I had to move to Costa Mesa, CA for work a few years back after living in Houston all my life. I was biking distance from Huntington Beach. And let me tell you, even with the mountains, and the ocean, and the weather, it sucked.
Everything was ridiculously expensive. It wasn't near as diverse. The ocean wasn't noisy, it didn't have seagulls. There wasn't that heavy salty wind that made you feel alive. IT NEVER RAINED. I missed thunderstorms the entire time I was there. The area was "pleasant" but just felt...sterile. Just a homogenous experience.
I LOVE our summer storms. I love how easy it is to garden here. I love the fact I live next to a Mosque and have a ton of amazing options for Mediterranean and middle eastern cuisine. You can't beat the authentic food here, that is just as prevalent as food chains.
It's green. Huge oaks trees. Diverse, friendly people. Good bbq.
