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I think you will be fine - we love Laguna Beach and I really do think there is a 'live and let live' attitude there. The beaches are fantastic but it is crowded beyond belief in the summer....Labor Day was unbelievable - I've never seem so many strollers, cars or old men wearing plaid shorts with dress socks.
Seriously, you'll love it there.
Made me smile... Maybe the move won't be such as hassle.
I grew up in OC, hanging out in Laguna, and my extended family lives in Laguna now. I have to say, you don't really see a lot of African Americans there.
It's pretty much the gay capital of Orange County, so it is more liberal in that respect.
It has a very good school system. My brother and sister in law moved there just so their son could go to school there (my sister in law grew up there).
It's beautiful, and as a teenager in OC, Laguna Beach is where we hung out. There are lots of good restaurants, and used to be lots of good independent coffee shops, but now it's mostly chain places.
The non-tourists of Laguna Beach are pretty mellow. Well, the non-ultra rich ones. It's a very expensive city, where I'm going to guess the median home price is at least 1 million, probably 2-4 million. It's sort of a mix of hippies, gays and snobby rich people.
Weather is pretty mild, though I heard that this weekend it was a scorcher there. My mom said it was unbearable. It's overcast there quite a bit.
Most of the violence there is towards gays, there used to be a good deal of gay bashing there in the past. More so when the Marine bases were still in full operation, I believe.
If you have any other questions, I can probably answer them. I'm actually going to visit my family there in 10 days!
V. =)
Oh, My brother has an old friend from Orange County, I bet when he said it was a lot of "artists" in Orange County he was referring to Liberals and gays, maybe?
Laguna Beach will be fine for you. You only need to just relax and be a good human being. Racism is considered to be very uncool among the young in OC, though you can find chuckleheads anywhere. You will come across a certain kind of rightwing rich person who is really out of touch on occasion. I have one of those in my extended family. But it is a small minority. As long as you help keep your neighborhood quiet, clean, and crime free, dress like a civilized human being and not see everything from a racial angle you will be fine. Most white people are tired of being viewed with suspicion by blacks just because we're white. We're not out to get you. Honest!
So enjoy Laguna Beach. It's beautiful and laidback. You're lucky to be able to live there. You will love the summers much more than what you have in Atlanta and the crime rate is way lower.
Thank god, Crime is on the rise in Atlanta! Even in Buckhead and Midtown (two of our best neighborhoods)
But, Laguna Beach high should be ok, I hang with a very diverse crowd. I see you mentioned the advanced placement program, I'm currently in the IB program at school (International Baccalaureate) does Laguna Beach or any schools nearby offer the International Baccalaureate program? and as far as drugs, it's not my thing but, North Atlanta is a haven for it mostly the preps,goths, and stoners do it here, and one more question, I play basketball at my high school, love the sport. Does Laguna have a decent Basketball team? thanks.
Laguna Beach High does not have the IB program. That can be a reason to cite and inter district transfer though, and they must let you go. My son is in the IB program and I know he works really really hard for it.
The IB schools in the area are the following:
Capistrano Valley High School in Mission Viejo
Laguna Hills High School in Laguna Hills
Mission Viejo High School in Mission Viejo
San Clemente High School in San Clemente
Those schools would be the closest to Laguna Beach. All of those are very good high schools, but nobody else from Laguna Beach will be going to those schools. They are about 30 minutes or more away away from Laguna. Laguna Hills is probably closest. Followed by Capistrano Valley, Mission Viejo, and San Clemente. The girls' basket ball team didn't win a single game last year either. They went 0-25.
Laguna Beach is a socially liberal town. It's mostly white, but more sophisticated than hick/racist. Although it's quite wealthy, it's not as ostentatious or pretentious as Newport Beach or Beverly Hills. It's absolutely beautiful - ocean, views, hills, foliage, houses. For some reason, when folks think 'wealthy,' they automatically assume the residents are racist and/or 'snobby'. This could only come from stereotypes & not first-hand experience. This is absolutely untrue. Laguna is quite down to Earth.
Since race is so important to you, the largest gathering of blacks in Laguna Beach is at basketball courts of Main Beach over the weekend, particularly in the summer time. Most of the blacks there are men who do not live in Laguna, but come to play and are as welcomed as anyone else.
I'm a black guy who has lived in Laguna Beach & race simply isn't an issue. You probably won't have many black friends, but that isn't usually a problem for anyone except those who feel the need to have many black friends. You can have close friends like anyone else. It's not as if all the whites stick together as a group & you'll automatically be less of a friend. That's just television fodder. Relax & don't see your friends as race, but as folks you get along with. There are many more things to have in common than color of skin.
I've been to Atlanta & stayed in Virginia Highland as well as Cascade Heights. Laguna is definitely slower & safer than living in the city, but the folks here just do different things depending on age - beach, pool parties, short drive to Newport for shopping, hour drive to LA or San Diego or Palm Springs. If you're into outdoor sports, you can cycle in the canyon, surf, play basketball at Main Beach. Laguna Beach is *nothing* like the show. That show is just a carbon copy of every teen show, same formula.
You already know the schools are much better than Atlanta public. I'm starting to think your posting is more fantasy than reality, but maybe not. ;-)
The weather ranges from mild to warm, no snow, enough rain.
If the race of your friends is more important than how well you get along with them, w/ the exception of the basketball courts over the weekends, you should know that you will have to drive about 35-40 mins to Long Beach to find large groups of blacks. Keep in mind, Laguna is the gay capital of Orange County, so it's a tolerant town. White & affluent doesn't equal racist or snobby. It will be an adjustment coming from Atlanta, but, if you are open to change & don't obsess over race yourself, I'm sure you can grow to love it.
I lived in Laguna beach from 1969 to 1972, went to the "best educated junior high school" in America, Thurston Intermediate. Do not know what kind of cirriculum they provide these days but I am certain it can't be much different. As far as rascism goes, well you're going to have a slight possibility of ignorance wherever you end up. Laguna is not very roomy, but it is cozy, it is hippy ( or was at one time. ) Laguna has a Boys' club located just east of the sawdust festival. All my Junior high school friends are on FB with me... Good luck and God Bless.
Wow, time really flies by, as I imagine the OP must be in college by now. At any rate, I hope he did not pay much attention to imagine’s posting:
09-04-2007, 06:41 AM imagine
Member Laguna Beach is the Whitest city in Orange County (tied with Newport Beach). I\'m not sure that I\'ve seen any black people there. In any case, GOOGLE orange county racism. you should find at bit, however Laguna is more liberal than most of O.C.
A little bit of research shows just where imagine was coming from and how he was apparently trying to scare and deter the OP from moving to Laguna Beach. Of course, the OP’s parents were in charge of that decision:
09-05-2007, 10:30 PM imagine
Member Yeah. All my O.C. friends are very racist. I became much more racist myself after residing in Huntington Beach. That\'s the truth. Go ahead -lynch me. Theres just something about preserving the perfection.
Thanks, My father is a real estate agent, he also runs a small alarm company in Atlanta. My mother is an interior decorator.
Those don't really seem like the kind of occupations where you just pick up and move across the country. For some reason this post doesn't strike me as genuine.
OP hasn't made a post in 3 years. Just thought I'd point that out.
Good point, who reinvigorated this thread anyway?
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Laguna Beach is cozy but delapitated...
