Best Mountain Town in CA? (Sacramento, Oakland: home, camping, living)

[opossum_]

Originally Posted by FrontierMan

I lived in Truckee/Tahoe for a while. I like Tahoe as a place but I hated living there. Here's why:

The community was comprised of some really lame individuals. Shallow, bong hitting, snowboard punks, people taking pride in collecting food stamps, insular transplants from the east coast, a community of transient south Americans, druggies, and some uneducated jaded locals. Yes, there were some decent people too but not a lot of them. The people that I ended up being friends with all left. People were not friendly. I felt like the community wasn't really a community. It was just total disconnect.

The weather up there in the winter is dreary. It rains a lot at lake level. It rains on the mountain a fair amount too. The locals brag that it's mild but Tahoe gets humidity in the winter. I much preferred the dry cold in CO. CO = fluffy. CA = crusty.
...
Everything is spread out; just like everywhere else in CA. There is a public bus but it's horrible. There is basically a highway that loops around the lake. It is really dangerous to walk on. The locals resort to hitch hiking. A lot of them will get angry if someone doesn't pick them up. That's how bad the entitlement mentality is there. I met multiple individuals that would brag about getting food stamps and gov't services so that could take the summer off.

A lot of drinking and driving. I saw a lot of accidents. A lot of alcoholics live in mountain towns in general. Low pay, a lot of down time, no women, and people that come for the party.

CA is just a messed up state in general. Tahoe is a great place to visit but I would never want to live there again.

Tahoe is getting more ghetto by the day....Yes, not sure what kind 30 y.o. of singles she would find there, unless into pot-smoking deadbeat and druggie homeless types... Local ski/climbing bums "get through the winter sharing hotel room with 5 other dudes and live in the woods in summer...'may be this girl will get me food money...or may be I rent a place and grow some pot there'" The rich people in Tahoe are usually much older or are just there temporary....and there ain't no "middle class" there.
That recent carjacking by a druggie at a gas station in Truckee...can find that video online...crazy...must be a strong "community" thing. Or, the snotty hippie wannbees that sell things in North Shore health food stores aka Bumpkinsville + snotty + entitled rude lib hippie + nuts

As to places like Chester/Westwood....good luck with "30-something" singles scene...why not just Susanville (there's at least prison there). And Murphys, Columbia, etc... the summer heat.... and all the local "30-something" meth scene "in dem Hills"...why not just go to Pollock Pines!

[2sleepy]

Originally Posted by opossum_

Tahoe is getting more ghetto by the day....Yes, not sure what kind 30 y.o. of singles she would find there, unless into pot-smoking deadbeat and druggie homeless types... Local ski/climbing bums "get through the winter sharing hotel room with 5 other dudes and live in the woods in summer...'may be this girl will get me food money...or may be I rent a place and grow some pot there'" The rich people in Tahoe are usually much older or are just there temporary....and there ain't no "middle class" there.
That recent carjacking by a druggie at a gas station in Truckee...can find that video online...crazy...must be a strong "community" thing. Or, the snotty hippie wannbees that sell things in North Shore health food stores aka Bumpkinsville + snotty + entitled rude lib hippie + nuts

As to places like Chester/Westwood....good luck with "30-something" singles scene...why not just Susanville (there's at least prison there). And Murphys, Columbia, etc... the summer heat.... and all the local "30-something" meth scene "in dem Hills"...why not just go to Pollock Pines!

I completely agree with you about SLT. My cousin has lived there for 30 years and says exactly what you did. That's why I didn't recommend it earlier in this thread. It's hard to find a place that has any kind of vibrant year round community that would appeal to a 30 year old and has winter sports. If I were the OP I would move to mid town Sacramento and travel to the Sierras on weekends

[opossum_]

It's hard to have a "community" anywhere in California: too many people without local roots/transient and to much competition for resources (including housing), plus culture of superficiality. It's wolf eat wolf.

[FrontierMan]

Originally Posted by opossum_

Tahoe is getting more ghetto by the day....Yes, not sure what kind 30 y.o. of singles she would find there, unless into pot-smoking deadbeat and druggie homeless types... Local ski/climbing bums "get through the winter sharing hotel room with 5 other dudes and live in the woods in summer...'may be this girl will get me food money...or may be I rent a place and grow some pot there'" The rich people in Tahoe are usually much older or are just there temporary....and there ain't no "middle class" there.
That recent carjacking by a druggie at a gas station in Truckee...can find that video online...crazy...must be a strong "community" thing. Or, the snotty hippie wannbees that sell things in North Shore health food stores aka Bumpkinsville + snotty + entitled rude lib hippie + nuts

As to places like Chester/Westwood....good luck with "30-something" singles scene...why not just Susanville (there's at least prison there). And Murphys, Columbia, etc... the summer heat.... and all the local "30-something" meth scene "in dem Hills"...why not just go to Pollock Pines!

Ghetto is a great word to describe Tahoe. Especially Kings Beach. It's a vibrant blend of transients and illegal Mexicans.

Tahoe really doesn't have any middle class. Both groups of people are hostile. The rich are snobby and the locals are insular.

Don't get me wrong, it's an insanely beautiful place but there are way more negatives than there are positives. I would like to go back there one day to visit but I probably would just ignore everyone and pretend like they weren't there.

