Best and Worst about Living in SLO??

[stellar9]

Originally Posted by californiaboy

My wife and I lived in SLO for three years. We didn't like it. VERY FEW jobs, no sophisticated shopping, high cost of living, and a lot of crime. Happy to be in OC now.

Over the past 16 years, I have rented homes in SLO, AG, Santa Margarita and Atascadero and the only thing I can relate to is the high cost of living. The job issue could be true for you depending on what you do for a living.

The only reason we are considering leaving this little piece of paradise is that my husband and I want a chance to buy a home before retirement age and we don't have much time left.

Micki

[kansaslady]

Okay, so I'm stuck here in KS with Dorothy and her silly dog Todo....oh well, could be worse off...I could be stuck in Needles, CA....Ha ha!

katie

[LDDiamondGirl]

Hi, I thought you might be interested in knowing this. Last year I bought tickets to a concert at the Mission in SLO. After seeing the beautiful Mission in Santa Barbara I couldn't wait to go. I left after 10 minutes of being seated in there. Not only was it hot and uncomfortable inside, but the whole place is just one big homeless hang out. The grounds are gross, dirty and unmaintained. The building is falling apart. The filth and rubbish on the grass and walkways were awful, and speaking of "urine" smells..............the entire bathroom is really just a graffiti stained outhouse for the street people. I wouldn't dare take one of my visiting friends there for any community "events", except fund raising for the homeless maybe. Of course this is a college town, and kids are fine with all this. But we are not kids, I am not in college, and I, personally, find it unbelievable that I could read about someone objecting to homeless people begging in Santa Barbara when right here smack dab in the center of the downtown is this shabby, awful dirty park where community events are being promoted. Doesn't make any sense to me.

[grimstuff]

Originally Posted by LDDiamondGirl

I, personally, find it unbelievable that I could read about someone objecting to homeless people begging in Santa Barbara when right here smack dab in the center of the downtown is this shabby, awful dirty park where community events are being promoted. Doesn't make any sense to me.

Well, it looks like your first impression really negatively impacted you. I don't know if I can dissuade you from holding on to your opinion, but it's really not that bad. You were offended by the public bathrooms - have you used many public bathrooms in the world? I know it can be shocking to see the entire spectrum of society, including the homeless (*gasp*). The homeless have a right to exist, and public space is, essentially, their living space. A half a block away from the mission plaza you were so shocked by, there is an old (I assume homeless) man who sits on a bench all day. Everytime I walk by there he is always sitting there. He never has asked me for money.
It might help to realize that most people who are homeless and live on the streets have some sort of cognitive disibility, and public space is their living space.

(btw, most public bathrooms smell of urine - lol)

[LDDiamondGirl]

Grimstuff...

You make me sound like I should switch names with you !

Well, I don't mean to sound so "grim." But, I and my husband and the friends I have taken there from other cities agree........the downtown SLO Mission IS that bad. My husband who is much more tolerant than I of these kinds of things was grossed out. I'm sorry, but, no, I haven't been to many public bathrooms like that because I don't go to places that have them anymore. I don't usually go to Venice Beach bathrooms, or Gas station bathrooms out in the middle of nowhere. Today one does not have to. There are plenty of places around that are clean today. The modern world in this country is getting cleaner and cleaner, if you just look around at the best places to live. That is why you heard such utter surprise and shock in my post. This is not Venice Beach. The Mission is right in the middle of Downtown. And it is promoted constantly as a place for community events. If I said it once, I'll say it again. I consider the state of this Mission to be a testament to the low standards in this community. Especially a community which is trying to attract tourists.