Almost every kind of outdoor lifestyle is happening here: rock climbing, bouldering, mountain climbing, mountain biking, biking, surfing, running, hiking, swimming, sea kayaking, golfing and just being on a beach if hanging out is your thing. The chill part comes in part from the beauty and in part from the distance from the mania of Los Angeles, the Bay Area or really any major city. It’s a wonderful place to be active and relax at the same time. 

**Here's a review from a former local who misses the city:**
*I really miss this town. It may seem boring to some because it's a far drive from the big cities like SJ, SF, SB, and LA. However, I love SLO for all that it has to offer.*

*Everybody is outdoorsy. If you're not outdoorsy, you'll become outdoorsy. Whether it's rock climbing, bouldering, mountain climbing, mountain biking, biking, surfing, skating, running, walking, or just strolling. Oh wait, like some other Quorans mentioned, there's golfing, archery, shooting, kayaking, and hiking. There's something there for you. And well, the beach is only 10 minutes away for the sunbathers. Everybody is fit here! I seldom saw overweight people. The obesity epidemic definitely does not apply to this tow*

For more reviews of what living in San Luis Obispo is like from locals check out: [**The Buzz**](https://lookyloomove.com/locations/san-luis-obispo?page=buzz)

A Chill Outdoor Lifestyle

The Best Thing About San Luis Obispo?

The isolation of SLO (what locals call San Luis Obispo) makes it tough for young professionals who look for a more active city life. You’re a few hours from Los Angeles or the Bay Area and at times transplanters feel that gap and complain about the sleepy nature of the pace here. The college provides some lifestyle buffer for recent graduates still into the pub party scene but there is a stretch of age between 25-35 when those not in the family way will complain there isn’t enough to do. 

**Here's a transplant's pov on the location/opportunity struggle:** 
*I’m from LA area and moved here to go to Cal Poly. Originally, I was really excited to move to a place where the pace of life was slower than SoCal. But 4 years later, I’m realizing that being here has really prevented me from growing in the same way that I would in a larger metropolis area like LA or Bay Area.*


The Gap 

The Worst Thing About San Luis Obispo?

Life in SLO operates at a slow pace. The weather is perpetually nice and locals spend their time taking advantage of that mild climate. As noted there is an endless supply of outdoor activities to participate in and if you move here that will be a major part of your lifestyle. Locals also enjoy a major farmer’s market downtown on Thursday nights (this is the central valley, agriculture is a huge deal), and there is a big art/gallery scene here that hosts wine/food events the first Friday of each month. There are a surprising number of good restaurants in all kinds of different cuisines and you are surrounded by amazing wineries so the foodie/wine passionate will like it here. The schools are excellent and the outdoor lifestyle means families get a pretty wholesome and supportive experience.

If you want to see what's happening in SLO check out the calendar of events: https://downtownslo.com/events/calendar


Lifestyle of San Luis Obispo

For a California city the tech scene is limited, although they’re trying to change that, but do not move here expecting to find the tech or rich industry opportunities of SF or LA or San Diego or San Jose. For the most part it’s a town with medical and service jobs. You’re way too far to commute to a major city so you’ll need to work remotely to make it work. 


Workstyle of San Luis Obispo

For families looking to escape the zaniness of a big city and raise their kiddos in a pure SLO outdoor culture this is an amazing choice. 


SLO Down

Why You Should Move Here Now?

Downtown holds most of the nightlife of SLO. Lounges, bars and music venues line Higuera Street so finding an apartment here means you’ll be walking to go out at night as well as during the day when you take advantage of the SLO creek that runs through downtown. Theaters and the city museums are also here for those looking to get some culture. 

The Railroad District is another good choice. Considered the “hippest” neighborhood in SLO it has an urban-ish vibe, with plenty of places to eat and drink for young professionals and college kids. It also has more converted buildings for apartments/condos for the younger folk who like the proximity to downtown but want cheaper living. 
- Downtown
- Railroad District
- Highland (students)
- Monterey St/California Blvd (students)


Young Professionals/Students

Downtown

If you’re looking for great views and big estates then check out Prefumo Canyon Road neighborhood. Much of the area has secluded rural estates with plenty of land and amazing views of the canyon. The homes are very pricey but they are huge and feature lots of fancy amenities if that’s your thing. 

