Why do people insist that San Diego has a different culture from Orange County? (Anaheim: luxury, public schools)

[MrJester]

People keep saying that Orange County is a rat race and that San Diego County has a much slower pace of life, has a different culture.

I really think it's overplayed. Irvine/South Orange County is very, very similar to places like Scripps Ranch, Rancho Bernardo, Carmel Valley, Del Mar, Carlsbad, and Chula Vista. I've lived in Irvine/South OC most of my life and I've stayed at my parents' place in Rancho Bernardo for several months. The weather is the same, the beach vibe is the same, the scenery is the same, the amount of traffic is the same.

I've never gotten why people think Orange County is faster paced than San Diego. Sure, there's fast-paced, competitive, career-driven, education-obsessed areas of Orange County like Irvine. But you could say the same thing about Rancho Bernardo, Black Mountain Ranch, Carmel Valley, etc. in San Diego. Sure, there's relaxed, beach communities in San Diego--Carlsbad, Oceanside, etc. But you could say the same thing about Huntington, Laguna Beach, San Clemente, etc.

And then you have people who say how San Diego County has less traffic than Orange County. Now, Greater San Diego DOES have much less traffic than Greater LA for sure. And yes, OC is part of Greater LA. BUT most of the worst congestion in Greater LA is concentrated in LA County, and some in the Inland Empire. Orange County is much, much better traffic-wise than LA County. So the difference between OC and SD county in terms of traffic is actually minimal.

If there are any key differences between SD County and Orange County, it's the fact that San Diego County has an actual big city, an actual walkable downtown with skyscrapers and a bigger airport. It's that San Diego County has a desert portion. It's that Orange County has more Hispanics and Asians. And, that's it.

[T. Damon]

Orange County has roughly the same number of people living in 1/5 the area of San Diego County, you think a “little” thing like that is not going to have an effect on the perceived and real dynamics of a place? OC is a master planned community developed within an inch of the very few square miles of remaining arroyos. A place with no center or city and thus where the status of the car you drive and the gate guarded community in which you reside means everything.

San Diego County is a mix of rural, suburban and a densely urban city at its core with a much more varied populous and diverse economy. The two places are very different except the worst boring suburbs of SD county resemble somewhat the standard fare of everything that is OC.

[saibot]

I kind of agree with Jester this time. I see them more as a continuum than two places with totally different cultures and identities. Of course there are plenty of things things that San Diego Co. has that OC doesn't, and vice versa to a lesser extent. But life in north OC (where I grew up) isn't significantly different from life in a suburb in a comparable part of San Diego County, say, Vista (where my brother-in-law grew up). Demographically, the difference between 31% Hispanic (San Diego) and 34% Hispanic (OC) is trivial in my opinion. (OC does have a lot more Asians, granted, concentrated in a few areas.) By no means are all people from OC obsessed with wealth or status. People from other parts of the country or world would probably find a person from OC and one from San Diego to be indistinguishably "Southern Californian." To say these two counties are culturally very different is quite a stretch.

[pacific2]

Originally Posted by MrJester

People keep saying that Orange County is a rat race and that San Diego County has a much slower pace of life, has a different culture.

I really think it's overplayed. Irvine/South Orange County is very, very similar to places like Scripps Ranch, Rancho Bernardo, Carmel Valley, Del Mar, Carlsbad, and Chula Vista. I've lived in Irvine/South OC most of my life and I've stayed at my parents' place in Rancho Bernardo for several months. The weather is the same, the beach vibe is the same, the scenery is the same, the amount of traffic is the same.

I've never gotten why people think Orange County is faster paced than San Diego. Sure, there's fast-paced, competitive, career-driven, education-obsessed areas of Orange County like Irvine. But you could say the same thing about Rancho Bernardo, Black Mountain Ranch, Carmel Valley, etc. in San Diego. Sure, there's relaxed, beach communities in San Diego--Carlsbad, Oceanside, etc. But you could say the same thing about Huntington, Laguna Beach, San Clemente, etc.

And then you have people who say how San Diego County has less traffic than Orange County. Now, Greater San Diego DOES have much less traffic than Greater LA for sure. And yes, OC is part of Greater LA. BUT most of the worst congestion in Greater LA is concentrated in LA County, and some in the Inland Empire. Orange County is much, much better traffic-wise than LA County. So the difference between OC and SD county in terms of traffic is actually minimal.

