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I've had the opportunity to travel a LOT throughout this state. While obviously it's huge and many places require multiple visits or travel throughout various neighborhoods to get more of a feel, we all have an idea of the places we feel are, well, underrated or overrated.
Which cities do YOU feel are underrated, overrated?
I'll start:
Underrated
Oakland: This city is becoming more and more "discovered." With a mostly safe down, easy accessibility to BART, sharing a border with Berkeley, accessibility to Alameda, actually having an airport barely outside the city limits, and neighborhoods such as Lake Merritt and Rockridge, Oakland is a pretty cool place. And don't forget about the hills...and Green Day. I thoroughly understand why a lot of people don't like or are scared of Oakland, but it also doesn't have the full speed yuppie-fication of San Francisco. Their Chinatown is also superior to SF's!
Sacramento: OMG, a Central Valley city?! Yes, Sac-town. I like the Capitol Mall, capitol, downtown, Sutter's Fort, Old Town, and the general Midwestern-looking setting around the area. Yet, it is very diverse and the diversity doesn't seem to be so segregated by socioeconomic class, unlike in the Bay or L.A. The new $1B airport terminal is supposed to be out of this world, the city is very clean, and it's the only California metropolis in which the middle class can actually afford a home in a safe neighborhood less than ten miles from the city center. Even though it looks kinda Midwestern, with its setting in the valley and proximity to wine countries in Napa, Sonoma, Lodi and Livermore, as well as places like Chico, Mt. Lassen and Tahoe, it certainly is a very Californian city.
Avila Beach: Very close to the beaten path (101) and San Luis Obispo, yet it feels so far away. It's just a nice, meandering drive into the town. This is little more than a tiny hillside community with a small harbor and beach, pier, nice downtown, the occasional street festival, and some friendly people. The beauty is not just in the surrounding natural setting but in the simplicity of the place. I'd live there...if I could telecommute and earn $125k+ per year.
Overrated
San Diego: I didn't dislike it, but I also wasn't impressed. I visited various communities in the area on the 5 all the way from San Ysidro to Oceanside. I like Torrey Pines, Ocean Beach, Coronado, Old Town, and Balboa Park, and it's a very beautiful, clean and safe city in its own right. However, I came away with a very poor impression of its people. From service in the motel (acceptable, but not friendly) to surprisingly aggressive driving, and to just a general, surly demeanor among the people I encountered there in three days, it wasn't nearly as "laid back" and "friendly" as many on this forum suggest. Plus, it felt more like Des Moines meets the Pacific, it almost felt like Florida and not very "Californian" to me (subjective, I know)...and but just not so "laid back" away from the immediate coast. Maybe if I visit Encinitas, Poway, etc. and visit for longer than three days, I'd have a different opinion. Yes, there is a lot of, if not even more, attitude in San Francisco, but at least SF's a world class city with an exciting pulse (that I'm gradually beginning to come to appreciate).
Berkeley: I actually like Berkeley as a whole. However, much of the town is dirty, especially downtown. I'm a grown male and wouldn't feel safe on parts of UC's campus at night. Even though I like the UC/downtown area's symbiosis with neighboring Oakland, it is also fairly close to Northwest Oakland/Southwest Berkeley which has some dangerous areas. The people there are more of the Prius-driving/eco-hypocritical/East Coast pseudo-intellectual snob types which aren't very pleasant to be around. The downtown area's vibe itself is cool, funky and eclectic, but then that's largely populated by the people mentioned. And, honestly, there is a real intolerant, almost anti-American attitude to the place whether you want to admit it or not. Nonetheless, I like the hills and neighborhoods, but I just don't think of the city as the "bee's knees" like its residents seem to.
Last edited by EclecticEars; 08-05-2012 at 04:01 PM..
I really know very little about Berkeley or Oakland.
I really haven't spent much time in Sacramento or San Diego, but the more I learn about them, the more I TOTALLY agree with your assessment.
San Diego seems like a awesome place for a short vacation. But its economy seems largely based on military and tourism, and is rather culturally homogenous. Yet, it is still as expensive as LA and San Fransisco.
Agree about Sacramento. Its cost of living is very reasonable and affordable, yet theres a lot to do, relative decent amount of career opportunities, and is altogether a better place to raise kids than the more crazy and expensive coast.
Don't know about Avila Beach, but the whole central coast is gorgeous.
I really know very little about Berkeley or Oakland.
I really haven't spent much time in Sacramento or San Diego, but the more I learn about them, the more I TOTALLY agree with your assessment.
San Diego seems like a awesome place for a short vacation. But its economy seems largely based on military and tourism, and is rather culturally homogenous. Yet, it is still as expensive as LA and San Fransisco.
Agree about Sacramento. Its cost of living is very reasonable and affordable, yet theres a lot to do, relative decent amount of career opportunities, and is altogether a better place to raise kids than the more crazy and expensive coast.
Don't know about Avila Beach, but the whole central coast is gorgeous.