If you prefer being close to downtown, for work or social reasons, check out the Mill Street Historic District. It’s the oldest neighborhood in SLO and the tree-lined blocks feature beautiful old Tudors, Craftsman and Mission Revival homes. You’re within walking distance of an excellent restaurant and shopping scene along Monterey Street. 
- Prefumo Canyon Road
- Mill Street Historic District
- Laguna Lake
- The Arbors
- San Luis Obispo Country Club


Families

Prefumo Canyon Road

SLO doesn’t have the planned communities you find in Arizona or Florida. Retirees either live independently near downtown or they live in one of the many retirement homes. A new retirement community called Villaggio, https://villaggioslo.com/,  is coming in 2024. This will be a retirement neighborhood with all the amenities of a “city” all contained within. Home choices like Villas, or apartment homes, independent living or assisted and memory care. Onsite movie theater, salon and spa, health club, restaurants and of course Pickleball!!
- Villagio


Retirees

Villagio

San Luis Obispo

**What is it like to live in San Luis Obispo, CA?**

Absolutely stunning!

I really miss this town. It may seem boring to some because it's a far drive from the big cities like SJ, SF, SB, and LA. However, I love SLO for all that it has to offer.

Everybody is outdoorsy. If you're not outdoorsy, you'll become outdoorsy. Whether it's rock climbing, bouldering, mountain climbing, mountain biking, biking, surfing, skating, running, walking, or just strolling. Oh wait, like some other Quorans mentioned, there's golfing, archery, shooting, kayaking, and hiking. There's something there for you. And well, the beach is only 10 minutes away for the sunbathers. Everybody is fit here! I seldom saw overweight people. The obesity epidemic definitely does not apply to this town.

Farmers Market on Thursday nights kind of gets old. However, there are tons of good eats around town. I made it a goal to try as many of the eateries as possible, and my, there are so many! The cuisine I didn't find to my liking is Chinese. They have lots of Thai and Japanese, Mexican, Fusion, pizzerias, bars, delis, and coffee shops. And of course, the tri-tip!

Daily life is on the slow side, and it's definitely a town to relax in. There's no need to need to rush everywhere. Everyone says hello and is friendly. If they're mad at you, they're college kids not from the area or they're just not from the area.

Every first Friday of the month, places open up and showcase art. Art galleries open up and other small shops showcase art along with a nice serving of wine and snacks!

Job opportunities in terms of tech is low, though they're trying to change that. Lots of medical offices and service jobs.

Wineries are everywhere! Paso Robles is the main area and there are spots scattered all throughout SLO County.

Housing can be a love. There are some amazing neighborhoods. Most people think SLO is expensive to live in, so they live in surrounding towns and commute into SLO for work. Also, watch out for apartments and places that are close to campus. That's where the rowdiness usually is. Which leads me to a side note about the college scene. There are lots of young people here, lending itself to the bar scene and abundance of coffee shops that serve both as hipster stop and study spot.

Weather is very mild. Usually a little colder than LA, but nothing terrible. Practically sunny year-round.

I've since moved away, and there are so many benefits to living in SLO that I miss. Mostly because it's a small town and everything is within a 10 minute drive. I used to think 10 minutes was a long drive, now I commute 20-30 minutes just to get anywhere.

**Transplants: How do you like living in SLO and the Central Coast?**
Originally from Boston, moved out here 3 years ago to run my company's satellite office. It's beautiful, it's quiet, the weather is great, but I can't wait to leave. Personally I can't stand how far away from any major cities we are. It makes travel difficult and time consuming (unless you're willing to pay out the ass to fly from SLO) and if you ever want to see any major bands on tour, better plan a whole weekend in LA or SF to do so. Cost of living is high, but without many of the conveniences and amenities you get with a comparable cost of living in Boston or DC (where I'm headed next). Trying to make friends or meet people in the 25-34 crowd is tough. Career mobility seems very limited. It's been a nice experience though and I'm glad I got to live the more rural side of things to know it's not for me.

