Are There Any Smoggy Days in Monterey? (San Francisco, Santa Cruz: real estate, houses)

[thrillobyte]

I've just about figured my ideal dream town. It's Monterey, Calif. The weather pretty much stays a constant 40/75 for days/nights year-round so I beat this *&^%$ heat during summer in LA; it has a good hospital w/ a new heart center; it has a Whole Foods and Trader Joe's in pretty close proximity to each other; there appears to be less danger from earthquakes here than most other coastal areas of Calif, especially the San Francisco Bay basin; housing is high but the real estate crash makes some nice looking neighborhoods affordable (if you call 600-700k affordable, but, hey, they would have gone for 1,000,000+ two years ago). Now last thing: smog. Does anyone know if they get smog in the Carmel/Monterey area? If so, how bad is it? And I love fog, but how far inland from the coast will the fog drift? Will it reach to Monterey Community College, the area where I plan to look for housing? Will it reach up to 1000 or so feet where many of those houses are located? Thanks to all who contribute.

[impala666]

No smog but sea Fog in the summer,quite nice just make sure you dont fall off a cliff.
The sea however is Brrrrr, so get a short wet suit.

[thrillobyte]

thanks, impala. as i'm retiring i won't be doing much swimming (if at all) but thanks for the tip.

[MtnSurfer]

You picked an awesome location to retire in, Congratulations. Here in Monterey we have what is known as the sunbelt. And the area near the college is located in the sunbelt. The fog normally approaches the Monterey Peninsula in a horseshoe shape covering the tip in Pacific Grove and parts of Monterey then down toward Marina. However thats not to say the sunbelt won't get some fog, just not as much. The further inland you go the less fog you will get as well. Check out the areas of Dear Flats and upper Monterey near the Del Monte shopping center. These are great locations as well.

There is no smog at all. The air is great up here as are the low crowds compared to the more densely populated regions of the state like LA/SD/OC/SF.

For ppl who love the area but want more sun there are sunnier options as well which include Carmel Valley and all the nice areas off Hwy 68 like Corral de Tierra and San Benancio Canyon. But I like the fog some myself and I think this area has a great balance of fog in the Summer which acts as a natural air conditioner and a mixture of sun and clouds the rest of the year.

Derek

[coyoteskye]

Fog.
Lovely fog.
Natural air conditioning as MtnSurfer said.
And when the fog is a bit much, just a short drive away from the coast you'll find the sun.
The beautiful Monterey Bay awaits you.
And Big Sur just down the road!

[thrillobyte]

Thanks, guys/gals. You're making me want to jump in my car right now; heck with packing. Can't wait to get there. Interesting story. On a cruise to Hawaii once, in the middle of the Pacific I looked up at the sky. Not one star visible many nights, but one night we were stuck on 1 going into Carmel because of an overturned propane tank. I looked up and saw so many stars I nearly fell over. Must be a magical place up there, like "Local Hero".

[MtnSurfer]

Originally Posted by thrillobyte

Thanks, guys/gals. You're making me want to jump in my car right now; heck with packing. Can't wait to get there. Interesting story. On a cruise to Hawaii once, in the middle of the Pacific I looked up at the sky. Not one star visible many nights, but one night we were stuck on 1 going into Carmel because of an overturned propane tank. I looked up and saw so many stars I nearly fell over. Must be a magical place up there, like "Local Hero".

We definately have our fair share of stars up here:













Derek

[coyoteskye]

Very nice mtnsurfer.
And thrillobyte, you should see a starry night in the heart of Big Sur. (not my photo).

[Snort]

Excellent photos from both of you!
I drive down to Big Sur or Carmel several times a week from the Santa Cruz area and it's amazing to watch the temperature of the outside air on my car's gauge go up and down. Moss Landing is usually the cold point. Marina gets a direct hit of wind from the Pacific and the microclimates go on from there, up, down and inland from the coast.

[thrillobyte]

yup! Those first two shots were nearly exactly what I remember, except it was darker and there were even more stars as I recollect. And Surfer and coyote, you're killing me with those gorgeous pics. Each day I'm stuck down in this dump is another day lost in Paradise. damn!