Is Los Angeles a dump??? (Santa Monica, San Gabriel: 2010, transfer, university)

[ohhi]

I think some people are overreacting (marilyn)

It all comes down to the individual and if they choose to live within their means.

Every city has its dumps, and they have their nice areas. LA is no different.

I moved here from Texas and ended up getting a job in LA that pays a little more. I used to pay ~900-950 for a studio in texas (after all utilities - granted this was in a "nice" part of town) and I found a studio here in LA/koreatown for ~960 a month (all bills included except electricity [which is about $10-15/month]). i also live a few blocks from work, which allows me to walk there everyday. I fill up gas once every 1.5 months since everything i would ever need is walkable. so i end up living cheaper in LA than in texas.

it doesn't matter what city/state you live in as long as you're disciplined enough to live within your means. im sure a lot of the people who say 'dont move to LA cause its SOOOO expensive' quite possibly like to blow money on bars/drinking/eating out all the time. you'd probably do the same thing if you lived in dallas, seattle, boston, nyc, or ____ city.

if there's a will, theres a way.

[nickdahammer]

Originally Posted by 430F1

Honestly, most Los Angeles is pretty "dumpy" and downright ugly but it does have it's nice parts. Generally, have to leave Los Angeles and go up the coast or in the hills of LA to find the nice parts.

Whenever I invited my family from Europe they were always very underwhelmed and expected it to be like what they see on TV.

The lack of decent architecture is one of the things that contributes to the ugliness of LA. You want pretty? Then move to San Francisco or perhaps San Diego.

I beg to differ:

Central Library, the Biltmore Hotel, Doheny Mansion, Checkers Hotel, the old Edison Building at 5th and Grand, the Pacific Electric Building, the Subway Terminal Building, Terminal Annex, Union Station, on and and on and on.

And those are just some of the gems downtown.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by nickdahammer

I beg to differ:

Central Library, the Biltmore Hotel, Doheny Mansion, Checkers Hotel, the old Edison Building at 5th and Grand, the Pacific Electric Building, the Subway Terminal Building, Terminal Annex, Union Station, on and and on and on.

And those are just some of the gems downtown.

My parents took me to the Bradbury building cool elevator back in maybe 1966 or so when I was 5.

Bradbury Building



(photo freely available from Wikipedia: Wikipedia:Copyrights - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

[nickdahammer]

Originally Posted by Charles

My parents took me to the Bradbury building cool elevator back in maybe 1966 or so when I was 5.

Bradbury Building



(photo freely available from Wikipedia: Wikipedia:Copyrights - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

I was there a month ago- still incredible.

And don't forget the Orpheum, the Million Dollar (which just underwent $1m worth of renovations), and the Eastern Columbia Building which is my current favorite.

Los Angeles Conservancy | Last Remaining Seats

[Fred C Dobbs]

While many areas of California remain desirable, I'm afraid that LA is no longer on that list.

This city is run by idiots and crooks elected by a reallllly dumb electorate: A mayor who failed the bar five times (never passed) who keeps his estranged wife in the official mayor's residence while he hangs out with his girlfriend.

A city attorney who let his unlicensed and uninsured wife drive a city vehicle and then had the city pay for the repairs when she crashed it.

A school system with a greater than 50% dropout rate which spent a quarter of a billion dollars on a "showcase" High School built on a toxic waste site, never occupied, and stands abandoned today. Most of the members on the school board can't pronounce simple English words like "school" or "kindergarten" yet, they can spend plently of $$ with an upcoming 8 Billion Dollar bond issue on this November's ballot. Some of them are 2nd generation graduates of their own failure.

Trash Fees which are rising all out of proportion to their worth. Just wait 'til people start cancelling their trash service and just toss their garbage in the streets...

A police department which careens from one embarassment to the next.

A somewhat less faulty fire department though, with a recent case of dog food harassment that cost a couple million dollars to settle.

Plus several million illegal aliens who are outside the law with the protection of "Special Order 40" that precludes the police from checking their status. Everyone I know has been involved in a car wreck with at least one of these people -- They don't need any papers: driver's licenses, insurance, car registration, or even a true name.


Dooooomed!

P.S. -- The weather, at least near the coast, is still fine.

