Need some SoCal help...

[Jumper Bones]

So I'm likely transferring within my job, and I have 3 choices at the moment. Unfortunately my option to Reno which I had already selected got taken back, so now I'm getting to choose between Torrance, Carlsbad, and LaVerne/Pomona/San Dimas. Does anyone have any insight on these areas?

I'm married, no kids. Wife has worked HR stuff in the past, has a degree and 8 years work exp. Only pets are 2 cats, so no need for a castle in the hills with a huge yard, a townhouse or condo rental would do fine. I'm into skiing, need to get back into mtb, don't surf yet but willing to learn, etc. I do the gun thing too but looks like that's a hobby that's gonna have to go into storage in CA - or I can just get into trad hunting-use stuff. Maybe I'll get more into 4x4 stuff. That's a shitload of fun too.

I know Carlsbad is super-desirable from a surfer pov, Torrance is near the LA beaches, and the LaVerne area is in the foothills. That's about all I know.

On the CA side, I'll be taxed into submission, it's expensive, there's a shitload of traffic and there's some legal red tape on stuff in CA. How old does a vehicle have to be before it has to be emissions compliant and tested?

Other than that, I'm game, these are great options to have (there's way way way shittier places to live) and I have a pretty sweet job all around. Plus getting anywhere is easier than from here in HI, plus I can afford electricity for A/C again...

[Viva]

We have A LOT to discuss.

[BS720]

Vehicles have to be 1975 or older.

Glad to hear you're "willing" to learn to surf. One thing you may want to keep in mind is that the LA locations will be better for accessing Mammoth and related BC.

[boarddad]

Surf is better in Carlsbad, but I'd probably pick Torrance. Reason being, if the job tanks you'll have better luck finding the next job being centrally located. I live in South-East Long Beach (Belmont Heights) and love it. Belmont Shore is great and not as expensive as Hermosa or Redondo to the north. The commute to Torrance is a breeze from any of those, but not bad from Huntington Beach either (Newport is a little far though).

Honestly though, if you're not worried about job stability I'd pick Carlsbad.

Edit to add;
Yes, Mammoth is closer from Torrance, but so are LAX and LGB. You can catch relatively cheap flights from either to CO and UT.

[BigKuba]

One thing you may want to keep in mind is that the LA locations will be better for accessing Mammoth and related BC.

Surf is better in Carlsbad, but I'd probably pick Torrance. Reason being, if the job tanks you'll have better luck finding the next job being centrally located. I live in South-East Long Beach (Belmont Heights) and love it. Belmont Shore is great and not as expensive as Hermosa or Redondo to the north. The commute to Torrance is a breeze from any of those, but not bad from Huntington Beach either (Newport is a little far though).

Honestly though, if you're not worried about job stability I'd pick Carlsbad.

Edit to add;
Yes, Mammoth is closer from Torrance, but so are LAX and LGB. You can catch relatively cheap flights from either to CO and UT.

Yes to everything except the last point. Difference between flying and driving in terms your quantity and quality of skiing is HUGE unless you're making bank and can buy plane tickets on short notice (or if your job comes with those perks, I don't remember if you're the air traffic control mag or if that translates into flight hookups). 5-6 hrs to Mammoth (from Redondo) is entirely doable for regular weekend trips, as ridiculous as it reads the first time. Not sure what it is from Carlsbad but on a typical Friday it can't be less than 7 hrs, which becomes less of a regular ski commute and more like a planned-ahead and less frequent ski trip. And Mammoth is an awesome mountain with tons of amazing and relatively unfrequented backcountry.

We had a pretty sweet living situation in Redondo and really liked that neighborhood for overall sanity, stuff to do, and accessibility. Both Carlsbad and South Bay are ridiculously expensive in the grand scheme of things, but good deals can be found.

That being said, if beach > skiing in your book and bigger city for job reasons is not a draw, then Carlsbad.

I don't have favorable things to say about La Verne/San Dimas/Pomona, but I'm sure there are others who would.

Let me know if you decide on Torrance and have some more specific questions.

[Steven S. Dallas]

^ Listen to this guy.

There are some nice residential areas of Pomona, I think that's actually a decent jumping-off point for Mammoth runs- can't you get on 395 right there?- and I'm sure you'd be more able to find a place to shoot guns and 'wheel up there than in either of the other two options. The town itself, however, is pretty lame and somewhat ghetto. Not dangerous, just budget, without a lot of good eating or partying options.

[BigKuba]

Actually I take that back:

We saw Wilco put on an great show the Fox Theater in Pomona, and then the next morning Mach Looney had a spectacular tequila-shot-fueled crash on Mt Baldy's rather mediocre lift-served bike trails. He still has the arm-vagina scar to prove it.

I also went to a comparably sweet moonshine-and-whippets party that may have taken place in Pomona

I stand by all the other statements I've made in this thread.

