Steerpike

First off, for those of you (like me) who have no clue where Corona, CA is - http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Corona...99011&z=9&om=1 .

Just looking at the map, I can imagine the problem - eastern outskirts of LA. This is where people in LA (already a sprawling mass/mess) move to when they want more space to raise their families and don't have much money. It's probably like Milton Keynes. Please don't judge California, or the US, based on your experience here.

I love living in the US, and would not trade it for anywhere in the world. I would not go back to England for anything. I too have traveled around, and would probably name Thailand (of 30 years ago, anyway) as the most idyllic spot (in terms of people, culture, food, etc), but San Francisco is my version of a practical heaven-on-earth. San Francisco is not car-friendly; parking is outrageously expensive, and many apartments here don't have parking; they have great public transport, and a decent subway system (well, bart ... tolerable, though pathetic by tube standards!). It's surrounded by gorgeous landscape/scenery. It also happens to be 50 miles from Silicon Valley, where high tech jobs are a-plenty (which is why I call it 'practical' - it's a great place to live while earning a great wage). Mr Hewlett and Mr Packard formed HP just down the road in Palo Alto, and Intel is headquartered there, as are most of the 'big names' in computers - Symantec, Oracle, National Semiconductor, AMD, etc.

My first apartment here was a 1906 building with oak floors, tall ceilings, mahogany windows and doors, and a rickety elevator with one of those sliding metal doors you had to push to the side.

San Franciso is less than 50% white (44% in 2005; ~30% Chinese/Asian). That means, it's culturally diverse. You can eat some of the best food in the world here. You can feel at home with your non-conformist views (should you have them). To rednecks, San Francisco is the devils playground. At times, it's more left wing than Russia, and if you aren't weirded out enough by SF then you can always cross the bay and go to Berkeley, which is even more wild and crazy.

It was the heart of the hippie movement in the 60's; you can still go to Haight/Ashbury and buy a bong or a tie-die t-shirt, and there are anti-<your favorite enemy> demonstrations all the time. Ken Kesey lived here, and it's where the 'acid tests' were staged (read 'the electric kool-aid acid test'), and it's where he lived when he wrote 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' (here and in La Honda, 40 miles south). I'm just a tad too young to have experienced the '60s' first hand, but the memory and style lives on.

In short, it's a very European city, and quite unlike most of the US. It's simply wonderful.

Go there, check it out, hike up Mt. Tamalpais, visit Muir Woods. Walk across the Golden Gate Bridge. If you don't like it, I'll refund your expenses

You won't find ancient history in the US; but recent history abounds - the gold-rush; the space-race; the cold-war; the 60's hippie culture, the anti-vietnam movements, the development of semiconductors, etc. These were all things I remember reading about when growning up in England.

I don't think you mentioned what brought you here. May help to know!

PS - much of the above applies to Chicago, New York, Boston, and other cities. I know many people in New York who don't own cars; they walk everywhere. LA is different; it's kinda unique; a giant, overgrown suburb (though - Santa Monica is not bad!).

dunroving

If I had a dollar for every "culture shock" post I've read on BE, I could retire a rich man ...

It's perfectly normal and loads of us have gone through it. But don't be mistaken in thinking it's a country phenomenon. It's a place phenomenon. And you don't even have to move from one state to another to realize it. As others have said on here, you could move within the state of CA and find a place that culturally suits you down to the ground. I lived in Athens, GA for 4 years, a small-ish town in Georgia that is unlike any other small town in Georgia and unlike any major cities in Georgia ... because it is home to the University of Georgia. There are all kinds of single factors like that which can make a place your cultural heaven or cultural hell....

I have had consaiderable culture shock in my time (Springfield MA, even Athens, GA when I fist arrived, and currently still having major trouble adjusting to life back in the UK), and at other times have adjusted immediately to new places (Nassau, Bahamas, middle Tennessee), and in others have found that although I didn't have huge adjustment problems, I was always "uneasy", never quite feeling at home but never hating it either.

My advice is to leave and go somewhere else - but don't leave the US just yet. Give it a chance, it can be the greatest place on this planet for some people.

Steerpike

Old Sac is not bad. Also, give Davis look; it's a college town, and I've heard it has a bit of a 'pedestrian culture'. A former British colleague of mine moved there from the Bay Area for economic reasons, and enjoys it. I presume Auburn and Placerville are too far away (and a bit small anyway).

I presume you are referring to the 'cookie-cutter', tract housing that is all around in these new areas. I agree it's ugly, but don't forget that not all UK housing is thatched cottages and stately homes. This is the street I grew up on in Lancashire; much of the town looked identical to this. To me, it's a bit nostalgic to look at, but by any objective view it's generic and ugly.

SpoogleDrummer

One of the first things I noticed where I first visited here (Tennessee) was that the houses weren't all the same like in the UK so I guess it does vary massively as to where you live in the country. I moved from Salisbury in the UK where although there's a lot of old houses there's also a lot of brand new ones all built to look exactly the same. Here people seem to just build bits on to their house even if they've never seen a hammer before in their life so it makes them all look different.

Having said that I moved across to be with my wife and spent the last 2 years in the uk with my life on hold so maybe that's made it easier for me to adjust.

BritGuyTN

the funny thing is that depending on where you go (and I never go to these places) you can easily find yourself in a souless subdivision of 300 houses with 4 different designs in TN also

Giantaxe

Pretty much agree with this. I live in San Francisco and have never lived anywhere with such a variety of stuff to do, places to visit, and interesting people to meet. Give me SF any day over most places in the UK.

As for houses, in earthquake country I certainly wouldn't want to be living in something other than a wood- or steel-framed building.

Otoh, I do think that American suburbs are almost completely soulless. Cookie cutter housing, malls etc etc. No thanks.

Poppy girl

I think it's an individual thing I have lived in Australia, Portugal, Spain, Indonesia,Canada,Corfu,spent my childhood in France and love Cali more then any of them I guess its just where you feel comfortable.

Pony

I moved from England to Texas in Feb 2005 and then I moved from Texas to California in April. Talk about culture shocks. We are only in CA for a year. I'm looking forward to leaving here. It was an experience, one I am glad I took (I always thought I was missing something living in Texas, and longed for the bright lights of LA or New York).
California (IMO) is faceless, dirty, and lacking community spirit. What you drive and what you earn are what define you.
Get out, run for your life, save yourself . . .

SafetyNet

I pretty much agree with what Steerpike said. San Francisco is a great place to live in. It is quite European and it's good for an easy transition to living in the US.

I have a friend who used to live in Corona and she absolutely HATED it! And she was born and raised in US Couldn't wait to move out and coincidentally she moved to San Francisco!

One of my really close friends who lives in Edinburgh came here to visit last year and he didn't really like L.A or New York. But Edinburgh is such a gorgeous city, no wonder didn't like L.A or New York. However, he loved all the beach cities, like Santa Monica and near Manhattan Beach. Not really Newport though.

I really hope you find a place in SoCal that you like!

Tracym

Hello there administrator.

Who are you?

Elvira

Weird............ only 2 posts, and only just joined!!

Tracym

And if you search for posts - only the obove ONE shows up. Dunno where the other one is. Very weird.

SafetyNet

Hello!

I'm one of the community people from Internet Brands, hence, the adminstrator title
My name's Beenish btw

SafetyNet

Haha oh my other one is in the moderator section so it's nothing like the Twilight Zone

Tracym

Hello then Beenish, nice to meet you.