Making Friends in Los Angeles (apartment complex, mover, condos) - Page 3 - City-Data Forum

LaoTzuMindFu · 07-29-2008, 10:12 PM

Hey OP, there have been 20 responses here from people who are all very nice with some really good insight that could help you. Heck, most of us here are in Los Angeles and could very well become your friend but I must say, could it be your lack of responsiveness that is resulting in your difficulty in making friends? Im just asking because you started this thread five days ago and have not responded since. Im just saying........

Jaymum · 07-29-2008, 10:18 PM

I don't live there yet, but my heart is set on LA and I could make friends with anybody posting here.

I'm very outgoing and love people. Heck, when I was visiting a few weeks ago, this one family I met on the Santa Monica pier practically offered me a part-time job babysitting their kids, all as a result of casual conversation and friendliness. Making friends in the area is a breeze if you're just confident and outgoing!

lesallimc · 07-29-2008, 10:29 PM

Making friends (well I don't count them as friends until they stick around for a while) is one thing, creating deep, long lasting friendships is quite another....

Jaymum · 07-29-2008, 11:23 PM

That's true about deep, lasting friendships, which are difficult to find anywhere. My fustrations with that living in the NY metro (generally regarded as a friendly place) used to get the better of me. But when I looked at the big picture, I came to the realization that life is too complex for everybody to want to be your close friend. You're really fortunate to have just a few friends who are always there for you. I'm always open-minded and keep an eye out for lasting friendships, like you, but most people are just too busy for that. True, out in the countryside you probably have a greater chance to bond due to a simpler lifestyle and more free time. But you have to sacrifice many other things- excitement, convenience, activities, culture, etc.

I agree with timelesschild about it being odd that it's so difficult to build a lasting friendship, but I think it reflects upon a materialistic, modern society. My closest friends and I try to balance this out by staying down to earth and living for what's really important, like good health, good times, outdoor recreation in pleasant weather, meeting new people and such. These are reasons why I want to come to LA, not to "make it big" or become some sort of a star.

lesallimc · 07-30-2008, 12:02 AM

If you stay down to earth you will be just fine. Just know many people here aren't even sure where earth is.

Also, I've reached a point where I'm not sure there is more culture in LA than in a lot of smaller towns (again, another stereotype). I also think I have been equally busy in both size towns. People in small towns have restaurants, art museums and running water also. I'm not trying to discourage you. Just sharing what I have learned, and note it took me about 3-4 years here to start realizing these things. When I first came here, I thought, "What is everybody talking about???" It's more of a subtle thing in LA I think.

HotFudge · 07-30-2008, 12:18 AM

Try meetup.com --- it's greeeeeeat. PM me if you want the specific name of the group. I'm new here, too, and I had a lot of fun going to a recent meetup. I've only gone once because I've only been in L.A. three weeks, but it was an awesome experience.

lesallimc · 07-30-2008, 12:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HotFudge

Try meetup.com --- it's greeeeeeat. PM me if you want the specific name of the group. I'm new here, too, and I had a lot of fun going to a recent meetup. I've only gone once because I've only been in L.A. three weeks, but it was an awesome experience.

I'm glad to hear you have had a good experience with meetup. I tried to join a group that matched my interests and couldn't get added and someone else here mentioned a bad experience, so I'm glad to know there are some good groups out there.

Monskwar · 07-31-2008, 08:48 PM

I just moved here myself, to get involved in "the biz." I know absolutely no one and moved out here to hopefully find a career I was passionate about. Left my family and great friends that I've known since high school behind.

Friends are hard to make. I lived in DC for four years and I wouldn't say that the people there are any more friendly than the people here in LA. Big city folk are by and large, not the friendliest people in the world. LA is no different.

The fact is that this little blue marble we live on is becoming an increasingly lonely place for everyone. We're all sitting on the internet hoping for something great to happen in our lives. Social interaction is done through a keyboard.

But look at this thread and see how many people are interested in making friends. It's a lot of people. That's the thing to remember out there in the "real world," where people seem so preoccupied. Even the busy ones are looking for companionship at their core. You just have to eyes open and stay friendly and welcoming with everyone. It doesn't matter if it takes 10,000 encounters to meet that one great friend, it'll be worth it.

recentmover · 08-02-2008, 05:55 PM

Didn't realize the thread had continued...

I appreciate all the responses and would like to hear more about experiences with Meetup. One of my issues with Meetup groups is that they meet infrequently and don't stick to one time/ date/ location. Seems like it would be difficult to create a consistent group of people because of that.

recentmover · 08-02-2008, 09:54 PM

One of the reasons I moved to L.A. was the large population of single people here, but I may have to come to terms with the fact that my days of having a social scene or even a smaller "urban tribe" are over.

Again, I think the potential is here in terms of sheer numbers, but there seem to be a lot of obstacles: the spread-out nature of the city, the car-driven culture, the extreme career focus, the transient population (although this could theoretically equate to more openness to newcomers).

Although there have been some good ideas in these postings, I would love to see more specific suggestions (actual clubs, groups, activities) that have been successful for people.

In terms of dance, I would suggest learning tango, as there's a lot of activity around that dance and a consistent but decent-sized group of dancers.