Worst of both worlds
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8/2/2006
Until the recent housing boom Riverside used to be a pretty good place to live. There was little congestion, housing and general cost of living was pretty affordable, and though there wasn't much to do other than eat and shop it wasn't a terrible commute to reach the cultural and entertainment venues in L.A. and Orange County.
When the housing boom hit a massive migration began from neighboring Orange County looking for large, comparatively cheap housing around the Riverside area. The result is that home prices have skyrocketed ($350,000 for a "starter home"?), traffic is nearly always congested (think 40 minutes to cross the city), hostility on the roads has become frightening, and there is still little to do locally except eat and shop.
Basically, now the costs, traffic, and dirty air are much more like what you would expect in a major urban area; however, the entertainment and night life are still much more like a small suburb.
Sharon | Riverside, CA