride to San Francisco. Not bad.

Contra Costa County: Orinda, Lafayette, Moraga, Alamo, Danville, Blackhawk-Tassajara

A country idyll a short BART ride away from San Francisco.

Sonoma coast: The Sea Ranch

Napa/Sonoma valleys: Rutherford, St. Helena, Calistoga

Mendocino County: (coastal property)

Lake Tahoe area: Dollar Point, pretty much anywhere on the lake. Sugar Bowl (for an exclusive ski resort.)

[Lindsey_Mcfarren]

Somewhere close to the beach but after the fires recently maybe not Malibu.

[Interpol76]

Santa Barbara or Santa Cruz