So how does the whole city within a city thing work? (Los Angeles: neighborhoods, school)

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You have Los Angeles. But then there are so many actual cities within the city of LA. I think this is different from towns. I'm talking about the cities within LA that have their own police department, transit system, etc. and own everything and are an actual city of their own. Culver City, Pasadena, Santa Monica, to name a few.

Do people of these areas identify themselves as living in LA, or do they act like it's somewhere else entirely? Or do they just say "Oh I live in Culver City", acting as if it's another neighborhood.

I have never encountered anything like this in any other big city I've been to. So I was just wondering how it works. By the way, I love the areas I mentioned. So I have nothing wrong with them, I'm just curious here.

[Queenslyn Person]

I can speak to this as someone from LA who has spent many, many years in at least one other big city, NYC. When you said,

"Culver City, Pasadena, Santa Monica, to name a few. Do people of these areas identify themselves as living in LA, or do they act like it's somewhere else entirely? Or do they just say "Oh I live in Culver City", acting as if it's another neighborhood. I have never encountered anything like this in any other big city I've been to."

When I was in Santa Monica, and I was talking to someone from outside it, I was strictly "from LA" or "in LA". But if someone else inside it, then I would be specific: "Oh, I live in Santa Monica." Same for Burbank when I lived there. My sister lives in Marina Del Rey and it's the same story. She tells people outside LA she lives in LA, and other LA residents she lives in "MDR".

I can't say whether this is similar in all other big cities, but it is certainly true of New Yorkers. When speaking to people outside NYC, New Yorkers refer to themselves as New Yorkers living in New York. (Never "New York City". Just "New York". Because there is only one, lol.) But when talking (ahem, "toakin") to another resident of NYC, here's how it seems to break down, at least what I've seen:

Manhattanites refer to themselves as living in "the City".
Brooklyners are very clear they live in Brooklyn. This is said with great pride.
Bronxites say, "oh, I'm in the Bronx. But in a good area!"
Staten Islanders stay quiet about it until pressed, then admit, "SI" or "the Island".
We here in Queens say we're in "the boroughs" until pressed, then "in Queens,"

And then we are quick to add what part of Queens! For some reason, Queens gets broken up into more neighborhoods (Astoria, Maspeth, Middle Village, Jamaica, Jackson Heights, etc) than Brooklyn (which has Wmsburg, Dumbo and so many more neighborhoods than Queens)!

But if something happens in the news that affects New York City, even if it's Manhattan, we all proudly proclaim we are New Yorkers. I saw the same in LA during the riot and the earthquakes.

This is an interesting question and I'd love to see other cities answer it, like Chicago, San Francisco, Miami, Atlanta and so on.

[genjy]

I was on a cruise, and a staff from Scotland asked me where I was from.

I told her, "I live just outside of Los Angeles."

I am pretty most people from my area would just say Los Angeles to get it over with.

If anyone from LA, SB, or Orange County asked me, I would tell the person exactly what city.

[disgruntled la native]

This topic has been discussed several times during my 2.5 years on this forum. Here's my opinion, which I think is pretty fair:

The cities of Santa Monica, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, and Culver City are "LA." Why? Because these four cities are bordered in nearly every direction by LA, and they are central to LA's culture and identity. Santa Monica is LA's beach town, Beverly Hills is LA's movie star/rich area, West Hollywood is LA's gay/party district.

Growing up in Santa Monica vs Brentwood/Pacific Palisades (City of LA neighbrhoods). is minimally different, if at all. Same with Beverly Hills Vs Bel Air, or Culver City vs Mar Vista, or West Hollywood vs Hollywood. So in that sense, Santa Monica is a "neighborhood" in the city of LA much like Venice or the Pacific Palisades. The major differences are the school systems and police departments, but quality of life is hardly different.

Now getting to Pasadena, Glendale, Burbank. Or El Segundo, Redondo, Inglewood, Torrance. These are cities that are right next to LA, and share much overlap with LA like the four cities I described above. But there is a definite difference in quality of life living in those areas vs most of the city of LA. For example, Santa MOnica is LA's beach, but Redondo Beach is its own community that doesn't have too much to do with LA. If you are from Pasadena and talking to a European, it might make sense to say you are from LA, but Pasadena and LA don't have that much in common besides geographics. These little cities have their own feeling and often aren't even bordered by LA (for the most part).

If anyone from Ventura or OC says they're from LA, that's horrifically wrong.

[munchitup]

Originally Posted by disgruntled la native

This topic has been discussed several times during my 2.5 years on this forum. Here's my opinion, which I think is pretty fair:

The cities of Santa Monica, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, and Culver City are "LA." Why? Because these four cities are bordered in nearly every direction by LA, and they are central to LA's culture and identity. Santa Monica is LA's beach town, Beverly Hills is LA's movie star/rich area, West Hollywood is LA's gay/party district.

Growing up in Santa Monica vs Brentwood/Pacific Palisades (City of LA neighbrhoods). is minimally different, if at all. Same with Beverly Hills Vs Bel Air, or Culver City vs Mar Vista, or West Hollywood vs Hollywood. So in that sense, Santa Monica is a "neighborhood" in the city of LA much like Venice or the Pacific Palisades. The major differences are the school systems and police departments, but quality of life is hardly different.

Now getting to Pasadena, Glendale, Burbank. Or El Segundo, Redondo, Inglewood, Torrance. These are cities that are right next to LA, and share much overlap with LA like the four cities I described above. But there is a definite difference in quality of life living in those areas vs most of the city of LA. For example, Santa MOnica is LA's beach, but Redondo Beach is its own community that doesn't have too much to do with LA. If you are from Pasadena and talking to a European, it might make sense to say you are from LA, but Pasadena and LA don't have that much in common besides geographics. These little cities have their own feeling and often aren't even bordered by LA (for the most part).

