The sunny and perpetually mild Mediterranean-type climate allows you to get outside all year long, ranking SLO #13 in our Weather subcategory. Good thing, too, because the city is stacked with reasons to be outdoors. Its location among loamy, vineyard-dotted hills and forested mountains is still just minutes from undeveloped coastline and dramatic eye candy like Morro Bay.
These days, SLO is moving fast—to protect its natural bounty while laying the foundation for a more inclusive community. From attempts to repurpose aging infrastructure like the Morro Bay power plant to nurturing new talent in partnership with California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly)—consistently ranked one of the top public colleges in the country—SLO is creating its future collaboratively.
But there’s always time for wine—and fresh local produce. SLO’s Thursday evening farmers’ market is one of the best on the West Coast, helping raise the city to its #16 ranking for Shopping.