[Mach Looney]

'Twas rum and cokes for breakfast that got me. Totally succeeded in making those mediocre trails more exciting.

[Steven S. Dallas]

I think "mediocre" is actually too strong. The crash, however, was awesome.

[yogachik]

Torrance. And live in Hermosa/Manhattan/Redondo Beach. You'll have access to great nightlife, great restaurants, a great life.

Carlsbad would also be good.

I don't know why it would be so expensive? Fees for smog check are minimal and I'm not sure what else you're referring to with that line of thought.

[DJSapp]

Torrance. And live in Hermosa/Manhattan/Redondo Beach. You'll have access to great nightlife, great restaurants, a great life.

Carlsbad would also be good.

I don't know why it would be so expensive? Fees for smog check are minimal and I'm not sure what else you're referring to with that line of thought.

Seconded. Living in MB is probably the only reason I'd ever consider moving back to Socal.

edit: and if you're thinking it's more expensive than Hawaii, you're really really confused. Food is stupid cheap here.

[Long duc dong]

So I'm likely transferring within my job, and I have 3 choices at the moment. Unfortunately my option to Reno which I had already selected got taken back, so now I'm getting to choose between Torrance, Carlsbad, and LaVerne/Pomona/San Dimas. Does anyone have any insight on these areas?

I'm married, no kids. Wife has worked HR stuff in the past, has a degree and 8 years work exp. Only pets are 2 cats, so no need for a castle in the hills with a huge yard, a townhouse or condo rental would do fine. I'm into skiing, need to get back into mtb, don't surf yet but willing to learn, etc. I do the gun thing too but looks like that's a hobby that's gonna have to go into storage in CA - or I can just get into trad hunting-use stuff. Maybe I'll get more into 4x4 stuff. That's a shitload of fun too.

I know Carlsbad is super-desirable from a surfer pov, Torrance is near the LA beaches, and the LaVerne area is in the foothills. That's about all I know.

On the CA side, I'll be taxed into submission, it's expensive, there's a shitload of traffic and there's some legal red tape on stuff in CA. How old does a vehicle have to be before it has to be emissions compliant and tested?

Other than that, I'm game, these are great options to have (there's way way way shittier places to live) and I have a pretty sweet job all around. Plus getting anywhere is easier than from here in HI, plus I can afford electricity for A/C again...

You will probably get the same sentiment in several posts, but here goes....

Carlsbad is great. The surf is terrific, and it is an all-around great place to live. The major issue I have with Carlsbad, and anywhere in San Diego, is access to Mammoth. It is probably 45 minutes to an hour further from Mammoth than where I am. I live in Orange County, my girlfriend and I drive to Mammoth 2-3 weekends a month. If I am going up in someone else's car, I will leave when they want, but If it is just the two of us I like to leave at 4 am. I do this because it is 5 hours and 20 minutes leaving at that time, with no traffic. If you leave at a bad time, you can add an hour to that, sometimes 2. I would not want to live down in San Diego for that reason. I love being able to get 30-40 Mammoth days a year, while living by the beach, but the drive does wear on me. If it were an hour further each time, which it is from most of San Diego, that would just make things that much worse.

The South Bay area is 30-45 minutes closer than me to Mammoth. I have thought, at times, that it would be really nice to shave that amount of time off of the drive. I would prefer to live in Orange County, so the extra time is worth it, but it is food for thought.

In a good snow year, I ski Baldy ever weekend I don't go to Mammoth. It is a fun, steep little mountain, that you will never believe is in Socal. They sell virtual passes for 100$, so you should pick up one of those, along with a full pass to Mammoth, in the spring. Baldy is 1.5 hours from where I live, which is great. From Carlsbad, you would add about an hour I would think. If you were to choose the Pomona/La Verne area, Baldy is right there, and Mammoth is even closer than the South Bay, but I would prefer to live near the beach.

The surf near Torrance is not as good as the surf near Carlsbad, but it can still be good. Just be aware that learning to surf is a serious commitment. It is much harder than it looks. I learned in college, and I am mediocre. I have never seen someone learn at an advanced age and get good at it. Don't worry though, it is still fun. I would encourage you to try it if you choose Carlsbad or Torrance.

I guess I would recommend Torrance, maybe living in Hermosa. There is a lot to do there, and you are not too far from Mammoth, relatively speaking. I love Carlsbad, but the extra hour in the car would drive me nuts. Whenever I get to Big Pine, I am always thinking "damn I wish we were already at Mammoth." And I don't think the extra hour from Carlsbad would sit well with me. On the downside, the traffic in the LA area is pretty bad. I am assuming you will be working in Carlsbad, because the traffic to southern San Diego can be rough too, but if the job is in Carslbad that should not be too tough.

