SO I've been in California.

Great coffee over here.

Great Mexican food.

Great urban density. Enough restaurants so that most are reasonably priced.

Great design. Nearly everything is *designed*, and usually remains unsnobbish. People just like stuff to look like something.

There was a man who had just finished painting a wall brown. I was photographing a cream-colored paper against the flat brown. He appeared and said, "Are you admiring my paint job?" I had only noticed the menu; the wall was, really, just dark brown. But he was proud of himself and I was appreciative.