I don't liKe the Monterey Peninsula... am I crazy.

In My Humble Opinion
1

I currently live in Pacific Grove, CA… I’m sure there are much worse places to live, but honestly, I CAN"T STAND this place.

  • Roads are usually very narrow, and have 4 way stops every 2 blocks.

  • Everything is overpriced. Not just in the “damn, that sucks” kind of way… it’s UNGODLY overpriced. People will pay 500k+ dollars to live in a 2 bedroom house with a postage stamp yard.

  • It’s cold all the time. I’ve never before thought of 80 degrees as sizzling hot. Add to that the beach is freezing, and littered with huge boulders, so even swimming in the ocean is out of the question unless you have a wet suit and don’t mind the looming spectre of death.

  • You have to drive to Salinas to go to a conventional mall, Wal-Mart, Applebees, or any other “normal” American establishments.

  • The people just aren’t as friendly as North Florida.

  • Because the area was for the most part built to the max in the late 60s, all the stores and public buildings, as well as houses are aging. Not to mention small. It’s unusual to see a 50k squar foot supermarket, and there’s NEVER enough parking.

  • There’s no relaxed establishments… everything has to be trendy or attach the name “bistro” to it’s name. Nothing like Hooters or BW3 or even, say, a Chili’s here. Certainly nothing like the Golden Corral.

So what do y’all think? Am I nuts? Am I just hopeless? I long for the day that I see Monterey in the rear view mirror and don’t have to come back.

2

I happen to love the area. Of course, I don’t live there, have only visited it a few times. So I can’t say if you’re crazy for not liking it.

However, I do think you’ve gotta be at least a little nuts for bemoaning the fact that you don’t live near a Wal-Mart, Applebees, Hooters, or Chili’s! :smiley:

3

I love the area to visit, but I’d rather live in a lot of other parts of California (LA included!).

4

I’ll trade you.

Oxford, Michigan for Monterey.

No tag backs.

5

Doesn’t Seaside have the stores and restaurants you want? I know I’ve seen stuff like K-Mart and Costco driving by on my way to Monterey.

As for the question posed in the thread title - yes, you are crazy.

I agree that housing is outrageously expensive.

You might like Santa Cruz, as it offers a lot of the benefits of Monterey, but has a bit more diversity as far as shopping and eating out go. It also costs too much.

As for the weather, I love that it’s rarely hot, but I understand that I may be considered odd for that preference.

6

Ah! That explains everything.

I’ll see Shirley’s Oxford, MI. and raise you an Akron, OH.

7

Lemme tell ya something, as a native Southerner, nobody’s friendlier. People in other parts of the world thought I was downright strange when I would talk to random people like cashiers. Oh well, back to the shack.

8

Bah, Shirley, move north. Da UP rocks!

You mean it’s not?

9

No, it’s not cold all the time, but the summers are foggy 25 days of the month.

Yes, we have a Costco, OSH, circuit city, Target, Macys not too far off…this city don’t have chain stores (some got in before the law was created) cause they want to preserve the character of million dollar mansions…Right now a city councilperson is asking for records of what city employees are doing on the job & they won’t let her know.

New Monterey is warmer & not as much fog.

I was looking at the playground behind the PO yesterday & I noticed its constructed of pressure treated wood. Tsk.