Btw, Sacramento is not a good place at all. It reminds of a Midwestern city except with smog, traffic, high taxes, insane summer heat, and a bunch of rude people. Sac sucks.

Californians aren't wolves, they are more like sheep.

[Mr5150]

Originally Posted by FrontierMan

Ghetto is a great word to describe Tahoe. Especially Kings Beach. It's a vibrant blend of transients and illegal Mexicans.

Tahoe really doesn't have any middle class. Both groups of people are hostile. The rich are snobby and the locals are insular.

Don't get me wrong, it's an insanely beautiful place but there are way more negatives than there are positives. I would like to go back there one day to visit but I probably would just ignore everyone and pretend like they weren't there.

Btw, Sacramento is not a good place at all. It reminds of a Midwestern city except with smog, traffic, high taxes, insane summer heat, and a bunch of rude people. Sac sucks.

Californians aren't wolves, they are more like sheep.

Living in the region as I do, I wonder what your agenda is. One point is Sacto (you do know that abbreviation?) has less taxes and traffic than say...Chicago. Heat? Give me a break. Does the word Humidity factor into your assessment? If Sacto sucked One Million people would not live there. I have always found Sacto people friendly.

If there is such a thing as a White middle class ghetto, then I suppose Kings Beach would qualify.

So What part of Texas do you live in? Seems the CA Bashers are a little late to this party. My guess is that you assume all Mexicans in CA are illegals. Even the ones that speak English.

[2sleepy]

Originally Posted by FrontierMan

Ghetto is a great word to describe Tahoe. Especially Kings Beach. It's a vibrant blend of transients and illegal Mexicans.
Tahoe really doesn't have any middle class. Both groups of people are hostile. The rich are snobby and the locals are insular.
Don't get me wrong, it's an insanely beautiful place but there are way more negatives than there are positives. I would like to go back there one day to visit but I probably would just ignore everyone and pretend like they weren't there.
Btw, Sacramento is not a good place at all. It reminds of a Midwestern city except with smog, traffic, high taxes, insane summer heat, and a bunch of rude people. Sac sucks.
Californians aren't wolves, they are more like sheep.

That's just not true. SLT does have a middle class I have family who have lived there for 3 decades, and they are neither transients nor are they wealthy. SLT is not what you would call a 'vibrant' community because gambling tourism has taken a hit due to the Indian Casinos and there aren't a lot of jobs there. Because there are a lot of motels but not enough to fill them year round they do attract vagrants and druggies, but that happens in other places too - Reno has the same problem but on a much larger scale. Would I want to live in SLT? NO, but it's not the craphole that you are trying to make it out to be.

As far as Sacramento, you have either never been there or you are clinically depressed and you don't like anything. Sacramento has a vibrant downtown, it's a large diverse area with reasonably priced real estate and plenty of opportunities for employment.

[FrontierMan]

Originally Posted by Mr5150

Living in the region as I do, I wonder what your agenda is. One point is Sacto (you do know that abbreviation?) has less taxes and traffic than say...Chicago. Heat? Give me a break. Does the word Humidity factor into your assessment? If Sacto sucked One Million people would not live there. I have always found Sacto people friendly.

If there is such a thing as a White middle class ghetto, then I suppose Kings Beach would qualify.

So What part of Texas do you live in? Seems the CA Bashers are a little late to this party. My guess is that you assume all Mexicans in CA are illegals. Even the ones that speak English.

My agenda is to save people the headache of making the same mistake that I did by moving there.

Sacramento is one of the ugliest places that I have ever been in my entire life. Do you know how many horrible places are jammed packed full of people? Population has nothing to do with quality of life or the quality of the culture of an area. Ever been to Tijuana? That has millions of people too; really nice place. The heat, the culture, the pollution, and ugliness make Sac one of the worst places in America in my opinion. Even the people in Tahoe hate it; that tells you something right there .

Kings Beach has plenty of ghetto white people. Nevertheless, it is jammed packed full of illegals too.

[Ulysses61]

Mammoth Lakes. Whatever is in second place, is second place by a million percent.

[AnthonyJ34]

Originally Posted by futbol

Idyllwild is a good choice.

I'd also add Julian to the list. It is a quiet touristy town for SoCal folks to see snow in the winter, eat apple pie and just relax.

You can't go wrong in a town that has a Golden Retriever for mayor! But seriously, Idyllwild is awesome. It's much more laid-back and quaint than more popular places such as Lake Arrowhead and Big Bear. Plus, Idyllwild has no ski resorts, so one doesn't have to deal with all the wintertime ski-related traffic up there.

I've been visiting the Idyllwild area since I was a kid (I'm now 45), and I've always wanted to live there. Perhaps I will make that happen someday. But it's a great place!

https://mayormax.com/visitidyllwild.htm

[futbol]

Originally Posted by AnthonyJ34

You can't go wrong in a town that has a Golden Retriever for mayor! But seriously, Idyllwild is awesome. It's much more laid-back and quaint than more popular places such as Lake Arrowhead and Big Bear. Plus, Idyllwild has no ski resorts, so one doesn't have to deal with all the wintertime ski-related traffic up there.

I've been visiting the Idyllwild area since I was a kid (I'm now 45), and I've always wanted to live there. Perhaps I will make that happen someday. But it's a great place!

https://mayormax.com/visitidyllwild.htm

Plus, Mt San Jacinto is right there!

There are beautiful trails all over that mountain.