What makes the Northern half of California better than the Southern Half? (San Diego: mortgage, home)

[18Montclair]

I definitely prefer the homes, interior decorating and landscaping in SoCal.

Flashier than the Bay Area, which is very subdued by comparison. I guess subdued is more elegant, but I love tropical plants, fountains, decorative stones and ornate light fixtures and SoCal does that so much better.

At the same time, I really appreciate the Bay Area's indifference to flashy fashion trends.

[BayDude]

Originally Posted by 18Montclair

At the same time, I really appreciate the Bay Area's indifference to flashy fashion trends.

True. Bay Area people just don't care lol. SF is a little different though. Very fashion concious city. San Jose to some extent as well.

[user_id]

In terms of South vs North, it depends whether you want to consider central California has a distinct entity. I think it is, as its for the most part pretty rural. Its the buffer between the North and South and the reason why the two areas remain somewhat different. In that sense Southern California is anything south of Ventura County, this also happens to be Disneyland's definition for "socal" offers.

Regardless, I agree that its always the Northern Californians that post these sorts of things and actually take it seriously. I think politics plays a big role here though, the Bay area is much more liberal than Southern California so anybody that gravitates in that direction is going to prefer the bay area. Southern California is more mixed politically, with only small pockets of liberal areas in West LA.

[Ludachris]

Originally Posted by sav858

Northern CA has ONE more season than SoCal, they have no true winter. San Jose and LA receive the same amount of precipitation. The nights are COLD year round too, sorry but there is nothing great about having to wear a sweatshirt in the middle of summer. I don't miss those 30-40 degree temperature swings between day and night. I do miss the rain a little but some years it can be relentless. Also most people I know enjoy when it rains down here b/c it's a change from the usual. Plus the weather along the coast in Northern CA sucks most of the year, cold and foggy. But if you want SoCal-esque weather but with more variation and colder winters then it's a good place for that. I actually find SoCal a little too chilly at times, haha.

Are you referring to San Jose when you talk about COLD nights year round? I know that the coastal areas in NorCal cool off quite a bit in the non summer months, but summer was always full of very warm evenings (at least the areas that didn't border water) when I was growing up there. I don't remember ever having to wear a sweatshirt in the middle of summer, let alone pants in place of shorts - unless we were going to places like Monterey or San Francisco. Those places had their own micro climate. You could get foggy cold weather in the late afternoons there and head over to San Jose and it would be 85 degrees. Very strange. The coastal weather was very unique.

Originally Posted by sav858

Don't really think either one is more friendly, I've noticed San Diegan's tend to be more outgoing and nicer but not necessarily more friendly. Also there are fake, pretentious types all over NorCal it's just a different type of doucehbag. The wannabe Sex and the City urbanite, counter culture hipster, psuedo-intellecuals, Marley-wannabe pothead, gangsta rapper, etc.. as opposed to the Hollywood wannabe SoCal stereotypes.

Can't disagree much there... the pretentious types in NorCal tend to reside mostly in the Bay Area - again, I say "mostly". You'll find some anywhere you'd find million dollar homes though I'd imagine.

Originally Posted by sav858

Born and raised in NorCal and have been in Socal for 8 years now. I love and hate things about both places and they each have their good and bad. Some can appreciate both while some can't and prefer on over the other.

Sums it up pretty well.

[Ludachris]

Originally Posted by 18Montclair

I definitely prefer the homes, interior decorating and landscaping in SoCal.

Flashier than the Bay Area, which is very subdued by comparison. I guess subdued is more elegant, but I love tropical plants, fountains, decorative stones and ornate light fixtures and SoCal does that so much better.

At the same time, I really appreciate the Bay Area's indifference to flashy fashion trends.

If you make your way though the southwest part of the Bay Area - Woodside, Los Altos Hills, Palo Alto, Saratoga, Los Gatos, etc... you'd see some pretty flashy homes. Maybe not so many palm trees, but plenty of emphasis on extravagance. Though I still think of SoCal as being flashier.

[sav858]

Originally Posted by Ludachris

Are you referring to San Jose when you talk about COLD nights year round? I know that the coastal areas in NorCal cool off quite a bit in the non summer months, but summer was always full of very warm evenings (at least the areas that didn't border water) when I was growing up there. I don't remember ever having to wear a sweatshirt in the middle of summer, let alone pants in place of shorts - unless we were going to places like Monterey or San Francisco. Those places had their own micro climate. You could get foggy cold weather in the late afternoons there and head over to San Jose and it would be 85 degrees. Very strange. The coastal weather was very unique. .

