What is life like in the inland empire?

I’m out here right now for a job interview. I live in Washington but have lived in Ventura county. After reading about it on the internet, it seems way nicer than people make it sound. What is it like to live out here? I hear about air pollution, crime, industrialization. But there also seem to be friendly neighborhoods, lots of hikes, and beautiful views. What do you know about it?

Bonus points if you can guess where I took the snapshot.