We have the best beaches in CA. HB is in conservative Orange County & very safe. It's a great place to live & raise a family.
I'm in HB - that being said, anyone moving out for the first time should move to West LA. Zillions of apartments on the LA/Santa Monica border (Barrington), zillions of people of like mind/age, close to the beach and easy access to all the city action. Not to mention all the jobs are right there as well.
Do some time in LA, explore Malibu, South Bay, Griffith Park, Pasadena, Ventura/Santa Barbara, etc. Then look into OC ie HB/Newport Beach, then San Diego around downtown, Mission Beach.
OC is great when it's time to settle down and move into a tract home; LA is better if you want to explore around for a few years.