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Old 09-13-2006, 05:17 AM
 
6 posts, read 22,599 times
Reputation: 18

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Okay, I can't take it anymore, the UK is driving me nuts...

I'm new to the forums, and I've just come in to get a fix. I'm a Brit who was fortunate enough to live in L.A. for about four months, Santa Monica to be precise...now I've been back in London for about 3 years and I still miss the blue skies and the happy people. And you should see my wife, she studied at FIDM for a couple of years and loves L.A. so much you wouldn't believe it.

If there's people on here who don't appreciate what a fantastic , varied, diverse, fascinating, and incredible city you live in, then take it from me, focus on the positive and see what you're missing.

Alternatively give me your job so I can come and work in L.A., and you can have mine in London. Please? Anyone?
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Old 09-13-2006, 07:50 AM
 
6 posts, read 22,599 times
Reputation: 18
So I've been reading a few posts while all you guys are tucked up in bed, and thought it wise to post a correction before I get shot...

If you think that L.A. is a hell hole/slum/ghetto/dump, then I respect your opinion and the fact that you probably have a lot of negative experiences to back it up. If you think that I'm being naive and condescending in telling you to 'focus on the positve' then I apologise.

thanks
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Old 09-13-2006, 08:51 AM
 
1,398 posts, read 6,591,878 times
Reputation: 1838
breaker, your post makes a lot a sense and is a good comparison for people reading these forums. It really underscores the value of subjectivity, where the poster is coming from, and I'm not being facetious at all, despite my many "reality check" posts here.

We have a famous ex-pat radio DJ, Steve Jones of the Sex Pistols whom I enjoy listening to, who continually extolls L.A. saying " I love it here." He too mentions the dreary British weather as a comparison. But it is useful for others to ponder the P.O.V.

Jones is a good example of someone who's worked his way up in a difficult to succeed in business, the entertainment business, and most likely retains horrific memories and associations of other urban centers he's lived in, from grim Eastender childhood, London music biz rip-offs, NY meanstreets of floundering and addiction and deaths of friends, finally to Los Angeles where he was able to make his musicianship work for him financially. Our former Sex Pistol now owns a house in Beverly Hills with a swimming pool, and does what he loves for a living, both music and radio chatting with friends. Enjoying the best of life with a Mediterranean climate in nice digs in a center that fosters his exact business, of course he loves it here.

His experience, and yours, was surrounded by, as you stated, "happy people," the well off living in a resort environment. This leads me to believe you are reasonably well off. 15% of people in Los Angeles are rich and will echo those "love it here" sentiments and will be "happy people" who can indeed enjoy the attributes of So. Cal that used to be available to the non-rich. 28% are middle class, the lowest percentage of middle class in any large American city (most are closer to 50% middle class, to underscore further this disparity,) and the rest are poor. This makes the present day L.A. more like stratified third world socioeconomic centers, rather than normal American cities of opportunities.

Couple this with factors unique to L.A., that the gang violence pervades middle class areas thoughout our entire urban sprawl and it not isolated in slums like most cities; that the majority of the population here is from other countries who insist upon changing so many aspects to replicate those from their home countries, and who are resentful to outright antagonistic to American citizens from all backgrounds; the enormous population of illegals who have a built-in disrespect for laws here; and that very little of the lingua franca of the USA and dare I say the global economy, English, is spoken or seen here, then you have a location with pervasive malignancies that are not seen elsewhere in this country.

Since most of these changes are very recent, in the last 20 years, those residents like me who've seen a city of opportunities for everyone from everywhere slide into an anomoly for America of lawless people who in fact despise everyone not from their home country, some of us long-time residents feel that it's now a city for the rich to enjoy, and everyone else to flounder amidst a very poor quality of life. Young people who've never known differently tend to defend L.A. The rest of us know there are many other places in this country that offer far, far, better quality of lives for the non-rich, and even have non-extreme, pleasant climates. A poster who left wrote "the only convenient thing here is the weather. Aside from that and friends, I miss nothing about Los Angeles." When we leave, we'll echo that.

Last edited by fastfilm; 09-13-2006 at 09:31 AM..
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Old 09-13-2006, 11:02 AM
 
Location: Cayucos, CA
215 posts, read 974,113 times
Reputation: 131
Default UK vs LA

Hi Breaker,

It's nice to hear a positive post and you made several points! I wish we had more people like you and your wife living here in beautiful California.

