A survey ranking “staycation” amenities in the 100 most populous states in America claims that Chula Vista is the only place worse than Anaheim and Santa Ana when it comes to spending vacations at home.
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Consumer site WalletHub.com compiled 2015's Best & Worst Cities for Staycations because the economy is leaving many people unable to afford travel this summer. So, the top 100 cities were analyzed across “17 key metrics,” including numbers of golf courses and tennis courts, movie and bowling costs, numbers of spa and wellness centers and maid-service costs.
When it comes to that last metric, you can see why Santa Ana takes the No. 99 spot. The few maids left in town can charge up the butt to work in Santa Ana because most of them work in Newport Beach, Coto de Caza and Villa Park.
Actually, WalletHub has Santa Ana that low in part because of its Recreation Activities Rank (100, or worst in the country), Food & Entertainment Rank (83) and Rest & Relaxation Rank (91).
That put the Orange County seat one slot lower than No. 98 Anaheim, which despite being the site of one of the largest resort districts on the West Coast, finished 98th in Recreation Activities, 94th in Food & Entertainment and 84th in Rest & Relaxation.
Maybe it's difficult of Anaheimers to rest and relax in the shadow of Disneyland because they can't afford to go to Disneyland.
The only other Orange County city to make the list of 100 is Irvine at No. 82. Do residents of Stockton (81st), Long Beach (62nd) and Cleveland (37th) really have better vacations in their cities than their counterparts in Irvine? Incredible.
Of course, this survey is curious before one even reaches the OC portion. Having spent much time in both places, I can't fathom Sacramento being at No. 27 over No. 32 San Francisco (which just so happens to be where I vacation most–when I can afford to leave town). Incredibly, WalletHubbers have Cow Town as California's highest ranking staycation city.
They do have a lot of trees and public parks and fabulous Midtown in Sacramento, but better to stay there to vacation than Baghdad by the Bay? Hmmm …
Number 1 goes to Orlando, Florida, in the survey that has Atlanta finishing second and it's Cincinnati to show.
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OC Weekly Editor-in-Chief Matt Coker has been engaging, enraging and entertaining readers of newspapers, magazines and websites for decades. He spent the first 13 years of his career in journalism at daily newspapers before “graduating” to OC Weekly in 1995 as the alternative newsweekly’s first calendar editor.