Post by Cairine Taylor on Jul 14, 2010 15:33:06 GMT -6
I live on Monterey Bay, just a few miles north of the real-world city of Seaside. I thought I'd share with everyone some of the experience of living here.
Ocean Everywhere
One of the first things one realizes when one moves to the coast of Monterey Bay is how inescapable the ocean is. Every part of life touches it, and everywhere you go, you find it. One does not try to go to the beach in this area; one must put forth effort not to go to the beach. The topography conspires to give one a constant, stunning view of the clear, blue-green waters of the Bay and the vast enormity of the Pacific Ocean beyond. The foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains allow - no, compel - a traveller to marvel at the beauty of the Bay from tens of miles away.
The Bay impacts every aspect of life. Fish are the most popular source of protein, and one of the main drivers of the local economies is tourism. In Capitola and Monterey, weekly concerts are held on the beaches during the summer, and can be heard deep into the residential districts. Along the cliffs at the bay’s north end in Santa Cruz, the sound of the surf against the cliffs is a constant companion to fitness-obsessed joggers and environmentally-conscious bicyclers.
Weather? We... don’t really have that
One of the primary impacts of the Bay on life along its coast is its dramatic effect on weather. In spite of being pretty far north, the climate is startlingly mild year-round. There are a few exceptionally hot days each summer, a few painfully cold nights each winter, and perhaps a month’s worth of terribly unpleasant rainy days spread between November and March, but the bulk of the year is uniformly sunny and pleasant.
Light jackets are very common among the locals from late August until early June, and even until July at night because, while the standing air ranges from mild to warm, the wind off the frigid Bay waters is almost always enough to send a chill to a pedestrian’s bones. In five years living here, I’ve yet to see a home with air conditioning or without heat.
Apart from the driest parts of summer, fog is a constant in the mornings and evenings. Driving along the cliffs on Highway 1 can feel like being in a flying car, with the fog below you making you feel as if you’re driving above the clouds.
Cows, Computers, and Granola
Monterey Bay is the southernmost portion of the area of California dominated by the liberal San Francisco and tech-oriented Silicon Valley cultures. The region was once dominated by agriculture, and is still a heavy producer of strawberries, artichokes, plums, avacados, and livestock.
The Bay’s coastal counties hold three main cities - Santa Cruz, Salinas, and Monterey. Santa Cruz is best known for its protests - a very liberal city that is home to a very liberal college, Santa Cruz never quite got the memo that the 60s ended. Bumper stickers there read “Keep Santa Cruz weird” and are usually accompanied by others announcing allegiance to Democratic or Green Party politicians and causes, devotion to one or more off-mainstream religions or philosophies, or vague progressive ideals.
Salinas is the largest of the three, and the only one not located directly on the coast. Apart from the local obsession with John Steinbeck, Salinas is a mostly unremarkable mid-sized city located in an agricultural valley.
Monterey mixes the liberalism of Santa Cruz with the culture of a military town. The primary language school for the United States Military is located there, as is a rather large Army base. Lush parks dot the landscape, and the most impressive aquarium on the West Coast rests near the shopping district at Cannery Row.
The economic drivers of the Bay are tourism, agriculture, technology, and the military base at its south end and the university at the north. Nearly all work in the region descends from one of these influences.
Food
Californians love avacados. The people of Monterey Bay love them even more. Organic grocery stores and vegetarian restaurants are a dime a dozen, and even the burger stands offer strong options for vegetarian or vegan diners. The food tends to be spiced little if at all, apart from certain ethnic offerings - authentic Mexican and exceptional Thai restaurants are quite common. So are interesting, quirky pizza places, including local chain Pizza my Heart, and cheap slices are always available if you know where to look.
However, this is not a region known for its food. No one travels to Monterey Bay to eat, because apart from those elements the food is, for the most part, not very good. Californians seem convinced that the use of good ingredients means that, by definition, you are making good food - something that most non-locals will be quite aware is simply not true.
It sounds wonderful. Why am I not there already?
Monterey Bay is one of the most beautiful places on Earth, with weather to die for and an incredible variety of experiences to be had in a remarkably small amount of space. So what are the disadvantages of living here?
First, it’s expensive. There’s an economic conundrum in the region where the cost of a house is vastly outstripping the rise of wages, creating a huge financial burden on the residents. Food and fuel are also very costly, leading even people who have incomes that would be impressive in most of America often feeling pinched for funds.
Water is, ironically, also a problem. While a few small rivers run through the region, the lack of rain and the need for vast quantities of water for crop irrigation and use in electronics industry leaves the region parched. Water use restrictions are common, and most restaurants don’t give you water unless you order it.
The lack of seasons is wonderful, but the human body relies on seasons for timekeeping and maintenance of basic rhythms. A constant state of spring can make anyone a bit loopy after a few years, and might well account for just how many crazy people there are.
Drugs. While marijuana is common, relatively safe, and socially acceptable, harder drugs and the crime they bring are growing more prevalent, particularly in Salinas and Santa Cruz. Even without those, drunk and stoned driving are common, and burnouts wander the streets of all three main cities muttering to themselves and occasionally lashing out at random passers-by.
The strong social safety nets in both coastal counties provide a great deal of help to locals who find themselves in financial distress, but they also draw vagrants from all over the West Coast. In downtown Santa Cruz and parts of Monterey, one will often be solicited for change three or four times over the course of a one-block walk.
The Bay
Still, even with all of those things... you get to live in one of the most beautiful places on Earth. You get to be somewhere that a simple drive to get groceries will often have you stop, pull your car over, and stare at some wonder you hadn’t noticed before. You get what might be the most incredibly pleasant weather anywhere. You get easy access to museums, aquariums, incredibly quirky shops, and beaches that will blind you with their brilliance.
