What is the worst place to live in California? (Los Angeles: oceanfront, living)

[Milu2215]

Originally Posted by pears

Lets be realistic, these are my top fifty worst places to live in CA.


1. Richmond
2. East Palo Alto
3. Oakland
4. Oroville
5. Taft
6. Stockton
7. Emeryville
8. Nevada City
9. Fresno
10. Compton
11. San Fernando
12. Long Beach
13. Adelanto
14. San Bernardino
15. Vista
16. Bakersfield
17. Newhall
18. Sylmar
19. Pacoima
20.Vernon
21. Industry
22. Irwindale
23. Vallejo
24. Needles
25. Van Nuys
26. Barstow
27. Patterson
28. Yuba City
29. Reseda
30. Sac-Town
31. Ukiah
32. Antioch
33. Lynwood
43. Inglewood
44. Marysville
45. Eureka
46. Oxnard
47. Arvin
48. Pomona
49. Salinas
50. Modesto

I have lived in both northern and southern California, from the beach to the desert. These are by far the worst areas to live!!!

This is by far the best answer to this post! I totoally agree with you on this list

[IsabellaValentina]

Merced is the worst place to live in California. There aren't any jobs, it has the highest rate of welfare recipients, the people are stuck up even though they are just ordinary and somewhat uneducated. Don't get sick there because the hospital is full of backward hicks pretending to be doctors and nurses. There aren't any good places to eat, no entertainment, no art museum, no theater for plays, no culture what so ever. This place is the most hideous place to live in the USA.

[Count David]

Originally Posted by IsabellaValentina

Merced is the worst place to live in California. There aren't any jobs, it has the highest rate of welfare recipients, the people are stuck up even though they are just ordinary and somewhat uneducated. Don't get sick there because the hospital is full of backward hicks pretending to be doctors and nurses. There aren't any good places to eat, no entertainment, no art museum, no theater for plays, no culture what so ever. This place is the most hideous place to live in the USA.

I invite you to visit Trona.

[aboveordinary]

Originally Posted by pears

Lets be realistic, these are my top fifty worst places to live in CA.


1. Richmond
2. East Palo Alto
3. Oakland
4. Oroville
5. Taft
6. Stockton
7. Emeryville
8. Nevada City
9. Fresno
10. Compton
11. San Fernando
12. Long Beach
13. Adelanto
14. San Bernardino
15. Vista
16. Bakersfield
17. Newhall
18. Sylmar
19. Pacoima
20.Vernon
21. Industry
22. Irwindale
23. Vallejo
24. Needles
25. Van Nuys
26. Barstow
27. Patterson
28. Yuba City
29. Reseda
30. Sac-Town
31. Ukiah
32. Antioch
33. Lynwood
43. Inglewood
44. Marysville
45. Eureka
46. Oxnard
47. Arvin
48. Pomona
49. Salinas
50. Modesto

I have lived in both northern and southern California, from the beach to the desert. These are by far the worst areas to live!!!

Why Sacramento if I may ask? Everytime I've been there, I have enjoyed it. The downtown area and nearby homes hidden in the trees are so awesome.

[Fiddlehead]

Well these threads are very subjective. I know a person who lives in Bakersfield, and has a great life. And I know people in Marin County who are miserable (and recall the thread about how unforgivably awful Santa Barbara was for one poster ).

I like the BeauCharles comment about where you have a future (and can perceive it). I am sure there are plenty of other contingencies that make a seeming hellish place heaven, or a heavenly place hell.

As an example, I lived in south Orange County for several years in my young adulthood. I did enjoy the sea breezes in summer, and the beaches and babes, restaurants, etc. But none of that could compensate for my visceral hatred of urban sprawl, endless time in the car breathing exhaust fumes, the oppressive sameness of the weather, and the need to drive literally hours to see true, uncrowded open space. I am sure Irvine, Newport, and Laguna Beaches would rank very high for most people, but they were special brand of hell for me. I actually got so I welcomed the smell of cows when I visited the Central Valley. For me, farmland was preferable to the megalopolis.

