 
Forget Skin! The O.C. has cuter leads, thicker plots, and better clothes. Benjamin McKenzie's Ryan is like an 'N Sync Brando, and Mischa Barton is so much cuter than Skin's Olivia Wilde.
It's already happening. Surf style pretty much started here—think Quiksilver, Hurley, Billabong, Op. And Vans, Paul Frank, Oakley, and Urban Decay are also headquartered in these parts.
Actually, no. In April, the Newport Beach Film Festival screens more than 300 independent films. Hipsters hang year-round at Santa Ana's Santora Arts Building, which features 30-plus galleries and a constant string of events.
You can shop, too! The famous South Coast Plaza mall is home to dozens of designer stores, including a newly opened Roberto Cavalli boutique; Snob in Corona del Mar carries labels like Cornell Collins, Patricia Field, and Rami Kashou. There's even an alternative "anti-mall, The Lab."
Laguna Beach's new Montage Resort & Spa has the best view in town. Its restaurant, Studio, sits on a 50-foot oceanfront bluff and has a wine list longer than the Pacific Coast Highway.
"I get all the benefits of the big city while living in an area with a cleaner environment, lower crime, and less traffic," explains Newport Beach–based designer Amy Sue Keck, whose girlie line Aimisu is carried at L.A.'s Fred Segal and Blonde. "It's the ultimate southern California experience."
—Victoria Namkung
Snob, 2345 East Coast Hwy., (949) 723-0914; Roberto Cavalli, 3333 Bristol St., (714) 850-1400; Santora Building of the Arts, 207 N. Broadway; Montage Resort & Spa, 30801 South Coast Hwy., (866) 271-6953.
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