If anyone from Ventura or OC says they're from LA, that's horrifically wrong.

I agree, pretty much if you are in the southwestern part of LA county saying you are from "LA" makes the most sense.

LA is not the only city that has little cities carved out of it, I can think of Boston (Brookline) Houston (Bellaire), Dallas (University Park), even Long Beach (Signal Hill) as other large cities with separate municipalities within it.

[drshang]

Originally Posted by disgruntled la native

This topic has been discussed several times during my 2.5 years on this forum. Here's my opinion, which I think is pretty fair:

The cities of Santa Monica, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, and Culver City are "LA." Why? Because these four cities are bordered in nearly every direction by LA, and they are central to LA's culture and identity. Santa Monica is LA's beach town, Beverly Hills is LA's movie star/rich area, West Hollywood is LA's gay/party district.

Growing up in Santa Monica vs Brentwood/Pacific Palisades (City of LA neighbrhoods). is minimally different, if at all. Same with Beverly Hills Vs Bel Air, or Culver City vs Mar Vista, or West Hollywood vs Hollywood. So in that sense, Santa Monica is a "neighborhood" in the city of LA much like Venice or the Pacific Palisades. The major differences are the school systems and police departments, but quality of life is hardly different.

Now getting to Pasadena, Glendale, Burbank. Or El Segundo, Redondo, Inglewood, Torrance. These are cities that are right next to LA, and share much overlap with LA like the four cities I described above. But there is a definite difference in quality of life living in those areas vs most of the city of LA. For example, Santa MOnica is LA's beach, but Redondo Beach is its own community that doesn't have too much to do with LA. If you are from Pasadena and talking to a European, it might make sense to say you are from LA, but Pasadena and LA don't have that much in common besides geographics. These little cities have their own feeling and often aren't even bordered by LA (for the most part).

If anyone from Ventura or OC says they're from LA, that's horrifically wrong.

I am sorry but there is no way in hell SM, Beverly Hills, represents the typical lifestyle or really has anything close to resembling anything about a typical neighborhood in the city of LA. Do you really think growing up in Los Angeles is similar to growing up in Santa Monica? Seriously?

I think you should actually GO to neighborhoods in the city of LA before professing any kind of statements like this above. Look at a map of Los Angeles. Just the city. Look at the neighborhoods. Go to those neighborhoods and compare to Santa Monica. Just do it. I don't think there's any way this is correct.

If anything the Palisades and Brentwood are simply suburbs of Santa Monica and Beverly Hills, not the other way around. And none of those areas are really similar to "Los Angeles." You say they are the center of "Los Angeles" but really it's the opposite. The center of "Los Angeles" by most of your definition isn't really "Los Angeles" but rather the sattelite cities that you claim are similar to "LA."

Reality is, this part that you call "LA" is one of dozens of subcultures located within the city and its surrounding satellite areas, which are all really part of "LA."

[Chicano3000X]

Just small cities that deny their fate and won't give in. They will.. they will..

[munchitup]

Originally Posted by drshang

I am sorry but there is no way in hell SM, Beverly Hills, represents the typical lifestyle or really has anything close to resembling anything about a typical neighborhood in the city of LA. Do you really think growing up in Los Angeles is similar to growing up in Santa Monica? Seriously?

I think you should actually GO to neighborhoods in the city of LA before professing any kind of statements like this above. Look at a map of Los Angeles. Just the city. Look at the neighborhoods. Go to those neighborhoods and compare to Santa Monica. Just do it. I don't think there's any way this is correct.

If anything the Palisades and Brentwood are simply suburbs of Santa Monica and Beverly Hills, not the other way around. And none of those areas are really similar to "Los Angeles." You say they are the center of "Los Angeles" but really it's the opposite. The center of "Los Angeles" by most of your definition isn't really "Los Angeles" but rather the sattelite cities that you claim are similar to "LA."

Reality is, this part that you call "LA" is one of dozens of subcultures located within the city and its surrounding satellite areas, which are all really part of "LA."

What on earth are you talking about?

Beverly Hills doesn't seem to be much different than Beverly Grove and Pico Robertson. Santa Monica doesn't seem to be all that much different than Westwood or northern Venice. West Hollywood is nearly indistinguishable from the adjacent parts of Hollywood (the crazy-ass border makes it even harder), East Los Angeles is not very different from Boyle Heights, I can't tell Culver City from Mar Vista or Palms etc. Granted, I will give you that they are generally in better condition / have better maintenance than Los Angeles, but that is because they are tiny municipalities that can focus on themselves and not an entire mega-city.

I don't disagree that those satellite cities seem to be the city-center, especially on the Westside but overall the center of Los Angeles is a huge area that includes everything from DTLA to Hollywood to Beverly Hills to Santa Monica to MDR. So in a way Los Angeles is its own region's center and in other ways it is not.

[munchitup]

Originally Posted by Chicano3000X

Just small cities that won't give in. They will.. they will..

It does seem like they are better off by themselves.

[Chicano3000X]

I use to think Glendale was a neighborhood. So close to Atwater. Sometimes it's hard to tell where Glendale begins and L.A. ends. For me, once you cross the train tracks, your in Glendale. But some areas it just bleeds into Glendale.

Funny thing is that I see Glendale folks, some with tats of the L.A. skyline. You know they wanna be part of the the Mother Ship.