Redlands

A small, upper-middle and upper class city on the outskirts of San Bernardino county and near a half dozen larger, "ghetto" cities. While some hold that Redlands has its slums and poor districts, in reality, such areas of the city are few and far between. Redlands is primarily home to old, rich, white people who frivolously spend their excess money on gas-guzzling cars and in local department stores. Most curious about the city are the elated feelings of self-importance of most residents. Walkways must be made of brick, as are many streets. The city enters floats in the Rose Parade, and holds celebrations for its anniversary every year. Many residents actually feel as though the city has given some great contribution to the world, and that the city should be honored for this. Local teens break down into a few basic groups: preps/snobs, emos, "gangsters," and drug addicts. Preps make up a large portion of the teenage population, and it is not uncommon to hear a conversation regarding the brand new car given to a teen on their sixteenth birthday. Like any rich area, many teens find themselves struggling with depression and are borderline emo simply because their lives are so hard. With bills easily paid, nice cars, nice houses, and a decent school district, who wouldn’t battle depression? There are, of course, the "gangsters" of Redlands, those who state, "I went to public school" and believe they’re bad ass because of it. They wear spiky hair and baggy clothes in an attempt to rebel against the preppy, rich atmosphere of the city. The teens are not to blame, but rather the parents, who have spoiled them rotten, and the city, where the best weekend activity is leaving the city. Lastly, the city of Redlands has its own university, the U of R, supposedly one of the best. Obviously, statistics can make anything sound good if broken down as far as "the 7th best liberal arts college in the southwestern United States." This university boasts poor professors, nazi public safety officers, and a 90% white student population. If you enjoy living in a boring city surrounded by rich white people, Redlands is the place for you.