What on earth is so appealing about LA?? (Santa Monica, Newport Beach: beach, community)

[Veritas Vincit]

Originally Posted by sidneyinmyeyes34

People say Los Angeles offers the option that people can surf and ski and the same day but they never do . The water is too cold in the winter to go in without a wetsuit if you don't you might get hypothermia.

I've had this argument on here before. Like two people insisted they had done this, but honestly it's probably like two out of 10,000 who would do that. And then most likely just to make a point about the fact that you can do this.


You can live close to the beach or close to the mountains in Southern California, but not both. One of those trips isn't going to be a quick and easy one and for a lot of people neither one is.

[Thekdog]

Originally Posted by Veritas Vincit

I've had this argument on here before. Like two people insisted they had done this, but honestly it's probably like two out of 10,000 who would do that. And then most likely just to make a point about the fact that you can do this.


You can live close to the beach or close to the mountains in Southern California, but not both. One of those trips isn't going to be a quick and easy one and for a lot of people neither one is.

I can drive 30-45 minutes to either. Doesn't seem very hard.

[Losfrisco]

"Ski and surf in the same day", though technically true, is one of the most annoying California colloquialisms.

As if dealing with the logistics of getting to the beach with your surfboard, getting out, then getting to the ski slopes with all your equipment and lift tickets, etc. is just something people are always out doing for the fun and relaxation of it, all in the same day within daylight hours.

Even if you live a mile from the beach, getting there with your board is still a hassle unless you have a really good rack or a pickup truck.

[Mr. Zero]

Originally Posted by Losfrisco

"Ski and surf in the same day", though technically true, is one of the most annoying California colloquialisms.

As if dealing with the logistics of getting to the beach with your surfboard, getting out, then getting to the ski slopes with all your equipment and lift tickets, etc. is just something people are always out doing for the fun and relaxation of it, all in the same day within daylight hours.

Even if you live a mile from the beach, getting there with your board is still a hassle unless you have a really good rack or a pickup truck.

I live less than a mile from the beach, and see a lot of e-bikes with surfboard racks these days. Seems pretty convenient.

[frankrj]

Originally Posted by sidneyinmyeyes34

If youre into the big city thing LA can provide big city amenities like dining bars, nightclubs ,sporting events, concerts, art museums etc. LA also has beaches which are pretty good there sometimes really polluted from storm runoff which is a shame but only during the winter season mostly. LA has mountains surrounding the basin which gives its Mediterranean climate. Other mountains such Sierra Nevada are only a hour and half to two hour drive away. Southern California is not just LA its a large area that offers many different lifestyles.

Exactly ^^
You can be an indoors-type, outdoors-type or a hybrid of the two.
Although, for me, NorCal offers a better outdoors and scenery than Southern California.

[jcp123]

Climate, and the proximity of varied climates and landscapes, the beach, and availability of global culture (entertainment and food). Pretty much the same goes for the Bay Area. That, and it’s not the east coast.

As the Red Hot Chili Peppers said, “the sun may rise in the east, at least it settles in a fine location”.

[Losfrisco]

Originally Posted by Mr. Zero

I live less than a mile from the beach, and see a lot of e-bikes with surfboard racks these days. Seems pretty convenient.

I've seen that also.


I've lived about one mile inland going on eight years. In my old neighborhood, a good workaround I found was take the bus to the beach, rent foam board for $25 bucks at surf shop right at beach. I use cheap foam racks so this is part of the problem. Where I live now, bus is not really an option, and driving to the beach from a mile in you deal with same aggravation as people coming in from Yuma. This is why I've come to think that you don't really live "by the beach" unless its a few blocks out.

Originally Posted by frankrj

Exactly ^^
You can be an indoors-type, outdoors-type or a hybrid of the two.
Although, for me, NorCal offers a better outdoors and scenery than Southern California.

It does. I've only lived in SoCal, and of course there is the whole bubble of "we live PARADISE" (especially in San Diego, even though its not any better than other coastal areas), but once you enter central CA, its like a new state with every possible permutation of coast, mountain, dense forest, etc. coming at you.

We have our gems down here but there's just no answer to Big Sur, etc.

[Veritas Vincit]

Originally Posted by Thekdog

I can drive 30-45 minutes to either. Doesn't seem very hard.

Really you're 30-45 minutes from a ski resort and a beach? Where exactly are you located? I know of two areas where you could ski - Mt. High/Mt. Baldy and San Bernardino Mts i.e. Big Bear/Lake Arrowhead etc. Those are all 1+ hour plus drives from the L.A. basin.

[rokuremote]

Originally Posted by Veritas Vincit

Really you're 30-45 minutes from a ski resort and a beach? Where exactly are you located? I know of two areas where you could ski - Mt. High/Mt. Baldy and San Bernardino Mts i.e. Big Bear/Lake Arrowhead etc. Those are all 1+ hour plus drives from the L.A. basin.

Yeah, no kidding.

The closest I ever came was in 2002, x-c skiing up in Frazier Park and then a dash to Ventura down the 126. Still not 30-45 mins, LOL. IIRC, more like 1:15 and that was with almost no traffic.

[JohnG72]

When I was growing up, it was probably easier, mostly because weekend traffic wasn’t a thing(late 70’s, early 80’s). Of course there were actual orange groves throughout OC at the time also.

Could have gone to Wrightwood in the morning and left at noon and been in Newport Beach by 1:30.

Now? Weekend traffic is such lunacy that I only venture from South Bay to Frank and Sons maybe once a year. I know people on the Westside that basically never go east of the 405.