From the Heratige Square Museum website:
Halloween & Mourning Movie Nights, Saturday, October 22, gates open at 7:30 pm. Guests are invited to bring a picnic, blankets, chairs, and candy while enjoying classic scary movies at Heritage Square… if they dare. The scheduled features TBD. Free for Museum members and $10.00 for the general public.

8th Annual Halloween & Mourning Tours, Saturday and Sunday, October 29 and 30, 12 to 4 p.m. Explore the history of Victorian mourning practices and etiquette and more during this two day event. $10.00 for Adults, $8.00 for Seniors over 65, $5.00 for Children 6 to 12 years. Free for Children under 6 and Museum members.
Something to do for Halloween! I'm so excited!

San Diego East County here, and I'm baking my ass off. Though at night time San Diego is beautiful; especially the buildings that have the green hexagon lights on it; my favorite building

Friends of the west coast! A simpleton from the gulf coast (can I even call that a legit area? Whatever, I'm rolling with it) infiltrates your great discussions seeking your advice (and if you all feel this is more appropriate to be continued via PMs, by all means do send!).

I plan on applying to graduate schools this fall with the intent of starting fall 2012. Currently, I have four of the California schools selected. They're highly ranked in biology and have several labs I'm interested in working in. However, I have never been to California. I've never been to a state that touches California. I haven't been to a state that touches a state that touches California. As I think on it, Austin, Texas, may very well be the farthest west I've ever gone (that or Elk City, Oklahoma).

As such, I need the inside scoop! I'm looking to apply to UC Berkeley, UCSF, UCSD, and UC Irvine. So, what do you guys like/dislike about San Francisco, Berkeley, San Diego (okay, I suppose UCSD is technically in La Jolla), and Irvine? I'm from Houston, Texas, so I'm familiar with relatively big cities. I'm kind of an active athletic sort of person. And I'm a veggie kid. And incredibly obsessed with music (does San Diego/La Jolla get several big acts coming through? I know SF and LA do, making Berkeley and Irvine decent choices with a bit of a drive). Is the goth scene alive in these areas? What's the weather typically like? Stereotype I'm sure, but how frequent are earthquakes? Is crime really bad, or about average as any other place? Basically, would I fit in and like any of these places if I'm going to be in grad school for at least five years? Please, impart your knowledge to this quite ignorant outsider! Thank you kindly in advance!

You have done well to summon the darkness that resides in CA for advice . I like TX, though never been to Austin.

I had a friend who graduated from UC Irvine. He hates the fact there are so many yuppies and preppies there; he'd constantly bitch to me about that and how illegitimate and trendy they are. I'll give you the advice I gave him regarding surviving there: They lived in a different world than you, and they won't know anything beyond that. Understand where they come from and complete your schooling.

UCSD is a fine school, and UC Berkeley is equally prestigious regarding your field (though I'm sure those who attend there would argue with me one is better than the other). I know nothing of UCSF. Call me biased, but San Diego is a much better city in terms of it's size and lower crime. It's also a major military town but don't let that discourage you; its very relaxed while not sacrificing any fun things. We have Sea World, amazing zoos, awesome parks, mountains, deserts, beaches, casinos, and Mexico on the border (though I'd recommend not going there right now). L.A. is very nice, though it is more expensive living there than in San Diego.

We do get lots of big names. Big bands normally perform at the House of Blues here (ZOMG VNV NATION! hope I'm still here when they arrive!), or Humphrey's by the bay (I see nothing I'm interested in on the list though).

We have some goth clubs here such as Club Sabbat, Darkwave Garden, Klub Isolation. Here is the complete list..

Stereotypes usually have a grain of truth to them. Earthquakes don't happen frequently (maybe twice a year), but when they do it's usually just small tremors. Every now and then you'll get something major, but the last one like that we had was 1994, and I was in Japan at the time.

