How religious do I have to be to live in Loma Linda?

[uglyblackjohn]

Redlands and Grand Terrace are both good options less than 10 mins. away. Hospitality Lane (in San Bernardino) is only 3mins. away and this is where you'll probably be spending most of your time drinking and dining. LL is a quiet town but it's nice. It might be nice place to go home and relax after a fun night out. Good luck.

[featherz]

I used to work at loma linda medical center.. And I'm not a SDA (heck, I'm pagan) - everyone was very nice, no one preached at me, but I found it amusing that they have a vegetarian cafeteria and almost everything was deep fried. I'm kind of a health nut and their veggie cafeteria had some pretty yucky stuff (deep fried cottage cheese?!). I love Clarks (health food store) and the Loma Linda Market, however - both are near LLUMC. Redlands is VERY close to Loma Linda. I can't comment on the night life, but I can say that I had no problems. And you get mail on Sunday there!

[Kin Atoms]

Reviewing the posts so far, there may be a need for clarification. I was an LLU student from 1999 to June 2008. I lived in off-campus housing for that same time period, currently on internship in Fort Wayne.

Unless you are talking about the Stater Bros on Barton or the LL Market on Anderson, there is no other supermarket in town. The one Vons in the neighborhood is in Redlands. You may have gotten a snarky look b/c at that store, one of the few things for free are snarky looks. That's also part of the Redlands mystique which is a whole other topic.

The staff in the hospital is made up of interns. These are medical/doctoral level white coats who are full of arrogance, like any medical/doctoral level white coat. I saw it and heard it and it still comes across as intolerant. There is no justification for the way you were spoken to, and you should have taken it up with senior staff, who although potentially Adventist, would have placed a greater priority on patient care and minimized the religious talk. You can call it invitiating cultural tolerance. While LLU is Adventist, tolerance and being PC are being emphasized, so what you had happen to you won't continue. These kids will be interning at places other than LLU, so their dose of reality should come sooner than later. It won't do them well to play those games at non-Adventist or non-religious hospitals.

While living there I never got religious tracts. We also tried Hallowe'en several years, and would get about 5-6 kids. To these refugees we would deliver about 5 pound of candy, or perhaps one pound per child. Loma Linda is the mecca of Adventists, but even then, it is a strange place to be as Adventists. I spoke to some 'moderate' Adventists while there, who said it was unlike a/t they experienced before, and they just tolerated it for the education. We did get some cool kids picking up food for the homeless on Hallowe'en however, and we typically got them a small bag of groceries, to pick up. They took candy for themselves too.

The LL bars/nightlife would be on Hospitality. They just opened a stretch from Tippecanoe to Waterman that has all sorts of hang-outs. If you want real clubbing, go to LA. Most students in LLU are so busy, they don't have time to hang out. Those that do are more sociable within their inner circle and will associate with one another at each others houses. There's nothing else to say than a lot of busy work, a lot of late nights, and making peer/professional connections.

We were able to be sociable and have fun living in town. We had several parties while living there, setting up tents across our lawn or in our driveways on several Saturdays (Sabbaths). We were well tolerated, and the Adventists we invited would either come at sunset or would come during mid-day, stay for a short while, then leave.

I think the environment brings out the craziness, I didn't have particular problems with the Adventists I met, and some were really pretty conservative, but there wasn't a whole lot of pushiness given to us when we were new in town. We were not Adventists ourselves but we knew a minister and other persons who were just as down to earth as any one else. And while wine isn't recommended, some Adventists will joke that Jesus got to their bottles after they were purchased, and that he still performs the Cana miracle. Another one is that they are looking to calm a stomach ache. You'll do fine. Good luck.

[Lindsey_Mcfarren]

Originally Posted by featherz

I used to work at loma linda medical center.. And I'm not a SDA (heck, I'm pagan) - everyone was very nice, no one preached at me, but I found it amusing that they have a vegetarian cafeteria and almost everything was deep fried. I'm kind of a health nut and their veggie cafeteria had some pretty yucky stuff (deep fried cottage cheese?!). I love Clarks (health food store) and the Loma Linda Market, however - both are near LLUMC. Redlands is VERY close to Loma Linda. I can't comment on the night life, but I can say that I had no problems. And you get mail on Sunday there!

