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These are two West Coast metros that offer comparatively high standards of living, by any scale but two very different urban morphologies (centralized vs. decentralized).
Just some numbers:
The Seattle metro is slightly larger in population size (3,552,157 vs. OC's 3,114,363), but that is over a much larger land area (5872.25 sq mi vs. OC's 948 sq mile), making OC's overall density much higher than Seattle's (3,200/ sq mile vs. Seattle's 596/ sq mile), despite Seattle being able to offer a much more urban pedestrian friendly experience at its core. Seattle's most dense neighborhood is Capital Hill at 11,722/ sq mi; OC's most dense neighborhood/city is Santa Ana at 12,000/ sq mi.
Seattle is
71.9 % Non-Hispanic White
5.6 % Black/AA
1.1 % Native
11.4 % Asian
0.8 % Pacific Islander
5.3 % Two or more races
3.8 % Some other race
9.0 % Hispanic or Latino
Orange County is
44.0 % Non-Hispanic White
1.7 % Black/AA
0.6 % Native
17.9 % Asian
0.8 % Pacific Islander
4.2 % Two or more races
14.5 % Some other race
33.7% Hispanic or Latino
Both metros Latino populace is largely dominated by Mexicans (6.4% Seattle, 28.5% OC). This is followed by Puerto Ricans (.5%), Spanish (.4%) and Salvadoreans (.2%) in Seatle; in OC it is Salvadoreans (.8%), Guatemalans (.5%), Puerto Ricans (.4%), Cubans (.3%), Colombians (.3%) and Peruvians (.3%).
As for the Asian populace, OC's largest (not surprising) are Vietnamese at 6.1% of the total population, followed by Koreans (2.9%), Chinese (2.7%), Filipinos (2.4%), Indians (1.4%), Japanese (1.1%). Seattle doesn't have a single dominating group, but Chinese (2.3%), Filipino (2.0%), Vietnamese (1.6%), Indian (1.5%), Korean (1.5%) are the largest pluralities.
Which of these metro's would you prefer to live in and why? Which one offers a better standard of living if you are upper class? How about middle class or lower income? Which one do you find to be more equitable? Less segregated?
What are some of your favorite neighborhoods/cities within each metro? If you had to live in OC's worst neighborhood/city, or Seattle's MSA worst neighborhood/city, which one?
Outdoor activities: Eternal sunshine vs. Evergreen
Food?
Nightlife?
Academics?
Family friendly vs. singles friendly?
Diversity of the job market? Both have a decent start-up culture, but I'm guessing Seattle's overall tech is stronger.
Orange County is an overcrowded snooze fest, bland suburban planned-to-an-inch-of-its-life for as far as the eye can see. There is no there, there. The only somewhat interesting areas are Santa Ana and Culver City (although the wealthy white surbanites by the coast shudder at the very thought of accidently stumbling through either of them). Laguna Beach is stunning but unfortunately full of your typical O.C. materialistic strivers. Inland and northern areas have much more diversity but you are still stuck with suburban, if sometimes sketchy environment. Weather is great, but smoggy inland.
Edit: oops, somewhat interesting Culver City isn't even in O.C, my bad, just goes to show what a struggle it is to find something redeeming about O.C.
Seattle, while far from a perfect city is right up there with about as good as most cities can get. Great dense and vibrant downtown (the homeless are a little aggressive) great topography, beautiful setting and chock full of great urban village neighborhoods; Capitol Hill, Freemont, Ballard just to name a couple. A mix of some friendly, affluent well educated populous with more than a little Seattle Freeze introverts to even things out. And then there is the omnipresent gray drizzle of winter to offset the spectacular summers.
I don't think there is any comparison at all.
Now San Diego vs Seattle, that's much more of a matchup to consider.
Orange County is an overcrowded snooze fest, bland suburban planned-to-an-inch-of-its-life for as far as the eye can see. There is no there, there. The only somewhat interesting areas are Santa Ana and Culver City (although the wealthy white surbanites by the coast shudder at the very thought of accidently stumbling through either of them). Laguna Beach is stunning but unfortunately full of your typical O.C. materialistic strivers. Inland and northern areas have much more diversity but you are still stuck with suburban, if sometimes sketchy environment. Weather is great, but smoggy inland.
Edit: oops, somewhat interesting Culver City isn't even in O.C, my bad, just goes to show what a struggle it is to find something redeeming about O.C.
Seattle, while far from a perfect city is right up there with about as good as most cities can get. Great dense and vibrant downtown (the homeless are a little aggressive) great topography, beautiful setting and chock full of great urban village neighborhoods; Capitol Hill, Freemont, Ballard just to name a couple. A mix of some friendly, affluent well educated populous with more than a little Seattle Freeze introverts to even things out. And then there is the omnipresent gray drizzle of winter to offset the spectacular summers.
I don't think there is any comparison at all.
Now San Diego vs Seattle, that's much more of a matchup to consider.
Jeez. A little harsh eh? Many people on this forum would also think of SD as a snooze fest as well. Not me in particular, however.
Overcrowded? SD is slightly more dense than all of Orange County, but something tells me you don't travel north too often since you originally thought Culver City was in OC when it's actually about 10 cities away from even touching Orange County.
I know this is a Seattle vs. Orange County thread, but this is just ignorant.
Anyway, Orange County has great shopping, decent and laid back, but fun nightlife, amazing beaches, great for outdoors, etc.
