I've lived near SLO my entire life. I've now lived in SLO for a year. I always loved SLO; it just had a great feel to it, farmers' market was fun, downtown was awesome, it's a great-looking place.

My only form of transportation is a bike, and yeah, the wind can be brutal. All the good things about the city are still there, I just never noticed before I moved here the spirit of this city is very pretentious, and the city's legislation reflects that. It's like everything the city does, it does for the sake of tourists and not for the people who actually live here. It's a pathetically pretentious city, but it still has a lot of good things going for it.

If you're looking for a place to vacation, SLO is perfect for you. If you're looking for a place to live, not so much.

Hello,

We are a French family 3 children, five, eight and eleven.
We are living in the south of France and went on holiday in SLO some years ago. We are now reorganising our life and we would like to come and maybe live in SLO or LA. Can some one give us advice. Being a froreigner would we be well accpeted, are schools good, quality of life, if it is easy to meet peolple and have drink with other families. Many thanks for taking the time to give us your opinion.

I am a Cal Poly student and I must admit, SLO is not exactly what I expected. I grew up in the midwest and always dreamed about going to school in California. I chose Cal Poly because it's a pretty good school and it was affordable for me as an out of state student. However, I guess I didn't realize how small and isolated the town is. Before moving to SLO, I lived in one of the largest cities in the country, so the smallness of the town was kind of a shock and I haven't really gotten used to it. It's also pretty conservative and there are a lot of religious people. Which is fine if that's your thing, but it's just not for me. SLO isn't the right fit for me, but I can totally see how it is for some people. If you love hiking or basically any outdoor activity, an old fashioned small town feel, and if you're a college student who wants to experience college in a traditional college town, then chances are SLO will be a perfect fit for you. But if you love the energy of a big city, shopping and fashion, and a more diverse atmosphere, you may find yourself a bit out of place in SLO. That's just my opinion though. You never really know until you actually live in a place how you'll like it. As for me, I'm planning transferring for various reasons, but even though this is not the place for me, I will still always have some fond memories of my time spent here.

My rundown (continued):

There are a lot of homeless people, I suppose because the climate is so temperate. I notice them in the Mission Plaza (near the historical Mission) downtown during the day.

The shopping is not that great. If you are into SERIOUS shopping, you'll have to travel to a larger city like Los Angeles.

There is not a lot of ethnic diversity. Caucasians make up the majority of the population.

The houses are generally small and older, as development is not encouraged. The permit process is painful, having to jump through hoops like Architectural Review Committees, etc.(As opposed to new communities that have new, modern McMansions.) The newer houses are located further away from downtown, which is fine for many.

Housing is relatively expensive.

Neighborhoods near Cal Poly can be loud (as in partying college students) when school begins, until they figure out the huge fines associated with loud parties that are handed out by eager SLO Police with not much else to do.

Water "shortage" so you pay premium rates if you surpass your allowance. So grass is not a good option, but water tolerant plants are. It's a typical Mediterranian climate (think Bouganvillea, palms, bird of paradise, etc.)

Lots of community resources for classes, etc. through Cal Poly, Cuesta, San Luis Unified, Arts Council, etc.

Heathcare is good. Two major hospitals with a cardiology center. I find the doctors to be great. I think a lot depends of your individual insurance coverage. Most important to me, a fantastic pediatric group and pediatric dental group!

I have to break my post up to fit in all the info.
Here's my rundown:

The weather is amazing. We are close to the coast, but far enough away to avoid much fog (marine layer.) It is typically cool and clear in the early morning, sunny throughout the day, and cooler (60's) in the evening. If the fog rolls in at night, it usually burns off mid-morning.

It is a casual town: jeans, shorts and flip-flops are the norm.

The schools are good. For elemetary students there are two "alternative" school programs that parents can elect for their children if they choose. One, Pacheco Elementary, is a Spanish/English-immersion program. You elect to enter in K or 1st grade and are bi-lingual when you graduate in 6th grade; and two, Charles E. Teach Elementary has an accelerated program for grades 4th, 5th and 6th. The children learn at a faster pace, thus have more time for special programs like camps and learning multi-media (making movies, websites, etc.) The other schools are good, too.

