Anyone else think LA is going down the toilet? (Los Angeles: middle-class, credit card)

[marilyn220]

Originally Posted by fairweathergolfer

M220, I see a lot of those botoxed anorexics where I live and they really jepardize themselves so as to keep up with the biggest and best financially. Many make lots of money but still are in way above their heads with their monthly budgets reaching the stratesphere (you would NOT believe!) just to keep up and exceed the Joneses. Then of course come the divorces and the truth comes out.

You mentioned something I had forgotten and that is even the poorer population can wall themselves off here (not just the rich). You are so right. I had gotten so caught up on how isolating it is on the westside, I had forgotten this until you said it.

It once occured to me I could die in just the wrong place here and no one would even notice for days or care (wouldn't matter what my income or 'side of town'). People are just so estranged from one another, even when one tries otherwise, it can be very difficult. Does this have to do with being in one of the largest cities in the nation? I remember when I was in NY even in the elevator at Saks women would speak their minds and go off about this and that--unasked for. But here there is no talk in the elevators. I also miss intelligent conversations. Oh my, do I ever.

Aww, hugs to you Fearweather!

I personally, as a woman, can't risk being friendly with the people around me (Southern California isn't known as serial killer central for nothing! LOL!). I don't trust anyone! I always get the feeling someone wants something from me (man or woman), because people are so broke and barely hanging on. Even as you stated - THE RICH AREN'T AS RICH AS THEY PORTRAY THEMSELVES TO BE.

Another thing I don't like about Los Angeles are some of the blacks crazy paranoia about white people! I'm African American, but I don't look at whites the same way they do HERE. There's this insane "don't trust whitey, because he's out to get us" thing that's beyond real. No, I don't think all white people love us, but **** I don't think they're the spawn of satan either! LOL! Man, you gotta be there listening to know what I'm talking about. I am so happy I wasn't raised here. Thank God for small favors.

Like for instance, I was temping at one of the studio lots for a couple of months and I was sitting outside having lunch with another girl, also black. Well all of a sudden these black hooker looking chicks wave to us and we say hi back. So they get closer then from out of nowhere one of them says "We all need to speak to each other because we IS on the plantation." No freakin lie! I couldn't believe it. These people didn't know either one of us from adam and thought it was okay to say this. For all she knows I could have been half white or had a white husband or something. Unfortunately, this would not be my last foray into the crazy world of California blacks' paranoia of white people.

[Ms.Phitt]

Originally Posted by gfluneedit

No city is perfect, but LA seems to be in a class of it's own with the invasion of 3rd world illegals.

No one wants to live with those criminals.

Please be careful with your generalizations. The problem should not be defined as "citizens vs. illegals," but rather, "law-abiding vs. criminals." Yes, I feel that illegally coming here is also by definition a crime, so don't misunderstand me. But let's not forget that there are people who come here illegally but are otherwise law-abiding, and there are people who are here legally but are career criminals and gang members. Blaming everything on the illegals is a convenient way of ignoring the problems our own corrupt, inept government is causing. And given the extreme understaffing and underfunding of L.A. law enforcement, I'd rather crack down on the career criminals and gangsters first, regardless of their citizenship status.

Should all illegals be deported? Absolutely, and we should also remove any and all incentives for them to be here illegally in the first place. But please keep in mind that ultimately what we're talking about here is not really a racial conflict or a citizenship conflict; it is a conflict between those who want to make an honest living and those who do not, regardless of citizenship status. Ship gangsters and other low-lifes off to jail or their country of origin, whichever is appropriate... as long as they are being removed from L.A. streets, you have a start towards a better L.A. But assuming that by removing all the illegals you will be solving all the problems is a mistake.

That said, yes, L.A. is a special kind of haven for thugs of all stripes.

[hedgefundpirate]

I think that many people who have not spent a great deal of time in Southern Cali think that it is like something that is more a romanticized 50's-60's version of everyone hanging out at the beach and surfing listening to beach boys music.The reality is the middle class only have time to sit in traffic when not working and the music will consist of an angry rapper spewing profanities over the sound of gun shots.

[hedgefundpirate]

The overall cost of living when factored in with the crime makes the city of Los Angeles not worth the hastle of living here.If I had Warren Buffets money I would not want to live here.The liberal legislator of Sacremento combined with the city administration itself have wrecked the city.If you are a millionaire you might enjoy life here but if you work for a living and actually want to own a home in an area with good schools pack your bags and start looking at Dallas,Denver,Orlando,Tampa,Miami the list goes on and on.California sucks.

