When I visited the city, before moving there, we passed the temple on the 5 and I said, "What the heck is that?? We're too far south for Disneyland." Wound up living a couple blocks away, which was surreal.
I was a california mormon teen girl in a former life, and unlike my utah peers, we did not have temples close. Each one was a long drive away.
So most girls in my church classes had a favorite temple they daydreamed about marrying in. San Diego and Salt Lake City were the most popular picks by far.