So do you love LA or hate LA? (Los Angeles, San Francisco: apartment, houses)

[drshang]

Put me in the love LA category.

But we have graduate degrees, aren't going after low probability "dream" endeavors here, and more or less compare it to other cities which would offer a similar lifestyle. There are certainly cities that are comparably strong in our eyes, but they would pretty much all be on the west coast. We also don't have kids, and don't want kids, so that eliminates many of the negatives of living in LA.

Most people I know certainly didn't love LA at first sight, but once they "figured it out," they were hooked. But there are certainly things about LA that suck, and depending on your personality and lifestyle, would cause you to dislike LA. That's fine though, there's not one city for everyone. Personally, I think LA is the best.

Few places offer the combination of world class weather, food & wine, variety of cultures, diversity of indoor and outdoor activities/recreation, laid back (by big city standards) lifestyle, natural geography, and eclectic vibe.

[Monkeymike]

Originally Posted by Fontucky

6 months? 8 months?

I'm usually just a lurker but I imagine you're asking him for a reason. Is this the dude that came after months of being an expert and then left after a day?

As for me, it's an amazing city but I'm not wearing blinders... It all depends on where you can afford, where you work and where you work relative to where you live. I live in Laurel Canyon and largely work from home which affords me the opportunity to explore at my leisure (and when traffic is lighter). So for someone like me this is a city full of opportunity, amazing people, amazing scenery and a sense of positive energy from people hoping to "make it". Every day I wake up and look outside and I'm grateful that I'm able to live here.

But there's a flipside to that coin and it's in our backyards. It's the people that try to find work but can't or that are forced to take jobs well below their skillset so they can just afford to eat, the same jobs that don't allow them time to go out and search for the better paying jobs they very well might be qualified for. There's the people who have been priced out of the metro area and find themselves forced to live in the fringes but still commute to the city, the ones that have a 2 hour commute each way. The people that are absolutely being choked by regulation, taxes, red tape and unfair laws. For these people LA is a vastly different city. It's a city that stifles business, oppresses the poor, takes what little money you have left in fees and taxes... And what do you get for the nation's second highest cost of living and highest taxes? Terrible schools, crumbling infrastructure and a questionable police force. For a city that demands so much from it's residence, it gives so little. For these people LA is a trap, it's a hole they can't get out of.

So at the end of the day, any one person's answer to this question is going to be largely dependent on their overall situation.

[Fontucky]

Originally Posted by Monkeymike

I'm usually just a lurker but I imagine you're asking him for a reason. Is this the dude that came after months of being an expert and then left after a day?

No, not THAT dude. This guy PDF actually lived in L.A. for awhile.

[nightlysparrow]

Originally Posted by Fontucky

6 months? 8 months?

Originally Posted by PDF

I lasted 8 months in LA. Just wasn't the right place for me at this time in my life. But great city, and I might be back one day.

And cannot stop posting on C-D about it.

[PDF]

Originally Posted by nightlysparrow

And cannot stop posting on C-D about it.

That doesn't make any sense. Just because I no longer live in LA, doesn't mean I aren't interested in how the city is doing. Again, I'd like this thread to stay on topic and not be about me.

[Count David]

I love LA, but I have no desire to ever live there.

[greggd1]

I love the weather, the beachs, the restaurants, bars.


I dont like the: Traffic, Poor Road Conditions, and lack of public transportation.

[PalmsTown]

Originally Posted by PDF

I've never seen such an opinion divide on a city. Half of the people on here constantly show their support and love of LA, saying it's such a great city and that you can't find anything else like it. But then as soon as you turn around, everyone is saying how LA is such a bad place to live and that its going to be in real trouble soon.

I definitely experienced both sides of the coin when I lived in LA. I thought the city was pretty bad for what is supposed to be a global city, but on the other LA has amazing weather, location, and landscapes. And LA is pretty young, so it can still get better, or even worse.

Global City compared to what exactly? It's far more global than DC or Chicago.

[nslander]

Originally Posted by drshang

Put me in the love LA category.

But we have graduate degrees, aren't going after low probability "dream" endeavors here, and more or less compare it to other cities which would offer a similar lifestyle. There are certainly cities that are comparably strong in our eyes, but they would pretty much all be on the west coast. We also don't have kids, and don't want kids, so that eliminates many of the negatives of living in LA.

Most people I know certainly didn't love LA at first sight, but once they "figured it out," they were hooked. But there are certainly things about LA that suck, and depending on your personality and lifestyle, would cause you to dislike LA. That's fine though, there's not one city for everyone. Personally, I think LA is the best.

Few places offer the combination of world class weather, food & wine, variety of cultures, diversity of indoor and outdoor activities/recreation, laid back (by big city standards) lifestyle, natural geography, and eclectic vibe.

This.

[pwright1]

I love everything about LA. The cultural amenities, the food, history, architecture, the variety of cool and interesting neighborhoods, the vegetation and natural beauty, the abundance of hiking trails and of course the weather and most importantly, the people. Loved living in Seattle but this is truely on another level.