People who moved to OC from Temperate Climate (East Coast) or Pacific NW: Do you miss green? (San Diego: appointed, condo)

[goolsbyjazz]

Originally Posted by Coldjensens

I


It is a matter of definitions. THIS is not green.








Green


'Not green



Green

Not green.


Green



The problem is not that some posters are crazy or lying, it is that some posters simply do not agree on the same definitions.

It is amusing that we cannot even agree on whether or not something is green. OF course there are some who simply get defensive and angry any time anyone suggests OC is anything but perfect and the absolute best in every way. Others recognize it has its warts and its perfections. Still others will not accept anything good about it. Those three groups will probably never agree on anything, especially if they cannot even agree on what green is.

For an example of what the OP is talking about Go to google maps satellite and look at central OC (Santa Ana, Irvine, Huntington Beach) then compare Charlotte NC. You should be able to see what they are asking about.

As to the definition game, I believe OC is Chaparral, aka "scrub desert" it is not sand desert like part of Arizona. I do not think anyone was suggesting it is a big patch of sand like the Sahara. That should be obvious. There is no need to attack someone just because you may disagree with their definitiions. It is sufficient to simply say, "I disagree with your definitions. I do not consider Chaparral to be desert." Then they can say, ":I do consider it to be desert" and we can move on with the discussion of OP's actual question.

You make a compelling point! Were any of those pic from NC?

[Coldjensens]

I just chose Charlotte randomly as a green place because we have an intern who was leaving to return to school in Charlotte as I was writing that post. Cannot really remember where the pictures were from. The one house is from my hometown. However they are pretty representative of places that get rain and have greenery in abundance.

[goolsbyjazz]

Originally Posted by Coldjensens

I just chose Charlotte randomly as a green place because we have an intern who was leaving to return to school in Charlotte as I was writing that post. Cannot really remember where the pictures were from. The one house is from my hometown. However they are pretty representative of places that get rain and have greenery in abundance.

There is certainly a difference in the "shade of green" between a place like Charlotte that gets rain and higher humidity and Southern California that doesn't get quite as much. However, from my perspective (Arizona), both places are green!!!

[NorthSDLifer]

And we know that the green-green in those photos is not jazzed up with a photo editing program? Looks to be at least a little. Not really doubting the greater point. I, for one, wouldn't mind some more natural year-round green, but California has some of the neatest flora anywhere. Manzanitas, ceanothus, coffeeberry, toyon etc.

[Avalon08]

No, I did not miss green while I lived there. How could I miss green, when the weather was so spectacular just about every day, where I couldn't wear my wool suits because it was never cold enough, where (on a clear day) I could see spectacular mountains in one direction and the ocean in the other? However, I must say, when I moved back to PA, it was springtime and I was a little taken aback by the emerald green horse farms on my way to work. I hadn't realized we didn't really have that emerald green in CA. Still, plenty of great weather, flora and fauna to make up for it.

[Coldjensens]

Originally Posted by Avalon08

No, I did not miss green while I lived there. How could I miss green, when the weather was so spectacular just about every day, where I couldn't wear my wool suits because it was never cold enough, where (on a clear day) I could see spectacular mountains in one direction and the ocean in the other? However, I must say, when I moved back to PA, it was springtime and I was a little taken aback by the emerald green horse farms on my way to work. I hadn't realized we didn't really have that emerald green in CA. Still, plenty of great weather, flora and fauna to make up for it.

Every time we fly back and forth in spring or summer the difference is striking. You do not notice it so much unless you go back and forth. You just tend to forget what really green actually looks like. It is also striking when you come in on an airplane how much of OC is paved/built out or just brown, but ont he ground there are usually a lot of flowers and other landscaping you can look at.


Where were you you could see both the mountains and the beach?

When we lived in Balboa on a clear day, Catalina often looked like it was 100 yards off shore (it has some big hills, but we could not see the mountains from Balboa (too low)). It was spectacular. Other days it was just a bumpy shadow in the mist or not visible at all, but when it was really clear, it was really neat.

[certsevtxert]

Originally Posted by tstieber

Yes, in fact, LA and San Jose (NorCal) have almost the exact same annual precipitation amounts, with San Jose averaging a few hundredths less. But with all of the rain falling in a relatively short time period during the winter months, it definitely makes the landscape turn very dry during the extended, sunny dry season. So much of California looks dry for much of the year. However, even in OC, those hills will green up for a couple of months in late winter. If you want forest, there are beautiful mountains to the east, and places like Idyllwild have natural forest. Big Bear and Lake Arrowhead have forest as well. So it's all accessible.

Personally, I think the PNW is too overgrown, especially Seattle. It feels dark and claustrophobic. California is much nicer in this way, as it feels more open and bright.

No no, it's not overgrown. The problem isn't the green. The problem in PNW is the incessant clouds 300+ days per year.

[Avalon08]

Originally Posted by Coldjensens

Every time we fly back and forth in spring or summer the difference is striking. You do not notice it so much unless you go back and forth. You just tend to forget what really green actually looks like. It is also striking when you come in on an airplane how much of OC is paved/built out or just brown, but ont he ground there are usually a lot of flowers and other landscaping you can look at.


Where were you you could see both the mountains and the beach?

When we lived in Balboa on a clear day, Catalina often looked like it was 100 yards off shore (it has some big hills, but we could not see the mountains from Balboa (too low)). It was spectacular. Other days it was just a bumpy shadow in the mist or not visible at all, but when it was really clear, it was really neat.

I think I mentioned this before, but back in the '70's my Mom saw Bob Hope when he was appearing in the Phila. area, and the first thing he said he noticed from the plane was, "It's so GREEN here!". I guess coming from Palm Springs, it would look green...lol.

I lived in Huntington Beach and coming up Beach Boulevard from the beach, going due north, you were facing the mountains (I mean, way off in the distance). Granted, I didn't even know they were there until a fairly clear day came along. However, I remember one crystal-clear morning in January, as I started heading to work, I was blown away by the sight of snow-capped peaks in the distance. It must've been a special sight, as it was on the front page of the newspaper the next day. Yes, we could also see Catalina on those special clear days, too.

[firedancer1962]

I moved from the PNW and miss it terribly. I don't miss the wind from eastern WA....but I miss the scenery a lot. I'm not really into the palm trees....

[Fontucky]

Originally Posted by Coldjensens

Green
Not green

Green
Not green

Green
Not green

Here's how I read that:

Mosquitoes
Not mosquitoes

Suffocating humidity
Comfortable dew points

Mosquitoes
Not mosquitoes

Suffocating humidity
Comfortable dew points

Mosquitoes
Not mosquitoes

Suffocating humidity
Comfortable dew points