Not everyone is rich… Well, duh. We live in the OC and we’re not rich. In fact, where we’re at, the cost of living really isn’t all that different than Yucaipa.
…And they certainly aren’t all snobs. In fact, I’ve been delightfully surprised at how friendly and courteous the people we’ve encountered are. And I don’t know if it’s the economy or the area, but store clerks seem to be genuinely happy in their jobs.
People seem more informed and are definitely more conservative. To prove it, we have the OC Register – a truly intelligent and interesting newspaper!
The OC is far more culturally diverse than I expected. Having spent plenty of Saturdays at Disneyland or other fun places, I knew many Asians and Middle Easterners live here, as well as Anglos, African-Americans and Hispanics. But I’ve been surprised when people talk to me with Eastern European accents and I’ve overheard many families speaking German or Italian. It’s fascinating and I love it!
Restaurant selections are better. There’s more than just Del Taco, Taco Bell, Taco Tia, Mi Tortilla, Jose’s… well, you get the point. And there’s a Baskin Robbins in every town!
However… while there’s quite a variety of places to shop, Fresh & Easy and Wal-Mart are a little more scarce. Not non-existent, just a bit out of our way. Plus, Yorba Linda doesn’t have a Barnes and Noble, they have a Border’s. Make that had a Border’s. Yep, you guessed it – ours is one of the ones that’s closing.
Yes, the freeway traffic is a mess. The 91 is a parking lot going east at quitting time, which makes it tough for us to get involved with midweek church activities in Corona. Holiday weekends? Fuhgetaboudit! But you learn to have patience. And you vow that – despite the sporty image and fun of driving a stick shift – your next car will definitely have an automatic transmission. At least the side streets are no worse than those in the IE.
The weather is much more temperate. While this year all of SoCal has had extreme conditions, the summer wasn’t quite as hot where we are now, nor does it get anywhere near as cold at night as it did in Yucaipa. Plus, the air is more humid. Not as extreme as on the coast, but enough that my hair and skin don’t feel as dry and when the temps dip, they don’t feel quite as chilly.
Thunder in a canyon doesn’t sound the same as it does in a valley. Don’t know the science behind it. Can’t exactly describe the difference. But it’s noticeable and it’s weird.
Finally, I’ve always wanted to live in Orange County and here we are. Actually, I’ve always wanted to live at the beach. We’re not quite there yet, but this is definitely progress and... I love it here!
You make it sound like a great place!:)
ReplyDeleteIt is! Hey, can't go wrong with being closer to the beach and Disneyland than we were before.
ReplyDeleteAnd a quick postscript...
Another wonderful difference between the Inland Empire and Orange County is that the IE was so limited as to restaurants and theaters getting into either one on a weekend night was IMPOSSIBLE! Not so in the OC. =)