People who never venture east of DTLA (San Diego, San Francisco: hotel, home)

[Manini2010]

I seem to frequently encounter people, both IRL and on the web, who proudly proclaim that they never have been east downtown and that the west side is all they need.

This makes me sad, as I think the best thing about LA is that you can visit places like Boyle Heights or San Gabriel and really experience some flavor. In comparison, places like Culver City or even Miracle Mile bore me to tears. Is this just me?

[smokingGun]

Different strokes for different folks. Not everyone has a high tolerance for the "ethnic" diversity found in places like Boyle Heights or Alhambra. Also, I hate to say, as an Anglo, a few times that I've dined out without Asian friends in the SGV the service & attitude has been a bit perfunctory & cool to say the least. I know it's cultural since restauranteurs & shopkeepers are used to dealing with Chinese-speaking clientele but it's annoying none the less. On the other hand with Latino neighborhoods like Highland Park and Echo Park gentrifying there's hope that at least the hipper 20-something crowd will be more open to mixing, mingling & experiencing the richness of LA's other cultures.

[Tex?Il?]

Originally Posted by smokingGun

Different strokes for different folks. Not everyone has a high tolerance for the "ethnic" diversity found in places like Boyle Heights or Alhambra. Also, I hate to say, as an Anglo, a few times that I've dined out without Asian friends in the SGV the service & attitude has been a bit perfunctory & cool to say the least. I know it's cultural since restauranteurs & shopkeepers are used to dealing with Chinese-speaking clientele but it's annoying none the less. On the other hand with Latino neighborhoods like Highland Park and Echo Park gentrifying there's hope that at least the hipper 20-something crowd will be more open to mixing, mingling & experiencing the richness of LA's other cultures.

I'm not quite so sure it is exactly that, since the west side has many, great, inexpensive, authentic ethnic restaurants once you get away from the corporate entertainment districts like 3rd street promenade, Hollywood & Highland, the Grove, etc. etc.

Having said that, I live on the west side. I have been to Alhambra once to a great Japanese restaurant. Haven't been to Boyle Hts (actually I take that back, I was there for work one day). But I certainly go to Olvera Street.

The west side is estimated to be around 63% white. Compare that with the Chicagos trendy, transplant-oriented areas, Lakeview and Lincoln Park with are 80-85% white. I would say that compared to other of America large, global, cities, the trendy, desirable side does have a relatively high degree of diversity.

[SalParadise]

Yeah, I used to work for a guy who is an aging baby boomer. He lives and works on the Westside. He would never venture east of LA BREA Ave! A true blue westside snob.

Of course, not all westsiders are like that. But those that do harbor such attitudes are usually not the kind of people you want to know anyway.

[HarryKerry]

Well a poll taken by LA Times for its old Magazine found that a high percentage of people have had to and for what ever reason come to LA from OC, while a small percentage of people ever venture from LA to OC. It's just that LA has more reasons to be visited for either employment, legal/financial reasons and its famous destinations.

Well, I lived in the northeast sections of the city of LA with Pasadena as old stomping grounds along with Glendale, etc. Hollywood, Hancock Park, Fairfax District my 2nd home as my other relatives lived in that area, and LOTS of time in downtown LA. We of course ventured west into West Hollywood and all the communities from there to Santa Monica, so I am more than familiar.

However, I had to move to the southeastern suburbs of LA County decades ago, and it was a bit of a downer, and that is when I started taking the train up to LA (sometimes drove) BEFORE Metorlink existed and still do so today. Living where I do, I was very close to OC, and relatively close to communities like Fullerton and Huntington and Newport Beach. Man, while it aint LA, my proximity to south OC was an extreme pleasure, and I ALWAYS preferred south OC beaches to any in LA or Santa Monica. And even Laguna Beach was withing our stomping grounds and access to OC Performing Arts Center (now sometimes BETTER programming that the LA Phil). One aunt moved to Irvine and we made frequent train trips down and would use Irvine Spectrum as our eating place (and IMAX on occasion) just before taking the train back home. In fact, I know OC just as well as I do LA County.

What's is interesting is that all my relatives on both sides of the family (years later one cousin would move just about mile from me) just about NEVER come east of downtown L.A. Well, I introduced my Hollywood and Hancock Park residents to the train, and we often took many trips to San Diego and even Tijuana, back when it was safe. I can't count how many trips we took. And they also LOVED taking the train down to Fullerton for lunch (countless times) really enjoyed Fullerton. We even bar hopped on one trip and they came so many times they had there preferred restaurants. And they also LOVED Orange at the circle and even ventured ion Metrolink to Clairmont for its restaurants and beauty at the Clairmont colleges. They LOVED it and had never been in all the decades they lived here. San Juan Capistrano and other villages EAST of LA and SOUTH of LA became one of their favorite type of outings. We even had a few trips to Riverside on the train and toured and visited the Mission Inn and ate at the very good Mexican restaurant there and a few places on the promenade across from the hotel. One aunt had special memories there from back in the 1950's and always enjoyed returning. Of course, downtown Riverside is a bit sleepy, but don't bother driving there. We never did. All these destinations were as if a whole new UNIVERSE was open to them and LOVED the outings EAST of LA.