Lots to do! Recreation (hiking, biking) year-round, tons of annual events such as the street painting festival, Plein Air Festival, Film Festival, Taste of the Central Coast, Roll Out the Barrel (wine season opening), etc. Thursday night Farmers' market, nearby wineries in Arroyo Grande and Paso Robles, beaches less than 10 minutes away....too much to list, but there is always something to do!

Great shows/events/music at Cal Poly Performing Arts Center and local theaters and downtown venues.

We are considering moving to SLO from Arizona. YES, a huge difference I know. But with temps of 120 in the summer and gravel and cactus for scenery here, I am really looking forward to the green. I have heard comments about the wind, cold, nuclear power plant and earthquakes and I must say I am concerned. When I look up the wind it generally comes in at about 3 mph...so that is not windy. Am I missing something? And the weather looks to be in the 70's and 80's most of the time. I would LOVE seem feedback of YOUR real experience living there. The more the better. My husband is a dentist, so this would be a HUGE move for us (relocating his practice and all)! Healthcare too: is it really that bad? Help please!

Thank you!

My husband and I started our family while he was an architecture student at cal poly. I had four children while he was in school. We lived there for 7 years. Ok, here's the lowdown on SLO: Its an amazing place to raise a family. And since everything is super close, you will never be far from anything. Also, you will stay in shape because you can walk everywhere. I would put my kids in the stroller and have one in a backpack then go on my walks to farmers market or downtown. Also, keeping active is contagious there because the people are so active and it seems the culture there in general is a healthy one. The only thing is there are a lot of students. You may live next to house full of students, young students. I used to live on Chorro st and there were students next to us on both sides and across the strets. It did get loud sometimes since the students started to party on thursdays and not stop until sunday, lol. Then we lived off Johnson and Laurel Lane and it was a longer walk downtown but it was so great. All in all its an amazing place to raise children. I live in the OC and constantly daydream about San Luis Obispo.

my husband is going to transfer to cal poly soon....and we have 4 children under the age of 6, is slo family friendly and where are the good places to live

As an Architect, I'm still interested in Loft Living! As I think about moving my family over to SLO, is there any "loft living" or "warehouse" living located there? I would hate to move into the typical "home" with a pitched roof....

In the short year and a half I've lived in San Luis Obispo, I've come to regard it as the best place in California no one has ever heard of. Every place in CA has its own ethos, but none is quite so easygoing and genuinely appreciative of their home as the people here. It's what towns all across America used to be like: small businesses abound, little shops and hangouts that lend a sense of community and identity to a place. Oh, and it's close to the beach AND the mountains AND the wine.

The "seasons" here (I grew up in Pennsylvania) are more accurately measured by the amount of precipitation than the temperature. It rains more often between December and February; after that the forecast is more or less deciding whether it's partly cloudy or mostly sunny. Having lived in Spain for a while, I can assure you it's pretty close to a Mediterranean climate here: just enough dips in temperature in the "winter" months to make you appreciate the warmth when it returns, yet delightfully devoid of the scorching heat you'll get in the Central Valley or SoCal. To me, it is unfathomable that anyone could complain about the weather, but again, I'm from the Northeast.

This is where people from SoCal and the Valley come to get away from it all. And no, that doesn't produce ungodly amounts of traffic (except maybe in Pismo Beach). I think it's more of a compliment to this area than anything else. It's really nothing compared to the influx of yearly escapees the Jersey Shore houses every summer.

I will say that this isn't the kind of place you should move to if you're really young and seeking tons of bars, a really vibrant nightlife and every establishment open until 3 AM. That is to say that San Luis Obispo is not a city; I personally believe every twentysomething should spend some time living the city life. But AFTER you get that out of your system, San Luis Obispo is paradise, plain and simple. But maybe it's only the transplants like me who see it that way...

Okay...... here is the rundown on san luis obispo. I grew up in Los Angeles County, went to college in San Diego and lived in Santa Barbara and Ventura. Have lived in SLO for 18 years.