I can totally sympathize with you living in the UK!

I was born in Santa Monica and grew up in the beach cities of LA. Left LA to live in Winchester, Hampshire for a couple of years from 2002 - 2004 and WOW what a life change that was. I missed LA so much to the point my British hubby transferred his job to Calif to keep me happy.

Good luck to you and maybe you'll strike it rich to come back to LA and start a business. Look up starting a business on the immigration website.

Hugs,
Agua
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Old 09-14-2006, 01:07 PM
 
2 posts, read 9,115 times
Reputation: 11
Smile Grew Up in Santa Monica

Mr. Brit...

Just wanted to tell you that Santa Monica may nice as far as weather (cultural, shopping restaurants, etc.) but it is crowded, the ocean is polluted and it is not very kid friendly. I'm a native Santa Monican and grew up there (22 years). I loved growing up there, walk to the clean beach (at the time), small town atmosphere, walked to school, etc. It's just not the same anymore. Mom and brother still live there in the nicest area too....but I'll tell you, I'd never live there after with kids. Not to mention the fact that you have to be a millionaire to buy a home there.

Now, not EVERYONE is happy there either...many snobbish people, but you can find nice and happy people wherever you live. I'm sorry to hear you're missing SM...but don't worry...winter is coming and look at the bright side...it will be foggy and rainy there most of the time (hope that makes you feel better Take care!
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Old 09-16-2006, 04:26 PM
 
4,657 posts, read 8,685,225 times
Reputation: 1363
Breaker, you're cool. Everything is relative. Compared to cold, dreary, wet England, yeah Santa Monica is great. Especially the ridicuolus taxes communist mayor Ted the Red has levied on the fine citizens of London. How screwed up is the world when LA is mentioned for having lower taxes than somewhere? lol
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Old 09-17-2006, 02:32 AM
 
Location: los angeles
5,032 posts, read 12,570,406 times
Reputation: 1508
I don't understand you, fastfilm or recognize the city you describe

Aside from every day travel, living in Los Angeles is the only option. Though a native Californio, I've lived/studied in NYC/Philly/Chicago and been to a few places in the world. Flying back to California is always a great feeling of security. A place so unlike much of the US. Different mindset/attitude. Emphases on different/diverse. Warm days of non-stop sunshine, beautiful palms and exotic flowering trees. Liberal/lay back/LaLaLand. Nothing like it.
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Old 09-17-2006, 10:17 AM
 
1,398 posts, read 6,591,878 times
Reputation: 1838

My photos above show what $1,000.00 a month buys you for one-bedroom apartments near where I live in the S.F. Valley. This is not the case in most American cities, where middle class incomes do not sit you squarely into gang-infested slums. Perhaps your mention of lots of travel means you can afford a far better lifestyle in L.A. than middle class.

Your comment highlights the phrase "so unlike much of the U.S." That might be the crux. I like the U.S.A.
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Old 09-17-2006, 11:46 AM
 
Location: los angeles
5,032 posts, read 12,570,406 times
Reputation: 1508
No disagreement about middle-class/working class blues in LA, but the entire state has similar property costs except parts of the desert. In California, we pay to live here. But blaming the poor immigrant is not the answer. Even our republican governor understands that the state has to take-on more responsibility. Assembly will re-introduce legislation for universal health care that Arnold veto 'd before his humiliating "special election." Now that he needs democrat votes, he may follow Massachusetts and begin social medicine. Take a major burden off of businesses and provide free health care like every Western government began providing decades ago.
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Old 09-17-2006, 06:23 PM
 
1,398 posts, read 6,591,878 times
Reputation: 1838
To make this thread Los Angeles specific, I'll add that we citizens are taxed massively to provide services for illegal immigrants, services that we citizens will never receive. That's what makes California more expensive. Would one be correct in assuming you approve of taxing the middle classes into poverty themselves to allocate funds to go to people who break the law to be here? You can search through these threads endlessly, and you'll never find an unkind word about legal immigrants, for that is America. But illegals? That's insulting to Breaker, and all the other posters from everywhere around the world that want to move here legally. Breaker and Mrs. Breaker are not going to expect for you or me to pay for their lives here.
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