One thing to remember: Look into buying a Mammoth pass in the spring. If they open the MVP club, jump on that. If they don't, a full pass should be around 800-850, if you buy it in the spring. If you miss the spring window, I think it goes up to about 1500, with lift tickets being 92$ a day, so you don't want to miss out. And do look into the virtual pass from Baldy. This year I have about 13 days at Mammoth and 5 at Baldy. Baldy is really a great option for the non-Mammoth weekend.

And be careful with the guns. I don't know what the laws are here, but make sure you look into that. I believe the penalties can be pretty stiff if you are caught unlicensed.

[Bigdump]

Born and raised in Manhattan Beach (near Torrance). Great place to grow up. I would love to have a place there now but still visit friends and family in the summer. I miss the Dodger games.

[BS720]

Oh, I can't believe I forgot this. If food is in any way important to you, DO NOT move near San Diego. Unless you're going to open a restaurant with decent food. Then, by all means, please move there.

[Piggity]

Oh, I can't believe I forgot this. If food is in any way important to you, DO NOT move near San Diego. Unless you're going to open a restaurant with decent food. Then, by all means, please move there.

Hmmmmm....I seem to find good food everyday

Surf sucks in SD!

I would personally choose encinitas or Leucadia over Cbad. But that's just splitting hairs

[Sphinx]

Carlsbad/Encinitas/San Diego is fucking great imho.

I moved to SD from Seattle five years ago and while I quit skiing, I learned how to surf and am seriously looking to stay here for several more years at least.

The drive to snow isn't worth it for me, given that surfing is as cool and I'm 10 minutes from the beach 24/7. The weather's great, the people are cool, the city is entertaining. The food is good if you know where to go, the nightlife is...dunno, I don't do nightlife.

Good running/climbing/biking if any of those float your boat.

Your woman can sit on the beach in her bikini.

It's expensive, housing-wise, but definitely doable. It's not the sticks. You can do condo easily, house is much harder than most places in the country.

What's not to like?

I'd do Cbad over LA. I fucking hate LA. Too many people, too much traffic, you can't get anywhere in a reasonable amount of time, the smog sucks, the surf is retardedinsanestupid crowded (Encinitas is retardedinsane crowded). Encinitas/Leucadia has a grunge/hippie vibe, which I dig. Dunno about you.

[Sphinx]

Oh, and you need to smog all cars. They have to be something like a million years old to be exempt.

Not a big deal unless you're super into modifying your cars. Then it blows, because everything's illegal. No OEM, no smog pass.

[liv2ski]

Carlsbad/Encinitas/San Diego is fucking great imho.

I moved to SD from Seattle five years ago and while I quit skiing, I learned how to surf and am seriously looking to stay here for several more years at least.

The drive to snow isn't worth it for me, given that surfing is as cool and I'm 10 minutes from the beach 24/7. The weather's great, the people are cool, the city is entertaining. The food is good if you know where to go, the nightlife is...dunno, I don't do nightlife.

Good running/climbing/biking if any of those float your boat.

Your woman can sit on the beach in her bikini.

It's expensive, housing-wise, but definitely doable. It's not the sticks. You can do condo easily, house is much harder than most places in the country.

What's not to like?

I'd do Cbad over LA. I fucking hate LA. Too many people, too much traffic, you can't get anywhere in a reasonable amount of time, the smog sucks, the surf is retardedinsanestupid crowded (Encinitas is retardedinsane crowded). Encinitas/Leucadia has a grunge/hippie vibe, which I dig. Dunno about you.

I am pretty much with his take except, "the drive to the snow isn't worth it"?? Anyways, I live in Coronado, which is 45 minutes south of CB and I get to Mammoth in 6 hours if I leave at 4am. Eat breakfast and ski the day out. I do that pretty much every other weekend. My job is nice (outside sales) as I can roll up early Thursday am, come home late Sunday and all is good on the job front I too fucking hate LA, but whatever. Different strokes for different folks. The surf is way better in the Carlsbad area than anything in Hell A. Just my quick take.

[Falcon]

Being married, San Dimas/La Verne can be a great area. Stay away from Pomona. Much less traffic than the South Bay and West LA. Low crime rate. Mt Baldy ski area is 30 minutes away (Only steep area in So Cal). Great trail running. Good hiking and mountain biking nearby. 300 miles to Mammoth.

[ilikecandy]

Oh, I can't believe I forgot this. If food is in any way important to you, DO NOT move near San Diego. Unless you're going to open a restaurant with decent food. Then, by all means, please move there.

when was the last time you were in SD?

things have changed a LOT. its not vegas/nyc/la, but it is a VERY good food city

[hutash]

All places had there advantages and disadvantages. I have in lived in socal my whole life (50+ years), and don't like any of them for various reasons, which is why we chose Ventura. I know most of socal pretty well, so if you have specific questions PM me, or PM and phone number and we can talk.

