Where in Cali should I stay "away" from?

Before I go to California, can you guys suggest to me what areas or cities I should "stay away" from? I don't want to get stuck somewhere and regret it. Any advice?

 

Beverly Hills/Century City/La Jolla/Barstow/Bakersfield/Fresno/

 

everything is good under the sun.

 

So basically, just stay away from anywhere that looks like a slum or ghetto place?

 

i think it's one of those things where it all depends. I hear good things and then really bad things about a lot of places in California.

Can someone tell me if Berkeley is good or San francisco is good?

 

san francisco and berkely are good

 

Michael Jackson's house.

 

Stay away from Sun Valley and all points north of Lankershim and Victory Blvds in the San Fernando Valley. Some serious cholo neighborhoods in that area. North Hollywood is no fun either.

 

you dissing my hood esse?!

nah, yeah this is too damn true

stay away from most of Southern Cali, places that have "Heights" and "Hills" at the end of their name are usually most corrupt, Dont ask me why it just is.
Alot of what they say of South Central is mostly just exageration, they got good jamaican,cuban,puerto rican food and dance clubs, pretty desolate, but there is alot of gangs there.

Most possibly any street in the Los Angeles County Area, isnt a great hangout

 

BAd:Lancaster,Palmdale, Riverside/SanBernardino, Bakersfield......just stay outta the highdesert! La county beaches arent too nice.
Good: Tahoe Rox! Orange county closer to the beach and S.D. county close to the beach. Beaches north of Malibu are top all the way to Oregon.
But hey man go to Pismo if you get a chance..

 

Avoid the isolated, rural towns because they are filled with the same kind of meth-injected, trailer-dwelling, toothless, obnoxious, thieving, lying, backstabbing, racist, uneducated, macho redneck human filth you see on Jerry Springer.

I know because I live in one.

 

Man...i Live In East La,dont Recomended For A Person Who Hasn't Live Their Live .....alot Of Gangs Here

 

No, more like avoid any place that looks like you've seen it in Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. (La Jolla, Newport Beach, etc. as listed earlier.)

Orange County has some nice beaches and interesting ethnic areas, but the other areas are completely Republican/conservative/fascist. Irvine is NOT a friendly college town; the police hassle freaks/homeless people and the locals hassled me if I tried to ride my bicycle in the bike lane. (I was in graduate school at UC Irvine.)

It's the original "planned community" with neighborhoods designed so you can't get to the grocery store 1 block away as the crow flies without getting into your car and driving around the subdivision for 10 minutes. Since the Irvine Company owns the entire city (homeowners lease the land under the house), they have a rent monopoly and 2-bedrooms start around $2000/mo.

Re the ethnic areas: the only thing I miss about the OC is Vietnamese food. Even just sandwiches and noodle soup. There's one place in Humboldt that makes halfway decent Asian sandwiches (Liquid Cafe) but they want $6 for a meal I'm used to getting for $2. Same markup for noodle soup, and it isn't the same here.

If you're ever passing through Orange County and have a couple of hours to spare, check out the Little Saigon district (East of the 405 around Bolsa: http://www.littlesaigon.com/lsaigon/map.htm) for a taste of another culture. Food galore, interesting import shops, a sculpture garden behind a grocery store, and festivals if you're lucky.

 

No matter where you go a good stratagy would be to hang as close to the coast as you can.

 

Compton...lol...I always get this weird feeling when I roll through The "CPT"

Venice is cool....You'll find some nice pipes/bongs/psychedelic shit for cheap

 

There are parts of Oakland & Richmond I would stay out of. Those citys are not for the faint of heart.

 

haha, come on, that's not fair. I live in north hollywood, right in that area, it's not THAT bad. Nothing good around, no real reason to visit, but it's not compton. OOh, definatly avoid bakersfield *shiver*

there really is nothing to "avoid", I'd steer clear of beverly hills, just because that many gas guzling atrocities and silicone make me ill, hollywood is fun for maybe and hour if you haven't been before, but don't spend your money on that tourist crap like ripley's beleive it or not. If you want to know some good thrift stores and hiking spots, PM me, overall cali's great. Venice beach is fun, but don't plan on sleeping on the beach, or breaking any laws while dressed in patchwork on a holiday weekend, the cops really crack down then.

but serriously, it's super nice here overall, come check it out!

 

Well In Nor Cal I Would Say Fort Tuna (if Your Not A Tweeker Its Easy To Get A Job , Plus Good Bud)
In So Cal I Would Say Oc If You Got That Kind Of Money , Maybe Garden Grove Or Santa Ana

 

I know, I was kinda' high and just generalized my own bad experience while I lived in Sun Valley for a brief time. I lived in Venice Beach for a few years in the early 90's and it was a good time.