One of the surprising things I like about living in Riverside is its location.

At first, I thought it was just an Inland Empire city far east of LA, but when you look at a map, it has a surprisingly good location that makes it easy to get around. You can go to the beach, the mountains, and the desert. Of course, this comes with the condition that there is no traffic, typical of Southern California.

The most important place is definitely LA. It's about 55 to 60 miles from Riverside to downtown LA by road. If traffic is really good, you can make it in just over an hour, but during weekday rush hours, the story changes completely. Once the 91 or 60 freeways start to get congested, it can easily take two hours or more, depending on the situation.

Still, having LA this close is a big advantage for Koreans. If you want to eat authentic Korean food or have errands in Koreatown, you can easily make a trip on the weekend. You can also go to concerts, museums, or sports events. While commuting daily from LA is tough, it's definitely feasible to use it as a weekend getaway.

To the west, there's Ontario. It's about 15 to 20 miles from Riverside, making it quite close. With Ontario International Airport, it's really convenient because you don't have to go all the way to LAX when flying. Chino and Pomona are also within a 20 to 30-mile range, so many people travel back and forth for shopping or work.

Directly to the east is Moreno Valley. You can think of it as essentially an extension of Riverside. When you go back and forth for shopping or dining, you might not even realize you've left Riverside. If you go about 10 to 15 miles north, you'll reach San Bernardino, which is another major city in the Inland Empire along with Riverside.

There are also many places to visit on the weekends. If you head south, you'll find Temecula. It's about 40 miles away and is known for its many wineries, making it a great spot for a day trip. You can leave in the morning, visit a few wineries, have lunch, and return before dinner.

Going east, you'll find Palm Springs. Depending on your starting point, the actual driving distance can be just over 50 miles, but it's definitely doable as a day trip. There are many golf courses, resorts, and spas, making it especially nice to visit in the winter. However, it can be much hotter than Riverside in the summer, so I prefer going in the winter or spring.

If you want to go to the mountains, there's Big Bear Lake. It may look close on the map, but you need to drive up mountain roads, so you should allow plenty of time for the drive. In winter, you can go for snow activities or skiing, and in summer, you can enjoy the lake and mountains.

San Diego is outside the 50-mile radius. It's about 90 to 100 miles from Riverside, so depending on traffic, it can take an hour and a half to over two hours. Still, it's not an unreasonable distance for a weekend trip.

Ultimately, the advantage of Riverside is not that everything is in the city itself. In fact, it's the opposite. You can go to LA, visit the Temecula wineries, explore the Palm Springs desert, and head up to Big Bear. With a little more driving, you can even reach the beaches of San Diego.

So, Riverside feels more like a hub connecting various living areas in Southern California rather than a destination itself. You can live relatively quietly during the week and then choose to go to LA, the mountains, the desert, or the wineries on the weekend, depending on your mood. Once you experience it, you'll find this is a surprisingly big advantage.