I live near San Bernardino, a once very nice city with large areas now totally destroyed by the usual suspects.
I lived in California when I was growing up. What I remember of it centers around how it seemed one couldn't really be unhappy or depressed if one was living there.
I guess people bring their own troubles to themselves, and if they're living in a physical paradise, they their troubles are that much worse.
I grew up there from age 8 until 20. Graduated from San Gorgonio, class of ‘71, then SBVCC before transferring to SDSU. My dad retired at Norton AFB which is how we ended up there. Haven’t been back since the mid 90s. Many fond memories of how it used to be.