Los Angeles (Long Beach, Santa Clarita, La Mirada: homes, work, gangs)

[fastfilm]

I've spent half a century here, and we will move the second my husband retires. Weather isn't the only quality of life issue.

Los Angeles is only liveable if:
1)You're quite wealthy
2)You're an illegal immigrant
3)You love being in a gang

[GregJ]

Originally Posted by fastfilm

I've spent half a century here, and we will move the second my husband retires. Weather isn't the only quality of life issue.

Los Angeles is only liveable if:
1)You're quite wealthy
2)You're an illegal immigrant
3)You love being in a gang

I just returned to SoCal from the great green north. LA's not perfect but believe me, once you leave for a few years like I did, it looks a whole lot better! I've known a ton of people who left thinking the same thing as you and either came back or wish they could afford to come back. They all move away to Colorado, Oregon, Arizona, etc and find (as I did) that:

-the "locals" are often intellectually challenged (I'm being nice),
-the weather stinks,
-there is zero culture (unless demolition derby's are your thing!),
-most of rural America is on anti-depressants or drinks too much.

Try staying in SoCal but moving a little further out like Ventura, Santa Clarita, or Palm Springs. I'm in Long Beach and think it's the best kept secret in LA County!

My two cents worth!

[Buddy]

Long Beach is OK I guess.I live in LaMirad.It is a better place to live than Long Beach in my opinion. But also in my opinion Brea is the best urban place to live. It does not have the notoriety of Beverly Hills but has all the good stuff with out the pretence. The down side,cost. The price for a home is insanely high.

[GregJ]

I'd agree that Brea/Placential are actually pretty nice areas but they seem awfully congested. Being inland they get the bad LA air during the summer. I like being close to the beach for the obvious reasons. Hanging out in Belmont Shore/Seal Beach, kayaking in the bay, bike paths, and plenty to do works for me. Check it out!

[Jim Jimbo Jimmerson]

Originally Posted by fastfilm

I've spent half a century here, and we will move the second my husband retires. Weather isn't the only quality of life issue.

Los Angeles is only liveable if:
1)You're quite wealthy
2)You're an illegal immigrant
3)You love being in a gang

all of the above fo me

[timmy-tot]

Yeah..i agree with Jim Jimbo Jimmerson, only cause we live together..and the GaNgS here are cool, we love seeing the work they do on people's wall's lol and we havent paid our taxes in 4 years!!! we arnt going to let anything stop us either

[Jim Jimbo Jimmerson]

Originally Posted by timmy-tot

Yeah..i agree with Jim Jimbo Jimmerson, only cause we live together..and the GaNgS here are cool, we love seeing the work they do on people's wall's lol and we havent paid our taxes in 4 years!!! we arnt going to let anything stop us either

shhhhhhhh.... dont tell anyone...

[fastfilm]

Greg, I cannot afford nor do we want the 1,000 sq. ft., $800,000.00places in the locales you mentioned. (the Zillow site will back up prices. Are we allowed to mention sites and links here?) I am talking real, live 2006 prices.

We live in the San Fernando Valley, and can note that the locals here too are intellectually challenged to say the least, no adult speaks English, and all here appear to have the same vices to which you refer, given the homicides that regularly occur. I joined Neighborhood Watch so I could do something instead of just complain, so I have the police records of nearby total criminal offenses in my "hood" (you faux homies, and we consistently stop you) at my disposal. My husband, however, thinks I'm going to get shot for doing normal neighborhood activism.

However, it is a terrible way to live for middle class people, what with the destruction, weaponry, assaults, attacks, noise and nonstop disregard for all American laws, coupled with the isolation of no English speakers. (Refrain from suggesting we learn another language: we would have to speak a minimum of five others to understand all of our newer neighbors.)

Realistically, I believe the trade-offs will be worth it. It's become too expensive to live here. It's become too dangerous to live here. It's become impossible for non-polyglot linguists to live here. I have had 3 cars totalled in the last 5 years by unlicensed foreign-born drivers.
Unless you are, in my original assessment, rich, illegal or violent, Los Angeles is not a good place to live at all.

[Buddy]

Mexifornia formally known as California. White minorities still trying to have english reconized as Mexifornia`s third language. In other news,Castro finally dies at age 115;Cuban cigars can now be imported legally,but Presadent Chelsea Clinton has banned all smoking.

[fastfilm]

Buddy, I noted you live in La Mirada, and reccommend Brea as a good area. What do you, or your family and you do to afford $700K homes? And don't you think this is a tad unrealistic for most working people?