SoCal is really a place of its own, and there are some telltale signs that you live here.
As someone who didn’t grow up in SoCal, there are many aspects that stand out and truly define this area — things that you only experience while living here.
Weather
In SoCal, there are only two seasons: hot summers and warm winters. In light of this, you can wear shorts and sandals every day. Continuing with the weather, there is a relatively well-known wind that comes through in the fall: the Santa Ana winds. Tiffany Means, writer from Farmers Almanac, defines what the Santa Ana winds are:
“The Santa Ana winds are warm, dry winds that blow during the cool season months (October to March). They form when high pressure builds over the Great Basin—the geographic area bound by the Rocky Mountains to the east and the Sierra Nevada to the west—and when low pressure sits over the California coast.”
A part of living in Southern California is being prepared for when the Santa Ana start to blow again.
Another large part of the climate in Southern California is the minimal rain. If it does rain, all things are put on pause. Rain coats and heavy jackets are pulled out and events are postponed. Even driving on the freeway becomes dangerous with the oil, debris and rain on them. California drivers don’t know how to drive in the rain since they are used to the dry ground — making driving even more hazardous than usual.
The reason for the freak out surrounding rain is found in the lack of it. Writer at Joe’s Auto Parks states that, “Rain is rare in Los Angeles—in fact, about 78% of the annual total rainfall occurs in just four months—so when it comes down on the city, Angelenos often find themselves unprepared and a bit overwhelmed navigating the damp roads.”
Traffic and Freeways
Driving on freeways and traffic are something that people from out of state have to get used to after their move to SoCal. For example, let’s say that you are going out to meet friends who are a 20-minute drive away on the freeway and it’s 2 p.m. You’ll have to leave 15 minutes earlier than you think just to make time to navigate the inevitable traffic you will hit.
Freeways are dangerous. The speed limit on freeways are generally 65-70, but to be honest, no one follows them. Most drivers go with the flow of traffic. On top of the speeding, there are often large semi-trucks surrounding you and drivers failing to use turn signals — both of which are terrifying. Unlike most freeways in different states, many SoCal freeways have seven lanes, which just adds to the chaos.
Fashion
Similar to what was mentioned before, wearing sandals and shorts every day is a part of the fashion in SoCal. LA has fashion trends coming and going, most of which are what is trending on social media at the moment. Social media plays a large role in determining what is “in” and what is “last season.”
Using those platforms, we can see what styles celebrities are using and their style choices.
Spotting Celebrities
Southern California is famous for Hollywood and celebrities are there by default, whether they are walking around, getting food or doing some shopping. Hollywood is a very common place to see some famous people.
Like many other places, Southern California is a busy place with many shops, restaurants and cafes that are popular for people to visit and spot their favorite actor or singer. Some popular places to go “celebrity hunting” are Grand Central Market, Americana at Brand, Crossroads Kitchen and Alfred.
Music Culture
Southern California has a large variety of music from rock, metal, country, hiphop and rap. Many artists and bands got their start by playing in LA and Hollywood to anyone who would listen.
Charlie Clissitt, a writer for Culture Trip, highlights a few bands that were started in Los Angeles, some of the most well-known being Guns N’ Roses, Metallica and the Beach Boys.
Along with hosting a variety of music genres, festivals are also popular. Many music artists play at these festivals with a very large turn out from fans and music-lovers alike. Jones Around The World writes about some of the festivals that take place in Southern California — one of them being the infamous Coachella.
These are just a few of the signs you are from Southern California. Whether you were raised here or moved here, at least one of these signs is sure to resonate.