Positive: It is a HIKERS PARADISE! Lots of challenging hikes within 5 min. of downtown. No Traffic! the freeway traffic is clear all the time..unbelievable compared to socal and bay area. Cool downtown with lots of college aged people walking around. Beautiful beach 15 mins at Pismo beach. Best walking beach i have ever been to. Flat sand for miles to jog or walk..dogs welcome.

Negative: Everyone says how great the weather is but if you come up from socal you will freeze. Its ALWAYS WINDY in san luis obispo... when you live here you get used to it and if you are a hiker its nice but if you like to bike ride get ready to fight the wind 365 days a year. Yeah the beach is close...Pismo 15 mins away but the surf sucks. head high and over it closes out . smaller than that is okay but bring your 4/3 wetsuit, gloves and booties ..the water is frigid year around....this is not like surfing in socal ...san diego where you wear a spring suit or vest. Bike riding: mountain bike riding there is numerous rides close to down town. road riding: Again the wind is always there. Nice ride to Avila Beach on a Class 1 bike trail.

Overall: If you like warm beaches stay in SOCAL. If you like hiking and beach walking and clear freeways come on up to SLO county..........

I also usually dont posbut after reading the above, felt I had to. I moved to SLO for about a year after college in North Dakota. I lived in a loft apartment and did alright financially. I loved there alone and often walked about a mile to get downtown for the evening, and then back. I never had a problem with gangs or ever felt like I was in danger. The weather was perfect. It rained just a few times in the year i was there. barely any bugs compared to ND. I usually did bring a hoodie or light coat with in the evenings, but thats better than the extremes in other parts of the country. Mostly friendly people, and always something to do. The farmers market on thursdays is great. Something different on every corner, fresh fruits and vegetables every week. Port san luis just a short drive for fresh sea food, and a ton of different foods in town for that matter. Theres a good balance of ma and pa shops and chains. And LA is just close enough for a quick weekend trip. just thought id put in my 2 cents... deffinately worth a visit, cant wait to make it back myself some day soon hopefully.

Moved here 20 years ago from So Cal. The truth is, because of all the hills, the points, & the shifting wind pattern between them, weather in this county is different as day & night depending on where you are. More often than not, it's a colder wind, which means count on needing a jacket most of the time (except for occasional heat wave). The economy sucks here. If it wasn't for the State prison & State university, this place would be deader than a doornail. Most people are friendly, but since being discovered by yuppies, it is becoming more pretentious all the time. The big box stores are closing down the small business man. Most people are living month to month & too many people vacation here from the valley - both groups are constantly looking to see how cheap they can satisfy their wants - meaning they think cheap, act cheap, & spend cheap. Businesses are so desperate for customers that they cater more to the out-of-towner than they do to the locals, which means we have to put up with being treated like cattle. Government is corrupt. The board of supervisors gives themselves raises while cutting back services to their constituents - all in the same week! The people are required to pay for Lakes and reservoirs for water resources, but aren't allowed to walk around, or even park for free anywhere around them without having to pay a user fee! The county is consistently chasing after people's property under one excuse after another. Law enforcement is not friendly towards the people, but immediately treat you as an inferior and suspicious.

The best thing about this place is the beach and the surrounding hills where you may be able to find a trail, if you know where to look. But watch out for ticks & mosquitos.

Like the rest of California, this place was beautiful at one time, but development, greed, and selfishness are quickly reducing it to nothing more than a financial transaction.

Wish I had more time to post this. San Luis Obispo has to be one of the, if not the nicest smaller cities in California I have visited. I couldn't believe how nice it was, after I had read some of the above reports about gangs (which is COMPLETELY not true). If you have any free time and want to escape the Bay area or LA, check out SLO, you won't be disappointed, and might just end up wanting to move there. It's darned near perfect. I'd recommend spending a thurday through the weekend, catch the farmers' market, stay at the Garden Street in, or Le Petit Soleil. Catch a flick at the Fremont Theater downtown, which is spectacular. The food is amazing, and the people are the nicest I've met anywhere in the country.