[asielen]

Part of what makes LA ugly is the fact that it is in basically a desert. In other parts of the country run down areas tend to be greener which makes things look better, but here when something is run down all you get is dirt and dead plants. But if you want lush plant life and lots of green, you should live somewhere else.

I think LA has some good and some bad. The city of LA proper does have some pretty ugly areas, but most of them are far from boring. Some of the most interesting architecture is in the worst neighborhoods because they are the oldest neighborhoods. Unfortunately its not being taken care of.

[POhdNcrzy]

*** Unfortunately its not being taken care of. ***

I'll say. When I was there I was kinda disappointed with how old and dilapidated so much of the infrastructure was, especially rental apartments.

I thought California was real progressive and state-of-the-art or something. OOps, got that one waaaaaaaaay wrong !

[Jaymum]

Originally Posted by Fred C Dobbs

While many areas of California remain desirable, I'm afraid that LA is no longer on that list.

This city is run by idiots and crooks elected by a reallllly dumb electorate: A mayor who failed the bar five times (never passed) who keeps his estranged wife in the official mayor's residence while he hangs out with his girlfriend.

A city attorney who let his unlicensed and uninsured wife drive a city vehicle and then had the city pay for the repairs when she crashed it.

A school system with a greater than 50% dropout rate which spent a quarter of a billion dollars on a "showcase" High School built on a toxic waste site, never occupied, and stands abandoned today. Most of the members on the school board can't pronounce simple English words like "school" or "kindergarten" yet, they can spend plently of $$ with an upcoming 8 Billion Dollar bond issue on this November's ballot. Some of them are 2nd generation graduates of their own failure.

Trash Fees which are rising all out of proportion to their worth. Just wait 'til people start cancelling their trash service and just toss their garbage in the streets...

A police department which careens from one embarassment to the next.

A somewhat less faulty fire department though, with a recent case of dog food harassment that cost a couple million dollars to settle.

Plus several million illegal aliens who are outside the law with the protection of "Special Order 40" that precludes the police from checking their status. Everyone I know has been involved in a car wreck with at least one of these people -- They don't need any papers: driver's licenses, insurance, car registration, or even a true name.


Dooooomed!

P.S. -- The weather, at least near the coast, is still fine.

Every large city has that type of negative crap. Very few have the fine climate and inspiring topography of Los Angeles.

[majoun]

Originally Posted by the one

of course my perspective is dif from maybe some one in their 60's or someone accustomed to lily white LA (does that even exist anymore?)

Lily white L.A. consists of Pacific Palisades and Santa Monica, and that's about it.

[Chowhound]

Originally Posted by Fred C Dobbs

While many areas of California remain desirable, I'm afraid that LA is no longer on that list.

This city is run by idiots and crooks elected by a reallllly dumb electorate: A mayor who failed the bar five times (never passed) who keeps his estranged wife in the official mayor's residence while he hangs out with his girlfriend.

A city attorney who let his unlicensed and uninsured wife drive a city vehicle and then had the city pay for the repairs when she crashed it.

A school system with a greater than 50% dropout rate which spent a quarter of a billion dollars on a "showcase" High School built on a toxic waste site, never occupied, and stands abandoned today. Most of the members on the school board can't pronounce simple English words like "school" or "kindergarten" yet, they can spend plently of $$ with an upcoming 8 Billion Dollar bond issue on this November's ballot. Some of them are 2nd generation graduates of their own failure.

Trash Fees which are rising all out of proportion to their worth. Just wait 'til people start cancelling their trash service and just toss their garbage in the streets...

A police department which careens from one embarassment to the next.

A somewhat less faulty fire department though, with a recent case of dog food harassment that cost a couple million dollars to settle.

Plus several million illegal aliens who are outside the law with the protection of "Special Order 40" that precludes the police from checking their status. Everyone I know has been involved in a car wreck with at least one of these people -- They don't need any papers: driver's licenses, insurance, car registration, or even a true name.


Dooooomed!

P.S. -- The weather, at least near the coast, is still fine.

Every comment here is true.

LA is so overrated. IMHO the only thing good is the weather.

You have to drive a hundred miles to get to anything "remote"

If you looked up "Urban Sprawl" in the dictionary it would show LA