SD is an AWESOME place for a short vacation, yes. In fact, I'd like to go down there again in a few months. However, while I like the weather, I think I would only live in SD for the right job opportunity. I mean, the place certainly has its redeeming qualities--such as decent high speed rail--and I'm sure a high overall quality of life. But, while SF and LA are transient cities in their own rights, SD just feels like a town that runs on a few things: stuck-up hot chicks, the military, old retirees, and small towners from Indiana in love with their first "big city." I also base this on numerous people that I've met from SD. (Disclaimer: I'm from a small town, too.)
Sacramento also has Davis as a suburb, one of the most educated and bike-friendly cities in North America. Also, if you don't want to live in Sac, you can live in the Sierra foothills only 45 minutes away, not contend with a whole lotta traffic, and not have high population growth. If I'm not mistaken, Caltrans widened significantly Highway 99 on the south end not long ago, so I'm sure that has alleviated some real traffic issues; 5 and 80 are not that heavily traveled compared to their other urban counterparts in California. The light rail system there is also decent for getting you where you need to go. I really think Sac is underrated not just in California, but in the U.S.
You should visit Avila Beach sometime. It's awesome.
I'd also like to add that I think Santa Cruz is pretty overrated: Woodstock left there 30 years ago, if you know what I mean. Now it's just grumpy, aging, liberal, NIMBY "hippies" and nouveau riche from tech. The boardwalk, downtown, and beach are cool, but I'd rather drive less than an hour south to Monterey. Or, better yet, closer to where I live, Half Moon Bay, where I can easily find free parking, mingle with friendlier locals and find patches of beach in uber-foggy season where I can have near solitude.
TOTALLY agree with you on San Diego. I visited all over OC, LA, and SD 2 years ago and SD was my least favorite (unfortunately it was the cheapest of all school options and thus i am here). The beaches aren't that great (too much marine layer compared to farther north) and the people aren't as attractive as most people say there are.
Santa Barbara is pretty overrated too. I've been there on 2 separate occasions (1 time including a 5 day stay) and it was gloomy and depressing. The beach wasn't even that great.
Personally, I think most beach communities in OC are underrated. People always say the area is boring and has no diversity but after visiting it a few days ago.. they are totally wrong. They have the best beaches (newport, dana point, laguna, etc). Huntington Beach was AWESOME.
I've had the opportunity to travel a LOT throughout this state. While obviously it's huge and many places require multiple visits or travel throughout various neighborhoods to get more of a feel, we all have an idea of the places we feel are, well, underrated or overrated.
Which cities do YOU feel are underrated, overrated?
I'll start:
Underrated
Oakland: This city is becoming more and more "discovered." With a mostly safe down, easy accessibility to BART, sharing a border with Berkeley, accessibility to Alameda, actually having an airport barely outside the city limits, and neighborhoods such as Lake Merritt and Rockridge, Oakland is a pretty cool place. And don't forget about the hills...and Green Day. I thoroughly understand why a lot of people don't like or are scared of Oakland, but it also doesn't have the full speed yuppie-fication of San Francisco. Their Chinatown is also superior to SF's!
Sacramento: OMG, a Central Valley city?! Yes, Sac-town. I like the Capitol Mall, capitol, downtown, Sutter's Fort, Old Town, and the general Midwestern-looking setting around the area. Yet, it is very diverse and the diversity doesn't seem to be so segregated by socioeconomic class, unlike in the Bay or L.A. The new $1B airport terminal is supposed to be out of this world, the city is very clean, and it's the only California metropolis in which the middle class can actually afford a home in a safe neighborhood less than ten miles from the city center. Even though it looks kinda Midwestern, with its setting in the valley and proximity to wine countries in Napa, Sonoma, Lodi and Livermore, as well as places like Chico, Mt. Lassen and Tahoe, it certainly is a very Californian city.
Avila Beach: Very close to the beaten path (101) and San Luis Obispo, yet it feels so far away. It's just a nice, meandering drive into the town. This is little more than a tiny hillside community with a small harbor and beach, pier, nice downtown, the occasional street festival, and some friendly people. The beauty is not just in the surrounding natural setting but in the simplicity of the place. I'd live there...if I could telecommute and earn $125k+ per year.
Overrated
San Diego: I didn't dislike it, but I also wasn't impressed. I visited various communities in the area on the 5 all the way from San Ysidro to Oceanside. I like Torrey Pines, Ocean Beach, Coronado, Old Town, and Balboa Park, and it's a very beautiful, clean and safe city in its own right. However, I came away with a very poor impression of its people. From service in the motel (acceptable, but not friendly) to surprisingly aggressive driving, and to just a general, surly demeanor among the people I encountered there in three days, it wasn't nearly as "laid back" and "friendly" as many on this forum suggest. Plus, it felt more like Des Moines meets the Pacific, it almost felt like Florida and not very "Californian" to me (subjective, I know)...and but just not so "laid back" away from the immediate coast. Maybe if I visit Encinitas, Poway, etc. and visit for longer than three days, I'd have a different opinion. Yes, there is a lot of, if not even more, attitude in San Francisco, but at least SF's a world class city with an exciting pulse (that I'm gradually beginning to come to appreciate).
