Everyday feels like a vacation here (San Diego, Irvine: apartments, amusement parks, crime rate)

[saibot]

Thinking about it, I think there is someone on duty all year round, but it might be two guys in a truck covering the whole beach. The lifeguard towers are not manned all year and in fact are moved to an out-of-the way location.

[Sand&Salt]

Originally Posted by saibot

Thinking about it, I think there is someone on duty all year round, but it might be two guys in a truck covering the whole beach. The lifeguard towers are not manned all year and in fact are moved to an out-of-the way location.

In Oceanside, the towers are still there in winter. I see the lifeguard trucks drive around though. No lifeguards in the towers---water is too cold but the surfers are out in force.

I grew up in OC but retired out of the U.S. and now vacation there (O'side), lol. Come full circle.
Having "done" Europe 3 times, we decided it meets all our needs/desires + family is there. One of the few places in OC where you need no car. We love walking everywhere, beach to theater or train down the coast to other venues.

[saibot]

Originally Posted by Sand&Salt

In Oceanside, the towers are still there in winter. I see the lifeguard trucks drive around though. No lifeguards in the towers---water is too cold but the surfers are out in force.

I grew up in OC but retired out of the U.S. and now vacation there (O'side), lol. Come full circle.
Having "done" Europe 3 times, we decided it meets all our needs/desires + family is there. One of the few places in OC where you need no car. We love walking everywhere, beach to theater or train down the coast to other venues.

Oceanside is in San Diego County, though.

[tstieber]

Fascinating thread. We live in San Diego County and work from home running a small business that we've had forever. As business owners, we can never really just take a vacation and do nothing, we can just be in beautiful places and stay tethered to work. So for us, work is not the defining Factor as it is for some. For us, it really is being somewhere beautiful, and for us, every day also feels like vacation, because I can work outside by the pool and listen to the water splash. It's not a boring office and a commute. I think if you have to sit in an office building all day, it would definitely not feel like vacation. In fact, being stuck inside an office building in Orange county, knowing that you're missing out on a beautiful day at the beach, could be even more torturous than being stuck inside an office building in Michigan, where you don't want to be outside anyway. So many factors to consider

[teeej]

Originally Posted by Sand&Salt

In Oceanside, the towers are still there in winter. I see the lifeguard trucks drive around though. No lifeguards in the towers---water is too cold but the surfers are out in force.

I grew up in OC but retired out of the U.S. and now vacation there (O'side), lol. Come full circle.
Having "done" Europe 3 times, we decided it meets all our needs/desires + family is there. One of the few places in OC where you need no car. We love walking everywhere, beach to theater or train down the coast to other venues.

Could I get by living in Oceanside without a car or bicycle? That would be pretty sweet. I'm currently right on the other side of the military base in San Clemente and a car is most definitely required.

[tstieber]

Originally Posted by teeej

Could I get by living in Oceanside without a car or bicycle? That would be pretty sweet. I'm currently right on the other side of the military base in San Clemente and a car is most definitely required.

If you were right in downtown, sure, in theory. But not even a bike? You'd be pretty much stuck with walking distance and taking the train into central SD,OC, or LA. It would be pretty limiting. With a bike, I think it would be fantastic, as that would open up the entirety of Oceanside all the way down the coast with all the coastal biking trails and nearby cities like Carlsbad, Encinitas, Del Mar, etc. I would at least have a bike, as there are many likeable nearby destinations

[teeej]

Originally Posted by tstieber

If you were right in downtown, sure, in theory. But not even a bike? You'd be pretty much stuck with walking distance and taking the train into central SD,OC, or LA. It would be pretty limiting. With a bike, I think it would be fantastic, as that would open up the entirety of Oceanside all the way down the coast with all the coastal biking trails and nearby cities like Carlsbad, Encinitas, Del Mar, etc. I would at least have a bike, as there are many likeable nearby destinations

Yeah, it's like that here in San Clemente, except both of the San Clemente train stations seems to have limited service from both Metrolink and Amtrak.

[detachable arm]

Spent several days on vacation with the family and had a great time. It's been 15 years since I was here but this place still reminds me of Houston, just more crowded, a lot more expensive with excellent summer weather. I think the air quality has improved significantly since then. Loved the good food from these little local joints scattered everywhere. Traffic is certainly heavier and it takes longer to get around. Amazing to me how busy grocery stores and fast food drive thrus are at 10pm on a weekday outside of touristy areas. I also noticed more homeless or people with mental or drug problems scattered all around vs. 15 years ago. I can see how this place can be overwhelming to lots of people and I'll admit it's too stressful to be a "vacation"... it's more of a "trip". Look forward to coming back soon, after I save up a few more dollars of course. :thumbsup:

[sacreole]

Even though I don’t live in the OC, I’ve spent the past several summers vacationing here as well as down along the San Diego coast (Carlsbad/Encinitas). This summer alone, I visited Carlsbad and Laguna Beach. Last summer, I stayed in Newport Beach. When I feel the need to get away to the beach and don’t want to travel too far, Orange and San Diego Counties fIt the bill.

[CorporateCowboy]

Originally Posted by sacreole

Even though I don’t live in the OC, I’ve spent the past several summers vacationing here as well as down along the San Diego coast (Carlsbad/Encinitas).

Yeah, it’s clear you have a ‘vacation-like’ image of the place, per the thread, inspired by TV i.e. you refer to OC as ‘the OC’.