Most integrated city or town (San Diego, San Francisco: real estate, how much, hotels)

[paxtibimarce]

We are a mixed couple ready to move to the California Coast. We both own our own our own arts-based business. We are looking to buy a home or property.
Our top priority is to move to a tolerant, racially integrated location.
Any suggestions on where we should look, both in actual geographic terms as well as resource materials that might shed light into the matter.

Thanks

[PureHapa]

Can you be more specific? Which coast? Retirement? Budget?

Most Cali towns are "integrated". It's not like the east coast where you have cities that are literally divided into black and white. There are blacks, whites, hispanics, asians, Euro immigrants, all kinds of people.

Coastal in general is more affluent and white.

Let us know what areas/towns you are looking at and we can give you the 411.

[cw68]

A few years ago Sacramento was rated as America's most diverse city. I find it to be fairly true, but don't know how much attraction Sacto has to an artsy couple. There's a definite art scene here, but it's not a large part of the city's character.

[paxtibimarce]

Thanks for the replies.
We we've visited San Diego and found it beautiful but stuffy. San Francisco was a gorgeous place but I did get the feeling things were very segregated under the surface of a very superficially tolerant place.

We spoke to a friend and they suggested up the coast north of LA and in some of the valleys East. San Joachim and Ynez, although he said the $$ is high.
No retirement not at the top end nor the bottom of the budget --somewhat middle of the road.

We would prefer a very unpretentious place where your neighbors can engage you without obsessing about the fact that indeed we are together as a mixed couple.
I would hope also it may be an educated town and with a focus on the arts and culture.

[cw68]

Originally Posted by paxtibimarce

Thanks for the replies.
We we've visited San Diego and found it beautiful but stuffy. San Francisco was a gorgeous place but I did get the feeling things were very segregated under the surface of a very superficially tolerant place.

We spoke to a friend and they suggested up the coast north of LA and in some of the valleys East. San Joachim and Ynez, although he said the $$ is high.
No retirement not at the top end nor the bottom of the budget --somewhat middle of the road.

We would prefer a very unpretentious place where your neighbors can engage you without obsessing about the fact that indeed we are together as a mixed couple.
I would hope also it may be an educated town and with a focus on the arts and culture.

Davis. West of Sacramento, home of UC-Davis.

[UB50]

Pasadena, though not on the coast, might be good. There are loads of "arts" in the LA area (you didn't specify what kind of arts) and loads of "mixed couples" (you didn't specify what kind of "mixed"). LA is a very tolerant area. The coast (up to San Luis Obispo) is also good.

[PureHapa]

Hmmm. You found San Diego "stuffy"? And even San Francisco gave you bad vibes? I find that strange. Both cities are diverse and beautiful. Neither to be written off so lightly.

What neighborhoods were you visiting? Did you stay at hotels? Why did you feel the way you felt? Do you feel out of place in predominately white areas, even if you haven't been discriminated against?

I am half Asian, and I do admit feeling a bit strange when I first visit an all-white area I don't know, even if noone has discriminated against me. It's just that I've always lived in diverse communities. But I've never felt this strangeness in SD or SF, or indeed anyplace in California.

So can you tell us more?

[cw68]

Originally Posted by PureHapa

Hmmm. You found San Diego "stuffy"? And even San Francisco gave you bad vibes? I find that strange. Both cities are diverse and beautiful. Neither to be written off so lightly.

What neighborhoods were you visiting? Did you stay at hotels? Why did you feel the way you felt? Do you feel out of place in predominately white areas, even if you haven't been discriminated against?

I am half Asian, and I do admit feeling a bit strange when I first visit an all-white area I don't know, even if noone has discriminated against me. It's just that I've always lived in diverse communities. But I've never felt this strangeness in SD or SF, or indeed anyplace in California.

So can you tell us more?

I can understand where he's coming from. I never thought SF was "all that" and I moved from the Midwest to live there. IMHO, it's very much a keep up with the Jones kind of place. San Diego has changed a lot over the past few years as a result of the real estate run-up.

[tande1n5]

Wow... as a SF native, I never felt that at all. It's true that there is some division, the blacks in Hunter's Point, Mexicans in the Mission, Asians in the Richmond, etc, etc...., and since everything's so dense, a half mile feels like 20... but it never felt far enough apart to feel "segregated" to me. Still my favorite city in the world, even though I'm gone.

As far as the "keep up with the Jonses," I don't really see it personally, but I'm guessing that that perception comes from the intense career-oriented drive there.

[cw68]

Originally Posted by tande1n5

As far as the "keep up with the Jonses," I don't really see it personally, but I'm guessing that that perception comes from the intense career-oriented drive there.

I think there's a big difference between SF natives and those of us who chose to move there as adults.