Is San Francisco culture better than Orange County? (San Diego, San Jose: houses, college)

[SunnyOakland]

better culture? yea ...laid back? naw...socal is a cookie cutter sprawling snoozefest compared to sf alone



http://therumpus.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/san-francisco-smart-grid.jpg (broken link)

[BacktoBlue]

Originally Posted by tstieber

Not all of SoCal = breast implants though. I spend half my time in San Diego and for the most part, it's a totally different vibe than LA or OC. In fact, I really noticed being in OC last weekend (Newport Beach in particular) that people are really into their looks, lots of injectables, designer clothes. People aren't into that in San Diego. People in SF are kind of into their clothes too, but in that hipster way that costs a lot of money to look like you don't really care about it and you're so cool that you just threw something on.

You'll find all sorts in all places. SF is not mellow, and it is very liberal. Berkeley is pretty mellow and still liberal. Walnut Creek is mellow and more conservative. Each area has its pockets, so just find what you're looking for. But you may want to check out urban neighborhoods of San Diego too -- it's becoming more and more Bay Area-like.

Excellent post. It is ridiculous when Bay Area residents claim all of Southern California is phony when they have the 2nd most expensive COL in the country. San Diego is indeed a wonderful city and it is different from L.A. and OC, but in a good way! and the Bay Area really loves to put down Socal, but down here in SoCal we don't spend our days talking crap about Norcal. I prefer the sprawl to the crowded and pushed together Bay Area. I love the Beach Culture and how diverse the Southern California geography is. I will stay in SoCal for the rest of my life. I'm never stepping foot in NorCal again. It's just not my place. I prefer the diverse geography and beaches of SoCal.

[Lifeshadower]

How do you even compare the two? If you're just looking at the city of San Francisco itself against Orange County alone, they have almost nothing in common aside from the fact that they are both places in California. I hate the expression "its like comparing apples and oranges" because you really COULD compare apples and oranges if you wanted to (by their taste, their cost, they are both fruits, their sweetness, etc etc), but this seems kind of weird.

If its supposed to be the Bay Area vs. Southern California, well that assumes that all of the Bay Area is the same (yeah, lets take places such as Danville, East Oakland, and Palo Alto and assume that they are all alike!) and assumes that Southern California is all the same (because I heard Needles and Ranchos Palos Verdes are exactly alike) I almost hate it when people use the term SoCal, because what they really mean is "Coastal SoCal" as if the land inland was suddenly annexed to Arizona or something.

Orange County, for the most part, is made up of quiet suburban communities that has, within the past 10-15 years, become an attraction in itself (aside from Disneyland, which has been there since the 1950s). Of course, places like Santa Ana are very different than Mission Viejo, but for the most part, it's a pretty reserved place compared to LA, but not as much as compared to San Diego. Politically, its the most conservative urban county in California.

San Francisco, on the other hand, is the 2nd most dense city in the country, and one of the anchor cities for one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United States. While the stereotype does seem to be that everyone is a new-age hippie, there is a distinct corporate flavor in Downtown SF that seems to pervade the atmosphere and almost surprise the visitor when they first visit. It's also way more touristy, and SF's small physical size packs a huge punch when you are talking about urban amenities.

The only place in the Bay Area that is somewhat like Orange County is Eastern Contra Costa County (680 corridor), but on a much smaller scale without the beaches. Danville and San Ramon have a distinct "Southern OC" type flavor, while everyone seems to down Concord like people in the OC down Santa Ana because its "dangerous" (like its East Oakland or something....)

I've lived in the Bay Area, and have lived in LA to experience the OC over a million times in my life. Have an open mind. There's no "better" here, just differences. Keep an open mind, and you'll be happier with your life.

[Mr. Fantastic]

Originally Posted by Lifeshadower

like people in the OC down Santa Ana because its "dangerous" (like its East Oakland or something....)

No one in OC really thinks of Santa Ana as comparable to East or West Oakland. I agree it's a silly comparison, as East and West Oakland are much more crime infested than even the most shady parts of Santa Ana (which are distinctly lower-middle class in the worst case scenario). Oakland has more in common with Compton or Watts.

There are parts of Oakland that remind me of a mad max movie, complete with armored Cadillac devilles . The funny part is in East Oakland when you see these cars making donuts in the middle of intersections it's called "Side Shows". You would never see this in Santa Ana.

