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yes, actually I remember a week or so ago, a troll came onto the SD forum and tried saying that San Diego is third world like Tijuana
I bet it was either DC90 or EastCoastPirate; both live back in the Northeast but love to post crap about California on this forum as often as they can [until the mods close down their hateful threads]. Weird people
Another person who's lived in LA (San Fernando Valley) and the Bay Area (East Bay) chiming in.
It really depends what you mean by "reserved". At least students in Berkeley are pretty opinionated people, which annoyed the h*ll out of me considering that more often than not, they had NO idea what they were talking about. In addition, you had the socially awkward techie who tended to snub his (and believe me, its always a his) nose at people who weren't doing engineering. It made for a VERY awkward college experience.
But that's just university. I actually LOVED getting out of Berkeley (and believe me, I did this WAY too much) and thought that the regular Bay Area resident wasn't very much different than those in LA. I will say that when it comes to being outdoorsy, the Bay Area has us LA residents beat. I actually became an avid hiker while I was living there, while down here I wouldn't ever have conceived that notion considering how hot it gets in the SFV. Tradeoff is that Bay Area reisdents don't nearly have the same attachment to the beach as people here do, which sucks because I love the beach.
The wealth in the Bay Area is much more subdued than it is in LA, and there aren't NEARLY as many $30k millionaires in the Bay Area, but they have their ways of showing off too.
People are people everywhere, no matter what. There are @sshats and nice people interspersed around everywhere. I'm sure I'd have many of the same complaints if I went to UCLA, considering that Westwood and Bel-Air are right there next to the campus, reminding the lifelong LA resident like myself how much of a peasant I truly am (not that I mind at all, I love peasant food!)
I don't know how San Diego got into the discussion, since as far as I know, LA hasn't annexed San Diego (unless the Bay Area has, then carry on!)
I've read other posts that claim people in Berkeley are eco-snobs but I have not experienced any negativity there or in San Francisco. Just because the Bay Area is super liberal doesn't mean anything. Liberals are regular people who do all the same things everyone else does except maybe they participate in more demonstrations and protest marches. Here in LA we have the same kind of people: liberals; I don't know how many times Wilshire Blvd is closed down due to protesters sitting in the middle of the street.
As I pointed out before, it is more an urban versus suburb or rural thing. Cities with large universities attract a more vocal "in your face" mentality whether it is in San Diego, Palo Alto, Westwood, Chico, etc. Except in southern California they wear flip flops instead of steel-toe boots like the Bay Area.
I've read other posts that claim people in Berkeley are eco-snobs but I have not experienced any negativity there or in San Francisco. Just because the Bay Area is super liberal doesn't mean anything. Liberals are regular people who do all the same things everyone else does except maybe they participate in more demonstrations and protest marches. Here in LA we have the same kind of people: liberals; I don't know how many times Wilshire Blvd is closed down due to protesters sitting in the middle of the street.
As I pointed out before, it is more an urban versus suburb or rural thing. Cities with large universities attract a more vocal "in your face" mentality whether it is in San Diego, Palo Alto, Westwood, Chico, etc. Except in southern California they wear flip flops instead of steel-toe boots like the Bay Area.
I feel like people in Berkeley use "Liberal" as a status enhancer, not because the students generally believed in it. Asian students (which were the MAJORITY on the campus) could care less about politics, but still manage to trash conservatives anytime and anywhere. I found it hypocritical that they talked so much about "peace" and "unity", when in fact the Berkeley campus itself was so segregated. Again, I'm sure this could be found in every single university, but that's what annoyed me about Berkeley.
I had a greater time LIVING in the area, instead of experiencing college life. I wouldn't mind going back to Berkeley for Grad School/Law School (in fact, its probably my 2nd choice right now) but the undergraduates have a tendency to get under your skin and annoy you. It's like they don't grow up after high school. For such a supposedly smart student population, they have a certain combination of arrogance and ignorance that gets under your skin.
