does san jose feel like los angeles (Anaheim, Irvine: apartment complexes, rent)

[PhoenixSomeday]

Lived in Santa Clara for 27 years and the San Fernando Valley for 6 years (2001 - 2007). I guess it's "The Valley" referred to in movies set in LA; I'm not sure why there's such a stigma against it.

Anyway, I found the weather to be nearly identical, except that it seemed to feel a little hotter and a little drier than SC, but nothing worth noting except for the Santa Ana Winds during fall and spring. The worst windy day ever in SV is a normal day during the fall down there.

Shopping and eating was identical, except for the addition of Vons (Safeway, basically) and Ralph's. Otherwise, I wouldn't even know I was somewhere else.

Traffic was a hell of a lot worse, although SV is rapidly approaching par in recent years. It used to be that 9PM in SV was the same as 3AM in LA. Now there's much less of a difference. One thing I will say is that you don't really appreciate the seemingly 90% penetration rate of dedicated left-turn lights in SV until you've been to LA (or a lot of other places). It's actually a luxury I miss wherever I go anywhere outside of SV.

Like SV, there were nice homes and areas, and not-so-nice homes and areas. Although the northwest corner of the box (the box being the area of the valley bounded by 101, 405, 118, and Topanga Canyon Blvd) seemed really nice. Overall, It was respectably cheaper than home, both to rent and to buy.

Ethnically it was just as diverse, though maybe somewhat more Hispanic.

Culturally there were some noticeable differences. For one, if you say "Hella" down there, which has been a normal part of SV vocabulary since at least the early 90s, it is stigmatized down there. You will be pointed out, "OH, YOU'RE FROM NORTHERN CALIFORNIA AREN'T YOU, WE DON'T SAY THAT DOWN HERE." Because, you know, people's vocabularies from every other part of the country is put down :eye roll:. That part really annoyed me. There seems to be a genuine dislike for Northern California down there for whatever reason, at least among large parts of the native college population. Most people I know like "SoCal" and culturally have nothing against it, but for whatever reason I don't know, the sentiment regarding "NorCal" is generally not returned.

"Normal" LA or whatever you want to call it, the part south of "The Valley", was definitely smaller, more cramped, and more congested than SV, at least the parts I've been to (which wasn't much...it's a big place).

[ccm123]

Things that I miss about LA though: much more things to do for recreation and places to hang out than in San Jose. I also believe that LA is more diverse culturally and from a general aspect (people's careers, interests, etc). San Jose is basically technology oriented (exceptions, of course) and most people here are asociated with the technology industry in some form. LA is all about Hollywood and the entertainment industry, but has a diverse set of industries (defense, some technology) that support it's economy.

I miss the beaches (Santa Monica, Malibu, Newport) in LA and the culture associated with it.

Between the two, I would rather live here in the Bay Area though.

[luckie408]

LA and SJ have really no similarities other than both being in California and having roughly the same geographical size.

SJ will keep growing hopefully, and maybe completely connect with Morgan Hill and hopefully Gilroy? Then I'll come back.

[bigdumbgod]

Originally Posted by luckie408

SJ will keep growing hopefully, and maybe completely connect with Morgan Hill and hopefully Gilroy? Then I'll come back.

If we connect with MH and Gilroy, then...how will the area be improved?

[KaaBoom]

Originally Posted by bigdumbgod

Only on the freeway:

San Jose



L.A.:

I don't think the freeway systems in Southern and Northern California are comparable at all. The freeway system in LA is much more extensive, more lanes, more congested.

The entire Bay Area has less then half the population of LA. San Jose is almost a small town compared to LA. Which is not a bad thing. LA is way too big, in my opinion.

[Gentoo]

The only look somewhat alike and have similar climates if compared to Central LA like someone else said. After that, they might as well be from different planets.

[BayAreaHillbilly]

The Bay Area overall has a degree of similarity with LA, especially when one is outside of SF proper. Similar age distribution of structures, a number of architectural similarities, the juxtapositions of flat lands and hills with the classic Mediterranean native flora, etc. The difference here is we've got a bay in the middle of everything, which constricts traffic and drives a certain loss of civic cohesion at the regional level. Regionally LA is a lot more cohesive than the Bay Area. Demographically, LA is more Hispanic and Black than the Bay Area, and meanwhile the Bay Area is more Asian than LA. But both have reasonable diversity.

[Tex?Il?]

They get the same average amount of precip. Average about 13-14 inches a year.

[mysticaltyger]

Originally Posted by Tex?Il?

They get the same average amount of precip. Average about 13-14 inches a year.

That's actually slightly less than SV. And they get it in fewer days.

[Radical347]

Both cities make it very difficult to open breweries.