Pros and Cons of Orange County (San Diego, Oceanside: crime rate, schools, income)

[Rcsligar]

I'm currently on a road trip bound for Seattle and I've been making my way up the California coast. I've been exploring Orange County over the past couple days and these are my observations based on what I've seen:

Pros:
Pleasing outdoor/Archietectural aesthetics: The dramatic landscape of cliffs jutting out towards the ocean along with lush greenery and palm trees makes for a pleasing landscape
Abundance of amenities considering population size: I was quite surprised by how well developed downtown Laguna beach was for its size. Although some of this is attributed to tourism, I still got the feeling that the locals supported the economy more than your average residents. This is most likely due to the fact that the median household income is over 80k a year.
Friendliness of certain people: I was impressed by the attentiveness of people I spoke to in surf shops when I asked them about local spots. A few people have been pleasant and outgoing and asked me where I'm from, why I'm in CA, etc.
Abundance of surfing beaches: This is a big one. I would say the number of options for surfing here is better than any other state.

Cons:
Excessive tourism that gets in the way of an authentic vibe: Tourism obviously helps the economy but I don't care for the social climate it creates. It feels like consumer culture overload when you walk down the street and see people literally gawking at jewelry/clothing/accessories/etc. It is not a pleasant vibe to me and I try to avoid areas with too much of this.
Excessive decadence: I prefer for people to be more unassuming about their wealth, which is definitely not the case here.
Pretentious demeanor of some people: This was apparent especially in the more decadent areas.
Traffic on the freeway: This goes without saying.
Overcrowded beaches: It was frustrating to me (especially when surfing) to find a quaint, non congested area. Surfers also tend to be aggressive and not very mindful of others. I understand this to an extent but the sheer number of people exhibiting these traits makes for an unpleasant situation.
Unwanted riff raff caused by the generic desire to be in so cal: Way to many wannabe so cal residents ruin the quaint, pleasant vibe that could be present in certain areas if these people weren't so prevalent. I'm sure locals know what I'm talking about.

My favorite spot I've seen so far is San Clemente and my least favorite is Oceanside.

[Pedro2000]

Originally Posted by Rcsligar

I'm currently on a road trip bound for Seattle and I've been making my way up the California coast. I've been exploring Orange County over the past couple days and these are my observations based on what I've seen:

Pros:
Pleasing outdoor/Archietectural aesthetics: The dramatic landscape of cliffs jutting out towards the ocean along with lush greenery and palm trees makes for a pleasing landscape
Abundance of amenities considering population size: I was quite surprised by how well developed downtown Laguna beach was for its size. Although some of this is attributed to tourism, I still got the feeling that the locals supported the economy more than your average residents. This is most likely due to the fact that the median household income is over 80k a year.
Friendliness of certain people: I was impressed by the attentiveness of people I spoke to in surf shops when I asked them about local spots. A few people have been pleasant and outgoing and asked me where I'm from, why I'm in CA, etc.
Abundance of surfing beaches: This is a big one. I would say the number of options for surfing here is better than any other state.

Cons:
Excessive tourism that gets in the way of an authentic vibe: Tourism obviously helps the economy but I don't care for the social climate it creates. It feels like consumer culture overload when you walk down the street and see people literally gawking at jewelry/clothing/accessories/etc. It is not a pleasant vibe to me and I try to avoid areas with too much of this.
Excessive decadence: I prefer for people to be more unassuming about their wealth, which is definitely not the case here.
Pretentious demeanor of some people: This was apparent especially in the more decadent areas.
Traffic on the freeway: This goes without saying.
Overcrowded beaches: It was frustrating to me (especially when surfing) to find a quaint, non congested area. Surfers also tend to be aggressive and not very mindful of others. I understand this to an extent but the sheer number of people exhibiting these traits makes for an unpleasant situation.
Unwanted riff raff caused by the generic desire to be in so cal: Way to many wannabe so cal residents ruin the quaint, pleasant vibe that could be present in certain areas if these people weren't so prevalent. I'm sure locals know what I'm talking about.

