No, actually there are 3 sections to the state of California. Northern California from Oregon border down to San Francisco. Central California is from Frisco down to San Luis Obispo county line. Southern California is from SLO county line down to Mexican Border.
As an outsider the keenest difference I noticed was between the coastal strip (fog belt), interior valleys and mountainous east.
Well northern California is the best place on Earth and Southern California is a flat, hot, palm tree ridden shit hole.
I just moved to Northern CA last year. Loving it so far. I like moving around a lot and my job allows me to do that. Have an opportunity to move to L.A. but all the negativity everyone seems to have about L.A. has scared me away from the idea. Even the people who live there talk shit about it. Reminds a lot of the way people talk about Miami (where I lived previously).