This category takes into account multiple aspects of the city. We are considering demographics, the variety of businesses, whether small or large, the historical upbringing of a city, what it has to offer in terms of being a sole residential area to a very active commercial area. We also take into account how quickly the city can adapt to change in the community, whether it is slow to adapt or constantly changing. In doing so, we can see how each city truly contrasts from each other, making a single "626" title slightly inaccurate in terms of the stark differences of each city.

San Marino is very residential and not very commercial that does not have a multitude of stores or restaurants in comparison to other 626 cities. The demographic breakdown of the city is primarily White (41.3% 2010 Census Data) and Asian (53.5% 2010 Census Data). According to 2010 Census Data, 4.6% of the population lives below the poverty line. Historically, it has been successful in dodging state mandates. There is a limited number of businesses in San Marino due to strict city ordinances.

San Gabriel itself is rich with history considering it is the home of the San Gabriel Mission. Both Valley Blvd and Main Street are full of plazas with a multitude of restaurants, stores and businesses, and supermarkets. Hawaii Supermarket, HK Supermarket, San Gabriel Superstore, 99 Ranch Market, Mitsuwa Marketplace, 168 Market, etc. are just some of many grand supermarkets, in conjunction with typical chain supermarkets, that reside in San Gabriel. The demographic breakdown of the city includes Native Americans, Latinos, Asians, Whites, Blacks, Pacific Islanders, etc. Although Asians act as the minority race, there is a huge variety of individual ethnicities such as Filipinos, Vietnamese, Chinese, Taiwanese, Japanese, Korean, Indian, etc. that compose the Asian race. This reflects in the types of restaurants available in San Gabriel. 

El Monte does have a prominent Mexican population, but their Latino population does include not just Mexican Americans, but Salvadoran, Guatemalan, Nicaraguan, Honduran, Peruvian, Puerto Rican, Cuban and other persons (Social Explorer Census 2010 Information). The same goes for the Asian population consisting of 25% of the total population. This percentage represents a multitude of Asian American ethnicities. El Monte has many high schools and overall is large in area. This allows them to have a range of extremely small, family-owned businesses to super centers and malls. They have a huge section of their city dedicated to car dealerships.

This category takes into account the welcomeness of each city. This looks at city ordinances, or lack thereof that might deter or attract visitors and tourists to the area. This also takes into consideration certain types of people as a night parking ordinance might be enacted to avoid homeless people sleeping in their cars on the street. Typically, cities with high efforts to promote the beauty of their town might simultaneously welcome and ostracize certain visitors. In this, we can assess that although some cities might have high academic achievement within their high schools, they might not always have other features to their cities that are positive or forthcoming. Ultimately, it emphasizes the fact that although these cities are clumped together in a single "San Gabriel Valley" entity, there are internal efforts to make a point to distinguish and highlight difference and individuality.

Many city ordinances have been enacted to make San Marino a very exclusive residential area. For one, in 1993, they were able to resist a state act that required each city to have 13 units of affordable housing. Their main public park, Lacy Park, charges $4 for entry for non-San Marino Residents. Their city charges a tax for attending their school, and no condominiums, apartment complexes, townhouses, fast food restaurants or drive-thrus are allowed in the city. On personal experience, I was sitting outside my friend's house in a Mini Cooper decorated in Rudolph the Reindeer attire for the holiday season. I was confronted by a cop who said that he received a call from a neighbor reporting suspicious activity from a car that matched my exact description. I deduced that the neighborhood, to some reasonable extent, must have a complete lack of crime if police officers have enough time to check up on a Reindeer Mobile. 

(source: People's Guide to Los Angeles by Laura Pulido, Laura Barraclough and Wendy Cheng, 2012)

San Gabriel excels in welcomeness due to their prominence as a commercial area and tourist attraction. The San Gabriel Mission itself is a huge tourist attraction as it landmarks the legacy of Father Junipero Serra. Additionally, Valley Blvd and Main St offer a variety of plazas, shopping centers, restaurants and stores that attract not only 626 locals but international visitors. The Hilton Hotel in San Gabriel is famous for having international Asian tourists coming in to visit the area or engage in business trips. 

El Monte has a large surface area and the roads are confusing for those who are not familiar with the area. Some areas seem to be exclusive to Spanish-speakers, but it is also concurrently very welcoming if you can speak the language. There is a vast small-business community that brings a sense of familiarity and community to those who reside in El Monte. There is a growing influx of Asian businesses as El Monte borders Rosemead which has a large Chinese and Vietnamese population. Restaurants of the respective Asian ethnicities are sporadically popping up as years pass by. Historically, there is a divide between Asian and Latino ethnicities based on cultural differences and institutional factors that pit the two races against each other, but there is some sense of hope in the modification and changing of the city.