Why do people say they love L.A.,

[jm1982]

Originally Posted by PDF

As you are aware, I moved from my hometown to LA. While I have had conflicted views on how I like LA as a city/place to live, I never thought moving to LA would change my life.

I am making it out here, IMO. Found a job in less than a week, got promoted in less than 3 months. But my reasons for leaving LA is to simply change the state of play. My short-term goals are far different than they were when I was living in a Florida town I just couldn't wait to leave. While I could continue to settle down in LA, and that certainly crossed my mind, I was not happy with the direction I would ultimately be going in.

So LA was a necessary move for me. And while I did intend to be here for at least a few years, instead it has served as a stepping stone.

Although I do agree that many people tend to move to LA but later on leave. Many people move here to get into Hollywood, and move back home because it wasn't working out. I think the people who end up staying in LA are the ones who move here because it's a great place to live. But at least in my case, LA had nothing to do with it. Although I'm sure it at least influenced my decision a tiny amount.

It sounds like you want to move and travel to different places though rather than settling down right? If you want to travel you could probably have moved to anywhere in the country and still moved.

It also sounds like you have a bit more flexibility both in reality and mentally.

I think everyone has flexibility, but it just depends on whether or not you think you have it or not.

For example there are people that travel long term with young children but others that think you have to be home all the time with young kids.

[ccm123]

It's the "LA" that the media portrays (after all, LA is the media and entertainment capital of the world) that brings people here.

After they live here for a few years and see the "real LA" (traffic congestion, high unemployment, etc), many reconsider.

[Ingenere]

Originally Posted by jm1982

Also 24/7 sunshine?...its cloudy and windy the past few days..

And it's actually dark outside right now

what a liar.

[Monkeymike]

Much like others said, I think people have grand ideas of what LA is but when they get here and see what their money buys they quickly realize they won't be living in the hills... or in Santa Monica... or any of the other places that are considered quintessential LA.

I'm a Chicago transplant and we're lucky enough to live at the top of Laurel Canyon. So every day I wake up in November when my brain tells me it's supposed to be 20 degrees and instead I'm looking at mountains and it's 70 degrees I count that as a blessing. It's my definition of paradise. But before we found this place we spent two transitional months in a vacation rental in Van Nuys and let me tell you... If you're moving to California for fun, sun and scenery and you end up in the middle of Van Nuys you're going to be really disappointed. Not because Van Nuys is a horrible place (though parts of it are) but because it's decidedly not LA. Nobody thinks classic LA and pictures Van Nuys or Torrance.

So yeah, if you can come out here and get situated in a nice neighborhood you're going to be ecstatic but if you find yourself an hour's worth of traffic away from work and living in Panerama City then you might look at things differently.

With respect to the weather... I miss Chicago not at all but I can relate to the previous poster's comments about feeling frozen in time. When every day is sunny and warm things tend to all bunch together. I find myself forgetting what day it is sometimes because oh hey... It's 75 and sunny again! Am I complaining? No way.

[PDF]

Originally Posted by jm1982

It sounds like you want to move and travel to different places though rather than settling down right? If you want to travel you could probably have moved to anywhere in the country and still moved.

It also sounds like you have a bit more flexibility both in reality and mentally.

I think everyone has flexibility, but it just depends on whether or not you think you have it or not.

For example there are people that travel long term with young children but others that think you have to be home all the time with young kids.

Yeah, that's exactly what I'm doing. Long-term travel. But that wasn't exactly my plan when I moved to LA.

[nslander]

Originally Posted by Monkeymike

Much like others said, I think people have grand ideas of what LA is but when they get here and see what their money buys they quickly realize they won't be living in the hills... or in Santa Monica... or any of the other places that are considered quintessential LA.

I'm a Chicago transplant and we're lucky enough to live at the top of Laurel Canyon. So every day I wake up in November when my brain tells me it's supposed to be 20 degrees and instead I'm looking at mountains and it's 70 degrees I count that as a blessing. It's my definition of paradise. But before we found this place we spent two transitional months in a vacation rental in Van Nuys and let me tell you... If you're moving to California for fun, sun and scenery and you end up in the middle of Van Nuys you're going to be really disappointed. Not because Van Nuys is a horrible place (though parts of it are) but because it's decidedly not LA. Nobody thinks classic LA and pictures Van Nuys or Torrance.

FYI - only somebody with a Valley-centric view of LA County would equate Van Nuys with Torrance. Seriously, that made me wince. Torrance, California - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Otherwise, solid post.

[Monkeymike]

Whoops, meant Inglewood! For some reason Torrance and Inglewood are interchangeable in my brain.

[nslander]

Originally Posted by Monkeymike

Whoops, meant Inglewood! For some reason Torrance and Inglewood are interchangeable in my brain.

Torrance does has an identity issue, and its name doesn't help. And I'm not trying to dump on Van Nuys- the place has given us Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell, so they're something right. LA is such a large expanse, there is an igno-bias even within the metro. I knew people from the South Bay growing up who would equate Woodland Hills with Wilmington.

[things and stuff]

Considering the population of LA and the competition to buy homes in LA, its obvious that many love to live in LA.

You're always going to have disgruntled people, especially when millions of people are involved.