Where in Cali should I stay "away" from?

[chris56789]

Before I go to California, can you guys suggest to me what areas or cities I should "stay away" from? I don't want to get stuck somewhere and regret it. Any advice?

[seamonster66]

Beverly Hills/Century City/La Jolla/Barstow/Bakersfield/Fresno/

[mike]

everything is good under the sun.

[drumminmama]

stay away from Marin

[chris56789]

So basically, just stay away from anywhere that looks like a slum or ghetto place?

[OUTCAST]

i think it's one of those things where it all depends. I hear good things and then really bad things about a lot of places in California.

Can someone tell me if Berkeley is good or San francisco is good?

[seamonster66]

san francisco and berkely are good

[Kilgore Trout]

Michael Jackson's house.

[GuySmiley]

Stay away from Sun Valley and all points north of Lankershim and Victory Blvds in the San Fernando Valley. Some serious cholo neighborhoods in that area. North Hollywood is no fun either.

[joe]

Stay away from Sun Valley and all points north of Lankershim and Victory Blvds in the San Fernando Valley. Some serious cholo neighborhoods in that area. North Hollywood is no fun either.
you dissing my hood esse?!

nah, yeah this is too damn true

stay away from most of Southern Cali, places that have "Heights" and "Hills" at the end of their name are usually most corrupt, Dont ask me why it just is.
Alot of what they say of South Central is mostly just exageration, they got good jamaican,cuban,puerto rican food and dance clubs, pretty desolate, but there is alot of gangs there.

Most possibly any street in the Los Angeles County Area, isnt a great hangout

[inthegroove70]

BAd:Lancaster,Palmdale, Riverside/SanBernardino, Bakersfield......just stay outta the highdesert! La county beaches arent too nice.
Good: Tahoe Rox! Orange county closer to the beach and S.D. county close to the beach. Beaches north of Malibu are top all the way to Oregon.
But hey man go to Pismo if you get a chance..

[Dr. Lecter]

Avoid the isolated, rural towns because they are filled with the same kind of meth-injected, trailer-dwelling, toothless, obnoxious, thieving, lying, backstabbing, racist, uneducated, macho redneck human filth you see on Jerry Springer.

I know because I live in one.

[nudeinthesand]

Man...i Live In East La,dont Recomended For A Person Who Hasn't Live Their Live .....alot Of Gangs Here

[Ista]

So basically, just stay away from anywhere that looks like a slum or ghetto place?

No, more like avoid any place that looks like you've seen it in Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. (La Jolla, Newport Beach, etc. as listed earlier.)

Orange County has some nice beaches and interesting ethnic areas, but the other areas are completely Republican/conservative/fascist. Irvine is NOT a friendly college town; the police hassle freaks/homeless people and the locals hassled me if I tried to ride my bicycle in the bike lane. (I was in graduate school at UC Irvine.)

It's the original "planned community" with neighborhoods designed so you can't get to the grocery store 1 block away as the crow flies without getting into your car and driving around the subdivision for 10 minutes. Since the Irvine Company owns the entire city (homeowners lease the land under the house), they have a rent monopoly and 2-bedrooms start around $2000/mo.

Re the ethnic areas: the only thing I miss about the OC is Vietnamese food. Even just sandwiches and noodle soup. There's one place in Humboldt that makes halfway decent Asian sandwiches (Liquid Cafe) but they want $6 for a meal I'm used to getting for $2. Same markup for noodle soup, and it isn't the same here.

If you're ever passing through Orange County and have a couple of hours to spare, check out the Little Saigon district (East of the 405 around Bolsa: http://www.littlesaigon.com/lsaigon/map.htm) for a taste of another culture. Food galore, interesting import shops, a sculpture garden behind a grocery store, and festivals if you're lucky.

[NaykidApe]

No matter where you go a good stratagy would be to hang as close to the coast as you can.

[~MorningManiacMusic~]

Compton...lol...I always get this weird feeling when I roll through The "CPT"

Venice is cool....You'll find some nice pipes/bongs/psychedelic shit for cheap

[Nimue]

There are parts of Oakland & Richmond I would stay out of. Those citys are not for the faint of heart.

[paix]

Stay away from Sun Valley and all points north of Lankershim and Victory Blvds in the San Fernando Valley. Some serious cholo neighborhoods in that area. North Hollywood is no fun either.
haha, come on, that's not fair. I live in north hollywood, right in that area, it's not THAT bad. Nothing good around, no real reason to visit, but it's not compton. OOh, definatly avoid bakersfield *shiver*

there really is nothing to "avoid", I'd steer clear of beverly hills, just because that many gas guzling atrocities and silicone make me ill, hollywood is fun for maybe and hour if you haven't been before, but don't spend your money on that tourist crap like ripley's beleive it or not. If you want to know some good thrift stores and hiking spots, PM me, overall cali's great. Venice beach is fun, but don't plan on sleeping on the beach, or breaking any laws while dressed in patchwork on a holiday weekend, the cops really crack down then.

but serriously, it's super nice here overall, come check it out!

[THE GOLDEN STRING]

Well In Nor Cal I Would Say Fort Tuna (if Your Not A Tweeker Its Easy To Get A Job , Plus Good Bud)
In So Cal I Would Say Oc If You Got That Kind Of Money , Maybe Garden Grove Or Santa Ana

[GuySmiley]

haha, come on, that's not fair. I live in north hollywood, right in that area, it's not THAT bad. Venice beach is fun, but don't plan on sleeping on the beach, or breaking any laws while dressed in patchwork on a holiday weekend, the cops really crack down then.

but serriously, it's super nice here overall, come check it out!
I know, I was kinda' high and just generalized my own bad experience while I lived in Sun Valley for a brief time. I lived in Venice Beach for a few years in the early 90's and it was a good time.

