California : what should I know?

Hey,
I’m writing a story that is taking place in California :sunny:.I was wondering if there as anything that was worth knowing so that I can portray it correctly, meaning:

  • Must do things when in Cali
  • What’s the personality of Californians
  • Stereotypes about California that are(n’t) true
    -…

Thanks :smiling_face_with_three_hearts:

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  • :sos:

We don’t know celebrities.

Not all of California is Beaches, basically the bottom third is.

Cali food is a flex.

Where does your story take place? I can probably give you more details.

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Thanks for the info! :smiling_face_with_three_hearts:

I haven’t decided on a place yet, but in my mind it takes place somewhere near beaches, but they will be traveling around Cali (Napa, Malibu,…). So that’s why I’m looking for « general » info for now :stuck_out_tongue:

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Alrighty, I can help with Napa area. Napa has a lot of wineries which are most of the income. It brings in a lot of tourists from all over the world. Napa also has a lot of like really $$$$$ restaurants but everything is going to taste great because most food is local.

It’s sunny, rarely rains and there is no snow. I think Napa County does touch the ocean but the oceans up north are rocky, cold, and ~sharks~.

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The housing industry in California is terrible unless you’re rich. I lived there when I was little and we lived in a box house despite my dad making good earnings. Traffic is terrible too, we took the bus most places. There aren’t really any good beautiful natural backyards either. It’s either fake grass or natural but short grass. Oh yeah and a lot of earthquakes lol. We did so many earthquake drills when we were younger.

My mom saw celebrities sometimes shopping tho, but it was never a big deal and she never bothered them cuz they’re trying to just go about their lives lol. Oh and we lived close to Hollywood so we could literally see the Hollywood sign anytime we went on the highway or were driving in general. I literally thought it was fake lmao. It was such an ordinary thing to see it that when people talked about it like it was this amazing thing I thought it was fake/a replica.

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Thank you! :smiling_face_with_three_hearts:

I’ll keep that in mind :joy:

Thank you, that’s useful info!

What do you feel are the places you need to visit when you go to California? (If you have any)

I don’t really have any lol unless it’s for like little kids. (Only lived there when I was really little). The beaches are freezing!

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Oh, no problem. Thank you for the help! :smiling_face_with_three_hearts:

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Los Angeles is nothing like how it’s portrayed on screen. It stinks, it’s dirty, it’s overcrowded, and there are a lot of crazy homeless people.

That’s, of course, if you were planning on your story to take place in LA

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Hi, I lived in California my whole life!

  • California is never on fire 24/7! Sure some parts of the year is it but it’s never a constant thing.

  • California isn’t all “land of the dreams”, sure people from other states come over to fulfill their dreams, but others may not find what they came for after being here for a while.

  • California isn’t only for the rich ~ there’s parts where middle and low class live at, who may or may not struggle to get by. Living on checks to checks.

  • Parts of the valley (San Joaquin Valley) you can find loads of people from different cultures, living comfortably while some make more money to live the so called “rich lifestyle” without being in Los Angeles.

  • Los Angeles isn’t only about the rich lifestyle, you can also find tourists from different countries visting for the first time wanting to take in the view LA has to offer~ as well as for other areas of California like San Francisco, San Cruz, San Jose. etc.

  • Not all schools are private, you’ll find more public schools than anything!

  • Traffic in Los Angeles and San Francisco is horrible especially during rush hour. (I lived in Los Angeles for the first 5 years of my life before moving to the valley. And I’ve been to SF like twice)

  • San Francisco and Los Angeles have/play part of the homeless taking over the streets. In movies they make these places seem clean but in reality it’s dirty as heck. In SF you can find human waste (poop) on the streets as it looks very similar to dog poop and it’s not great!

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Thank you for the insight :joy: they are going to go to LA at some point in the story

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Thank you for all of the info, that’s super useful!! I have one question though, is there a place in California you would recommend people going to when visiting? Like a must-see place? (touristic or non-touristic place you think deserves more recognition?)

Uh oh lol

I think a good one is Hollywood at night time. It’s more exciting than during the day.

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The Griffith Observatory
Going up at sunset to the Griffith Observatory to see the sunset and the city lit up at night is one of the best experiences in Los Angeles

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As someone who lived in California for 20 years I agree with all of this.

One thing you forgot is that the state of California isn’t just a place with endless sunshine and beaches. The state has a variety of climates. Up north being similar to the other states lots of lush greenery, with the winters being just as brutal as anywhere else. And further southeast being more of a desert area. I would say California has a little of everything.

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I would include going up to the Hollywood sign as well. The view was breath taking, And in more ways than one.

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