Best Places To Live In California For People In Their Early 20s?

I'm planning on moving to california within the next year with a friend of mine, and we're looking for an area with beautiful beaches, great weather, and exciting night life. We're looking to buy a condo or small house. What are some of the best areas in california that we should check out? Thanks for the suggestions!

Public Comments

1. Los Angles is really awesome.There are night clubs and parties and there is always somethin to do. Are you might want the San Fransico area I think it is the most beautifu in cali I lived in both but there pretty fun if your looking for cheaper LA is a little but not by much.any where in cali is beautiful good luck.
2. Well, I would say San Francisco for a beautiful fun city with an awesome nightlife and a great surrounding area. However, the beaches aren't as beautiful as they are in southern California. And, the weather isn't terrific. (it is a little cold and windy) So, my advice would be San Diego. It has beautiful beaches, great weather, there are tons of small beach communities that are in the city but, make you feel like a small town. There is a great nightlife and laid back people. Also, you are right near the border with Mexico in case you want to road trip to the stunning beaches of Baja. L.A. is just not that cool. It is way over crowded, the real estate is ridiculously expensive, it is always smoggy, and you will spend your life in traffic. I have been very unimpressed with Los Angeles. San Diego is a great place to live in your 20's! I hope this helps! Good luck to you and your friend! -Kango Traveler
3. With all due respect to the rest of California (we acknowledge your existence Fresno and Bakersfield), young people would probably feel most comfortable with the state's major cities. Los Angeles - Huge suburban / urban mix, so the nightlife is scattered in several cities. Of these, West Hollywood, Santa Monica, Long Beach are some of the more lively areas. Warm weather beaches (sandy, temperate water, and no rocks) supports most water sports and large crowds. Sunny, but also smoggy and polluted. Lots of single-family homes that are very expensive. San Francisco - Mid-Atlantic feel, with a busy and lively city center. Beautiful views. Northern style beaches (huge waves, cold water, and lots of cliffs) -- lots of strolling and dog walking. The few who brave the surf are all in wetsuits. Foggy weather much of the year. Lots of condos and apartments that are very expensive. NOTE: Although it's very large, San Jose is usually considered a satellite of San Francisco (40 miles to the north). The relationship is similar to that between Queens and Manhattan. Although San Jose has a bigger population, all the attention is lavished on San Francisco. On the surface, San Jose looks a lot like L.A. because of all the freeways and smog. But it lacks beaches and nightlife. Indeed, most of San Jose goes to San Francisco whenever they're in need of fun. San Diego - Mostly suburban and military, with nightlife oriented towards the armed services (and thus, a more conservative vibe than either Los Angeles or San Francisco). Beaches are similar to L.A., but less crowded and cleaner. Sunny. Lots of single-family homes that are very expensive.
4. Buying is tough in California unless you have lots of money... which you may, I guess, but... San Francisco is gorgeous, tepid weather, very quirky, great parks. The beaches are very pretty in SF and the immediately surrounding areas (much prettier than Southern California), but aren't the warmest... most people don't tough the water without a wetsuit and a reason to use it (ie: surfers). Slightly lacking in nightlife compared to other cities, but pot is basically legal, so everyone's cool with that. Los Angeles is ugly and overdeveloped and smoggy and the beaches are mostly featureless stretches of sand... but it's warm, and you can actually go into the water without fearing hypothermia. Also, the nightlife is much better than SF. And it's a bit cheaper. Honestly, for your particular needs, I'd suggest Santa Cruz. It's warm enough to actually go in the ocean much of the year, is quirky, has almost legal pot AND nightlife, is cheaper than SF, and isn't as ugly/polluted as LA, nor is as cluttered... you can get out of the city and into forest/mountains/etc... in a period of a few minutes. The city is full of stoners, bikers, street corner intellectuals, and queens who expertly perfect one or more of the former categories. Lovely. And yeah, San Diego is shit... it's an overgrown suburb with hideous developments. Nothing more.
5. Judging by your criteria San Diego is the best place in Ca for what you are looking for. It has some of the best beaches in CA and the water is warmer there than anywhere else on the west coast. You can never swim in the water w/o a wetsuit north of Santa Barbara and water temps in San Diego during the summer are usually in the upper 60's to mid 70's. And you have a variety of different types of beaches to choose from. There are more isolated beaches below 300 ft cliffs, smaller sandy beaches in between rocks and tidepools, and wide flat sandy beaches with boardwalks and stuff along it. SD has one of the best beach cultures in the country. It's very laid back and beach oriented and unpretentious. You'll see 40yo professionals riding around in board shorts and flip flops on a beach cruiser. The weather can't be beat anywhere in the US except for maybe Hawaii. It's very mild and never too hot or cold near the coast. Daytime temps stay between 65-80 year round, doesn't rain often, and is pretty much always a comfortable temperature. Sunny and in the 70's most of the year. It's a very outdoors oriented city and people are outside year round doing whatever recreational activities they enjoy. The nightlife is great in San Diego and the best in the Gaslamp Quarter Downtown and in Pacific Beach. And if you're under 21 Tijuana is always a good alternative. There is a lot of military in SD but the nightlife is not geared towards them specifically at all and it's not "conservative", they are just part of the scene. I think the nightlife is better here than the Bay Area overall. And the women are gorgeous, everytime my friends from the Bay Area visit they always mention how good looking the women are. The people in SD are friendly and outgoing and vey laid back, lots of transplants so people tend to like meeting new people and perfect weather puts people in a good mood. And there is always some event going on or something to do. Next week on Mardi Gras Day the Gaslamp Quarter will host 30,000 people where you can drink in the street, watch live bands, and there are two Mardi Gras style parades where you can catch beads; no other city in Ca has as big of a Mardi Gras celebration. And there are events like that throughout the year. I feel there is a younger, more party type vibe down here. It's also significantly cheaper than both LA and SF for both rent and purchasing. Prices for buying homes have come down a lot lately and are still falling, you might want to consider renting to wait for the market to bottom out. You can easily get a place near the beach for around a $1,000 month. SD is pretty big and there are many different areas to choose from. Although it's not nearly as urban as SF there are some denser, urban area if you want a more city like living. Areas such as downtown, Little Italy, North Park, Hillcrest, ect...are urban and lively. Hillcrest was picked as one of the 10 neighborhoods in the country by the American Planning Association. But the area I would strongly recommend for someone in their early 20's looking for nightlife and the beach is Pacific Beach or Mission Beach, both right next to each other. Ocean Beach is cool too for alternative, hippy type people. But PB is a lively beach community full of young early to mid 20's and college to post college crowds. It's small so all the bars, clubs, and shops are usually within walking or biking distance, most people in PB own and get around on beach cruisers. Lots of parties and different things going on all the time and a great party scene at the beach during the summer. I live in PB and love it here. SD is also one of the safest large cities in America; safest city over a million and 5th safest over 500,000. I was born and raised in the Bay Area and have been living in San Diego for over six years now and didn't move back to the bay area after college b/c I love the young vibe and lifestyle down here. The beach, weather, people, and things to do are all great. Cheaper, less traffic, less crime, less pollution and a better overall quality of life than either LA or SF. Plus you're near LA, Orange County, Mexico, and Vegas for day or weekend trips so there is always lots to do. SD isn't for everyone but for what you are looking for it's great.
6. for beaches and weather you need to go down south to southern ca. L.A., Santa Monica, Orange county, and San Diego are all good choices. San Francisco is cool too with nightlife, except the weather and beaches are cold compared to the southern end of the state. All areas along the coast are pricey though.