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I'm guessing it's not the LA I saw 45 years ago...
You're right, it isn't. In fact I was thinking about the cultural life business, how it is possible to have such a false conception of L.A., and it hit me that 40 or 50 years ago it was true that L.A. had an unimpressive cultural life for a city of its size. A lot has changed since then, but the old image has probably hung on to some extent in some quarters, which would explain the post I responded to. A crude analogy might be the image of the Jim Crow south which was accurate 40 or 50 years ago but which was remade by the Civil Rights movement. Some Europeans may still think the U.S. is like that.
Don't get me wrong - the traffic is still bad, but we do have a subway system now which didn't exist when you were here. Also, the smog situtation is much improved, thanks to rather draconian pollution rules that have been instituted gradually over many years.
I retired 5 yrs ago and stayed where i've lived for the last 40 yrs, Over the years i've developed a rather large social group of friends and relatives that i find to be the source of much fun and activity.
Several major trips per year and much going out to activities and events keeps my life feeling full and active.
While i take a 3-4 week trip to Florida in the winter to see friends and family (Mom,Dad and Bro) And do a bit of fishing its not any place i'd want to live fulltime,Too hot,too humid and beaches dont do a damn thing for me,unlike many who turn into weather weenies i dont mind winter and its invigorating temperatures and the winter activities it offers.
After a lot of talking, comparing, head banging, etc we decided to stay where we are. We're not moving to Sun City Anthem (Las Vegas) or Sun City Hilton Head.
Why? Well, there are a number of reasons, one of which is the obvious - money. But it's not just that or at least not directly. We calculated how much it would cost to buy a house that would satisfy us, move, furnish it, the higher cost of living, etc.
Then we figured out how much in the way of improvements we could make to this house, how much we could spend on travel, building a woodworking shop for me , doing the Townhouse Our House bit, and other projects. It turns out we can remodel the entire house, including Hardiplank siding. Replace all the carpeting with wood and tile (bye, bye carpet!), remodel kitchen and bathrooms, 3 season porch, heated steps down to the front sidewalk (steep driveway!), and still have money left over - unless we really get into the travel gig, which might just happen.
In 8-10 years we'll look into it again. By then we will be slowing down a bit, the house will be in salable condition, and things just might fall right. If not we stay here.
Feels food to have the decision made and we're looking forward to some trips. A couple of those extended cruises, a long European trip, and driving around the U.S. Costa Rica is a trip we keep wanting to do, as is Puerto Rico, among others.
The fun is just beginning.
Seeing as we now know where here is, I will say that I enjoyed my 8 visits out to Des Moines. Tek if you know where CP Dodge is you will know where I spent the bulk of my time. I did enjoy the weather though I think when that cold snap comes down out of the north/northwest I would think twice on thinking twice on thinking about staying. Brrrrrrrrr!
IA is a fairly good state to live with a very few major cities and lots of farm country for as far as the eye can see.
While i take a 3-4 week trip to Florida in the winter to see friends and family (Mom,Dad and Bro) And do a bit of fishing its not any place i'd want to live fulltime,Too hot,too humid and beaches dont do a damn thing for me,unlike many who turn into weather weeniesi dont mind winter and its invigorating temperatures and the winter activities it offers.
This is hilarious.
Do you not see the hypocricy in your statements?
You don't like Florida because the weather is too hot and too humid. But if people don't like winter weather then they are weather weenies.
A very best decision. Maybe include in some of the upgrade plans some ideas to allow ageing in place less painful down the road.
On this note, happened to see an article recently that some of you might find interesting/helpful:
Quote:
According to new data coming out of USC, the desire to move after age 55 basically flat-lines, having peaked in the early 20s. The good news is, there’s a whole industry dedicated to helping people modify their homes. But doing so can be a stressful and expensive endeavor. That’s why you need to understand the details of home modifications — and the impact — before you get started.
You're right, it isn't. In fact I was thinking about the cultural life business, how it is possible to have such a false conception of L.A., and it hit me that 40 or 50 years ago it was true that L.A. had an unimpressive cultural life for a city of its size. A lot has changed since then, but the old image has probably hung on to some extent in some quarters, which would explain the post I responded to. A crude analogy might be the image of the Jim Crow south which was accurate 40 or 50 years ago but which was remade by the Civil Rights movement. Some Europeans may still think the U.S. is like that.
Don't get me wrong - the traffic is still bad, but we do have a subway system now which didn't exist when you were here. Also, the smog situtation is much improved, thanks to rather draconian pollution rules that have been instituted gradually over many years.
I can only compare what i felt and searched for in LA to what is available to me in the proximity of Boston . A train ride to the city and theater, with post discussion with the director, and a choice of eating places. There are several theater choices and we have season tickets to one. These plays often make it to broadway after a trial run in Boston. Boston itself is very charming, walkable yet a sophisticated city. I attend lectures by Howard zinn, amartya sen, readings by Salman Rushdie, foreign films, and we have a great newspaper. Plenty of bookstores, several communities with charm, excellent public schools, bike paths, libraries, parks and rivers and mountains t hat make even freeway rides pleasurable. Beaches, tangle wood, islands, and an easy ride to NYC. I feel very bad for my daughter for not having the NYC life in manhattan she and her family enjoyed. Manhattan beach, while beautiful and with great charm, still feels so lacking. They do love it and are enjoying all aspects of it but for me personally, I love where we are and it feels right for me.
