<p>Being from CT, I was surprised to read in an earlier thread (way too early to bump by asking this question) that Northern California is totally different from Southern California.</p>
<p>Can someone explain this a bit further?</p>
<p>I recently visited a SoCal college for the weekend, so maybe I'll have a frame of reference.</p>
<p>Just so you know it's NorCal, not NoCal :)</p>
<p>^^HAHA NoCal works for me! jk :D</p>
<p>Yeah, for many people it's kinda an inter-state rivalry thing. Like NoVA/SoVA, Northern-NJ/Southern-NJ, etc. Some people find it stupid, I personally just find it humerus!</p>
<p>Basically, SoCal is your beach/Hollywood/ultra-nice weather all the time-place. LA has Hollywood and Sunset Blvd., San Diego is known as "America's Finest City," Santa Barbara is total beach/surfer everything, etc. The people here are called "The beautiful people" because of their (generally speaking) good looks, tans, etc. Though we def don't walk around holding our heads high over that term, it's more of a label applied to us by the media and such. There are a lot of wealthy areas (ie Beverly Hills, Torrey Pines, Rancho Santa Fe, etc), and a lot of wealthy schools (eg USC, USD, Pepperdine, etc). But overall it's a very laid-back, chill place, especially in the beach cities. The only area you really have to watch out for is inner-city LA (where USC is, despite their students claiming the surrounding area is "safe," that is completely false and inaccurate, it has one of the highest crime rates in the country).</p>
<p>NorCal is really nice for the most part as well. Though it probably has more crime-filled areas than SoCal, it also has some very nice, beautiful cities and landscapes. The weather definitely isn't as good though, as they get more rain and cold, but you're from CT so it probably won't bother you so much. The Bay Area, which is what most people think of when they hear "NorCal," is a booming economic area. San Francisco basically has an economy unto itself, much like LA, so the job opportunities are endless. There are prestigious universities (ie Stanford, Berkeley, and a little further north, UC Davis), so many people are well-educated. The wealthier areas would be Palo Alto, Berkeley Hills, and San Mateo, to name a few. The more crime-riddled places are Oakland and Richmond, which both earned a place in the top-5 list of "America's most dangerous cities", along with south-central LA. As for the people, I've never had a problem with them. They're slightly more business-first minded, in that some of them don't seem quite as laid-back, but everyone up and down the state is still very friendly. San Francisco provides a wealth of tourist opportunities, with Fisherman's Warf, Geradelli (sp?) Square, the cable cars, etc. NorCal is also a short drive away from Lake Tahoe, perhaps the biggest ski/snowboard/water sports resort in the country. In both LA and SF, you will not find a shortage of recreation opportunities.</p>
<p>The main difference, I think, is the weather, and how far away from the beach you want to be. If you are really sick of rain, SoCal is probably the better bet. If you don't mind the rain and don't care about the beach, NorCal might be for you. Both are different but unique, and the best part is that both are just a weekend trip away from each other! good luck in your decision!</p>
<p>humorous* (humerus is the bone of your upper arm)
yeah, california is for the most part a chill place...the whole NorCal/SoCal thing is just like a "fun" little interstate rivalry...nothing seriously different between the two besides a slight change in attitude (maybe Disneyland, anyone?) and slightly more sunlight as one goes southward. but basically, vc08 is totally right about the differences between the two...entirely cosmetic, for the most part.</p>
<p><em>Major difference</em> in NorCal you can't stay in the ocean without a wet suit since it stays about 55 year round. Change point is about Santa Barbara where the water becomes warmer. SoCal, you can surf in shorts.</p>
<p>FAR NorCal = isolated, beautiful forest/farms/ ... and major pot producing Mendocino County, major wine producing Napa/Sonoma</p>
<p>FAR SoCal = SanDiego, navy, Mexican border issues included.</p>
<p>NorCal = Tahoe SoCal = Death Valley for inland.</p>
<p>Both have mountains/skiing inland. Both have tourist traps, bad cities, good cities.</p>
<p>Previous post accurate, NorCal business = silicon valley (apple, google, ebay ...) SoCal business = entertainment (movies, TV, actors). </p>
<p>Just different <em>vibes</em>.</p>
<p>king: haha, thanks for the correction. wasn't paying attn during spell-check ;)</p>
<p>Ghirardelli square not "Geradelli"</p>
<p>I've lived both places and in the East and I'd say it's hard to call weather in N.Cal "bad". It certainly has more of a "seasonal" quality, one of them being the "rainy" season, but I think San Francisco, like San Diego has wonderful weather year round, and inland in both locations can be very hot. I also feel N. Cal is more associated with culture (theatre, ballet, museums), and as a culinary destination, but the latter may not be relevant for students because fine dining cm be expensive. OTOH, could it be true that there are more cheap but diverse dining options in N.Cal?</p>
<p>southern california is pretty diverse itself depending on the specific area</p>
<p>One word: hella</p>
<p>:rolleyes:</p>
<p>(I'm a so-Cal native, by the way.)</p>
<p>NorCal - Green trees
SoCal - Brown trees</p>
<p>HECKA LOL.</p>
<p>i agree with shrinkrap about the dining part</p>
<p>and like someone said before, the weather in socal is a lot more "sterotypical" california - warm and sunny most of the time, while norcal still has nice weather but allows you to tell the seasons are changing.</p>
<p>
[quote]
the weather in socal is a lot more "sterotypical" california - warm and sunny most of the time, while norcal still has nice weather but allows you to tell the seasons are changing.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Agreed. Weather in so Cal is not what people think it is. Sure, it's sunny, but a) the winters can get very cold, windy, and even rainy, and b) summers get unbearably hot (up to 115 and such). Nearer the ocean isn't as bad, but most of southern California isn't on the edge of the ocean.</p>
<p>
[Quote]
a) the winters can get very cold, windy, and even rainy,
[/Quote]
Not in my area of SoCal!</p>
<p>
[Quote]
Nearer the ocean isn't as bad, but most of southern California isn't on the edge of the ocean.
[/Quote]
True, but most of the SoCal colleges are.</p>
<p>socal has hotter girls and better sports teams
enough said :)</p>
<p>The thing i don't like about Cal is when people use the word hella. I don't know why but it sounds hella annoying.</p>
<p>
[quote]
socal has hotter girls and better sports teams
enough said
[/quote]
</p>
<p>yea but they are more fake though
or at least i think so from experience</p>
<p>anyone know what part santa cruz is considered to be? i live in sc and i don't even know. (we don't use "hella," if that's the main factor)</p>
<p>they should draw a line.</p>
<p>Er SC is very Nor Cal...</p>
<p>SC is isolated from the 'real' Bay Area. =p</p>
<p>SoCal - bad traffic, mexican foods
NorCal - worse traffic, indian foods, chinese foods</p>