Yeah. It’s worth it.
Ocean Everywhere
One of the first things one realizes when one moves to the coast of Monterey Bay is how inescapable the ocean is. Every part of life touches it, and everywhere you go, you find it. One does not try to go to the beach in this area; one must put forth effort not to go to the beach. The topography conspires to give one a constant, stunning view of the clear, blue-green waters of the Bay and the vast enormity of the Pacific Ocean beyond. The foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains allow - no, compel - a traveller to marvel at the beauty of the Bay from tens of miles away.
The Bay impacts every aspect of life. Fish are the most popular source of protein, and one of the main drivers of the local economies is tourism. In Capitola and Monterey, weekly concerts are held on the beaches during the summer, and can be heard deep into the residential districts. Along the cliffs at the bay’s north end in Santa Cruz, the sound of the surf against the cliffs is a constant companion to fitness-obsessed joggers and environmentally-conscious bicyclers.
Weather? We... don’t really have that
One of the primary impacts of the Bay on life along its coast is its dramatic effect on weather. In spite of being pretty far north, the climate is startlingly mild year-round. There are a few exceptionally hot days each summer, a few painfully cold nights each winter, and perhaps a month’s worth of terribly unpleasant rainy days spread between November and March, but the bulk of the year is uniformly sunny and pleasant.
Light jackets are very common among the locals from late August until early June, and even until July at night because, while the standing air ranges from mild to warm, the wind off the frigid Bay waters is almost always enough to send a chill to a pedestrian’s bones. In five years living here, I’ve yet to see a home with air conditioning or without heat.
Apart from the driest parts of summer, fog is a constant in the mornings and evenings. Driving along the cliffs on Highway 1 can feel like being in a flying car, with the fog below you making you feel as if you’re driving above the clouds.
Cows, Computers, and Granola
Monterey Bay is the southernmost portion of the area of California dominated by the liberal San Francisco and tech-oriented Silicon Valley cultures. The region was once dominated by agriculture, and is still a heavy producer of strawberries, artichokes, plums, avacados, and livestock.
The Bay’s coastal counties hold three main cities - Santa Cruz, Salinas, and Monterey. Santa Cruz is best known for its protests - a very liberal city that is home to a very liberal college, Santa Cruz never quite got the memo that the 60s ended. Bumper stickers there read “Keep Santa Cruz weird” and are usually accompanied by others announcing allegiance to Democratic or Green Party politicians and causes, devotion to one or more off-mainstream religions or philosophies, or vague progressive ideals.
Salinas is the largest of the three, and the only one not located directly on the coast. Apart from the local obsession with John Steinbeck, Salinas is a mostly unremarkable mid-sized city located in an agricultural valley.
Monterey mixes the liberalism of Santa Cruz with the culture of a military town. The primary language school for the United States Military is located there, as is a rather large Army base. Lush parks dot the landscape, and the most impressive aquarium on the West Coast rests near the shopping district at Cannery Row.
The economic drivers of the Bay are tourism, agriculture, technology, and the military base at its south end and the university at the north. Nearly all work in the region descends from one of these influences.
Food
Californians love avacados. The people of Monterey Bay love them even more. Organic grocery stores and vegetarian restaurants are a dime a dozen, and even the burger stands offer strong options for vegetarian or vegan diners. The food tends to be spiced little if at all, apart from certain ethnic offerings - authentic Mexican and exceptional Thai restaurants are quite common. So are interesting, quirky pizza places, including local chain Pizza my Heart, and cheap slices are always available if you know where to look.
However, this is not a region known for its food. No one travels to Monterey Bay to eat, because apart from those elements the food is, for the most part, not very good. Californians seem convinced that the use of good ingredients means that, by definition, you are making good food - something that most non-locals will be quite aware is simply not true.
It sounds wonderful. Why am I not there already?
Monterey Bay is one of the most beautiful places on Earth, with weather to die for and an incredible variety of experiences to be had in a remarkably small amount of space. So what are the disadvantages of living here?
First, it’s expensive. There’s an economic conundrum in the region where the cost of a house is vastly outstripping the rise of wages, creating a huge financial burden on the residents. Food and fuel are also very costly, leading even people who have incomes that would be impressive in most of America often feeling pinched for funds.
Water is, ironically, also a problem. While a few small rivers run through the region, the lack of rain and the need for vast quantities of water for crop irrigation and use in electronics industry leaves the region parched. Water use restrictions are common, and most restaurants don’t give you water unless you order it.
The lack of seasons is wonderful, but the human body relies on seasons for timekeeping and maintenance of basic rhythms. A constant state of spring can make anyone a bit loopy after a few years, and might well account for just how many crazy people there are.
Drugs. While marijuana is common, relatively safe, and socially acceptable, harder drugs and the crime they bring are growing more prevalent, particularly in Salinas and Santa Cruz. Even without those, drunk and stoned driving are common, and burnouts wander the streets of all three main cities muttering to themselves and occasionally lashing out at random passers-by.
The strong social safety nets in both coastal counties provide a great deal of help to locals who find themselves in financial distress, but they also draw vagrants from all over the West Coast. In downtown Santa Cruz and parts of Monterey, one will often be solicited for change three or four times over the course of a one-block walk.
The Bay
Still, even with all of those things... you get to live in one of the most beautiful places on Earth. You get to be somewhere that a simple drive to get groceries will often have you stop, pull your car over, and stare at some wonder you hadn’t noticed before. You get what might be the most incredibly pleasant weather anywhere. You get easy access to museums, aquariums, incredibly quirky shops, and beaches that will blind you with their brilliance.
Yeah. It’s worth it.