I am sure I don't know LA as you do but I found it extremely charmless.
I probably have to concede if the issue is "charm".
Quote:
Originally Posted by cb2008
I can only compare what i felt and searched for in LA to what is available to me in the proximity of Boston . A train ride to the city and theater, with post discussion with the director, and a choice of eating places. There are several theater choices and we have season tickets to one. These plays often make it to broadway after a trial run in Boston. Boston itself is very charming, walkable yet a sophisticated city. I attend lectures by Howard zinn, amartya sen, readings by Salman Rushdie, foreign films, and we have a great newspaper. Plenty of bookstores, several communities with charm, excellent public schools, bike paths, libraries, parks and rivers and mountains t hat make even freeway rides pleasurable. Beaches, tangle wood, islands, and an easy ride to NYC. I feel very bad for my daughter for not having the NYC life in manhattan she and her family enjoyed. Manhattan beach, while beautiful and with great charm, still feels so lacking. They do love it and are enjoying all aspects of it but for me personally, I love where we are and it feels right for me.
I am sure I don't know LA as you do but I found it extremely charmless.
Ah, O.K. "Charm" is a lot harder to pin down, and never having been in Boston I certainly cannot address that issue. In fact I would be willing to concede for the sake of argument that you are correct about Boston having more charm. But "apparent lack of a cultural life" is quite a different issue, which I addressed a few posts ago. What I have read and understand about Boston confirms what you are saying, namely that Boston ranks high in cultural life. Nothing I said about L.A. was designed to denigrate Boston; in fact when I wrote that post with the numbered points I wasn't even aware of where you lived.
One of the difficulties about L.A. is probably its size and "spreadoutness" which make it harder to get a handle on the richness of what is going on. While the Los Angeles Times Sunday edition has excellent listings for film, theatre, and music (both pop and classical), it seems impossible to cover everything. As a member of the Huntington Library, Botanical Gardens, and Art Museums, I get monthly flyers listing their lecture series for historians, scientists, and writers. And that's a good example because the Huntington is too far from Manhattan Beach to be real convenient, although it's doable. I'm fortunate to live close enough to downtown and to the Huntington to make them convenient. There are many high-level art things, especially serious music, which go on in Orange County, but that is too far for me, especially as I don't lack stuff much closer.
I confess to having been totally floored and flabbergasted by your earlier assertion about the "apparent lack of a cultural life" because it wasn't something that I could chalk up under "difference of opinion"; rather, it was diametrically opposed to the reality. I think the size of L.A. would make it harder for the visitor to get a sense of the cultural richness as opposed to, say, a visitor to Boston.
Escort Rider: We get it you are a truly Californian and love your state. Are you trying to convince yourself or the rest of us that LA (really) is so great. Now San Diego where I am from originally beats LA hands down. Who would want to retire to LA. Gosh, sounds like a poll in the making.
Escort Rider: We get it you are a truly Californian and love your state. Are you trying to convince yourself or the rest of us that LA (really) is so great. Now San Diego where I am from originally beats LA hands down. Who would want to retire to LA. Gosh, sounds like a poll in the making.
No, I am not trying to convince myself at all. I am quite secure in the satisfaction I derive from the cultural life here. I posted two or three times at some length to correct what were serious misunderstandings. In fact, you are putting words into my mouth about L.A. being "so great", as that is a generalization about everything about L.A. I was claiming that its cultural life is "so great", which is a more limited claim.
I also think San Diego is a nice place and I have visited many, but not all, of its attractions. It may well be a nicer place to live, in many respects, than L.A. The whole point of my posting as many details as I did was to avoid the vacuuous statements such as you made above, presumably just to provoke, to the effect that one place sucks and the other place is wonderful. Any meaningful discussion has to get into at least a few specifics, but of course I doubt if it was your intent to engage in a meaningful discussion.
It is quite possible the spreadoutness of LA makes its cultural life hard to access. But it is also the richness of the variety of what s available that makes the difference. When I wanted to watch an art film that Had opened and was listening to a discussion on it on NPR, I could not find it listed Anywhere in any theater around MB. I could have seen it in at least 2 theaters around Boston. I live about the same distance from Boston as MB is to LA. So it s not just availability of a cultural life but what it consists of that makes a difference. I was surprised.
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, doing the Townhouse Our House bit, and other projects. It turns out we can remodel the entire house, including Hardiplank siding. Replace all the carpeting with wood and tile (bye, bye carpet!), remodel kitchen and bathrooms, 3 season porch, heated steps down to the front sidewalk (steep driveway!), and still have money left over - unless we really get into the travel gig, which might just happen.
I probably have to concede if the issue is "charm".