I do miss the Bay Area at times (especially when I want to look at Redwood Trees), since its a new part of the California psyche that has been revealed to me. I hope that it remains an unknown gem relative to SoCal, so at least I can go somewhere that is near me but feels completely different.
[quote=Lifeshadower;[B] The wealth in the Bay Area is much more subdued than it is in LA, and there aren't NEARLY as many $30k millionaires in the Bay Area, but they have their ways of showing off too.
Good post! For somebody who has lived in both Southern and Northern California also, I share your perspective. I am an eternal optimist about USA, more specifically California.
Massive cultural differences btwn LA's Westside and rest of LA/OC region
Massive cultural diffces btwn SV's Woodside/Atherton vs communist PaloAlto and SF's PacHts, let alone rest of SF region, like the economically irrelevant EastBay/Marin wastelands
Much varies by industry in which one works
And most of wealthiest in either PaloAlto or BH area aren't originally from CA, but grew up in middle-income suburbia somewhere else and attended some "elite" college like Stanford or Wharton and figured out how to move upwards quickly
Amusingly, capitalist engineering students at Stanford tend to look down on the retarded, communist lib arts kids at Stanford (or any other lib arts college)...sadly, many of those lib arts kids are unemployed these days and live in their parents' basements post-$250K college diplomas...
Well there are times when being outdoors is nearly impossible even if the temperature is pleasant. When was the last time a picnic or ball game was rained out in southern California? The weather is hardly ever factored into the equation for outdoor weddings, concerts, sports. When I go up to the Central Valley during winter, it is not at all uncommon to have thick fog for quite a few hours that just barely burns off in the afternoon; a temp barely 50 degrees and foggy doesn't inspire much outdoor interest. But driving back to southern California the sunshine breaks through at the Grapevine\ Interstate 5 and it is easily 10-20 degrees warmer on a winter day. True, an afternoon like today [90's] isn't as pleasant but there are plenty of people in parks sitting under trees or swimming. Because southern California averages 10+ degrees warmer than the Bay Area our winters allow us more outdoor activities. What other part of the nation would even hold a parade on New Year's day that starts at 9AM?
Again, I have not idea what you are referring to regarding TJ. I think I've been to Tijuana twice in my life and was not impressed; it has nothing in common to San Diego except the border.
You are talking about the Central Valley and the Tule fog. The Bay Area, while not as warm as the Southland in the winter, is much more friendly to outdoor activities than the Central Valley. Don't forget that San Jose averages the same amount of rainfall as Los Angeles. Sure it may be more cloudy in the winter time, but it isn't wetter. And summer time is actually nicer because, while it can get warm/hot, it isn't nearly as hot as LA's valley areas.
You are talking about the Central Valley and the Tule fog. The Bay Area, while not as warm as the Southland in the winter, is much more friendly to outdoor activities than the Central Valley. Don't forget that San Jose averages the same amount of rainfall as Los Angeles. Sure it may be more cloudy in the winter time, but it isn't wetter. And summer time is actually nicer because, while it can get warm/hot, it isn't nearly as hot as LA's valley areas.
Right, the fog that forms in the Central Valley during winter stays there for the most part. Sometimes east winds push the tule fog thru the Carquinez Strait and into the Bay area. And there are many areas in Central California that have less rainfall than Los Angeles [the San Joaquin & Salinas valleys are examples]. But the actual number of days when it rains is less as one moves south since the source of our winter storms is the north Pacific ocean. Certain areas of Southern California receive more rainfall because the mountains help to wring out more water from storms. In Pasadena the average amount of rainfall is nearly twice as much as the LA airport only about 20 miles away. There aren't more days of rain but when it does rain more accumulates near the mountains. For example Seattle has more rain days than most cities in the entire nation but there are many other cities that average higher total rainfall than Seattle. A little rainfall over many days make Seattle a damp dreary climate.
