Rust&Stardust

babynaj101, really, it's not a horrible place to live. There IS some good news. It took me a little while to adapt; it's not as hip as Los Angeles or as scenic as San Diego. But if you're in a grad program, you're not going to have much time for socializing or enjoying the scenery anyway. With that said, a few areas of Riverside are really nice. As mentioned above, the Canyon Crest area is nice, and so is the area along Victoria Avenue, which runs east/west along the entire city. There are even houses around there that I'd classify as mansions. West Riverside is also peaceful, with a lot of residential areas, and is about a 20-minute drive to campus. The area close to downtown Riverside is full of beautiful, historical Victorian and Craftsman-style homes. Sometimes, you can find perfectly lovely houses to rent; it just depends on your budget and/or ability to find roommates. Also, the cities to the west and northwest of Riverside (Corona, Ontario, Chino) are, for the most part, very decent places to live and priced comparative to Riverside's housing. The summers here are fairly brutal (for me, anyway), with extremely dry heat and smog. However, the winters are very lovely and mild, and the skies clear up. The downtown area is fairly lively, especially on the weekends, with a fun street-scene vibe. There are also some great places to hike near the campus, including Mt. Rubidoux and the state citrus park. All that I've really found lacking here are quality restaurants, but I admit that I haven't extensively explored all of Riverside's dining options. But Riverside is so close to a great many other cool places! Ontario has a gigantic mall if the one in Riverside doesn't meet your needs. The best way to make the most of Riverside is to get reliable transportation and then explore all of the surrounding areas (which are among the most diverse, interesting, beautiful places in the entire country). Get yourself a FastPass for the 91 freeway and zoom just a few miles southwest to Orange County (beaches, Disneyland, Knotts Berry Farm, museums, and more restaurants and shopping than you could possibly explore in just a few years). Los Angeles and its beaches are around 45-60 miles away, and gorgeous San Diego is 100 scenic miles to the south for weekend getaways. Temecula (Southern California's wine country) is 45 miles to the south on the way to San Diego. Palm Springs is a lot of fun, with interesting architecture and a bustling main drag, 50 miles to the east. So, really, there is a lot to enjoy when living in Riverside if you broaden your horizons a bit. I've only skimmed the surface, but I hope this helps to provide some good news for you!

None of us oldies are inexperienced and naive about the way the world works. In fact, those 'disadvantages' of beginning a PhD program 'late in life' (ha!) are merely just another set of disadvantages that have plagued most of us oldies all our lives. I wasn't able to begin college right after high school. I grew up poor and attended a high school that didn't even encourage its students to pursue higher education. My family didn't either, and I immediately went to work. If I'd been asked to define what a scholarship meant at that time, I wouldn't have been able to. None of that was part of my world. In my early twenties, I began to long for something more and seriously considered the idea of community college. However, I didn't work up the courage to attend until my mid-twenties. Over the next decade, I attended steadily but could usually only take two classes a semester due to my work schedules. In my early thirties, I began a well-paying career around the same time I transferred to a university to finish my upper-division work. Despite the money I made, my college career began taking precedence; I loved it more than my job. When I finished, I missed it so much that I began pursuing my MA. It's the most satisfying accomplishment of my life, and--yes--my passion. Interestingly, despite my PhD admission committee's knowledge of my age, they awarded me a prestigious fellowship. I may be the oldest member of my cohort...but I have the best funding package. I take this as a vote of confidence in my abilities (and recognition that I won't be succumbing to dementia anytime soon) despite the ageism that admittedly exists all around us. And maybe life experiences and the accompanying maturity counts for something. All I know is that I look damn good for my age (I'm routinely told I look at least ten years younger; this has been the case throughout my life), and my expertise just keeps growing. I feel like I'm doing pretty good for someone who wasn't even supposed to get into college in the first place, and that's satisfying in every way.

I used to drive from San Diego to Long Beach (and back!) on Fridays, and it was a total NIGHTMARE. Fridays, I think, are the worst days for commutes through San Diego and Orange counties. It usually took 3 to 3 1/2 hours each way. The 5 is horrific, and so are all of the other freeways once you get into L.A. County. I second the above poster's recommendation. I never took the Amtrak, but I know others who have, and it sounds so much better. I used to get migraines from the pure frustration of inching along the freeway at a snail's pace for three hours straight. Not fun!