Which US city has Mediterranean feeling? (low crime, neighborhoods, quality of life)
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In Europe most people associate the Mediterranean region with high quality of life. Especially Barcelona is the favorite city of many Europeans.
Following characteristics:
- low crime (especially violent crimes)
- comfortable weather (summer: warm but not hot, winter: mild)
- ocean & beaches
- good public transport
- walkable downtown
- laid-back attitude
- international & diverse city
Which city in the US fulfills those criteria and is the "Barcelona of the USA"?
PS: This is not a comparison with Barcelona or the Mediterranean. I just would like to find out where one should live in the US when loving for example Barcelona.
I love Barcelona, who doesn't? No American city is going to match its combination of history, architecture and culture, but based on your listed characteristics, San Diego is going to come closest by far- (San Francisco- warm summers, ocean and beaches?- Not!)
Founded, named and claimed by Spain, with a compact, walkable downtown on the water, great urban neighborhoods (and surrounding suburban blandness), good transit including the trolley, definitely laid back and diverse with the busiest international border in the world.
It's not called Balboa Park with its stunning Prado of Spanish/Baroque style buildings for nothing!
On the Atlantic coast, Charleston and Savannah would meet some of the criteria listed but I don't know how Mediterranean you would consider them. You'll find minimal Spanish influence in the original US states.
On the Atlantic coast, Charleston and Savannah would meet some of the criteria listed but I don't know how Mediterranean you would consider them. You'll find minimal Spanish influence in the original US states.
With the possible exception of some of the FL cities (St Augustine, Palm Beach, Miami Beach, Coral Gables), you are right.
Charleston and Savannah don't feel particularly Meditteranean to me. The predominant architectural styles are Federal and Georgian Revival. The climate is Humid Subtropical, not Meditteranean.
San Diego slightly more so than Los Angeles (its coastal suburbs) in a physical sense - La Jolla and Point Loma come to mind. However, on an intellectual level, LA tops SD. I think that San Francisco might be too far north to make this list. I don't think foggy points from Big Sur on up as being particularly Mediterranean and there's a saying "cool as a San Francisco summer." However, most Europeans are more impressed with San Francisco then they are with Los Angeles.
On the Atlantic coast, Charleston and Savannah would meet some of the criteria listed but I don't know how Mediterranean you would consider them. You'll find minimal Spanish influence in the original US states.
Florida's about it, as far as the east-coast. CA cities are the best choices though.
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