Where in Cali would you live if money were not an issue? (San Diego: school, living in)

[Twinkle Toes]

Originally Posted by 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.)

A lot of good info to be sure, but you forgot to tell us which cities in South Central you would prefer over others!

Example: Compton is better than Lynwood (better gangs), etc ...

[movingtomontana]

Originally Posted by mulder

Like the title says, what city would you live in if housing and all other city-related expenses were not an issue.

By the fact that you have SD in parenthesis, I assume you mean Southern Cali. Honestly living in SoCal my whole life (26yrs), I would not chose it. Central and Northern Cal are fare more beautiful country the the irrigated desert that we cal SoCal.

[normsw]

If you like summer, it's LaJolla, Newport Beach or Santa Barbara. For winter it's Tahoe or Big Bear or Mammoth Mt on 395. 4 seasons-San Fran or Shasta City. Study climate and demographics in the Almanac.

[normsw]

Most moderate climate: San Diego. 4 seasons: San Fran. Winter: Tahoe or Shasta or Big Bear. Culture: San Fran. Checking out Calif. is like checking out a nation; a million possibilities exist. Come and visit so you don't make a big mistake.

[starkt]

Originally Posted by Twinkle Toes

A lot of good info to be sure, but you forgot to tell us which cities in South Central you would prefer over others!

Example: Compton is better than Lynwood (better gangs), etc ...

Ah, well, for the Dom Perignon '62 of ghetto experiences, nothing can surpass the Sunnydale Housing Project in San Francisco (near the Cow Palace.) Best to take it all in while riding the bus (the # 3 used to go through there; probably still does...)

[VickyVicky]

Id choose Cambria....

Its like living in the woods by the ocean. Beach properties but wooded areas nearby, small town with a main street. You have deer walking in your yard.

Second would probably be Santa Barbara, so much to see and do there! Very beautiful!

[wealthtrader]

CARMEL!! I was there for ten minutes (drove pch through) and fell in love. I'll do whatever it takes to live there. Not as wacky as Santa Cruz, Not as congested as Newport Beach, Not as cold as San Francisco, Not as bland as Temecula, Not as fake as Santa Barbara.

[jcp123]

Damn, that's a toughie. First places that came to mind were either Tahoe or Monterey/Carmel. Maybe even somewhere in Napa or in the Hollister-Paso Robles-Salinas River Valley for some nice pastoral settings. Or Dublin if I wanted a nice commuter burb. I don't know the Southland that well, though, so I may be leaving some out. I've heard the San Diego-La Jolla locale is amazing.

[sonarrat]

Originally Posted by starkt

Ah, well, for the Dom Perignon '62 of ghetto experiences, nothing can surpass the Sunnydale Housing Project in San Francisco (near the Cow Palace.) Best to take it all in while riding the bus (the # 3 used to go through there; probably still does...)

It has been replaced with the T-Third light rail. Sunnydale is the last stop.

[fontanaj]

Ever taken a look at CHICO!