If I were to move to California, and say I wanted to live pretty much anywhere between San Diego and San Francisco, what areas would you tell me to avoid like the plague?
This could be intersections, neighborhoods, cities, or entire counties. Any advice is appreciated.
I would avoid living in the Tenderloin district in SF. But that’s me, you might love it. Are you a heroin addict by any chance?
Seriously, what are your criteria for what is good and bad. One man’s poison is another man’s pleasure and all that.
High crime/gangs:
South Central LA
Compton
If you don’t like hot weather:
Death Valley
Lancaster
Victorville
Riverside
Palm Springs/Palm Desert
And lastly:
Anywhere in San Diego that will put you on Interstate 5 between my house and my work! I don’t need another car on the road! 
I would avoid the part between San Diego and San Francisco. Live north of San Francisco in Marin County.
Avoid everything from San Juan Capistrano to Malibu.
A poorly planned area.
San Diego, Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo Counties are nice.
One word:
CUDAHY!
The inland empire- San Bernardino, Rancho Cucamonga, Fontana, Chino, ect.
Unless of course you like Meth Labs…
And I second the Avoid Cudahy thing. That place is second only to Watts, South Central LA and Compton on the you’re going to get shot scale.
Don’t move to Sacramento, Fresno, or Bakersfield, unless you like hot, dirty, gross summers.
29 palms
I’d imagine the Matterhorn ride at Disneyland would not be a very good place to live.
Oh, and I’ll second Rancho Cucamonga; I got a speeding ticket there many years ago, and I still resent it. It is fun to say, though. Rancho CUUUU-camonga!
I had to spend two weeks in Lone Pine, CA. once. I’d avoid it, as well. Hot, dry, boring.
I grew up 13 miles east of Los Angeles. Left California a year ago and have not looked back since.
In addition to the above post, my advice regarding moving to California would be to not move to California. That state is too crowded as it is.
Wow, the answer SERIOUSLY depends on what type of person you are. I won’t give any advice until you tell me a little more about your personality…
hrh
IMHO ----- Move ANYWHERE ELSE
I HATE California, but that’s just me. My hubby loves it.
YMMV, but here are some more specific places I would not want to live:
PART ONE: Avoid the whole county:
ORANGE COUNTY
Avoid the whole county, in particular:
Westminster
LOS ANGELES COUNTY
Avoid the whole county, in particular:
Bell
Bell Gardens
Bellflower
Carson
Commerce
Compton
Cudahy
Hawaiian Gardens
Huntington Park
Industry
Inglewood
Irwindale
Lakewood (west side)
Long Beach (west side)
Maywood
Montebello
Monterey Park
Paramount
Pomona
Santa Fe Springs
Signal Hill
South Gate
Vernon
RIVERSIDE COUNTY
Avoid the whole county, in particular:
Banning
Blythe
Corona
Hemet
Indio
Lake Elsinore
Moreno Valley
Norco
Perris
Riverside
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
Avoid the whole county, in particular:
Adelanto
Apple Valley
Barstow
Colton
Hesperia
Needles
Ontario
San Bernardino
Victorville
KERN COUNTY
All
SAN BENITO COUNTY
All
PART 2: Nice counties with some pockets to avoid:
SAN DIEGO COUNTY
Chula Vista
El Cajon
Imperial Beach
National City
San Diego (San Ysidro area)
VENTURA COUNTY
Simi Valley
Oxnard (El Rio area)
Saticoy
ALAMEDA COUNTY
Oakland
SAN FRANCISCO CITY & COUNTY
Tenderloin
Upper Haight
PART 3: These places seem nice all around, but I haven’t lived there:
SANTA BARBARA COUNTY
Santa Barabara can be a bit snooty though.
SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY
MONTEREY COUNTY
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
PART 4: I’m not very familiar with:
SAN MATEO COUNTY
SANTA CLARA COUNTY
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY
From what I have seen, they look boring.
SACRAMENTO is beyond the scope of the OP. I would agree that it’s hot, but I don’t think it’s “dirty” or “gross”. If you don’t mind a bit of heat, it’s a nice place.
oops!
Alameda County should go in Part 4.
I grew up in Santa Clara County (Sunnyvale, to be exact – doesn’t that sound so typically Californian?), and it was a good place to grow up. As a young adult, I find that there isn’t necessarily a whole lot to do, and it’s a damn expensive place to live, but you might be at a different place in your life than I am. It was a great place to be raised in, with good schools, a very low crime rate, and nice neighborhoods.
Other than that, I don’t have much of an educated opinion. I prefer Northern California to Southern, but I know people who are just the opposite. I would visit each, and look into cities/counties, and see what you like. Good luck – and keep us posted!
The inland empire isn’t that bad. As a matter of fact, I think it’s pretty decent.
Hit submit too soon.
I’d avoid the East Bay Area in Contra Costa County—specifically Pittsburg and Antioch. Ugliest, stinkiest, yuckiest place I ever lived. Hated it, hated it, hated it. Concord and Walnut Creek aren’t too bad.
People differ on where the boundaries of the “Inland Empire” are. Some people say that it’s just the “small” area including only the Riverside/San Berdoo metro area.
I hold the “large” view that the Inland Empire is bound by the Santa Ana Mountains and Chino Hills on the west, San Bernardino Mountains to the north, San Jacinto Mountains to the east, and Mount Palomar area to the south.
That said, some areas in the Inland Empire aren’t too shabby, including the following:
Canyon Lake
Lake Arrowhead
Murietta
Palm Springs
Rancho Cuc
Redlands
Temecula
However, as a whole, Riverside and San Berdoo Counties are just huge, sprawling, poorly planned, growing-too-rapidly, smoggy suburbs for San Diego, Orange, and LA Counties. The 91 Freeway situation is a nightmare.
Even Temecula, the crown jewel of the Inland Empire, has over 70,000 people (and growing fast) with only 6 major streets to support all those cars in a 27 square mile sprawling community. It’s a nice town though.
I agree with pepperlandgirl that Pittsburg and Antioch are to be avoided while Concord and Walnut Creek are pretty nice.
Here is a great site to learn much more about California Counties.
Hey Now! There are some perfectly beautiful and lovely places in Oakland! Some not-so-nice places, farther downtown, sure, but that’s only part of the city (aka My Home).
Can’t argue with Pittsburg, Antioch–heck, I’m not a big fan of anything beyond the Caldecott tunnel (YMMV)