The entire Bay Area, both coastal and inland. Even though the inland spots can stay warm until relatively late, by morning it's chilly imo. I don't believe anywhere in the Bay Area that averages a summer low of 60 or higher. Where I grew up, Walnut Creek, the average low in July and August is 55. The coldest temperature ever recorded in San Diego in those months is 55 and 57 respectively. I really enjoy the warm and semi-humid summer nights in coastal SoCal although a few nights during summer it can be tough trying to sleep w/o AC.

The thing I disliked about Bay Area summer weather is how it would basically roller coaster between 75 and 105 all summer. And when it's in the 70's inland during the summer it is cold and sometimes foggy at night, to he the point I would need a sweatshirt. I just remember some summer nights that coastal fog would make it all the way inland and how cold and windy it would be. But 70's and nighttime fog inland during the middle of summer isn't the norm of course. Inland does have much nicer evenings overall than areas near the Bay and ocean.

[BayAreaHillbilly]

Just to be the spoiler ...

Here are some things the Southland has over the north.

1. Real mountains right at the edge of the metro (not just little hills).
2. Fantastic, striking and stark desert landscapes, far inland.
3. Joshua Tree - what a magical place for climbing as well as more tame activities.
4. The Channel Islands - a natural cornucopia of land and sea.
5. Heirloom citrus operations run by moms and pops, still existing, in places like the Santa Clara (River) Valley.
6. Amazing and bizarre geological features, found no where else in the world (due to the "big bend" in the San Andreas system).
7. A stupendous diversity of microclimates, the envy of the world.
8. A very (South) Western US interpretation of urbanization, which overtly resists "Eastern wanna be" constructs such as one finds in and around San Francisco.
9. Some of the few and perhaps even the only date orchards in the CONUS
10. A vast back country, much of it encompassed by National Forest and other federal lands (the Bay Area lacks this, having only a crazy quilt of private land, state and local holdings, for the most part, meanwhile, Sacto has to go a fair bit up into the mountains to reach such lands).

[nmnita]

Of course there is no one answer and no, No. Ca isn't better than So Ca. It depends on your life style and what you call no and south.

So Ca; nicer beaches, more swimmer friendly.
You have mountains, ocean and desert all within about an hour of one another
More cultural diverse (opinion only)
more laid back and relaxed
The Dodgers
Hollywood and surrounding area

NO Ca:

The beauty and activities of San Francisco
cooler temps most of the time
Better restaurants, though both have great choices
Golden Gate bridge and fishermans wharf.
The 49ers

Of course then we have: the middle part of the state

The beauty of the ocean around SLO and all along the coast
Yosemite
inland agriculture and farms

Far North: the Redwoods

North and east: Lake Tahoe.

Ca is one of the most diverse states in the union. And each area offer something very special..

Nita

[Ludachris]

Originally Posted by sav858

The entire Bay Area, both coastal and inland. Even though the inland spots can stay warm until relatively late, by morning it's chilly imo. I don't believe anywhere in the Bay Area that averages a summer low of 60 or higher. Where I grew up, Walnut Creek, the average low in July and August is 55. The coldest temperature ever recorded in San Diego in those months is 55 and 57 respectively. I really enjoy the warm and semi-humid summer nights in coastal SoCal although a few nights during summer it can be tough trying to sleep w/o AC.

The thing I disliked about Bay Area summer weather is how it would basically roller coaster between 75 and 105 all summer. And when it's in the 70's inland during the summer it is cold and sometimes foggy at night, to he the point I would need a sweatshirt. I just remember some summer nights that coastal fog would make it all the way inland and how cold and windy it would be. But 70's and nighttime fog inland during the middle of summer isn't the norm of course. Inland does have much nicer evenings overall than areas near the Bay and ocean.

It's been 4 years since I've lived there, but I still remember the warm evenings and nights. I used to have to run our A/C all night much of the time. And I remember "cold" mornings in the summer being rare. I worked from home regularly the 2 years before we left and I clearly remember wearing shorts July through mid September on those days. Sure, you'd get a cool day every once in a while, but it was very uncommon. What you're describing is what I remember of the coastal areas or the inland Bay Area in the spring and fall.

In any event, I'm sure San Diego is still warmer than San Jose overall, and probably a lot more consistent year round. Living there for the past 8 years might have made the inconsistencies stand out a little more to you because of that. Having lived here in Denver for a few years, I'm on the other side of the spectrum - the weather out here is wildly inconsistent year round compared to the Bay Area, so it's the consistency that stands out in my memories. It's probably a simple matter of perspective.

[Ludachris]

I just had to step back and think to myself - here's a debate on which half of CA is better, with plenty of examples supporting both. And yet, most of the other discussions in this forum are focused on the idea that the state is headed towards irrelevance because of all its problems. How funny is that?