[TheRealAngelion]

Originally Posted by fairweathergolfer

If you had the money to live in the best areas here would you stay or go? Just curious. If you presently have the money and chose to leave--why? Look forward to all responses.

The posts here are quite amusing. I wonder how many of the folks who are responding to these threads on LA actually live there. Getting to your question, YES, if I were SUPER RICH and could afford to live anywhere I chose, I would make LA my primary city of residence. The city is awesome to put it simply. It has everthing under the sun to see and do. There's a lot of interesting neighborhoods and areas in and around the city limits and I like the diversity of people you find there from all over the country and world.

I live in San Diego now, which is a nice place to be. But it lacks the stature, diversity and amenities of an international, world class city. If you are super rich, LA is one of the best places on the planet to live a world class life.

[SandyCo]

Originally Posted by TheRealAngelion

If you are super rich, LA is one of the best places on the planet to live a world class life.

Most of the people posting in here aren't super rich, though. Many of us grew up in this area, and have seen it change drastically in the last twenty to thirty years. The problems that L.A. faces are beyond the scope of an individual to fix. Sometimes I think it's even beyond the scope of our inept government!

I'm glad that you find so much to love about L.A. We'll be leaving it in good hands; we'll wave to you from other cities/states!

[TheRealAngelion]

Originally Posted by SandyCo

Most of the people posting in here aren't super rich, though. Many of us grew up in this area, and have seen it change drastically in the last twenty to thirty years. The problems that L.A. faces are beyond the scope of an individual to fix. Sometimes I think it's even beyond the scope of our inept government!

I'm glad that you find so much to love about L.A. We'll be leaving it in good hands; we'll wave to you from other cities/states!

The question posed by fairweathergolfer was "If you had the money to live in the best areas here would you stay or go?" Hence my response.

I've lived in and visited a number of major U.S. cities, and LA tops my list as the one I would choose to live in if I had unlimited means.

[marilyn220]

Originally Posted by TheRealAngelion

The posts here are quite amusing. I wonder how many of the folks who are responding to these threads on LA actually live there. Getting to your question, YES, if I were SUPER RICH and could afford to live anywhere I chose, I would make LA my primary city of residence. The city is awesome to put it simply. It has everthing under the sun to see and do. There's a lot of interesting neighborhoods and areas in and around the city limits and I like the diversity of people you find there from all over the country and world.

I live in San Diego now, which is a nice place to be. But it lacks the stature, diversity and amenities of an international, world class city. If you are super rich, LA is one of the best places on the planet to live a world class life.

I live in North Hollywood. Have been for the last three years. I venture out to West LA, Downtown L.A., Century City and Beverly Hills alot. L.A. is what it is.

Like Sandy&Co said, good thing you'll be here to keep it the wonderful place you "think" it is.

[tinaweha]

Oh, this is a conversation after my own heart!

Many years ago I was divorced and decided to relocate to Southern Cal because a friend needed a roommate and she talked me into the relocation. I lived in Huntington Beach (hey it's all LA to me...) and I married a doctor from West LA. We ended up living in Orange County.

I am from Seattle, so I couldn't believe how weird LA was. (My definition of LA includes just about anything south of Santa Barbara, though possibly excluding San Diego and a few beach cities south of OC.) It seemed like we had enough money to make it, though it wasn't enough.

I have family who would be classified as fairly wealthy BH people. My former sister-in-law is a professional shopper. She got her nanny the day she found out she was pregnant for God's sakes. Five carat diamond. Beautiful looks.

Back to my story: after I had two small children, I looked around and realized that there was no place south of Santa Barbara that didn't have crime, smog, jerks, etc. I told my husband that if he wanted to see his children grow up, he had to move somewhere else with me. This was around 1985...and I can only imagine how bad it is now. We moved to a suburb of Seattle.

So, the story continues. My daughter moved to LA with her boyfriend (also from Seattle) a few years ago. They broke up and, after a few years of trying to be a single gal making it on her own, she realized that it is not all nightclubs and parties and great people in LA.

She is trying to move back. I look upon her sentence of LA living as a form of schooling. She knows more about life than any of her cohorts at Yale or Stanford!

PS The only people I know that love LA grew up in LA. And, they take vacations every chance they get. It is the only way to keep your sanity, I believe.

I made my husband give up a great practice to move to Seattle. I fought my inlaws kicking and screaming and everything else I could think of. I ended up divorcing the doc, but....you know what...even though he fought the move to Seattle, he loves it here!

[tinaweha]

So....there are some of you that say you have everything in LA. You love it there. Other than weather and beach, what EXACTLY do you have there? Please tell me what it is. I just don't GET LA.