How superficial and materialistic are people here? (San Jose, Sacramento: how much, neighborhoods)

[NativeWolf]

In SoCal, people seem to be quite focused on looks and money.

Is it similar here?

[chris_the_geonut]

Probably not as much of a plasticized culture. But the longer I'm around different places, the more I simply think there are good and bad people everywhere.

[KC6ZLV]

People are focused on money everywhere you go. That's just the end result of a system that is designed to make winners and losers.

The rest is due to how much value some individuals place on how other people think about them. Most people are concerned with themselves and don't really care about other people's need for materialism to impress the neighbors. I don't think any one regions has more or less of these places than other regions. Those type of people do tend to prefer living among each other. They usually live in neighborhoods ruled by homeowner's associations.

[wburg]

A few years ago a southern California transplant and city-data user moved to Sacramento and, as I recall, posted a thread here where he got really upset because he drove around in his expensive car and nobody seemed to appreciate it. Then he went out in his fanciest clothes and nobody complimented him on his stylish, expensive threads. He was very put off by Sacramento as a whole as we didn't seem to appreciate that he had lots of money and weren't paying him enough attention.

That should be a lesson in and of itself.

[KC6ZLV]

Originally Posted by wburg

A few years ago a southern California transplant and city-data user moved to Sacramento and, as I recall, posted a thread here where he got really upset because he drove around in his expensive car and nobody seemed to appreciate it. Then he went out in his fanciest clothes and nobody complimented him on his stylish, expensive threads. He was very put off by Sacramento as a whole as we didn't seem to appreciate that he had lots of money and weren't paying him enough attention.

That should be a lesson in and of itself.

This sounds like a narcissist. I don't think that validates the stereotype that people from Southern California are any more self-centered than anywhere else.

[wburg]

I guess my meaning wasn't explicit then--I am not saying that everyone from southern California is self-centered, but rather relaying an anecdote about a self-centered southern Californian who moved up here and was really angry that people didn't respond to his peacock display.

[jaminhealth]

I'm from the East and came to So. Cal over 50 yrs ago.

So. Calif is Hollywood and one does NOT have to get caught up in that world. I did NOT and at almost 80 pretty down to earth and living on a fixed income.

I lived in San Jose for about 5 yrs and found it boring, engineering mentality. But people generally friendlier.

The Westside of So. Cal. is generally less friendly.

The SFV of So. Cal. if generally friendlier.

Housing is out of sight no matter where...unless one wants to live in Bakersfield.

[49erfan916]

In Sacramento? Probably not too much...as far as I notice. But then again, Sacramento is growing and has a lot of people from different parts of California moving up here.

[JGC97]

Originally Posted by chris_the_geonut

Probably not as much of a plasticized culture. But the longer I'm around different places, the more I simply think there are good and bad people everywhere.

I agree. It isn't exclusive to only Sacramento, SoCal or even California. Those types can be found everywhere on the planet.

[2sleepy]

I think you see some of that in places like El Dorado Hills, my husband taught a martial arts class at the high school there and he said that as he was leaving 17 and 18 year old kids were driving off in brand new BMW's, Land Rovers and fancy trucks, where we live in Sac County the high school kids with cars usually drive a beater or mom's subaru