Torrance and the south bay has a lot of things happening, which is great if young and/or single, but you have to cross the entire great LA area to get anywhere, which really sucks. Carlsbad and the whole north county area is a nice place to live, better beaches and weather, but still a long ways from skiing, but lot of good beach vibe. Pomona sucks, but Claremont is decent, but smoggy, and is close to socal mountains which has some good opportunities. There are (or at least where) lots of places to shoot in the San Gabriel mountains, but I haven't shot a gun in 30 years, so I can't speak of things currently. Some 4x4 action in some of the local canyons, and a shit load just over the hill in the Mojave desert.

Of your three choices, over all I would pick Carlsbad, but it all depends on what you are looking for, as all three are very different.

[cooks]

Everything hutash said is pretty much spot on. I lived in socal most of my life (west LA and orange county) but had family in torrance and spent quite a bit of time there. If you decide to have kids its a pretty good place to raise a family, good food, close to some nice beaches, and an overall fun place to live. Torrance is also a good place if you end up needing to find another job. There are some nice beaches around but the beaches and surf are nicer in san diego. I really enjoyed the area around carlsbad and almost moved there or poway myself. Pomona is terrible as hutash said. Stay away.

Smog checks really aren't that big of an issue imo with most cars.

[Bullet]

Every place in SoCal has it's trade-offs. I like Carlsbad but not Torrance. LaVerne/Pomona are ok but get hot and smoggy in the summer.

I like the hills where I live in OC. Breeze keeps the air cleaner, - this is my backyard (well - a few streets over anyway - but the bike trail runs right behind my house) -


the other view is overlooking the OC basin. It's all trade-offs.

[Arty50]

I do the gun thing too but looks like that's a hobby that's gonna have to go into storage in CA - or I can just get into trad hunting-use stuff.

I went shooting a lot more often in CA than I have in NV, mostly due to laziness here but it was never a hassle to do so there. Are there hoops in CA? Sure, but it's really not that bad. The NRA makes you think that the State is the anti-Christ though.

With that out of the way, my only advice is to stay away from San Dimas/Pomona. Like Bullet said, it gets really hot and smoggy out there. The smog has gotten much better in the LA basin since I was a kid, but it's still not that great. To understand it, you have to understand the wind down there. Basically, wind comes in off the ocean but pretty much peters out by downtown. By the time you get into the Pasadena area, there's very little wind. So what end up happening is that the offshore breeze blows all the smog from West to East and it all just packs in and collects as you head further east. On smoggy days, it's always much worse the further east you head. The Azusa/Glendora/San Dimas area is where it usually gets really bad too. Years ago, I was told that the Native American tribes that lived in the LA area used to call it the Valley of the Smoke. So the weather patterns and their effect on air quality is nothing new, it's just that we added several million cars and tons of industry on top of it.

Also, the whole area SD/Pomona area is just a suburban hell. There are a few diamonds in the rough, but it's just not worth it. Save you lungs and your sanity and live somewhere else.

[Rip'nStick]

All places had there advantages and disadvantages. I have in lived in socal my whole life (50+ years), and don't like any of them for various reasons, which is why we chose Ventura. I know most of socal pretty well, so if you have specific questions PM me, or PM and phone number and we can talk.

Torrance and the south bay has a lot of things happening, which is great if young and/or single, but you have to cross the entire great LA area to get anywhere, which really sucks. Carlsbad and the whole north county area is a nice place to live, better beaches and weather, but still a long ways from skiing, but lot of good beach vibe. Pomona sucks, but Claremont is decent, but smoggy, and is close to socal mountains which has some good opportunities. There are (or at least where) lots of places to shoot in the San Gabriel mountains, but I haven't shot a gun in 30 years, so I can't speak of things currently. Some 4x4 action in some of the local canyons, and a shit load just over the hill in the Mojave desert.

Of your three choices, over all I would pick Carlsbad, but it all depends on what you are looking for, as all three are very different.

Hutash, yoga and the other SoCal peeps pretty much summed it up. My day to day experience iwas in Hermosa, my twenties to early thirties. Want to live it up, house parties with beautiful girls and who like to party, South Bay can't be beat (super close to LAX too, Mammoth isn't the only option). Want a chill SoCal surfer town vibe, Carlsbad is the epitome of this and it will never change. Like sprawl and strip malls, Pomona fits the bill. Closer to the desert, the San Gabriels and the Colorado River if you have a friend with a boat. Some people like the land of the dirt people.

I will always hold a spot in my heart for Hermosa, and keep the duplex in case I want to watch the days roll by on the beach again. California dreamin', on such a winters day...

[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0C-PXIAvFk"]YouTube - The Mamas & The Papas - California Dreaming[/nomedia]

and why doesn't TGR have a you tube embed button... after 4 years of asking?