"American Riviera" vs French Riviera (to live in, linear)
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not really comparable IMO, Southern California is much bigger, much bigger cities, more internationnal etc
French riviera population: ~1M (not counting Marseilles since it is not part of it)
Southern Cali: 20M
Nice is the biggest and best city of the French riviera, Cannes is fine but not too special, then there is Antibes (where I live, nice small city), Monaco (Monte Carlo is just a neighborhood FYI) is disappointing really, not much to see or do there, only worth half a day max
Then there is Saint Tropez, which is pretty and fairly popular among rich people
On the other hand Southern Cali has LA (disappointing city for still offers a lot of things to do, much more so than any city in the French riviera), San Diego, Santa Barbara which I found not too special but we did not spend too much time there so maybe we missed the best part
I wouldnt know what to vote really, it's basically like comparing Florence to Paris, they're not on the same scale
not really comparable IMO, Southern California is much bigger, much bigger cities, more internationnal etc
French riviera population: ~1M (not counting Marseilles since it is not part of it)
Southern Cali: 20M
Nice is the biggest and best city of the French riviera, Cannes is fine but not too special, then there is Antibes (where I live, nice small city), Monaco (Monte Carlo is just a neighborhood FYI) is disappointing really, not much to see or do there, only worth half a day max
Then there is Saint Tropez, which is pretty and fairly popular among rich people
On the other hand Southern Cali has LA (disappointing city for still offers a lot of things to do, much more so than any city in the French riviera), San Diego, Santa Barbara which I found not too special but we did not spend too much time there so maybe we missed the best part
I wouldnt know what to vote really, it's basically like comparing Florence to Paris, they're not on the same scale
While Santa Barbara would be the only place that can come close to being a riviera, it's not really Southern California but is considered Central Coast.
In fact, the Central Coast as a whole is much more riviera like than Southern California. The population is also more comparable at around 2.3 million rather than 20 million.
California is fine, and the coastal drive beautiful, but it lacks the ambience, and beautiful towns in France. Winter weather may be nicer in San Diego than Nice, but my trips to France are in the summer.
Plus the food. So much easier to eat well in France than in California.
French Riviera (all the more including that dump of a city that is Marseilles) is a long concrete block packed to the seams with tourists in the summer. There is so little room that Monaco has to build on polders on the sea. How can one find it pleasant is beyond me. What's funny is that most Frenchmen dream to go to Malibu, Sta Barbara, Sta Monica and San Diego that are mythical destinations for them (Baywatch), however they ridicule the French Riviera, in these popular films :
I live on the American Riviera, a block from the Pacific, on a cliff, and, although it's a beautiful coastline, I prefer the Cote d'Azur. Better food, better culture, prettier architecture, more history, the option to go to Italy or down to the Catalan coast of Spain (Costa Brava), prettier and more charming towns both coastal and inland.
The American riviera has milder winters, but the water remains chilly in the summer, right ? I'd rather swim in warmer water.
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