Then there is my brother who already had all the LA hunts from South Bay (another area that should be visited) to East LA to Pasadena all covered for places he and his family would venture. Since we lived where we did, he would visit, and we either went to movies or to eats in our area. He was exposed to Brea and its tiny downtown with the concentration of movie theaters and eateries that he found to PERFECT for his needs and enjoyed the better group of folks without the those who have RUINED Old Pasadena without paying for parking or struggling to find a spot to park, along Block at Orange and discovered, by our advice, how to get to Disneyland (when the kids were little), et al, via streets avoiding the freeways. He has since had to move to Rosemead, so that is the furthest EAST he has ever lived. He now frequents destinations EAST and southeast of LA. Even the former Arrowhead Pond (with the eats at the center next to the Pond or at the Block at Orange with a few upscale restaurants is somtimes their prefreed venue for concerts even if the same show was performed a bit closer to them in LA (as part of the tour before or after performing at one venue) They found that it wasn't much more of a drive in difficulty than the LA venues.

I think my point is that there is a lot to explore and appreciate EAST and SOUTHEAST suburbs of Downtown LA that a lot of people living on the westside are even aware exists and they would enjoy. There are even very good epicurean independently (yes, the chains are there, too) owned restaurants with food just as good as the westside and Pasadena, just not as MANY as in LA.

But it takes someone who knows the EAST of LA area to expose them to it. I can't tell you how many of my relatives PREFERRED outing EAST and SouthEast as they found the villages more accessible and with the quality of the people closer to the company they would keep. Just think of the kind of people who didn't used to hang out in Old Pasadena or any other known LA haunts. Although the Grove is still good, but sometimes just TOO CROWDED.

What they also liked was that they didn't always have to drive the miles necessary and my brother found the drive no worse and sometimes BETTER than heading WEST. I have always been one to explore (and my brother) all the entire LA region has to offer. It makes for a very affordable STAYcation. While it is NOT EAST, we also took a number of trips up to Santa Barbara on the train, as well, and it was always a nice outing with good restaurants and shopping in downtown SB and the beach just steps away.

IF you're bored and have been to all the places downtown and west (none of us EVER really liked Century City because the access stinks and getting through Beverly Hills was sometimes a JOKE and the Parking Garage was nuts and the people are the worst example of westsiders) get researching and start exploring. You will be pleasantly surprised.

[JohnG72]

Did not read^^^^^^^^

[Harrier]

Originally Posted by JohnG72

Did not read^^^^^^^^

Too bad - it may be long - but that should be a contender for post of the year.

[EclecticEars]

Originally Posted by Manini2010

I seem to frequently encounter people, both IRL and on the web, who proudly proclaim that they never have been east downtown and that the west side is all they need.

This makes me sad, as I think the best thing about LA is that you can visit places like Boyle Heights or San Gabriel and really experience some flavor. In comparison, places like Culver City or even Miracle Mile bore me to tears. Is this just me?

You know, "white" areas (and yes, I'm white and just pulled the race card on my own), unless they're artsy, tend to be more bland in culture, even if the architecture is nice or the gardens are well landscaped or whatever.

My California, in the Bay Area which is where I live, is not to be enjoyed by just staying in one place. In part, this stems from my choice to live in a boring neighborhood, but Sausalito, Palo Alto, Saratoga, Berkeley, Alameda, Oakland Chinatown, Redwood City, Stanford, and San Francisco Japantown are all different from one another. (With the exception of Sausalito, I've been to all listed.)

San Franciscans seem to employ the same mentality as what you've described for West L.A., which is, "Why would I venture beyond?" The good news is that since SF and W. L.A., and coastal Orange County and Palo Alto, tend to attract plenty of pieces of work, they will not tend to venture out so readily into "beneath them" sort of places where people like me live. (Or, they'll move out to Denver, Scottsdale, or North Dallas and be amongst their ilk for less.) The sad news is that they might as well be living in Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, or an outer borough of NYC, albeit with nicer weather, with that mentality.

[BarcelonaFan]

Just what's over there east of LA?

[disgruntled la native]

I'm one of those people who won't go east of Downtown LA. Or south of Washington, or north of Ventura. I'm sure there's fine things in all of the areas past my boundaries, but I have no reason to go there. Everything I need is in the Westside/Hollywood area.