# Advice from Californians **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 8, 2003, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-from-californians/167379 "2003-04-08T20:09:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2003, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-from-californians/167379/61 "2003-04-10T12:41:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by sirtonyh \* > I thought it was the other way around. I always considered Bakersfield the asshole of CA (useful when driving from SF to Vegas - \*\*turn right and go through Bakersfield at very high speed). \*\* consults map, looks at compass… Is the high speed so that you get some distance as you drive off the pier? [sub]I think you meant turn LEFT…[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Torgo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@Torgo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Torgo)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2003, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-from-californians/167379/62 "2003-04-10T14:13:50Z")
Be mindful of the awful places situated near nice places. F’rinstance, living in Santa Barbara would be nice; living in **Goleta** would not, even though it’s just a short jaunt down the 101 from SB. I’m sure there are more examples. ---
**Author:** ![Torgo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@Torgo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Torgo)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2003, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-from-californians/167379/63 "2003-04-10T14:14:16Z")
Be mindful of the awful places situated near nice places. F’rinstance, living in Santa Barbara would be nice; living in **Goleta** would not, even though it’s just a short jaunt up the 101 from SB. I’m sure there are more examples. ---
**Author:** ![GlendaWitch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3e96dc/32.png) [@GlendaWitch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GlendaWitch)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2003, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-from-californians/167379/64 "2003-04-10T17:09:02Z")
Okay, Torgo, would you like to clarify that statement? As someone who has lived in Santa Barbara all her life, and purchased a house in Goleta about 1 1/2 years ago, I don’t see that my life has changed all that much. If anything it’s changed for the better. By the way, we are talking about a distance of all of 10 miles at the most from where I used to live. My life still takes me into Santa Barbara everyday. I find Goleta is less crowded and more family-oriented than Santa Barbara. I got over the Santa Barbara mystique long ago. To me, Santa Barbara has become too crowded and is filled with a bunch of un-locals now. Parts of Goleta feel like Santa Barbara used to feel years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2003, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-from-californians/167379/65 "2003-04-10T17:54:09Z")
UPDATE: > [@](#): > > _Los Angeles Times, April 10, 2003_ > **The Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously Wednesday to replace the term “South-Central Los Angeles” with “South Los Angeles” on city documents and signs.** ---
**Author:** ![ReBusEniGma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@ReBusEniGma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ReBusEniGma)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2003, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-from-californians/167379/66 "2003-04-10T18:47:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by pepperlandgirl \* > \*\*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. \*\* Ha! That’s my old stompin’ grounds girl! Was born in Walnut Creek and raised in Antioch, and I couldn’t agree more with you. My dad used to work at PG&E…but now it’s the crisp clear air of the Canadian North for me 😉 Concord and Walnut Creek are nice enough though. ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2003, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-from-californians/167379/67 "2003-04-10T18:51:21Z")
[http://www.californiacoastline.org/](http://www.californiacoastline.org/)? The link may help you pick a place. It has photos of pretty much every bit of beach along the entire California coastline. ---
**Author:** ![Dante](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dante/32/9673_2.png) [@Dante](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dante)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-from-californians/167379/68 "2003-04-11T02:32:04Z")
Thank you everyone for the information and the links! ---
**Author:** ![sirtonyh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ad7895/32.png) [@sirtonyh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sirtonyh)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-from-californians/167379/69 "2003-04-11T07:38:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ethilrist \* > \*\*consults map, looks at compass… > > Is the high speed so that you get some distance as you drive off the pier? > > [sub]I think you meant turn LEFT…[/sub] \*\* :smack: I’ve done that drive three or four times including one particularly painful 20 hour trip over thanksgiving so you’d think I’d really have remembered that ---
**Author:** ![The\_MacDairmuid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@The\_MacDairmuid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_MacDairmuid)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-from-californians/167379/70 "2003-04-11T07:41:34Z")
**Bearflag70** , I’m in Ventura County and I’m curious why you rate Simi Valley a “Do Not Live Here.” It’s a bit redneck, sure, but is actually quite a nice community. Not that I’d want to live there myself… but then I don’t want to live anywhere that’s not in the Ojai Valley. ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-from-californians/167379/71 "2003-04-11T15:10:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by The MacDairmuid \* > \*\ ***Bearflag70** , I’m in Ventura County and I’m curious why you rate Simi Valley a “Do Not Live Here.” It’s a bit redneck, sure, but is actually quite a nice community. > > Not that I’d want to live there myself… but then I don’t want to live anywhere that’s not in the Ojai Valley. \*\* It’s a bit too “redneck” and conservative for me. It’s also a bit too close to LA. Camarillo OTOH is a great community. An outsider might wonder what the difference is between Camarillo and Slimy Valley, but I grew up in Camarillo, so maybe I’ve got a bit of bias. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Torgo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@Torgo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Torgo)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-from-californians/167379/72 "2003-04-12T01:20:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by GlendaWitch \* > \*\*Okay, Torgo, would you like to clarify that statement? As someone who has lived in Santa Barbara all her life, and purchased a house in Goleta about 1 1/2 years ago, I don’t see that my life has changed all that much. If anything it’s changed for the better. By the way, we are talking about a distance of all of 10 miles at the most from where I used to live. My life still takes me into Santa Barbara everyday. I find Goleta is less crowded and more family-oriented than Santa Barbara. I got over the Santa Barbara mystique long ago. To me, Santa Barbara has become too crowded and is filled with a bunch of un-locals now. Parts of Goleta feel like Santa Barbara used to feel years ago. \*\* Sheephishly, I must admit my opinion is based on my time there quite awhile ago, and I haven’t been around there recently. I remember Goleta as a dingy, poorly zoned seaside community with a sizable dog-turd of a downtown (Hollister Ave.) but apparently things must have changed. BTW, is Angelo’s (the liquor store/deli on Hollister) still in business? I used to work there when I was at UCSB. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-from-californians/167379.md?page=3)