My favorite spot I've seen so far is San Clemente and my least favorite is Oceanside.

This makes little sense. Oceanside is in San Diego, not OC. And if you are heading up to Seattle and didn't come from San Diego, why are you in OC? Plus the beaches and towns are not all alike. Newport beach is different than Laguana which is different than Huntington which is different than Dana beach which is different than Seal Beach and so on. And go a bit east and places like Ladera Ranch and Mission Viejo aren't exactly like Newport.

[Scott5280]

Laguna Beach, Newport, Dana Point, San Clemente.. other than those areas and and a small select inland areas.for the most part the rest of OC is just riff raff, might as well live in BS LA.. who cares!!!!!!!!!

[ryanst530]

I think the whole surf vibe is overrated, personally.

The orange county pros for me are: great theme parks/entertainment options, great shopping, great restaurants, great weather, clean.

The cons are: Everyone and their mother likes orange county for the exact same reasons, which is why the area is constantly expanding, and becoming over-developed. And because of the area's ever growing popularity, the atmosphere has become very competitive... rude/selfish driving, compete to get parking spots, compete to get the best house, compete to get into the best restaurant at the best time. These aspects make orange county a great place to visit, but a hectic place to live. After a while, all of that competing just wears on you... you just want to get away from everyone! Lol.

[DoomandGloom]

Originally Posted by Scott5280

Laguna Beach, Newport, Dana Point, San Clemente.. other than those areas and and a small select inland areas.for the most part the rest of OC is just riff raff, might as well live in BS LA.. who cares!!!!!!!!!

Really??? That's how I feel but you are the only other person I have found that feels that way! I thought I was crazy for a while but I do think that MOST of Orange County is really, really creepy.

[Rcsligar]

I agree with you as well, the desirable areas of Orange County are mostly limited to decadent beachfront locations from what I've seen. I was in newport yesterday, and ventured just a few minutes inland into Costa Mesa, which was a total dive. Even saw a guy with a "costa misery" bumper sticker.

[Rcsligar]

Originally Posted by ryanst530

I think the whole surf vibe is overrated, personally.

The orange county pros for me are: great theme parks/entertainment options, great shopping, great restaurants, great weather, clean.

The cons are: Everyone and their mother likes orange county for the exact same reasons, which is why the area is constantly expanding, and becoming over-developed. And because of the area's ever growing popularity, the atmosphere has become very competitive... rude/selfish driving, compete to get parking spots, compete to get the best house, compete to get into the best restaurant at the best time. These aspects make orange county a great place to visit, but a hectic place to live. After a while, all of that competing just wears on you... you just want to get away from everyone! Lol.

I agree with you that surf culture itself is overrated, I was just talking about the number of options available for someone who enjoys the sport. I'm speaking from an amenities perspective, not a cultural perspective.

[BorisBlack]

I don't understand the constant complaints about the traffic. I don't ever encounter bad traffic, except when I go to LA during rush hour, in which case it is horrific, of course. In OC itself traffic isnt bad. I also don't ever run into a lot of tourists, except at Disneyland.

Pros: weather, schools, activities, beaches, people

[infinitekid]

Originally Posted by BorisBlack

I don't understand the constant complaints about the traffic. I don't ever encounter bad traffic, except when I go to LA during rush hour, in which case it is horrific, of course. In OC itself traffic isnt bad. I also don't ever run into a lot of tourists, except at Disneyland.

Pros: weather, schools, activities, beaches, people

that he didn't even mention crime rate and violence tells you all you need to know..OC>LA for living

[certsevtxert]

Originally Posted by Pedro2000

This makes little sense. Oceanside is in San Diego, not OC. And if you are heading up to Seattle and didn't come from San Diego, why are you in OC? Plus the beaches and towns are not all alike. Newport beach is different than Laguana which is different than Huntington which is different than Dana beach which is different than Seal Beach and so on. And go a bit east and places like Ladera Ranch and Mission Viejo aren't exactly like Newport.

Maybe he's an illegal mexican? Cause it doesn't get much further south than SD