Reasonable weather and nice views, but missing a l
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9/29/2008
San Luis Obispo (SLO) brings me mixed feelings. I've lived here for just over two years, and found some things to be as expected, and others definitely not. The weather is usually good (except for the cold water at the beach, and cold mornings nearly year-round, and cold NW winds, especially in the spring). Outdoor activities are plentiful (great State Parks nearby, good camping opportunities, pleasant biking except for that wind, etc.). The cost of living is high, and there are very few young professionals (it's all students, retirees, or people who work at either the prison, Cal Poly, or other State/County/City work). It is VERY isolated, being nearly four hours from any real city. The culture (besides Cal Poly - spoiled and immature), tends to be narrow-minded, conservative, and anything but diverse (often makes me feel like I'm living in the 1950s) - perhaps better than North County, but that's not saying much. A few progressive policies have been put into place (smoking ban, an above-average prevalence of bike lanes), but otherwise it's far from liberal here. While I have made some good friends here and have generally had a good experience at work, for the most part this place has made me more sure than ever that I have to move back to a big city. For sure, if you go on a California vacation and have never seen the coast, do stop by this area (plenty of natural beauty), but keep the above points in mind if you want to move here.
QUALITY OF LIFE rating: DEPENDS what you're looking for (clean air, outdoor activities, and relatively safe, other than some property crime - but very little culture, and definitely isolated from other places geographically and in time).
Dave | San Luis Obispo, CA