[wildflower16]

east l.a.

[inthegroove70]

KILLA-fornia

[Duncan]

Uh, California is a state... not some neighborhood in Brooklyn. To tell someone to stay away from Marin County is pretty silly. Some of the most breathtaking vistas of the city are viewable from there. Crossing the Golden Gate Bridge a pied is also an activity that might be worthwhile.
If you're looking for neighborhoods that are dangerous... well... yeah... stay away from Watts and South Central L.A. But this person is talking about the entire state.

And btw, but whoever came up with this designation of "Cali" for California? To me, Cali is a city in Columbia !

[mobitsfa]

You can't avoid bad places. If you go to anaheim and go to disneyland you'll see "gangsters, cholos." It's everywhere, get over it. Just don't act like a puss and you'll be good.

Half of the people saying stay away from East L.A. are retards they probably don't even know where "east" LA is.

[yatoldmeso]

hunters point and east oakland. Marin is filles with snobs but there is a small town on the other side of MT TAM called stinson. its an awsome little surf town. the waves can be decent but the ocean is invested with great whites.

[Bella Désordre]

I agree completley. I work in a really hard neighborhood and the worst mistake you could make is acting afraid. Set boudaries obviously and don't be more than just pleasant-but acting afraid is a great way to get hasseled


It depends on if you are planning on living down here or just visiting. If you are living Oceanside in San Diego is nice, Ocean Beach...those are the only fun towns near the ocean that aren't too collegey or pretentious that I know of down here.

Things to visit-the Modern Museum of Art in San Francisco, hearst castle and cambria, Wine tasting in Napa Valley or Temecula if you are down here, Torrey Pines State Beach, Moonlight Beach at sunset (tons of fun people and drum circles and all that stuff), Pismos Beach in Central California, Big Sur, Santa Barbara, Puerto Nuevo if you have time to go to Mexico for a day...I could go on and on I love california...if you like to camp the spots I like best are pismo, san onofre, carpenteria and green valley falls-the coolest water falls you can swim in
You can't avoid bad places. If you go to anaheim and go to disneyland you'll see "gangsters, cholos." It's everywhere, get over it. Just don't act like a puss and you'll be good.

Half of the people saying stay away from East L.A. are retards they probably don't even know where "east" LA is.

[Bella Désordre]

I love stinson! They have the yummiest herbal gelato place...sounds weird, but it's so good!hunters point and east oakland. Marin is filles with snobs but there is a small town on the other side of MT TAM called stinson. its an awsome little surf town. the waves can be decent but the ocean is invested with great whites.

[ConCat]

Monterey is horriblely boreing.

[Nirali]

This is your second thought about Monterey which i read, you must have had really poky time :o)

[NorCaliGreenFiend]

move to to Humboldt or mendocino. property can be expensive, but if you are interested in "growing" you will find that this is where its at

[~*BlissfullyRandom*~]

you dissing my hood esse?!

nah, yeah this is too damn true

stay away from most of Southern Cali, places that have "Heights" and "Hills" at the end of their name are usually most corrupt, Dont ask me why it just is.
Alot of what they say of South Central is mostly just exageration, they got good jamaican,cuban,puerto rican food and dance clubs, pretty desolate, but there is alot of gangs there.

Most possibly any street in the Los Angeles County Area, isnt a great hangoutLMFAO. XD

[ThePoet]

Before I go to California, can you guys suggest to me what areas or cities I should "stay away" from? I don't want to get stuck somewhere and regret it. Any advice?
There are alot of bad areas in California, especially southern but alot of it is exaggerated too. It's just a matter of common sense really, go with your gut, don't go to threatening areas or where you don't feel comfortable. But there are alot of nice places with nice people.

[MamaTheLama]

So I was thinkin...if one doesn't want to get stuck somewhere then maybe they should go somewhere that has an exit door? In reality terms I think that means have money and stay out of long term contracts and leases.
All places suck if you percieve yourself as stuck there.

[Applespark]

There are parts of Oakland & Richmond I would stay out of. Those citys are not for the faint of heart.lol I agree

[drumminmama]

I liked Richmond, And all my Marin buddies say: "Tell 'em to stay away."

I tell people to stay out of Colorado, too.
love where you are.

[LucyInTheSky777]

ugh i hate southern california. i live in northern CA. nicer, less smog, less people, more trees, a nice river, etc. but not many hippies where i live. but much better than southern CA.

[yellowcat]

Cali has just become such a police state, berkley santa cruz, to name a few. If you drive a brand new car, have short hair, and stay in hotels, i probably sound crazy, if you drive an old car, and have dreads, you know what I mean. I could go town by town, basically how it works is, bad neiborhood-good neiborhood. The cops patrol the borders of each town, making sure, the rich stay on there side. So they dont get tempted to buy drugs and such. And the poor stay on there side, to aviod causing any crime on the other side. Also to be note, the drug problem is way out of control in Cali, especially places like redding. Soon, though, 9/11 part II will happen, then none will have to worry about free travel. Enjoy your self, and remember, throw those damn photo radar tickets in the garbage.

[Gormur]

just look around and use common sense. that's the only way to really know.
what I find is that most people make assumptions about places that they've never even been to, but only heard about. There are certain neighborhoods that I'd advise to stay away from (Skid Row, for example), but not entire cities. Sometimes it comes down to what street you're on that makes all the difference..and people with bad experiences will usually exaggerate and never talk about the positive aspects/good areas.

best thing is to find out for yourself.

[evaisg]

www.evaisg.com.