[colorful_mess]

Originally Posted by IsabellaValentina

Merced is the worst place to live in California. There aren't any jobs, it has the highest rate of welfare recipients, the people are stuck up even though they are just ordinary and somewhat uneducated. Don't get sick there because the hospital is full of backward hicks pretending to be doctors and nurses. There aren't any good places to eat, no entertainment, no art museum, no theater for plays, no culture what so ever. This place is the most hideous place to live in the USA.

SO agree. If you're an artsy person you will suffocate. The area suffers from serious brain drain and it seems like all valley residents abhor staying out after 9PM or building anything with the words "mixed use" or "infill." Residents look at you like weirdo if you have your own unique style (I've been called a "show off" just for wearing colorful jewelry) and will freak out if you have a conversation with friends about sex (I've actually been kicked out of bars because of this).

However my reaction as a transplant to the area is not to just dump on the Central Valley. I recognize that it's a resource extraction zone for coastal elites, and that's really infuriating. There is something is deeply disturbing about the spatial segregation of CA, where the coast gets all the amenities, prestigious universities, cultural centers, cleaner air (for CA), public transport, healthy restaurants, blah blah blah while the SJV residents get none of that. Is there any state where these divisions are so stark? It's like Brave New World out here.

[misfitz]

You left out Barstow.

[mrsltd]

Originally Posted by Lilmejustmeatya

Old woman, looking to purchase the nicest, best house, anywhere in CA.......
under $100,000.
Would hope for better than a shack, and low taxes.
NO HOA,
NO Mobile Home Park,
NO Mobile Home,
NO Leased Land,
NO hauled water...

Where might this be?

Alturas, for sure. Maybe Susanville and Cedarville, too. Possibly Yreka.

[KeithM7]

Originally Posted by colorful_mess

However my reaction as a transplant to the area is not to just dump on the Central Valley. I recognize that it's a resource extraction zone for coastal elites, and that's really infuriating. There is something is deeply disturbing about the spatial segregation of CA, where the coast gets all the amenities, prestigious universities, cultural centers, cleaner air (for CA), public transport, healthy restaurants, blah blah blah while the SJV residents get none of that. Is there any state where these divisions are so stark? It's like Brave New World out here.

This commented reminded me of something. I've just read that UC Merced is seeking further expansion. I don't really count Hipster State (Chico) and UC Davis as Central Valley places. When people refer to the Central Valley I tend to delineate this as being from Bakersfield to Stockton. Sac and points north I tend to consider a different world. You have some Ag still but it's a different vibe and lifestyle. As many of those places are just Sac suburbs and exurbs anyway. But as I was saying hopefully if UC Merced continues to grow this will help that part of the CV. It will take time but having a growing UC should have some positive knock on effects down the road.

[Fiddlehead]

Originally Posted by colorful_mess

SO agree. If you're an artsy person you will suffocate. The area suffers from serious brain drain and it seems like all valley residents abhor staying out after 9PM or building anything with the words "mixed use" or "infill." Residents look at you like weirdo if you have your own unique style (I've been called a "show off" just for wearing colorful jewelry) and will freak out if you have a conversation with friends about sex (I've actually been kicked out of bars because of this).

However my reaction as a transplant to the area is not to just dump on the Central Valley. I recognize that it's a resource extraction zone for coastal elites, and that's really infuriating. There is something is deeply disturbing about the spatial segregation of CA, where the coast gets all the amenities, prestigious universities, cultural centers, cleaner air (for CA), public transport, healthy restaurants, blah blah blah while the SJV residents get none of that. Is there any state where these divisions are so stark? It's like Brave New World out here.

Kind of interesting isn't it? People who think all of California is a liberal mecca do not know the history of unbridled greed and chrony capitalism that underpins the Golden State. San Joaquin agriculture, especially, is ground zero for agricultural boondoggles that benefit relatively few and created a culture of serfdom for many. And there is a layer of patrician hypocrisy that cooccurs with illiteracy and generational poverty. Berkeley liberals hailing from Bos-Wash, who built the UC system, fought the Vietnam War, and then passed Prop. 13, to launch a generational housing bubble that put coastal boomer net worth on a spectacular trajectory, leaving behind the agricultural regions, and their own children. California has a lot of interesting layers and counterintuitive patterns. Many coastal folks are embarrassed about the Central Valley, or consider it a triage zone. It is a critical part of the state, and I think it is well worthy of state of the science/art investment, to strengthen the state overall.