Is LA the answer?? (Los Angeles, San Francisco: transplants, college, taxi)

[ilovegarlic]

Yeah, if you want to meet nice people, it would help if you're nice yourself.

This one seems a little off what with the flippant way he degrades people in Boston.

[hockfan86]

Moderator cut: orphaned

In all seriousness you can find your niche here as anyone can if they put in a little time and work. I would argue that one could probably do the same everywhere its just more or less challenging depending on where you go and a host of other variables.

LA definitely isn't the easiest place to get plugged in, but it's not hardest either. You have to go out and seek people to meet, cannot wait for them to come to you. If you are banking on people being friendlier here therefore easier to make friends with, don't it won't be that simple. If you don't make an effort you will end up with a ton of nice people that say hi but never want to get a drink with you, watch the game, etc...

[taydigga]

Originally Posted by Mike121

Los Angeles is almost never the answer. Los Angeles is just a new source of different problems.

But sometimes, starting over in someplace new is the answer. And if you want to start over, LA's as good a place as any, especially since you'll find a lot of people here that are starting over that you can bond with.

Please, it all depends on what you want and who you are. Plenty of people can say LA was the answer for them just as plenty can say it wasn't. LA is a great place if you looking for sunshine, laidback people and a diverse amount of things to do. There's the traffic and stuff but just make sure you live close to where you work. I love this city!

[CruzinVato]

well, theres no way LA could be worse than Boston. I think its more open minded, people are used to different cultures, great weather, Moderator cut: see note.

[ElysianEagle]

i think it's vital that you find a place to live that's not only close to where you'll be working, but is either an interesting neighborhood in itself or is close to neighborhoods you like hanging out in. the days when you could live in long beach and commute to your job in north hollywood are long gone (unless you're sure you'll be earning a ton and you don't mind the traffic).

that said, you should also perhaps consider NYC. but being on the east coast as well, it might not be as much of a change from boston as you seem to be looking for, so taking that into account i think LA might be a good choice. but also consider san francisco, as someone else suggested (especially since it's more tech-focused than LA).

[Carlite]

The food in LA is a lot better than in Boston. The Mexican food for sure, but many kinds of food really. There's lots of local beer brewing activity in Southern California--in LA but especially in San Diego. You'll be happy to know that non-Hispanic Whites are a minority in the city of Los Angeles, the county of Los Angeles, and the Los Angeles metropolitan area.

[PDF]

No city is the answer. But it sounds like Los Angeles would be a much better place for you, so I say come.

[moonsparkle]

Originally Posted by hockfan86

Moderator cut: orphaned

In all seriousness you can find your niche here as anyone can if they put in a little time and work. I would argue that one could probably do the same everywhere its just more or less challenging depending on where you go and a host of other variables.

LA definitely isn't the easiest place to get plugged in, but it's not hardest either. You have to go out and seek people to meet, cannot wait for them to come to you. If you are banking on people being friendlier here therefore easier to make friends with, don't it won't be that simple. If you don't make an effort you will end up with a ton of nice people that say hi but never want to get a drink with you, watch the game, etc...

I've read this before and wondered this. It's said about every major city - but especially LA. The other cities, ones that people typically move there for corporate work or job transfers, that becomes their social network, which doesn't seem as common in LA.

Yet, if almost everyone in LA has this attitude, no one would ever meet anyone new. Trying to forge friendships that aren't really there isn't good either. It sounds like in LA, no one cares to make new friends, you basically have to make this effort to befriend anyone, which just has to be odd. I'm not sure how true it is. Hopefully BarcelonaFan reads this.

Also, for women, it doesn't matter where they are, if above a 6.5 on the looks scale, they won't have trouble meeting people.

For guys, it can definitely be more difficult. Other guys don't readily want to incorporate you into their groups for example, it's more competition for the available women in that group/extended group of friends. Openly gay guys have an easier time in this aspect, even with all the drama gay social groups are known to have, it's easier for a gay man to befriend another gay man or gay group of friends than a straight guy to get into a group in a new city.

[Joe Van Fossen]

Originally Posted by trancedout

It sounds like in LA, no one cares to make new friends, you basically have to make this effort to befriend anyone, which just has to be odd. I'm not sure how true it is. Hopefully BarcelonaFan reads this.

It's hard to make generalizations about a city with a population of 16M+ people. There are plenty of outgoing, personable folks who are interested in meeting new people. There are a lot of misanthropes and snobs too. There are also a lot of other personalities in between. It's a very socially and culturally diverse city. If one finds it hard to make friends in LA, or anywhere really, they're probably looking in the wrong places or maybe not very desirable to hang around.

For guys, it can definitely be more difficult. Other guys don't readily want to incorporate you into their groups for example, it's more competition for the available women in that group/extended group of friends.

I would love to hear the conversation between the group of men who decide not to let another guy into their circle due to competition with women. If this actually happens, it's among the most absurd behaviors of single men I've ever heard of.

[hockfan86]

It's not so much an effort to make the person like you, it's an effort to make it out to places where there are people who are open to making friends.

Like for example it's easy for me to wake up and go to work, work for 10 hours, drive home in traffic and then have no energy to go out and be social. I have to decide on the weekends I am going to get in the car and drive to meet someone somewhere or do something even when I just worked 60-80 hours and commuted all week.

In other cities people and places can be more accessible at times. There are plenty of walkable urban areas of LA don't get me wrong, but your friends or your demographic of potential friends may not all live in walking or easy driving distance.

This type of atmosphere has its advantages and disadvantages, but one disadvantage for me is that I don't have enough natural ways to meet people outside of work. I have friends out here because I am persistent, I have been here for almost 2 years, and a lot of my friends I met through work. However I have never lived in the same neighborhood as any of my friends mostly due to varying tastes and in some cases incomes. This has cause myself or my friends to cancel plans on multiple occasions.

Either way its honestly not that bad once you get out there and start feeling at home in this city.