**Transplants: How do you like living in SLO and the Central Coast?**
I’m from LA area and moved here to go to Cal Poly. Originally, I was really excited to move to a place where the pace of life was slower than SoCal. But 4 years later, I’m realizing that being here has really prevented me from growing in the same way that I would in a larger metropolis area like LA or Bay Area. The truth is is that this population is one of the most homogeneous populations I’ve ever encountered, and for someone who doesn’t fit the mold of the typical person here (granola hippie, wine lover, college frat boy partier, retiree, or typical suburban family) I hit a ceiling in my search to find meaningful friendships since most of the people in slo live and act the same way. Also, since this is a college town, the whole city is designed around what the typical college student wants, which grows really boring after a while. I’m lucky that I found a group of friends, but it sometimes feels like I’m living in a simulation where I’m meeting the same person over and over again.

All in all, I think the average person is nicer than in other places, but the surface level friendliness gets really old after a while and you eventually wish you weren’t surrounded by the same well-off, white, liberal yuppie-in-training clone.

**What is it like living in San Luis Obispo?**

It has morphed from, as others have said, a small pleasant college town, into a small often unpleasant upscale bourgeois escape for Bay Area and LA people with money.

The police are draconian. It costs $250 if you run a stop sign on your bike. parking fines are about $30. I have personally have run-ins with them that I thought were unjustified.

There were new regulations passed before I left making it illegal to put living room furniture on your porch or let your trash cans show from the street.

All this in an attempt to make the place postcard pretty for the new people who moved there because it was “so pretty”.

But it is without the honest down-to-earth soul it used to have, there is a lot more traffic, more upscale shopping, and the people have joined the competition to be cool and look like they come out of magazines.

It’s another Santa Barbara, if you like that……

I found another SLO-1976 in Hawaii and I live there now.

**What is it like to live in San Luis Obispo, CA?**

I grew up near San Luis Obispo, and after 6 years in Long Beach, returned to SLO to start a family. Much of my extended family lives around the Central Coast -- whether as retirees; or folks approaching that age. From what I gather, my personal story isn't too dissimilar from many others in SLO.

There are many retired folk (and folk approaching retirement age) in SLO. The natural, mostly undeveloped landscape is awesome, the seascapes are awesome (and accessible), and the climate is fantastic. Most locals drive slowly, defer right of way, and follow traffic laws. I couldn't think of a better place to retire (except for, maybe, Puerto Rico, for $ reasons [it's expensive to live in SLO, and California in general!]).
There are many young families in SLO. Cultural activities in SLO are rarely child-unfriendly (perhaps only the occassional Pozo concert from Snoop or Nas might be considered child unfriendly... maybe some of the Mardi Gras events near Cal Poly, too). Tons of outdoor activities provide a rare, meaningful, natural environment. Low crime. I couldn't think of a better place to raise children.
Then there's also the College scene here per Cal Poly. I studied in Long Beach, but many of my friends attended Cal Poly. From what I gather, SLO doesn't offer as much "modern urban culture" -- there's really not much of a hip hop scene here at all, for instance -- but instead offers more of a "small town, rural culture" -- lots of local farmer's markets, local singer/songwriters, and events like chalk drawing by the riverbed.

My favorite things to do in SLO, and major causes for my return (besides raising a family here) include:

Being able to surf on seemingly untouched, clean, practically private, beautiful beaches; with great surf...
All the amazing wineries and breweries around here (it's much more fun to live here post-age-21 than pre-age-21)
Being able to eat local food I can see growing year round, raised and prepared by people I get to know. The steak here is better than anything you can get in the city... in fact, many cities buy their steak from around here, but serve it to their customers 1-4 days less fresh than you can get it around here....

**Living the Best Life - Why She Loves San Luis Obispo | California Central Coast Living**

San Luis Obispo, California