How is life in San Bernardino area? (Los Angeles, San Diego: rental, amusement park)

[davidkuver]

Hi!

I'm thinking about planing a long trip or living in San Bernardino or the area of SB for a few months. How is life there ? Cultural offers, etc, is it safe?....

I'm from Barcelona ( Europe ), so I think that it's a way different...

Many Thanks!

[lrmsd]

Here are some previous city data threads on SB with general info to give you an idea while you wait to hear back from others[you can use the search button on this forum and maybe find more]:
//www.city-data.com/forum/san-b...dino-area.html
//www.city-data.com/forum/san-b...ernardino.html
//www.city-data.com/forum/san-b...e-chicago.html
//www.city-data.com/forum/san-b...ast-coast.html

SB sounds kind of random for a guy from spain-unless there's some particular reason why you are choosing SB, I'd recommend Sacramento or San Diego instead. SB generally is regarded as very polluted air [smog], very hot in the summer and not all that much going on culturally or economically. There are safe areas and unsafe areas. Yes, it is way different than Barcelona.
I think you might like San Diego. [while SB overall may be cheaper for housing, SD does have some lower cost rental options, more diverse cultural, nightlife and economic opportunities and a little more vibrant/aesthetically pleasing. Has ocean, outdoors/nature, laid back people, 2 hours to LA, on the baja mexico border, etc. Sacramento is north, mild winters, warm summers, cheaper rent but still a city with lots of amenities, 2 hours from san francisco or lake tahoe, etc.

[Gurbie]

Originally Posted by davidkuver

Hi!

I'm thinking about planing a long trip or living in San Bernardino or the area of SB for a few months. How is life there ? Cultural offers, etc, is it safe?....

I'm from Barcelona ( Europe ), so I think that it's a way different...

Many Thanks!

Do you mean San Bernardino... California? THAT San Bernardino???

No. Berdoo has it's um... charms. But I think a visitor from Barcelona (Europe) would find them elusive.

Better you should visit San Francisco, Santa Barbara, Santa Monica, or San Diego. You'd have a much better time.

[Korynnn]

San Bernardino is awful. Like, really. Not all of California is the Hollywood/SF type of CA you think about. SB is grimy, suburban sprawl. Not much going on culturally. I grew up in the Bloomington/Rialto area, before I moved out of state. I came back to CA and I live in Riverside, now. It's a million miles better as far as culture/things to do, and it feels a lot safer here. At least downtown. Riverside can get pretty grimy/sprawly too.

[Dallas Cowboys Fan]

OP, when you say "San Bernardino area", what specifically are you referring to? This is a massive area.
If you are talking about the City of San Bernardino, please avoid it at all costs. High crime, little economic activity, physically unattractive, and very depressing.
If you are referring to the County of SB, there are some pleasant areas (all very suburban however) such as Rancho Cucamonga, Chino Hills, Upland, maybe parts of Redlands, etc.
If you provide some more details, we can be more helpful.

[SoCalAsian]

Coming from someone who actually lives here in San Bernardino, it's pretty bad. San Bernardino is the last place you want to be if you want to be safe. There is a lot of crime, the city is bankrupt, not many tall buildings at all, and pretty much no culture or anything. I'm sure there's like an underground hip hop culture somewhere but other than that, it's not much. I mean there's plenty to do. There are plenty of places to shop nearby in Riverside and Ontario but you can't really do much, honestly. Me and my friends get bored really easily. We have one main movie theater, a small mall (hence the reason why Riverside and Ontario are better places to go to shop), and some places to eat, but other than McDonald's, Jack in the box, Burger King, Miyagi sushi, and In-n-out burger, you're not going to find much. Although in-n-out burgers are delicious. I must admit it's a cheap place to live in though. I mean the city has over 100,000 people living in it so it's not a small city, but it's just that there aren't a lot of things to do. =P

If you want different cultural offers, you should try San Diego, Anaheim (near Disneyland), Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Costa Mesa, those type of cities. If you want smaller cities, you can look at Ontario, Redlands, Rancho Cucamonga, or somewhere around there. A lot of these cities (except San Diego) are within close-ish proximity. I mean you would still have to drive at least an hour to get to some of these places but it's still around. The cities that I listed first have a lot of things to offer.

[davidkuver]

Thanks for all your answers!! I was asking for San Bernardino area because I know people from a town that it's near San Bernardino that it's called Running Springs. ( yeah...friends from Barcelona living in Running Springs...a little bit crazy wtf! ) and it's always good to know a different point of view. But it seems that if I have to drive at least an hour from there to Los Angeles, Santa Monica,etc And it's not by far the best zone....

[genjy]

Yea... Running Springs is a tiny community up the mountains near SB... Its lifestyle is nothing like SB's...

If you want to be close to Los Angeles, try a city in Los Angeles County. LA County also has a good mix of urban, suburban, and "small town" areas.

[Gandalara]

Originally Posted by SoCalAsian

not many tall buildings at all,

And there never will be due to the liquefaction susceptibility during an earthquake. San Bernardino is earthquake country. Picture a wooden block in a bowl of quivering mud. The block just kinda ... sinks.

"One of the most popular tourist routes on the SBVT (San Bernardino Valley Traction Company) was the line to Urbita Springs Park, located at the present-day site of the Inland Center Mall. In 1901, the SBVT purchased the amusement park that featured a boating lake, picnic grounds, merry-go-round, outdoor concerts, and a dance pavilion."

When I lived in the area (left in 1999), the water table was quite high - they were continually pumping out the basements of government buildings.

Although I'm sure the drought has affected this, so liquefaction may not be a factor now. But I still don't like driving over those high freeway passes with the 10, 215, and 210.

[clickdale1]

Considering watching the following movies to get an idea of what San Bernardino is like: Colors, Boys In Da Hood, Training Day, and Friday. These are just the few off of the top of my head.