Steerpike

To me, the quintessential "Mediterranean" is somewhere like Positano, or Cinque Terra - old towns clinging to hillsides with spectacular views.

Of course, I guess one could also consider places like Monte Carlo, or those crowded and unattractive beaches they have in abundance ...

But for me - Positano takes the prize!

chrisandjulie

Weird....having been hopping back and forth between the countries I would say that whats considered "old" in europe, probably more the UK is new in the US.....

tonrob

Jesus - imagine popping out for the paper in the morning. That'd be me finished for the day!

gmang79

I would say Southern california is what comes closest in mind but you have to be more specific. Climate is not too difficult. Cultural/Charm can be more challenging. What part of mediterranean do you mean? Eastern European Mediterranean or Greece, Italian Mediterranean (Southern Italy is different from Northern), Spain, North African (Morocco, Libya), Middle Eastern (Egypt, Lebanon, Syria), Turkey, Cyprus?

At any rate all those countries share similarities but have differences as well. As I write more about it Southern California comes more to mind (Santa Monica would be a great city with a european feel). Mind the culture and history (they can't bring roman statues or egyptian pyramids) but comes close.

Manx

The Santa Barbara Chamber of Commerce promotes the city as the "American Riviera".

It has the only south-facing mountain range along the West coast -I don't know about the East coast. Physically the city scape resembles some parts of Spain - white buildings with red tiled roofs. That's because after the 1925 earthquake demolished most of the city the design and building codes were changed - it became a requirement to build in this style.

Folinskyinla

Hi:

Lovely place. BTW, I was born there.

gmang79

Fantastic place indeed. Do you still live around there?

Folinskyinla

Hi:

No. Although I was born there, I have NEVER lived there. Lived for a short time in the South Bay though.

mistral

Forget about Mediterranean influences. In the summer the Maine coast cannot be beat (Arcadia especially), Mystic, Connecticut...Newport, Rhode Island also beautiful. On the West Coast Big Sur/Monterey is spectacular. I would avoid the South like the plague (especially but not limited to Florida, the Carolinas (except Charleston which is charming), and Southern California except for the one spot in the entire country that resembles a nice Med town, and has decent year-round weather....Santa Barbara and I would have moved there long ago if my entire extended family would pack and hillbilly it from East to West. No chance

Pablo1

Siam

try St Augustine (Florida Atlantic coast) very French, Spanish and British (it changed hands a few times and is the earliest european settlement in what we now know as the US). It's Colonial very historical and picturesqe (university town). google it.

Pablo1

simongb

Why not just move to the med then?

Floridared

I was there for July 4th. Very nice town, plenty of old architecture to look at (well not that much, there used to be, but the British burnt it all down for a change). Then for the next 3 nights, Savannah, I love the place. been going every year for a short break, plenty of character, and the old mansions are very interesting. Certainly wouldn't say it was like the Med though, although Torremolinos, and Benidorm are along the Med!!!