Your favourite big city in California (Los Angeles, San Diego: best city, houses, theater)

[mulder]

What's your favourite big city in California and why?

[la quinta family]

San Francisco.. it's like New York on the West Coast... or as close
as I'll ever get!

[Deserter]

San Francisco wins by a mile. It's got cute, colorful Victorian houses and cute, colorful (as in personalities) residents, too! There's Golden Gate Bridge and Park, Chinatown, cable cars, the hills, the bay, and the other bridges. There's museums and theater. You're just minutes away from wilderness in Golden Gate NRA and Point Reyes NRA. The coastline north and south of the city is gorgeous, too.

It's ridiculously expensive to live in, but it's great to visit.

San Diego is also quite a nice city.

[nostress13]

San Francisco has been called the "Paris of America" and for good reason. It's a city like no other in the U.S. and I would live there in a heartbeat if I had no children. As woderful as it is, it does not seem the most family friendly. It does, however, have a plethora of cultural amenities and outstanding restaurants. You know that feeling you get when you walk into Disneyland (for those who have been); that's the feeling I get watching the Frisco skyline inch closer and closer coming in from the Bay Bridge. A truly one-of-a-kind place.

[newportbeachsmostwanted]

San Jose wins hands down for family-friendliness, safety, schools, and transportation, but it's not really a city. Rather it's a suburbia with a few localized centers.

San Francisco wins for culture, natural beauty, dining, character, and interesting people. I believe the SF's main fault is the anti-children stigma, and sometimes rediculously liberal policies.

Los Angeles wins for weather, movies, upscale shopping, and Mexican culture. It is the only major city in the world to be split by a mountain range. On a clear day, after a winter rain, it's beautiful. Unfortunately it's been infested with traffic, air-quality issues, illegals, and gangs.

San Diego wins for beaches, and a laid-back lifestyle. It is the smaller step-child of LA, but without most of LA's problems. It boosts a high quality of life, and has near perfect year-round weather.


I pick San Diego.

[Sage of Sagle]

SF wins for me. It's one of the VERY few cities where I would let my daughters live and work, right in downtown, with less fear for their safety. It's ridiculously clean compared to other major cities. While it has its rough areas, there are just so many decent/nice/cute areas that it would get my vote.

Now, if we got to where I would move my family and live myself if I had to choose? I would go to north San Diego County, Encinitas or Rancho Santa Fe. I'd just be sure to have a lot of stocks cashed out ready to go to a $200K down payment.

[mandom]

having lived in both LA and SF, SF is clearly the superior city. the term 'sprawling suburbs' is very appropriate for LA; you can't get anywhere without a car. and even with one, you still can't get anywhere.

SF has its share of problems, but on the whole, it's the best city in CA and up there with the rest around the world.

[Cali-girl]

L.A. Specifically the Westside. But, its all OK.

[majoun]

Originally Posted by nostress13

San Francisco has been called the "Paris of America" and for good reason. It's a city like no other in the U.S. and I would live there in a heartbeat if I had no children. As woderful as it is, it does not seem the most family friendly. It does, however, have a plethora of cultural amenities and outstanding restaurants. You know that feeling you get when you walk into Disneyland (for those who have been); that's the feeling I get watching the Frisco skyline inch closer and closer coming in from the Bay Bridge. A truly one-of-a-kind place.

SF resembles Lisbon more than Paris, but regardless it does have a European feel to it missing from anywhere else on the west coast. (I assume the Paris comparisons come from more Americans being familiar with France than Portugal)

The lack of attempts at "family friendliness", IMO, are a plus. I would think it would mean that kids raised in SF itself would mature faster as they would be more used to being treated like adults, like kids from NY and London (and probably Paris and Lisbon as well).

[Dennis P]

San Diego. Laid-back lifestyle compared with L.A., similar weather. People (to me) seem friendlier. Lots to see and do, lots of great places to eat, just an all-out beautiful area. As I posted in another thread, if I already had a job and place to live lined up, I would move down there in a heartbeat!