Does ANYONE like living in LA? (Los Angeles: health insurance, daycare, employment)

[Brandon26pdx]

Originally Posted by Charles

Actually, all he did was rent an apartment near his job and write a post on City-Data. (However, the tone of his post indicates he is happy and mentally healthy - probably more important than anything else I will write below.) His post basically stated that he likes to do what can be done in just about any city with a half million or more people in it: eat at ethnic restaurants, attend festivals, visit museums, etc - except the living by the beach part....

His job was in Manhattan Beach and he lived in South Redondo. One of these days, Ms. Right will come along and he'll get married and have kids and want a home with good schools. Maybe our poster is pulling in $200K+/year (about three times the average income of Los Angeles residents) and he'll continue to live down there. Or, he'll be like the other 98% of us and either A) buy a home he can afford somewhere far away and commute or B) move or C) wait for the homes to continue crashing and buy a home not too far away - if he still has a job.

I'm not knocking the guy (actually I envy him; but I'm married with four kids), but a single dude renting an apartment near the beach and not commuting isn't a huge accomplishment. I was sort of doing the same thing myself when I was in my 20s.

He stated he had a fiance in his post, so he likely is able to afford the nice apartment at the beach by means of a dual income household.

I would agree that if multiple kids and a four bedroom house in pleasantville USA is your end-game then L.A. might not be heaven on earth. Like you mentioned you would have to be doing considerably better than average moneywise to pull that off there. I would suspect many leave the area when they switch into "family mode"

I appreciated his take from the standpoint that there seems to always be a family oriented bias driving people's opinions on these forums. If you're young, single, and do okay income wise there's alot to like about the area. Fair enough.

[wilczy]

i LOVE LA! LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT. we left for jobs, were coming back for the life.

[mading6]

I love living in Los Angeles. Today the weather was sooooo amazing. I love my house, my yard. One thing I really love about Los Angeles are the gardens. The plants. The hills, mountains, palm trees.

the creativity is amazing also. When I look at other people's houses, gardens, clothes, etc. so eccentric. I have lived and traveled a lot. The diversity is my favorite. I meet so many different, awesome people.

If I was poor I would not live here though. the taxes, fines, fees, parking fees,etc. are a lot.

Oh I live in Hollywood.

[happ]

Today was sunny & near 80F in mid-winter how many other cities could claim the same in the U.S.?

[Huckleberry3911948]

i would live in LA, 2nd largest USA city.

[chacho_keva]

I have not enjoyed life in Los Angeles for many years now. Some areas have become "third-worldish." But, here will I be until the day in which I can retire and leave permanently.

[matt345]

Yes I enjoy my life in LA. I have lived other places and I see myself staying here for a while. I've noticed that people in LA don't seem to realize all that's around them. They don't take full advantage of the fact that they live in a global city. People here like to whine. Take the weather for example. All summer all I heard was how hot and awful it was outside. Excuse me, but 85 with no humidity is beautiful weather! And yet they complained. Now that it's "winter" people are even worse. Whenever the temperature dips below 65, out come the scarfs, heavy winter clothes, hats, and gloves because "it's sooo cold out". And then when it finally warms up again, people still complain. Only now they complain about how they wish it would go back to "winter". Sorry folks, but none of the weather I've seen so far here is winter weather. Go to Colorado if that's what you're looking for. I'm quite happy with 75 in January.

[JonathanLB]

Originally Posted by happ

Today was sunny & near 80F in mid-winter how many other cities could claim the same in the U.S.?

Exactly. I hope the other tools are having fun in their frigid, snowy, 30 degree January and February weather, meanwhile it's been mostly mid-70s and 80s for us in L.A., even almost hit 90 one day, it was nearly a record high for about a week. It has been fantastic. If cold miserable weather is for you, well, I guess L.A. isn't! But for me, I love waking up, looking out my loft window, seeing a beautiful day yet again, and knowing I'm in the entertainment capitol of the world.

It IS expensive, but all I hear from people who don't like L.A. are basically mediocre tools who think that the point of life is having kids and working your dead-end job until you can retire, and you can do that in any city, so please leave us alone and stop crowding the streets of my fair city. That isn't the goal of life. That is the mediocre person's mediocre ambitions, because they can't figure out anything better to do with themselves.

For those of us who actually aspire to greatness, and have the means to afford to live in a better city, this is a great place to be. For people who want a quieter life, sure, this isn't for you. I don't want that. I like action, I like the wealth of culture and the massive industries here, film being all around me, and opportunities galore. Also, the people in Los Angeles are nice and friendly, I don't know why they get this crap about not being so. I have great, generous neighbors and have had met so many cool people here.

[lb74]

Since Texas came up here I thought I'd chime in. We lived in San Diego and moved to Texas for lower cost of living. Texas, in my experience has been quite harsh. The weather is extreme as is the politics, as is the temperament of the people. But you can own a new big home and you'll need it because there is literally nowhere to go and very little do.

Knowing what I know now, Arizona would have been better, or perhaps PNW or NE. We're heading back to CA. LA does scare me a little though, I admit.

[VillageLife]

There is so much to see and do in L.A.is there any reason why not?

Weather is great,people are friendlier and laid back.. lots of challenging things to do!