The Bay Area, despite all its faults, is a region that truly has it all. (San Diego: 2015, to rent)

[tstieber]

Originally Posted by PixelatedTherapy

I have nothing against SoCal. We get it, you moved there. I'm glad you enjoy it. lol


LA sucks, but San Diego is awesome.

I'm also a Bay Area transplant to San Diego, and I love it down here! Especially because it's nothing like La. It reminds me a lot of the Bay Area for the same reasons as the OP said about the Bay Area.

But let me interject about 'warm water' in the ocean in San Diego. Hahahahaha! It's almost June, and the ocean is still in the low 60s. By August, we will have maybe 4 weeks of swimmable water, but it will still be far colder than any public swimming pool. The ocean is occasionally tolerable here, but it is almost never ever warm.

Back to the original topic. Truly the Bay Area has the most diversity of any region I've ever seen. Vineyards, Forest, beaches, suburbs, cities, every type of microclimate imaginable, every type of person imaginable. but I will say that San Diego comes a close second. While the city can't compare to San Francisco, it's more urban than San Jose or we are on the bay, we have our own Bay Bridge, we have wineries, mountains, forests, beaches, lighthouses, deserts, you name it. In fact,, mountains are so tall we can visit the snow in the winter time in under 1 hour. And the one thing we have that's totally unique is that we can visit a very large city in another country! Other than that, I'd say the Bay Area is like the world's Disneyland, a massive large-scale playground with totally unique regions to visit. You could truly see the entire world in a day.

[tstieber]

Originally Posted by EclecticEars

I'm the opposite of you in this case.

I think L.A. is great, despite its many pronounced flaws. It's basically a more "horizontal" New York, of sorts, with less attitude (there's still plenty of 'tude, though, don't get me wrong) and even more dynamic urban transformations currently taking place, IMO.

By contrast, I thought San Diego was boring and sterile, and San Diegans were surprisingly hostile and hateful (like, NYC- or Miami-level hostile and hateful). I like Balboa Park and the USS Midway, but that's about all the use I have for "Bland Diego."

As a side note, I actually think the Bay Area has more in common with L.A. than with any other metro area in the world. The modern Bay Area is basically what happens when L.A. and Seattle have a baby.

I think people's experiences with the people of cities is very subjective and often just luck of the draw, as I heard people say that people in the Bay Area are very off-putting. We've always found tons of warm, interesting, down-to-earth people in the Bay Area. By the same token, I've always had great experiences in New York, with everyone being super friendly. And now that I live in San Diego, I also find people in super nice if somewhat less interesting or educated than in the Bay Area. So I'm sorry that you had bad experiences in several cities. But you could not have hit the nail on the head more in describing the Bay Area as the love child between Seattle and Los Angeles.

[sav858]

Originally Posted by tstieber

But let me interject about 'warm water' in the ocean in San Diego. Hahahahaha! It's almost June, and the ocean is still in the low 60s. By August, we will have maybe 4 weeks of swimmable water, but it will still be far colder than any public swimming pool. The ocean is occasionally tolerable here, but it is almost never ever warm.

It can vary by summer but I would say most years it offers more than just 4 weeks of swimmable (68+ degree) water. I've seen it in the low 70's by June before. Some summers it has stayed in the 70's most of July, Aug, and Sep too. Either way it's far warmer and more swimmable than any beaches up here.

[tstieber]

Originally Posted by Commonproject

Why are there so many threads like this all the time. If you love the Bay Area, stop being so insecure in defending it all the time and enjoy it

I didn't get the impression that the OP was 'defending' the Bay Area. I think sometimes it's nice to just remind yourself of what a great region you live in and to celebrate it with a shout-out. That's not defensive; it's joyous!

I also think that most cities have their supporters who celebrate hometown pride, so it's not unique to the Bay Area to cheer itself on.

[Perma Bear]

Originally Posted by EclecticEars

I'm the opposite of you in this case.

I think L.A. is great, despite its many pronounced flaws. It's basically a more "horizontal" New York, of sorts, with less attitude (there's still plenty of 'tude, though, don't get me wrong) and even more dynamic urban transformations currently taking place, IMO.

