This thread makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Or maybe it's the weather today
You'd think, having lived in several other places (NoCal, Vegas, Dallas, England), that I'd be able to come up with very specific reasons why I'm glad to live in Socal, but then you'd be disappointed. It's hard to put my finger on it, but when you're away you just miss it.
Obviously better weather is not to be found anywhere else in the world. I like that the ground is not flat - I've lived with a lack of mountains and it's just disturbing, makes the whole world seem sad and devoid of interest (is that silly?). We have everything here. Sure, we may have to drive a little to get from one point to another, but I'm within "weekending" distance of just about every kind of climate from desert to sub-alpine.
Here's one, often imitated, never duplicated: The Hollywood Bowl. If you've never done it, it would be hard to describe the experience, but there's really nothing quite as swanky as sharing a picnic basket full of gourmet goodies from Trader Joe's or Gelson's on a warm afternoon in the Hollywood Hills, the civilized outdoorsiness of sitting down in one of the world's best natural amphitheatres and experiencing some of the greatest music ever produced. The casual formality of it all, which you simply cannot find by going to the symphony or the pops (Boston's recent incident notwithstanding). The warm weather, even in the end-of-season concerts, where a mere sweatshirt will suffice to keep off the chill as you sip your wine and hear some of the nation's most legendary talents perform. In fact, an evening at the Hollywood Bowl sums up just about everything that's great about Southern California: our weather, our laid-back approach to life, the wide variety of culture available at our fingertips, the way even the poorest citizens can have access to the finer things in life, the warm breezes from the desert and fine mist off the ocean as the sun disappears behind the mountains for the evening, the sense that something amazing could happen any time. Experiencing this all with great friends who are all remarkably different from eachother, and swanky enough to appreciate the differences.
I also like being more spread out and knowing I will find a parking space for my car. I love the architecture, the way we value an attractive environment without losing variety (if one area is too Stepford for you, you drive 20 minutes and you're in Surf City, as BTD put it), the variety of distinct city cultures (not just one regional "culture" but many), the beauty everywhere (which I've already alluded to with other reasons), the wide range of activities, and, of course, Disneyland.