OB is very similar in character to any number of New England or Long Island beach towns (in a good way). That would surprise me not at all, considering the origin of the OP.
The “how long ago did you raise kids” argument is spurious, as crime is basically lower now than it’s been in the last 40 years.
And I spent summers 20 years ago in a town on the East Coast very similar to OB. An eclectic mix of bikies, tourists, old people, homeless vets, artists, and gay folk — the last two before they became trendy and accepted 🙂 Was biking to the beach alone or with friends to surf by the time I was 11 or 12. Fond memories here.