By contrast, I thought San Diego was boring and sterile, and San Diegans were surprisingly hostile and hateful (like, NYC- or Miami-level hostile and hateful). I like Balboa Park and the USS Midway, but that's about all the use I have for "Bland Diego."

As a side note, I actually think the Bay Area has more in common with L.A. than with any other metro area in the world. The modern Bay Area is basically what happens when L.A. and Seattle have a baby.

And if you want to see the Bay Area circa 1940-1974 you can go to eureka California or arcata. It's a perfect time capsule.

[tstieber]

Originally Posted by sav858

It can vary by summer but I would say most years it offers more than just 4 weeks of swimmable (68+ degree) water. I've seen it in the low 70's by June before. Some summers it has stayed in the 70's most of July, Aug, and Sep too. Either way it's far warmer and more swimmable than any beaches up here.

Hey! So I can also say I've 'seen it in the low 70s by June before,' but the exception proves the rule, right? Of course, everyone has their personal level of comfortability, but to me, anything below 70 is pretty cold in the ocean. (Looks like La Jolla just dropped to 59f, which is unusually cold for late May). Anyway, looking at the average ocean temperature in San Diego, it looks like it doesn't get above 68f (on average) until September, and then only for about a month. Sure, there are exceptional years, and when they happen, they are a treat, but I still think that ocean temps in the 50s and 60s for 11 months a year (again, 'on average') doesn't and shouldn't qualify as 'warm' ocean water by any stretch. I suppose by West Coast standards, we in San Diego have it good. And 68f is better than 58f. But I still say it ain't anywhere close to 'warm' almost the entire year round. I'll take my 86f pool any day.

[bmw335xi]

I don't go in the water unless the water temperature is at least 85 degrees

[sav858]

Originally Posted by tstieber

Hey! So I can also say I've 'seen it in the low 70s by June before,' but the exception proves the rule, right? Of course, everyone has their personal level of comfortability, but to me, anything below 70 is pretty cold in the ocean. (Looks like La Jolla just dropped to 59f, which is unusually cold for late May). Anyway, looking at the average ocean temperature in San Diego, it looks like it doesn't get above 68f (on average) until September, and then only for about a month. Sure, there are exceptional years, and when they happen, they are a treat, but I still think that ocean temps in the 50s and 60s for 11 months a year (again, 'on average') doesn't and shouldn't qualify as 'warm' ocean water by any stretch. I suppose by West Coast standards, we in San Diego have it good. And 68f is better than 58f. But I still say it ain't anywhere close to 'warm' almost the entire year round. I'll take my 86f pool any day.

Cold water upwellings bring down the averages but its common to have 70+ degree water throughout summer starting in late June/early July. Nobody said its warm year round but its certainly more than just one month.

Eh pools are boring as hell. I'll take a 70-72 degree ocean over an 85 degree pool anyday.

[bmw335xi]

Originally Posted by sav858

Cold water upwellings bring down the averages but its common to have 70+ degree water throughout summer starting in late June/early July. Nobody said its warm year round but its certainly more than just one month.

Eh pools are boring as hell. I'll take a 70-72 degree ocean over an 85 degree pool anyday.

I wasn't talking about pools. Beaches in Florida get up to 86 degrees during the summer and only as low as 72 during the winter. Hawaii is around 80 degrees most of the year. My point... California in general, but especially anything North of Los Angeles are for wet suits only and even then it's still freezing (at least to me) because I'm used to Florida, Hawaii, Mexico, Caribbean. Not to mention, the rip currents, kelp beds and great whites, dark water in the Bay Area make actual swimming in the ocean scary.

[sav858]

Originally Posted by bmw335xi

I wasn't talking about pools. Beaches in Florida get up to 86 degrees during the summer and only as low as 72 during the winter. Hawaii is around 80 degrees most of the year. My point... California in general, but especially anything North of Los Angeles are for wet suits only and even then it's still freezing (at least to me) because I'm used to Florida, Hawaii, Mexico, Caribbean. Not to mention, the rip currents, kelp beds and great whites in the Bay Area make actual swimming in the ocean scary.

I wasn't even responding to you, I was referring to tsieber's 86 degree pool comment. According to your standards even Hawaii is too cold for you. Yes I'm aware the Bay Area/Northern Ca is too cold for swimming, its basically its what I've been saying this entire time....