Berkeley: I actually like Berkeley as a whole. However, much of the town is dirty, especially downtown. I'm a grown male and wouldn't feel safe on parts of UC's campus at night. Even though I like the UC/downtown area's symbiosis with neighboring Oakland, it is also fairly close to Northwest Oakland/Southwest Berkeley which has some dangerous areas. The people there are more of the Prius-driving/eco-hypocritical/East Coast pseudo-intellectual snob types which aren't very pleasant to be around. The downtown area's vibe itself is cool, funky and eclectic, but then that's largely populated by the people mentioned. And, honestly, there is a real intolerant, almost anti-American attitude to the place whether you want to admit it or not. Nonetheless, I like the hills and neighborhoods, but I just don't think of the city as the "bee's knees" like its residents seem to.
I agree with almost all of it. I love Berkeley because it is my home town and my roots run deep there. However, I can see why many people hate it as well. You're at least the 6th or 7th person I've known to mention east coast and Berkeley comparatively. Never been to the east coast so couldn't tell ya. However, those pseudo-intellectual types you spoke of are common place in Seattle and to me the two seem quite similar. Even the way the lifestyles are and the earthiness of both cities. Perhaps that's why I also love Seattle.
My feelings of San Diego are almost the same as well. Never been to the Midwest but we all hear about "the heartland" so much that one can recognize what they've heard and see it in SD. It may be a military town thing. Alameda has a similar feel to it as well but less so now that there's no longer a base there. To west coast standards, San Diego does have a laid back life style. Maybe not always a laid back attitude but I think this "Des Moines" feeling you mentioned is what people may be referring to.
Oakland is an emerging feature city for sure. I'm not sure how I feel about this. Just remember something; That symbiosis with Berkeley you mentioned runs pretty deep. Yes they are neighbors that share a border (lots of newcomers are surprised by this) but many of the same types in one city will be found in the other. There are plenty of Vegans in Oakland too. There's a Vegan Soul Food restaurant in downtown Oakland on Broadway. Both cities are prone to protest, often a protest will start in one and end in the other. Oakland is not so anti-American and is actually quite tolerant. There are lots of Mormons in Oakland and we all know how conservative they are. It's live and let live in Oakland really. That's it's biggest difference from not just Berkeley but most of the Bay Area.
TOTALLY agree with you on San Diego. I visited all over OC, LA, and SD 2 years ago and SD was my least favorite (unfortunately it was the cheapest of all school options and thus i am here). The beaches aren't that great (too much marine layer compared to farther north) and the people aren't as attractive as most people say there are.
Santa Barbara is pretty overrated too. I've been there on 2 separate occasions (1 time including a 5 day stay) and it was gloomy and depressing. The beach wasn't even that great.
Personally, I think most beach communities in OC are underrated. People always say the area is boring and has no diversity but after visiting it a few days ago.. they are totally wrong. They have the best beaches (newport, dana point, laguna, etc). Huntington Beach was AWESOME.
Huntington Beach is by far and away my favorite in Southern California! No beach in SD can even come close. Doheny State Beach is nice too.
Oakland is defintely really underrated. Even most people in the Bay Area think it's just one big black ghetto where you'll get shot if you go there. Yes it has crappy parts but so does San Francisco or some other areas like Richmond or East Palo Alto. Easily half of Oakland is really nice neighborhoods with a lot of stuff going on, lots of great bars and restaurants and shops, and there are a lot of wealthy people there. And it's not even hard to explore, just get off at Rockridge BART station or go to Lake Merritt and you'll have a good time.
I've been living in Long Beach for the last 6 months and I'd say it's pretty underrated too. It's a fairly old city by Socal standards so a lot of it has a density that you don't usually see in the LA area. The western area near downtown has a nice tight grid that is pretty walkable, and Belmont Shores has a ton of restaurants and bars and shops on 2nd that are nice to walk along. Plus it's easy to bike from one end of LB to the other. Pretty much anywhere else in the LA area (including a lot of the more northern parts of Long Beach) is way more spread out.
Oakland is defintely really underrated. Even most people in the Bay Area think it's just one big black ghetto where you'll get shot if you go there. Yes it has crappy parts but so does San Francisco or some other areas like Richmond or East Palo Alto. Easily half of Oakland is really nice neighborhoods with a lot of stuff going on, lots of great bars and restaurants and shops, and there are a lot of wealthy people there. And it's not even hard to explore, just get off at Rockridge BART station or go to Lake Merritt and you'll have a good time.
I've been living in Long Beach for the last 6 months and I'd say it's pretty underrated too. It's a fairly old city by Socal standards so a lot of it has a density that you don't usually see in the LA area. The western area near downtown has a nice tight grid that is pretty walkable, and Belmont Shores has a ton of restaurants and bars and shops on 2nd that are nice to walk along. Plus it's easy to bike from one end of LB to the other. Pretty much anywhere else in the LA area (including a lot of the more northern parts of Long Beach) is way more spread out.
I agree, Long Beach is pretty cool. I was really surprised when I went there.
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