Seattle has many of those things and more though, and obviously has a big city feel while Orange County kind of feels like a very urbanized suburb, at least the northern portions. The southern area's feel more like Northern SD county. (Small beach towns with newer sleepy track homes the further inland you go. Definitely has a diverse and interesting history though, one that is separate from L.A.'s to the north.
I was completely off about Culver City's location.
SD County and OC have the same population (3.1-3.2 million) and SD County is five times the size of OC so I would say there is going to be a readily apparent suburban density difference when in each county out of the city.
Not into shopping, so other than Disneyland once every 10 years or so, Paegent of the Masters in Laguna every five and visiting friends in Huntington Beach a couple times a year (where I often confuse their house with all of their neighbors'). I don't think I'm missing out on much when I otherwise drive right on through to L.A. and back home several times throughout the year- though taking the train this weekend where I'll enjoy stunning SD coastal cliff views before diving in at Dana Point towards Santa Ana and on up to L.A.
Orange County is an overcrowded snooze fest, bland suburban planned-to-an-inch-of-its-life for as far as the eye can see. There is no there, there. The only somewhat interesting areas are Santa Ana and Culver City (although the wealthy white surbanites by the coast shudder at the very thought of accidently stumbling through either of them). Laguna Beach is stunning but unfortunately full of your typical O.C. materialistic strivers. Inland and northern areas have much more diversity but you are still stuck with suburban, if sometimes sketchy environment. Weather is great, but smoggy inland.
Edit: oops, somewhat interesting Culver City isn't even in O.C, my bad, just goes to show what a struggle it is to find something redeeming about O.C.
Seattle, while far from a perfect city is right up there with about as good as most cities can get. Great dense and vibrant downtown (the homeless are a little aggressive) great topography, beautiful setting and chock full of great urban village neighborhoods; Capitol Hill, Freemont, Ballard just to name a couple. A mix of some friendly, affluent well educated populous with more than a little Seattle Freeze introverts to even things out. And then there is the omnipresent gray drizzle of winter to offset the spectacular summers.
I don't think there is any comparison at all.
Now San Diego vs Seattle, that's much more of a matchup to consider.
I was completely off about Culver City's location.
SD County and OC have the same population (3.1-3.2 million) and SD County is five times the size of OC so I would say there is going to be a readily apparent suburban density difference when in each county out of the city.
Not into shopping, so other than Disneyland once every 10 years or so, Paegent of the Masters in Laguna every five and visiting friends in Huntington Beach a couple times a year (where I often confuse their house with all of their neighbors'). I don't think I'm missing out on much when I otherwise drive right on through to L.A. and back home several times throughout the year- though taking the train this weekend where I'll enjoy stunning SD coastal cliff views before diving in at Dana Point towards Santa Ana and on up to L.A.
I was comparing the actual city to the whole county of orange. So the size difference in land area wasn't really my point.
I lived in Los Angeles and San Diego and I crossed OC so many times, however when pressed I realized I never spent much if any time there. Been to Huntington Beach I think, DisneyLand ofc but as a kid, I got a speeding ticket there and my only in California (in LA you can't speed, in SD no one busts you for speeding on the 5). Oh yeah I flew into the airport once when I missed my flight to Los Angeles and had to settle for the closest fit.
Oh yeah, San Clemente looks beautiful from the road.....
Seattle is an actual city instead of exurbia of Los Angeles.
In general, Orange County pretty much eliminates all human interaction. You drive to work from your gated community, you drive to your nearest shopping center for groceries, and then you drive home. You might have a short conversation with your cashier at the store, but otherwise the OC pretty much offers the perfect lifestyle for someone who is a misanthropist (i.e. an individual who hates humanity in general can live in OC and never have to co-mingle with the human species). Owning a car is pretty much required in OC.
When I lived in SoCal, the only reason I would ever visit OC would be to go to its beaches or Disneyland. To quote Gertrude Stein, "there's no there there." (I know she said that about Oakland... but it's more aptly used to describe OC and the Inland Empire).
Seattle, in contrast, has enough urbanity that allows for people to live easily without a car. I haven't had to ever drive since I moved here and I absolutely love it. I can't ever imagine going back to my SoCal lifestyle of spending hours each day driving to and from work. That's a one-way ticket into depression having now experienced what life is like not spent on a freeway.
Last edited by GatsbyGatz; 02-25-2015 at 11:29 AM..
^^^
That's my biggest point. An area, any area or city, that, because of its design and built environment is mostly experienced in the seat of a car is one in which I could never develop any emotional connection to. And that, with very few exceptions, (a few blocks in beach cities or downtown Santa Ana) describes Orange County.
But don't lump all of SoCal into that frame of reference. My car grows cobwebs in my historic, urban "streetcar suburb" adjacent downtown San Diego; I filled it up last month with the super low gas prices and next fill up days away prices will have gone back up haha. I walk to the local "village" or the couple of miles to downtown nearly daily and can take in a fine city- I've walked over 25 miles the past 3 days all over the city, Balboa Park and surrounding neighborhoods (fitness walking included) and we take the bus often even as we have two nice cars. We've got easy, pleasant walking weather, San Diego Trolley, good bus system in the core, DecoBike (bike share), CarToGo (electric car share) as well a huge Uber/Lyft presence to let others do the driving.
Sure, there are sprawled out suburbs here just like everywhere, but you can grab that nearly car free lifestyle the freedom it affords and the social interaction it promotes if you choose to live in the core here just like places like Seattle.
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