If there are any key differences between SD County and Orange County, it's the fact that San Diego County has an actual big city, an actual walkable downtown with skyscrapers and a bigger airport. It's that San Diego County has a desert portion. It's that Orange County has more Hispanics and Asians. And, that's it.

OC actually has less traffic congestion than either LA, San Diego, or the Bay Area:

2019-20 Orange County Community Indicators
https://www.ocbc.org/wp-content/uplo...091219-WEB.pdf

However, OC is far more densely populated than SD County, and that factor alone really does change the dynamics between the two. Also, let's not forget the presence of military bases in SD. So, one would expect substantive differences between OC and SD.

Nevertheless, contrary to stereotypes, OC's cities do vary quite a bit. For example, Huntington Beach is nothing like Lake Forest; Irvine is not similar to San Juan Capistrano; Laguna Hills is very different from Fullerton; Mission Viejo could never be mistaken for Garden Grove; Tustin is unlike Stanton; Laguna Beach bears no similarities to Anaheim, etc.

[Vic Romano]

Originally Posted by MrJester

People keep saying that Orange County is a rat race and that San Diego County has a much slower pace of life, has a different culture.

Who are these people you always refer to?

[OptimusPrime69]

I think the starker contrast exists between north and south Orange County, to be honest.
South Orange County is very "master planned" feeling. Northern OC feels more LA-ish to me and older. Southern OC seems far removed from LA and newer and cleaner.

[KerrTown]

Originally Posted by OptimusPrime69

South Orange County is very "master planned" feeling. Northern OC feels more LA-ish to me and older. Southern OC seems far removed from LA and newer and cleaner.

Actually South OC is status-conscious because of the general Greater L.A. "Hollywood" influence--not laid back like S.D.--and it does cost a fortune to maintain appearances. The only similarities it shares with S.D. is it's moderate Republicanism and the suburban sprawled layout (unlike the density of the L.A. Basin and neighboring valleys).

Just go to Fashion Island and gawk at the mega-mansions above in Newport Coast, on the hills across the mall. Yet the inland South Coast Mall is the center luxury mall for the whole county.

[saibot]

Originally Posted by KerrTown

Actually South OC is status-conscious because of the general Greater L.A. "Hollywood" influence--not laid back like S.D.--and it does cost a fortune to maintain appearances. The only similarities it shares with S.D. is it's moderate Republicanism and the suburban sprawled layout (unlike the density of the L.A. Basin and neighboring valleys).

Just go to Fashion Island and gawk at the mega-mansions above in Newport Coast, on the hills across the mall. Yet the inland South Coast Mall is the center luxury mall for the whole county.

You shouldn't stereotype South OC that way. You are describing Newport Beach, Irvine, the parts of Costa Mesa immediately surrounding South Coast Plaza (not "Mall"). But Lake Forest, Mission Viejo, Laguna Hills, Rancho Santa Margarita, San Juan Capistrano, etc. are not especially "status conscious." I've lived in that area for nearly 25 years and the vast majority of people are down-to-earth. They don't live in gated communities or drive supercars, and they send their kids to ordinary public schools.

[MrJester]

Originally Posted by OptimusPrime69

I think the starker contrast exists between north and south Orange County, to be honest.
South Orange County is very "master planned" feeling. Northern OC feels more LA-ish to me and older. Southern OC seems far removed from LA and newer and cleaner.

You described it perfectly. There's actually bigger differences in culture between North and South OC than South OC vs. suburban San Diego. South OC feels very similar to suburban San Diego.

[MrJester]

Originally Posted by saibot

You shouldn't stereotype South OC that way. You are describing Newport Beach, Irvine, the parts of Costa Mesa immediately surrounding South Coast Plaza (not "Mall"). But Lake Forest, Mission Viejo, Laguna Hills, Rancho Santa Margarita, San Juan Capistrano, etc. are not especially "status conscious." I've lived in that area for nearly 25 years and the vast majority of people are down-to-earth. They don't live in gated communities or drive supercars, and they send their kids to ordinary public schools.

Wait, but Coto de Caza is VERY keep up with the Joneses, as is Dana Point. Yes, I'd agree that Lake Forest and Mission Viejo are less so, though.