Thats interesting because the cafeteria at the hospital my daughter was born in (also an SDA hospital) served meat.

My sister taught dental hygeine to the dental students at LLU many years back and she lived in Grand Terrace. It was a nice community back then.

[Beth56]

I may be mistaken about the name of the grocery store, but it was in Loma Linda. And the nurse who spoke to me at the hospital was the Head Nurse in recovery. She was not an intern or student. She was the only person at the hospital to speak that way to us.

Just to clarify, I have the highest regards for the people who work at Loma Linda Medical Center. In 2006, my husband was treated at the Proton Beam Center for prostate cancer. We were at the center 5 days a week for 2 months. The doctors, nurses and staff were extremely friendly, helpful and organized. They have created a world of support and hope for many. We keep returning to this hospital as my husband now refuses to go anywhere else. So that should say something for this medical center.

[country pride]

What would it matter how religious a person might be? Im not athiest but Im not a regular church go-er either, so where does that put me? And Ive lived in mormon towns, heck, no one knew the difference as long as you dont bring it up.

[caligurltotx]

Loma Linda has no night life but you are close enough to other areas that do. Californians are pretty laid back and Loma Linda is still in California.

[CashewNut]

Students at Loma Linda University are contracted to not consume any alcohol as a condition of their relationship with the University...
The medical care is exceptional as long as you do not cross religious lines...
Redlands is "Loma Linda EAST" though alcohol is served -
There are several Starbucks in Redlands.
It was a miracle to have a Carls Jr in Loma Linda but they are mandated to serve Veggie burgers...
Many, if not most, SDAs do not know their doctrine fully but accept their religion perhaps for cultural, social, and/or familial obligations.
The postal service do not deliver on Saturdays...
If you want leadership positions in an organization owned and operated by SDAs, you'd better be a SDA...no such thing as EEO...

[jschek]

I would not worry about any kind of harassment or retaliation for being of a different Faith (including Faithless). If you plan to have a lot of loud parties and generally disrupt the neighborhood, I would expect neighbors to complaint to the PD--but that's really a function of the neighborhoods being populated with a lot of tired, overworked people, not religion.

If you want to participate in the nightlife, you will have to go out of Loma Linda (as other posters have commented). Hospitality Lane is the closest thing to nightlife. Redlands has a few interesting little places, but nothing I'd call a nightlife. Again--I doubt your neighbors will really care much if you go out and drink (or drink in the privacy of your home)...

The biggest problem you'll face is that the entire area is kind of boring... lots of dual-income families with long commutes and little time for anything but work and kids. Most of the activities locally are "family oriented" and include all of the pros and cons inherent in that generalization.

The local theater and arts is almost non-existant. The Redlands Symphany is the only interesting thing. Few, if any nightclubs in a 30 minute radius... Even the coffee shops tend to close early.

Originally Posted by 123tomsk

We are moving from out of state to Loma Linda (or surrounding areas if we have to). It looks like this town has its own ways based on religion. Is there room for a young couple like ourselves, who is still interested in drinking, partying, dancing and participating in fun activities. Is somebody going to burn our house and vehicles if we don't go to their church? If yes, what is the closest location that we should choose in order to feel safe.

[kmj-007]

Originally Posted by 123tomsk

We are moving from out of state to Loma Linda (or surrounding areas if we have to). It looks like this town has its own ways based on religion. Is there room for a young couple like ourselves, who is still interested in drinking, partying, dancing and participating in fun activities. Is somebody going to burn our house and vehicles if we don't go to their church? If yes, what is the closest location that we should choose in order to feel safe.

Loma Linda is prodominately Seventh Day Adventist, Medical Students or Medical Professionals. Most everything is centered around Seventh Day Adventist belief. They do not sell alcohol in the Stator Bros. Grocery store, the Post-Office is closed Sat. and open Sun. unlike most every other area. Most people that live there do not do any kind of business from sun-down Friday to sun-down Sat. not even over the phone.
But you should have no problems with anyone pushing anything on you or surely not burning your house down. There are many other nearby communities to go dancing and enjoy entertainment.

kmj-007