Regarding crime, it depends on where you go. Here in San Diego the hot spots for crime is Spring Valley, Some areas of El Cajon, University City, and National City, and those are pretty much the main spots I've experienced. Couldn't tell you about the northern counties. LA has more crime but it's usually because there are more people there. Rap songs will alert you to the crime areas in LA But if you want to look at the significant areas of crime here is LA, San Diego (here is another for SD) and San Francisco I would recommend San Diego as your safer alternative.

I think you would fit in San Diego. Because as much military comes through here, we're used to strange people coming from all over the country. You'll be able to fit in LA as well, since the large amount of people promises for a large Goth community. I don't know much about San Francisco so I don't want to say much about it. The goth scene is alive in all of these areas.

Restaurant wise we have a great selection. I had to google vegan restaurants in San Diego since I usually consume a significant amount of rare-cooked flesh. But as you can see there are tons of places that cater to your lifestyle here. Here is a list for LA, and here is a list for San Francisco.

The weather here is San Diego, San Francisco and LA is a Mediterranean climate, and stays a constant 60-75 degrees near the shoreline, but usually gets hotter inland (at least in SD/LA). To my dismay, it rarely rains here. It's very sunny here, but the nights are amazing. It's cool enough where you can wear whatever you want during the nighttime and not suffer for it.

That's pretty much a general look at CA.

Rogoth, what specific area of biology are you looking at? what research questions?

UCSF is highly prestigious. I don't know enough about safety/not safety of the area though. But they are one of the very top as far as research.
UCLA has a LOT going on research-wise. Same with UC San Diego. I suspect you'll have an easier time finding affordable housing (not in La Jolla proper - that's the area where UCSD is - but further south in San Diego). In the LA area, you'd probably have to go about 3-5 miles south of UCLA to find more affordable housing, although I don't know what the graduate housing situation offers.
In all cases, see what they offer in graduate housing.

Same comments from me regarding UC Irvine.

Thank you for all the great advice Arbitrator! Everything you've said just makes me all kinds of excited to go to California and see it for myself. *giddy like a kid in a candy shop*

Harpy, I'm mostly interested in virology/microbiology/immunology at the moment. All four schools have tons of labs I'm interested in (I think UCSF and UCB had the most though). I'm not applying to UCLA because they want a subject GRE test in one of the sciences and I don't have enough time to really study for those and get a decent score (I wish though!). Thanks for the tips! I know some of the schools I've looked at have suggested certain areas that grad students tend to live at, but I don't recall which schools said what (everything is currently a mush in my head, haha).

Thank you both once again for the advice! Hopefully I get interviews at the four schools in the spring so I can come out and get a better feel personally.

Anytime. If you have any more questions feel free to ask; it's no trouble at all.

I will definitely do so as I progress through this crazy adventure.

I'm out here in the sticks.

Is there anyone else currently in the Auburn, Grass Valley area?

*pokes all the California goths* I am here, in your state, possibly near some of your cities, INVADING!!!! Bwahahahaha, Texas invasion. But seriously, I am finally in the great state of California for the weekend interviewing in Irvine. I don't know how to work this, but for those nearby, I'm free starting Saturday after 1pm if anyone has ideas of how to meet up (I don't have a car and I don't know if taxis will be covered by the department I'm interviewing with after their activities end). Huzzah!

Hurrah indeed! I'm not too far (Huntington Beach) but I too have no car & no money atm to take a bus...but maybe some other time!

-- Fri Feb 03, 2012 4:56 pm --

New exibit opening that I hope to see: Orange County Center for Contemporary Art

And if you haven't yet seen it, don't forget this one being put on by Muzeo...it's on 'til the 12th.

Totally understand. Wish things could have worked out though! I will meet you awesome people one day and it will be great!

I'll try to check out some of the things you recommended if I can get a ride.

If you can get up north, Sonoma County is beautiful. Check out the Redwoods. They are just... amazing.

At some point, LS and I may go up there.

You should! It's just beautiful. It's like being in a enchanted forest.

Ah, I really miss those grand trees and the fog. Moving was probably the worst thing I could have done. The south isn't for me.