[NewToCA]

Thread is wandering around a bit to be yet another NorCal vs SoCal discussion.

How about getting back to San Francisco and Orange County???

[Kenseone]

What does the Mr. Fantastic anti Oakland post have to do with San Francisco and why is it allowed to stay as with most of his trolling?

[tstieber]

Originally Posted by Mr. Fantastic

No one in OC really thinks of Santa Ana as comparable to East or West Oakland. I agree it's a silly comparison, as East and West Oakland are much more crime infested than even the most shady parts of Santa Ana (which are distinctly lower-middle class in the worst case scenario). Oakland has more in common with Compton or Watts.

There are parts of Oakland that remind me of a mad max movie, complete with armored Cadillac devilles . The funny part is in East Oakland when you see these cars making donuts in the middle of intersections it's called "Side Shows". You would never see this in Santa Ana.

No, no, they were saying that Concord is a lot like Santa Ana, and in the high end suburbs of San Ramon and Pleasanton, people think of it as if it were East Oakland, kind of how souther OC people think of Santa Ana as really bad. But neither Concord nor Santa Ana is really that bad, just more middle class.

[Mr. Fantastic]

Originally Posted by tstieber

No, no, they were saying that Concord is a lot like Santa Ana, and in the high end suburbs of San Ramon and Pleasanton, people think of it as if it were East Oakland, kind of how souther OC people think of Santa Ana as really bad. But neither Concord nor Santa Ana is really that bad, just more middle class.

Agreed. That being said, from a community point of view, Concord is slightly better than Santa Ana, but neither city is as low on the totem pole as Oakland.

[Lifeshadower]

Originally Posted by tstieber

No, no, they were saying that Concord is a lot like Santa Ana, and in the high end suburbs of San Ramon and Pleasanton, people think of it as if it were East Oakland, kind of how souther OC people think of Santa Ana as really bad. But neither Concord nor Santa Ana is really that bad, just more middle class.

Hey! I'm one person! I spent the past year or so losing 70 pounds so people don't refer to me as "they" anymore

That being said, that was the angle I was trying to go for. It's pretty annoying hearing how "bad" a place is because people don't like stepping out of their bubbles every once in a while. I mean, I don't have THAT much experience in Concord aside from going to the Costco on Monument but it didn't seem bad at all. It just seems like any other middle to lower middle class area in the country.

Originally Posted by Mr. Fantastic

Agreed. That being said, from a community point of view, Concord is slightly better than Santa Ana, but neither city is as low on the totem pole as Oakland.

Yeah, there's just too much hyperbole when places like that are spoken about. I find it odd that people in the 680 corridor pick on places like Concord, when Oakland and Richmond are only 20 miles away. Perspective, I guess, clouds people's judgment.

If the OC's "worst" is Santa Ana, compared to SF's "worst" in Hunter's Point, you can get a glimpse of the HUGE culture difference. People focus too much on the high end of the spectrum, but neglect to state the low one. There's a HUGER disparity between the Marina District in SF and Hunter's Point, than there is between Newport Beach and Santa Ana.

That being said; it depends what "culture" you're into.

[Kenseone]

Originally Posted by Lifeshadower

Hey! I'm one person! I spent the past year or so losing 70 pounds so people don't refer to me as "they" anymore

That being said, that was the angle I was trying to go for. It's pretty annoying hearing how "bad" a place is because people don't like stepping out of their bubbles every once in a while. I mean, I don't have THAT much experience in Concord aside from going to the Costco on Monument but it didn't seem bad at all. It just seems like any other middle to lower middle class area in the country.



Yeah, there's just too much hyperbole when places like that are spoken about. I find it odd that people in the 680 corridor pick on places like Concord, when Oakland and Richmond are only 20 miles away. Perspective, I guess, clouds people's judgment.

If the OC's "worst" is Santa Ana, compared to SF's "worst" in Hunter's Point, you can get a glimpse of the HUGE culture difference. People focus too much on the high end of the spectrum, but neglect to state the low one. There's a HUGER disparity between the Marina District in SF and Hunter's Point, than there is between Newport Beach and Santa Ana.

That being said; it depends what "culture" you're into.

Why are you willing to point out particular neighborhoods in San Francisco as low in come and well off. However you think all of Oakland is one way? Oakland is a large city with many different area's just like SF. What makes you think the entire city is like Richmond or even comparable?