San Jose and Los Angeles really aren't that different climatically. Average winter max temps in San Jose average between 59-63F and 41-45F minimums. Los Angeles averages between 68-70F and 48-50F day & night temps. In summer San Jose is between 82-84F during the day & 55-58 at night; Los Angeles averages 80-85F maximums and 61-66F minimums.
Simple question, I always noticed that the people from Southern California were much more outgoing,upbeat and in your face. This is nothing scientific obviously, but just an observation I have made over 25+ years in Cali. What do you think? Cheers
Right now I am not going to take time to read all the replys, but I would say it is just the opposite. I find people in the bay area very friendly.
Right, the fog that forms in the Central Valley during winter stays there for the most part. Sometimes east winds push the tule fog thru the Carquinez Strait and into the Bay area. And there are many areas in Central California that have less rainfall than Los Angeles [the San Joaquin & Salinas valleys are examples]. But the actual number of days when it rains is less as one moves south since the source of our winter storms is the north Pacific ocean. Certain areas of Southern California receive more rainfall because the mountains help to wring out more water from storms. In Pasadena the average amount of rainfall is nearly twice as much as the LA airport only about 20 miles away. There aren't more days of rain but when it does rain more accumulates near the mountains. For example Seattle has more rain days than most cities in the entire nation but there are many other cities that average higher total rainfall than Seattle. A little rainfall over many days make Seattle a damp dreary climate.
San Jose and Los Angeles really aren't that different climatically. Average winter max temps in San Jose average between 59-63F and 41-45F minimums. Los Angeles averages between 68-70F and 48-50F day & night temps. In summer San Jose is between 82-84F during the day & 55-58 at night; Los Angeles averages 80-85F maximums and 61-66F minimums.
Nice post. It makes sense. There are many times in San Jose where it can be overcast but dry, while just 45 miles north in SF or Berkeley, it can be raining. Also the Santa Cruz mountains help keep San Jose dry due to rain shadow effect. So a lot of rain dumps on the Coast, while San Jose stays dry.
It is pretty interesting. If you are in San Jose and look westward toward the Santa Cruz mountains, they are full of trees and green all year. While the Diablo Range which flanks the east side of the city look like the Santa Susana Mtn's in LA... dry!
Nice post. It makes sense. There are many times in San Jose where it can be overcast but dry, while just 45 miles north in SF or Berkeley, it can be raining. Also the Santa Cruz mountains help keep San Jose dry due to rain shadow effect. So a lot of rain dumps on the Coast, while San Jose stays dry.
It is pretty interesting. If you are in San Jose and look westward toward the Santa Cruz mountains, they are full of trees and green all year. While the Diablo Range which flanks the east side of the city look like the Santa Susana Mtn's in LA... dry!
Good observations about the mountains. If you ever drive down the Salinas valley the Santa Lucia mountains to the west are dark with woodlands while the Gabilan Mts to the east are dry and sparsely vegetated. The Santa Cruz mountains pick up more rainfall than anywhere else in the Bay Area due to their height and how they are situation. Same thing in Big Sur in Monterey county; lots more rainfall than the Salinas valley over the mountains where it is very dry. And on the other side of the Gabilans [same range that the Diablo mountains are on] it is even drier. Places like Coalinga in the San Joaquin valley get a fraction of rainfall received in the Sierra Nevada on the other side of the Central Valley. Rain shadows, wind currents, elevation all play a role in the amount rainfall over relatively short distances.
Ironically, the California deserts, especially the Sonoran pick up half their annual rainfall during summer when monsoon thunderstorms move up into California from Mexico or Arizona. Winter storms are greatly hampered by the high San Gabriel and San Bernardino mountains. But moist humid air from the Gulf of California can enter the low deserts on favorable winds in summer. Once I was on Highway 111 driving south toward Indio when a torrential thunderstorm hit; we turned around and went back to Palm Springs before the CHP closed the highway for flash flooding. The next day the news showed cars that had mud up to the car windows and several people nearly drowned.
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